Parent Hacks

links for 2008-03-31

How to Make a "Unique" Diaper Cake. Ha! : Hotspots : Alpha Mom™ A little twist on the classic baby shower centerpiece. Thanks, Isabel! What Not to Say to the Pediatrician - Well - New York Times Blog Some great tips here. Thanks for the pointer, Susanne!

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For the kid who can't keep his hands off the card-swipe machine at the grocery store: a calculator

Are those credit card swipe machines kid magnets or WHAT? Hillarie's onto something: My son is three and loves to "help" when I am trying to pay for the groceries. His help consists of pushing the debit/credit card machine and many times his help causes me to have to re-swipe...

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Cookie sheets keep the countertop clean during bulk sandwich-making

KS found a clever way to further streamline lunch prep: I am learning to love mass production of packed lunches. One thing particularly pesky is the crumbs left on the counter after sandwich assembly. Enter the cookie sheet! Ahh – a flat clean surface big enough to lay all of...

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Parent Hacks admin: Spring Break, ahhh

As you may have noticed, my updates have been a bit...delayed the last few days. Just enjoying a bit of Spring Break laziness with the kids. It feels so good to unplug and revel in the freedom of "what shall we do today?" I hope you're all having/had/about to have...

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Wean kids off sugary breakfast cereal by mixing it with the unsweetened version

Daphne's hack struck a nerve, because sugar cereal happens to be one of my hot-button issues. I like to think I'm pretty moderate and open-minded about most things -- including junk food -- but sugar cereal sends me straight to the soapbox. How corporations can market that stuff to children...

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Nonslip shelf liner keeps the potty chair from sliding

So smart. From Marta: I keep the potty chair from skidding around by cutting a little mat out of nonskid shelf liner! The mat goes under the potty and the kid stays upright. Related: Nonslip shelf liner keeps tablecloth from slipping Non-slip shelf liner helps keep toddlers in their chairs

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"Supercharge" bubble bath with a whisk

Jaimi's one sentence hack will keep tub-goers happy: To maximize a bubble bath, or to revive sad looking suds, use a whisk -- you'll need to use much less soap. Related: Lots of good bathtime hacks await in the Bathtime archive.

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Reusing medicine dosing syringes from Target prescription bottles

Parenthackers have sung the praises of the Target's prescription medicine bottles before -- and Kim takes it a step further: Liquid medicines from the Target pharmacy come with a dosing syringe and have a neat little stopper in the bottle. You insert the syringe, draw out the medicine and put...

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Use a funnel to fill baby bottles (duh)

Zulima's hack made me laugh -- I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but I use a funnel to fill up my baby's bottle. "What," you say! Yes, I am a butterfingers and when the milk gallon is new and quite full, I will end up spilling some...

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links for 2008-03-24

Making a Felt Board « Three Sneaky Bugs Simple and fun. (tags: crafts kids)

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Let new eaters sample foods from the salad bar

Jill's found a great place to introduce her baby to new foods: the salad bar. If you have a picky eater, or even just a new eater, and you're sick of throwing away food because you don't know which fruits and veggies they like or will eat, try going to...

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Decorate baby's room with discount wallpaper

Sable's nursery decorating on the cheap: We recently started to discuss themes for the baby's room (I'm pregnant). Again and again we realised that regardless of the theme, whatever we wanted to do would no doubt end up costing us a ridiculous amount. So, I came up with a plan....

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links for 2008-03-22

Easter 4-in-1 Printable Activity Page at Printables for Kids Thanks, Charlene! Crafts With Kids: Fabergé Eggs | GNMParents Fun! Baby Toolkit: Whispers in the Storm: My Grandmother's Toddler Tantrum Secret I may as well just link to EVERY Baby Toolkit post. Always wonderful. Put your babysitter on a retainer »...

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Egg shakers: a non-candy Easter basket alternative

We discovered egg shakers in a Music Together class. Smooth, round plastic or wooden egg-shaped maracas -- these simple musical instruments are a sensory treat. So pleasant to hold and roll, fun to shake (the sound is loud enough to entertain, but not so sharp as to grate), and a...

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Amazon Friday sale: My beloved DustBuster

Of all my small appliances, my DustBuster is the most beloved. These mini-vacuum cleaners have improved in recent years -- they really do suck (in the best possible way). I have a DustBuster on each floor to motivate myself to clean up little messes as they happen. Better yet --...

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