Do you have extra stuff lying around that you want to get rid of? Most people do. Whether it’s a closet full of used electronics or a box full of antique collectibles, you can make extra cash selling your stuff online.

Here are just a few of the things you can sell online:

• Gift Cards
• Gold
• Electronics, cameras, computers and computer parts
• Cell Phones
• Vintage Clothing
• Jewelry
• Books
• DVDs and CDs
• Games and software
• Photographs
• Small kitchen appliances and dishes
• Collectibles

Because selling your stuff online is so popular and because others can use the items, there are many websites you can use to sell your stuff to make some extra cash.

1. Amazon – From used books to electronics, games and more you can sell your used stuff on. If you don’t have an Amazon account it’s free and easy to sign up. Then you can begin selling your stuff. Amazon will let you know how much they’ll pay for the item before you ship it.

2. Etsy – Etsy specializes in selling two types of products, vintage and handmade. If you have antique or vintage items in your home you can sell them on Etsy. Jewelry, clothing, and home décor products do well. Create a store for free. Etsy makes it easy.

3. eBay – You can sell just about anything on eBay and if you’re not interested in listing your items yourself there are services that will help you sell your stuff.  eBay does charge a small fee to list your items and a service will take a commission. There are other auction sites you can list your stuff with too.

4. musicMagpie – musicMagpie buys your used DVDs, CDs and games.  And just like Amazon www.musicMagpie.com will tell you what your item is worth before you ship it to them.

Selling your stuff online is an easy way to make some quick cash. Stock up on boxes and paper so you can print your shipping labels and get your stuff in the mail right away. The sooner you ship it to the site, the sooner you get paid.

Clean your home, reduce clutter and profit!

The post 4 Ways to Sell Your Stuff Online and Make Extra Cash appeared first on Mom Chats.

Whether you’re in the mood for something relaxing or something motivating, half an hour can go a long way!

There are endless ways to take a 30 minute break.

Consider these ideas:

• Go for a walk or a run – Get some exercise and enjoy yourself in the Process.
• Write a letter – Sit down and write a letter the old fashioned way.  Maybe you can write to a friend or relative you haven’t talked to in a while. You can even write to someone who has passed away if you’re feeling lonely or nostalgic.
• Make Plans - Take the time to look at your goals and map out a way to reach them.
• Talk to a Friend – Take some time enhancing your friendships.
• Spend some Time on Facebook - If your friends aren’t close by spend some time with them online.
• Go Out for a Meal - Grab a bite at a restaurant as a special treat.
• Daydream - Daydreaming isn’t wasted time if you’re enjoying yourself!  After all, it’s your 30 minute break!
• Listen to Music - Remember when you were a teenager and you’d just listen to your favorite music for an hour or more, uninterrupted by life?  Grab your computer or music player and relax to some tunes.
• Play a game – Enjoy a game of Cheekybingo on the internet.
• Enjoy nature – Go outside and appreciate nature.
• Exercise – There are exercises you can do without needing to go to the gym. Jumping jacks, pushups, and sit ups can get you started.
• Try something new – Decide on something you’d like to try and follow through.

There are so many wonderful ways to use 30 minutes that you’ve set aside for yourself. In just this short period of time, you can really enrich your life!

The post 12 Ways to Take a 30 Minute Break appeared first on Mom Chats.

Well, it looks like my time here has come to an end. I hope that the tips I’ve shared over the last little while have already come in handy and that some will come in handy in the future. Summer is a great time for families to come together and fun…and there’s no need for stress.

If you find yourself getting frazzled by the extra challenges summer can bring, remember a few things:

* Keep Things Simple. Whether you’re planning a party, getting ready for a vacation or preparing a meal, give yourself a break and make sure you get to relax too.

* Bust the “I’m Bored’s”. Remember, your kids probably need a little structure in the summer and if all else fails, let them take their chances by pulling something from the I’m Bored Jar.

* Be Prepared: If you’re going on a road trip, taking the kids camping or just going out on a daytime outing, it pays to be prepared. Write down what you need to bring to avoid any surprises later.

* Encourage Your Children: Get them to try new things. Whether it’s a special summer project or a new business venture, summer is a great time to explore new areas.

And when all else fails, try the adult-oriented frozen treats I talked about last time. They taste great, will help you cool off and wash the stress away.

Thanks for taking the time to follow along. Who knows, maybe I’ll be back again some day soon.

The post Farewell and Summer Survival Tips appeared first on Mom Chats.

