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Archive: December 2007
25 Dec 07 | Comments: 5
We've come to the end of another year together, and, as usual, I'm feeling rather reflective. 2007 has been a butt-kicker for my family in many ways, so to give a cheerful holiday letter-style wrapup just won't cut it. What...
links for 2007-12-2525 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
The Twelve Principles for finding a lost object If at first you don't succeed... DeliciousBaby Journal | Step By Step: Babyproofing a Hotel Room MyThings - Product Recall Interesting way to streamline tracking product recalls. bubbalulu.com: make things and have...
Shred wrapping paper to use as gift bag filler25 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
From the Hengsts: We shred our used wrapping paper to use as filler in gift bags. Our kids love to help us get the paper ready to put into the shredder. If the pieces are too big, they get to...
Spread out the gift-opening to keep Christmas morning manageable24 Dec 07 | Comments: 8
Another holiday hack from Mel, who seems to have the realities of holiday logistics well thought-out: I know everyone has their own treasured and time-honoured family traditions, but....since we have one young child and an older child who is easily...
links for 2007-12-2424 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
Apartment Therapy ohdeedoh | Free Printable Gift Tags In case you've got a few gifts left to wrap... TED | Talks | Gever Tulley: 5 dangerous things you should let your kids do (video) A reminder to dismantle some of...
Color code gift tags to streamline distribution from under the tree24 Dec 07 | Comments: 5
Mel's gift tag hack (for those of you madly wrapping gifts tonight): I had the kids make tags for Christmas gifts out of plain cardstock. We store all the gifts under the tree until they're ready to leave the house...
Holiday craft: Bread dough ornaments23 Dec 07 | Comments: 2
There's still a bit of time for holiday crafts now that vacation is underway! Margaret shared her recipe for homemade dough ornaments: The holidays bring out the crafty in me! Here's a recipe for bread dough ornaments. I still have...
links for 2007-12-2323 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
The Four Things Children Really Want for Christmas ∞ Get Rich Slowly Mm hmm.
Salvage wrapping paper scraps and rolls for a fun toddler diversion22 Dec 07 | Comments: 5
Sarra's hack reminded me how fun it can be discovering what a toddler finds interesting: After I was done with my Christmas wrapping, I had a bunch of empty wrapping paper rolls and bits of paper too small to use....
links for 2007-12-2222 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
Catalog Choice - Eliminate unwanted catalogs you receive in the mail Thanks for the link, Betsy!
Creepy, irritating children's books21 Dec 07 | Comments: 47
It's amazing how well-aligned our opinions are about creepy or just plain irritating children's books. And here I thought Hayley and I were the only ones who had a problem with Big Nutbrown Hare! Based on your comments, Parenthackers' least...
Make a pomander or an ornament out of an orange21 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
Mmmm, smells good. From Katherine: Take one orange (or clemantine, or whatever... but full-size oranges smell nicer) and stick whole cloves into it, pointy end through the skin. You can lay these out to make a picture, or abstract lines,...
Organizing a collective gift for your daycare providers21 Dec 07 | Comments: 9
May's simple solution for treating her daycare helpers: There are about 5 or 6 people that care for my kids in some capacity at the daycare. Trying to buy gifts for everyone is a sure-fire way to generate hurt feelings....
Salvage batteries when weeding out old toys21 Dec 07 | Comments: 5
I had a DUH moment when reading Duane's hack and realizing how many perfectly good batteries I've thrown away: If you're like us, part of the approaching holiday season is weeding out the older toys to make room. Before you...
The original recipe from the movie Ratatouille (from an insider)21 Dec 07 | Comments: 2
This may be the only gourmet recipe I ever publish on Parent Hacks, but who could resist? A wonderful followup to Rosemary's hack from Candy: My husband works for Pixar. This is the recipe we received when we asked how...
Xeko and Bella Sara winners!20 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
Thank you to all who shared their stories of childhood collections. Isn't it funny to think about what we considered valuable back then? And now onto our winners: The Xeko game goes to Tiffany (lover of Breyer horses), and the...
Gift idea for Dad: Sharpie-embellished wallet20 Dec 07 | Comments: 5
Brian's daughter used Sharpies to craft a unique gift for Dad: My "parent hack" turns out to be the brainchild of my, well, child. I recently bought a new wallet. It's a simple tri-fold style, made of cotton-poly blend (as...
