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Archive: May 2008
16 May 08 | Comments: 1
It's approaching 100 degrees in Portland today (!), so Beckie's summer clothing tip comes at the perfect time for me and mine: I found a way to hack my daughter's tank tops. The spaghetti straps on her tops were always...
Lint roller grabs post-haircut stray hairs16 May 08 | Comments: 1
Here's how Kimberley solved the post-haircut itchies: My little girl complains about going places after she's had a haircut because of the hair that gets in her shirt and on her back. I don't blame her -- I hate it...
links for 2008-05-1515 May 08 | Comments: 1
Mealtime manners placemats Such a simple way to help kids keep table manners in mind. Gardenaut: Old wagon as portable sand table The photo says it all. Thanks, Jeremiah!
Birthday party guidelines for sane parents15 May 08 | Comments: 28
Hedra's new-ish mom friend asked her for tips on birthday parties to help her stay sane. Here's what she told her: Birthday parties under age 3 (certainly the first birthday) are for the grownups more than the kids. At 3...
Kid-safe email? Talk amongst yourselves.14 May 08 | Comments: 16
For my next PC.com post, I'll be writing about kid-safe email (thanks for the suggestion, Jill!). I've been talking with my Twitter buddies about it, but would love to open up the discussion a bit more. I'm researching "made for...
Dilute apple juice while it's still in the bottle14 May 08 | Comments: 6
Here's how Abbi eliminates arguments over juice dilution: Although I start all my children on plain water, I have two who simply stopped drinking until I began giving them juice. So apple juice has been a staple in our home...
PC.com: How to use your digital photos as your screen saver13 May 08 | Comments: 2
For the next couple of months, I'll be contributing tips to the new how-to site, PC.com. My latest piece was inspired by a Parent Hacks submission which I put into use minutes after it hit my inbox. I admit --...
Change toilet paper direction to keep toddlers from unrolling too much13 May 08 | Comments: 8
Duane, you're a brave man to put forth a definitive argument for toilet paper direction. I know that the direction the toilet paper should roll is a borderline religious debate in some households, but it dawned on me that if...
DIY summer PJs: just cut the arms and legs off of winter pajamas13 May 08 | Comments: 16
Tricia! You just saved me some $! Don’t have the money to go out and buy summer PJs for the kids and the winter ones still fit? Cut the arms and legs off the jammies and make them into shorts...
links for 2008-05-1212 May 08 | Comments: 0
Mother’s Day Meditation | Oleoptene This lovely post is written by a friend who's just as eloquent in person. Z Recommends: Twist tie as hair holder Thanks for the pointer, Adrienne! Mind Flush: Milking the system More like "intelligently working"...
How to unload the diswasher with a curious toddler underfoot12 May 08 | Comments: 10
IT CAN BE DONE. From Linda: Here's how I manage to load and unload the dishwasher with a toddler (18 months) who wants to be involved with EVERYTHING I do: while she is sitting in her toddler chair, I give...
Bag clips hold seatbelts during carseat installation12 May 08 | Comments: 1
Here's how Andy and Chris simplified car seat installation: Installing car seats is a whole lot of no fun, particularly if you have seat belts that automatically retract. We figured out a little hack that makes our car seat installation...
Happy Mother's Day, Parenthackers11 May 08 | Comments: 6
Just hopping on to wish you a wonderful Mother's Day. I'm not sure what the day has in store -- which is perfect. Any day I don't have to orchestrate (what's everyone going to eat? what's the weather like? is...
Dandruff shampoo gets rid of cradle cap09 May 08 | Comments: 34
Shaunta says: To get rid of cradle cap, wash your baby's hair with dandruff shampoo. We used baby oil and a comb, but it took forever to go away. Anyone else have cradle cap cures? Related: What do you do...
How to trick the autoflush toilet sensor in public restrooms09 May 08 | Comments: 17
This may be the most useful tip you'll get all year. From James: My son had the bejebus scared out of him by the autoflushing toilet when we were just starting training. I don't blame him, me holding him over...
Pistachios: yummy AND good for kids' fine motor skills09 May 08 | Comments: 3
Rachel's found a new favorite snack: I have just discovered the greatest fine-motor food work and added variety to my four year old's diet! I bought pistachios for a cake I was baking and my son was intrigued. I showed...
Veggie scrubber doubles as high chair de-gunker09 May 08 | Comments: 1
Brooke's found a way to get the crusties off the high chair: I am in love with my veggie scrub. (I'm sure the mesh bags avocados come in would do the same thing.) Both are great at scrubbing potatoes and...
Mom's Ultimate Organizer winner!08 May 08 | Comments: 3
WOW. Thank you -- over 200 of you shared your clutter-releasing stories in the comments! Pretty inspiring, I must say. It's weird how one small act -- getting rid of a box of old clothes, or forgiving someone, say --...
The magical, multifunctional properties of painter's tape08 May 08 | Comments: 18
Jen in Toronto loves her blue tape! For good reason: We use painter's tape a lot around our house, and we take a roll with us when we travel. It makes a great impromptu electrical outlet cover. We use it...
links for 2008-05-0808 May 08 | Comments: 0
Mimi & Moe's Mom: Hold stencils in place with painter's tape Thanks for passing this along, Adrienne! Baby Toolkit: Hard As Nails: Reuse BPA Plastic Bottles Why not get some use out of all of those BPA bottles you're getting...
