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Edible Play Dough

Okay, so how many of you out there have kids that like to eat their play dough? Here are some edible play dough recipes that your kids will love to both play with and you won't mind if they eat it!

Kool-Aid Play Dough

1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup
salt
3 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 package Kool-Aid Mix (any flavor of unsweetened)
1 tablespoon cooking oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large saucepan. Then slowly add water mixed with the cooking oil. Stir over medium heat until mixture thickens to a dough-like consistency. Turn out onto a heatproof bread board or counter top and knead until the dough is cool enough for children to handle. Can be stored for 6 months in air-tight container.


Peanut Butter Play Dough

one 18-oz. jar creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup non-fat dry milk
flour (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients together. Add dry milk until you reach the desired consistency. If desired, add flour to stiffen it up a bit.

Jell-O Play Dough

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 (3-1/2 oz.) package "unsweetened" Jell-O

Mix all of the ingredients together and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until consistency of mashed potatoes. Let it cool and knead with floured hands until dry. Needs to completely cool before storing in air-tight container.

*** This play dough can be painted after it dries!

Have fun!

Free Children's Book

Just an FYI to all of you moms of avid readers. Barnes and Noble has a 2009 Summer Reading Program where kids can earn a free book when they read 8 books this summer. Click here for details

Free Stuff

Who doesn't want free stuff? For some of us finding free things on the web is a passion, and for others it's a necessity. Whatever your reason is for seeking out these great deals, being a savy shopper can save you a lot of money! The first step to seeking out free stuff is to determine exactly what you're looking for. Then try going directly to the source for any promotional offer! For example, often manufacturers will give away free products on their websites in order to promote a specific item. Kashi recently sent shoppers a coupon for one free frozen entree using this advertising method. Betty Crocker also is known to send sample of their new desserts by signing up on their website as well. If you don't have any specific brand in mind, and are just looking for general freebies, the next step is to try using some of the websites that do all of the leg work for you! Some of my favorite sites include www.shop4freebies.com and www.thefreebiesource.com. Finally, some store websites also offer free sample offers for many of the products that they sell. Walmart.com is one example that offers a sign-up for free samples and trial offers. If you still can't find what you're looking for using these methods, your last resort may be to enter the item you're looking for into a search engine like Google or Yahoo. Many people post links to a coupon, rebate, or free offer on their personal blog or in a community forum to share with everyone!

There are a few things to keep in mind when on the lookout for free offers. First, you always want to be careful of malicious sites that you may stumble upon. McAfee SiteAdvisor is a free-browser plug-in that gives safety advice about websites before you even click on the site! Second, you should never reveal any personal information like your social security number or credit card number to receive any free offer. This is a sure-sign of a scam! Third, beware of the hoaxers. If it sounds too good to be true, then chances are that it’s not true. In all my years of freebie searching, I have yet to find someone who truly won a free car, house or vacation just for filling out a survey! Fourth, remember that looking for free offers can be time-consuming. So keep your exploration focused and don’t sign-up for every free offer under the sun. Finally, remember that by filling out your phone number or e-mail address on a form might result in that company frequently calling you or filling up your in-box with unwanted offers and advertising. So be careful who you give out your information to! In order to avoid receiving spam, you may want to refrain from giving out your e-mail address, or set-up another e-mail account that you use specifically for signing up for freebies. Now that I’ve passed much of the freebie knowledge that I’ve garnered over the years, you’re ready to go out into the virtual world and begin the hunt!

Play Group Idea

Need something to keep a group of kids busy and entertained during a party or playdate? Try taking pictures of parts of items around the house and/or yard (i.e. leaf of a flower or lamp shade). Make sure that you get a clear picture! Then print those pictures out on your home computer and cut each one up like a jig-saw puzzle. Divide the kids up into small groups of 3 or 4. Then give each group one of the puzzles and have them try to figure out what is depicted in the picture! The kids will love putting your home-made puzzle together and have a blast trying to figure out what is in the picture!

The Start of a New Era!!!

Good Morning Everyone!

The tide has turned.....I am doing something that I never thought I would do.....blogging! As a first-time mommy, I decided to create a site where other mothers of both old and young children can visit for helpful information pertaining to just about anything related to raising kids. Because who couldn't use a little help in stocking their "mommy bag" with extras. I spend alot of my free-time surfing the web for free offers, coupons, playtime ideas, cute clothes, and everything else under the sun. So I thought that I may as well help others out with all of the information that I garner. Plus, it gives me something to do while my little one is napping :) I hope you find this site helpful and please feel free to let me know your thoughts and/or ideas!!!!