Tiny Talk and the Adventures of Plastic Mommy

Cori WestPhal! Thanks everyone for participating! Dont feel bad if you are not the winner because tomorrow there will be a brand new exciting giveaway so stay turned!

7:22 AM
Categories: Contest and Give Aways. Author: Tiny Talk

Welcome to Tempting Tuesday, our day to provide you with great recipies to tempt the tummy of your pickly little eater! We will strive to provide you with recipies that do not have 1 million ingredients and will require a sitter for you to make. Fast and easy is our motto! So here try this next recipie and snack idea for your little one next time you are struggling with what to make for lunch/dinner.

Chilli Cheese Cornchip Dogs

Ingredients:
· 2 cans (approximately 16 ounces each) chili with beans
· 1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
· 2 tablespoons instant minced onion or 1/4 cup fresh grated onion
· 1 pound hot dogs, about 10
· 10 hot dog buns, split and toasted
· coarsely crushed corn chips
Preparation:
In a large saucepan, combine chili, cheese soup, and onion. Add hot dogs; heat to boiling then simmer for 5 minutes.
Place a hot dog on each toasted bun then top with chili cheese sauce and sprinkle with crushed corn chips.Makes 10 chili cheese hot dog sandwiches.

Frozen Chocolate Covered Bananas
Ingredients:
· 6 ripe bananas
· 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation:
Peel bananas; cut in half crosswise. Insert a wooden stick into flat end of each banana half. Lay bananas on a shallow pan; freeze for about 3 hours. Melt chocolate chops over hot water. With a spatula, quickly spread melted chocolate over each banana, coating well. Chocolate will become firm right away. Wrap each banana in foil; store in freezer. Serve when ready!

Hope you enjoyed these great recipes....More to come next Tempting Tuesday!

6:22 AM
Categories: recipes. Author: Tiny Talk

As summer is winding down and the kids are finally back in school, it's time to play seasonal weather limbo. Don't put away those flip-flops yet...and be ready with a snuggly vest or sweater for those chilly, rainy days.

Here at Little Hands, we've got some fun giveaways and in-between the seasons deals to keep your family outfitted in any weather. You'll find deeply discounted summer gear during our Summer Blowout Sale(ending this week) for those Indian summer days, and great new finds like the two below:

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Starting Out Cover-up with Hood

1:13 AM
Categories: the Budget Stretcher. Author: AJae

Are you struggling to get it all done? Quality time with your toddler, cleaning , cooking, errands and more? It 's enough to to make you shave off your eyebrows!(okay, maybe that's just me) But it can make you feel a little bit out of control to say the least. The key to getting it all done and feeling great about your day is to put a routine in place for your little one that also works well with your schedule of task for the day. Click here to read more about putting together a routine for your todder. Once you have a routine down for your little one it is easier to gel your task into this routine. Being able to meet the needs of your toddler as well as your own can be trying, but it can be done!

8:06 PM
Categories: family life. Author: Tiny Talk

We are so excited at Little Hands Boutique...September is going to be a great month! It will be full of awesome giveaways, great toddler stories and advice, recipes and crafts, as well as fitness and pampering for mom. We love being informal but we want our readers to have a sense of what they can expect as well. So with that being said, Here's the new line up.

Mayhem Mondays- Kick the Monday blues with great organizing tips that will make life with a toddler just a little easier. Mondays will also feature The Budget Stretcher, which will give you heads up on great deals that you don't want to miss at LittleHandsBoutique.

Tempting Tuesdays- Great Kid Approved Recipes to tempt your toddlers tummy! (We will also throw in a craft idea as well!)

Wednesdays Humpday GiveAway- Awesome Giveaways. Each giveaway will begin on Wednesday and end on the following Wednesday. Winners will be given 3 days to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen.

Toddler Times Thursday- Great stories and advice on raising toddlers, including news about great toddler products, learning activities, and kid fashion.

Fitness Fridays- Fridays are just for moms: Fitness Friday is not just to get you physically fit, it is to get you physically,financially, emotionally and spiritually fit: Included will be great articles on getting fit and great talk about nutrition, healthy skin and hair, and last but not least great ideas on pampering and nurturing the diva in you!

