I started by asking my three year old daughter to count the apples as we put them in the bag, well not all the apples made it into the bag. It was like Niagara Falls in the produce department. After that fiasco, we decided to let Mommy hold the bag as she continued to count the apples. Even so, she was having fun.

In order to get my eight year old daughter involved, I asked her to weigh the produce in the scale and read the number to me. Those scales can be quite fascinating for the kids because its something that is so archaic to them in this computer dominated world where all the answers are given with the push of a button. The simple act of figuring out the answer in your head or even fingers is old fashioned.

Then I really made my twelve year old daughter use her brain (which of course caused tremendous pain) when she had to figure out how much the item cost by multiplying the cost per pound by how many pounds we had. Not only that, I had her comparison shop and decide which choice was most cost effective. Then I thought to myself, I can have her figure all the math problems herself - so I don’t have to!

Of course while I’m trying to teach my older girls these lessons, the three year old was very busy getting into all kinds of trouble. It was a bit distracting as she was climbing in and out of the cart, trying to hang from the produce scale and almost letting loose an avalanche of stacked items.

I felt like I was part octopus as I was helping all three kids at the same time. It was like I had multiple personalities as I was talking to all three at the same with different voices. My nice voice was for my oldest as she was (slowly) computing the prices (I had to be nice, she was doing the work for me). My curt voice was for my middle daughter who was asking for something to eat. My angry voice was reserved for my little one who was wrecking the store.

Multitasking is my middle name, I’m even multitasking while I write this article with a child on my lap! But, trying to shop with my girls is not something I would like to do every day.

In the end we all survived and learned a few lessons along the way. My girls all gained confidence in their math skills, and I gained confidence in my parenting skills. I realized that I could handle juggling shopping and kids and come out all in one piece.

We all learned that we are capable of succeeding even if life throws us a few curve apples, I mean balls.

Clean up in aisle 2!

This look was very simple compared to my previous Smokey Eyes tutorial.

For this look one would have to use the following:

• white eye liner
• a peach or pink eye shadow
• silver eye shadow
• a thin black eye liner
• liquid mascara

The process starts with lining the lower part of the eye with white liner (not cool effects brand - see the warning below!), then apply the peach or pink eye shadow. Blend very well, then apply silver eye shadow along the tear ducts. Apply highlighter to the brow bone and last, line the eyes with black liner. Be sure the eyeliner is thin. Then curl your lashes and apply mascara. The look is finished!

This is the tutorial I used for this look:

This is a quick easy and simple look its has very light colors and is a very natural look. Anyone can do this look this is also an excellent look for a first date. But if your going to go with this look I would wear this during the day it really brought out my eyes.

Well hope you guys enjoy the tutorial gotta jet hope to read comments and questions soon!

PS. The reason one shouldn’t use “cool effects” brand eyeliners is because it has ingredients in it that can burn your eyes when applied on the waterline. Also, it stays on for days and to get it off one would have to use Vaseline or baby oil. You can go to this web site for more ways to remove eyeliner

By:
Rebecca Brown

Raven was very interested in vampires and read Anne Rice novels often. One day her and her family went on vacation to New Orleans and she got to meet Anne Rice.

Also in the book there is a creepy old mansion which is claimed to be haunted but no one really knows for sure., and on Raven’s 16th birthday a family that claimed to be vampire’s moved in the old mansion on top of Benson Hill.

Of course Raven was very excited after all this the least boring thing that has ever happened in Dullsville.

I’m not going to spoil the surprise ending so that’s all I’m going to tell if anyone wants to know what happens after that they have to go read the book to find out.

Well bye for now hope to read comments and questions soon.
By:
Rebecca Brown

Have you ever wondered what is like to be a Summer Intern for a fashion magazine? In the book Summer Intern Kira Parker gets a job working for a magazine called Skirt and it is not what she expected. As a summer intern she wants a better job so she competes with the editorʼs daughter over an assistant editorʼs position.

Daphne Hughes the editors daughter whom Kira is going up against has everything Kira ever wanted: the perfect guy the perfect life, and perfect mom. So while Daphne has this perfect life kira is waiting on people left and right she never expected to do all this she expected it to be all fun and games but she was badly mistaken.