Paper clips as ornament hooks20 Dec 07 | Comments: 4
Christmas decorating in true hacker fashion. From Duane: Inevitably each year you're left with ornaments that have no hook to hang it on. Sure you can buy those packages of hooks, but you end up with 500 when you really...
Working at home while the kids are on holiday break20 Dec 07 | Comments: 5
Guest post by our friends at Work It, Mom!, a wonderful community site for working moms. School vacation is fast approaching and daycares are getting ready for their holiday break -- which means that if you have to get some...
links for 2007-12-2020 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
MetroDad: The Juggle: Parent Hacks for the Inherently Lazy There's no reason to be embarassed, MD. After all, we're the folks who describe how we pee in public restrooms while holding babies!
Endless love: "I Love You More" picture book20 Dec 07 | Comments: 145
My cousin Hayley and I share many sensibilities that don't exactly fit with popular opinion. Here's one: neither of us like the popular children's book Guess How Much I Love You. Remember the one with the Nutbrown Hares comparing how...
Parent Hacks admin: Improved site search and comment spam update20 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
The silver lining that comes with technical problems is that it often prompts you to find a better solution. Thanks to a little code switching and helpful pointers from AJ at Thingamababy, Parent Hacks now sports a new flavor of...
Baby shoes as Christmas ornaments19 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
From Kelly: My aunt gave me this decorating idea: when you have baby shoes your child grew out of that you'd like to keep because they're oh-so-cute and sentimental but don't know where to put them, hang them on the...
Parent Hacks admin: Problems with overeager TypePad spam detection19 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
I apologize to those of you who are wrestling with TypePad's new spam detection "feature." Many of you have written to me telling me that you're having a hard time posting comments because TypePad thinks you're spam. I have no...
Movie-inspired dinners: Ratatouille19 Dec 07 | Comments: 4
Rosemary's story gives us eggplant-lovers hope: With all this talk about sneaking healthy food into our children's meals, the Disney/Pixar movie Ratatouille provides us a wonderful opportunity to get our kids eating healthy without all the trickery. I started making...
Alternative trading card games: Xeko and Bella Sara19 Dec 07 | Comments: 57
It's easy to forget that trading card games are actually games, not just collections of tradable pieces of paper. And while Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic the Gathering and the rest dominate the field, two trading card games attempt to go in...
links for 2007-12-1919 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
Chronicle Books : Ivy + Bean : Educators Elementary school teachers! Win a visit from Ivy + Bean author Annie Barrows. Details here. DIY gift tags | dooce ® I have this little fantasy that everything she touches looks lovely...
Christmas tree light switch delights kids AND protects the tree19 Dec 07 | Comments: 7
Christmas tree light switches are yet another way toddlers can get safely (well, relatively safely) involved with the tree. Your mileage may vary given the activity level of your toddler, but both Christy and Carly have had good luck: From...
Tie-dye tissue wrapping paper18 Dec 07 | Comments: 9
As promised, Melissa's instructions for creating gorgeous tie-dye wrapping paper out of plain white tissue. This looks easy enough for young toddlers, and the results are stunning. Thank you, Melissa!
Toddler-enable your Christmas tree with a few unbreakable ornaments18 Dec 07 | Comments: 10
Another great toddler + Christmas tree hack! So simple, but it works for Carly of durhamregionbaby.com: This is a little late, but I just discovered it the past week or so since our tree has been up. Our daughter is...
How to make flu shots less scary for kids18 Dec 07 | Comments: 12
Shots are scary. No two ways about it. But the anticipation of shots makes it so much worse. Here are some smart ideas for making shots as innocuous as possible (and, yes, I tried to come up with a pun...
links for 2007-12-1818 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
Homemade toddler "messenger bag" from a graham cracker box Joshua got his inspiration from The Toddler's Busy Book, and went on from there. Simple, simple, simple. KaBoom: Find and Rate A Playground Near You Great idea -- a playspace finder....
Huggies deals at Amazon17 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
If you're a Huggies devotee, Amazon's got some good deals going, including an even bigger discount if you sign up for Subscribe & Save . Through December 31, 2007, they're offering 20% off the everyday price (it's usually 15%, plus...
Let pajamas double as long underwear to save time in the morning17 Dec 07 | Comments: 6
I happened onto a time-saving hack this morning because we had to get out the door early for an appointment. It's cooooold, cold enough that I send my daughter to preschool in a layer of long underwear beneath her clothes....
links for 2007-12-1717 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
Baby Cheapskate: Pay It Forward, Santa Style... Can You Help This Family? Angie's helping to raise money for a family in need.