Hopefully you are just as excited as we are, leave us a comment about what you'd like to see as we make changes, we'd love to know how you feel.

Truly

Yvonne and Tenisha(Owners of LittleHandsBoutique.com)

6:24 PM
Categories: Author: Tiny Talk

Congrats to Retonya Hill, winner of the Mommy and Me Giveaway! Stay tuned to Tiny Talk as next week starts our Newest Giveaway and the end of our Last Minute Back to School Giveaway. This contest ends Sept 2nd so there is still time to enter....Next time it could be you!

9:29 AM
Categories: Contest and Give Aways. Author: Tiny Talk

We know that school is in for kids in most parts of the world, but for the select few mommies who have yet to purchase school supplies or may know someone who is in need, please enter our Last Minute Back to School GiveAway. Included are two book bags(Barbie and Cars theme) and the supplies that you see in the picture. Don't forget school supplies always need to be replenished so save your budget by being prepared when what you purchased runs low.....Hey it's free!

To enter just subscribe to our feed and leave a comment. That's it. Your entered!

Contest ends Sept 2nd. Winners will be notified by email and have 1 week to claim their prize or another winner will be choosen. Good Luck

3:38 PM
Categories: Contest and Give Aways. Author: Tiny Talk

This fall, if your budget pinched so tight that pennies are squealing for mercy, you've probably been searching for an inventive solution to your kids' clothing needs. Here at Little Hands, we understand the dilemma that growing kids create. We were founded by two mommies who were tired of sacrificing quality for cheap "bargains" that often wore out months before a penny-strapped budget would allow replacements to be purchased. This week, Little Hands Boutique is pleased to kick off a new weekly tradition-the Budget Stretcher (a.k.a 'not-your-average-sales-circular').

Here are a few of the great deals we found this week:

A new (complete with original tags) Ecko Unlimited Jogging set for 10.99:

This adorable set from Buster Brown will keep your little princess looking cute-as-a button...for only 6.99.

Get your little one ready for cooler temperatures in this like-new RocaWear coat with a fur trimmed hood for 9.99.

8:58 AM
Categories: kid's clothing, Little Hands News, the Budget Stretcher, Toddlers. Author: AJae

8:40 PM
Categories: pamper yourself. Author: Tiny Talk

Family time is important to me, but it just seems the older my children get the more they think everything I say and do is "friendly". Now for all you moms that are not quite as hip as me(yeah right), friendly in teenage language(at least in the southern parts)means square. I pretty much just ignor all the smart remarks and force them to spend time with me, my husband and our two year old(we are the outcast).

I've been wanting to do a collage for my two year old's room with pictures of our family and decided this was the weekend to do it. You cant imagine the moans, groans,random Oh my goodness's!, I cant believe this!, This is so lame!, This is just plain friendly! and my favorite"Just shoot me now!"... Yep I just ignored them and explained that we were gonna help Kayla(my 2 year old) cut out picture of the family and together figure out what words or phrases we want to go under the pictures. Blank stares from everyone, but my smiling Kayla.

4:56 PM
Categories: family life, school aged children, Teens, Toddlers. Author: Tiny Talk

This post may not be as exciting to you as it is to me, however sometimes when you are a stay at home mom, you have to find the excitement where you can. So, while shopping at linen and things the other day, I came across a product called Greening the Cleaning and because I am on a new endeavor to participate in saving the environment I decided to try it. For some reason I couldn't wait to go home and clean my face bowl with it, I know..... sounds a little pathetic right, be that as it may, I rushed home and cleaned my face bowls in my master bath with it and behold to my surprise the bowls started gleaming! It even gave off a fresh clean scent! I was sold. Why am I telling you this? I shared this story not to bore you to death, but to encourage you to venture out and try some products that are environmentally safe. I am as brand loyal as they come and would have never thought anything else would clean my bowls the same, but what do you know, I'm evolving!
Do you use some environmentally responsible products that you can share? I cant wait to refill my shelves with great products! Let's all work together to make a difference.