If anyone is interested in being a summer intern I highly recommend this book, in this book Carrie & Jill explain their experience at being an intern for a magazine when they were teens. If one buys this book they will find that there are extras in the back of book, a sneak peek at Carrie & Jillʼs new book jet set, and a section called Say WHAT?!

Well bye for now please be looking for more reviews to come such as more make up reviews and other book reviews.
By :

Rebecca Brown.

(Connie’s Note: Rebecca Brown is our resident teen expert. You can ask her questions about the books she’s reviewing by leaving a comment below or emailing her at Rebecca@ThriftyMamas.com)

As a result of not really paying attention to the tutorial the make-up was messy. As I went on with this process I found it got easier and when I was finally done I got it correct. For some people this process is very difficult and for others it is not allow me to explain.

This was difficult for me because of the blending that was required during the process. Another thing that was difficult for me was the eyeliner because during the eyeliner process one is to start at the middle of the eyelid and work their way out. The reason these two things did not work well with me is because I have not seen them until this tutorial.

The things that were not difficult for me were blush, lip color base& finishing powder, mascara, curling eyelashes etc. All this is simple and very easy and thatʼs why this was not difficult for me. As one can see none of this is really that difficult itʼs only difficult if one makes it
If anyone has any questions for me they may contact me by the e-mail addresses I have provided below.

Well bye for now hope to read your comments and e-mails soon.
You can contact me by e-mail.
Rebecca@thriftymamas.com

The Cotton Knit Swaddle From Kiddopotamus:

This swaddler is great for infants who like to be snug when they sleep.

This product comes in many designs and colors,there are three types of swaddles:

1. Flannel
2. Fleece
3. Cotton Jersey

All types come in different sizes: small - large and this is great for keeping those newborns warm.

Save 30-65% off back 2 school items including:

• Tees
• Tanks
• Shorts
• Jeans

Right now they are all up to 50% off at Kohl’s.

So, stop by Kohls today for the Kohl’s back 2 school sale! Or visit them online @ Kohls.com

This comes with a built in sound soother so that your baby will have a soothing, peaceful sleep.

Children and parents will enjoy this product because it will give them *both* a good night’s sleep!

Sound Therapy SUW1 from Conair:

The sound therapy from Conair comes with 10 different soothing sounds anyone could fall asleep to.

This also comes with an adapter and a 1 year warranty. Right now it’s half price: $12.48 with free shipping.

One of the most elegant of these changes has to do with what your family drinks. The bottom line is that we can get by on water. The free kind. Use a filter or drink healthy old tap water to quench everyday thirst. In doing so, you can cross off lots of items from your weekly grocery list: soda, sports drinks, single serve drink pouches and boxes, cases of bottled water.

Why is serving water so wonderful? The benefits of clearing out drinks you buy and replacing them with free water from the tap go way beyond saving lots of money each week. First of all, compared to sweetened beverages like soda, Capri-Sun style drinks, and sports drinks, water is healthier. Most sweetened beverages offer extra sugar and calories but no necessary nutrition for the family. Even if the label says ‘with vitamin C’ or some other nutrition come-on, the real question is whether you or your kids actually need the extra vitamin C or other nutrient of the day. The answer is probably not.

Artificial colors are also a mainstay ingredient in most sweetened kids’ drinks and sports drinks. There is some research that shows that artificial food dyes and preservatives can influence children’s behavior. However, the effects seem small and there is a big variation in how different children respond. There are better reasons to avoid artificial food dyes, though. Food should come from nature. Do you really want your family to drink something made from water, sugar and artificial food dye everyday?

By switching to water for most of your thirst-quenching needs you’ll also avoid excess packaging. Drinking everything from a single serve can, bottle, box or pouch means lots to throw away. Drinking water from a cup means nothing to throw away.

If you are worried about how your family will respond to such a drastic idea as drinking water, there are ways to help the transition. Set out a cold cooler of water with a self-serve spout and reusable cups so your kids can help themselves during outdoor play time. It may eventually turn into a water battle, but that’s okay. It’s just water. Individual and reusable water containers or bottles are a must for outings. Let your kids pick out their own or personalize with stickers or permanent marker drawings. Finally, if you make the change to water, there will be plenty of families still serving the pouches and bottles at parks and parties. Your kids can indulge occasionally instead of everyday.

And if you need just one more benefit to help you make the switch - how about less work for you? Spilled water? No sticky mess in the car, no stains on the couch, no worries.