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Archive: January 2008
New fatherhood anthology available for preorder at Amazon
31 Jan 08 | Comments: 10
As I've mentioned ad nauseum, one of the things I appreciate most about the conversation here at Parent Hacks is the just-about-equal participation by moms and dads. I find the gender-neutral quality of the conversation here refreshing -- and eye-opening....
"The Mr. Men Show" to premiere on Cartoon Network 2/4/08
31 Jan 08 | Comments: 9
Got a promo email today from the folks at Cartoon Network. But before I tell you what it's about, let me give you a little backstory. I basically can't stand the Cartoon Network. Now I like Looney Toons and Scooby...
Fashion a fake dolly poo to encourage toddler's potty use
31 Jan 08 | Comments: 12
Simon's story is so, so...well, so PARENT HACKS, it makes me smile every time I read it. My Father-in-Law (FIL) came up with a stonking [American translation: fantastic or brilliant. -- Ed.] solution to encourage use of the potty in...
links for 2008-01-31
31 Jan 08 | Comments: 3
Apartment Therapy ohdeedoh | Valentine's Day Fortune Cookies CUTE. EASY. Apartment Therapy ohdeedoh | Flickr Finds: Bookcase Dollhouse CUTE. EASY. More Awesome Homemade Nintendo Party Favors | Geekdad from Wired.com I still find it amusing that a short, mustachioed plumber...
Tips for RV travel with kids? Talk amongst yourselves.
30 Jan 08 | Comments: 8
Tiffany asks: We plan to rent an RV to travel with our 4 yr old and 7 yr old during Spring Break this year. Beyond your typical travel tips (we've traveled quite a bit in their little lives), I would...
Bring toddlers' toy shopping carts on actual shopping excursions
30 Jan 08 | Comments: 9
Ah, Target with a toddler. Those were the days. If only I had had Jennifer's ingenuity back when my kids were that age: In order to keep my 2 1/2 yr old and 4 yr old occupied at the grocery...
links for 2008-01-30
30 Jan 08 | Comments: 0
Apartment Therapy ohdeedoh | How To: Changing Table Into Bar Happy days are here again! A Little Hut: recycle project no. 11 - egg carton turned into a heart Simplicity itself. [Via MOMformation.] Unclutterer » Cleaning your floors without effort...
Wash and store velcro bibs in a mesh lingerie bag
30 Jan 08 | Comments: 10
Who among us hasn't had an article of clothing destroyed in the wash by the velcro from a bib? Misha has an answer: We use bibs for our baby that have velcro closures and darn it if that velcro doesn't...
Hack request: Send us your Valentine's ideas!
29 Jan 08 | Comments: 15
I usually start thinking about Valentine's Day on about February 10...too late to have a relaxed class valentine-making session with my kids. But this year is different! We've got our red construction paper and fancy scissors all ready to go....
What to do when the tab on the disposable diaper breaks
29 Jan 08 | Comments: 20
The real poop! From Tiffany: If the tab breaks as you're trying to put a disposable diaper on your squirmy little one (and isn't it always when you're in a hurry?), there's still hope! Go ahead and fasten the tab...
Crib toy bag works well on the highchair, too
29 Jan 08 | Comments: 4
Emily's got a great idea for keeping the baby toys from getting underfoot in the kitchen: Sometimes while doing the dishes, I try to keep my daughter occupied in her high chair with various toys and books. I found myself...
Organize kids' clothes into color-coordinated "capsules" so they can pick their own outfits
28 Jan 08 | Comments: 16
Sara needs to dress my daughter, or at least help me pick out her clothes. I love clothes, and Miss J has so many clothes it's a tad embarrassing. Even worse, the daily question of what to wear was turning...
links for 2008-01-28
28 Jan 08 | Comments: 0
Z Recommends: Free Online Household Management Aids There's help out there! How to Dry Gloves or Mittens in the Winter @ raising4boys.com Awesome hack! It looks like a zombie emerging thru the heater vent, but we won't mention that to...