How to remember which plastics are recyclable08 May 08 | Comments: 2
See how a dead-simple idea can change your life? From Hazel: We like to recycle but our village will only let us recycle certain things. I can never remember what number plastics are supposed to have. The last time the...
Rookie Mom's Handbook winner!07 May 08 | Comments: 1
It was so lovely to read all of your newborn activities...sigh. Seems like so long ago. Onto our Rookie Mom's Handbook winner: Raven! I'm sure sister in-law will love the book. Send me your mailing address and I'll get it...
Let young readers choose their own books07 May 08 | Comments: 7
Cris's tip for helping encourage a lifelong love of books: I was given a tip that kids need the opportunity to choose their own books, rather than always reading what we think they would like. For some reason, my daughter...
links for 2008-05-0707 May 08 | Comments: 1
Geek parent tip: Use GMail as a baby book | Webware : Cool Web apps for everyone Indeed! Unclutterer » Declaring laundry bankruptcy: How to use the laundromat to get your laundry routine under control Laundromats aren't just for the...
One Binder to Rule Them All: Mom's Ultimate Family Organizer07 May 08 | Comments: 203
I'm an on-again-off-again Flylady member. If you're not familiar, Flylady is more than just an online community of women trying to get a handle on housework -- it's a movement. The basic idea is to create standing routines for everything...
Perfect gift for new moms: The Rookie Mom's Handbook06 May 08 | Comments: 61
Heather and Whitney (aka the Rookie Moms) are true blog friends. I think these are two of the warmest, smartest women around. We've bonded over the business of blogging and parenting and life. They've sent in bunches of great hacks....
Use Twitter to keep up with family members06 May 08 | Comments: 1
What better time to share a Twitter hack than on the heels of my public admission that I've joined the Twitter herd! A great one from Sara: I've started going on the occasional business trip again, and my husband came...
Parent Hacks admin: Parent Hacks on Twitter06 May 08 | Comments: 3
I attended BarCamp Portland over the weekend -- what an amazing event! If you're even slightly involved in technology (you're a blogger, you're interested in Internet stuff, whatever) you should try to go to a BarCamp (they happen all over...
Lotion as "medicine" for boo-boos05 May 08 | Comments: 10
Serena's new "magic healing potion" is plain old lotion: New hack I came up with on the spot for our not-quite three year old, who is very much into rituals, such as putting medicine on a cut and then the...
Bibs worn during morning toothbrushing keep clothes clean and dry05 May 08 | Comments: 1
Here's how Jill keeps weekday mornings moving along: I’ve found a use for the nice, big, plastic bibs that my daughters (3 YO & 1.5 YO) no longer use while eating. I store a couple of bibs in the bathroom...
Smelly diaper ointment reveals "stealth poop"05 May 08 | Comments: 4
Heather discovered that original Desitin ointment has an unexpected benefit: Three of my kids have had GI issues that have at times resulted in what we call 'stealth poop' - that is, no odor or very mild odor. Usually, those...
links for 2008-05-0303 May 08 | Comments: 2
Speed tip: Make individual portions in freezer bags | Lunch in a Box: Building a Better Bento I love the photos, too. Mombian » Card Games for Kids One of the pleasures of our kids getting older...playing the games WE...
links for 2008-05-0202 May 08 | Comments: 0
Apartment Therapy ohdeedoh | Flickr Finds: Drying Rack as Closet An awesome Parent Hack! I've been trying to solve the no-closet problem for four years now. Clutter War II: Attack of the Giant Baby | 43 Folders Merlin's decluttering --...
Amazon diaper deal: $20 off with a $99 Pampers or Luvs order02 May 08 | Comments: 2
I've been waiting for the Amazon diaper promotion to return! Through May, if you spend $99 on select Pampers or Luvs products , you'll get $20 off a future purchase at Amazon. Read the fine print -- that $20 off...
Parent Hacks admin: How's the page load time?02 May 08 | Comments: 10
Has anyone else noticed that the Parent Hacks home page loads really slowly? I'm trying to speed things up and am noticing a little improvement. Can you give me a reality check -- how's it for you?
Cut solid food for new eaters with an egg slicer02 May 08 | Comments: 7
Here's how Margaret speeds up getting "first solid food" meals ready for her baby: The trickiest - and the most important - thing when having an infant who just started having solids is to cut the food "to size" -...
Tissue-stuffed Dixie cup stops baby boys' "geyser" fun01 May 08 | Comments: 10
Hacker Daddy Dave offers a homemade alternative to the Pee Pee Teepee: When he was younger, my son loved peeing straight up into the air when I had him undressed on the changing table. Fun for him, not for me....
InfantSEE: Free Vision Screening for Infants01 May 08 | Comments: 10
In 2006, I took my 12 month old son for vision screening. My husband, despite a childhood of good pediatric health care, is one of the adults who wasn't diagnosed for lazy eye until after the age of treatment. Though...
Retired diaper changing pad works as Play Doh play surface01 May 08 | Comments: 7
Lindsay's found a better site than the kitchen floor for playdough play: Webster's Dictionary defines the word "frustration" as my attempt to find a suitable surface cover during my toddler's play-doh adventures. He prefers to play on the wooden floor...
