Prevent the Sunburn Peel

Every Spring, without fail, as soon as I come out of "hibernation" I end up with a sunburn. It usually happens innocently enough. The first time it's warm enough for a tank top I think to myself "I'll only be out for a few minutes... I'll be fine".

Well, even if it's just 5 minutes in the sun without sunscreen, I burn. I'm so diligent about sunscreen with my kids, I should really pay more attention to MY shoulders once in a while.

When I burn, I peel. Always. My whole life. This is how it happens: burn, peel, if it's still red under "the peel" I will even peel again! No joke. I have tried so many things to prevent the peel. Lotions, gels, all kinds of stuff.

Unintentionally, I put some baby oil on my arms and shoulders after a sunburn last month and guess what?! No peeling!! I couldn't believe it!! I thought the baby oil would help hold in moisture so that it wouldn't peel as bad. But it didn't peel at all. Talk about a cheap and quick fix!

Here's what I've figured out about this little trick:

• Baby oil does, indeed, hold in enough moisture to help prevent peeling. Use it everyday for best results. (even when you aren't sunburned, it is still nice to use)
• Don't use the oil on skin that is still hot to the touch. You don't want to trap in the heat. So you may need to wait a day before you start trying to prevent peeling.
• I put the oil on just before I get out of the shower- while the water is still running. This helps to wash the excess oil off so you aren't all slimy when you get out of the shower.
• Blot the water off with a towel when you get out of the shower- you don't want the oil to rub off on the towel.

Obviously, the best way to prevent peeling after a sunburn is to not get one in the first place, so wear your SPF folks. Don't be like me  ;-)

The Secret to Perfect Rice Krispie Treats- without the mess!

One thing I struggle with is always wanting to have a sweet snack ready and waiting on my kitchen counter. This isn't a healthy habit. I try my hardest to make sure we always have fruits and veggies and most of the time they hit the spot when I'm in the mood for a snack. But sometimes, I just need dessert, need.

Enter- Rice Krispie Treats (not a sponsored post, guys). I love these things. So easy, the kids can help (hello, sanity saver!) and they hit the spot without being too sweet or too unhealthy. Only 3g of fat per serving is better than a cookie!

One problem with making these delicious squares is that they can be super sticky to get pressed into the pan. I use this little trick to make this recipe even easier than it already is...

Plastic wrap. Tear off a piece of plastic wrap and use it as a marshmallow shield between the treats and your fingers. 

 That's it.

Super easy, right? The result is perfectly pressed treats with absolutely no sticky fingers. This is great when the kids help out for obvious reasons- no chasing the 5-year-old around the house trying to prevent stickiness on your throw pillows... don't ask me how I know.

Have a sweet and happy Monday, friends!

Tip for Tuesday: Wrap Up Your Table!

Earlier this month I hosted a Cookies & Cocoa party, and we had lots of kids getting messy creative with their cookie decorating.

Let me tell you my secret to this clean-up being a cinch-

I wrapped the table with leftover wrapping paper from a year (or two, or three) ago. It was pretty and all I had to do was rip the paper off and throw it in the trash.

So simple, right?

What do you do during holiday gatherings to make clean-up or prep easier? 

Homemade Whipped Cream: 2 Ways!

Yesterday I shared my favorite homemade cocoa mix, and you can't have hot cocoa without a lot a little whipped cream, right?!

I have been making my own whipped cream for a while now. It's so much better than the canned stuff, and honestly, you can make it in less time than it takes to go to the store and buy a can of pre-made whipped cream!

Whipped cream is yummy as-is, but why not jazz it up a little bit for the holiday season?

Chocolate Whipped Cream
This is for the chocolate lover in your house- in my house, that would be me. 

Use my basic whipped cream recipe, but omit the sugar and vanilla.
Add in 2 tbsp. of hot cocoa mix.
Whip until peaks form.
Store in airtight container for about a week.

Peppermint Whipped Cream
Peppermint drinks mean the holiday season is here! 

Use my basic whipped cream recipe- omit vanilla.
Add 1/2 tsp. - 1 tsp. of peppermint extract. Start with a 1/2 tsp. and add if you like a stronger taste.
Whip until peaks form.
Store in airtight container for about a week.


How 'bout that? I think these are going to be a huge hit at my Cookies & Cocoa party this weekend. Can't wait to share more about that next week!