11:39 AM
Categories: cleaning tips, environmentally safe cleaning, green living. Author: Tiny Talk

If you've ever visited LittleHandsBoutique Toddler Times(Mom Corner)you know we highly suggest when the going gets tough, it's time for a spa night...Well recently i had one of those days where either you find a way to relieve the stress or you call your local paddy to see if they have a wagon available. Well as appealing as the latter sounds(no cleaning, cooking, people bring you your meals...hmmm....), I chose to do a spa night. Sometimes mommies you gotta take time for you. Treat yourself like the queen you are.

The second picture shows you what my tub looked like Before(hey the thought of cleaning it out made me wonder if I really wanted to do a spa night...but I pushed on..lol) The first picture is what it looked after. Ahh....those were the best 30 minutes of this week( of course after 30 minutes I was summoned by my daughter who woke up crying)

Hey you have to enjoy it while you can!

Spa Night should include:

Your favorite bath salts or bubble bath.
Soft music
Fresh Fruit(I always have grapes and strawberries)
Candles(No Spa Night is complete without them)
I also add rose petals for a hint of royalty

Spa Night Tip:

Free your mind- for this short time forget that the house still needs cleaning, grocery shopping needs to be done, and that the little one's potty training seems to be going all wrong....this is about you. Allow yourself to be refreshed and replenished..take care of you!

3:35 PM
Categories: pamper yourself. Author: Tiny Talk

I don't know about you, but my life as mom and entrepreneur can get very hectic. Sometimes we forget to make time for things that we know are important. I have been contemplating how to contribute positively to our environmental issues for a while. I guess I was looking to contribute in a big way, not realizing that every little thing I do to help adds up to something big. Our children deserve to live in a great healthy environment. We can all do our part by taking small steps that wont add more stress to our already hectic lives. Here are 5 simple tips to taking Baby Steps to Going Green:

1)Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and few degrees higher in the summer- save money on heating and cooling as well!

2)Install Florescent light bulbs when incandescent bulbs burn out. They are more expensive to purchase, but last much much longer and use less energy saving you money on your energy bill. After replacing my bulbs with florescent bulbs, the very next month I experienced a significant decrease in my energy bill(like $50.00 whoohoo!)

3) Wash clothes in cold water when at all possible. 85% of the energy used to machine was clothes goes toward heating the water.

4)Take shorter showers. If you're like me you love taking long showers, but I guess I could cut it by a minute or two :-)... This will save money on heating and water bills.

5)Skip bottled water- Purchase filters to purify your water, this cuts down on the large amount of container waste. I must admit that this one was a hard one for me. I have cut down, but I have been known to still purchase a bottle here and there...Baby Steps Moms.....Baby Steps.


For more Green Tips visit us daily on myspace. www.myspace.com/littlehandsboutique1

6:35 PM
Categories: green living, saving money. Author: Tiny Talk

The first of many Give Aways begins today! Relax with your new Coffee/Tea Mug and matching spoon set! Then take a nice hot spa bath with your new Green Tea Organic Bath Set!(Includes: shower gel,bath salt, lofa and lotion. And for your little one this adorable ice cream scooper makes getting ice cream double the fun ( ice cream not included)

To enter the Give Away just go to our site http://www.littlehandsboutique.com/ browse around, come back and tell us what you like here by leaving a comment. It's that simple, your comment enters you in the Give Away!

This Give Away ends August 30th so post your comments now.

2:12 PM
Categories: Contest and Give Aways, pamper yourself, spa. Author: Tiny Talk

Tonight was a good night. The house was miraculously quiet due to the fact that my pre teen and teenage boys decided that their on-going debate over who is the “lamest” (apparently lame is the cool word for this week) could be continued in the morning, and to my surprise my two year old energizer bunny did not keep going and going and going.

