medicine cabinet must have - PROBIOTICS

A lot of folks I know have been passing around various tummy problems lately. That reminded me of this great product and I just had to share. I recommend this to any family of any size : probiotics! Don't know what they are? They are similar to yogurt in that they are cultured bacteria that are good for your gut. You can take them in food, liquid, or capsule form. They help build your guts good "flora" and aid in your digestive and immune systems. They are highly recommended after a round of any antibiotics because they replace what was killed off during the "anti" biotics regimen and ward off the yeast overgrowth and other complications. They also help shorten the duration of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that mostly tummy "bugs" cause. There is all kinds but my favorite is Tummy Tune Up from www.beeyoutiful.com . I like it because everyone in my family can use it (I just open the capsule and use the powder inside for the littlest ones) and it is stable at room temperature (some kinds have to be refrigerated). Do any of you just LOVE probiotics? Any good testimonials of their effectiveness for folks who have never heard of them?

Kid's toys: Magnetix

Isn't it fabulous to find a toy that occupies your child for a long period of time? When those toys are also good for creativity and do NOT plug in or require batteries it is just layers of icing on an already incredible cake! A friend of mine recently brought some of these magnetic building toys to my kids to keep them busy while I was recovering from the flu. I was delighted that all five of my kids from age 1 to age 10 were kept creatively busy with them for at least an hour. They have returned to them at least once a day for over week since. I must admit I am impressed. These "Magnetix" as they are called, come in all sorts of sets and shapes and sizes widely varying in cost. What building toy has your child liked?

music - DVD for kids

I highly recommend this music DVD for kids of all ages. It doubles as a VBS curriculum aide as well! My little and big kids love singing and dancing to this one. The music is wholesome and it is great to see them dance around the house while we play it. I admit I usually end up joining in as well! I got mine right from the band's website www.gofishguys.com but it can be found on other discount sites as well, like www.cbd.com. What good kids music do you love to play in your home?

In the kitchen: natural lunchmeat

Hormel has a line of lunchmeats with NO MSG, NO NITRATES or NITRITES, and no artificials that make us moms leary. Way to go Hormel! Thanks for caring about what we care about and not charging us an arm and a leg for it! What do you think of Hormel's line of natural lunch meats? Do you have any other favorite healthy alternatives?

school/office: pencil sharpeners

Over the past 6 or so years running a home-based business and homeschooling the kids we have tried dozens of little personal pencil sharpeners as well as battery operated ones and some of the plug-in variety. I am sure we have spent around $200 or so with all these experiments. Frankly, they all sucked! Either the kids couldn't operate them properly, they just didn't sharpen nicely, or in one case, they constantly dismounted from the file cabinet and made a giant mess on the floor. I kept remembering the "old-fashioned" hand crank ones that were mounted to the wall in elementary school rooms from my past. I finally decided to do an internet search for one and couldn't believe that they were actually AFFORDABLE. Much more so than the plug-in ones too...and no batteries to replace! We got one and my husband mounted it right over the garbage can. (That way when the kids take turns opening it to empty the extra can spill right into the can.) It works like a dream! The kids are taking turns sharpening a whole week's worth of pencils at a time! No more, "My pencil is not sharp!" excuse when asked to complete homework! Amazing what a relief it is to find a good product that works and only requires elbow grease! What kind of pencil sharpener do you use? Have you had similar issues finding a good one? This one pictured is less than $20.00! I ordered it from OfficeMax.com

Toys for kids: Activity Tables

Tables like these can be found everywhere in stores and online and can be invaluable when it comes to occupying young children. A friend of mine was recently raving about how much she is enjoying her sand and water table that her children got as a gift this Christmas. Instead of using it as an outdoor sand table, she filled the bottom with dried beans and they play with it in the dining room. She has four young boys and they ALL are enjoying using it. They take their action figures and cars and trucks and make it a big construction scene or jungle or whatever their little minds come up with. What a great idea! What activity table do you like? Do you use yours in a unique way?