Sunday 9 March 2014

Best Toys for Sand, Snow, and Mud

With three kids we have gone through a lot of beach toys. Everything from cheap dollar store shovels to expensive licensed character sets have been thrown in the garbage broken and useless. Until now it has been a fact of life that every year we need to pick up new sand toys then I discovered Sandig at Ikea. These toys are strong and don't break after heavy use. They are also very affordable and give a variety of play options.


SANDIG 5 piece toy baking set for $2.99. The perfect thing for making mud, sand, or snow cakes. 


SANDIG 10 piece toy ice cream set for $2.99. My kids were kind enough to share this with other kids at the beach, one of which I watched take a bite out of a sand ice cream cone.


SANDIG 4 piece sandbox set for $3.99.
A classic set with a sturdy bucket that's harder to knock over than standard pails.


SANDIG spade for $1.29 each. 
These large shovels hold strong for deep digging in sand, dirt, mud, or snow. 

Not only have these toys held up for all seasons since we bought them they also look as good as new. For the same price as a cheap multipack of sand toys you will not be disappointed! 
Friday 7 March 2014

7 Places To Cut Clutter This Spring (And Tips To Do It With Kids!)


I am trying to put my house in recovery from it's awful binge and purge cycle. It fills up with stuff - from garage sales, birthdays, and god knows where else until it drives me so mad that I have to get rid of stuff. Get rid I do - I'm still working on my most recent purge where I have a dozen large bags and boxes stacked in the garage to sell. It's my goal to stay on top of the clutter and end the cycle but right now it's time the purge.

When it comes to purging you need to really think about what you want out of life. Purge as much as you can while still being able to function. If you run the dishwasher daily and have one kid you don't need 30 plastic cups.

Here are places I cut clutter:


Clothes and Shoes. I ended up cutting out about half of everyone's wardrobe without anything being missed. Start with what doesn't fit or is no longer wearable and then work on keeping pieces you truly need or love.

Kids toys
. I took out so many kids toys about a month ago and no one has even noticed. Since then they've been playing more and making less messes so it's a win-win!


Linen closet. It was time to purge the baby blankets, ratty quilts, and worn out bed sheets. I rearranged the closet so it's all neat and tidy. I kept out one set of sheets and one change of blankets for the kids' beds just in case of nighttime accidents and threw the rest in storage downstairs.


Books. We love our books and we still have quite a few but we cut out the ones that no one had read in a long time and weren't special. (This is a very small selection of our large collection.)


Pantry. Throw out anything expired and stale, toss or give away anything you won't use. Afterwards my pantry felt huge!

Kid kitchen stuff. So many plastic cups that no one was using so we saved the favourites and eliminated the rest. The same went for divided dishes and containers of odd sizes that no one uses. I added a drawer that I was using somewhere else (and no longer needed because of decluttering) for the kid's bento supplies.


Kitchen utensils. Half a set of measuring cups and one of three sets of measuring spoons were included in what was kicked out of this drawer. I sorted using cheap Ikea dividers and also keep frequently used stuff on the counter next to the stove.

Tips for cutting clutter with kids:

  1. Let them make decisions on some stuff. You can pack away the two small t-shirts and toss the broken toys at the bottom of the bin but let them have control of their own things.
  2. Set limits/goals. After you give them control they may want to keep everything. Give them a number of how many things they can have, or in a specific collection, or how many to get rid of.
  3. Offer an incentive. After the house is decluttered they can have a friend over, make money selling their stuff at a garage sale, whatever motivates them.
  4. Embrace a "one in one out policy". Daughter has 15 Barbies and gets a new one? Time to toss an old one. 
  5. Stop shopping. Don't buy stuff for your kids and try and discourage others from doing the same. Encourage them to ask for activities rather than things when someone is looking for a gift idea. Instead of buying everything they ask for have them save up for it on their own, they'll have longer to think about it and appreciate it more.
  6. Box it up. When kids are truly uncooperative about giving stuff up don't force them, it could be traumatic. Instead place some of the items you'd like to get rid of in a box. Tell them the toys can come out when you need them. If the kids ask for specific items, give it to them, but don't show them what's in the box. At the end of three months or so get rid of whatever they'd forgotten about. 
  7. Rotate toys. If you still have too much stuff but the kids play with it all try rotating the toys every month or two so they always feel new. They may ask for less too. 
Tuesday 4 March 2014

