Make Your Own Astringent

I've found a lot of great cleaning tips and recipes on various blogs, so I thought I'd share one of my DIY concoctions. Actually my dermatologist gave me the "recipe" about 5 years ago, but I've been using it and saving money ever since.

Equal parts rubbing alcohol, witch hazel and regular water. Pour each one in the bottle of your choice (I still use my old Clinique pump), and give it a little shake to mix everything. Done. This works well for normal to oily skin, but may be a bit harsh for sensitive skin.

Summer To Dos

School's out and I've been thinking about our summer plans. The kids will be in camp the first half of the summer until lunchtime. The second half we have nothing planned and I did that on purpose. My inlaws will be coming in for a week, but we don't have a trip planned. I'd like to do a short road trip as we haven't really explored the area with the kids yet. Door County Starved Rock, Galena, Indianapolis to check out what is supposedly the country's largest kids museum.

While our schedule of activities during the school year isn't super crazy, I am looking forward to some unscheduled time, and not having to drag the other two with me to the other kid's activity (although for the next 6 weeks my pickup/dropoffs will be a little crazy.

So here's the work in progress summer to do list.  I have the kids adding their options as well, my ideas are below.

Go berry picking - we go apple picking every year but have never gone berry picking

Catch fireflies

Ride the ferris wheel at Navy Pier

Take the train downtown - my son's request

Ride the Water Taxi - 14 years in Chicago and even I've never done this

Go to the Lichtenstein exhibit at the Art Institute

Picnic lunch at the park

Picnic dinner at the park

Go to a baseball game

Go to the zoo

Go to the Arboretum
Watch the Olympics

Watch fireworks
Roast marshmallows

Teach the kids how to play tennis
Teach the kids Danish
Teach them geography in a fun way
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Take them somewhere to sketch


Little Hugger wanted to make a paper chain link to count the days of summer similar to ones the had made at school to count other things. I suggested that she also write on each link one fun thing that happened that day on each link. At the end of summer we'll have a fun chain of memories.

Rather than adding a link each day, she wanted to make a full chain at the beginning and countdown and write the fun things we did each day on a link. Either way works for me although it is a little trickier to write on the links when they are already attached.

It's a little hard to read the "Kindergarten spelling" but I'd rather they write it themselves. In this case the first link was "Fireplace" aka the Fire Department Open House.

While I do have a few outings planned I hope that there will be a bit of the lazy days of summer fun included - Popsicles in the backyard, playing with friends etc.

Bye Bye Crib

8 years and 3 kids later, our little crib went out with the trash Friday morning. We happened to walk out the door just as the garbage truck was coming by to pick it up.  Little Man thought it was very cool to hear his crib getting crunched up by the garbage truck.

Land of Nod delivered Little Hugger's new bed Thursday morning and the toddler bed is now in Little Man's room.

The kids were playing in the basement when the truck arrived. Since the delivery guys just knocked instead of ringing the doorbell, the kids didn't even hear them come in. They were extremely quick setting it up. Once they were done, I rearranged everything, and made the beds in each room.

Finally I went down to the basement and Little Reader asked when the delivery men were coming? I told her they already had come and gone and she quickly spread the word. Little Hugger and Little Man looked stunned and I asked if they wanted to see their new rooms. They all scampered up the two flights of stairs squealing with delight. It was like the big reveals on those HGTV shows. They were both very happy with their new set up, even if there is still more work to be done (a new coat of paint, wall decals and a rug for Little Man, a night stand and reading lamp for Little Hugger). 

 The only problem was at the point we still didn't have a duvet or a fitted sheet for Little Hugger. After lunch we headed out. Yesterday I had looked everywhere for fitted twin sheets that were not part of a set to no avail. Finally, I appealed to my Facebook friends for advice. A couple of good suggestions came through but the only successful one was Wal-mart. Ugh. I hate Wal-mart. But in the end they had exactly what I needed - twin fitted sheets in bright colors to go with the IKEA duvet covers that are sold separate from a set and at $5 each, well can't beat that.

After Wal-mart, we went to two different places for the duvet, no luck. She's been using one of our guest duvets and although Friday we went to IKEA and got another one for her. Yes, she could technically use the guest one til Christmas when we have all 4 parents visit as we have 4 (well now 3) guest duvets), but this is Little Hugger we're dealing with, my middle child, who apparently has read the manual on how middle kids are supposed to act. If I have her use this one until December, she'll feel like she's somehow less important because it's a guest one and not her own. Spinning Plates yet again ;)

The excitement of the new beds has made bedtime take a little longer the past couple of nights, but Little Hugger loves that we have been reading bed time stories in her room as there was finally room for everyone.

As I tucked them both in Thursday night, I was told by 2 kids I am the best Mommy in the Universe.