Car Seat Poncho

It's annoying when you have to take off coats to put your kids in their seats, then at your next stop take the kids out of their seats and put their coats back on.  I know it's for safety; I'm a rear-facing advocate (all of my boys were rear-facing until 2) and my oldest is 44" tall and still in a 5-point harness.  I'm still annoyed, especially when it's raining and cold.

So thanks to a friend who mentioned the car seat poncho, I looked into it and fell in love right away!  However, being the frugal mom I am, my second thought was, "I can make that for a lot less."

I looked on Pinterest and Google for a tutorial, and found one: Prudentbaby.com

If you are wanting to make your own, I suggest printing the instructions (clicking the image will open it larger, then print) and watch the video posted from PrudentBaby.com

They are very easy to make.  It took about 6-8 hours to make all three.

Buttercream Frosting - THE BEST!

South of the Border Loaded Sweet Potato

This is a featured recipe taken from The Biggest Loser episode on 1/29/13

 
1 (8-ounce) sweet potato
4 ounces extra-lean ground turkey
3/4 teaspoon all-natural salt-free fajita or Southwest seasoning
Olive oil spray (propellant free)
1/3 cup fresh salsa, drained (from the refrigerated section)
2 tablespoons jarred all-natural roasted green salsa
2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt

Using a fork, poke the potato 5 times on all sides and place it in a microwave-safe bowl or dish. Cover the dish loosely with a paper towel. Microwave it on high for 3 minutes. Carefully flip the potato (it will be very hot) and continue microwaving for 2 to 4 minutes longer, or until cooked and tender.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the turkey and seasoning.

Place a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, lightly mist it with the olive oil spray. Cook the turkey for 3 to 4 minutes, or until no longer pink, breaking it into bite-size chunks as you do.

Cut an opening in the potato that stretches 1 inch from each end of the potato and deep enough to open the potato completely without cutting it in half. Put it in a medium shallow bowl. Stuff the potato with the fresh salsa, then the turkey, then the green salsa. Top it with the yogurt. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving for just about $4!

Per serving: 342 calories, 35 g protein, 47 g carbohydrates (13 g sugar), 2 g fat, trace saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 8 g fiber, 304 mg sodium.
 

 

Family Wall Art

Check out my Facebook page, Designs for Moms, to get your custom 

family wall art print for only $7!  Customize your print with personal colors.

Digital file is also available for just $5

Oil and vinegar don't mix...or do they?

You know that old saying, "Oil and vinegar don't mix" ?  Well, they actually do!  I recently started making my own natural cleaning solutions, and my favorite is baking soda, vinegar, and essential oils.  It's amazing how cheap this solution is to make, how well it cleans, and how amazingly it makes the house smell!

I've been using a cleaning spray by re-filling an old Windex bottle 3/4 of the way with water, adding a 1/2 cup vinegar, and several drops of Eucalyptus Oil and Lemon Oil.  It's been working great for me for weeks. I clean countertops, sticky messes off the tile floor, the toilets, sinks, and even mirrors and windows.


For a couple weeks I've been noticing how dirty the carpet in our family room is.  How can it not be with three boys!  With company coming over in several days, I had the motivation to break out my steam vac today.  Then I realized I didn't have any cleaning solution.  So I turned to the trusted Google, and I wasn't surprised when it said I could use vinegar.  So I filled my vac most of the way with super hot water, added 1 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup baking soda, and 10 drops of Eucalyptus Oil and 10 drops of Lemongrass Oil.  My carpet looks so good, and it smells even better! It's been several hours now, and it's dry and smells so fresh and clean. I just want to lay down on it and smell it, but I'm resisting the urge.

I also used this amazing cleaning scrub for our shower/tub a while ago.  I mixed 1/2 cup baking soda, 5 drops of Tea Tree Oil and 2 drops Peppermint Oil, and just enough vinegar to make a thick paste.  Using a rag, I put the paste on the floor and just using a little bit of elbow grease it came clean.  Just a couple days prior I was on my hands and knees scrubbing with bleach, Scrubbing Bubbles, and other cleaners that made me want a face mask, and the tub wasn't coming clean.  But this natural solution was so effortless and smelled really good, it made me have the motivation to want to clean more showers....for just about two seconds.