Motherly MisAdventures

Life is the Greatest Adventure.

Honeywell Air Purifier

 The kids and I have always had trouble with allergies. Spring and Fall seem to be the worst for us. As soon as the weather starts to warm up you can cue the coughing, sneezing and runny noses. We keep the windows closed and take antihistamines, but we still have a hard time with sinus and ear infections. Clean air in our home is a MUST. I think we got the Honeywell Air Purifier just in time!

This Bad Boy can do it all! And I can control all the features in any combination. 

  • It has the H.E.P.A. filter that gets rid of 99.9% of the airborne allergens. I also love that is has reusable filters that are really easy to clean! When I’ve looked into getting a home air purifier the replacement filters can cost about as much as getting a new unit.
  • The Ionizer attracts small particles for extra purification.
  • Dual UV lamps kill germs and bacteria in the air. This is great for when your family is struggling with colds and flu’s. Keep those germs from being spread around and making everyone in the house sick.
  • It also comes with an odor absorbent pre-filter that takes care of those pesky odors like: cooking, pets and even smoke!
  • The built in timer is really genius. You can set the unit to run, for example 12 hours, then the unit will automatically shut off all features. This could really help if your going out of town, or only wish to run it while your at work or sleeping.

I really like how quiet this unit is. When it’s on low, I can’t hardly even tell it’s running. When you turn it up high, it doesn’t make any more noise then a regular fan. Although, I do think it moves a lot more air, and it can even rotate!

I also like that the unit is not too big. You can easily put it in a hallway or bedroom and have plenty of space to walk around it. It is very compact for how powerful it is.

Having this air purifier in my home makes me feel like my family is breathing clean air, and that I’m doing my best to keep them healthy.

Pantry and Coat Closet Clean Up

It’s the time of the year when people start to think about spring cleaning. Getting rid of clutter, and organizing what they have. I had a few projects in mind, but I only got around to one. What can I say, I’m only human.

I have a pantry that doubles as a coat closet. This has always been a bit of a tough spot to keep organized. This closet is home to my kitchen stock pile, paper goods, kitchen appliances, cleaning and craft supplies, but with the winter coats, gloves and hats in regular use it has been a real nightmare! The kids are too small to reach the hanging bar, so EVERYTHING ends up on the floor. When I began the closet was almost knee deep.

The first thing I did was group all the food together and stack it as neatly as I could.

I had to line stuff in the floor because there are only 2 shelves. I should probably see if I can find a set of shelves that I could fit in here. (I’m not sure why the balloon is there, and there might also be a small child.)

I bought this shoe organizer and put all the craft and school supplies on the top, out of reach. And put the gloves, hats and shopping bags on the bottom.

Do you have any clutter hot spots? Or any good tips to getting or keeping them clean? I’d love to hear them!

Fun with Projectiles!

My husband was playing with an exercise band that my physical therapist gave me, so he turned it into a super fun lesson about projectiles. 

Here is the sling shot they made.

Zeke gathered up different objects to see how well they worked in the sling shot.

He watched for a few factors like: speed, distance and accuracy. We later compared the results and discussed what are the characteristics of a good projectile. Then I helped him compile his finding onto 2 charts. 

He made one for things that made a bad projectile and one for things that made a good projectile. It made him think about things like shapes, sizes, and weights. His favorite was the Potato!

Have you tried any fun games or experiments?

Tips for Eating Healthy and Saving Money ~Mama Dweeb

I was a contributor on this article for my friend, Anne. I thought you all may want to check it out!

Tips for Eating Healthy and Saving Money ~www.mamadweeb.com

“I’ve been all over the map lately. First I didn’t care what I fed my family. I didn’t know any more than the basics – fruits/veggies good, sugar/fat bad. That was the long and short of it. I was able to save money by buying boxed mac & cheese and frozen meals. Then I watched “Forks over Knives” and realized how eating red meats, dairy, cheese and processed foods are so bad for me. I started to buy fresh plant-based whole foods.

Then that became expensive. Fast.

Then the kids had their annual dental visits scheduled this month. Cue the “ohmygosh I have no money” freak out.