As my time here is soon coming to an end, I thought it was time to reserve some fun for us adults. Last time, I shared 15 things you can put into your popsicles that we all kid-friendly. Now this time, let’s switch gears and talk about some frozen treats for adults to enjoy.

* Enhanced Milkshakes: Add a little creme de menth, Kahlua, Sambuca or Irish cream

* Coffee Popsicles: Don’t let Starbucks corner the market on frozen coffee treats when you can make your own at home. To make a coffee popsicle, brew your coffee as usual. Add your favorite sweetener and experiment with a variety of flavored creams.

* Iced Coffee: If you don’t feel like a coffee popsicle, you can still make your own chilled coffee drinks. Fill a glass with ice all the way to the top, add your coffee and flavoring. Use ice cubes made from coffee if you don’t have a watered down result.

* Margaritas and Daiquiris: You can’t go wrong with these yummy drinks. For the uninitiated, margaritas are made with tequila and daiquiris are made with rum. So pick your liquor flavor of choice. You can use a variety of fruit purees to make your slush.

* Booze-Enriched Popsicles: Take any of the popsicle ideas in my last post and add some liquor. For soda-based popsicles try things like vodka or rum. For cream based popsicles, try your favorite liqueur.

* Snowcone Martinis: Add some shaved ice to a martini glass, shake up your favorite martini, pour into the glass and enjoy.

* Bailey’s (or insert your favorite liqueur) Ice Cream: Put that ice cream machine to work with a batch of Bailey’s ice cream. Add just a little bit of flavor or more, if you prefer.

* Frozen Vodka Watermelon: You’ve probably heard of people making a vodka watermelon where a whole vodka bottle is inserted into a watermelon to infuse it with vodka. Well, when you freeze this watermelon, you are in for an amazing treat. We stumbled upon it by accident when we served a vodka watermelon at a party, but it wasn’t finished, so we put it in the freezer. So good!

I hope some of these ideas inspire you to try them or even create your own adult frozen treats. Just like with the popsicle ideas in the last post, it’s pretty hard to go wrong with experimentation.

The post Frozen Treats Aren’t Just for Kids: Yummy Adult Refreshments to Cool Off appeared first on Mom Chats.

The kids (big and small) in this house love popsicles and coming up with new and creative flavors. Seriously, you can’t really go wrong when their frozen treats involved. If you’d like to boost your popsicle creativity, here are 12 ideas for your popsicle molds.

* A Variety of Juices: Instead of using the juice you have on hand, explore different flavors and put them to a taste test. If you’re concerned about sugar content, make sure to choose juices that have no sugar added.

* Sodas Make Delicious Popsicles: You may not want to make a habit it of this, but soda pops make awesome popsicles. Whether it’s Coca-Cola or cream soda, they’re pretty much guaranteed to please. Make sure to leave extra space at the top of each popsicle because the carbonated beverages will expand.

* Add Fruit Pieces: From berries to pieces of melon, fruit is a wonderful addition to any popsicle. My son even recently insisted we added grapes to our latest batch. I was skeptical, but the result was delicious and refreshing.

* Fruit Puree: Instead of fruit chunks, you can puree fruit for a nice smooth texture. Berries, mangoes, peaches and kiwi all work very well.

* Pudding: Adding pudding to a popsicle makes for a richer texture. Prepare the pudding as usual and add a little cool whip or whipped cream for a creamier result.

* Jell-O: Don’t let pudding have all the fun; you can also add Jell-O to your popsicle mold. Prepare it as usual and let it chill in the freezer, instead of the fridge.

* Yogurt: Help them get their calcium and Probiotics in a frozen treat. Yogurt is an easy addition to a popsicle. You can even layer your yogurt for a colorful result.

* Cookie Crumbs: Crumbled Oreos and other cookie crumbs go very well with a dairy-based popsicle like a pudding or yogurt pop.

* Tea: This brings iced tea to a whole new level. Try a variety of flavored herbal teas for a wonderful summertime treat.

* Vegetables: Yes, even some vegetables go well in popsicles. Try a carrot or yam puree. Or how about some mashed avocado.

* Other Ideas: Try things like melted chocolate, peanut butter, Nutella, herbs and even add health boosts like wheat germ.

The key to a great popsicle is to experiment. If you think it will taste good, try it out. Chances are, you’ll have a hit. And remember, popsicles aren’t just for kids. Any of these ideas are great for adults and I’ll have some more adult-oriented frozen treat ideas for you next time.

The post 15 Popsicle Ideas: Sweet Treats to Beat the Heat appeared first on Mom Chats.

Even though we helped cure the “I’m Bored’s” a few posts ago, a parent can use all the help they can get, right? If you’re kids are into crafting, here are a few fun crafts you might want to try.

