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Back in April, I wrote “Blog Posts I’d Like Someone Else to Write”. It’s a list of topics that I had googled recently and couldn’t find a decent answer to—so basically I wanted other people to do my dirty work. If you check out that post, make sure you read the comments as they were far superior to my actual post.
Well, to this day, that page gets many new visitors from search engine queries…so obviously others are looking for the answers too. So I am going to do my very best to answer some of my own questions!
I’m going to start with the one that the most people seemed to want—
#11—WordPress Plugins Every “Mom Blogger” Should Have.
This plugin provides direction at the end of each post. You can adjust all the settings to your liking. I have mine set up to direct the reader to the next and previous post by showing the post titles. But you can also set messages to your readers—asking them to donate or subscribe or check out a certain post. Whatever you like!
Anyone who has a WordPress Blog already has this spam plugin as it is already there when you first sign up. From what I’ve heard, it’s one of the best one out there. No need for the annoying CAPTCHA plugin! Thank God!
This is one of the best SEO packs out there—at least based on the research I’ve done  I’m no pro, but this works for me!
I hunted this plugin down because my tag cloud was seriously out of control. With the Better Tag Cloud, you can control the number of tags that are displayed. I have mine set up to only display tags that have been used more than 3 times. It’s very handy and I think it makes the sidebar look a lot cleaner.
This plugin allows for a person’s last post to be displayed after they leave a comment. I am seeing this on almost all the blogs I visit these days. Another good reason to make sure your post titles are eye-catching!
This is simple and basic, but it works for me. I use it on my “Contact Me” page. Very clean and user-friendly!
This plugin was really handy when I decided to change my permalink structure. Permalinks are the links to your actual pages by the way—and mind used to be www.thefrugalfrontier.com/45/4590/305990.com which was VERY confusing and hard to remember, so I changed it a couple months ago to include the category and post title. This plugin made the transition painless by redirecting all the old links so I didn’t have to dig into the archives and do it myself.
This plugin directs all subscriber counts—no matter how they subscribe—to Feedburner so you can have the most accurate counts. I’m not sure if I’m explaining this one that well, but the plugin site will give you all the answers you need. This is just one of those plugins that everyone said I should have, so I got it
Makes for very fast indexing of your blog on search engines—I’m not sure how it works, but it does!
This plugin provides suggestions at the end of each post—directing the reader to similar entries. I like this one because it uses a thumbnail—and let’s face it—sometimes pictures catch more attention than just words.
I like this one because it puts a little widget in your sidebar that shows your most commented upon posts. It has really worked for me—as a new blogger—to drive traffic to specific posts instead of just to my front page. You have control over where to place it and how many links to provide and so fourth. Very easy to use!
This is kind of like the CommentLuv feature, except that it’s for Twitter. Simply enter your twitter name in the box and it shows up in the comment section. Easy Peazy!
Allows you to “tweet” the post. I like this, but I’m thinking of replacing it for something else. I’m doing research now and I’m kind of thinking about using BackType Tweet Count—but I’m not quite sure yet.
See those pretty little subscription buttons on the right side? This plugin will get you those! You can customize the colors and locations. Again, very user friendly here people!
BONUS:
I have also downloaded a few plugins that sound awesome, but haven’t activated them yet. You ever try any of them?
Allows you to easily format recipes on your blog. I think this would be awesome if I posted more recipes. Also, I have heard that this plugin works really well.
This one seems so neat. Basically it sends out an email to first-time commenters on your blog. You can totally customize the message they will receive too, which really seems like a clever idea. From what I gather, you will probably need some html knowledge to customize it to your liking. Anyway, seems like a pretty useful tool.
This plugin removes all of the simple words from your title (like a, the, and is for example). It creates simple “slugs” for your URL. To me, it would be really helpful, but I am kind of nervous to try it. I don’t want to mess with my permalinks again.
So what am I missing? Any must-have plugins that didn’t make my list? Leave me a comment and let me know, because I love trying new things with my blog!
