It doesn't seem possible that my baby is 3 today.  Where did the time go.  A reminder that I need to enjoy every precious moment with my little guys.  Someday they won't need stories, snacks, or kisses for their boo boos.  Wait...they will probably always want snacks, but they won't need me the same way they need me now and I will miss that.  

Happy Birthday!  We love you.  You have brought us so much joy in the precious minutes we have spent with you.  

The boys have been having so much fun outside riding bikes and coloring the driveway and sidewalks.  So glad they can run around and play after our very cold winter.  

Found this beautiful vintage giant sized book at a retired teacher's yard sale for 50 cents.  

Perfect condition and I love the artwork.

My oldest broke his arm at the end of his first week of movement arts camp.  He didn't cry until the doctor said it was broken.  He was upset that he would miss camp and wouldn't be able to swim.  He has a bright green cast now which I know I took pictures of, but can't seem to find the pictures on my camera.  He was pretty excited to get a real cast and pick out the color.  The cast comes off on his birthday.  

Simple and delicious.  You will love these moist and tender grilled pork chops.  Marinate for a few hours in the fridge and then grill to perfection.  

• 6-8 boneless pork loin chops
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 tsp. steak seasoning like Montreal Steak seasoning
• 2 Tbsp. coconut sugar or brown sugar

Combine the marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag.  Then marinate the pork chops for a few hours in the fridge.  Grill for 6-8 minutes on each side until done.  (Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of pork chops)

I found these play-dough mats at 123 Homeschool 4 Me.  You can print them for free and use them for other activities like bean or noodle mosaics or coloring pages or laminate them and use them with play-dough.  

They are a great way to improve fine motor skills, letter recognition, and if you overlap them like this, you can practice simple words with your preschooler.  Here is an easy recipe for homemade play-dough. 

I experienced some major sticker shock when I took my printed letter mats to several office supply stores only to find out that laminating them would cost $35-$38.  Instead I purchased a Swingline laminator from Amazon for around $20.  I don't remember what I spent on laminating sheets, but I got 100 of them for way less than $15.  My laminator works great and I can laminate a lot more for less than I could have paid at the office supply store.  

The boys have enjoyed playing with these mats (while learning too ...but don't tell them, they just think its fun).

Disclosure:  I received product for review purposes only.  Any opinions are honest and are my own.

We recently received a pair of KidOFit shoes for my 2 1/2 year old.  He was so excited.  He loves to wear his new "tennis shoes".  

I only recently discovered KidOFit shoes and was intrigued.  I wanted to learn more about these shoes because they are made to foster healthy foot development.  I was so impressed with all of KidOFit's unique features and their stylish shoes.  They have so many cute designs for boys and girls on their website.  

Unique Features of KidOFit's Comfort System:

• Barefoot Sole Technology
• Transparent soles so you can see your child's toes
• Customized Fit System

       * Elastic Collar
       * Heel Strap
       * Fitting Inserts

• Ergonomic Design

       * Anatomical shape
       *Soft and flexible sole
       * Smooth, seam-free interior
       * Feather light materials
       * Wide opening for easy On/Off

As you can see, there are two soles in these shoes.  

One is slightly thinner than the other which makes these shoes adjustable for wider or more narrow feet.  Plus, as your child's foot grows you can remove an insert to provide more room.  I actually ordered my son's KidOFit shoes 1/2 size larger than his size to leave some growing room.  I wondered if they would be clumsy or too loose.  Not at all.  These shoes really do provide a customized fit.  He wears them with both inserts and because of the elastic collar and heel strap they fit perfectly with room to grow.  

Another great feature - transparent soles so you can see your child's toes and evaluate the fit.  

My son's new shoes are flexible and comfortable.  He loves running and playing in them.  They are very sturdy shoes too.  I am impressed with the quality and think they will last a long time.  

These shoes are his first choice when going out.  I am pleased he likes them since they are well constructed and good for his foot development too.  

I should also mention that my husband said he likes these new shoes.  He said, "All kids shoes should be made like these".  I think his favorite feature of our new KidOFits is that they are so easy to put on and take off of our son, since he made the comment when he was putting the shoes on him.  And the shoes stay on.  They don't slip off during wear.     

As you can see we are quite happy with my son's new KidOFit shoes.  

Enter to win a pair of KidOFit shoes of your choice!  US only.

Disclosure:  I received product for review purposes only.  Any opinions are honest and are my own.

This hearty casserole is simple to prepare and works well for brunch or dinner.  Our boys love it.  

• 5 cups shredded potatoes (frozen or fresh)
• 5 Tablespoons melted coconut oil or melted butter (I use a little of each)
• 2 cups shredded Swiss or cheddar cheese 
• 1 lb. ground beef, venison or sausage, browned
• 1 1/2 cups half & half or evaporated milk (whole milk would work too)
• 3 eggs 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 Tablespoon parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a 9 X 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Mix shredded potatoes with melted butter or oil and press into bottom of pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden.  

Remove from oven and layer on the meat then the cheese.  (If using unseasoned ground beef or venison, feel free to add your favorite hamburger seasonings while browning.)  

In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour this mixture on top of the other ingredients and sprinkle with parsley.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until knife inserted 1-inch from edge comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting.

Adapted from Money Saving Mom.

I always wait to the last minute and realized yesterday that today was my son's last day of preschool and I didn't have anything ready for teacher gifts.  My son has three teachers in his classroom and being the frugal girl that I am I always try to come up with something nice, but inexpensive.  Last year I made these really simple coffee and tea pouches for teacher appreciation week.  One nice thing about these gifts is that they are consumables so my son's teachers aren't getting things that will add clutter to their lives.    

With one day to prepare, I got my bread machine out and made homemade bread for each teacher.  It took several hours to make three loaves, but since the bread machine did most of the work, it wasn't too difficult.  I even programmed the bread machine to start early this morning before anyone was awake.  

I packaged the loaves in plastic wrap and curling ribbon and attached hand written notes.  One of the loaves was still warm so I placed it in a brown paper lunch bag inside of a gift bag.  

What are your frugal homemade teacher gift ideas?  

Linked up at Create with Joy and I Can Teach my Child.