Remember when McDonalds was offering free lattes on Friday? They have just announced Mocha Mondays and from 7-7 Mochas are FREE- even at the drive-thru.Free coffee drinks loaded with espresso are a multiple mama's dream come true, especially if you don't have to unbuckle and rebuckle 4 kids to get it.
Here are some other free offers that I found to be quite nice:
A Free Geotrax DVD from Mattelclick on your country (US) and put it in your cart, then check out. If your kids or grandkids watch this and don't like it- big whoop it didn't cost nothin. My kids like all DVD movies when they are on road trips.
My kids already have this DVD called The Princesses Save the Ball, and it is as annoying as can be from an adult perspective.If you love free DVD movies and you can tune it out while your kids watch it 544 times a day- then order it here.
The portrait studios called Picture People are offering afree sitting fee and package (hurry it expires 7-25) that includes one 8x10, two 5x7's and eight wallet sized portraits of the same image. Here is the offer and here are the locations to see if there is one near you. Since they are digital and in the mall what have you got to lose? I am sure they are hurting for business and will try to up-sell you more images, but if you are disciplined enough to only score the Free ones, it is a deal.
Thankfully we are out of the baby diaper stage, but Huggies is launching a new product lineof pure and natural diapers and are offering a free sample with coupons. If you can't use them I am sure you know someone who can, so order it and when it arrives bring it to the mama and she will love you for it. (Aaryn's people take note and order the larger size!) These ususally arrive shrink wrapped so they are awesome to keep in the car or diaper bag.
I got this fabulous recipe from the Gluten Free flour guru at Jules Nearly Normal Flour. This replicates the guilty pleasure of childhood: Pop Tarts. There is nothing more glutenous than a pop tart, until now. The recipe utilizes the Jules Graham Cracker mixwhich is available in stores or on the website.
Once baked and cooled the finished product can be stored in ziploc bags and re-toastedfor that hot pastry like feel. Select your own filling based on preferences and voila- GLUTEN FREE POP TARTS!
Ingredients:
1 bag Jules Gluten Free™ Graham Cracker/Gingersnap Mix* 3/4 cup Earth Balance Shortening or Buttery Sticks (or try Earth Balance Buttery Spread - soy free) 1/4 cup honey 1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract 1/2 cup water (*if you want to bake from scratch, add these ingredients:)
1-1/2 cups Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour 1 cup fine white rice flour 1/2 cup buckwheat or brown rice flour dash of salt 2 tsp. cinnamon 3 tsp. baking powder 1 cup light brown sugar Directions:
Cream the shortening, brown sugar (found in a separate packet in the Graham Cracker mix), honey and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients, then slowly stir in the water until Incorporated. Scoop dough into a smaller container and cover with lid or aluminum foil, place in the refrigerator overnight or freezer for 2 hours or until very cold.
Preheat oven to 325 F (static) or 300 F (convection).
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Prepare a clean counter surface or pastry mat by dusting with Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour. Coat a rolling pin as well.
Scoop half of the dough out onto the mat and roll to the thickness of a graham cracker. Using a clean knife or a pastry cutter, cut out equal sized rectangles, the size of a normal pop-tart (approximately 3 x 4 1/2 inches).
Gently lift one rectangle onto the parchment paper with a spatula. Scoop out jam, jelly, quince paste or your favorite filling into the middle and spread a thick layer, leaving at least 1/4 inch all around to seal the pastry. Wet your fingers and moisten that 1/4-inch margin of the perimeter of a second rectangle which you will be placing on top. Lift the second rectangle and place it directly on top of the rectangle with filling. With the tines of a fork, gently press together and seal the edges of the two rectangles, making a design impress with the fork tines.
Repeat with all the other rectangles and when your cookie sheet is filled, place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Makes 12 toaster pastries.
Glaze (optional)
Ingredients:
1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (may use orange, almond or other extract in the alternative) 2 - 4 tsp. +/- milk or fruit juice Directions:
Whisk together the sugar, extract and liquid by gradually adding the liquid, a teaspoon or so at a time. Continue adding liquid until the frosting is the consistency you need to be able to drizzle over the pastry without running off of the top. Drizzle in lines or spoon on top of the pastry once cooled. Allow to sit until the glaze is set before serving.
