Parent Hacks

Hands-free trash can encourages kids to tidy up

We were just houseguests at a friend's home, and she had this hands-free trash can tucked away in her kitchen. Not only did my clean-freak husband practically swoon with delight (his pet peeve: touching the trash can lid), it was all my kids could do to find stuff to throw...

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Give each kid a custom CD -- from your iTunes music library

Brian's hack for keeping everyone happy with the music selection in the car: A while ago I took to "ripping" my entire CD collection to iTunes. No big deal, a lot of ParentHackers probably have done this. Among the benefits: listening to any part of my CD collection while I'm...

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iCrib: iPod for babies

'Twinkle, Twinkle' is for babies! I want my Zeppelin! Because it's now countdown to the Big Present Hullabaloo, and because it involves an iPod and babies, and because we can...we present you with the iCrib Sound System. It's an iPod speaker with a nightlight that attaches to the side of...

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Easy holiday cards kids can make themselves

Amber Carvan, creator of the lovely email newsletter Kids Craft Weekly, shares some simple, beautiful ideas for homemade holiday cards. And, for a fun way to get those cards out into the world, Amber's hosting an international card swap: Through the swap, participating children send handmade cards to ten specific...

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Put your mail on vacation hold

It's a good day to remind you about the U. S. Postal Service site, where you can put your mail on vacation hold. Tags: Family travel

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Ask MeFi: On parental happiness

(Good stuff on the net today!) Now here's an Ask MetaFilter thread you can really sink your teeth into. Especially as we approach the American Day of Thanks tomorrow: Does having kids actually make people less happy? The answers are fascinating and honest. A friend and I were talking about...

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Ask MeFi: Internet games/sites for young kids

There's a growing thread on Ask MetaFilter about favorite net games for young kids. Here's a link back to our discussion about online games a while back. Tags: Family tech, Games, Parenting

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No-clutter gifts? Talk amongst yourselves.

Rookie Moms Heather and Whitney have started a list of gifts "that will not result in more stuff to put away, step around, or sterilize." Brilliant! Most of us have far too much crap decking the halls anyway. There's always the old stand-by: the gift card at Amazon or [insert...

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Good kid music: "Ablum" by Duplex

Kelly wrote to me singing the praises of the CD "Ablum" by Duplex. Here's her review: We first saw Duplex at Vancouver (BC)'s Word on the Street bandstand, and they were the most fun we'd seen or heard in a long time. This is parents and kids singing and playing...

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Spouse-life-parenting balance

Juggling parenthood and marriage: how?

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20 minute dinner: My favorite stir-fry

Strangely enough, my finicky kids love almost any kind of Asian food. Chinese, Japanese, Thai...it's all good. As a result, I cook a lot of stir-fry. Here's my favorite stir-fry sauce (and I've tried a million), from Mollie Katzen's Still Life with Menu. It's from her recipe for Kung Pao...

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Parent Hacks admin: WichiTalk puts Parent Hacks in the top 10

Helloooooo, Kansas! Jillian Cohan of the Wichita Eagle calls Parent Hacks one of the Web's "10 most useful sites for women." She went on to list nine other DIY-oriented sites, including Ask Patty (automotive advice), BeJane (home improvement tips), and You Grow Girl (a favorite site about gardening). Thank you,...

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Use a light timer with your slow cooker

Kristi adds to the labor-saving loveliness of the slow cooker.

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More uses for the carabiner

I love carabiners, and so does Maggie: I have another use for those caribiners...I keep one in my bag for two things: 1) When my kid sheds an article of clothing, I can clip it to my bag or a belt loop so I don't lose it (and don't have...

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Duct tape makes socks non-slip

How do I love thee (duct tape)? Let me count the ways... From Dot: Add this to the uses for duct tape... with the weather getting colder, I was concerned that my baby’s little toes would be cold as he padded around the house yesterday. So I made his socks...

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