Make old business cards in to gift cards.  Use the side with the design as the outside of the gift tag, glue a piece of white cards stock on the other side, fold in half and punch two holes along the spine and thread a pretty piece of ribbon or string through the holes.  Tie on gift and deliver!

*adapted from the book Simply Green Living by Danny Seo...thanks Dan

Check out these websites for great new information for moms:

www.workingmomsagainstguilt.com:  This site offers mommy tips and recipes, product resources and stories from other working and stay at home moms.  This is a great site to visit when things are feeling a bit overwhelming on the homefront!

www.coolmompicks.com:  Looking for cool kid & mommy clothes or new cookbooks or a special addition to your nursery?  This is a great site that contains links and great info for cool picks for the urban mama!

www.blogs.bootsnall.com/seafarer:  Looking for a new and interesting place to take your kids on your next vacation?  Checkout his blog that features ideas for kid-friendly trips that are uniquely inviting.

www.parenthacks.com:  This site offers discussions for parents that offer solutions to many of the problems that face parents today.  This collaboration of parents from all walks of life give many tips and tricks for keeping organized and offers advise for all of the many questions you might have about raising your children.

www.firstshowing.net:  Looking for a night out without the little ones, but don't want to waste time and money on a stupid flick?  Check out this site to help you choose a good show to your liking as you can read review, see trailers, and even see interviews of the film makers.

 

Shave one-quarter of a bar of Fels-Naptha laundry soap (about 1 inch) into a quart of heated water and let dissolve.  This is the bug spray concentrate.  Put it in a labeled large jar or jug.

To make the spray, put 1 teaspoon of concentrate/1 quart in to a spray bottle.  Spray this spray directly onto the insects and let it work it's magic.

-adapted from Mother Earth News

Rather than chasing around those pesky flies with a swatter, place a large basil plant in your room instead.  As much as we love the taste of basil in our salads or in our pasta, fly's are disgusted by thier smell, meaning less flys in your home and a nice looking plant and addition to your nightly dinners!

We have had this Natuzzi couch for about 3 years now, and with two boys, 2 and 4 years old, you can only imagine the pen marks, scuffs and scratches our couch has endured.  Luck for us it is an Natuzzi, so it has held up quite well and with this tip, our couch looks pretty unfazed.

To remove scuff and scratch marks, gently rub an eraser (from a pencil) over the scratch and watch it disappear.  I don't understand how or why it works....but it does!  Yeah!