Saving Money: Keep those fruits and veggies fresh

I love fresh vegetables and fruit. We have a great produce market nearby with really low prices on locally grown fruit and veggies. When they opened I realized how much money I would save if I purchased all of our fruits and veggies at the market instead of our usual large chain grocery store. Unfortunately alot of those veggies went to waste if we didn't eat them fast enough, so the whole idea of saving money was well, just a good idea. Until my mother-in-law introduced me to Debbie Meyers Green Bags.

They really work and I love that I can buy all my veggies for the week and know that if we don't cook them right away we can have them the next week.

How they work

The bags absorb the ethelyne gas that is released by the food, which prevents the gas from staying in the fruit, and thus helping your food stay fresher longer.

How to use them

Produce should be DRY before placing in bag. Simply place fresh produce in bags and wash/rinse produce as usual before use. If storing washed produce, be sure to dry thoroughly before inserting in bag. Use one bag for each type of produce. For instance, use a bag for apples, another one for lettuce, another one for pears, etc. Fold over the top of the bag---do not use twist-ties as they make holes.

You can even use them for fresh cut flowers by placing the arrangement in a bag or by placing the bag over the top of the flowers while in a vase.

Where to buy

You can pick your Debbie Meyer's Green Bags up at Target or WalMart for $9.95. They come in a box of 20 and best of all, you can wash and re-use them!

These bags get my vote!

Let the Kids Cook

"I'm Bored!!! I'm Bored!!!" Is that what you are hearing right about now? I am sure you are! Summer is nearing the end and there is only so much you can do with the kids to keep them occupied! It is inevitable that there are days that you will just have to stay home!

When the kids are begining to get bored and you have run out of activities

to do you can always do a cooking project together. Today Brennan and I

decided to make a pizza using the "Kids Pizza Making Kit". It is really simple and it comes with everything you need to make a pizza like the dough mix, rising yeast, pizza sauce, a pan, a wooden spoon for mixing, a wooden rolling pin, ryhming recipe and re-usable plastic bag with handles. Be prepared to add a few ingredients like cheese and topings though as the kit does not include those items. We opted to use our own tomato sauce instead of the packaged one included in the kit. For toppings we used swiss cheese, feta cheese and parmesan cheese and topped it off with onions! Yes, I know my son has unusual tastebuds for a 7 year old he loves to eat onions raw! EEK. But you can put whatever yummy topings your tummy desires! It is a super easy cooking project that will occupy your little ones for a nice amount of time and best of all they get to eat it when they are done.

We suggest starting this cooking project around 10am as the dough needs time to rise (45 min) and then an additional 15 min (once in the pan) plus cooking time. We figure that if you start then, your pizza will be ready in time for lunch!

We love the Kids Pizza making Kit and give it a thumbs up. Best of all, it is on sale for only $15 while supplies last!

Or try one of these other cooking kits:

Monkey Bread Making Kit

Mini Magic Wizard Baking Kit

Mini Fairy Princess Baking Kit

Little Cooks Tool Kit

What Baby Needs

What baby needs

Let's face it, babies need bibs! They need them whether they are eating or going through the drool phase. Both of my boys were big time droolers and without bibs I would have had to change their top 10 times a day!

Who wants a wet drool ring around the collar not to mention the rash that it can cause on that sensitive baby skin? That baby needs a bib! Why not a really cute one that is handmade, one that they can't pull off and one that looks so cool you won't mind keeping it on?

Our Reversible Drooly Bibs are a great answer. They are handmade, liquid and stain resistant, soft, totally fashionable and close with a plastic snap so baby won't be able to pull them off. With many different fabrics to choose from and many more styles being added daily, you are sure to find the perfect one or two for your little drooler. Don't worry about using them for those messy feedings. Our bibs are generously coated with an invisible stain and mold resistant coating. Just use them and throw them in with your laundry and use them again and again!

Here what our customers have to say about them:

"We love the baby legs, and the drooly bibs are great, my daughter can't pull them off unlike other bibs." ~Kim Imperato, Sayville, N.Y.

"Your reversible bibs are fantastic! The fabrics are beautiful and I love coordinating them with my daughters outfits. They are like a great new accessory and everyone wants to know where I got them! Thanks for such a great product." ~Jennifer Smith, Atlanta, GA

To view our fine selection of handmade and designer gifts and clothing for baby, child & Mom visit our boutique at the

A.B. Baby Boutique online.

http://www.abbabyboutique.com/

Shipping is FREE!

Picky Eaters

Sitting down to eat a meal can become something you dread as a parent if you have a picky toddler to feed. Perhaps it feels like your child is in a food rut and only wants that one food and nothing else. Or maybe it doesn’t matter what you try, they just won’t eat. It doesn’t have to be that way though. There are two parts to creating fun at the dining room table.

First, as challenging as it may be, it might be your attitude that could use some tweaking. Toddlers are exploring everything at this stage, especially food. If you approach meal time as an adventure of sight, smell, touch and taste then you have already won half the battle. Come to the table armed with the abilities to laugh and play, because if you are tense your child will be too and will not be as willing to try new things.

Singing is also a way to take their mind off of the food and onto you instead. It doesn’t matter if you would never make it onto American Idol; your child loves to hear your voice. Use finger play and even full body movements to go along with the songs. Before you know it, they will be moving in their booster seats right with you.

Second is presentation. A sandwich on white bread is boring to look at and after the initial touch, there isn’t much else to explore. Instead, create “This ‘N That” plates for them. Cut up a variety of fruits, meats and vegetables in small amounts and just place them in small piles around their plates. Include some whole grain crackers for crunchiness and even use some dips like ketchup or your favorite salad dressing. Children love to dunk and have fun with food.

There will be times that you will have to think outside the box to get your children to try something new. Perhaps your son is really big on meat, bread, milk and not much else. Grab that blender and start whipping up some real fruit smoothies and other concoctions. The boy that would never eat a banana just might love a banana and strawberry shake. If your daughter is great about fruits and veggies, but could care less about meat, you could start looking into some vegetarian cookbooks to see what other protein options are out there.

It is said that it can take introducing a new food up to 20 separate times to a child before they will eat it, so don’t give up on providing a healthy, well-rounded diet for your young ones. If your meals are stressful, it could cause food issues later in life. Feeding children shouldn’t be overwhelming. Just take a step back, see if you can start approaching meals differently and don’t limit your creativity when it comes to presentation.