Aquadoodle water pen doubles as envelope sealer17 Dec 07 | Comments: 5
A tongue-saving hack from Kate, one of the co-founders of aftertheyhatch.com: We didn't want to lick 100 holiday card envelopes, so we used my son's Aquadoodle pen. [It's basically a felt-tipped pen filled with water. -- Ed.] It worked like...
links for 2007-12-1616 Dec 07 | Comments: 3
Unclutterer » Archive » What to do with holiday cards? Recycle! Turn 'em into holiday postcards and gift tags. Smart!
Amazon holiday ordering cutoffs for last-minute shoppers16 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
Ahhhh. My holiday gift-giving is all done -- we celebrate Hanukkah, which ended last week. So I have the pleasure of completely sidestepping the craziness that is brick-and-mortar shopping during the next ten days. If you're avoiding the crowds by...
Parent Hacks admin: Site loading slowly? Please let me know.15 Dec 07 | Comments: 15
I've gotten reports that the site is loading slowly. Can anyone else confirm or deny? Thanks.
Childproof your Christmas tree with jingle bells15 Dec 07 | Comments: 4
David childproofed his Christmas tree by installing a festive "toddler alarm system:" My wife and I have a very inquisitive (and smart) 2 year old boy and a large artificial Christmas tree. We were concerned that he might be tempted...
My Mommy's Tote winner!14 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
Sounds like we all have treats in our bags of tricks! Thank you to all who shared their favorite purse-based kid distractors. In addition to the very popular keys and cell phone here are some more ideas: Food, including Dum...
Sandy hack: She's a bridge between paper and electronic calendars14 Dec 07 | Comments: 8
Sandy is an email-based "assistant" who can send you reminders (and much more). I introduced you to Sandy right around Thanksgiving and promised to write up some of my Sandy hacks; here's the first one! [Full disclosure: My husband is...
How to administer eyedrops and take the temperature of a squirmy toddler? Talk amongst yourselves.14 Dec 07 | Comments: 23
We've been felled by illness around here, too, so I feel Jenna's pain: We've just had two rounds of ear infections and pinkeye with our 14 month old. Any suggestions for how to take a squirmy toddler's temperature or how...
Amazon Friday Sale 12/14/07: iTouchless hands-free trash can14 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
I wrote about my infatuation with my hands-free trash can some time ago. FYI, it's on sale for 30% off as part of today's Amazon Friday sale . Lots of good deals to be had for gift-giving as well --...
Scaling down holiday gift-giving14 Dec 07 | Comments: 14
Katrina shares how her family pared down the holiday gift exchange: We've simplified our holidays greatly by informing our kids that Santa only brings one present to them. They only ask for one present from Santa and it is well...
links for 2007-12-1414 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
Allergy-free holiday recipes Silicon Valley Moms Blog: A Holiday Wish List for Single Moms A beautiful, important post. Thanks for the pointer, Jill. Make a gift for less than $10 in less than 10 minutes » Rookie Moms Adorable and...
My Mommy's Tote: Way more than a pop-up board book13 Dec 07 | Comments: 247
I generally forego reviewing baby and kid products that have little more going for them than cute. Given that we're all about the time-saving, problem-solving hack and not the awwww factor most products I get pitched don't make it past...
links for 2007-12-1313 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
Official Google Blog: Tracking Santa, then and now Talk about heartwarming. Thanks for the pointer, David! Thingamababy: Organize Creative Supplies with a Dishwasher Basket Beautiful.
How to save your kids' letters to Santa13 Dec 07 | Comments: 2
Those letters to Santa are priceless mementos of holidays gone by. Here's how Jill (creator of countless parent hacks) manages to hang onto them: If you'd like to keep the letter your child writes to Santa, but like mine he...
Fitness First exercise ball winner!12 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
What fantastic ideas you shared for staying active indoors when the weather outside is frightful. Highlights: Dance parties Hullabaloo (we like playing this, too) Tag Pillow fights Obstacle courses and mazes Let your kids follow along with your exercise routine...
How to keep sleeves from getting bunched up in jackets? Talk amongst yourselves.12 Dec 07 | Comments: 14
Holly wonders: I wish I had a hack for this, and I'm sure somebody does --- how do you keep your baby's sleeves on a long-sleeved shirt from getting all bunched up and frumpy when you put the coat on??...