1. Seashell crafts: With a bit of glue, some shells and maybe some googly eyes, kids can create seashell characters and scenes.
2. Tie-dyed t-shirts: Always a great make-em-outside type of craft. Get some plain white t-shirts, elastic bands and hot water dye…and you’re good to go.
3. Make a Kite: All you need is some old newspapers, sticks, masking tape and string to make a homemade kite. Children can paint the newspaper to customize their kite.
4. Homemade Sidewalk Chalk: Who knew you could make your own chalk? All you need is two parts Plaster of Paris to one part acrylic or tempera paint. Place in molds until fully dry (up to 48 hours) and you’ve got chalk!
5. Vacation Memory Jars: Here’s a cool idea from Martha Stewarts’ website at http://www.marthastewart.com/266957/vacation-memory-jars – Kids can place all their souvenirs and memories from a vacation in a jar and then place it on display in their room.
6. Patio Lanterns: Lanterns can be made from used tin cans. Just clean them out and use a hammer and a nail to draw a design with small holes. Of course, adults will need to make the holes, but children can paint the cans afterward. Insert a candle, wait until dark and light it up.
7. Fun Flip-Flops: Decorate your flip flops with jewels, flowers and other fun embellishments.
8. Nature’s Paintbrushes: Use items from nature to create unique brush strokes on your next pain project. Try dandelions, sticks and more.
9. Summer Treats: Get crafty with food. Make treats like popsicles and homemade ice cream. I’ve even got some more ideas for these in the next couple of posts.

It’s easy to get fun and creative this summer with some inexpensive supplies. You probably even have most of the supplies needed in your house right now. Have fun using your imagination!

The post 9 Fun Summer Crafts appeared first on Mom Chats.

If your kids are like mine, they’re always trying to come up with ideas for earning extra money. They’ve got that entrepreneurial spirit and I try to do what I can to foster that. The experiences they get and the lessons they learn now will serve them well into the future.

If your kids have a desire to set up shop this summer, here are a few things they can do:

Drink or Snack Stand: It’s an old classic and probably the simplest idea for young children. Unfortunately, roadside lemonade sales aren’t quite what they used to be, but it’s a great experience for young ones.

Garage or Yard Sale: It’s a great way for kids to clear their rooms of clutter and make some money. You can help children price their items, make sure they get enough signs around the neighborhood and invite friends and family to attend.

eBay Sales: Take the garage or yard sale and go digital. With your supervision, kids can learn to sell items on eBay and other online sites. They will learn skills like photography, writing descriptions, written communication, budgeting for shipping and more.

Blogging: While most new bloggers may not make much money to start, maintaining a blog allows your children to express themselves creatively and to grow business skills as well. They can actually set up a free blog with services like http://wordpress.com or http://blogger.com.

Lawn Maintenance and Odd Jobs: Your kids can place flyers in the mailboxes around the neighborhood, offering their services for mowing lawns, watering gardens and doing other odd jobs around the house.

Dog Walking: Many people will appreciate the opportunity to have someone walk their dog while they are away during the day. It also helps ensure your children stay active while they’re earning extra money.

House and Pet Sitting: While your neighbors are on vacation, your kids can help take in mail, water plants and even take care of pets. It’s peace of mind for your neighbors and teaches plenty of responsibility to your children.

Cleaning: If your children have some commendable cleaning talents, they can rent those out. Whether it’s regular vacuuming or cleaning windows, there are plenty of cleaning services they can offer.

Tutoring: Many parents look for the opportunity for their children to brush up on or improve their educational skills in the summer. This is a great opportunity for your own children to offer their tutoring services.

Sell Handmade Items on Etsy: Selling on http://etsy.com can be really fun and creative, but word of warning, research should be done before spending time making handmade items. It’s easy for kids to get gung-ho about a craft they like, but if it’s not something people are willing to pay for, it can be a wasted effort.

Not only is starting a little summer business a great learning experience for your children, it sure is a great “I’m Bored” buster too. Talk to your kids and see which ideas interest them most and see how you might be able to make it happen.

The post The Lemonade Stand and Other Entrepreneurial Ideas for Kids appeared first on Mom Chats.

There’s nothing worse than sweltering in the heat all day and the realizing…gasp…you have to make dinner. If the thought of a hot stove is unappealing, here are some ideas that might make dinner preparation a whole lot easier.

A Couple Starter Tips:

• Do as much dinner preparation as possible in the morning when it’s much cooler.
• Keep plenty of fruits and vegetables around for fresh and cool meals.