What is your favorite whipped cream? Have you ever made a flavored whipped cream? I'm always looking for new ideas! *hint hint  :)

Tip for Tuesday: Static Cling Fast Fix

It's that time of year, dry air plus dry skin and clingy fabrics... static cling is in the air!

I have found that the best way to fight static cling is also really great for your dry skin- just use lotion!

That's right, no sprays or sheets required. If you will be wearing pants or a top that has the potential to cling just put lotion on before you get dressed. If your skirt starts to cling during the day, apply a bit of lotion to your legs. Wearing tights? Lotion up before you put them on to keep layers from clinging.

How's that for a win-win? No static cling and bye-bye dry skin!

Tip for Tuesday: Thanksgiving Table Decor

Every year I host Thanksgiving, and every year my table decor is the first to be knixed from my list of things to do. No matter how well I prepare, I seem to find myself cutting something from the list that I don't feel is "as important". Then, when the day arrives I scramble to find something to put on the table to make it fun and festive! 

I've realized that I make this much more complicated than it really is, and even the simple things can be the best! Here are a few of my inspiration pictures from across the web!

Love the simplicity of this from Just Us Four

A little rustic charm at the table- DIY or buy them here! 

White pumpkins are my favorite! Image from Good Housekeeping

I really love how different this is. You could even do mini pumpkins in here! 

Image via Good Housekeeping

How do you decorate your Thanksgiving table? 

If you don't host, what would be your favorite way to decorate?

Tip for Tuesday: Pinterest Ideas

There are some pretty great ideas floating around on Pinterest. We all know this.

Jess and I have created a board on our CLMM Pinterest account for "Ah ha Moments"! You know, those things that make you say "oh! That's how you do that!" or "I'd never thought of it that way. That's brilliant!"

Here are 3 of my favorites:

There wasn't a website for this, just a pic so here's the link to the pin.

This is a genius idea from Moser Moments!

Simply Healthy Family does a great job of showing how to shred chicken in your stand mixer. I do this all the time! 

Here's the link to our Ah Ha Moments board too :)

Tip for Tuesday: How to Clean your Granite Sink

We remodeled our kitchen 2 summers ago and the one thing I was super excited about was getting a new sink. You know you're officially an adult when things like sinks, furnaces, and new sewer pipes make you happy.

Anyway, I chose a light colored granite sink- you know, the kind that isn't supposed to scratch or stain. Well, I quickly found out that it's really difficult to get some of the "stains" to come out.

Here is my solution:

Mix baking soda and water together to make a paste. Apply the paste to the "hard to clean" areas on your sink and rub it in with your hands or use a sponge with a "scratchy" side. Use caution when using the sponge- make sure yours is a "no scratch" sponge. Scrub the areas until the stains are gone and then rinse.

Super simple, right?

Do you have a favorite household tip or secret? I'd love to hear it!

Tip for Tuesday: Make your own Chocolate Syrup

I found this recipe on Pinterest a month or so ago. It's so good!!

I use chocolate syrup everyday in my iced or hot mocha so I love the idea of making my own with no artificial ingredients or high fructose corn syrup. Better for ya.

I store mine in two separate mason jars and they last for about 2 weeks. They might keep longer, but I go through them that fast :-)

Here's the recipe from Cleverly Inspired.

Tip for Tuesday: Freezer Cooking Staples

What comes to mind when you think about freezer cooking? Casseroles and crock pot meals, right?

My view of freezer cooking is a little different, as I don't take an entire afternoon or even a whole day to make up a bunch of meals to freeze. I freeze things as I go and a lot of the things I freeze are just components of dishes, rather than the dish itself.


Here are a few of my favorite freezer cooking staples:

Ground Beef/Turkey: Use to make a quick batch of sloppy joes, taco meat, burritos, quesadillas, chili, or spaghetti.

Chicken Breast: Throw this in soup, quesadillas, pasta, enchiladas, pizza, salad, or sandwiches. I shred a few and also leave a few whole.

Muffins: I freeze these and send them to school as part of Little Dude's breakfast. I usually pair it with a smoothie or some fresh fruit. Check out this muffin recipe- it's a great one!

Mixed Veggies: Most, if not all, veggies freeze very well. Most of my dishes consist of a mix of onion, peppers, and garlic so I always have this mix on hand. I leave the garlic out, though, as I like to use it fresh. For our favorite soups, I keep a mix of carrots, broccoli, and onion on hand.

Stay tuned for more great freezer cooking tips this week! If you need to catch up on yesterday's post, you can see it here!

