I love that these are so easy, and that my seven year old can practically make them all on her own.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup creamy Peanut butter
3 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

Add the butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Boil, while stirring for one minute. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Drop by tablespoons onto parchment paper. Allow to set before eating.

A fair warning, these are addictive. Little hands will become extra chocolatey. You simply cannot eat just one. Or two.

Yes, we all need some time to relax, and engaging in mindless activities has its time and place

Sure, we can put blocks on the internet for our children to keep them safe and prevent them from viewing inappropriate content (see Playdate Internet Tips). But that still doesn’t deter them from wasting time sifting through mindless distractions. Yes, we all need some time to relax, and engaging in mindless activities has its time and place. However, when you look down at your watch and hours have passed without getting your work done or you have nothing to show for the time that you spent, you’re entirely too easily distracted. At the end of the day you’re often left wondering ‘where did the time go?’ only to wake up the next morning to start the cycle all over again. I should know, because I’ve been guilty of it myself. It’s always easier and more fun to ‘veg-out’ than to do work, especially if you don’t have any deadlines to meet. It kills me to think about how much time I’ve wasted on mindless entertainment that could have been used productively to pursue my goals.

If I mess up and miss a day, it’s no big deal. I just make it up the next day.

Most adults are not much better than children at time management. The problem is that many people end up settling for mediocrity in their lives and check out or waste day after day. Yes, they are maintaining the status quo and generally meet their basic needs for food and shelter, but often feel like they are not living up to their potential. While they’re not necessarily hurting anyone, it certainly isn’t progress. The key is to limit your distractions (computer or elsewhere) by scheduling your time effectively. More specifically, you need to set aside some time for your entertainment as well as specific times to pursue your goals. I write my assignments for the day on a wall calendar next to my desk and check each task off after it’s done. If I mess up and miss a day, it’s no big deal. I just make it up the next day.

The main ingredients for success are determination; consistency and a constant desire improve (through learning). Therefore, I write down and update my goals daily and follow through. I consider them assignments, which have to be completed like I expect my kids to do their homework. Your kids are observing and learning from what you do in your down time and will follow suit. If you can’t get organized or don’t know where to start, then find someone you consider successful and ask them to be your mentor. Implementing a plan and executing this balance, coupled with proper sleep and eating habits, will allow you to perform at your optimum level. Plus, it’ll even add a little kick to your step because you’ll know that every day you’re doing something to better yourself and further your goal. Everyone can afford to set aside 15-30 minutes per day to pursue their goals, so no excuses. This is the time you take for yourself to go one step further than where you were the previous day. All those steps you climb really add up over time and will reach heights greater than Mount Everest.

Remember, having the down-time is a gift so show your appreciation by using it wisely!

Another way my kids enjoy playing with shaving cream involves a slip and slide. And just like you can imagine this is an insane amount of fun. Let your kids spray each other like they would with silly string. Place your slip and slide on grass, just like you normally would. Spray a healthy amount on the slip and slide too. I’m sure you can see where I am going with this.

Let your kids go to town slipping and sliding with the aid of the shaving cream.

You of course need to use your parental judgment to discern whether or not your kids are too young for this activity. But, my kids loved it from about age two and up.

Probably their favorite part was when they were done with the shaving cream, we were able to bring the hose out to continue the fun.

You can also fill water balloons with shaving cream. The splat they make is absolutely ridiculous. Add in a touch of food coloring and you can have a balloon fight with color coded teams.

It turns out that making your own chocolate syrup is super easy. I mean, super duper easy. And fast too. What is even better, is that you end up with a more velvety smooth syrup, that potentially has a more intense chocolate flavor. The flavor depends on the brand of cocoa you choose. You might need to play around a little bit until you find the type of cocoa that makes the best flavored syrup.

You will need:

1 1/4 cup sugar (think organic sugar or equivalents that are better for your options)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water (filtered if you have it)
1/2 teaspoon salt (please don’t skip the salt!)
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Place all ingredients except the vanilla extract into a medium sauce pan. While whisking, bring the mixture to a boil. Try to break up any clumps of cocoa or sugar while you stir. Once it begins to boil continue to stir frequently. After about three minutes the mixture will begin to thicken. Avoid tasting at this time,unless you fancy the idea of a burned tongue.

After it has thickened remove it from the heat and let it sit for about five minutes. Stir in the vanilla.

Your syrup will last covered in the refrigerator for one month, however, mine is usually gone long before then.

If you are using the syrup for something other than chocolate milk you have the ability to be quite creative.
Instead of adding vanilla extract you can add other extracts to change your flavor profile. Peppermint extract for a chocolate peppermint sauce. Cayenne for a spicy chocolate, and so on.

