Zen Chores 09/29/2011
 One bowl + 20 little jobs that are regularly in need of doing, printed on strips of paper.  Everyday the child picks two and, from those, chooses* one chore to complete. *Adding the element of choice mitigates a power struggle. Add Comment Emergency Car Bars 09/08/2011
As the school year kicks into high gear, it seems we are constantly on the go. Often times this means we are near starvation after soccer practice.  To rescue famished passengers, keep a box of granola bars (without chocolate) in the trunk of your car for emergencies. The trick is to keep them in the waaay back, or expect that these will be eaten too quickly. After all, if it isn't worth pulling over for, it's not a hunger emergency.  You won't believe how many hunger-induced meltdowns you'll avoid! A straw man argument 08/25/2011
 "Hey, that was my water glass!” “No, it isn’t. I set mine down right here!”  Resolve these unnecessary altercations with colored straws. IKEA puts out a 4-color pack that’s just perfect for this trick. Just have everyone pick a color to distinguish their glass. As an added bonus, with fewer glasses abandoned there are fewer glasses to wash.  Keep the straws right next to the water glasses to make this an easy habit to adopt. The TV Alternative List 08/18/2011
 For the near daily dilemma of what else can keep them busy--this little list provides ideas and activities at that critical moment--when your brain is busy trying to plan dinner.  Ask your child to help brainstorm a list of fun things they like to do at a time when you are both feeling more resourceful. Then print it out and keep it right next to the remotes.  I also have a reusable TV time card and mark off screen time (in 30 minute increments) as she uses it. This allows her to visually see her limited quantity of time AND I can cross out boxes of time for bad behavior. At the end of the week I dab a little hand sanitizer on a cotton ball and erase the sharpie marks like magic! Explorer pack 08/04/2011
 Next time you head out camping, or even just a walk through a wooded park, pack a little bag to spark your child’s sense of adventure.  A plastic magnifying glass, a bag for collecting bits of nature, binoculars, and a field guide are all good additions. Throw in the bug spray, Band-Aids, and “emergency” granola bars--just in case.  Then let your little trail blazer lead the way. Junk in your trunk? 05/19/2011
 Keeping a few bungee cords in the back will restrain almost anything you can fit in there.  Now you can take those corners at 50 without spilling your groceries!  Although bungee cords do make a tempting child restraint, the highway patrol seriously frowns on this practice. The key to being carefree 05/10/2011
 Nothing is more aggravating than losing your keys. It can really spoil an otherwise sunny afternoon.  But if you keep your keys on a handy carabiner, they easily clip onto the strap of any bag--never again to be lost to the abyss of your purse or beneath your beach blanket. With love from the glove box 05/04/2011
 You'll just have to trust me on this--keeping several note/thank you cards in your glove box is a life changer. OK, that may be a stretch, but seriously, think of how often you wait idly in your car. Waiting to pick up your kid, waiting for the end of practice. Because when you build ten minutes of cushion time into all your appointments, you will easily find an extra five to write a simple note. Now you can let all of the people in your life know how much you care, without starting with “sorry this card is so late, but...”  Bonus points if you keep several stamps in your wallet! Hottest Hook-up Ever!! 04/28/2011
 I make it a point to never divulge details of my hook-ups, but this was just too good! That's right, adhesive Command Hooks placed on the inside of the baking cabinet door...  or the spice cabinet. This solution not only provides extremely convenient access to your measuring tools, it conserves drawer space too. Now that's a hot hook-up! Male Refrigerator Blindness can be cured! 04/21/2011
 "I can't find anything to eat!" And just like that Male Refrigerator Blindness (MRB) has claimed another victim. The disorder is best characterized as a selective loss of visual acuity in association with a common foraging behaviour. "Despite the high prevalence of refrigerator blindness, its cause has not been established. The predisposition of males implies a genetic mechanism, but the refrigerator itself must trigger an inborn potential, since individuals become symptomatic only when standing in front of an open fridge. Possibly the hum of this apparatus (particularly older ones) mimics sounds once heard in the nurturing confines of the uterus, subconsciously reconnecting affected individuals with an environment where their nutrition was reliably provided even when they had their eyes closed". You can read more about this unfortunate illness at http://bit.ly/frigdeblind. If you've been battling MRB, help is on the way!  Sure you've relied on a lazy susan in your spice cabinet for years, so why not try it in the fridge? Located on the secluded middle shelf, the lazy susan solves 2 problems: first, it keeps leftovers from languishing behind the applesauce and second, with a simple spin of the susan, Male Refrigerator Blindness has found its cure  Soup: YUM! | Author Julie Rasmussen, ArchivesSeptember 2011 CategoriesAll |
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