Mom's Home Cafe

Elf Food - Can't forget the elves!

2009-12-19T09:12:00.000-05:00

Last week, my daughter's class had a Christmas party at school that I volunteered to help with. We made Elf food that they could help with and then have for a healthy snack. I thought it was a great idea for a fun and easy family Christmas project/recipe, and it's very simple! You just take the following ingredients (or any combination of) and mix them up in a baggie or cup.

What you need:
Fruitloops
Frosted Mini-Wheats or Cheerios
Small Pretzels
Baked or regular Cheetos
Quart-sized Zip-lock bags

What to do:
Put the boxes of cereal and bags of pretzels and Cheetos out on a table. Then have the kids choose which ones they would like to put in their Elf food. Have them put about a handful of each one into a baggie, seal it up, and then have them shake the bag to mix it all together. (You could also use paper cups and mix with a spoon.)

Very simple and fun for the kids!

Still Have Shopping to do?? 12 Fantastic Deals! Today Only!!!

2009-12-14T10:59:00.001-05:00

For Zazzle's last day of Christmas Deals, they are offering discounts on all of the following:
50% off 10 + Cards
Buy 1 Mug, Get 1 Free
30% off Stocking Stuffers
$5 off Tees
60% off Posters
30% off Bags
30% off Select Brands
$9 off Calendars
$10 off ties
$11 off Skateboards
Buy 1 Binder Get One Free
30% off Hats

Make sure to enter this code at checkout: Use promo code: 12DEALZAZZLE

If you're looking for some great gifts, visit Envision Designs today to take advantage of these great offers! Most of these items can be found directly from my site, and others can be found through the Zazzle search bar at the top of the page. You'll find some very cool gifts at a reasonable cost!

On Envision Designs: Shirts, aprons, coffee mugs, posters, magnets, Christmas cards and gifts, tote bags, key chains, hats, mouse pads, and more!

All items have unique, one of a kind designs. Customize or personalize with your name, etc.
Best of all, these deals are on top of my store specials!

~Happy Holidays!

Free Plug Board, Advertise Here!

2009-12-11T23:32:00.000-05:00

Looking for free advertising? Advertise your site on my plug board! You'll find it underneath my posts. Images need to be 88 x 31 pixels, and you must wait until your plug rotates off the board before you plug again. Mom's Home Cafe is a growing blog site, and I'd like to help work at home parents by providing a space to advertise for free, so please keep it clean and spam free! Only family friendly sites are allowed. I will ban any adult sites.

Advertising on the board is first come, first serve, and ads will be posted until they rotate off the board.

Though not required, make sure to visit some of the other sites listed so that we can all help each other out. Also, if you have a free plug board, please return the favor and let me know :).

~Best Wishes!

30% off Bags!

2009-12-09T11:49:00.001-05:00

Today’s deal on Zazzle is 30% Off Bags! Visit Envision Designs to see the tote bags I have available. Hurry, the offer expires at 11:59 pm PT tonight! To get today’s deal, use Promo Code at checkout: 12DEALS30BAG

Yesterday’s deal, 60% off Posters, is still available if you sign up for Zazzle’s newsletter!

Other Store Specials:

All Children’s and Infant’s clothing, as well as the Faded Nature Scene Shirt have additional markdowns for the entire month of December!
Save 5-15% on Gift Set items when purchased together! (must purchase through “Gift Sets” link and add to cart separately) More gift sets coming!

Also, if you’d like to know when I add new products, join my fan club to receive e-mail updates.
*For standard shipping rates, order today!

60% Off Posters - Today Only!

2009-12-08T10:13:00.002-05:00

Today’s deal on Zazzle is 60% off posters! Do you have an art lover in your family or are you looking for kids’ room decorations? Living room décor? Browse through Posters on Zazzle and find posters with outstanding photography and artwork. At Checkout, enter this Promo Code: 12DEALSPRINT

Posters 60% off with Promo Code!

Yesterday’s deal, $5 off T-Shirts, is still available if you sign up for Zazzle’s Newsletter

Apparel on my store: Envision Designs

Store Specials on Envision Designs:

All Infant’s and Children’s Apparel discounted for the entire month of December!