Super Woobee winner!12 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
Congratulations, Jessie! You win the Super Woobee! I guess the rest of us are going to have to return a few gifts so we can buy our own. Because who can resist a product that can do all these things?...
How to buy gifts for young kids when they're always with you at the store12 Dec 07 | Comments: 19
Another holiday hack from Kelly: I just heard about the other day (from a nurse while I had a few day stay in the hospital). The mom told me that she found it hard to buy for her young daughter...
links for 2007-12-1212 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
A Little Hut: gift tag no. 3 - popsicle sticks Awesome! Thanks for the pointer in the comments, Efrat! A Little Hut: decorations à la tinker toys Wow, I think I may need to subscribe to this blog. Check out...
Professor Pocket: Discount and free shipping for Parenthackers11 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
I just got a note from Nathalie Simmons Jorge, Co-founder of Professor Pocket. Apparently, hedra's review caused such a sensation that the CD sold out at Amazon! So (Nathalie says): I'd like to extend a $2 off/CD and free shipping...
Kids' exercise ball good for fun and fitness11 Dec 07 | Comments: 97
Of all the toys we've tested this year, the one that gets the most consistent and varied play is a kid-sized exercise ball from First Fitness. Not only is it good fun to roll around the basement, it encourages both...
Craft paper makes cheap, recyclable wrapping paper11 Dec 07 | Comments: 21
I've finally accepted that I just can't deal with wrapping paper. As much as I love beautifully-wrapped gifts, I can't abide buying paper that's meant simply to be ripped up and thrown away. I've used newspaper in the past, but...
The most luscious baby blanket you get to keep for yourself10 Dec 07 | Comments: 170
Parents deserve blankies, too. We're out there, fending for our kids, trying to keep all the plates spinning and the tummies full, getting pulled in opposite directions, all on little sleep and less recognition. Sometimes we just need to curl...
links for 2007-12-1010 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
A Simple Way to Teach Kids About Money Brian took his inspiration for this finance lesson from Mel's ticket-for-TV hack. The Cradle | The Lifestyle Destination for Pregnancy & New Parenthood New pareting site comes on the scene -- I...
"Cookie of the Month Club" makes a great holiday gift10 Dec 07 | Comments: 7
I love Heather's idea for simplifying holiday gift-giving: This year, we are trying to find the perfect gift to give those who have everything. It can't be too expensive, too hard to travel with, and we want it to somehow...
BabyLegs winners09 Dec 07 | Comments: 2
Thank you for all of your fantastic BabyLegs hacks! Here are just a few ways people use them: Great instead of pants when it's time for shots All-purpose arm and leg coverup As a bottle-grip (keeps the bottle warmer, too!)...
Topless undershirt winners!09 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
Sorry to keep you in such suspense. The lucky winners of my random drawing for Blush topless undershirts are Angela and Kate! Congratulations to you both. Email me with your mailing addresses!
links for 2007-12-0808 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
Thingamababy: The Young Children's Super Fantastic Holiday Gift Guide of Glorious and Ample Proportions, 2007 Edition The Parent Hacks 2007 Gift Guide, if there were one, would point to this page. Bravo, AJ!
Topless undershirt makes a great nursing coverup07 Dec 07 | Comments: 122
Nursing coverup? Bah! Who needs 'em? At least that's what I thought while nursing my first child during the temperate Northern California fall. But there's nothing like a blast of Northwest winter air while you're nursing outside to open your...
Britax Parkway booster seat 30% off at today's Amazon Friday sale07 Dec 07 | Comments: 4
I'm a big fan of Britax car seats -- they're well-made and comfortable, but they're also expensive. Nice to see the Britax Parkway booster seat pop up in today's Amazon Friday Sale . It's 30% off ($69.99) today only.
links for 2007-12-0707 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
Joan Ganz Cooney Center - Advancing Children's Learning in a digital age Asking the question: How can emerging media help children learn? From our friends at the Sesame Workshop.
Extend the life of outgrown dresses as tops and tunics07 Dec 07 | Comments: 3
B said this about her thrifty, wardrobe-extending hack: "I thought this one was fairly obvious but I've gotten stopped by other mothers in stores recently so maybe I'm onto something..." I re-use my daughter's dresses as shirts or tunics or...
Softies winner!06 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
Thanks to all who entered to win a copy of "Softies: Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals" (Therese Laskey). You came up with so many great places for easy crafts. FamilyFun, Martha Stewart, Kids Craft Weekly and Kiddley (may it...
