Must Have Monday’s 10

Welcome to Must Have Monday’s. Every Monday our reviewers will let you have a sneak peak into what we use in our homes and our lives. Here we will tell you about the things we can’t live without. If you have a “must have” item to pass along please e-mail us. We welcome contributions from our readers and are always looking for new reviewers.

I’m no gourmet cook. Just ask any of my family members. Recently, I found an item that helps me fake that skill though. Ever heard of flavor boosters? They are tubes created by Amore Gourmet of different flavored pastes you can use to cook with. Maybe you have a dish that needs a kick of garlic or a squeeze of hot pepper. They store in your refrigerator once open and are priced around $2.49 – $5.89 per tube, which is low enough to keep several on hand at a time.

Besides the great taste of the tubes I’ve tried, they also take up less space. Your garbage (or recycle bin) may never see a half-used can of tomato paste again, plus the tubes take up minimal storage space in your fridge. They’d be great to keep on hand to make a fancy pasta dish or just to give something a little hint of fresh seasoning.

by Emily

We purchased our first TiVo HD Digital Video Recorder in preparation for our new addition. Not only were we able to pause the TV when our son screamed in his sleep about 50 times a night, but we were also able to record our favorite shows. The first ones he loved were, The Wiggles, Signing Time! and Thomas the Train, which we also recorded.

As a new mom I hibernated for a long time, unable to leave him because of his separation anxiety and I eventually became addicted to some of my now favorite Prime Time shows. The good thing is that I can watch an hour drama in less than 40 minutes by fast forwarding through the commercials I don’t want to watch, and catch up on my favorites any time of day. This includes when I am folding laundry in my pajamas at two o’clock on a Monday afternoon. What convenience!

by Marcie

On an impulse I grabbed some Model Magic Fusion, created by Crayola, for my children while bleeding cash at Target. The plan was to toss them the three colored tubs of dough on a car trip in hopes of occupying at least fifteen minutes of their time.

The results blew me over. The children played with Model Magic Fusion for hours! No exaggeration, they made sunglasses, beards, eggs, animals and all the Scooby-Doo characters out of Model Magic Fusion.

What is most wonderful is that Model Magic Fusion does not dry out like Play-doh, nor does it crumble and stick into the carpet. The downside is that it does not smell good enough to eat. Maybe that is a good thing though?

by Bitsy