We will also be adding Gift Sets very soon!

Goings On - Plug Board and More!

2009-12-07T12:50:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know what I've been up to....
Recently, I've been pretty busy working on designs for my store with the upcoming holidays. I have also been working on another blog about marketing, business, and design. I don't have the link for it posted yet as I don't feel it's quite ready, but I will have it up soon.

For Mom's Home Cafe, I will soon be adding more recipes and other good tidbits, as well as a plug board. I plan on allowing other moms with their own businesses to use the plug board for advertising, for free. As stated, I have been a busy body lately, but I will have that done soon and will make an announcement when the board is up and running.

Also, I realize that I have been posting a lot of product and store news, but I do want to let everyone know about ongoing sales and new products. After all, I have to make a living, and I would assume that a lot of people are looking for gifts right now:). I have considered making a separate website just for Envision Designs' news and such, but at this point I'm still a bit undecided on it. If I do decide to do that, it will have to be after the holidays are over for sure!

Wishing all a fantastic day!

$5 Off Shirts and Apparel!

2009-12-07T12:39:00.000-05:00

Today’s deal on Zazzle is $5 off Shirts. Visit Envision Designs to see the shirt designs I have available. Hurry, the offer expires at 11:59 pm PT tonight! To get today’s deal, use Promo Code at checkout: 12DEALSSHIRT

Apparel on Envision Designs by Carrie

All Children’s and Infant’s clothing, as well as the Faded Nature Scene Shirt (below) have additional markdowns for the entire month of December!

Yesterday’s deal, 30% off Stocking Stuffers, is still available if you sign up for Zazzle’s newsletter!
Also, if you’d like to know when I add new products, join my fan club to receive e-mail updates.

Faded Nature Scene by envisiondesigns
More Nature T-Shirts

Today Only! Free Shipping!

2009-12-05T12:28:00.000-05:00

This month, Zazzle is running the “12 Deals of Christmas.” Today’s deal is Free Shipping on orders of $25 or more. Hurry, the offer expires at 11:59 pm PT tonight! To get today’s deal, use Promo Code at checkout: 12DEALSSHIPS.

Visit My Store at: www.zazzle.com/envisiondesigns*

Yesterday’s deal, buy one get one free mugs, is still available if you sign up for Zazzle’s Newsletter.

Today Only!!! BOGO Free Mugs on Zazzle!

2009-12-04T12:30:00.000-05:00

This month, Zazzle is running the “12 Deals of Christmas.” Today’s deal is buy one get one free on mugs. Hurry, the offer expires at 11:59 pm tonight! To get today’s deal, use Promo Code at checkout: 12DEALS2MUGS

Also, yesterday’s deal, 50% off cards, photo cards, or invitations is still available if you sign up for Zazzle’s newsletter!

I Can Make You Smile Mug by envisiondesigns
Create custom printed coffee mugs at zazzle

music without boundaries two-tone mug by envisiondesigns
Browse Music Mugs
To view more of my mugs, go to this link

Delicious Hot Cocoa

2009-12-03T10:26:00.000-05:00

If you like hot cocoa, you'll love this recipe - great for a winter day!

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Cocoa Powder
4 Cups Milk

In a large saucepan, mix together sugar and cocoa. Gradually whisk in about 1/2 a cup of milk and stir till smooth. Stir in remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently till hot. DON'T BOIL. Makes 4 one cup servings.

Personalized Christmas Cards and Photo Cards

2009-11-29T12:11:00.001-05:00

I now have new customizable Christmas greeting and photo cards for sale on my website. You can personalize the cards with your own photos and text – add your own greeting or closing, add your name, the year, or your own images if you wish. You can see a few examples below, and if you’d like to see more, just go to this link. These cards are a fun way to spread some Christmas cheer!

Snow Covered Holiday Photo Card by envisiondesigns

Snowy Greetings Photocard by envisiondesigns
Buy personalized photo cards online at zazzle

Very Merry Christmas Greeting Card by envisiondesigns

Homemade Playdough

2009-10-24T13:23:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine gave me this recipe for homemade playdough, it's easy to make and lasts a long time.

