Momathon Blog

Walking Barefoot

With all the panic and fear surrounding the N1H1 virus (swine flu), it's hard not to feel overwhelmed. Even my kids are talking about the pandemic. Now I'm not suggesting that people ignore the news and the alerts, but I am recommending that moms find a way to also build some calmness in their lives. Just taking your kids outdoors for a walk is an instant mood lifter. Even better, take your shoes off and walk barefoot in the grass together. 

Voluntary Social Distancing and Swine Flu

Minimizing exposure and using basic prevention rules like thorough hand washing makes sense. Voluntary social distancing worked for the infectious disease polio. Should voluntary social distancing be recommended to reduce the number of infections of swine flu?

In the video clip below, Ira Longini, professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of Washington in Seattle, talks about using "social distancing" to reduce transmission of swine flu on MSNBC.com

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Swine Flu: Identifying the Symptoms Video

The swine flu epidemic is spreading. Unlike many previous flu outbreaks this flu epidemic is infecting larger number of otherwise healthy children and young adults. As a parent it can be confusing to figure out what symptoms to watch for. In the video clip below TODAY’s Ann Curry talks to NBC’s chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman about the symptoms of swine flu and how they differ from allergies and colds.

According to Dr. Snyderman on the TODAY Show, you will feel very sick if you get swine flu.

"This is not the I feel crummy should I go to work, this is I feel lousy should I get out of bed. This is precisely when you should stay home," according to Dr. Snyderman.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Below is the TODAY Show graphic on symptoms to watch for. I will add that in the video clip, Dr. Snyderman did elaborate on the chart and emphasized that the symptoms could include: 

• high fever of 101 or 102
• phenomenal headache 
• severe coughing that makes your chest hurt
• chills
• sore throat

NOTE: I am not a medical specialist, so be sure to check with your doctor for more complete information on preventing and treating swine flu.

Help Kids Stay Healthy: Swine Flu Prevention Tips

Swine flu prevention begins with easy steps even small children can do. According to the CDC there are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy:

1. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
   
2. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
   
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

We've heard it before. Wash your hands. Now with Swine flu following the advice is even more important. Remember to soap up hands thoroughly and rub hands for 20 seconds (long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" twice). Next, rinse hands well under running water and dry hands with paper towel or dryer. Complete hand washing tips at the CDC.

Stay home if you are sick. If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

NOTE: I am not a medical specialist, so be sure to check with your doctor for more complete information on preventing Swine Flu.

Go Green: Recycling for Dummies (Like Me)

Did you know that every day the average American produces four and half pounds of trash--75 percent which is  recyclable?

Recently the curbside recycling service at my house started providing single stream recycling, which allows customers to mix recyclable paper, plastic and glass in one bin. Sounds easy, but figuring out exactly what your recycling center will accept can be confusing.

Green your routine.

The recycling guidelines vary from city to city. In the past few years the rules have grown more universal. Check with your recycling center for specific guidelines and check out the tips at the end of this post.

The green folks at Good Housekeeping and The TODAY Show teamed up to offer some helpful ideas to make recycling simpler.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Recycling tips:

Plastic

There are 5 types of plastic for recycling. Plastic products with numbers 1-2 are universally recyclable. The caps on the plastic bottles may be number 5, so you should check to see if it is accepted by your curbside program. Many recycling centers have added plastics 3-5 on their list.

Plastic bottle tops

Eco chic places like AVEDA accepts thredded lids and recycles them. You can find out more about their program at recycle caps with Aveda. 

Plastic bags

Plastic bags are often number 4s  and your recycling center may or may not accept them. However you can take to the bags to participating grocery stores or other big box stores that recycle the bags

Plastic milk jugs

Many recycling centers ask you to remove the plastic lid

Boxes

If you flatten the box they are easier to add to your recycling. Also, don't recycle boxes that are heavily stained with grease or other food products. This contaminates the recycling process

Other paper products

Recycle your catalogs and newspapers. Don't recycle heavily ink saturated papers like neon colored post-it notes.

Glass

Glass bottles are recyclable. Don't recycle glass treated with glue or lightbulbs. You can recycle light bulbs at stores such as Home Depot and Ikea.

Cans and other metal

Recycle your cans of soup, soda, etc. You can recycle aerosal cans at some centers. Check with your recycler. Aerosal cans must be empty.

Batteries

Do not recycle batteries or electronics with cans. Many cities offer recycling centers just for batteries.

