Wall-E is a much beloved figure around the Duck household, even before the movie came out. The very first Wall-E toy that we got for Lil’ Duck was this Interaction Wall-E, who loves to chatter and play. Lil’ Duck loves to play with him, the switch is easy to turn off and he likes to play with this Wall-E while off a lot, making him “talk” on his own and such. When we got it, we told him to be gentle to Wall-E’s head per the warning on the back, but we have picked him up by his head and dropped him a few times and nothing happened yet, he’s pretty sturdy. The front flap easily pops on and off if a certain child tries to stuff things “inside” and snaps it off, no harm done. It’s a little loud, but so are most of his toys. Well worth the purchase as he adores it and plays with him constantly, I think the many hours spent with this toy already will only multiply in the future as there is no sign of retiring this little guy in the near future . Plus, he plays so nicely with our iDance Wall-E!

I found this new site with many truly helpful suggestions and ideas on how to save on the family and household budget. Hey, if a mother of seven can save and have the time to do these same tips, then so can I! We all are needing to stretch our grocery budget, and still find ways to provide nutritious and satisfying meals for our families. To help us busy, budget-conscious moms and others like you to overcome this challenge, Libby’s has launched a FREE online resource. You can log onto http://www.getbacktothetable.com/ which features Cost and Time Saving tips.

Plus you will find:

• A recipe database featuring nutritious and tasty recipes that take just ten minutes to make for under $10 or less to prepare for a family of four.
• Downloadable tools for managing grocery budgets and planning out the week’s meals.
• Expert advice from Hannah Keeley, mother of seven and author or The Total Mom Makeover: The Six Week Plan to Completely Transform Your Home, Health, Family and Life.

Visit the site to learn new tips and be prompted to use the ideas you already know in an encouraging and helpful way.

I can’t believe it’s been over a year since we first got the Senseo during a previous promotion – we loved it then and still love it every morning . If you don’t yet have one, head over to the Senseo website – they are running a Share Senseo promotion where you can fill out a short survey for a chance to get the machine, pods & more for only $15 shipping/handling. Yummy. I recommend the Cappuccino Coffee Pods – add a little flavored syrup, milk & whipped cream and it’s almost as good as Starbucks – without the trip out with the little one!

Government schools are interesting environments into which to send your children. And while I am tempted to rail on and on about their evils, I will focus on area that is important on a basic level: Cleanliness.

Last week I was enjoying the Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT and I was struck by something I never noticed in the bathrooms there. Little placards above each sink with the title, “Hand Washing Tips.” Three simple bullets telling you to wet, wash and rinse. I was dumbfounded by both the fact that now my bathroom sinks are advertising spots and that some people lack the basic hygiene to know how to wash their hands!

Cleanliness is an important part of life that we often overlook. How many times do you wash your hands during the day? When was the last time you really deep cleaned the surfaces in your house? Probably not as much as you should, (unless you are lucky and have a maid).

When it comes to the government schools, the majority of children that attend them every day probably are not thinking about the disgusting germs everywhere as much as the cute girl that just started or how to cram for the latest pop quiz the teacher is going to give today. However, due to some diligence by Clorox this should be a bit easier of a job with their “Clean Up The Classroom” campaign. Read more