Hot Day Dinner Ideas:

• Hearty Green Salad: Mix up your usual green salad with all your favorite vegetables, berries, nuts or other additions. Add leftover meats like chicken or thinly cut steak or you can even add sandwich meats. For a fun meal, pre-chop all the ingredients and allow family members to assemble their own salads.
• Sandwiches: A good old standard that doesn’t just have to be for lunch. You can easily make sandwiches ahead of time and just serve them when ready.
• Crockpot Meals: A great way to serve up a warm meal without all the sweating is to fire up your crockpot in the morning and let it do the cooking for you. Then come dinner time, everything is ready to go.
• Pasta Salad: If you’re not in mood for warm pasta, make a cold pasta meal instead. Try macaroni, rotini and even a more hearty tortellini as your salad base. Add your favorite vegetables, meat and dressing.
• Lettuce Wraps: There’s something so refreshing about a cold egg or chicken salad wrapped in lettuce and it’s a nice change from a regular old salad. You can use whatever type of lettuce you’d like, but iceberg provides a good cool crunch.
• Meat and Cheese Plate: Another great, make ahead dinner item. Add your favorite meats, cheeses and perhaps some chopped raw vegetables. Serve with crackers or buns and build your own sandwiches if you’d like.
• Cold Proteins: Nobody said things like chicken, salmon or shrimp needed to be served hot. Cook them ahead of time and serve them cold.
• BBQ Grill: If you don’t mind a little heat from the grill, fresh-air cooking on the grill rarely disappoints. Marinate your meats and chop up your vegetables in the morning. Then when it’s time to grill, fire up your barbecue and you’re ready to go.

There’s no need to heat up your house with an oven…it’s probably already hot enough. Pick from some of these great meal ideas to keep things delicious and simple this summer.

The post Too Hot to Cook? Easy Summer Dinner Ideas appeared first on Mom Chats.

Packing all the kids and the family dog into the car can be an incredibly fun, but terribly crowding experience. But there are a few tips and tricks you can use to keep more of the fun in your family bonding time.

#1 – Plan Together

While the final decisions are Mom and Dad’s, it can be fun for the children to plot out your trip on a map. They can also research the places you’re doing to stay, eat and visit. Holding a road trip planning meeting is a great bonding experience, helps the kids feel involved and helps them understand what goes into planning a trip.

# 2 – Get Your Vehicle Ready

Make sure you get your vehicle maintenance done and your car is inspected for safety. Ensure your washer fluid is topped up (to get those splattered bugs off the windshield) and your spare tire and jack are in good order.

#3 – Pack it Up

Exactly what you need will depend on where you’re going and how long you’ll be there. But for the purposes of being on the road, here are a few things you should bring along.

• Healthy snacks: Instead of stopping at a fast food restaurant or gas station to fuel yourselves up, take the time to pack some healthy and inexpensive food to come with you.
• Water: Bring plenty of water on your trip and make sure everyone stays hydrated.
• First Aid Kit: Get a new one or make sure your existing first aid kit is all stocked up.
• Flash light and Safety Flares: Make sure the batteries are all charged up.
• Toilet Paper: You never know when you might need it.
• Blankets and Pillows: Especially if you’re traveling at night.
• Entertainment: Pick what your family likes best. Whether it’s art supplies, books, digital devices or a special musical playlist, get it ready in advance.

#3: The “Everybody Pees and Burns Energy at Stops” Rule

We have a rule that everyone gets out of the car and pees when we make an official rest stop. You know how it is. A kid will say he doesn’t need to go, but once on the toilet, things usually flow freely. If you don’t make them do it, you know you’ll be stopping again a short while later.

Everyone also has to get out and burn off some energy. Whether it’s a foot race between trees or kicking a ball around, being cooped up in a car all day requires some physical activity breaks.

#4: Plan the Food

While you may not know exactly where you’ll be at which time and on which day, you can do research on good places to eat on the road. Look for family friendly options and places where kids eat free. You can also check the website http://restaurant.com and pre-order gift cards that will give you some pretty good discounts at restaurants all over the United States.

#5: Have Fun Along the Way

There’s plenty of interactive fun you can do while cooped up in the car. Prepare a scavenger hunt by making a list of things you might see on the road (ex. a green van, a certain type of tree, etc.). While the “Punch Buggy” or “Slug Bug” isn’t as abundant as they were years ago, you can play a game to find cars of a certain make and/or color. And of course, the sing-a-long is always great, as long as the driver doesn’t mind.