Threadbanger shows you how to turn an old sweatshirt into a cozy baby bundler
27 Jan 08 | Comments: 8
Dare I say it? Anyone with a sewing machine could make this nifty zip-uppable "pod."
Toddler-friendly tofu
26 Jan 08 | Comments: 25
People forget that tofu is fantastic toddler food. It's white, bland, nutritious, and can "hide" in all sorts of other foods. Here's Kristen's suggestion: Trying to get your baby to eat tofu? Stick it in miso soup! You can buy...
links for 2008-01-26
26 Jan 08 | Comments: 2
Friendships: The Dynamics Between Mamas Fantastic discussion going on at urbanmamas about the pressure parenting puts onto friendships old and new. I'm interested to know how dads feel about this topic, too.
Sylvania power failure lights do double duty as night light and flashlight
25 Jan 08 | Comments: 1
Regina has a great solution to "how do you find the flashlight when the power goes out and it's dark?": Recently, you were asking what we do when the power goes out. For Christmas, my folks gave us a package...
Keep bedside Pedialyte chilled in an ice bucket
25 Jan 08 | Comments: 3
From the very resourceful Jess: Our 10 month-old daughter has a nasty bug ... a cough, accompanied by some flu symptoms. So we're giving her Pedialyte. But when she wakes up coughing in the middle of the night, she wants...
links for 2008-01-25
25 Jan 08 | Comments: 2
The Simple Dollar » The One Month Coupon Strategy: A Really Clever Way to Make Coupons Worthwhile I may even try this. Great tip, Stu! BabyCenter: MOMformation » What gets you in the mood? Choreplay or foreplay? CHOREPLAY! That term...
Use a kitchen timer to simplify potty training
24 Jan 08 | Comments: 11
Prompted by recent kitchen timer conversation, Andy shared this wonderful story about using a timer to help with potty training: In the process of potty-training our son, we had gotten stuck for a while at the point where he agreed...
links for 2008-01-24
24 Jan 08 | Comments: 0
Jean’s Top 10 Art Materials for Toddlers « The Artful Parent No surprises here, but if you're not the artsy type it's nice to have a place to start. Thanks for the link, Molly! Look out for your marriage »...
Toddler mittens: Sew the lining to the mitten at the tip of the thumb
24 Jan 08 | Comments: 1
Pam (from New Brunswick, Canada, where it's currently negative zero to the tenth degrees) came up with another toddler mitten hack: I broke out the needle and thread today to fix a problem that's been bugging me for weeks. My...
Storing girls' hair accessories? Talk amongst yourselves.
23 Jan 08 | Comments: 33
Suzy wonders: Have you heard any good hacks for how to store girls' hairbands? They are a tangled mess in the drawers. You can't put up 20 hooks on the walls, right? What can be done? This seems like a...
Swim shirt doubles as a winter underlayer
23 Jan 08 | Comments: 2
So smart! From Katherine: Don't forget you can get another season's use out of that sun-proof swimming shirt from last summer! Remembering the outdoors-persons' motto "cotton kills," I wanted to put a layer of non-absorbent material against my boy's skin...
links for 2008-01-23
23 Jan 08 | Comments: 1
Moewes.com » Using painters tape to secure drawing paper We [heart] painter's tape. Thanks for the link, Chris! GetNetWise An incredible wealth of resources for parents looking to keep their kids safe online. [Via Techmamas.]
A trick for getting mittens onto toddlers
23 Jan 08 | Comments: 6
David, a former preschool teacher, has had plenty of practice getting mittens onto little hands: Hold the mitten up with it open toward your child so they can put their hand in. Then you tell them to touch your nose...
Kitchen timer: Multi-purpose tool of the gods!
22 Jan 08 | Comments: 21
We've talked before about how helpful a timer can be in all sorts of parenting situations. I really liked the way Katy (author of Adventures in Parenting) expanded on the examples, so I thought it would be a great time...
Teaching kids to declutter their own toys
22 Jan 08 | Comments: 5
Sara's hack would work as well now, while most of us are in declutter mode anyway: I want Miss J (2 1/2) to learn how to "declutter" things herself, so before Christmas I told her that since she'd be getting...