More information. Check out how to green your routine every day at Earth911.com.

Go Green: Join the Carbon Dieters and Ride Your Bike

It's Earth Day today. My son and his friends decided to ride their bikes to school and stopped off at a local McDonald's on the way. Unfortunately, this fast food giant is not thinking green and refused to take their orders when they "drove" up on their mountain bikes in the drive through lane.

Maybe it's a safety thing, but I am sure this mega company that figured out how to grill up some of the best burgers around (as well as yummy salads) can also cook up a simple way to allow bicyclists to safely use the drive through lane at the local McDonald's. Or at the very leas, allow bikes to drive through on Earth Day. 

If more of us would do our best to walk or ride bikes instead of driving, we would reduce the our carbon footprint and we would all be healthier--even our planet.

Go Green and Try the Carbon Diet

Wondering how your daily activities influence the environment? Check out The Carbon Diet's online calculator. It measures your carbon footprint--the greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by your actions. The choices you make in products used in your home, your travel, the type of food you eat, and what you buy and throw away all determine your carbon footprint.

To start using the calculator just input your usage of electricity, natural gas and fuel. The calculator figures out your impact on the environment by displaying graphs and charts to give you a picture of what you're doing to the planet. Best of all, the "analysis" feature looks at your activities and gives you tips on how to lighten your carbon footprint and take better care of the earth.

Check it out here.

Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry's

You deserve a treat today. 

Get a free cone at Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. 

It's Free Cone Day today, April 21st.

Go Green: Recycle Your Used Books, CDs, and DVDs

If your house is anything like mine, then you have dozens of used books, CDs, and DVDs that are waiting to find new homes. My kids have bookshelves filled with books they have "outgrown." Of course I know I can't ask them to part with their favorite books, but I am sure we can fill a box with books they are ready to share with someone.

What should I do with all the books, CDs, DVDs? Garage sales are fun, but I know I won't get a sale organized for ages. Instead I'm thinking of donating most of them to local thrift stores and my library. Recently I discovered some book, CD and DVD exchange ideas that sound tempting too. 

PaperBack Swap is a free online book club to exchange books--mail in a book, get a book. 

SwapaCD.com Swap CDs with other club members and get the music mailed directly to you.

SwapaDVD.com Swap a DVD with other club members and get movies mailed directly to you.

 

Go Green with Ecofont

Events this week celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd. All week Momathon Blog will be focusing on simple ways you can celebrate Earth Day every day.

Go green with a new Swiss-cheese design font.

Use the environmentally friendly Ecofont and you will minimize ink and carbon use. The Dutch company SPRANGQ developed this green font with tiny circular holes in the letters. When you use this font you won't see the holes unless the font is too large. The font is readable because the micro holes are not visible in a smaller size (16pt or smaller). The design of this typeface cuts ink usage by 20%.

It's free. Download Ecofont here.

It's So Etsy: Pink Prep School Plaid Baby Booties

If only my little girl was still little...

I absolutely adore these plaid baby booties. Handmade by Minneapolis artist Tokara Sexton. The shoes are available online at her fabulously feminine Etsy store Frosting Couture. The booties are made in a variety of sizes for $18.50.

I think her shop tagline is priceless: Every girl needs a bit of frosting.

--Momathon blogger Chris also has an 

Etsy online store featuring her handmade cards 

at Luna Blue Studio.

Geeky Mom: Cool iPhone App for Pandora Internet Radio

Earlier today I mentioned the cool factor of Pandora Internet Radio, but I forgot to mention the amazing iPhone app for Pandora. 

Remember the trusty transistor radio of your youth? Pandora Internet Radio is like that only better. Pandora only plays the music you like. You supply the names of artists or songs you like and your personalized Pandora Radio station streams their music and more music similar to your selection. Plus you can create multiple stations to suit your mood. 

Navigation on this app is so simple even us grown-ups can use it. The iPhone app doesn't require a computer the way the web version does. And it is free as a download from the iPhone App Store or at iTunes.

You can also buy any song that is playing on Pandora from iTunes immediately, if your iPhone is connected via WiFi.

You can check out a demo video clip here.

Music for Moms Can Be Cool Too: How to Get Back in the Groove

Kiddie music is definitely cooler today than when I was growing up, but I still think parents deserve a break from The Wiggles once in a while. Between diaper changes, play group dates, and running errands, who has time to find the latest cool songs for big people? But you still want to be cool. And if your kids are older tweens or teens, your kids will be so impressed if you actually know who is new and popular.