What are your favorite freezer cooking staples?

Tip for Tuesday: Whisk, don't sift

I can remember making cookies with my grandma and we would sift the flour and baking soda. She had this great metal sifter. As a kid, it was so fun to have that job while baking.

I see the benefit to sifting things- especially when baking with baking soda or baking powder. No one wants lumps of baking powder. But I don't actually like sifting anymore, seems silly, but I find it tedious ;)

Instead of measuring and sifting, now I measure and whisk. It's faster, and just as effective!

Just combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. Then carry on with your recipe!

Tip for Tuesday: Picture Toy Storage Labels

Toys scattered everywhere and totally unorganized? I get it. I do. I try not to care that all the cars are in 5 different bins and the toy food is mixed in with puzzle pieces, blocks, and random toy pieces. Truth is, it drives me crazy.

To help the kids understand that each type of toy has it's own place, I created picture labels. I simply took a picture of the toys, printed with my home printer, then used clear packing tape to put it on the side or top of each plastic storage bin.

For things like blocks, vehicles, little people, etc. I just picked a few to group together and photograph- no need to photograph the entire bunch.

This has helped keep us much more organized- not perfect by any means, but it's much better! It's especially great for kids who, like my little dude, are very visual and have a hard time communicating. Also great for your littles who are just learning about cleaning up!

Tip for Tuesday: Lighter Fluid Sticker Remover

You know when a sticker gets stuck and won't come off? Or when you are peeling the barcode sticker off of a new glass and there is residue you just can't get off?

There are lots of products designed to remove stuff like this- but why spend money on those things when you've probably got something already on hand?

Lighter fluid!

KC is the one who showed me this trick. I had a pair of new sunglasses and I couldn't get all of the sticky residue off of the ear piece where the manufacturer's sticker had been.

Put a little lighter fluid on a paper towel and rub gently until the sticker is off. I don't recommend doing this on porous surfaces such as fabric, but on hard surfaces like glass, plastic, and sealed wood, it works great!

Tip for Tuesday: The Secret to Perfectly Seasoned Meat

Today's tip comes from none other than my hubs, A. I'm not gonna lie, this tip is pretty ingenius and I'm a bit jealous that I didn't come up with it myself. He's also really excited that his "system" is blog worthy and has been bugging me for over a month about when I'm finally going to share it with all of you. Oh, the life of a blogger's husband!

So, one evening we were getting ready to throw some chicken on the grill, and I asked A to season the chicken. He started to do the most bizarre thing (well, that's what I thought at the time)- he was pouring all of the seasoning onto a plate... not on the chicken. I just kind of watched him for a minute because I was totally confused, but realized that he was basically a genius.

Here's the (his) secret to perfectly seasoned meat:

Grab a plate and all of your seasonings.
Shake out your seasoning onto a plate. Just enough for one side of your meat (or veggies too, I suppose!).
Lay your meat on the plate and press down on it a few times to be sure the seasoning sticks.
Season the side facing you...
... and that's it.

Simple, but very effective. I used to get so annoyed when seasoning things because when I'd flip it over, half the seasoning would come off. That doesn't happen with this little trick from A.

What is one of your favorite tips? Share with us and we may feature it on a future Tip for Tuesday!

Tip for Tuesday: Take Lunch for a Whole Week

Yesterday, I mentioned that I am not  "pre-packer" when it comes to lunches. This goes for my lunch too. I only work part-time, so I don't get a long lunch. I found myself running to a fast food place a lot even though I was trying to pack a lunch everyday. Most days I either forgot or just didn't have the time in the morning. Obviously, I needed to do something different.

I started adding things to my grocery list that I could bring to work so I had my lunch for a whole week. There is a common fridge down the hall from my office so I can keep things cold. Here's what I typically bring:

Variations:

Fruit (strawberries, grapes, apples)

Peanut Butter

Pita Chips

Pretzels

I take the whole box, the whole carton and a whole bag of carrots (prepped) so that I can portion them out when I'm hungry- not when I'm racing out the door.

Tip for Tuesday: Easy Clean Skillet

I don't know about you, but every time I cook eggs in my skillet I'm left with a tough mess to clean up. I'm impatient when it comes to cooking eggs; I know you're supposed to cook them "low and slow", but I don't have time for that!

I've been trying to get those caked on eggs off my skillets forever and I finally figured out a way to make it a little easier. You still have to do a little work, this isn't a magic trick- I'm keepin' it real for ya'll.