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Linked to Works for me Wednesday @ We Are That Family
I mentioned back in April that I had been diagnosed with Severe Vitamin D deficiency and Hypothyroidism—well I was. I was actually really happy to have that diagnosis because it answered so many of my questions about my fertility issues or maybe I should just say infertility issues. I’m not going to try and convince myself that my thyroid condition caused me to gain a whole bunch of weight—BUT—I will say that it has prevented me from losing the weight.
Trying a Diet…Again!
So now that my thyroid and Vitamin D levels are under control, I am going to give dieting another chance. I do not have a desire to be a stick-thin-supermodel-body type—and I really don’t think it’s even possible! I just want to be healthy. I have poor eating habits—the main ones being that I eat too late at night or I just eat one large meal a day instead of a bunch of little ones. So basically I want to set up some ground rules for myself—
- Portion Control!
- No eating 2 hours before bedtime
- Less soda/juice, more water
- Eat 5-6 small meals per day
- Add physical activity into each day
I understand this isn’t rocket science or some new kind of diet craze, but these are “rules” that I break. Simple as that.
The Details:
A few years ago I lost quite a bit of weight doing just a few simple things-
- Eat oatmeal every single day for breakfast—because it “sticks to your ribs”
- Eat 1-2 light snacks (ie: carrot sticks or a granola bar) before lunch—depending on what time you eat.
- Very light lunch—small salad w/ dressing on the side or small cup of soup
- Light snack before dinner
- Small portion of dinner—almost like a snack size portion.
- Eat 1 light snack or 2nd dinner portion before at least 2 hours before bed.
- Sundays are a free day—eat what you want all day!
This really worked for me then—I lost weight immediately! It was so strange because I felt like I was eating all the time but I still lost weight. The key here is not low-cal/no sugar/no carb….it’s simply portion control. Later my doctor told me that this diet was perfect for someone with a slow metabolism, because it gives your body enough time to process between meals.
I Think I Can…I Think I Can…
My aunt was the one who told me about this diet. She was well over 300 lbs and had bad knees, so exercise was out of the question. In just over a year she reduced her weight by 125 lbs. She still follows the diet loosely by eating oatmeal every morning and watching her portion size—oh and she still takes Sundays off. Amazing.
I’ll keep you all posted on my progress. I’m going to start Monday. I would start today, but I’m too cheap to throw away some of the food I have already bought. I’m excited and energized to get started—and maybe losing some weight will make it even easier for us to conceive. Please pray for that, by the way.
Do any of you have secret tips or tricks to share with me?
All words of encouragement are welcomed and appreciated!
Because it is eternally April here in PA—meaning it is never going to stop raining—I decided to share ten things to do when it just won’t stop raining!
1—Find a Local Rec. Center: In my town there is a rec center that offers an open gym each day. It’s great for a rainy day because kids can run around like crazy and burn off a ton of energy! I’m thinking of doing this today right before nap time!
2—The Local Library: Many libraries offer story hours or craft activities that would be perfect for a yucky day—but even if they don’t—just go and get lost in the children’s section for a little while.
3—Find a Children’s Museum Near You: We are lucky to live only a few miles from The Hands On House—which is a small children’s museum that caters to kids under 12. They can’t destroy anything there because it’s made for them! Amazing! If you live anywhere near this museum, I highly recommend going! Of course all this fun doesn’t come for free—it’s $7 for you and $7 each for your kids. But trust me, that’s not too shabby for all the fun you can have.
4—Go to a Hotel for Indoor Swimming: Many hotels will let you pay a small fee (or no fee at all!) to go swim in their pool. All you have to do is call and ask—or just show up if you’re really brave. The only thing is that I suggest you bring your own towels just in case they don’t have them there.
5—Put on Those Rain Boots and Rain Coats and Go Crazy: As long as it’s not storming out, let your kids splash around in the puddles. Go ahead and join them why don’t ya!?
6—Go Visit the Pet Store: Sometimes the pet stores even let the kids hold some of the smaller animals or they offer little classes and things—kids LOVE it. Check out your local pet store for details. Oh and the aquarium displays offer a ton of entertainment for those little ones!
