Welcome to Parent Hacks
- Submit a hack!
Email your parenting tips to hacks@parenthacks.com. Or pitch your exceptionally useful product for review to reviews@parenthacks.com.
more contact info » - Support Parent Hacks
Are you an Amazon.com shopper? Every time you shop at Amazon, get there by clicking this link -- anything you buy will throw some change into our tip jar, with no extra steps or cost to you. Thank you!
more ideas » - Shop at the Parent Hacks Store
Whether you're outfitting a nursery, buying a gift, or treating yourself, start here!
go to the Store » - See more hacks
The front page only lists the most recent hacks. There are over 2000 more!
go to the archives »
get free updates
Categories
- 0-01yrs (infant)
- 01-03yrs (toddler)
- 03-05yrs (preschooler)
- 05-12yrs (kid)
- 13-18yrs (teen)
- 18yrs+ (grownup)
- admin (Parent Hacks news)
- attitude/mindset
- bathtime
- behavior
- fashion/general cuteness
- feeding/nursing
- fun/toys
- gear
- getting organized
- habitat
- health/development
- holidays/special occasions
- learning
- poop, pee, potty, etc.
- saving money
- sleep (yours and theirs)
- things we like
- travel/going out
Recent Comments
- maya on How to unload the diswasher with a curious toddler underfoot
- Margaret on Happy Mother's Day, Parenthackers
- Margaret on Happy Mother's Day, Parenthackers
- KW on How to unload the diswasher with a curious toddler underfoot
- teal on How to trick the autoflush toilet sensor in public restrooms
- sarah on The magical, multifunctional properties of painter's tape
- Roulette - Online Gambling Games on Sippy cup on-the-go
- Michelle on Dandruff shampoo gets rid of cradle cap
- Parent Hacks Editor on Happy Mother's Day, Parenthackers
- kat on 'Gateway' foods entice finicky eaters
Community
- Show us what you're up to! Tag your pertinent blog posts, Flickr photos, and del.icio.us bookmarks as parenthacks so we can visit you in your corner of the Web. We often find goodies for our link roundups here!
Archives
- Parent Hacks logo by Bryan Bell
Go to: Archive index | Home
Category archive: admin (Parent Hacks news)
11 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...
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 --...
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...
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...
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?
Parent Hacks admin: Tending the pipeline24 Apr 08 | Comments: 2
I'm at work on the back end of Parent Hacks, trying to build a more efficient system for responding to and pipelining your hacks. I've tried to stop apologizing about my queue of unpublished hacks (because enough already, I know)...
PC.com: When your kids know more about your computer than you do23 Apr 08 | Comments: 12
Before kids, I was a writer of computer books of the how-to variety . How does a relatively non-tech person qualify as technical book author? By sending a proposal for a "teach yourself HTML" book to publishers in 1996, back...
Parent Hacks admin: PH in WSJ13 Apr 08 | Comments: 9
I got exciting news Thursday -- several friends emailed me to let me know Parent Hacks was mentioned in the Wall Street Journal. Wha? Turns out they did a big profile of Heather Armstrong (Dooce), and PH got listed in...
Tax.filer winner!10 Apr 08 | Comments: 3
Thanks to all who entered the giveaway for a Tax.filer from Buttoned Up. I so enjoyed reading all of your comments -- we all react to this time of year so differently. MC said something interesting: "Why celebrate? We just...
Prima Princessa winner #2!03 Apr 08 | Comments: 1
Thanks for playing, everyone (again). Susan Chester: come on down! Email me with your mailing address and I'll get your Prima Princessa DVD out to you ASAP.
Prima Princessa winner!02 Apr 08 | Comments: 0
Thank you to all who entered the Prima Princessa Presents Swan Lake giveaway by sharing a glimpse of your girly/boyish/can't-be-pigeonholed kids. I loved hearing your stories. I have many to tell myself, including my eight year-old son's latest grand proclamation...
Parent Hacks admin: Spring Break, ahhh29 Mar 08 | Comments: 2
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...
Parent Hacks admin: Thank you, Kristi!04 Mar 08 | Comments: 6
One of the things several folks have suggested as we discuss Parent Hacks 2.0: DUH, GET SOME HELP. Ha! I knew that! And thanks to the wonders of serendipity, Kristi (aka dampscribbler), a very smart longtime writer-type Parenthacker, lives right...
Parent Hacks admin: Let's talk about Parent Hacks 2.003 Mar 08 | Comments: 26
The crocuses have popped out of the chilly soil in my front yard. Every year when this happens, I feel a little quickening, a surge of possibility. It's rather corny, really, to see me scampering around the garden, exclaiming about...
Babycape winner!01 Mar 08 | Comments: 1
Wow, all of your wonderful family-friendly spring vacation ideas have filled my mental fantasy file. Thank you to all who entered! And now, for our Babycape winner: Erin (who suggested Pacific Beach, WA)! Please email me your mailing address and...
Parent Hacks featured in Real Simple13 Feb 08 | Comments: 11
Several folks have written in to me noting that Parent Hacks is featured in the March 2008 issue of Real Simple! This is a huge thrill...if there were ever a magazine that laid out my fantasy life, that one is...
Parent Hacks admin: Minor technical problems11 Feb 08 | Comments: 0
I've run into some minor glitches switching laptops, hence the light posting. I expect to get everything fixed today (fingers crossed). More hacks coming up!