#6: Be Prepared for Messes

Messes happen, so come prepared. Pack paper towels, wet wipes, garbage bags and a laundry bag. Where possible, plan your eating and drinking for rest stops, but go with the flow, where needed.

The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the ride. While you might be in a hurry to reach your destination, be prepared to make adjustments to your plan, as necessary. After all, you want everyone to remember the whole trip fondly…not just the final destination.

The post Family Road Trip Sanity Tips appeared first on Mom Chats.

Now that you’ve got the kids doing fun stuff and you’ve chased the “I’m Bored’s” away, let’s talk about the really fun stuff…vacation! Whether you’re going camping or taking a road trip, I’ve got some ideas for making it a whole lot easier on you.

Let’s start with the camping.

Enjoying the outdoors is a great family activity and it can be quite economical as well. The trick comes in the packing and meal planning, but with a little know how, it can be a snap as well.

#1 – Do Your Research

Whether you’re planning a long road trip or just a quick weekend getaway, it helps to do your research first. You can look for features like swimming, flush toilets, showers, hookups or if you prefer more of a roughing it experience, these things may not be important. If you’re taking small children, you may want to avoid being close to rivers and other potential dangers.

In more popular campgrounds, they can get quite busy, so you may need to consider making reservations. Reservations usually carry a processing fee of some type, but they reserve a specific campsite for you.

#2 – Make a List

Camping sounds so simple, but it requires more packing than most trips. Plus, when you have kids coming along, it makes things a bit more complex. I actually keep a master list of things to bring and adjust it as necessary, depending on the specific trip.

Then there’s the issue of limited space in the vehicle. We drive a fairly small Mazda 5. It seats 6, but has very little storage space outside the seating area. We have 2 adults, 3 kids and 2 dogs traveling, so it’s pretty tight to say the least. We have a car roof luggage bag that allows us to put a lot of our stuff on the roof, giving us just a little more leg room.

Check the weather before you go and bring appropriate clothing. If it’s going to rain, boots, rain coats and warmer clothing are in order.

# 3 – Meal Planning

Planning meals can be one of the most time intensive, but one of the best parts of the trip. Keeping meals simple and prepping whatever you can ahead of time, will make your life a whole lot easier. Precut vegetables, marinate meats and shred cheeses, for example.

Keep in mind the cooking apparatus you have available as well? If you’ll be cooking over the fire, invest in a cooking cage where you can place meats and vegetables. And don’t forget the cooking sticks for hot dogs, marshmallows and more. If you have a portable barbecue or stove, you have more options…but remember, it probably means there will be more dishes to do.

#4 – Educate the Kids on Animal Safety and Nature

It’s important that children understand and respect nature. This is not only for preservation and educational reasons, but for safety as well.

Find out what kind of animals will be in the area and discuss safety with the children. You don’t want to scare them, but you do want them to understand what they should do if they see a bear in the area. They should also understand that they shouldn’t leave garbage, food or drinks lying around and can pitch in with getting the garbage and recycling to the proper receptacles.

Also, nature should be disturbed as little as possible so it can be preserved. In fact, it’s the law in most places. Children shouldn’t pick flowers (I know, it’s so hard to resist) and if they find cool things like tadpoles, they can investigate them, but they should release them back into the water when they’re done.

#5 – Arrive Early and Get Organized

Always give yourself an arrival time several hours before it gets dark. Trying to put up a tent and organize everything is no fun in the dark, especially when you have little ones under foot. Setting up camp requires a lot of attention, so it’s possible small children might wander off. To prevent this, give each family member a task to pitch in to get camp ready. If you have older children with you, they can be in charge of watching younger children, so you can focus on the work that needs to be done.

While you’re camping, there are regular daily tasks to do like meal preparation, dish washing, garbage and recycling, gathering water and chopping firewood. Make sure each family member knows what their responsibilities are, to keep things running smoothly and shipshape.

#6 – Have Fun

Of course, the most important thing is to have fun. Don’t worry about bringing a bunch of toys and things to keep the kids occupied because the point is to be in nature. Sometimes, it can take kids a little while to get accustomed to finding fun in the woods, but once they get a handle on it, the fun comes naturally.

Check the campground schedule to see if they have any scheduled activities for the family or for the kids. There are often educational programs, nature walks and even opportunities to learn how to fish. The kids always love these, so definitely take advantage.

Family camping takes some planning and preparation, but the memories are so worth it. And after you’ve been a few times, it gets to be second nature. My kids ask me all year round, “When are we going camping?” so I know the effort has been worthwhile.

The post Roughing it with the Kids: 6 Camping Tips To Ensure a Great Trip appeared first on Mom Chats.