One of our go to water play ideas is the water balloon piñata. You make this just as you imagine. Fill a balloon with water, and hang it up high, just like you would a candy filled piñata. I use regular sized balloons for the piñata just so that it can hold more water. It also makes it a bit harder to pop. Now, just like you would with a regular piñata, let your kids bang at it. Eventually someone will pop it and become soaked.

My kids alternate between the one getting wet being the winner and the loser. You can also hang up more than one piñata so that more than one person has a chance to get wet too! No one wants to be left out of the fun.

Instead of using bats to hit the balloon piñata you can use smaller water balloons. This will make it harder to pop the larger balloon, but more likely to get everyone playing wet.

I love this idea for a summer birthday party, it’s better to get the kids running around and wet than it is to load them up on candy! Too much candy on a hot day makes for miserable parents.

Of course, I have no idea how to actually make chalk. But I do know how to make lots of different kinds of paints. One of the easiest paints to make also generally has the same pastel-ish appearance that chalk does.

You most likely have everything you need to make sidewalk paint already in your kitchen ready to go.

I like to use an egg carton to hold my different color paints while we are outside. Then when we are done we can just throw it away.

Start with one cup of corn starch and mix it with one cup of water. Once you have that completely mixed pour it evenly into your egg carton. Add a few drops of food coloring to each spot and mix it up. There you have your paint.

You can use paint brushes for this, but I have found that those inexpensive sponge brushes work the best.

Now all you have to do is get to town painting with your kids. Being mostly water, all you need to do is rinse with water to get rid of your drawings.

One of my favorite reveals has been the balloons in the box. I love this one because you can hire a photographer to capture your responses. I have a soft spot for a good photo shoot. Here is what you do. Take your sealed envelope to someone you trust. Have them read the results, buy pink or blue balloons depending on your baby, blow them up with helium, and fill a box with them. Have them seal the box well to ensure no peeking!

You can decorate your box, think question marks in both pink and blue colors. Then when you are ready, maybe at a shower, or your photo shoot, open the box for everyone to see. When the box opens the helium filled balloons float out revealing the gender of your baby.

Another fun option is the cake. Take your sealed envelope to your favorite baker. Explain to them what’s in the envelope. Order your cake the way you prefer but ask that if the gender is a boy to have the inside filling frosting to be blue, and pink for a girl. Then decorate the outside of the cake as usual. Then, when you cut into your cake you will discover the gender of your baby.

My last favorite idea is to take a balloon and have your helper stuff some pink or blue confetti inside before filling it with helium. Then when you are ready to reveal you pop the balloon and the confetti drops on you letting you know the gender of your baby.

1.Promotion Codes – Before you complete any purchase online, do a quick “coupon code” or “promotion code” search for that website to search for percentages off, free shipping, or other savings. RetailMeNot is usually a pretty good one. Use the most current codes and be prepared to try a few in order to find one that works. This is of course after you’ve done your research to make sure that you’ve already found the best price for the item you are buying.

2. Look at all your bills for automatic increases – Often cable companies, home security systems and utility companies institute price bumps without notifying the client, or sneak a cost in somewhere on your bill in the tiniest font they can find. If you have your bills on auto-pay you may not catch it right away. So look monthly and call companies on it when you catch it. Funny, how if you tell them that you want to discontinue service or may switch to another provider, they find a way to work with you.

3. Mislabeled Items – Ebay, Craigslist, and other classified ads may have items that are listed below their actual value. Look for items that people are selling out of necessity. I usually type in “Must Sell” in my search for an item. Many people also misspell the name brands, so when you search try typing in a few versions of the name/company. Remember some people just simply don’t know what they have. If you have an area of expertise then you’re in luck and can often find bargains either for yourself or for resale. Just be careful, if it’s too good to be true then it may be stolen and ignorance is not an alibi.

4. Always Ask for a Discount – Nothing ventured is nothing gained. I had a grandfather who used to embarrass me and would ask for a “break on the price” everywhere we went. Even at supermarkets and other retail stores. To my surprise, sometimes they would give him 5-10 percent off just for asking. They may have a promotional discount (military, senior, AAA, etc.) that you may not be aware of. Some people tell me they’re too shy to ask or don’t have that in their personality. To them I say if you need the money a few extra dollars in your pocket could cure that very quickly. It’s all about trial and error. If you don’t ask you don’t get!

5. Check your Receipt – On average, I catch errors in about one out of every one hundred receipts that I check. Sometimes they’re significant if it’s on a large purchase. I’d like to give the vendors the benefit of the doubt and say that it was done in error, but sometimes I wonder. How many people have they preyed upon and how often have they gotten away with it? Supermarkets are notorious for this and will often blame it on price tags that have not been updated. Be adamant that they honor the prices that are quoted.