My friends at Cookie Magazine told me about these amazing music links that will help you find your new tunes.

Music Links

iTunes
Go to iTunes Store every Tuesday because that is when new music gets posted.

Pitchfork
Music-Themed blog

Pandora Internet Radio
It's a new kind of radio station that will play only the music you like. Just type in the artist you like and the Music Genome Project finds other songs you might like and creates your own unique radio station that only plays similar songs. It's free.

Muzzle of Bees.com

Picks really new music that is just emerging in the entertainment industry.

iLike

Social networking site that is based on musical tastes.

Cookie Magazine has three tailor-made plans to get you back in the groove. Check out the strategies. (See the three CD images above)

• Philosophy 1: If It's Popular, It Must Be Good
• Philosophy 2: Tell Me What I Need to Know
• Philosophy 3: I Was a Blazer of Trails

 

Sex Happens: What Do You Say If Your Teen Is Having Sex?

Are 14-year-olds ready to have sex?  Many teens think they are and moms across the country are getting upset.

If your teen is thinking about having sex for the first time, then no matter how upset this may make you feel you need to have an honest and nonjudgemental conversation with them. Dr. Laura Berman, a sex therapist and talk show host on Oprah Radio, has 8 crucial questions you need to ask to get the conversation going. And don't procrastinate, have the talk TONIGHT.

Here's the link for the questions to ask your teen on Oprah.com.

For those of you who think your son or daughter isn't thinking about sex. THINK AGAIN. You might be surprised at what middle school girls and boys are saying about sex. Teens know a lot more about sex than we think they do. And sexual pressures on teens are increasing. Receiving sexually explicit text messages--called "sexting"-- is harmful to their development and illegal. Obviously teens need to be educated about  STD prevention and pregnancy, but they also need to be able to deal with sexual pressures. Teen girls today talk about how many kids believe oral sex is a way to boost popularity. So what are teens saying? Dr. Berman talks to girls in middle school about making healthy sexual decisions in this Oprah.com video clip.

Watch today's Oprah Show to hear Dr. Laura Berman talk to teens and parents about teens and their decisons regarding relationships and sex.

For more information on when to start talking to your children about sex, you can download Dr. Berman's guide to talking to your children and teens link here: How to Have the Sex Talk with Kids.

Happy Tax Day? It's Time to Get Free Stuff!

Today is tax day. Most of us dread it. Especially those of us who are procrastinators. According to the IRS, last year approximately 27 million people waited until the last week to file.

The good news is many retailers want to make the day a bit sweeter and maybe even less stressful:

Dunkin' Donuts
Customers get a free donut with the purchase of any size cup of Dunkin' Donuts' hot coffee.
 
MaggieMoo's 
They ares going e-cone-nomic and giving away a free single scoop ice cream cone today.

Cinnabon
Get free Bites at participating mall-based Cinnabon bakeries.

Taco Del Mar
Get a free taco if you fill out a form on their website and they will email you the free taco coupon.

T.G.I. Friday's
Customers today get a $5 Bonus Bites gift card for food and beverage (excluding alcohol and tax) purchases of $15 to $25. Gift cards or $10 will be given to those who spend more than $25.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Take 15% off your bill today when you dine at one of 130 P.F. Chang’s across the country.

Chick-fil-A
If you eat at a participating Chick-fil-A on April 15, hold onto your receipt and come back on April 30.  You can get the same meal with your receipt for free as part of Chick-Fil-A's "tax relief" promotion.

Feeling the Love: Instant Karma

Back in March I wrote a post about Finding Instant Karma and I mentioned that a few years ago, a friend gave me a tiny book filled with suggestions for nurturing good karma. Despite it's compact size, this book includes a lifetime's worth of suggestions--8,879 ways to give yourself and others good fortune. I keep the book by my desk and when life goes a little insane I open it on any page and read a few ideas. Sometimes the suggestions I read make me smile. And they always make me think.

From the book Instant Karma by Barbara Ann Kipfer, here are a few suggestions I like for improving your karma:

• Send your spouse a Valentine on the 14th of every month (that's today!)
• Make someone laugh.
• Forget the number on the bathroom scale.
• Put on your favorite CD and dance.
• Focus on the moment rather than dreams or regrets.
• Empty your mind during a walk.
• Remember that the best things in life are free.
• Instead of running errands, stroll them.