30 Ways to Cheer Up From -30


It's been winter FOREVER this year and if you're reasonably far north you've probably spent most of it surrounded by the polar vortex. We've had double the normal amount of days below -30 this year and woke up to -48 with the wind chill on Saturday, MARCH 1ST! Nerves are taxed and spirits are running pretty low right now. Here's 30 ways to brighten your mood when it's too cold to go outside with little or no prep work. These can be done with or without kids.


  1. Bake. Anything you like! Do it with the kids! Eat it all yourself or give it away.
  2. Dance. Stick on some upbeat music and get moving. The exercise will lift your spirits and warm you up.
  3. Watch a Movie. Snuggle up and put on something with a motivational or feel-good plotline to help cheer you up.
  4. Declutter. When spring hits you'll want to be outside so why not start the cleaning now while you're trapped indoors?
  5. Plan your summer vacation. Even if it's only something small take a look at where you're going to go and what you might be doing. So what if plans change, it will be nice to have something to look forward to.
  6. Read books from your childhood or classics. 
  7. Make something. Knit, crochet, sew, build, scrapbook, kid's crafts, whatever!
  8. Learn something new. A language. Quantum physics. How to cross stitch. Or teach something new to the kids that you're passionate about.
  9. Put out (or make) spring decorations. Show winter who's boss by covering your house with pastels, it will lift your mood and make everything feel more spring like.
  10. Rearrange the furniture. Change is good.
  11. Try out a new recipe. Get the kids involved or spend the day creating something elaborate.
  12. Sing. There's something about singing that lifts the spirits. If you play an instrument do that.
  13. Connect with a friend. You may not have seen them in forever but hop on to Skype or Facebook or pick up the phone and dial someone who's voice makes you happy. 
  14. Try on all your summer clothes. Purge what you don't want anymore. This is a good reminder that summer exists.
  15. Clean your house. The act is not fun but sitting in a nice clean space is definitely mood lifting.
  16. Eat healthy. When fruits and vegetables are not in season it's tempting to go for processed foods over fresh but it has a negative effect on our moods, so when possible reach for a healthy snack and add lots of veggies to your meals.
  17. Sip a warm beverage. Take your time, relax, and enjoy the moment.
  18. Have a beach day. Turn up the heat, put on summer clothes, and relax in the living room. Have a picnic and maybe take a dip in the bathtub, bathing suit and all.
  19. Plan your garden. Even if you don't have a huge space you can still plant stuff indoors or on a patio. Do you want flowers? Herbs? Veggies? If you order seeds online now's the time.
  20. Load up on positivity. Look up inspirational quotes and write them down or display them. I like "May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live."
  21. Play social games. Board games, video games, online games - whatever, as long as you're doing it with other people and having fun.
  22. Entertain. Invite guests for dinner or a play date. Nothing fancy needed but being around other people will help.
  23. Make a summer bucket list. List all the things you want to do this summer with friends, family, or kids. Try something new!
  24. Get out. Even though it's too cold to be outside try and go for dinner, to a museum, or take the kids somewhere for indoor fun.
  25. Check the long range forecast. Knowing we only have another two weeks before the weather starts going into the positives (and some snow melts!) is really inspiring.
  26. Soak up the sun. On a sunny but cold day sit by the window and enjoy the warm rays, like a cat.
  27. Think about the good in your life. It can be easy to lose sight of what's important when you're depressed and stuck inside. Thinking about what you have to be happy about and thankful for can lift your spirits, at least enough to keep going.
  28. Do some indoor exercise. Even if you don't have fancy equipment you can still do body weight stuff or yoga.
  29. Cheer someone else up. Talking to and helping others with their problems can help give you perspective on what's upsetting you.
  30. Take time out to do something you love. Make some time for your interests and passions and don't let them slip away into the winter blues.

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