I will be making these this weekend using the berries we have picked this summer. I will update this post to add our own photos, but wanted to get my Gluten Free Friday post finished on time. ENJOY!
Last year the triplets were in preschool three days a week for roughly 3 hours a day. It was heaven for them on so many levels. Eli met his first true love, their program was perfect, and they LOVED every day at school. On Tuesdays and Thursdays they were so disappointed.
With our moratorium on spending and our financial pickle we can't afford preschool tuition times three, yet alone times four. Technically, Charlotte is more than ready to be enrolled too, and by Fall she will be completely potty trained. What to do? What to do?
I joked about homeschooling them last summer when we were screwed over by the folks at the MRDD, and while Summer Homeschooling is an adventure in field trips, homeschooling four kids under four during the cold, winter months of Central Ohio is HELL. There is no amount of mild sedation, or anxiety drugs that could coax me into homeschooling them full time. I am beginning to panic.
Tuition at private preschool is about $4K per child after you join an organization or pay dues/building funds/mandatory memberships to a synagogue. I can probably find a cheaper program but once the kids have had a taste of Evian, I doubt they will be okay to drink tap water even if it is disguised with toys and jungle gyms. So here I sit wallowing in the fact that this school year is looking grim at best.
As I added the facts and figures of tuition times four, it occurred to me that preschool teachers probably make about $15K part time teaching a few days a week with an entire classroom of 6 or more kids. I wonder if I can hire a private preschool teacher to take them on for half of that? Surely there are some preschool teachers looking to supplement their incomes? So perhaps my homeschooling dilemma and preschool panic is premature. Should I write an ad in the classifieds? After all I do have enough students for a small school setting, and since I dress them alike, they are already wearing "uniforms" of sorts.
I need to either sell a kidney and enroll them in the program at Temple Beth Chanel, or find an awesome teacher that wants to have her own little school. Plan B is to start buying anti-anxiety meds and coloring books. Preschool Panic- ahhhhh, can you hear me screaming?
We took a little day trip to Dayton. The destination: The National Museum of the US Air Force. This gem of a museum has FREE admission, FREE parking and FREE Stroller rentals and is an awesome place to exhaust the kids. If you have a boat load of kids or a day care, this is a great outing that costs nothing. Ususally we are the only ones with kids dressed alike, but today along with every summer camp and day care center, we blended in like white on rice. I just needed "STAFF" embroidered on the back of my shirt- then I would have been the official ring leader.
We arrived just in time to catch the IMAX screen showing of Fighter Pilot, the movie. We were instructed to leave our Step2 Pink Car stroller outside of the theater. We warned the children that the airplanes on the movie screen would be very loud and they were ready. They all sat nicely and enjoyed the show which surprised me as I feared they would get bored and want to go potty. The IMAX movie has a no re-admission policy. I could sense that we were going to be blowing the $17 ticket admissions after 34 seconds into the flick and that our pink car would be gone when we got out. The kids did fabulously for about the first 37 out of 42 minutes - so when our car was stolen during the show, I was half right. We alerted the security team and within 20 minutes they found the morons that took the car thinking it was one of the free stroller options. WRONG!
We toured the hangers and saw every imaginable kind of aircraft. We rolled up the strollers and our highly coveted pink car and snapped photos of the more interesting planes. It was stimulation overload for the kids with so much to do and even more to see. They all took turns monkeying around on various planes, climbed inside the space suit, and sat in a flight simulator. There were so many interesting exhibits within the museum and Jeff and Argenida were equally fascinated.
I was there as the photographer under false pretenses- you see, my darling husband (dripping with sarcasm) told me the National Museum of the US Air Force was featuring a fashion exihibit showcasing all the vintage flight attendant uniforms and retro clothing- which of course is right up my alley. Little did I know that this wonderful husband of mine said that so I would go along and not leave him with all the kids. This same sneaky phrasing reminds me of his descriptions of war movies, action thrillers and military shows- he tries to tell me that they are romantic comedies so that I will join him in watching them- Ughhh, live and learn on this one folks. I was really disappointed that there was not a display of flight crew uniforms but I was pleasantly surprised at the Smithsonian like quality of the entire museum. I won't hold a grudge.