  

Leftover Ham? Make a Kickin' Spicy Ham on Ciabatta Bread Sandwich with Susannah Locketti

What should you do with the leftover Easter ham? Well, you could poll shoppers at your local market for ideas. And that's exactly what Susannah Locketti did.  Susannah is a Momlogic contributor and on-air chef at the Food Network.

What was the most popular choice of shoppers? A sandwich. But Susannah has even bigger ideas. She adds Ciabatta bread with a crispy crust and Thousand Island dressing. My husband must be destined to be a celebrity chef because he has been making the same yummy meal for years.

Watch her make the yummy sandwich on this Momlogic link. 

eHarmony for Pets: ASPCA's "Meet Your Match"

Spring is here and we've got puppies on our mind. The Obama's first dog Bo is set to arrive tomorrow and it seems like the whole country is thinking about adopting a dog.

If six-month-old Bo could talk, I'm sure he'd tell you to give one of his furry relatives a forever home. Since he is a such a smart pup, he'd also tell you to do your homework before you go to a dog shelter.

Thanks to the wonderful folks at the ASPCA, now you have the wonderful online tool Meet Your Match that will help match you (and your family) with the perfect dog (or cat). Wouldn't it be great to know more about your new dog's personality before you adopt her? According to the ASPCA:

The Meet Your Match Canine-ality/Puppy-ality assessment begins with an initial MYM SAFER™ (Safety Assessment for Evaluating Rehoming) behavior screening to make sure each pooch is a good candidate for adoption. Dogs are then tested on their friendliness, playfulness, energy level, motivation and drive, and placed into one of nine color-coded Canine- or Puppy-alities. Some pooches are laid-back “Couch Potatoes,” others are curious “Busy Bees,” and then there are the action hero “Go-Getter” types. 

Here are some of the specific tools at MYM:

Canine-ality 101
Just the facts on finding your perfect dog.

Meet the Canine-alities
Who’s your favorite color? 
Puppy-ality 101
Just the facts on finding your perfect puppy. 

Puppy-ality 101
Just the facts on finding your perfect puppy. 

MYM also has wonderful online tools for selecting the perfect cat for you.

Feline-ality 101
Just the facts on finding your perfect cat. 

Meet the Feline-alities

Who’s your favorite color? 

Go Orange! Go all out for animals this April because it is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. Click here to find out how to Go Orange.

She's Got a Big Dream: This Will Make You Smile

Ann Curry on Twitter alerted me to this YouTube link. I don't want to give the video clip away, but suffice it to say I'm cheering for 47-year-old Susan Boyle in Britain's Got Talent singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables.

Even when every one in the crowd seems to be against her before she even begins singing, something extraordinary can happen! This story is a great reminder to never let the cynics get you down. 

Here is the YouTube link

YouTube - Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009

I love stories like this. You go girl!

Would You Brush Your Teeth in the Car or Subway Platform?

There are definitely two types of people: Those who would brush their teeth in public and those who won't.

A new Colgate product called the WISP designed for "discreet toothbrushing" just might shake up the crowd at the bus stop. Before this product, I never thought I would brush while waiting in my car, but alone in my car after a lunch date I might like to pull out Colgate's new disposable Wisp toothbrush for on-the-go mouth (and breath) touch ups.

The mini toothbrushes are about the size of a tube of lipstick. They don't require water. A bead of gel in the center of the brush delivers minty-fresh clean in seconds! Only about $2.39 for a pack of four or $7.99 for a pack of 16. 

Yes, I realize this is just one more plastic thingy that will go straight into a landfill, but I don't recommend using one on an daily basis. If you kept only a few on hand for real dental emergencies, then it seems okay. I know I have thrown away a perfectly good toothbrush or two that I kept in my briefcase for emergencies just because I didn't have a good way to store it again after it was used. 

Easter Ham 3 Ways with Rachael Ray

If you have eaten at my house, then you know I am kind of a last-minute cook. I like recipes that don't take loads of prep time and they must have a short list of ingredients. That's why I love Rachael Ray's 30-minute meal segment on her show and her book 30-Minute Meals 2. Fast, fuss-free meals are a staple at my house. But what do you prepare if you have a special occasion like Easter? How much time do you have to prepare a holiday meal?

Today on her TV show, Rachael featured 3 different Easter ham recipes with varying prep times and cooking times. They each look dee-lish. Plus, you can count on Rachael to develop a recipe that both kids and adults will like--and that's no easy task.

