2-in-1 Girls NO SLIP Beach Towel/Bathing Suit Cover up

Okay it's taken me 5 summers but I have finally found the solution to keeping my almost 5 year old daughter's towel on her.  Long gone are the days of her dragging it on the ground of the pool deck or the beach.  Gone are the days of her complaining that it won't stay around her because it keeps coming untucked.  And gone are the days of me stuffing piles of beach towels in the beach and/or pool bag.

I have discovered there truly is a reason they call necessity the mother of invention....I have come up with a way to make a full size beach towel into a bathing suit cover up - pretty much guaranteeing it won't fall off or drag on the ground.  Are you ready for this? Okay, here goes the answer to all your summerly problems...

The 2-in-1 Girls NO Slip Beach Towel/Bathing Suit Cover Up 

It can be used as a full size beach towel...

...then when you're ready to head home, or just need to warm up slip it on like a jacket....

then wrap the long end around the front, putting the left arm through the third arm hole...

There's a tie in the back to tie bow to secure it in place (this picture shows the button version which I later changed because the bow is more easily adjustable for different sizes.)

 If it's too long in the back, just pull the towel up under the bow and it will keep it off the ground.

These babies have been in the works for months now and I'm happy to say I have finally figured out the ideal design!

Want one for your little girl? No problem, they're currently on sale in my Etsy shop "Cuteness Cubed." Just send me a note through Etsy if you don't see what you're looking for and I'd be happy to take orders. 

Removing nail polish from carpet and clothing with bug spray - Mom APPROVED!

I was at the point this morning when I was this close to throwing my hands up and giving one - or possibly - both of my kids back.  I kid...I kid (well, kinda, sorta, maybe).   I should have known something was seriously wrong when my 4 year old daughter was suspiciously quiet in her room for a good 10 minutes.  I didn't think much of it until she asked if I wanted my nails painted.  We were trying to get out the door so I said "no...but did you paint yours because it smells like nail polish." She innocently said "No, but I spilled a little and I cleaned it up." I turned around to little drips of what was now smeared blue nail polish all over the hardwood floor in her room - oh and a half-used roll of toilet paper with the other half crumbled up in little wads with some blue here and there.

Between my gritted teeth I thanked her for trying to clean up the mess she made and told her this kinda thing was better to just let mommy handle.  So as I'm using my blunt finger nails to try to scrape the now-dried nail polish off the hardwood, I turn around to see my 2 year old son basically pouring the entire rest of the bottle all over my daughters comforter and area rug.  This is the point when I'm convinced #3 is NO.WHERE.in.my.future. EVER.

Treatment for TMJ: The non-treatment that rid me of jaw pain

My three big reasons to re-prioritize and reduce stress

A few months ago my jaw suddenly started hurting.  It remained this way for weeks to the point when I finally called my dentist.  By the time I got in there, I could barely open my jaw far enough for one finger to slide between my upper and lower teeth.  My dentist diagnosed it as TMJ.  

"What is TMJ?" you ask.   Web MD describes it like this:

"Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) occur as a result of problems with the jaw, jaw joint and surrounding facial muscles that control chewing and moving the jaw. These disorders are often incorrectly called TMJ, which stands for  temporomandibular joint." Possible causes include:

• Grinding or clenching the teeth, which puts a lot of pressure on the TMJ
• Dislocation of the soft cushion or disc between the ball and socket
• Presence of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in the TMJ
• Stress, which can cause a person to tighten facial and jaw muscles or clench the teeth

Since, I don't grind my teeth, my dentist told me to try to identify points of stress, put on a hot compress on my jaw, and do a few jaw exercises.  I was not given any medication.   I knew it had to be stress related because the pressures of motherhood are tremendous.  In fact the condition is far more common in women than man and is ususally diagnosed between 20 and 40 years old.

As a 30-something SAHM with two little kids I was drowning under the pressure - much of it self imposed.  I had started out freelance writing "for fun" nearly five years ago after my daughter was born and I stopped working in the newsroom.  At times I made very good money.  Business was going so well for me that I had hired an assistant.  But the online writing freelance world isn't steady and shouldn't be relied on for consistent income.  

9 kids outdoor toys that save this mom's sanity in summer

With summer here I keep my kids outside as much as possible.  But to keep a 2 and almost 5 year old entertained for endless hours (and to keep my own sanity) the best outdoor toys are a necessity-- because a simple swing's not gonna cut it all.summer.long.

I rolled my eyes when my sister - aka childless aunt - gave my 4 year old this huge Crayola Inflatable Easel.  I am usually not a fan of blow up toys because they require so much time to inflate and deflate - but did you know you can use a nebulizer as an air pump?  OMG my friend just told me this trick instead of using the standard hot air or foot pump methods.

Turns out the giant easel is totally cool and the envy of my friends' kids (and their moms).  After the kids are done painting on it or drawing with chalk you can just squirt it down with the hose.  I actually threw the canvas in the washer and it came out like new.

Another mama milestone: Pre-school graduation

Well, today marks another big milestone for me as a mama.  My oldest graduated from pre-school (tear).  She clearly didn't recognize the significance of the day as she was shocked I was actually going to attend the graduation....and nearly fell off her chair when I told her I'd be sitting with daddy, and mommom and poppop and grammy and Blake.

Not only could I not be prouder of my sweet little thing, but looking back on these three years of pre-school I am so grateful for all that she's learned.  Of course, she's learned her ABC's and her numbers, how to spell her name, memorize her phone number and where she lives...but equally as important is that she's learned how
to make friends, to stand up for herself when it's not always easy, to get along with everyone, to be kind and compassionate to others, and to trust that I will come back at the end of the day.

She's learned that mommy doesn't know everything and she can actually teach me a thing or two.  (Hello, 8 syllable dinosaur that I still stumble over...)  She's learned that learning can be fun and exciting.  She's learned that she LOVES singing and painting and that dress up is perhaps the best free time there is in her little mind.  She's learned that there will be disappointments, but there will be even bigger and better triumphs.

For as much as she's learned, I've learned and grown so much as a mom just having her in pre-school.  I've learned how to get involved and when to say "no" I've got too much going on already.  I've learned the importance of making three hours super-duper-ultra productive.  I've learned that there are gossip, cliques, and hurt feelings among the four year olds and the four year olds'
moms.  And I've learned shorts are an essential part of every little girls wardrobe.  I've learned how to ask questions to pry even the tiniest bit of information out of a tired preschooler who needs nothing more than lunch and a nap.  Most importantly, I've learned to strap my wiggly and wondering two year old son in a stroller during EVERY pick up and drop off and that 3 days 2's cna't come soon enough. (I kid, I kid...okay, not really).

With kindergarten now just a few months away my yet-to-be five year old can't wait to start the next chapter...