Thankfully I have amazing friends with way more knowledge about how to eat healthy and save money. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Eating healthy, non-processed foodsdoes cost more, but it does not have to break my bank. I sent a call out on my Facebook fan page and got the best responses ever. I had to share them with you!”

Hot Wing Lettuce Wrap

I’m pretty sure I can blame this one on weird pregnancy cravings. I had been wanting Hot Wings for quite some time. I also thought it would be smart to go with something a little healthier. I’m not too much of a health nut, but at least I’m trying, right?

So here goes…

You’ll need:

  • 2 cups of shredded Chicken (You could use rotisserie, frozen or even leftover.)
  • 1 stock of Celery, chopped
  • 1 Carrot grated
  • 4 oz of low fat Cream Cheese
  • 4 tablespoons Hot Wing Sauce (Or more if you want)
  • 2 tablespoons Light Ranch Dressing (You can add this with the chicken or just use it as a sauce later.)
  • about 16 whole Lettuce Leaves (I used Romaine)
Mix everything but the lettuce.

Wrap it taco/burrito style in whatever kind of lettuce you prefer. I figured this recipe has bout 1/2 the total calories, and 1/3 the fat of regular hot wings.

Try it and let me know what you think!

Have you have any cravings lately? I’d love to hear them!

Getting Kids Organized

I said I was going to try to start getting organized in January, so here’s an update on our progress.

I do have to say that helping my son with his daily routine has been a big success! We started using goalforit.com. We created him a weekly chart where he could earn points for doing chores and good behavior. 

He saves up points in the “Moolah Bank” and redeems them for prizes. He is currently saving them up to by a video game he’s been wanting. I have to say, It   has been a great motivator for him!  I wish I had a system that worked this well for myself.

I feel good about using this system. I don’t feel like I’m being a hard on him when he asks for something. I simply tell him he can earn it, and we just set a goal and he works hard to get there. I also don’t feel like I’m spoiling my son when he gets to do something special or buy himself something.

We’ve also used this opportunity to start introducing money concepts to him. Not only does he shop with his cash and count it out the change. He also has envelopes for Tithing, and Savings. I love how he gets excited to give money to God!

What are some ways you help your kids get organized, or stay motivated? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Worlds Easiest BBQ Pulled Pork

When my husband I first got married B.B.Q. was one of our big splurges. We loved it! We would drive way out of our way to get some. Since we didn’t own a smoker, or have endless hours to tend to the meats inside, we thought it was something we could only get if we ate out.Well it wasn’t too long till we figured out a way to get the great BBQ flavor without any fancy equipment. We can literally feed about 10 people for about the same price as one plate of the other stuff.Bone in Pork RoastThis is a Bone-in Pork roast is about 3 lbs, and cost me $5.20. Flour and sear the roast in a couple of Tablespoons of oil, and season. Then I put it in a 9×13, covered it in foil, and cut a slit in the top. I bake it at 275 for about 3 hours. Until it’s falling off the bone! Shred it (or pull it) with a fork add BBQ sauce and your ready to go!This roast made about 20 small sandwiches! This is one of our go to recipes for parties, and is always a huge hit with our guest!

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Penguin Footprint

“P” is for Penguin

This was a really simple craft. The kids loved painting their feet! They also thought it was funny to see who thought it tickled the most.Paint the foot

We painted the bottom of their feet and stamped it on the paper.

I found it necessary to fill in the arches on the older kids foot prints. then painted the wings.

Penguin Footprint

We painted the belly white, added the “googly eyes” and a paper beak.  We trimmed the edges with craft scissors, just because we like ‘em. Zoe smudged hers a bit, but it did take a long time for the paint to dry.

All in all this was very fun and not as messy as I had anticipated. Of course I did have a roll of paper towels standing by. If I did this craft again the only thing I would change is to work with card stock instead of construction paper. It didn’t seem to hold up to well with the thick paint.

So give it a try and let me know what you think!

You’ll need:

  • Black and white paint
  • Black and white card stock
  • “Googly Eyes”
  • Orange paper or paint
  • Craft scissor (optional)

Have Fun!