Parent Hacks

Bag clips keep freezer pops out of the plastic and lickable

Here's Wendy's tip for simplifying freezer pop consumption by toddlers: We've just introduced our 2-year-old to freezer pops this summer - the popsicles that come in the plastic tubes. We cut them in half for her (half for Mommy - I'm nursing her little sister, so I need the extra...

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Family camping hack: Choosing the best campsite with kids

Here's Sarah's practical advice about choosing a campsite when you've got little ones along: We just got back from camping with our 3 year-old twins. It was a lot of fun, but could have been better if we'd just had better criteria for choosing a site. So here are the...

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links for 2008-07-23

I Can Haz Nuggetz: A Fast Food How-to | shamelesslysassy.com For real, Amanda? I imagine two problems: greasy vents and chicken-scented air-conditioning. No?

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Blank greeting cards in the car glove box mean you're prepared

Nizam PLANS to be forgetful. I like the way he thinks.

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Checklist: How to prepare for your spouse's business travel

The four words no stay-at-home parent wants to hear from his or her partner: "I've got a business trip." This checklist will help you avoid chaos while you're a temporarily single parent.

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Milk hacks!

Sara's good sense tips for keeping milk on hand and at the ready: We are pretty dependent on milk in my household. Here are two hacks to help if you are too: 1) I keep a package of the UHT milk boxes (Horizon Organic) in my pantry for "milk emergencies"...

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Crystal Light powder cups make kid-safe condiment keepers

Michelle has found a great re-use for the little cups that Crystal Light mix comes in: My 2 year old daughter has just discovered ketchup, ranch dressing the like. Since I don't want her to slide those condiments together all over her plate I started giving them to her in...

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Instead of expensive character Band-Aids, decorate plain bandages with stickers

I love this hack (especially during skinned knee season) because those character Band-Aids are always too small. This gives you a lot more flexibility in terms of size and shape. From MEarly: This isn't really my hack; I got it from my daughter's preschool, but I thought it was such...

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Turn down undersink shutoff valves to save water during sink play

From Mason: Whenever I let my son play in the sink, I crank down the shutoff valves under the sink. This saves water and, more importantly, prevents the water from getting too hot. I usually put a fixed amount of water in the sink (faucets off completely). But this is...

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Keep car seats cool with reflective emergency blankets

Hot car seats. Ugh. Liz has a fantastic tip for keeping them relatively cool during hot summer days: A friend of ours has a great hack to keep their kids' car seats cooler in hot Las Vegas -- they cover up the seats with an inexpensive reflective emergency blanket (the...

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Colorful pillowcases keep home pillows from blending in with the hotel's

Tracy! As the mother of a child who must travel with his pillow at all times (and who has called hotels in a panic because of the temporary loss of said pillow), I thank you! Ever leave your favorite pillow in a hotel room because it blended in with the...

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Family camping hack: Old toys = camping toys

Another great camping tip from Tim: On a recent church retreat, we were amazed when a couple of families pulled out bins of old toys that managed to entertain our kids for hours. The parents explained that these were mostly toys that were missing parts and might have otherwise been...

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Save water and time by giving your toddler a "bird bath"

Summertime grime = daily baths. Here's how Jill gets it done: Instead of spending a lot of time in the bathtub cleaning the dirt from the day away and of course playing (not to mention the many gallons of water), I've been giving my almost 2 yr old son "bird...

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Parent Hacks admin: BlogHer ahoy!

I'm getting ready to duck out of the summertime family life for a few days -- I'm off to the lovefest that is BlogHer 2008! I'll be there all day Friday and Saturday with no plans beyond attending sessions, catching up with friends and recharging the creative batteries. Find me...

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links for 2008-07-16

Wisdom of the Moon: Magnetic Art Display Beautiful and functional. Thanks, Wendy!

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