1 cup water
1 Tbls. vegetable oil
1/2 cup salt
1 Tbls. cream of tartar
Food coloring
1 cup flour

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and your choice of food color. Heat till warm (watch close and don't overheat). Remove from heat and add flour. Stir, and knead till it's smooth.

Store in an airtight container or a Ziplock freezer bag. It will last 6 months or longer. (don't omit the cream of tartar, that's what makes it last so long)

Gas Saving Tips: Save money with these simple tips

2009-11-07T10:57:00.001-05:00

With the price of gas continuing to fluctuate up and down, you never know what to expect when you stop to fill your tank. It seems to me, that the price of gas is often higher during the holidays and over summer months when people do the most traveling. Unfair as it is, we all have to deal with it if we want to get from point A to point B.
I found some articles that offer some great tips for saving money on gas. They are listed below, with a short description for each.

Thrifty Gas Saving Tips (by Ernest Miles): Advice on saving gas while warming up your engine, buying gas, driving, and other things like choosing routes and simple vehicle upkeep. This is a great article with tips for doing simple things you may never think of doing to save gas!

33 Gas Saving Tips (by Fun and Safe Driving): 33 great tips for saving gas! Tips for using the landscape to your advantage, accelerating, planning trips, and more, including myths about gas saving devices.

Top 10 Fuel Saving Tips (Gasbuddy.com): Offers 10 good tips for saving gas, as well as a search option that lets you search for the lowest gas prices in your area.

Kid Safe Search Sites

2009-11-11T10:24:00.000-05:00

Ask Kids – Ask Kids is a human-edited search site for children. The main search page has a few kid-friendly topics that offer direct search links. These include schoolhouse (homework help), movies (links to popular movies), games, video, and images (brings up random images of animals, etc.). A regular search will bring up a “paper clipped” image at the top of the page with basic information, as well as some good pictures, with search results listed underneath. The searches do include some Google ads with things for sale, etc., but overall, this seems to be a good search site.

Kids Click – Kids Click is a search site that is also human edited, and that is made by librarians. It has 600 categorized topics that can searched by letter or with the search bar. On the home page, there are numerous topics listed by category. The topics on the main page include general interest and research links. I clicked on a few of them and found some very good results. For example, clicking on games under “Sports and Recreation” not only brings up links for some online games, but tutorials as well, such as free chess lessons, or how to play chess. Under “Home and Household”, I clicked on “babysitting”, and got results for information about babysitting, and babysitting tips and safety links. The search site brings up a smaller number of results than major search engines, but they seem to be very good quality links. This search site would be really good for homework help. Also, I did not see any ads – yeah!

Cybersleuth – This search engine is for kids in grades K-12. It has some useful results for homework help and general interest categories. The main page has categories which can be narrowed down after clicking on them, as well as links to things like “free coloring pages.” However, the site appears to be heavily ad-supported. I run two separate pop-up filters, and it still brought up a few large pop-ups that got in the way of the search results (covers them up so you can’t see the results until you close the ad). Due to the ads, I probably wouldn’t recommend this one for younger children, but it may be useful for older kids who can get around the pop-ups, and who understand that they are ads.

KOL – KOL is Kids Online by AOL. My daughter has been using this site for several months now, and I must say that I’ve been very impressed with it. It not only has a kid-safe search, but is a website as well, with lots of kid-friendly pages. There is something on the site for just about every age, including a link to “Jr. KOL” for pre-school aged kids, and pages for a variety of general interest topics. While some areas of the site may be more suitable to pre-teen interests, they are not unsuitable for younger age groups. Though an account is not required, you can sign your child up with their own username and password, which allows them to use e-mail (with parental permission only) or set up their own homepage. Parents can sign up for free to use parental controls which allow you to control web browsing, add time limits, monitor e-mail and messaging, and view reports on your child’s online activity. There are some ads, but to date, I have not seen any on the main KOL pages that are inappropriate for children, and most are to other kid’s sites, such as Cartoon Network, or National Geographic Kids, for example. KOL was a 2008 Parent’s Choice Award Winner.

