Friday, January 30, 2009

Tip Swap

I love tips. I love crafty ideas for organization, discipline, cleaning, storage, entertainment...anything!



So today I would like us to swap mom tips! I have a few that make my life and/or my family's life much easier. You moms probably know or do most of these but then maybe some of it is new to you or you can put your own spin on it.



1) Port-0-potty. When Bella started wearing big girl panties, we began toting the potty with us when we traveled or went anywhere that a clean restroom wouldn't be available. Of course there are potties made specifically for travel, and that is awesome, but you can also just take your kids' potty, insert plastic bags and remove once used!



2) Cookie Cutters. These make everything taste better and crafts more fun. My kids will eat just about anything if it comes in a shape. And don't just go for stars and hearts...there are great cookie cutter sites that sell everything from fire hydrant to groundhog shapes. Cookiecutter.com is great (Paypal friendly), as is thecookiecuttershop.com.



3) Pizza Wheel. These are perfect for trimming off the crusts of sandwiches, quartering quesadillas, cutting herbs (like messy cilantro) and brownies.


4) Vicks Vapor Rub. This works amazingly when you rub it on the bottom of your child's feet and cover with socks. The night time coughing will reduce greatly or stop altogether. Seriously!

My girls love to be independent...sometimes. I certainly like to encourage it...sometimes :) So...


5) Kid Pantry. My children eat all day long. They are snackers. So I have low shelves in my pantry with little baskets of food they can help themselves to. Organic fruit strips, little boxes of raisins or craisins, Goldfish crackers in little ziplock baggies, unsweetened applesauce or Ava's fave...mandarin oranges (I drain the sweet juice out before she inhales them).



6) Kid Fridge. Bella knows how to open the fridge door and would stand in it to reach whatever she wanted. Now she has a low shelf in the fridge with a cup of celery and baby carrots in water, apples, pears and string cheese.



7) Baby Wipes Containers. These are excellent for storage use. You can stuff them with plastic bags and keep in the car (you know you always need a plastic baggie when there isn't one available!). Or fill them with craft supplies like brushes and paints.


Your turn!

4 comments:

tallulah said...

Oh geez! You sound so organized. I want to eat at your house!

Ummmm....my Mom tips have everything to do with "How to make a very strong martini without passing out before dinner is made" and "How to duct tape your childrens mouths so they can still breathe".

If you ever need tips in these areas...email me.

Jennboree said...

Hahahaha... Will do.

Anonymous said...

um um....

My pet peeve is putting snacks together for car rides/trips out etc. The part I hate is trying to pry open granola bar boxes etc. or finding the box empty when I thought I had enough supplies....so I dump ALL snack stuff kid-related into one large box that sits in the snack shelf all to itself. Voila! I just use a shoe box.

Veggie Patch cheese & veggie nuggets. Look like chicken nuggets, smell like chicken nuggets, send 'em on a plate with ketchup and you've got them tricked into eating spinach. Love them!

OH and if you tell your kid that yogurt is ice cream and it is thick enough he/she may not notice the difference and say "SCORE! Mom is giving me my own container of ice cream to myself! Watch me devour it all in one sitting. Booo ha ha haaaa."

Anonymous said...

p.s. you probably guessed that was me....

Now you think you got 2 more comments when really you just got one CANADIAN one.

~Kandace