7—Find an Indoor Playground: I’m not a huge fan of fast food for kids, but our McDonalds has a great indoor playground that is totally enclosed! Grab some lunch and let your kids run free! Everything in moderation, right?! Of course there are places like Chuck E Cheese, but they can be expensive, crowded, and kind of dirty if you ask me
8—Local Attractions: We are also lucky enough to live only a short drive from Hershey Park in Hershey, PA! Although going into the park is quite expensive, you can visit Chocolate World for free! This is a trip we specifically save for rainy days! It’s like our secret weapon! Oh and you get a free piece of chocolate at the end of the ride! I’m sure there are similar attractions near every town. Do a quick Google search and find one near you!
9—Indoor Petting Zoo: There are a few petting zoos around here that are mostly indoors. Take an umbrella just in case there are some outdoor parts. If it were up to Ethan, we’d do this every day—rain or shine!
10—Call Your Girlfriends and Have a Spur-of-the-Moment Play Group: If you have to be cooped up inside, you may as well be with friends! To mix it up a little bit, consider meeting in a new place like the mall food court play ground or the children’s room at your church.
So what do you guys do to fight boredom when the weather is not cooperating!? I need all the ideas I can get because it’s supposed to keep on raining here. Yuck!
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Linked to Top Ten Tuesday @ OhAmanda
Also linked to Works for me Wednesday @ We Are That Family
My Brother-in-Law and his wife are expecting their first child next month! How exciting! Watching someone become a parent for the first time is magical. I mean, watching them fall in love with their child is like catching a glimpse of Heaven. Amazing. Ah, I cannot wait to meet this new little babe.
So her baby shower is on Sunday and I’m still debating what to get them for a gift. They chose to not find out the sex of the baby, so it has to be gender-neutral. But I am NOT a fan of baby registries. I know they are necessary nowadays, but they are just so impersonal and it kind of takes the fun out of gift-giving. Agree?
I usually check the registry to see if any of my baby shower standards are on there. If they are—I will get the specific item they chose. My baby shower gift standards are usually as follows:
1—Good/quality burp rags—the thick, cloth diaper kind: I will still get these—just in neutral colors.
2—GOWNS: Probably won’t get these because all of the “neutral” ones that I’ve found are pretty boyish.
3—Hylands Teething Tablets: Check!
4—Lavender Night Time lotion and bath wash: Check!
5—PJs in size 12 months: No neutrals in that age range. (P.S. I buy this size because that’s about when you run out of clothing-gifts and have to start buying your own)
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I can usually get all of this stuff for around $40 or so. Every time I have given these things for a gift—the moms have come back to me later and thanked me personally. Usually they are most grateful for the burp rags (and want to know where they can get more) and the teething tablets.
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Ok, back to the point of this post—my sister-in-law is very adamant about people using her registry. I totally understand where she is coming from because she wants certain bedding and decorations and a stroller and car seat in a certain patterns. But that stuff had long ago been purchased by other family members. Now all that’s left is stuff like car seat straps and hangers—not that these things are bad, but are cheap enough for them to buy themselves, right?
So I’m am forgoing the registry in hopes that my sister-in-law can find it in her heart to forgive me!
I’m making her a diaper basket similar to the one FishMama posted this week. I have always used this idea because we live in a townhome and it was pretty difficult to take the baby upstairs every single time he needed a diaper change—especially after having a C-Section! I purchased a sturdy burlap-lined wicker basket and filled it with 2 packs of newborn diapers, an adorable changing pad, Huggies wipes, lavender lotion and cornstarch powder—then wrapped it all up in a bow! Also, I bought a cute little travel bag similar to this one from Target—I filled it with baby scissors (great for trimming baby nails with btw) infant Tylenol, Motrin, gas drops, and of course—the teething tablets! 
I’ll wrap the travel bag with a little toy and the burp rags—that Momma should be happy to have this gift, right?! I’m nervous—I don’t want to disappoint her! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
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So do you have any “baby shower standards”? If so, what are they? Add to my list—I have a ton of baby showers coming up in the next year! Weddings were last summer, now this summer is babies!
