Let's See Those Adorable Costumed Children of Yours!

Hi, Mamas! Happy Halloween! I'm itching to see pictures of everyone's kids in costume. When you get a free moment this week, please post a photo or two for us to ooooooh and ahhhhh over!
-Maureen

How to prevent a toy tsunami?

Apologies for raising this topic before Halloween, but the holiday catalogs all arrived this week and they got me thinking...

This Christmas will be the first for our daughter, Alena, who is the 1st grandchild on both sides of our family. Family members already adore buying her things whenever they are inspired, including toys, clothes and books. Like most kids (I think?), Alena tends to prefer playing with real household items over toys, so the majority of her stuffed animals and toys get ignored. I have done my best to borrow from friends all the different baby gear and toys she might use at a certain stage, so that I can give them back and not amass a huge collection of plastic crap. The challenge lies in how to encourage/guide family members in their very generous desire to give. Does anyone have ideas of gifts I could suggest that would be fun, useful and longer-term for a 1-year old? I live in D.C. so the zoo and museums are free (otherwise season passes would be great), and the only other idea I have is a gift certificate to a nice photo studio for portraits (but that's really for me!).

Sleep Deprived

Hey Ya'll...Does anyone have any tips on how to get your baby to sleep through the night??? My baby, Marlee, is 9 months old and is still waking up EVERY 2 HOURS!!! It all started b/c I was so worried that her crying would wake up her older sister who's room is right next to hers that I would run to get her. So, now I'm stuck and she is so used to me coming in and picking her up and nursing her back to sleep. I never had this problem with my 1st b/c the day I gave her formula(6 weeks) she slept through the night! So, I'm at a loss. My Dr. told me to let her cry, but I am just too weak to let her do it. It makes me too sad. So, if you have any ideas, I'm willing to try them...Thanks...Eliza

A blog I like

Hi, mamas. Here's a blog I recently discovered. It's about saving money and being more environmentally conscious at the same time. It's called Wise Bread. Just thought I'd share.
-Maureen

Crock-Pot Recipe: Butternut squash and lentil soup

Mamas, hello. I made this for dinner tonight, and I loooved it! I'm really proud of how it came out. Thought I'd share the recipe. Also, fyi, it's vegan (when made with vegetable broth), low-fat, high-protein, and inexpensive!

Ingredients: 2.5 cups coarsely chopped butternut squash
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped carrot (1 medium)
1 tsp. garam masala spice
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups (2.5 cans) chicken or vegetable broth

Directions: In a 3.5- to 4-qt. Crock-Pot, place squash, lentils, onion, and carrot. Sprinkle with the garam masala and garlic. Pour broth in. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours (or on high heat for 4 to 4.5 hours). That's it! Serves 4 to 6.

Notes: I wrestled with an actual whole butternut squash from the produce section and cut my finger trying to slice the thing into submission. I wonder if the pre-cut and bagged frozen squash (that comes in cubes) would work just as well? I actually have some of that in my freezer but totally forgot about it...
Also, I had to go buy garam masala, but I'm glad I did! It's a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, etc., and it smells (and tastes) wonderful! Really autumn-y. I'm going to find other uses for it.

I'm on the prowl for more healthy, easy, tasty recipes that use inexpensive ingredients, so if you know of any, please post here! Thanks...
-Maureen

Financial strain

Hi, mamas. I am in need of some good money-saving tips at the moment. For instance, what are some healthful dinners that use inexpensive ingredients? What are some good ways to save on everything from clothing and shoes to groceries and basic household items?
Basically, I need to be schooled on how to be really, really cheap.
:-)
Any and all advice is welcome.
Thanks!
-Maureen