I snapped photos throughout the day and made sure to capture all the various aspects of the museum. Mission accomplished here- we took this field trip to educate, stimulate and exhaust the little people and let me just say, AMEN!
This is what our drive home looked like and our day in Dayton is officially done.
Aaryn is here visiting and the kids have become increasingly obsessed with her pregnant belly.I admit it is a darling bump and I am over the moon excited for her, and a little jealous, but I did not think my kids would pay any attention to her pregnant-ness. They notice EVERYTHING!
Miraculously all four of my children are now pregnant, or they claim to have a baby in their belly- just like Aaryn. They have been cavorting around the house lifting their shirts to expose their tummies. Aaryn showed Natalie her bare belly and poor Natalie was concerned about the "rash" on her skin. If the kids can't grasp the genuine concept of pregnancy I highly doubt they will understand stretch marks- so we let Natalie kiss the boo boo rash, and that was that. Perhaps they think pregnancy is contagious?
There was a parade of pregnancy with stuffed animals used as props. The kids had profiles that made them look about 6 months along and they proudly posed with the real expecting mama.
Last night we took the "older" kids out for dinner at Mc Cormick and Schmicks to celebrate their July birthdays. Uncle Silvan and Argenida were with us so it was a lively table of 6 adults. The restaurant custom prints the menus twice a day based on what is fresh and available, so when you make the reservation they ask if you are celebrating a special occasion.Our menus wished Mitchell and Amanda a happy birthday at the top of the page.
As we were waiting for our meal our conversations were somewhat less than mature. Okay, so they were immature and raunchy and we were laughing like loons.and at one point Amanda said," I wonder what normal families talk about during dinner?" I guess we wouldn't know since our topics included:
Mitchell's serious looking face for photos (looks like he is constipated) Uncle Silvan's super sonic sexual prowess from his teen years (and the bragging rights with his friends) CJ taking a large dump on the floor of his room while Mitchell was babysitting Jeff and Mitchell were teasing Argenida about her "HOT" sister Their were some un-funny puns, X-rated jokes and general hilariousness
I was able to royally annoy the kids by taking photos for the blog. They make fun of me for documenting our crazy life but I am sure they will thank me someday. Amanda made a point of reminding me to take more pictures for the blog. The blog the blog the blog. I knew she was mocking me but I thanked her as if she was being serious. Then Mitchell proceeded to pose in the cheesiest possible ways alternating between being overly sticky sweet, and flipping me off.
Everyone got very quiet when the food arrived and Mitchell ate his lobster while appearing to be constipated. The birthday guests received a mini dessert which was really appreciated and promptly consumed by all the immature idiots sitting with us.
I enjoyed two dirty vodka martinis with blue cheese stuffed olives and was blitzed to the point of allowing Jeff to make out with me in the back seat of the Camry while Mitchell and Amanda sat in front and drove us home. It was not pretty. I am sure this is normal in most families right? Right?
We brought the little kids a piece of gluten free chocolate torte. When the waiter was explaining the dessert selections he mentioned the gluten free choice and we felt obligated to bring a slice home. My logic was two fold, first- this would encourage restaurants to offer such an item, and second- the children would get to feel as if they were part of the special evening. I divided the dense (flourless) chocolate cake into pieces and let them strip down and eat it. did not realized Charlotte stripped all the way down, but since dessert was immediately followed by showers, it was not a big deal, and it was precious to watch her devour the dessert in the buff.
We took all the kids to the New Albany Fireworks event. In order to score a primo spot for viewing the show, we had to park and arrive way before dark. Thankfully the New Albany Elementary School is adjacent to the launch area, so the kids got to play on all the various structures before it was showtime. It rained off and on and drizzled the rest of the evening which sure beats a sweltering heat in my opinion.
From the time it started to get dark, to the time it was dark enough for the actual fireworks was about an hour. I tried every trick in the book to get the kids to just hang out on the blanket with us, and after using juice pouches, glow sticks, cashews and marshmallows I resorted to letting them take photos using my digital camera. With a little guidance they all did well shooting various people, myself included. These are some of the best/worst images for your viewing pleasure. Tick Tock as I was buying time- I seriously spent 90% of the night micromanaging the kids and about 10% enjoying the show... I guess that is how it goes when you schlep 4 under 4 well past their bedtime.