Stop by to see Mandi at “It’s Come 2 This” and check out what she and others have been stumbling this week!
1—Gardening Journal @ My Frugal Lifestyle: I think this is such a great idea for those of us who have not-so-great memories AND a brown thumb!
2—”Please Knock, The Baby Is Sleeping” Sign @ How Does She?: I really could use one of these signs some days when I’m expecting a package!
3—A HUGE list of meal planning resources @ Are We There Yet: Seriously, a ton of links to printable meal planners!
4—Top Baby Shower Games/Activities @ Messy Mommy: My favorite is Baby Gift Bingo because you can kill 2 birds with one stone—game and gifts at once. Come on, baby showers can get kinda lengthy!
5—A Child or Puppy? @ Alli ‘n Son: #7 speaks to me the most! You CANNOT reason with a dog! However…I can’t reason with my *almost* 2-year old either most of the time!
6—Freezer Cooking 101 @ House of Hills: This post actually gives me hope that one day I’ll be able to do freezer cooking, too!
7—Yummy Yummy Cupcakes @ Blue Cricket Designs: OMG—why do I torture myself with these kinds of blog posts!?
8—Monster Step Stool @ Make & Takes (but originally by Indietutes): How adorable! I’ll say it again, I wish I could sew!
For some other great reading material, check out a list of 10 blogs that I am loving right now!
Last week I posted about my Play Group for Working Moms—well, I thought I’d give you a little update on how it went.
Because it was kind of short notice, there weren’t as many moms there as I would have hoped, but still—the momma’s that did show up were excited to be there and so were their kids. Jess, my friend and full-time working mom, hosted our gathering and did an awesome job! When we got there, she had fresh grapes, strawberries, and cantaloupe sitting out for the kiddos as well as some cheese cubes and string cheese—what else could a toddler ask for?! She also had a big pitcher of lemonade (sugar-free!) and ice-cold water—perfect for a warm, summer day! Oh and she was in the process of grilling hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill—for the kids and the moms!
Can you say, “Super Mom?!”
The kids got right to work on dragging every single toy out of the toy box—they had no problem keeping busy. They were also making trips back and forth to their little snack table—which was at their height by the way, so it required little supervision. Jess was awesome about letting the kids snack and play at the same time and she wasn’t bothered by little messes at all. Also, her house was impeccably child-proofed, so none of the moms had to worry about the safety of her babes.
After everyone was done eating, we moved the kids to the playground in her backyard and eventually the kids began to tucker out one by one—and after about 2 hours—the night was over. It was awesome! Based on the feedback I received after that night, all the moms enjoyed themselves like crazy. I’ve also gotten a few emails and facebook messages from other moms wanting to know when the next playgroup is!
Perfect!
I just might have to host the next gathering myself!
I would highly recommend for anyone who works full-time or even part-time to give this idea a shot too!
I have been feeling extremely homesick lately. I know, I know….I’m 26 years old and there is no reason to still miss my childhood home like that, but I do. I missed it when I lived 120 miles away during college, I missed it when I lived 230 miles away after college and now that I live 600 miles away—I miss it even more.
Ethan (12 months) with my parents—aren’t they sweet?!
I always knew I’d move away from my teeny-tiny hometown (ever heard of Nappanee, Indiana? Didn’t think so!) Especially after going away for college and seeing how much more there was out there! I just always assumed that I would live close enough to my family to take a weekend trip whenever I wanted.
Living as we do now—Ryan has to ask off from work in order for us to drive because I can’t drive 10 hours by myself! I have flown several times because Ethan has been able to fly for free—but that too is coming to an end on August 5th, when he turns 2! Now it will cost over $500 for me and Ethan to go visit my family. That won’t stop us, but it will lessen the number of times we can go.
I’m going deep here, folks-
I graduated high school in May of 2002. Two days later, I moved to Pennsylvania for an internship at a newspaper before starting college in August. In reality, moving to PA for an “internship” was a ploy to stay with my then boyfriend—now husband! I don’t think my mom ever wanted me to go. Years later, she would tell me that she knew I’d never come back from that trip. She was right.
