OK, I have a rule that I try to follow (we all cheat now and again) that you can’t have junk food unless you make it yourself. My reasoning for this is that it might be less than healthy but at least I know what every ingredient in it is.

A also love convenient foods (who doesn’t) but I am a food snob and won’t compromise on taste. There are those Sunday mornings when I just want that extra 15 minutes of sleep. These are the mornings I love instant oatmeal. My 10 year old can heat up water in the microwave and make his and his siblings breakfast. (What can I say I am a lazy mom)

Plus oatmeal is cheap even the organic stuff. And if you lucky you might even be able to get local oats. So here’s how it works. You need 3 cups of instant oats (I always make a double batch). Take one cup and grind it up in a food processor or blender until it is powder. I then add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 TBSP salt and 1/4 cup cinnamon. Blend this together in with the grown oats in the blender. Now there are two options:

First you can package this into individual bags with 1/4 cup instant oats and 2 TBSP of the powdered mixture.  To make just add to 1/2 cup hot water and let stand for a minute.

Second, You can put the powdered mixture in a container and the instant oats in another and tape instructions to the top.

I normally use the second method mostly because I don’t want to pay for the baggies or do the extra work. But I do occasionally package it up for things like camping. You decide what works best for your family.

There are also all sorts of variations. Try adding nuts, dried fruits or other seasonings.  Have fun and enjoy your Sunday morning.

Today we received a bag of hand-me-down clothes. It was very fun. The kids love to go through and see what’s what and try things on. B got some much needed snow boots and C got a great winter jacket and some snow pants that he should be able to use next year.
It reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend a while back about feelings of guilt associated with hand-me-downs. I personally have no problem with gently used passed on items but this friend was feeling guilty at not being able to buy new items for her children.

It got me thinking… my kids are not disappointed with used things, in fact they seem to be quite happy just to receive something that they perceive as new. So why do we as adults assume guilt? If someone is happy why should we project our feelings onto them and make them doubt themselves?

Isn’t this outlook exactly what has gotten us into this financial mess. Why do we need to get our internal value from what we own/have? Why do people spend more than they make and live beyond their means in order to “look good” but feel owned by their stuff? I know more than a few people who work so much to pay for their things that they don’t have a chance to enjoy themselves.

So from now on I’m going to make more of an effort not to project these values and feelings onto my children or others. I want my children to learn to appreciate all that they can without comparing what they have and themselves to others. My wish is for them is to grow up loving themselves and valuing other people and their experiences over their possessions.

On a side note in the process of writing this post I found a great flickr group, Recycle Remake Redesign Re-craft Reuse Recreate Reclaim Reduce. Great inspiration for using old stuff!

Between searching through dozens of baby name books to read about the history and meaning of names, and repeatedly explaining to your in-laws that your husband’s middle name was not exactly what you had in mind, you might discover that choosing your baby’s name is more difficult than you imagined.

Before you cave in, or curse the fact that you married into a family whose last name you can barely pronounce, take a deep breath, throw those baby books away, and go to ParentsConnect.com. At ParentsConnect.com, you will have an extensive catalog of baby names right at your disposal. Browse names alphabetically, by gender, by origin, or by ethnicity—or review the top 10, top 100, or top 1,000 most popular baby names from 1880 to 2007. You can even combine search categories to customize your search.

Once you have chosen a few boy or girl names, simply click on the name for in depth information on the name’s origin, history, and meaning. Use the Popularity Rank graph to see the popularity of the name you have selected going back to 1880. By clicking ADD, you can save any name you wish and easily access your list by clicking ‘My Names List.’ And if you are still unable to decide, take advantage of the message board to get expert name advice and discuss your quandary with others who sympathize.

Sure, your husband, family, and in-laws are trying to help; but if you are seeking unbiased information and advice to pick that perfect name, ParentsConnect.com is there to give you all the help you need. And should your well-meaning spouse still insist on helping, why not log on separately, pick your favorites, and compare them?—you may just find you have chosen many of the same names.

And someday, when your son or daughter thanks you for giving them a “super cool name,” you will be glad you used ParentsConnect.com to help you make a decision.

First make a bunch of pizza crust. The key is good flour and lots of kneading to activate the gluten.

The the kids get to make their own with the different pre-prepared toppings. B chose no sauce with olive oil.

C chose red sauce with meat. The dough made 10 small thin crust pizzas. I ended up putting 5 in the freezer for later. If you don’t want to make your own I highly recommend La Dolce Vita in Santa Fe. Great food and prices. Or they deliver for free in Santa Fe 629-4500.  It’s in the Salano Shopping center down from the Coop. We’re lucky we can walk there.

Bryn was also the little chef for Easter. Deviled Eggs are a great thing for kids to make. Basic slicing, mixing and piping are all skills a nine year old can handle. Boy he looks grown up.