5 Steps to a More "Customer Friendly" Website

2009-10-05T09:47:00.004-04:00

Is your website customer friendly?

A customer friendly website will keep your site visitors coming back for more, and just a few simple things can make your site more customer (or visitor) friendly:

1. Make sure that your page elements are consistent throughout the site. This means that you want to make sure that your colors and fonts are the same on all of your pages, and that your links are in the same place. Not that you can't use different colors and fonts, just make sure that your headings and basic text are about the same size on each page and that your colors match. For instance, you don't want a blue background with bright pink text on one page, and a green background with blue text on the next.

2. Put the most important information "above the fold." Basically, you want to put the information that your visitors will most likely be looking for closer to the top of the page, or make them visible on the viewing screen (they won't have to scroll down to see it).

3. Be sure to list contact information or a "contact" link. Your customers and site visitors want to know how to reach you if they have a question or a problem.

4. Try to make information findable within three clicks. If it takes a site visitor more than three clicks to get to the information they want, they are more likely to go elsewhere.

5. Use fonts and colors that are easy on the eyes and easy to read. Bright text colors can really bother some people, especially those who are visually impaired, so use those cautiously. Serif fonts such as Times New Roman and Courier are easier for the eyes to follow, and thus, easier to read.

Happy "Site" Building!

Bubble Gum in the Carpet? Don't Replace it Yet

2009-11-08T09:29:00.000-05:00

If you’ve ever had this happen, you probably know how hard it is to get the bubble gum out without tearing up your carpet, but there’s a simple remedy that works wonders. To get gum out of carpet, take an ice cube and lay it on top of the gum. Let it sit until the ice melts, then take a butter knife or scrapper and gently work the gum up. It should come off easily. If it doesn’t, repeat the process one more time.

Free Meal and Menu Planners

2009-11-07T11:25:00.000-05:00

Every week, I sit down and make up a dinner menu for the entire week, then make up my grocery list based on things needed for each recipe. I usually write my menu on one piece of paper and my list on another. At one time, I was trying to save my menus and lists for future use to save myself some time. However, I wound up with so many “menus” in my kitchen drawer that I couldn’t find the ones I was looking for. I thought about trying to make up a computer file with all of them in it, but didn’t want to take the time to sit down and create files every week. So, I stopped trying to save them. But, I believe that I have now found a solution! This website offers free meal and menu planner templates that are available to download. They are in Microsoft Excel format.

Herbs are for Drinking! Buying or Making Herbal Tea

2009-11-07T10:20:00.001-05:00

Herbal teas can make a good substitute for caffinated black tea or coffee. A lot of herbs may also offer health benefits or have medicinal value. However, the quality and potency of pre-packaged herbal teas may vary. The quality and potency of herbs is highly dependent on the way they are grown and harvested and the length of time from harvest to consumption. The longer herbs sit, the more essential oils they loose, which are what give herbs their potency and flavor. Therefore, some pre-packaged teas that you find at the grocery store may not be delivering the full benefits, as they may have sat for awhile on the store shelf or at the manufacturer. This, however, depends on the company. So, how do you know which teas are the best and will deliver the most benefits? To this question, I can offer a few suggestions:

Use brands from companies that have a good reputation
Choose teas that use organically grown herbs
If you can, use your sense of smell. Fresher herbs have a stronger (and sometimes more pleasant) smell.
Buy teas from a natural foods store or herb store instead of at a regular grocery store

There are several reasons why I suggest buying from a natural foods store or herb store. The first is that these stores usually purchase higher quality products and know how to properly store them. Secondly, the sales associates at these stores know more about herbs than associates from other stores, and may be able to offer advice on particular products.

Using Dried Bulk Herbs

In addition to pre-packaged teas, natural food and herb stores may also have bulk herbs, which you can use to make your own tea. The bulk herbs from these stores tend to be of good quality as well, as they are normally purchased frequently, stored properly, and kept in their whole form which helps the herbs to retain their quality. Buying herbs in bulk normally costs less as well. For example, a box of pre-packaged chamomile may cost four to five dollars, while an ounce of fresh chamomile flowers would be under two dollars.

