Easy Entertaining

Here are two very simple, very tasty treats that were scoped out at the recent holiday parties. Keep them in mind for your next gathering, birthdays, superbowl, etc.

Easy Beef Cheeseball:
1 package soft cream cheese
1 package sliced beef (the cheap stuff works just fine)
4 green onions chopped, save the greens
1 tbsp. Mayo
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Mix it all together, form into a ball and roll in the chopped greens if you like. Chill in fridge for a couple of hours. Serve with crackers!

Tortilla Chip Dip:
1 packet taco seasoning
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 lg. package of velveeta
1 can black beans

Brown the meat, and add taco seasoning according to packet instructions. Cube the cheese and toss in a crock pot or pan on the stove. Add the beans to the cheese and when the meat is ready toss that in too! Mix until all is creamy and serve warm next to a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa! Heck, you could even mix the salsa in the dip!

Do you have a simple and tasty treat that is a favorite at your gatherings? Share it with us!

Make Something NEW From Old Boxes

Wait! Don't recycle all those great cardboard boxes from the holidays... REUSE them first!

Boxes are a wonderful, free, easy kid-pleasing toy. Haven't you ever known a kid who liked the box better than the present it contained? Or who refused to let you recycle the box because it was too cool? (If you haven't known any kids like that, you can read David Shannon's picture book Too Many Toys to see one funny example!)

From big boxes, we have made...
a giant gingerbread house
a living room planetarium
a spaceship
a speed boat
a pirate ship
a tree
and more...

From medium boxes we have made...
armor and helmets
shields and weapons (cut from the sides)
cities for small cars
beds for dolls
a stove and refrigerator
a "control panel" with stickers for buttons and lights
and more...

From small boxes we have made...
containers for special collections (decorate the outside to match what's inside)
funny shoes
building blocks
magazine holders
chunky books for toddlers
dioramas of all kinds of scenes
and more!

What great creations has your family made with reused materials?

Reader Tip: Packing Peanut Creations

Gina at Money Making Mommy sent us a great tip for keeping little ones occupied! Here is what she had to say:


"Looking for a project to do on these long winter break days? Dig out some of the packing peanuts that came with your shipped holiday gifts. Set the kids up with glue, construction paper, and a bowl of Styrofoam peanuts to make Snow Pictures.

I gave the toddlers some glue with a paintbrush; it's a good skill for them to work on and it's a less messy than letting them loose with a bottle of glue.

If you want to encourage eye-hand coordination, draw a snowflake (or any other shape) for the kids to glue their pieces onto. Or, you can encourage letter/number recognition by having them cover their initial or age."


Check out the pictures of this great craft here. Thanks for the fun and frugal tip, Gina!


I loved this idea so much that I did it right away with my boys. We didn't have any packing peanuts on hand so we used buttons!

Be sure to send in pictures of your little ones doing Mom's Marbles activities so we can include them in the Reader Photo Album!

Have a tip you'd like to share? Email us at MomsMarbles(at)hotmail.com!

Saturday Sound Off: Have You Put Christmas Away?

Even with all work and preparation that goes into getting ready for the holidays, they seem to end in an instant.

Too bad we can't just snap our fingers and make the tree, lights, garlands, and wreaths put themselves away.

We're officially 3 days into the new year now. So, how far are you into 'putting the holidays away'?

I know some people are sticklers for having it all down before January 1st. Are you all cleaned up and ready to start the year off fresh or have you not started at all?

Personally, I haven't started putting anything away yet. And, yes, our lights are still up outside...they're even still on. But hey! As long as their down by Valentine's Day right? Just kidding people, I'll hop on it this weekend.

Now it's your turn to sound off! Where is your house on the un-decorating spectrum?

Friday Food Fun: The Food Pyramid

Happy New Year! I've seen so many blogging moms posting about their resolution to eat better, or to help their kids eat better. It's a great goal - one I think we all aspire to - but it doesn't have to feel like work. With your kids, you can make it fun!

The main US government site for nutrition is MyPyramid.gov , which has plenty of good information. They even have pages for a customizable pyramid for Preschoolers and for Kids 6-11 years. The graphics are fun and they have included coloring sheets, an online game, educational materials and ideas for activities and fun foods.

It's hard, sometimes, with all the conflicting information, to choose the best nutritional path for your family. Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food, wrote last year for the New York Times and elsewhere that the simple answer is: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. That's great advice, and easy to follow!

Won't you share your best nutritional advice, favorite websites or other easy healthy eating ideas? Thanks!