Car Ride Peacekeepers

We live in a time where sometimes Gas Economy overrules the luxury of space when it comes to choosing an automobile.  Thus it is in out case.  We traded in an SUV that was averaging 12 mpg for a 4 door car that averages 20 mpg.  BUT we gave up lots of space that we used to keep the boys a bit separated, also.  The past few months have found endless bickering, fighting, hitting, and LOUDNESS in our backseat.  I was THRILLED  to stumble an idea found on the "Less Than Perfect Life of Bliss" website. (http://lessthanperfectlifeofbliss.blogspot.com/2011/07/kid-clips-for-road-trips.html)

I had each of the boys pick out a wooden object at Micheal's ($0.59 each) and then glued them to clothespins. I wrote the boys' names on their clip.  I also bought a bag of DumDum's (abt 50/bag)  from Target for about $2.50. As I placed about 15 suckers in the glove box and went to clip the clothespins on the visor when I ran into a small snag.  My visors where to thick to hold the pins. :-(  A temporary fix was close at hand though.   There was a bungee cord in the floor and I wrapped that around the visor and the clips work great.  I am actually planning to staple a could of wooden popsicle sticks to a big rubber band (found around Sunday papers here in my area).  This will wrap around the visor and give me somewhere to clip these.

I have been using these clips for about a week now.  Needless to say, car rides have become MUCH MORE enjoyable!!!  I only use the pin system if all 3 boys are in the car with me.  I also say that their time starts when we pull out of the drive and ends when we pull back in as most of our trips are local errands.  On top of it, the boys LOVE that they helped by picking out there own picture.

Make your life more enjoyable....Don't Just Pin It!!!!!

Ivory Soap Clouds

"Our Best Bites" website is crammed with recipes, but here is something thrown into the mix....Ivory Soap Clouds (more info at... http://www.ourbestbites.com/2012/04/kitchen-craft-soap-clouds-and-homemade-kiddie-tub-soaps/ )

The website given above has TONS of ideas to go along with the basics that I have been given here.  All this takes is a bar of Ivory Soap (MUST BE IVORY), a piece of wax paper (or saran wrap), and a microwave. Now, I've been told, the newer the soap, the better this works.  The Ivory soap I used was bought about 18 months ago.  (Got it for next to nothing using sale prices and coupons.)  Although I have done a full bar at a time, this time I only did a half bar at a time because I do have a smaller microwave.  All you have to do is place the bar of soap on the wax paper on your microwave tray and turn it on.  I find that with my microwave 1 minute and 15 seconds was plenty for a full size bar, and 45 seconds worked great for a half bar.  Just watch it close and you can usually guess when the cloud is done growing.

I have found that kids and adults alike love the feel of mashing the clouds in their hands and fingers.  As you do the "cloud" turns to a dust of sorts.  This can be used for all kinds of things and several ideas are given on the website above.  I've not made anything with mine yet, but I think I might make shaped soaps with it for Christmas.  This is also a great way to get around grating bar soap if you make your own laundry detergent.  I shared this with the teachers of my oldest two boys and both LOVED the idea and have plans on sharing it with their class.

NOTE:  If you live outside of the USA, research the ingredients of Ivory Soap to locate a local brand that will work for you.  One of the keys of Ivory soap is that it contains alot of air (and will float on water) which allows this experiment to work.


Just remember, Don't Just Pin It!

Phillipians 2:14 Money Jars

Although I never actually visited the site (all the details I needed was in the info below the pin), the originating website for this can be found at http://209.59.145.56/blog/2012/01/whining-childhow-to-stop-whining-in-children/

Not including the money we will start out with in these Jars, I spent NOTHING on this project and actually recycled some cups I had been thinking of tossing or donating. I put each child's name on a Chucky Cheese's Cup and on the fourth I put the verse Philippians 2:14 "Do everything without complaining or arguing". (If scripture isn't your thing, you can just put the words on there and not the verse.)  In the picture you can't hardly even see the quarters I've put in.  There is only about $1.50 in each cup but I will add more tomorrow when I make it to the store to get the quarters.  The boys love Chucky Cheese's and this will get them to save for a trip to eat and play.