I went to college, got married, moved to Illinois, moved to PA, had a baby…and now we have no plans to move back.
I am still waiting on her blessing—or maybe for her permission. I’m stunted at age 18—waiting for my mom’s approval.
My mom and I have always been close. I have always put her first. And in her world, where she takes care of everything and everyone else—having me there to take care of her was important. We would share stories and have long talks—we never worried about trust because that was just there. Whatever we said to one another was safe between us. To this day, when I visit her, it’s like we never missed a beat.
But there is something that happens—maybe it’s the catch in her voice when we’re getting ready to leave—but I know she hasn’t forgiven me for moving away.
Almost done-
I could never hold those feelings against my mom though—but I need to stop holding the guilt against myself. I carry that around—the guilt for moving away.
I am thankful that I have a family worth missing.
It is just that simple.
I am praying for my mom to understand that I make all my decisions prayerfully—not on a whim.
So, am I the only one who still gets homesick? How do you cope?
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Linked to Thankful Journal @ Alli-n-son
Linked to Things I Love Thursday @ Diaper Diaries
I am not a morning person. No way.
What works for me is doing a series of things the night before to help make the next morning as painless as possible! I am so much more alert—and frankly—in a better mood at night so doing those pesky tasks then is better for me and my whole family. Depending on what’s going on the next day here are some of the things I might do at night:
1–
Make my to-do list for the following day: This just gets me focused and ready for what tomorrow holds.
2–
Take 10 minutes to return my house to it’s original state: Usually means I’m picking up toys or hanging up clothes and coats.
3–
Clean the kitchen: Even if I don’t have time to clean the whole kitchen, I’ll do one thing to make the next day easier.
4–
Set out stuff for breakfast: Plates/bowls/silverware/coffee mug—or if I’m making a big breakfast, I’ll set out all the pots and pans.
5–
Make Ethan’s sippy cup of milk for breakfast: I will give this to him right away—makes the wait for breakfast food go faster
6–
Lay out Ethan’s clothes: Diaper/socks/lotion/outfit/hairbrush/shoes/toothbrush & paste–when everything is right there, it saves me from chasing him down more than once.
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Set out anything I may need to defrost for dinner: Self-Explanatory
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Bath for Ethan: Not only does this save me from having to do a morning bath, but it helps settle Ethan down for bedtime too.
9–
Shower for me: Showers don’t wake me up, they make me tired—so appropriately I take one right before bedtime.
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Time with God: And right after my shower I have time with God. It’s quiet and peaceful and I really feel in touch with Him at that time.
So what are some things that YOU do before bed to prepare yourself for the next day? Or are you one of those CRAZY morning people who get up before their kids? Leave me a comment and let me know!
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Linked to Works For Me Wednesday @ We Are That Family
Linked to Real Clean Wednesday @ I Dream of Clean
In my Google Reader I am subscribed to almost 100 blogs!
(btw…are you subscribed to The Frugal Frontier yet?)
I don’t know if that’s a lot or not—but for me it can get kind of overwhelming at times—especially if I have a day where I don’t get online or get a chance to do any reading. Like this weekend, we went to THE BEACH and I decided not to take my laptop. When I got home to check my Google Reader, I had over 200 unread posts! WOW! Of course I don’t have the time to sit down and read that many posts (sorry, guys!) So needless to say I was thankful for my neat and organized Reader!
I have my subscriptions sorted into 9 folders:
MUST READ
Blogging Blogs
Frugal Blogs
Mom Blogs
Craft Blogs
Cooking Blogs
Coupon Blogs
Organizing Blogs
Miscellaneous
The titles are all pretty self-explanatory—but here is why they are so great—when I don’t keep up on my reading, I use what time I do have to read my “Must Read” folder. I only move a select few blogs into that folder and I try to edit my subscriptions regularly to keep it scaled down. I am usually very good at keeping up with ALL the blogs, but that “Must Read” folder has come in handy on a few occasions. I highly recommend one!
