What to do with your Kids' Art?

I have three kids, and they all generate a ton of art.  Each crayon masterpiece is special, something to be treasured...  at least for a day.  But after the moment has passed and you are left with a mountain of doodles and torn out coloring pages, what do you do with them.  I am a softie, and in the past when I was faced with this, I would finally break down and have my husband take them out with the recycle ( I knew it needed to be done, because the kids were already working on a new mountain of precious drawings, I was just to sentimental to do it myself).  Of course I keep a few, their 1st crayon attempt, the 1st drawing you can actually tell what it is, and so on (a 3 ring binder with clear sleeves works great for this.)  I now have a solution- that Mother Earth, your soft heart, and your pocket book will enjoy.

Gift Wrap
* use their works of art to wrap small gifts
* shred the paper to use in lieu of tissue in gift bags (this also is good for packing material, when mailing a gift)
* attach special drawings to card stock and fold into cards (cards can cost an average of $3 or more, and these free cards will have much more meaning to a parent or grandparent)

I would love to hear other ideas as well, so please share in the comments below.

2 is the number for Opposites

I am on my third round of the terrible twos.  Having two brothers before him, Finn has to try harder to break Mommy down, because Mommy has way more tricks up her sleeve than she did 2 kids ago.  Enter in, the rule of opposites.  Two year olds love to assert themselves, speak their mind and feel like they are making their own decisions.  I say feel, because the bright side about the terrible twos, is that they are only 2, and therefore quite easy to trick.  So when Finn doesn't feel like eating his dinner, I simply tell him not to.  This trick is best used with a big smile on your face so it is not confused with a real 'NO'.  All throughout our meal, I tell Finn not to eat his dinner and he tells me he can and then he does.  This has been working for weeks now, on everything from eating to giving hugs.  Even last night, during what is normally a long bed time routine of  Mommy and Daddy telling him to lay down and be quiet- we pulled out the rule of opposites, told him not to lay down, and definitely don't close you eyes...  and it worked!  Now I am sure this will stop being effective soon enough, but for now I am thankful for every meal and bedtime we get through without a war of wits.

Welcome

I am Kimberly, the Mama in the Middle. Why do I call myself that? Let me count the ways...
I am a middle sister
I am middle sized
I am in the middle of being a city gal and a hippie
I have a middle amount of kids (he wanted 2, I wanted 4)
I have a middle income
I tend to take the middle road.... and so the list goes on.

The purpose of this little slice of the blogging world, is to share with others my middle ideas and experiences. Here I will share tips and funny stories on parenting, easy ways to save money (and the planet), and a whole lot more. I am no expert, but I have alot of experience and am a bit of a Jill of all trades.

Thanks for stopping by.