Great Home-Canning Solution

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm not much of a canner. In fact, I only do freezer jam because I can't bear to eat the store stuff. You die-hard canners probably knew about this product years ago, but I just discovered it last summer and will never go back to those bulky glass jars again. This handy alternative is made by Ball Canning Co. and sells at WalMart during the summer months. I've been using them for a year now and think they're perfect for my needs.

I had many issues with the traditional glass jars. First off, they are fragile. I usually send my kids down to the basement freezer to retrieve jam for me and when I used the heavy glass version I was always a little nervous about the results. I also hated storing the empty glass jars in my cupboards. They're bulky and take up way too much of my limited cupboard space. Additionally, the rings usually wandered off with my kids over time so that by the time I was ready to can again I had no tops to work with.

These lightweight, dishwasher-friendly, plastic jars solved all those problems. They can be dropped over and over again and the tops won't pop open (the lids are the twist-on type). They empty ones stack neatly in the back of my cupboard and double as cups when I've avoided the dishes for too long. The lids have a little well that allows for easy stacking when full. I can usually stack them 4 high in my freezer which saves me a lot of much needed shelf space.

The only drawback I've found is that they only come in this smaller size. I wrote to Ball to request a larger version and they said they were working on it. Regardless, I think the small version is a great solution for now. Just thought I'd pass it on.

Quick and easy Reward System for your kids

I used to be a complusive chart maker. I would go through phases where I'd make a sticker chart for various things like brushing their teeth, eating their veggies, cleaning their rooms, etc. Unfortunately though, after the 'this new system will solve all my problems buzz' wore off I'd often forget to keep track and the charts would lose their effectiveness. Over time I simplified, and created this simple sticker system.
I bought an inexpensive book of sticker sheets at Target and cut each page into thirds. I printed and laminated each of the kids names and then taped it all into my kitchen cupboard (easy access is key). They each set a goal for what reward they're working for and we jot it down on a post-it and stick it up next to their stickers.
My kids have come up with all kinds of rewards. Anything from having 2 friends over at once to a trip to the video store is fair game.
They earn stickers by doing anything on their own that I happen to notice, like cleaning their room or eating a least favorite food. Generally the stickers end up on their shirt so they can show them off to their siblings, but it doesn't really matter to me...as long as their not on my furniture.
I also use the stickers to break bad habits. For example, when my first grader refused to write her name in lower case letters, I would put a sticker on each paper she brought home with the correct lettering.
When the sticker sheet is empty, they get their reward and a new sticker sheet goes up. It's a simple system, but it seems to work perfectly for our family. For about $5 I've got a 6-month supply of stickers and a chart-free fridge. It's tough to beat that. Just thought I'd pass it on.

The easiest way to hang pictures...no level required

Maybe I was just way out of the loop on this one, perhaps you've all been using these for years, but I just discovered them and had to pass it on.

I've been using the 3M command adhesive hooks forever and found them very useful. So, when I happened upon these picture hangers based on the same 'easy-remove' technology, I had to give them a shot. By the way, I found them near the hooks in the Wal-Mart hardware department. I believe they were around $3 for 3 hangers.

I couldn't believe how easy they were! I'm horrible at hanging pictures. I hate all the measuring and leveling. I also have a newly painted house and dreaded putting holes in all the walls. These handy little velcro hooks provided a great solution. Essentially, they work like the hooks. Whenever you decided you want to remove the hanger (off the back of your picture or off the wall) you simply pull down on the hanging tab and it pops right off. The two velcro strips can separate without pulling the strip off the wall, so it's really easy to pull all your pictures off for cleaning and then put them right back on.

When I created this arrangement, I laid them out on the floor and figured out how I would want them to look on the wall. Then, I took a picture of the floor arrangement with my digital camera. After that, I stuck both pieces of the velcro hangers on the backs of all of the frames. I then placed the frames on the wall (starting from the center and working out) by referencing the thumbnail-size picture on my camera. In less than 10 mintues, I had a cute, well spaced arrangement on my wall and I didn't use a nail, measuring tape or level. Better yet, when I get sick of it or when I need to add new pictures, I can easily rearrange the pictures without any damage to my wall. Just thought I'd pass it on.