Gross, right? 

I'm kind of embarrassed to show you, but we've all been there, right? :)

The "After" picture is after I scrubbed it and before it went through the dishwasher.

You just need 3 simple things, and I guarantee you already have them:

Baking soda
Dish soap
Water

Sprinkle baking soda in your empty skillet (enough to cover the bottom of your skillet), add a squirt of dish soap, and then fill it 3/4 full with water. Give it a little swish with a spatula to mix it all up. Set it back on your burner, bring it to a boil, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes- depending on the size of your skillet. I use my spatula to loosen some of the gunk at first, but for the most part you can just let it do it's thing.

Make sure you keep an eye on it- I made the mistake of forgetting about it once and everything evaporated and started to stink up my kitchen.

Once it's been simmering for about 5 minutes, pour the water out and scrub down your skillet. Yes, you still have to do some scrubbing, but this method makes it SO much easier! After I give it a scrub, I stick it in the microwave and it's as good as new!

Viola! The secret to getting caked on foods off your skillet!

August in Review

August has been a fun month! Lots of great tips and good recipes.


Here's a look at a few of our favorite posts from August:

A simple tip for perfect mashed potatoes. Creamy mp's are easier than you think!

When it comes to having mom friends, it can be hard to meet other moms when you move to a new place. Our mom friend, Lissette, introduced herself. Part 2 of this post is coming soon :)

Erin Condren Week was so colorful and organized! Jess and I love practical things that make our lives easier. Keeping up with life is fun and functional with the EC products we love: the Oh!What a Week and Life Planners.

Jess shared a few recipes that double as "life savers". Don't want to throw out bananas that are too ripe? Hate buying applesauce that has high fructose corn syrup, or the expensive stuff that is without HFC? Are you searching for great gluten free products and a recipe you can make at home? Check out these posts from this month:

One way to use over-ripe bananas is this yummy recipe!

Flavor applesauce the real food way {and save money while you're at it}.

Jess' favorite gluten free products and a yummy gluten free recipe to make snack time extra yummy.

Tip for Tuesday: Hydrogren peroxide as a stain remover

Do you all use hydrogen peroxide? Did you know it's not just for disinfecting cuts and scrapes?

Through puppy training, potty training, scraped knees, tummy bugs and many things in between, hydrogen peroxide is my go to for messes like urine, poop, blood, and vomit. Yep.

Not only will it get the stain out, it will also deodorize- very important for the aforementioned messes.

Always try using hydrogen peroxide on a small unnoticeable piece of fabric or carpet to make sure it won't discolor. It is safe for a lot of things- but not everything.

I keep my hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle. It makes it easy to use and I don't have to worry about pouring too much on the stain.

Simply spray hydrogen peroxide on a stain, let sit for a minute or two and blot with a paper towel. For stains in clothes you can soak the stain in hydrogen peroxide and then rinse out after a few minutes (remember to test the fabric first).

I have used this trick on our carpet, couch, towels, rugs, socks, shirts, and more. It works great!

Tip for Tuesday: "Cleaner" Shopping Cart

This tip might be a no-brainer, but it took me a while before I had an "ah ha!" moment.

Most stores have "cart wipes" in the front of the store, but they are located behind the carts. So, most people grab a cart and then wipe it down. Doesn't make much sense, does it? You've already made contact with any icky germs hangin' out on your cart handle. 

My mommy machine secret: Walk past the carts, grab a wipe, then wipe your cart handle down before you touch it. 

Am I the only one who has made this mistake? 

If so, I feel like a complete idiot for sharing this discovery. 

If not, I'm happy I saved you from that toddler's booger on the underside of your cart handle. 

Tip for Tuesday: A Bobby Pin Trick

Bobby pins aren't just for holding back flyaways anymore. One of my favorite things to use them for is to keep random papers securely placed until I can put them in their appropriate place.

You know there are always things that are floating around your purse or countertop. Some of those things are more important, like the RSVP card to my cousin's wedding...

See how I have used a bobby pin to hold it to my "Oh! What A Week Planner"? This way I won't loose it in the other mail clutter and it will get sent back in time.

This paint chip would be floating around my purse if I didn't have it bobby pinned to my life planner book mark. I'd probably forget I had it and end up getting another paint chip. Bobby pins to the rescue!

This is just one more quick fix to help control the clutter that so easily accumulates.