Sitting down for a cup of herbal tea is a rare treat in a house of seven, but you sneak it in where you can. Even as I sit blowing a steaming cup of tea, I reflect briefly on what insanity possessed me to come so close to Independence Day, only to rewind time and start all over again. The bottles, the diapers, the crying, the tantrums…oh the thought of it makes my head hurt! Then that little angel face creeps into my consciousness and the stress lines slowly disappear from my forehead and a smile forms. My two year old is just the cutest thing you will ever see and all the dirty diapers in the world could not taint the abundance of joy she fills my heart with daily! They are so open to the world at that age. Always discovering and unconditionally loving… Ah….what we all could learn from them.

However, don’t be fooled! When you have to run around all day like a taxi cab driver taking your older kids to sports engagements, barbershops, the mall, etc, all the while with a two year old in tow, its no picnic. I complained about the running around but then out of no where it went from bad to worst. Who said 16 year olds could drive? (I’m sure whoever it was that originally suggested it was childless). So add a jump of $100 in car insurance to add on a 16 year old driver with the increasing price of pullups! So Lets see, now I have…Dora the Explorer shoes vs. the newest Jordans, The unrelenting pleas for buying the Barbie jeep vs. pleas for buying a starter car, helping my little one learn to count past 50 vs. finding some one to help with pre-calculus! What a complete roller coaster!

Even with life being constantly hectic, I feel blessed to have such a wonderful family and cherish the challenge of giving them the best childhood and the tools they need to become responsible adults who know first hand and cherish the value of family.

Three things are key when raising children with a large age gap:

Respect the uniqueness in each child – Every child is different and moves at a different pace and to a different drummer. I learned that a long time ago (somewhere around child number two). I work hard to let each child know that I accept and love their unique characteristics, no matter how different or difficult to understand. This will also help prevent jealousy and some rivalry among siblings

Nurture the Bond- Children born with quiet a few years between can sometimes have trouble finding things in common that they can do together. Encourage older children to share hobbies and talents with younger children. Each of my boys are encouraged to spend an hour or so a day with their two year old sister. In this time I suggest my eldest child who likes to write stories share this talent for storytelling with his sister. This is something they can both enjoy. My middle son loves to draw and in his time with his sister he is teaching her to be quite the artist. My 11, and 13 year old are still very playful and love giving piggyback rides, taking her out to ride her bike and drive her car. They all have their own unique way the can bond with their sister despite the huge age gap.

Spending Time as a Family- This is critical. It is not only enjoyable , but creates lasting memories. Quality time spent together knits the fabric that strong families are made of.
It strengthens the love, the loyalty and intimacies that all families should share. There is no age gap in family time together, everyone belongs and it doesn’t feel complete when someone is missing.

So no one ever said it would be easy (and if they did, you been lied to!), but what it is…..is fulfilling, fun and exhausting, but most of all, it’s totally worth it!


Here are some of my favorite family quotes:

If the family were a fruit, it would be an orange, a circle of sections, held together but separable - each segment distinct. ~Letty Cottin Pogrebin

Bringing up a family should be an adventure, not an anxious discipline in which everybody is constantly graded for performance.-- Milton R. Saperstein

I think people that have a brother or sister don't realize how lucky they are. Sure, they fight a lot, but to know that there's always somebody there, somebody that's family.-- Trey Parker

"When you look at your life, the greatest happiness’s are family happiness’s."
Dr Joyce Brothers

9:41 AM
Categories: boys, family life, Plastic Mommies, school aged children, Teens, Toddlers. Author: Tiny Talk

Pleasing our little ones is not always so easy. Coupled with all of our other mom/wife duties sometimes time can seem like the enemy! Here are three recipes that will be sure to put smiles on your little ones faces and will still allow you to complete your daily task list.

Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients
1 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Directions
In pot bring sugar & water to a boil. Let the mixture boil for exactly one minute. In a bowl, have the peanut butter and vanilla measured out and ready. Pour the sugar and water into the bowl when ready, and mix well. Pour into an 8x8 greased pan.

Let cool and enjoy...Make sure once you pour the sugar and water into the bowl with the peanut butter and vanilla work quickly it starts to harden up fast.And don't use a natural peanut butter it does not work...Use a brand like Skippy creamy


Not Quite Cheesecake

Ingredients
Cheesecake flavored instant pudding, Oreo Pie crust, A few Oreos chopped up.