Making Your Own Herbal Tea With Fresh or Bulk Herbs

To make your own tea, you can buy bulk dried herbs or grow your own. It’s best to store them in a cool, dark place in an air-tight container. The more light and air that is kept out the better. If you grow your own, you may want to dry some of them. This article from About.com, has some information about drying and storing herbs.

Typically, the parts of the plant that are used for teas are the flowers or the leaves, depending on the herb. You’ll want to use about 1 teaspoon of dried herb, or a tablespoon of fresh herb to a cup of water. You can use a tea ball or mesh tea bag to put the herb in. Most herbs only require steeping in boiling water for a few minutes. Bring the water to a boil, and pour it into a large mug. Then let the tea ball or tea bag sit in the water and steep for about 5 minutes. If you need sweetener, try adding a little honey. Some herbs may require a longer steeping time, or may need to be brought to a boil to bring out the full flavor.

Growing Herbs

If you don’t have the time, energy, or space for an outdoor garden, there are many herbs that can be grown indoors. In addition, herbs that are grown indoors can be used year-round. Some herbs that do well indoors include peppermint, catnip, and lemonbalm, along with many others. For more information about indoor gardening, read my indoor gardening article on Squidoo.

The Natural Herbs Guide offers a list of some of the most common herbs and how to use them, as well as information on medicinal uses for specific conditions.

In addition to local stores, Mountain Rose Herbs offers bulk herbs and teas that are organically grown and shipped fresh, as well as supplies for making your own tea.

***Please note: some herbs do not combine well with prescription medications or are not good for daily use. If you are not at all familiar with the use of herbs, please research the particular herb before using it on a daily or long-term basis. If you are on prescription medications, please speak with your doctor before combining herbs with medication!

HealthNews Blogs - Kristen DeLeo - Exercise Tips for Busy Moms

2009-10-24T14:17:00.003-04:00

The following article offers some good tips to work exercise into your daily routine.
HealthNews Blogs - Kristen DeLeo - Exercise Tips for Busy Moms

Buy Organic or Not?

2009-11-02T10:42:00.002-05:00

It’s well known that organic foods can be better for you because they don’t contain added chemicals, pesticides, and hormones. Unfortunately, organic foods usually cost more than conventional foods, and it can be difficult to distinguish between the different types of organic labels. My budget doesn’t allow me to buy all organic, but I try to buy some foods in organic, as I can tell a noticeable difference in how I feel when I eat more organic foods (though that may not be the case for everyone I’m sure). Usually, if I see an organic product that’s close in price to the conventional product, I’ll go for the organic.

Types of Organic Labels

According to a news release issued by the Organic Trade Association, there are three main types of organic labels:

100% Organic: products are made with 100% organic ingredients (excluding water and salt)
Organic: 95% or more of the ingredients used are organic. The ingredients listed as organic have to be all organic (not a combination of organic and non-organic), and the remaining ingredients have to be natural ingredients that aren’t available in organic
Made with Organic: The contents of the product are 70 to 95% organic (Givens, H., 2006).

I also learned through a course that I took on sustainable agriculture, that products can be “organically grown”, meaning that they have been grown using organic standards. However, to meet the requirements of the FDA, products have to organically grown for a period of seven years before they can be “certified organic”.

Buying Organic On A Budget

The article, Buying Organic Food on a Budget, states that the best foods to buy in organic are meat and dairy products. It goes on to state that the following conventional fruits and vegetables contain the highest level of pesticides, and therefore may be good to buy in organic: peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots, and pears (Beattie, L., 2009).

In my personal experience, I’ve found that organic meat and dairy products are typically the most expensive things to buy in organic, but once in awhile I’ll find a good buy on those products and go with organic. I’m usually able to find organic produce, cereal products, and yogurt at a reasonable price. I watch for sales and keep an eye out for coupons. If I find a product that I really like, I also try to check the manufacturer’s website, and a lot of times they will have coupons available. I can’t think of anymore tips to offer right now, but if I do I’ll be sure to post them.