So after that lengthy description of a very simple concept (ha!) I wanted to share some of the blogs that I am LOVING right now. These are in no certain order and please don’t be offended if you’re not listed. This is just a sample of some good ones that you should be reading!
1—Toddler Awesome: Okay, I like this blog because her son (Ollie—who is so stinkin cute!) is close to the same age as my Ethan. She posts about him a lot and all of the fun activities they get to do in IRELAND! Jealous! Anyway—check her out! Oh and I kind of lurk on her site, so this link will probably come as a surprise to her!
2—Lamp Unto My Feet: Another great blog that I just recently started reading. She posts great pictures of her vacations and of her yummy recipes! Also, this lady sure does know how to declutter! Oh—and her devotions are truly inspirational!
3—Mrs. Nespy’s Frugal World: I have been reading this blog for a while—she likes lists a whole lot! Wow! How could I resist!? She also does these great Weekend Round Ups where she posts TONS of links. Check it out!
4–The Frugal Novice: With 2 little boys as cute her’s—who could resist?! But that’s not the only reason to check out this blog. She also does some great giveaways and posts her Weekly Meal Plan faithfully—which is really helpful, because she also feeds a toddler You know what I’m saying?!
5—Velveteen Mind: It is this post that really did speak to me the most. As Mom’s, I think we can all understand where she is coming from. If you find yourself missing her “regular” posts, then just browse through her archives—you’ll find something to read!
6—Today’s Housewife: Right now she is doing a post on Date Night Ideas that is really great. She also posts a lot about raising Godly children with integrity and a giving spirit. Anyway—just a great blog Oh and I really like how she posts her “upcoming topics” in the sidebar. That’s the whole reason I subscribed in the first place!
7—The Heir to Blair: Ok, so I know this blog already has like thousands of readers, but I had to mention her anyway! What touched me the most was her honesty about her battle to conceive and then her struggle with Post Partum Depression (PPD). I can absolutely relate to both of these things. If you are battling infertility or PPD (or even weight loss)—check out her blog for support and inspiration. Seriously.
8—Controlling My Chaos: A little crafty blog that I really do enjoy. I have always wanted to be one of those people who spend time doing crafts and things, but I haven’t yet learned to “control my chaos” enough to do it One can dream!
9—Its Come 2 This: She has just been one of those people who comments and reads and encourages Thanks for that, btw! Oh and she hosts Saturday Stumbles—check her out!
10—OhAmanda: She hosts Top 10 Tuesday—stop over there and check it out!
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Linked to Top 10 Tuesday @ Oh Amanda
Linked to Works For Me Wednesday @ We Are That Family
Currently Ethan is going through some kind of crazy growth spurt because all he wants to do right now is eat! The challenge is that he grows tired of the same snacks all the time. Believe me, I have tried to come up with new and creative (yet—still mostly healthy) snacks for him—but this Momma was running out of ideas!
So out of pure frustration and annoyance as my son was hanging on my leg—begging for food—I threw all the snacks I had into one big bowl and shook it up. 
Here’s what I had on hand:
- Shelled and Roasted Sunflower Seeds
- Craisins
- Raisins
- Baby Goldfish Crackers
- Pretzel Sticks
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips (sparingly)
I put a handful of the mix in a plastic bowl and gave it to him—actually I shoved it in his cute little face and I ran the other direction—praying he would like it. I was like ready to make a cake and let him eat it! haha….it’s frustrating to have a *starving* baby! Let’s just say that he LOVED it! I threw in a few of the chocolate chips and he of course, picked through and found all of them first—but then he eventually ate the whole bowl.
Success!
I wish I would have taken a picture of the stuff, but that was the last thing on my mind at the time!
Here are some other ideas:
Sliced Almonds
Cheerios
Dried Fruit (Pineapple, Mangoes, and bananas)
Kix
Marshmallows
Gerber Puffs (Ethan never liked those things…)
Gerber Yogurt Melts
Healthy Cereal (Think Kashi or Special K)
Granola
A few hidden M&Ms
Popcorn
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