Directions:
Make the pudding, fill the crust, sprinkle Oreos on top. Refrigerate & enjoy after the pudding sets good. Doesn't get much easier. Not exactly gourmet, but good


Chocolate Peanut Supreme

Ingredients
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter, 1/3 cup butter melted, 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 cups cold milk, 1 package (5.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix, 1 carton (12 oz) cool whip thawed, 1 cup chopped peanuts

Directions
In a large bowl, combine peanut butter and butter. stir in cracker crumbs and sugar. Press into a greased 13x9x2 inch dish.*In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 min. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft set; spoon over crust. Spread with whipped topping; sprinkle with peanuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until set. Refrigerate leftovers. 12-16 servings

7:35 AM
Categories: cooking, dessert, recipes. Author: Tiny Talk

Whether you are a stay at home mom, an aspiring stay at home mom or even just really need more money coming into the household, ladies this article is for you.

One of the worst days of my life was the day I dropped my little girl off to daycare for the first time. She screamed and kicked and reached out to me yelling my name. I ran to the car and cried. That day I made up in my mind that working full time for me would only be temporary. I went home and focused on what I could do to make enough money to stay at home and care for my little sweet heart. As I researched different business ideas it was very frustrating. It seem that there were so many scam artist just waiting to take my money, fill me with high hopes, only to leave me disgusted with myself for being so vulnerable. Believe me I’ve tried it all and sometimes I even felt I might get taken, but I had to know if it was a legitimate opportunity so I would just try. My mother always said that you will never see success without experiencing failure. Well after trying what seemed like hundreds of other business ideas for work at home I finally found something that could supply the income I needed to make my dream of being a stay at home come true. Now you definitely will not become rich doing this and it is not easy, but it is a legitimate opportunity and I made money quickly.


The Wonderful World of Amazon

I know many of you may have heard of Amazon before or even purchased a book or two online. Some of us have even been as savvy as to try and sell old school books for money. Did you know that thousands of people make their living selling on Amazon? When I heard this it was from a girlfriend whose job was just to input the books for a woman whose company sold books on Amazon. Well like I stated earlier, I am someone who is willing to give almost any good opportunity a try.
After doing my research I found that selling on Amazon is as easy as setting up an account (Amazon.com) in five minutes and poof, begin selling. I started out by putting two books I had laying around the house online, to my surprise when I awoke up the next morning the books had sold! I had made 20 dollars while I slept! Okay now I was hooked! I spent the next week researching the Amazon’s online community to learn the in’s and out’s of the business. I was absolutely amazed to find so many people who had been making their living this way for years. I knew I had stumbled upon something that would change me forever because it would help affirm that I didn’t need a 9-5 to bring in money, I could do my part and take care of my little angel as well!

Pay attention because what’s coming next is valuable information.

Where To Get Books To Sell On Amazon

One of the most valuable places you can get books to sell on Amazon is auctions. Many places such as the Goodwill and the Salvation Army in your area will have weekly auctions for books. To my surprise you are able to by very large boxes of books somewhere in the range many times of 15-40.00. These boxes will use have 200+ books in each. As you can imagine you will need someplace to store these books( I used my garage) About ¼ of these books will be good sellers but you will usually make about 5 times what you paid.

The second place to purchase books is at the Thrift Stores. Usually I purchase books for $2 and under and resell them on line from 10-25.00. This is a huge return and the great thing is that it is not limited to just books, you can also sell cd, vhs and dvd’s.

Garage sell, Church sells, local half price books and library sells are all places you can find books to sell. Also make sure to visit a website called booksalefinder.com which will provide you with information regarding book sales in your area for whatever state you live in.

I definitely did not become rich selling on Amazon but I made as much enought money to cover groceries and utility bills. This is not an easy job and requires dedication like anything else, but you can make your own hours and everything is done from home. My husband would come from work and we would package books to go out the next morning. The great thing about the modern world is that there are so many tricks of the trade to help you make life easier. One convenience is having the post office pick up packages at my door each morning which can be order by going on usps.com the night before. To do this you will need to get an account with stamps.com or endicia.com so that you are able to print you own stamps.

