Look what I found in my Campbell's Soup

From soup to nuts...and bolts?

The other day I heard this clank right out of my Campbell's soup can as I was pouring it into a bowl:

RIGHT?!?!

Of course I immediately posted on Facebook and everyone started telling me I would soon be a millionaire!

Wait, what?

How does a bolt in my soup translate to a windfall of money?

I didn't eat it.

I didn't chip my tooth on it.

I wasn't emotionally scarred.

Yet for some reason people assumed I would, what? Call and threaten Campbell's because, you know, nothing bad happenend but it could have?

That's not me.

I'm not on this Earth to drum up trouble.

I immediately called the number on the can and reported it. Within a few days I received a prepaid envelope (to send the bolt in for evaluation) as well as a collection of Campbell's coupons that cover above and beyond what I spent on the original can with the bolt in it.

Some of those coupons will go to people needier than me.

That makes me feel like a millionaire.

What's the strangest thing you've found in soup?

Janine

Easy Last Minute Valentine's Day Cards Using Glow Sticks

Need a last minute Valentine's Day craft or card idea that does NOT includ candy but still leaves kids with a little surprise?

Last year we had a huge hit on our hands with this card.

This year, we decided to try something new.

I Hope Your Day Glows Valentine's Day Card

Glow stick can be removed and worn

Item's you'll need:

card stock (red for the heart another color for an arrow)

tube of mini glow stick bracelets (I found a tube of 25 for $1 at Michael's)

scissors or cutting tool

stickers, stamps or glitter to decorate

doilie (optional) to glue to the back of the card for additional decoration

Hope your day glows!

How to assemble the card:

Create a heart with 4 to a page in a Word document then print enough for the entire class (and teacher) onto red card stock

Make marks where the glow stick will go in and out in the heart

Decorate the heart and address the cards around the area where the glow stick will go (I thought adding a doilie to the back of the red card and having the edges a little frilly would be cute but my daughter nixed it)

Use a scissors or Exacto knife and cutting board to score an X on the spots marked for the glow sticks.

*TIP - score the X's farther apart so the card bends less when you put the stick through

My daughter then used a pencil to poke a cleaner hole through the X

Be careful not to bend the glow stick when you insert it through the holes or it will activate the glow!

Use another color card stock to make arrow tips - either another smallter heart or a triangle and tape these to the tip of one end of the glow stick

Add the glow stick bracelet connector (comes in the tube) to the other end

Kids can pull out the glow stick, activate the glow, then connect the two ends around their wrist to wear it home!

The Woman Who Made it My Duty to LIVE Life

This is Susan.

She left us, way to early, one year ago today.

She blogged here.

She made an impact here and here.

For the two or three years that I knew her, and through her ability to share what it was like to LIVE with cancer, I realized that it's my duty,

no matter what is going on in my life

despite whatever struggles I have

despite whatever worries or stress I have

that as a healthy person,

I MUST LIVE, truly live and embrace every single day.

Money is money.

Stuff is stuff.

What matters most to me are the people I love, and being able to really BE with them. To embrace each day, whatever it brings. To LIVE each day, each moment to it's fullest. Good. Bad. Ugly.

It's life.

And one day it will be gone.

I want to look back on my life, however long or short it is and see that I spent more time being thinking about what I'm grateful for, than thinking about what troubles me.

I want to be at peace because I chose to be happy.

I owe it to myself, to my family, and I feel that I owe it to Susan who no longer has that choice.

But when she did, she chose to LIVE.

Please consider donating to these organizations in honor of a Susan:

Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation: http://www.ibcresearch.org/

Crickett's Answer for Cancer: http://crickettsanswerforcancer.org/

Janine

Getting Organized Around the Home with Staples

I am on a mission to get organized.

So far each weekend in 2013 I have tackled at least one drawer, counter top, or cabinet to organize and it's working! I have been purging and trying to find ways to better organize what is left. Sometimes it's easier to organize a drawer or cabinet after I've emptied it and I see I only need to keep a portion of what just came out. I have been tossing and donating items as I clean out certain areas. Not only does this give me extra room, it makes it easier to look at the space and put things back in an organized way. And donating extra items (did you know I had 3 extra coffee makers??) to homeless shelters and needy people means it's staying out of the landfill and helping someone else.

Start Small

The thing with getting organized is that you can become paralyzed by the fact that you 'don't have the right storage'. Instead of looking for an entire wall unit to clean up your famly room, start small. Look for something that will help organize just one area - books, board games, socks and underwear, computer equipment, or whatever else is getting out of control. It's also easier to get started on a small job. Mentally and physically it's easier to dive into cleaning up just one area or one category of 'things'. Just as people often say, "One day at a time", they could say "One drawer at a time".

Look for Multi-Purpose Pieces

The trick is to find the right storage that can work in any room of the house. Whether it's the twins' room, the family room, my home office, or my bedroom, I need a storage unit that can be moved where I decide I need it most. What I have found in my search is that Staples has a great selection of storage units that work in all areas of my house. When the folks at Staples asked me to review a product from their site I opted for a light-weight, fabric storage unit.

It's perfect as an end table as the top of hard and solid. It will work in my family room to keep the library books and magazines from getting scattered all over the floor. This piece would be great in the guest room to hold extra sheets and towels. I might use it in my home office to hold the supply of papers, labels and ink cartridges for my printer. It will even work in the girls' room or in my closet as the perfect place to keep socks, or other accessories. This piece costs around $50. Not a bad price considering how versatile it is.

Staples Rewards you for getting organized

What I love about Staples are the rewards. They basically PAY you to shop! The Mister just went to Staples last week and use our rewards to get almost $100 worth of computer equipment, offices supplies and cleaning supplies ALL with our Staples Rewards! If we have to get these things, we might as well get them at Staples where we not only get a good price, but we are rewarded.

Where do you go to get organized?

Have you ever found the perfect storage unit to help you get organized around the house? Do you jump in and commit to organizing an entire room or do you prefer to just work on one small section?

I'd love to know what tips you have!

Janine

Disclosure: Staples provided me with this Altra storage unit for the purposed of a review but all opinions are my own. To see the full line of storage cabinets visit Staples.com.

Is Your Child Having Trouble Staying Asleep? Knock them Out!

How to help your child fall and stay asleep

One could interpret the term "Knock them out" several different ways. Some people might think I'm referring to some kind of corporal punishment - I AM NOT.

Some people immediately think - "Oh, drug them!"

I AM NOT.

I AM referring to my favorite Knock Knock Good Night Playtime Note Pad that has helped my kids in the past to fall asleep, and stay asleep with good dreams.

Every once in a while a friend complains that their child is either having trouble falling asleep, or is waking up in the middle of the night with nightmares. This will be my officla go-to link from now on because I've referred these note pads on several occasions.

For one, I LOVE that they prompt kids to look back at their day. Then they are prompted to think about what they want to dream about AND how they envision the next day is going to turn out. I always feel like if you think positive, it will be positive. Or at least you'll go to bed thinking it will be and you'll get a better night's sleep!

Make Your Own or Buy Knock Knock

Try this - encourge your child to keep a journal next to their bed and each night you can sit with them and ask them certain prompts. You can use the Knock Knock prompts, or try some of your own. The key is to help get them set up for a good night of sleep so keep it light and positive.

Want to buy the pre-made note pads?

You can find Knock Knock Good Night Note Pads at Amazon.com

Sweet dreams!

Janine

Disclosure: I'm not working with Knock Knock in any way, but some links are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.