Use freebie magnets as photo backing
21 Jan 08 | Comments: 7
Danny found a way to put freebie magnets to good use: Like most homeowners, real estate agents are flooding our house with magnetic calendars this time of the year with their picture and contact information on the magnet. As I...
Instant s'mores
20 Jan 08 | Comments: 7
Thanks a lot, Debi. Now I feel the irresistible urge to run to the grocery store for fixin's. My 4 yr old daughter wanted a "marshmallow sandwich" for dessert and had her own crazy ideas of how she'd make that...
Cloth diapers as marital aids
19 Jan 08 | Comments: 36
Heh heh. May be TMI for some of you, but I love that Amberlynn sent this in: Our shelf that holds the cloth diapers is right next to our bed (we live in a small space, no nursery or changing...
Stash travel distractions into the car's seat-back pockets
19 Jan 08 | Comments: 7
Here's how Christine's keeping her daughter entertained in the car: My 18 month-old daughter is often quite tired and grumpy by the time I pick her up to take her home from child care. I often need to have something...
How to tell if a clementine section is seedless or not
18 Jan 08 | Comments: 6
Thank you for this, Elana -- I've mangled hundreds of clementine sections looking for seeds! With mandarins and clementines (the perfect sized citrus fruit for kids) in season, we're going through tons of them in our house. I want our...
Being prepared for a power outage
18 Jan 08 | Comments: 19
From May: We just had a power outage the other day and we learned some lessons. 1. When you lose power you also lose heat. 2. Mocking the public service announcements telling you to have a "go bag" ready with...
links for 2008-01-18
18 Jan 08 | Comments: 2
Komando.com: 10 Commandments for Kids Online A great tool for finding common ground with your kids about their online conduct and safety. Thanks for the link, Tami! Buddy: My Two Moms and Me An animated DVD adventure starring a little...
Best of Parent Hacks: Keeping warm during the winter
17 Jan 08 | Comments: 2
The weather outside is still frightful, so I thought it might be nice to dig through the archives for some of our best cold weather tips: Polar fleece makes crib extra cozy Shoe organizer in the coat closet keeps gloves...
Pack preschoolers' lunches in waxed paper bags
17 Jan 08 | Comments: 16
While we're on the topic of school lunches...a little story for you. My daughter goes to the most wonderful preschool in the world. It's the same preschool my son went to, Waldorf-inspired, totally magical, very simple. The teachers there often...
links for 2008-01-17
17 Jan 08 | Comments: 0
Snot Ninjas: How to Fight Your Kid's Cold - DadLabs Internet TV Show Because there's always more to say about snot.
Make a week's worth of school lunches
17 Jan 08 | Comments: 8
Cynthia's batch lunch prep makes so much sense, it's a wonder we aren't all doing this. We have to bring lunch to daycare 3 days a week. I used to struggle with getting lunches ready in the morning, and with...
Kid already buckled into the stroller or car seat? Put the jacket on backwards!
16 Jan 08 | Comments: 6
Haven't most of us done this at one time or another? Thank you, Heather, for thinking to write down this hack and send it in! My 18 month-old hates wearing a coat in his stroller. About the only time he...
Pack a bathrobe for the pediatrician's office
16 Jan 08 | Comments: 9
As we're on a bit of a roll with the sick kid-related hacks, I thought Emily's would fit right in: Now that it is cold and flu season, I find myself taking my daughter to the doctor more often. Many...
links for 2008-01-16
16 Jan 08 | Comments: 0
Ethan's Bookshelf: Inspiring Lifelong Readers From David: "The site was started by an NJ mom who also happens to be a former NYC school teacher. She reads all the books and gives honest reviews from a mom's perspective." A wonderful...
How to make baby nose-wiping...fun?
16 Jan 08 | Comments: 17
Scott's come up with a way to make the inevitable snotty nose-wipe tolerable for his baby: My ten-month-old daughter has a terrible cold right now, and she has developed a fear of the nose wipe. Anytime she sees me coming...