 

Rachael's Fresh Bone-In Ham With Maple-Cherry Glaze

This is definitely the most time consuming, but I'm thinking spending some extra time on a yummy holiday meal like this is definitely worth it.

Cooking/Prep Time: approx. 3 hours.

Includes a simple glaze recipe with maple syrup and cherry preserves.

Click on the link above for the complete recipe, plus a short video clip by Rachael.

Rachael Ray's Spiral-Cut Smoked Ham With Spicy Rum and Orange Glaze

Cooking/Prep Time: approx. 2 hours.

Who can resist the ever-popular spiral-cut ham?

You cook this ham low and slow.

I love the glaze ingredients: spiced rum, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and orange marmalade

Click on the link above for the complete recipe, plus a short video clip by Rachael.

Rachael Ray's Ham Steak With Apricot-Peach Sauce

Cooking/Prep Time: approx. 30 minutes.

This one is Rachael's favorite because it is a 30-minute ham.

Thick cut ham steaks you sear and finish them in the oven.

Easy to make glaze with brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, mustard, nutmeg, and apricot preserves.

Click on the link above for the complete recipe, plus a short video clip by Rachael.

Thanks Rachael. Bon appetit!

Momathon Fave: The Crafts Dept Blog

The folks at Martha Stewart have done it again. Another cool online resource for crafters or anyone who enjoys making things. 

The The Crafts Dept. blog is written by Marcie McGoldrick, Editorial Director, Crafts and Holiday at Martha Stewart.

Marcie develops new projects for Martha's magazines, books and show. Her blog is a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse of how crafts are developed for Martha Stewart. Her blog post for April 7th gave tips on throwing a girl's-night-in craft party to make headbands. What fun. 

According to an interview with Marcie on Etsy.com: 

"We thought that a blog would be a great way to share some of the other aspects of the craft department that don’t always make it onto the pages of the magazine — behind the scenes, inspiration, personal work etc. We also thought that it would be a great way to be a more active part of the crafting community as a whole. We are all pretty active as individuals but there is a different dynamic to the department as a group."

Can You Recession-Proof Your Marriage?

Money is a huge stresser in a marriage even in the best of economic times. Throw in a national/international economic meltdown and you can easily get caught up in a cycle of fear and anxiety. On a really bad day it might be difficult to even remember just why you and your spouse are together. 

Money can't buy love, as the Beatles would say. We can't put a price on love or a good marriage, it's priceless. So why does the economic downturn put a bad spin our closest relationship? And can we reverse the trend?

The good news is couples can work together to make their lives better even in the worst of economic times. Oprah Radio host Gayle King recently talked with fellow host Laura Berman about how to keep your marriage strong during tough times. You can listen to 8 minutes of the interview at this Oprah.com link. 

Here is my take on some of Dr. Berman's tips from the complete interview:

• Make it a priority to spend at least 10 minutes a day together to talk. No kids around. No news on TV. Instead concentrate on each other. Get outside and go for a walk together.
• Recognize the good things in daily life, not just the problems. When you think positively about the future, you won't pile your worries on each other. 
• Work out your budget goals together and check-in with updates regularly.
• Remember to take time for you as a couple. You don't have to spend money on your date. Take a mini break together weekly and escape the craziness of the economic woes. Oh yeah. This can be a great time to have some fun and make sex happen.
• Even the most progressive women can become gender biased when times get tough. We tend to define ourselves and our spouses by their job. So if a spouse loses a job, remember this loss should not change their importance in a relationship.

Even though I might sound like an Oprah commercial, I also want to suggest checking out one more Oprah event that relates to this topic. Tomorrow, April 8th, The Oprah Winfrey Show will be all about how to recession-proof your marriage. Oprah will talk to M. Gary Neuman about a step-by-step action plan to recession-proof your marriage and your family. You can watch a preview clip of this interview at this link. Families are in financial crisis across America. If you or someone you know has a bank account that is nearly empty, a house up for foreclosure, what can be done to save the marriage? Check out the Oprah show tomorrow.

Rocket Man in the Rockies

Absolutely loved the Elton John concert this weekend. Still humming his mega hit "Rocket Man." He went nuts with an improvised piano solo. Fabulous.

Sir Elton opened with an emotional "Your Song" at the sold out concert. I don't know where he gets the energy to perform this solo gig for 2 hours and 45 minutes--nonstop without an intermission. So many wonderful songs, so many memories, I am glad Elton kept playing!