Is My Bathroom A "Meeting Room" ?

2009-11-02T11:51:00.000-05:00

Seriously, I can not take a shower without someone barging in or yelling for me from another room. Yesterday, for instance, was a prime example of how my bathroom is apparently the family meeting room. I went in to take a shower and shut the door behind me. I was enjoying my shower. Then, my husband came in to tell me about something he saw on the news. Why it couldn't wait till I was done with my shower I don't know. My daughter then came barging in to ask if she could get on the computer. (At this point, I was starting to get a little aggravated and because of this accidentally shampooed my hair for a second time instead of conditioning it.) I asked the two of them if they could please let me finish my shower in peace, about which time my son yelled "Mom.....!" from the kitchen. To this I yelled back, "Mom's in the shower!!!!"

Now, I don't know how common this is for most families, but I'm seriously considering hanging a sign on the bathroom door that simply states, "Meeting Room."

New Store Products

2009-11-02T11:25:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to take a minute to tell you more about my online store. Envision Designs offers unique products with original designs. I'll be posting new product lines and announcements about my store under "New Store Products" periodically. In addition, you can view new items on the panel at the bottom of this page.

If you're looking for Christmas gifts, my zazzle store (Envision Designs) has original gift items and apparel. I will be adding customizable Christmas cards that you can personalize with your own text within the next two weeks. Stop by and visit and let me know what you think. You can also join my fan club to receive e-mail updates when I post new products.

Coffee Bean Mug by envisiondesigns
Browse Mug Mugs

Free Samples from Quality Health

2009-11-02T09:22:00.000-05:00

Quality Health offers a number of free samples by mail as well as free coupons and rebate offers. You do have to register and sign up for some free e-mail newsletters. It takes about 10 minutes to register and answer some questions. The site also has a lot of information on various health topics.

Quality Health Home Page
Quality Health "Healty Offers" (for registration and free samples, coupons, and rebates)

Having just registered myself, I can't claim to know how it all works yet; however, I did find another website that tells more about it and the types of offers that you may recieve. An article on Swapsavers.com states that you can recieve several different types of samples. Apparently, you receive most offers through the e-mail newsletters, then have to log in to the site to request the offers.

I'll be sure to let you know what kinds of offers I get and how it works once I know a little more about it :).

Peach Crisp

2009-11-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

This recipe is quick and easy to make, and it's one that I've been using for years. It makes a good desert dish for potlucks and get togethers too.

2 cans (15 oz.) spiced peaches (drained)
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/3 cup oats
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup butter or margarine (softened)

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Place peaches evenly in an 8x8 baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, oats, and walnuts. Mix in butter till mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over fruit. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. (If you can't find spiced peaches, you can sprinkle about 1/4 tsp. each of cinnamon and ginger onto regular peaches.)

About this Blog

2009-10-05T10:13:00.003-04:00

This blog is focused on life at home and things related to the home. As a mother and wife, I’m constantly on the lookout for things that I think my family may enjoy or that may be helpful around the house. Here, you'll find helpful resources and information, and articles about household tips and timesavers, cooking, gardening, and frugal living. You will also find things related to motherhood in general and kids, as well as work at home resources. Ofcourse, dads and others are welcome too!

More about this blog:

If you've visited before, you've probably noticed some changes, and if you haven't, welcome! I started this blog in 2007 as a combination "mom" and "work at home" blog site. Recently, I have decided to redesign it in order to focus on a wider range of topics that interest me. Rather than focusing on work at home things, I have to decided to focus more on "life at home" and other "mom stuff." I have decided to keep my home/small business articles posted, and will continue to add new resources for small business owners and work at home moms as I find them. However, I will soon be writing new business and marketing articles on a different site, that will allow to write more detailed and useful pieces. (I'll add a link as soon as I have it going.) After a lot of thought, I have decided that this is the best way to go about it, as I have a lot of ideas and want to be able to write about more topics in both areas. I may also decide to add a few blurbs about my life at home :).

I hope that you will enjoy my new, "redesigned" blog, and that the information you find here will prove to be useful for you and your family.

Thank you for visiting!