Mom Talk Radio: Live in South Florida on 1/17, podcast to follow
15 Jan 08 | Comments: 0
I'm going to be a guest on Maria Bailey's talk show, Mom Talk Radio, this Thursday, and for you South Florida Parenthackers, it will be broadcast on WJBW 1040 AM from 11am-12pm. The podcast will follow a week or so...
Swaptree: Declutter and get free stuff at the same time
15 Jan 08 | Comments: 3
Decluttering and reducing consumption are really two sides of the same coin. So it's nice when you come upon a service that helps you do both. Swaptree is a website that allows you to swap your books, CDs, DVDs, and...
Discount calendars make good art supplies
15 Jan 08 | Comments: 0
Joe and Cathy say: grab up those clearance-priced calendars! My wife discovered a great parenting hack: By this time of January, novelty desk calendars are deeply discounted - like, $2 each. Some of these are a great source of inexpensive...
links for 2008-01-15
15 Jan 08 | Comments: 0
Why the Bad-Mommy Brigade Loves to Hate Britney Spears - New York Magazine I find myself wanting to talk about two mothers who are currently in the (white-hot) spotlight -- Britney Spears and Hillary Clinton -- for very different reasons....
Prolong handwashing with a song
15 Jan 08 | Comments: 7
Several Parenthackers have mentioned this particular trick in the comments of other posts, but I felt it bore repeating given cold-and-yuck season. From Heather: This is the time of year where germs take up residence at our home and refuse...
Bedtime sore throat soother: Warm milk and honey
14 Jan 08 | Comments: 17
Coughs abound this time of year. Here's Melissa's soothing remedy: Here's a great way to soothe a sore throat without having to resort to medicines.... Microwave a mug of milk as you would to make hot chocolate. But instead of...
links for 2008-01-14
14 Jan 08 | Comments: 3
Jungle Pop » Safe Carpentry with Kids Styrofoam packing material makes a great base for honing those carpentry skills. We do this ourselves...a fantastic parent hack. Thanks for the link, Joe! Cool Babies Assorted Fun Pack Listen to a few...
Toy combination: Mr. Potato Head + Play-Doh
14 Jan 08 | Comments: 3
Squishy Mr. Potato Head! Both he and playdough are more fun together. From veteran Parenthacker Jill (from Atlanta): My son and I had a rainy, indoor day yesterday (yeah! rain in Atlanta!) and I pulled out the often-neglected playdoh. We...
Clementine crates as toy storage
13 Jan 08 | Comments: 6
Reuse those clementine crates! From Mason: In the winter, my family of three goes through a crate of clementines about every two weeks. Instead of just throwing away the little crates, I have started using them for storing my two-year...
links for 2008-01-13
13 Jan 08 | Comments: 0
Giving Disorganized Boys the Tools for Success - New York Times Interesting read. Thanks for the pointer, Elizabeth! Tutor.com - Online Tutoring Services To Help Students Academic tutors 24/7. PreschoolRock.com - Healthy Portions - Chocolate Chip Cookies From Tami: "Easy...
Safety followup: Letting babies sleep in car seats
12 Jan 08 | Comments: 4
Many of you commented with safety concerns about a recent hack that suggested letting newborns sleep in their infant car seats. Jennifer sent me a link to this article explaining why car seat sleeping can lead to breathing problems, especially...
Best Family and Parenting Blog Reader's Choice Award: We did it!
12 Jan 08 | Comments: 8
Virtual hugs all around! Parent Hacks won the Performancing Reader's Choice Award for Best Family and Parenting Blog! Thank you to all who voted, but even more, for making this site worthy of such an award. Congratulations to runner-up Ask...
Slide button-up shirts over toddlers' heads 't-shirt style'
11 Jan 08 | Comments: 4
Had I read Mindy's hack seven years ago, I wouldn't have taken my son to most fancy occasions wearing long-sleeved t-shirts (hey, i ironed them, ok?): My 22 month-old son owns quite a few casual collared shirts with 4 buttons...
