MamaManagement

Activity Sticks. I love this idea! I'll just get that out of the way from the start. It's so versatile. Anyone can use these. Looking to mix things up a bit in some area of your life? Activity Sticks may be just the thing for you. Want to try new, fun activities with the kids, but gotten stuck in a rut? Try Activity Sticks. Want to do something different for date night, but gotten stuck in the "What do you want to do? I don't know, what do you want to do? I guess we'll just go to dinner." rut? Try Activity Sticks. Want to mix up your workouts for better results and less boredom? Try Activity Sticks. The examples I'll show here are specific to young kid activities, but you can do this for kids of any age, for yourself, or for you and your partner. First, here's what you need: a jar or other container (I used a washed-out Ball canning jar. But you could use a cup, a mug, a small vase, a small bucket or whatever else you can find around the

What do you get when you combine trips to the dollar store and hobby lobby, a glue gun and a mom with daughter who's goin' girlie-girl? Fun DIY hair accessories, of course! These are SO easy! I randomly picked stuff up for them over the last few weeks, whenever I saw something I liked (or thought Portia would like), then fired up the glue gun the other day during nap/quiet time, and viola! I found the headbands in a three pack at the dollar store and the barrettes and hairbands were amongst things we already had on-hand. The accent pieces I collected from Hobby Lobby and JoAnns amongst the buttons and scrapbooking accessories. Most things were attached with the glue gun...for a few items, like the cupcake buttons, I used matching embroidery floss to tie them to the hair ties. So easy. So fun. Minimal time and money investment. And Portia loves them! Can't beat that with a stick! Alright now, go get your crafty on!

What can be easier than sandwiches for dinner? Not much. But you can only cycle in grilled cheese so often. And I have trouble counting a PB&J as a real dinner. But THESE sandwiches are a different story. They are still pretty easy, but they are super yummy and a touch more "restaurant sophisticated" so they feel like a real meal. They are Simple, Gourmet Sandwiches . Pair them with soup or salad or maybe some sweet potato fries and you've got yourself some dinner! Pear-Walnut Sandwiches 1/2 c. tub-style cream cheese 8 slices cinnamon-raisin bread, toasted (or any other good, bakery bread; it doesn't have to be a sweet bread, this is great on sour dough too!) 2 tbsp chopped walnuts, toasted 2 Bartlett pears, cored and thinly sliced 1 c. alfalfa sprouts Spread 4 slices of toasted bread with cream cheese. Top with chopped, toasted walnuts, pear slices and alfalfa sprouts. Then top with remaining bread slices. Slice and serve. Grilled Ham and Mango Q

I love yummy smells. The freshly mowed grass of summer. Orange blossoms in the spring. The burning leaves of fall. Cookies baking on a winter afternoon. Coffee brewing on a chilly Sunday morning. Laundry warm and fresh from the dryer. Mmmmmmmm. I am drawn to yummy smells, which makes me a sucker for things like scented candles and perfumes. But I'm very picky about the scents I surround myself with. Nothing too strong. Nothing too far from nature. Nothing thick or cloying. Nothing "perfume-y." In that vein, I have recently come across some scents that I really enjoy...and in a form that I am currently loving: the rollerball perfume-- small, inexpensive, portable, and easy to apply without ever accidentally overdoing it. So, I thought I'd share... These are my newest finds. I came across them in a cute little shop in Sutton's Bay, MI, called The Happy Woman, while on vacation. They are by The Beehive . My current everyday favorite is Lulu Lemondrop . It is

One of the things I love to do is share with others the great things that I find. Great recipes. Great books. Great services. Great products. Whatever. Need a fabulous carpet cleaner in the Cleveland-Akron area? Let me know, because I have a fantastic one! Need a good dip to bring to a party? I've got a recipe for you. Need something to read on vacation? Tell me what you like and I can recommend a good read. That being said, I thought I'd periodically share some products with you that I think are wonderful and that you might enjoy as well. So, I thought I'd do just that today...think of me as Oprah, and these are a few of my favorite things...except that most of my favorite things are relatively cheap and can be found at places like Target or Amazon...and, except that I'm not really even close to being like Oprah...but, I still have favorite things too. (Oh, and don't get too excited. I am not giving away free stuff at the end of this post. Yet another way I am no

Here's a quick and easy soup that's as good in the summer as it is in the winter...and it's a great way to use up that spinach you got at the farmer's market last weekend and haven't yet used! I don't know how you feel about the idea of spinach soup, but this soup tastes more like chicken broth, onion and potatoes than it does spinach-- which has a surprising mild flavor in soup, so don't worry about being overpowered by spinach flavor. The spinach does, however, make it a really pretty shade of green and packs an excellent health punch. Trust me, this soup is so easy and so good, you really should give it a try... Zesty Spinach Soup (from Cooking Light) 2 tsp olive oil 1 1/2 c. chopped onion (1 small onion) 2-4 c. vegetable broth 1 c. 1/2-inch diced Yukon gold potato (I just select a mid-sized potato and dice it-- cleaned, but skin on-- and throw the whole thing in...no need to really measure) 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 pkg fresh b