How it works.....
Each child starts off with a set amount in his cup.  If he is caught complaining or arguing (and in my kids' case, hitting also) then they loose money.  My plan is to take it from their cup and add it to the fourth cup.  Then I will just reuse those quarters the next week.  I am planning on using $5.00.  At the end of the week I will just add the next $5.00 on top of what is still in there and in 3 or 4 weeks, we will have a family date at Chucky Cheese's.  We also have zoo cups, so maybe next time I will use them and they can spend the money they earn in the gift store. (We have a zoo membership so getting in is free.)  I'll update you on how this works out!!!   Remember Don't Just Pin It!!!!

Glitter Time Out Timer

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to keep a child in time out.  And at first I wasn't so sure this would be the solution, but with a few ground rules.  I think it might work...So tonight I made out Glitter Time Out Timer.  First, my ground rules....1) NO touching the Jar.  2) Jar is for time outs ONLY.  3) The child still has to tell me why he's in time out before he can get up.

Now, to make this project I visited "Creative Little Daisy" at http://creativelittledaisy.typepad.com/creative_little_daisy/2011/08/i-hope-it-works.html

The only items I had at home for this project was the jar and the water.  So off to the store I went.  With a stop at Michael's I bought the glitter ($2.29 - Sample pack with 6 different color bags each weighing .07 oz - Brand is ArtMinds) and a 3 pack of Liquid Glue ($1.00 - each tube was 1.69 oz).  At target I bought a 4 pack of store brand food color (1.97).


I emptied the contents of TWO of the glue tubes into a pint size mason jar. I then filled the jar the rest of the way up with water.  I dumped the entire contents of ONE glitter bag into the jar and added ONE DROP of food coloring.  Put the lid on and shook.  For mine it takes about one minute for the glitter to mostly settle.  This will make it easier to time each child individually.  Total cost for this project (estimating $1.00 for the jar) would be less than $1.90!!!!

This was a super easy project so remember Don't Just Pin It!

A FAILURE - Glowing Mountain Dew

After being a member of PINTREST for a little over a week, there were a few COOL things I wanted to show my "hunny".  Although  he was impressed with the items I wanted to show him, his interest was captivated by the GLOWING MOUNTAIN DEW.   He was so interested that we picked up the needed items that night at the grocery store, even though I had not been on the website.  We got home and gave it a whirl...and....nothing!

Now...here is a warning to everyone!!!!   DOUBLE CHECK THE WEBSITE before you click the picture. When I opened up Pintrest, my glowing Mtn. Dew pin took me to an adult website.  This was not a good sign to me.  I went to google and searched for the experiment.  Sure, I found the video where it was supposedly done...but I also read NUMEROUS comments of how it didn't work and even found it on SNOPES.com where they verify that the video is a hoax.  So..my "hunny" is hyped up on Mtn. Dew, I have some extra baking soda for baking, and adding some peroxide to my cleaning solutions!  Not a waste of money....but a good chance to learn to double check before you start.

Remember --- Don't Just PIN It!

Introductions

Welcome to "Don't Just PIN It".  My name is Carrie!   I am a mom of three boys (currently 3 1/2 years old, just turned 5, and 6 in December) and life as I know it is nothing but CHAOTIC!  I had seen many of my friends using PINTREST for a while now, but until a little over a week ago, I hadn't joined in.  Now that I have I am SO HOOKED.  I try not to pin anything that I don't have a lot of interest in.  I am trying to keep my "boards" from getting to clogged.  Some of my friends told me that many of the things they post are just things they wanna read later.  Not me!  I am putting the ideas I pinned into place!  Now, don't get to excited....I have no where NEAR the time nor resources to put everything I pin into place the same day I pin it.  But I am trying/experimenting/making something new every few days.  That is why you have found me.  This blog is about my attempts, successes, and failures of not just pinning it....but doing it.

If your a Pintrest member, I would suggest that a least once a week.....you put one of your Pin's to the test.....Don't Just PIN It!