The firworks themselves were just right. Not too long, not too short, with some big booms and bright lights. The this was a fourth of July first for our little people, so all things considered, fireworks, friends and fun were fabulous for about 10% of the time. Woo Hoo!
Welcome to the Bexley Fourth of July, Independence Day Parade. This is a major event for the local families and we were lucky enough to be invited to a party along the parade route. We got up early and ate breakfast with our fellow Americans. The food was perfect (there is nothing more festive and more weird than Red White and Blue Bagels) and our kids were all too happy to eat alfresco. I brought a brand new GLUTEN FREE Valencia Orange cake for CJ it is from Starbucks and comes individually wrapped. CJ the basketball all star shot hoops like a professional and then mowed the back lawn while we patiently waited for the parade to begin. He is a guest that earns his keep.
We had rock star viewing and a close up spot for catching all the candy that was being thrown. I had no idea that the allure of the parade was catching flying candy. I had to watch the kids like a hawk to make sure they did not eat anything with wheat or red dye. The mama bear in me roared her ugly head when the older and bigger kids kept jumping in front of my three little bears. It was hard for my guys to catch a break and score the candy. There were very few actual parade floats instead there were random "special" cars with various local clubs and celebrated guests. There were a few loud marching bands and dance groups to entertain. We just enjoyed being with friends and watching the patriotic chaos as everyone love a parade. The kids thought watching a parade meant getting free candy. I confiscated the bags in the van and seperated the candy into two bowls. Take a look at how much crap has red dyeor gluten in it? This time it was about 50-50.
By the end of the morning we had done our best job of exhausting our children.It was a great start to celebrating our country because after all, everyone loves a parade! Happy Independence Day 2009.
This morning the kids asked us for some suitcases. They asked and asked and asked as if their lives depended on it. I did my best to avoid schlepping 4 roller bags into the playroom until Eli explained the situation. You see, my children are pretending to visit Nana and Papa in Kansas City today. They are driving there on the leather couch, will have packed their blankets, pillows and a plethora of toys inside the much needed suitcases, and will be back in time to see Uncle Silvan for Shabbos dinner tonight at our house. When it comes to a vivid imagination all of my kids are amazingly gifted. The travel plans include stopping at Waldo Pizza for games and gluten free pizza (Natalie packed some quarters) and they are having a play date with Lillian and Sam at Deanna Rose this afternoon. Sounds good to me.
Given the intense planning and great detail, I brought them 4 bags so they could get to KC and back before dinner. I guess I can add Samsonite Suitcases to the list of toys we did not know we owned. I think organizing luggage ranks right up there with scotch tape and packing tissue.
Ahhh Summer fun a shoestring budget- life is good.
I am the fly by the seat of my pants mama of 6 kids including triplets and a new bonus baby. I blog as a method of maintaining my sanity, showing off my adorable kids, and a half-assed substitute for not scrapbooking. Bad Mommy!
Surf around, leave a comment, just gaze at the photos- whatever tickles your fancy. If I tickle your fancy, that costs extra!
Free coffee drinks loaded with espresso are a multiple mama's dream come true, especially if you don't have to unbuckle and rebuckle 4 kids to get it.
click on your country (US) and put it in your cart, then check out. If your kids or grandkids watch this and don't like it- big whoop it didn't cost nothin. My kids like all DVD movies when they are on road trips.
If you love free DVD movies and you can tune it out while your kids watch it 544 times a day- then order it here. 
free sitting fee and package (hurry it expires 7-25) that includes one 8x10, two 5x7's and eight wallet sized portraits of the same image. Here is the offer and here are the locations to see if there is one near you. Since they are digital and in the mall what have you got to lose? I am sure they are hurting for business and will try to up-sell you more images, but if you are disciplined enough to only score the Free ones, it is a deal.
of pure and natural diapers and are offering a free sample with coupons. If you can't use them I am sure you know someone who can, so order it and when it arrives bring it to the mama and she will love you for it. (Aaryn's people take note and order the larger size!) These ususally arrive shrink wrapped so they are awesome to keep in the car or diaper bag.