BabyLegs: More than just baby leg warmers06 Dec 07 | Comments: 146
Baby leg warmers? Who would think that such a simple, obvious idea would be such a godsend? Nicole Donnelly, apparently. Not only did she come up with the idea to keep her daughters' legs warm during "nakedy time," she has...
How to encourage family conversation around the table06 Dec 07 | Comments: 4
Suzy's got a great hack for holiday mealtimes and beyond: During the holiday season there are many occasions to gather around the table. Consider this game that encourages children and adults alike to share about their day as well as...
links for 2007-12-0606 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
foldschool - cardboard furniture DIY sweetness. Thanks for the link, Stu! Study: Honey Works Better Than Cough Syrup -- Daddy Types I read this in the newspaper today and was going to write about it myself. Looks like the medicine...
Professor Pocket winner!05 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
First of all, I just have to echo what many of you wrote in the comments of the Professor Pocket post -- wasn't hedra's review incredible? Thank you again, hedra, for the time and care you took with the review....
Softies: A craft book for the (relatively) non-crafty05 Dec 07 | Comments: 117
Ok, so this book called to me from the front table at Powell's City of Books. I happen to have a little thing for items made of felt. I don't sew, I don't craft (really), but something about the bold...
Laundry room pegboard holds missing socks05 Dec 07 | Comments: 2
Gisela's answer to the Riddle of the Missing Sock: I can't take credit for this hack; I read it somewhere, but I've forgotten where. I used to keep a drawer full of socks missing their partners after doing the laundry--I...
Sanitize pacifiers while on the go05 Dec 07 | Comments: 3
I'll bet Sarah's son had the best breath in playgroup: Here's a tip on keeping binkies (pacifiers) somewhat clean in public. My son would never tolerate his binky being clipped to his person, so I was forever picking up, rinsing...
links for 2007-12-0505 Dec 07 | Comments: 1
in the trenches of motherhood » Let’s talk holiday traditions Amie has incorporated this lovely tradition into her family. What a great idea -- to make the holiday books "new" again. PROJECT GOOD HEART: Teaching Your Kids the True Spirit...
Parent Hacks admin: Google grumpiness04 Dec 07 | Comments: 4
Parent Hacks has done something to upset the Google gods. Either that or there's a disturbance in the Force, because my site search box (which is powered by Google) is seriously wonky. It's not finding much of anything. Till it's...
Simple holiday traditions04 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
What a pleasure it has been to read about your favorite simple holiday traditions! The music, the cards, the food, the tree, the Menorah, the candles, the Advent calendar, the dreidels, the neighborhood light displays...it was enough vicarious warmth to...
Toddler Spanish practice with Professor Pocket04 Dec 07 | Comments: 55
hedra here, helping out with a review. [Hooray! The more hedra in the world the better. -- Ed.] Because I tend to write huge long content, I'm putting the 'bottom line' stuff up front - you can read on for...
Baby wipe box doubles as kitchen cabinet organizer04 Dec 07 | Comments: 7
Danielle found a simple way to corral all the small parts that come with baby bottles (and, later, sippy cups): For a couple of months after our son was born I had a messy cup cabinet. There were so many...
links for 2007-12-0404 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
2007 Cheepie Awards: Diapers How low did they go? Angie at Baby Cheapskate tells all!
Play BAM! to get the kids to clean up quick (and have fun doing it)04 Dec 07 | Comments: 6
Bill's got the trick for getting kids to clean up their toys: This hack is aimed mainly at small children, since their toys are designed to take a beating. Also, not for the noise-intolerant. :-) To get my kids (3...
Parent Hacks admin: Presents for you!03 Dec 07 | Comments: 216
It's holiday time, which means that I'm about to get sentimental on y'all. Parent Hacks was born in December 2005, so at this time of year I tend to think about just how far this site has come. 1800+ posts,...
A little planning cuts dishwashing chores03 Dec 07 | Comments: 13
Kris's hack inspired me to put a bit of thought into my own dish-and-silverware habits. It's amazing how much work one can avoid with a little planning. If you're like me you hate doing dishes. I usually find myself 10:00...
links for 2007-12-0303 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
I Love my Hot Glue Gun « Books & Flowers Hot glue Leapster games to the Leapster via a twill tape "leash". So smart! Thanks for the pointer, Stephanie!
links for 2007-12-0202 Dec 07 | Comments: 0
Ask Moxie: Involving kids in making gifts and volunteering Lots of holiday goodness over at Moxie's.