This business also requires impeccable customer service. When you are entering your item description, be honest about the condition of your book. Think about how you would feel if you thought you purchased one thing and received something else. Your rating on Amazon is given to you by your customer so being responsive to their needs will carry you a long way. The better your feedback from customer is the better chances you have of selling your book before someone else. Provide quick response to questions and concerns and you will receive great feedback and maybe become a seller of choice.


Another piece of invaluable information is that all of amazons books have ratings. The lower the rating the better chance your book has of selling. You can find the rating on the sales page as you are entering your book for resell. If this number is above 500000 the likely hood that the book will sell quickly is slim. However it the rating is under the 300000 the book will probably sell in a couple of weeks under 200,000 usually will sell within a week.

How do you get Paid

The beauty in all of this is that you are paid as often as you sell if you like. You will set up your account which is linked to your bank account and you can transfer the money as you make it or allow it to transfer automatically every two weeks. Note: when you transfer the money it does take 3-4 days to get to your account. I usually would transfer every hundred dollars. What ever way works best for you.

Bonus: The best kept secret I found when working on Amazon came in the form of a scanner that I purchased after about 6 months of selling. This is a product that will tell you before you buy how much the product will sell for on Amazon as well as the rating. I will admit it was a little pricy(almost 800.00) but after selling for awhile on Amazon you will be able to afford it too. This product will more than double your profits.

The great thing about selling on Amazon is your target market can be the whole world, Amazon receive millions of visitors a day. You don’t have to solicit business, it comes to you.

If you are really serious about being a stay at home mom I believe this will help you do it.

Like anything else this may not be for everyone, if it is not for you dont give up, check back often as we will be posting more ideas soon!

Good Luck Ladies

God Bless

5:30 PM
Categories: making money from home, Plastic Mommies, SAHM, WAHM. Author: Tiny Talk

1:01 PM
Categories: Toddlers. Author: Tiny Talk

4:49 PM
Categories: fashion, kid's clothing, Little Hands News. Author: Tiny Talk

Up til now ladies all post have focused on our little ones. Well this one is for you. Remember the better you take care of you, the more you will have to give to you child. Often times we neglect self and even loose self in caring for our family. Love your family more by Celebrating you!


Pamper Yourself!!!

Being a mommy is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences any woman can have, but sometimes nurturing colds, attending to cuts and bumps, bathing feeding, singing…..well you get the picture….sometimes being a mommy can be a little exhausting. Let’s remember to refuel the tanks so we can continue to have what it takes to keep up with our little energizer bunnies!


Treating yourself like a queen does not have to be expensive; a spa day may be hiding in your Fridge. Below are some great ideas for treating yourself on a shoe string budget.



Spa Night


After your little one goes to bed draw yourself a hot bubble bath. Make it special by surrounding yourself with candles (found at your local dollar store) be sure at least one is an aromatherapy candle (lavender is very relaxing). All queens deserve petals so add the rose petals to your bath for a touch of class. Don’t forget to bring your glass (wine glass) of sparkling cider or drink of your choice, and fresh cut up fruit to go with. Add some soft music and you’ve got yourself a Spa Night!!!!


Dull Skin?

A great home remedy to give your skin that healthy glow

Purchase some raw honey from your local health food store, heat a small bowl up, either on the stove or in the microwave. Let it cool slightly. Apply warm honey to face and neck. Allow mask to sit for 10-12 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Watch as your skin begins to radiate!

Foot Spa

No time for manicure/pedicure lately? Treat your self to a relaxing Foot Spa

Warm 7 cups of water and two cups of milk on the stovetop or in the microwave. Make this mixture as hot as your feet can take it. Combine ½ cup of sugar and two tablespoons of lotion for an exfoliate mixture. Soak your feet in the mixture of milk and water. After about ten minutes began to massage the exfoliate mixture on your feet. Rinse with clear water and pat dry. Massage on additional lotion as needed. Ahhh….your feet will thank you!

3:28 PM
Categories: beauty, pamper yourself, skincare, spa. Author: Tiny Talk