Before his encore set began, Elton took the time to sign dozens of autographs from the stage. You can watch his last song, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," from his encore set in the YouTube video below. (Photo above courtesy of my husband who also was lucky to get our tickets.)

Boost Your Brainpower with Enough Sleep

Is sleep really spring cleaning for the brain? Sounds strange, but getting enough sleep helps your brain to rewire itself so you can learn more the next day according to new research on fruit flies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. While you sleep your brain has time to do some "housecleaning" and consolidate important memories and get rid of the junk information that can overload your mind. 

Author of one of the studies appearing in Science, Chiara Cirelli at the University of Wisconsin says in an interview by the NZ Herald News:

 "Much of what we earn in a day, we don't really need to remember. If you have used up all the space, you can't learn more before you clean out the junk that is filling up your brain."

If you want to stay sharp the next day, try to squeeze in at least 7-8 hours of sleep at night. While you sleep your brain produces new synapses which can connect brain cells. Without enough sleep the synapses become overloaded with information and prevents the brain from taking in new information. 

So how does the fruit fly relate to human sleep? These tiny red-eyed insects have been used in experiments on heredity for decades. The fruit fly genome was fully decoded in 2000 and helped scientists understand how genes work. Fruit fly research yields insight into social behavior and other complex behaviors including sleep.

The bottom line: the brain of both the fruit fly and human needs enough sleep to properly encode memories and new information. Getting enough sleep should be a priority to be successful the next day.

I Just Love Dogs

Found a wonderful Etsy photographer who donates 20% of sale price to animal rescue. So COOL! Love Melissa McDaniel's puppy pics.  Check out this Etsy screenshot of an adorable print by her titled "Dog Eyes, Ears, Nose." The fine art print is available at McDaniel's Etsy shop.

Melissa's fine art print is 8" x 8" and printed on archival paper using archival inks. The signed print sells for $24.50 with 20% of sale price donated to animal rescue groups.

This is a Momathon Fave.

 

If You Wonder What Michelle Is Wearing...

Do I wake up wondering what Michelle Obama will be wearing today? Not usually, but I still find it fascinating to check the blog called Mrs O. that's all about her fashion choices. Michelle's definitely a modern fashion icon. And I like the fact she often wears clothing the rest of us can afford. Some fashionistas have called her look "recessionista chic." 

In London today she wore a mint-green skirt and sparkly cream cardigan by J. Crew. The cost for the entire outfit? Under $500. I probably won't be buying that ensemble because it is a tad more expensive than most at J. Crew, but compared to other pricey couture at the G-20 summit this outfit is a bargain.

It's So Etsy: Adorable Animated Video on Making a Felt Camera Case

Just one more reason I love everything handmade. 

I adore the handmade Felt Camera Case by Etsy seller Hine and her stop-motion video below.

According to Vanessa on Etsy's The Storque:

Canada-based Etsy seller and animator-extraordinaire Hine sent her new animation in to the blog. It's an ad for the cute, felt camera cases she makes by hand. As you can see, Hine is very talented, but what about this banana slug? He's going places!

Hine's camera cases (and her banana slug) are a Momathon Fave. 

(If you want to watch the video on Blip.Tv click on this link.)

Will 5 Simple Changes Save You $20,000?

If you adopt five simple changes, you could end up richer according to an interview on the TODAY Show with Jeff Yeager, the author of “The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches." 

Simplify your life and you'll save money. Seems obvious, but I'm not so sure my family could follow all of Yeager's rules.  

1. Cancel your cell phone plan
Possible yearly savings: $1,200 per phone

2. Get rid of your second or third car
Possible yearly savings: $8,000

3. Prepare more meals at home
Possible yearly savings: $2,000

4. Stop shopping and wear out your clothing
Possible yearly savings: $1,800 per person

5. Give up college room and board

Possible yearly savings: $9,000 per student

Most of Yeager's  ideas make sense, but I don't think they are realistic. Take the first idea, cancel the cell phone. I think shopping around for the best deal is a smarter choice than pitching the phone all together. I depend on the cell phone to keep track of my kids and their schedules. 

Could my family live with only one car? No. In a family with both parents responsible for working and running errands, I don't believe you could cut out one car. In my case if we lived in a city with adequate mass transit, we probably would love to give up one of the cars. In my opinion, shopping for a good car and keeping it maintained so it lasts makes the most sense.

I'll let you judge the rest of the ideas. Yeager tells us that less could be more. Our family is trying to make more meals at home, spend less at the mall, but the college option is still too far in the future to judge.