Easy diluted juice: freeze juice into cubes first
11 Jan 08 | Comments: 7
Emily's "juice cube" tip is a slight variation on a hack we published about a year ago, but I thought it was worth revisiting as Emily adds the dilution twist: My daughter is only 9 months-old and doesn't drink that...
links for 2008-01-11
11 Jan 08 | Comments: 0
Healthy Children: The Parent Blame Game Dr. Steven Parker hits the nail on the head yet again. Every parent would do well to read this. Davenetics* : The Best Peanut Butter in the World I know this man, and I...
Store toys in the TV cabinet to protect the DVDs
10 Jan 08 | Comments: 14
New year, new hopes for organization! Here's Marita's idea for keeping the TV room a little neater: Our television is in a big cabinet which also has storage on the side and below for DVDs. My girls (2yo and 4yo)...
links for 2008-01-10
10 Jan 08 | Comments: 1
ProQuo - Stop Junk Mail and Protect Against Identity Theft for Free Finally! Help with the tidal wave of junk (snail) mail! Looks similar in scope to CatalogChoice.com, which I linked to a little while back.
Shot glass as baby food dish
09 Jan 08 | Comments: 10
Get some use out of that old drinking paraphernalia! From Rebecca: My husband hit on a great way to serve food to our 6 month-old - we use shot glasses. [Pictured here: a measuring shot glass, so you can also...
Color-code diapers to distinguish different sizes at a glance
09 Jan 08 | Comments: 6
Christel's simple and practical hack for parents who have more than one kid in diapers: When my son was a newborn it was easy to tell his diapers apart from his toddler sister's -- his were so very tiny, it...
Serve yogurt to-go with a straw
08 Jan 08 | Comments: 9
Here's how Abra keeps the yogurt from spilling in the car: The only clever thing I have come up with as a parent is serving my daughter's [soy] yogurt to her with a straw. She's somewhat of a picky eater...
Make detangling more fun (less unfun?) by turning it into a game
08 Jan 08 | Comments: 14
Ah, the joys of detangling long hair. Here's how Amy manages the tresses: Both my girls have long hair. One has long, blonde locks with an ultra-sensitive head, and the other has very curly, red hair and just doesn't like...
links for 2008-01-08
08 Jan 08 | Comments: 0
finslippy: Give me your worst parenting stories Start the year off with a laugh and some cameraderie: you won't believe some of the wonderfully horrible/horribly wonderful stores Alice's readers share. Imperfect parents unite!
Parent Hacks nominated for Best Family and Parenting Blog
06 Jan 08 | Comments: 16
Wow! JD just alerted me to some exciting news: Parent Hacks is one of six finalists (with some of my favorite authors) for Best Family and Parenting Blog in the 2007 Performancing Blog Awards! This is a reader's choice award,...
Indoor snow play
03 Jan 08 | Comments: 4
It rarely snows in Portland, so it's always a delightful event. Not neccesarily so in a reliably snowy winter climate. Here's Melissa's hack for when she doesn't feel like going through the whole dressing/undressing drama: It's been snowy here in...
Put your newborn to bed in his car seat
03 Jan 08 | Comments: 37
Important safety note 1/12/08: Many Parenthackers raised safety concerns about this tip. One reader sent us a link to an article which explains how sleeping in car seats can lead to breathing problems. Thanks to everyone who brought this to...
Giggles Software for Babies & Toddlers
02 Jan 08 | Comments: 16
Thank you to Adrienne of Baby Toolkit (and sharer of numerous and excellent hacks and comments) for writing this review. Babies of geeks love technology. From the buttons on the answering machine to the bright light of the cell phone...
Use a bottle brush to clean champagne flutes
01 Jan 08 | Comments: 8
A timely New Year's tip from Jessica: It would never have occurred to me pre-baby, but this morning when I was doing the dishes, I reached for our bottle brush to clean the champagne flutes, and it was the *perfect*...
Happy New Year, Parenthackers!
01 Jan 08 | Comments: 3
Ah, a new year and a fresh start! I'm not generally one for resolutions, but I do have plans for organizing and simplifying my life, establishing some simple home routines, and kicking back and enjoying my friends and my family....

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