6. Steer Clear of Impulse Buying – Many of us just wing it and go down the aisles of a supermarket to see what we might need. That’s what retailers are counting on and they arrange their aisles accordingly. They have an entire team that conducts research to find out how to grab the consumers’ attention to trigger impulse buying. Avoid this by making a shopping list of what you need after you’ve made sure that you’ve exhausted the supply you have at home. I’ve bought many items simply to discover that I have a new unopened package sitting at home. Now I have to waste gas to return it or let it sit and get old.

7. Bring Your Own Bags – I keep some sturdy grocery bags in my car. Often stores will give you 5-10 cents per bag. It may not sound like a lot but it adds up. Also, it’s good for the environment. So, it’s a win-win situation.

8. Borrow or Rent – Instead of specialty or short-term use items such as books, tents, ladders, and other equipment, it’s usually a better idea to rent or burrow those items. Often you may only use it once or for a short period and then just leave it sitting around simply to take up space. Another reason to borrow rather than buy is that you may find out that you don’t want, like or need the item anymore. So borrow or rent and you can take it back!

9. Avoid Peer Pressure – This is often the biggest cause of “day after spending regrets.” Usually it happens when you’re in a big group of people where you’re pressured into doing and buying things you normally wouldn’t care to do or buy. But everyone else is doing it so you join in and spend. The other comes from having a “high-roller” friend who likes to live outside of his/her budget. Don’t come in to save their expensive day. Don’t get caught up in the pressure and keep focused on your own long term goals. Your worries of being a party pooper will soon be overshadowed when you’re the only one who can afford to buy a house in which you can throw your own party.

10. Sell What You Don’t Need – Money sitting around is money wasted. Jump on the internet or use your local classified section to get rid of things you no longer need. I assure you someone out there is looking for the very item that you want to discard. Getting rid of clutter is not only therapeutic but you’re also making money while helping someone else who wants your discards.

As you can see, the common thread in saving money with all of the tips listed above is preparation and planning. When you’re out on a trip or in a jam and have no choice but to pay premium prices for certain items we all understand that you can’t be too picky. If you’re out and about and low on gas, you may not be able to drive around looking for the discount gas station you would normally frequent in your neck of the woods. However, when time is on your side, there’s no excuse for not taking the extra step to pick up money, which is simply lying around for the taking. The cool thing is that you get immediate gratification for your efforts with instant money in your pocket. Who doesn’t love that?

While watching Wreck It Ralph recently, I was reminded of a fantastic experiment involving soda and Mentos candies.

This is absolutely an experiment you want to try outside.

You will need a package of mint Mentos. I am not sure if regular flavored Mentos work or not. Both the Myth Busters and Wreck It Ralph used the mint kind, so I did too.

And soda!

Basically any brand of cola will work.

Oh, and you might want to keep a hose pretty close for the clean up!

Carefully have your kids drop in one candy (if you are using a 20 ounce soda bottle) or up to four (for two liters) into the bottle of soda.

Then watch as your kids are amazed because the soda explodes out of the bottle. Our biggest one went about three feet into the air and ended up drenching my poor kids. They loved it though, and begged to do it over and over again. It was as if they expected the results to be different each time.

If your kids are older, this could absolutely be turned into an actual science experiment complete with a hypothesis, experiment, and conclusion. Frankly, this might make a better exploding volcano project too. Just go easy on the number of candies you use so you don’t soak everyone in lava!

They start the month with that money. They cannot earn additional money from us, but some can be deducted. If, for example, they do not complete their daily chores,they can have a quarter removed from the jar.

If they neglect to finish their homework on time, they lose a quarter.

You get the idea. Then at the end of the month we go through and see how much everyone has. One of my favorite aspects of this method is that my kids have to wait to spend their money. They don’t get their allowance and then run to the store to spend it. They are learning a bit of delayed gratification, and patience. Something most kids need to practice.

At the end of the month, when we are counting the totals we also have a meeting with each child and ask them what they want to do with their money. This allows my husband and I to assist them in setting “financial goals.”

There is a toy that my son wants to buy, it costs about $30. At the end of each month we remind him of the toy, and then he can decide how much he chooses to save for that toy, or spend. My daughter on the other, has more lofty goals of buying a house. So, she’s got quite a way to go. Honestly, I am always pleased with the number of times they choose to save her money for a specific goal.

You can adjust the amount of money you give your kids to suit their ages and your budget. The concepts stay the same.