How do you stay balanced?

Every mom deserves a Mom’s Night Out. But with today’s economy it’s hard to justify. So, here’s a list of no or low cost Mom's Night Out Ideas that will provide you and your friends months of sanity (and budget) saving ideas.

Sometimes you just luck out when trying a new recipe and create a dish everyone agrees on…like last night’s chicken soup with orzo pasta.  Simple, filling and tasty!  This recipe makes two servings–double up to feed four (or to have leftovers).

1/4 cup chopped white onion

1/4 cup each chopped carrots and celery

1 tbs butter

1 cup cooked chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cans low sodium chicken broth, divided

1/3 cup orzo pasta

pepper, thyme, marjoram, sage (and any other spices you like!) to taste

Forget the tie standby gift and get dad something that suits him. Check out these ideas...

Teach your kids about tough situations and keep them safe. One of the trickiest safety concerns for parents is the issue of dealing with strangers. There is a fine balance between addressing the topic and making your child paranoid and scared of everyone they don’t know.  There are ways to go about the topic that will help your child understand the idea of stranger danger without making them scared of the world.

As a preschooler, your child doesn’t need to know all the graphic details of the horrifying things that can happen if they are abducted by a stranger.  Your worst fear should not become their worst fear.  The good news is, you don’t need to scare your kid to keep them safe.  They just need to know this rule: You (or whoever is entrusted with his care) need to know where he is at every moment.  The simplicity of this statement is what makes it so helpful.  It’s also something they can relate to because they probably want to know where you are at all times too.  It makes sense to them.  Make sure to convey that this rule is absolute and unbreakable. 

-Lucile Ball