Color 'n Kids Valentines winners!05 Feb 08 | Comments: 1
Thank you for the wonderful Valentine's Day hacks! I'm not usually the crafty sort (much as I wish I were), but somehow valentines bring out the sentimentalist in me. Before I was a mother, Valentine's Day seemed like yet another...
Mom Talk Radio: Live in South Florida on 1/17, podcast to follow15 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...
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...
Parent Hacks nominated for Best Family and Parenting Blog06 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,...
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....
Parent Hacks admin: Holiday peace25 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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?...
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!
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...
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....
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...
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,...
Parent Hacks admin: Welcome back! (And a request for your holiday hacks.)25 Nov 07 | Comments: 3
I'm happy to report that Parent Hacks site traffic over the weekend was abysmal. Exactly as it should be! More family, less computer! I hope those of you who celebrated Thanksgiving had a wonderful time. We spent Thanksgiving in the...
Parent Hacks admin: Giving thanks22 Nov 07 | Comments: 1
Hopefully those of you who are celebrating Thanksgiving aren't reading this -- you're getting settled into the festivities with your families. But I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for everything your contribute to Parent Hacks. The...
Boost your kid's vocabulary by "narrating" drive time21 Nov 07 | Comments: 10
Keep talking to those babies! From Sara: One of those inadvertent hacks is how we've taught Miss J. her over/under/though prepositions. Our daily and weekly drives include a number of highway flyovers that just fascinated her, so we started saying...
Parent Hacks admin: BabyCenter Parenting Federation20 Nov 07 | Comments: 7
So it all comes full circle! In 1999, when I was newly pregnant with my first child and busily devouring all the expert advice I could in order to "prepare myself" (quote marks = irony), more often than not I...
Parent Hacks admin: Social bookmarking links14 Nov 07 | Comments: 12
I've been waiting to add del.icio.us and StumbleUpon buttons to my site because I wanted to claim the honor of LAST BLOG TO ADD SOCIAL BOOKMARKING BUTTONS TO SITE. So did I win? Do I get a lifetime supply of...
Woobee-doobee-do..we have a winner!09 Nov 07 | Comments: 1
It feels almost cruel to pick a single Woobee winner (we had 399 entrants!), but alas, I've only got one blanket. That...I...must...now...part with because I LOVE YOU THAT MUCH. And the lucky winner is... Melissa D.! Congratulations, Melissa! Email me...
Parent Hacks admin: Gushing and appreciation09 Nov 07 | Comments: 3
Well, folks, I'm officially cheered up. You're the best -- thank you so much for all the sweet greetings and well-wishes in the comments of the Woobee giveaway (you've got till 5pm PST today to get in the running). Speaking...
Baby Daze winner!07 Nov 07 | Comments: 0
Holy moly, lots of you got in the running for the Baby Daze organizer! Reading your comments brought back a flood of memories from those early days with my children. It's so touching to hear your recounting of the thoughtful...
Grand Opening: The Parent Hacks Store07 Nov 07 | Comments: 2
We've talked about a lot of cool stuff over the years. And by "stuff," I mean the books, gear, toys, and tools that help make life move a little more smoothly, or at least inject a bit of fun. Well,...
A note about Amazon.com posts01 Nov 07 | Comments: 2
Amazon is going nuts with the promotions right now! BUT: I'll only post what I consider to be good deals on products I either use myself, have heard good things about, or think you might like. I'm a member of...
Fall Shopping Guide: Honey, can you turn on the fire?26 Oct 07 | Comments: 0
In my latest (and last) FM Fall Shopping Guide post, I share my family's and my strange attraction to our new gas log. This post just goes to show you that my tendency to think about the sociological underpinnings of...
DonorsChoose update: We did it!23 Oct 07 | Comments: 1
Thanks to 25 Parenthackers (and some donors who contributed to this project outside of my challenge), this special education teacher got her wish fully funded -- over $1000 for purchasing music and movement equipment for her students. We've made a...
Parent Hacks admin: The Link Roundup That Ate Cleveland21 Oct 07 | Comments: 1
As you may know, I was offline much of the summer, and many of your emails went unanswered. Well, no more (hence today's crazy long list of links, and the notes many of you have sitting in your inboxes). It's...
DonorsChoose update: We're over halfway to funding this project!19 Oct 07 | Comments: 2
Parenthackers to the rescue! In only a few days, we've contributed over $500 to this special education teacher who wants to purchase music and movement equipment for her students. Thank you so much to the 17 people who've gotten us...
DonorsChoose Blogger Challenge: Help Parent Hacks support special education students in need17 Oct 07 | Comments: 4
DonorsChoose.org is a fantastic organization that brings together teachers whose school projects need funding and potential donors (that's us). Through October 31, they're hosting a Blogger Challenge -- encouraging bloggers to choose a project (one or many) to support. Federated...
Single or married: who's happier? My interview on Sirius 114 tonight at 8pm.17 Oct 07 | Comments: 6
It's 6am and I just ended an interview with Karen Salmansohn, host of Be Happy, Dammit! on Lime: Healthy Living with a Twist (Sirius radio channel 114). I only realized at the beginning of the call that it was a...
Fall Shopping Guide: Ikea Hacker16 Oct 07 | Comments: 1
In my latest FM Fall Shopping Guide post, I spread the word about Ikea Hacker, a blog devoted to the Lego-like creativity some people call forth when they step inside the big blue giant.
Send in your Halloween hacks!16 Oct 07 | Comments: 2
T-minus 15 days and counting! Halloween's on its way. You've got the costumes made, the candy purchased, the decorations up... PSHAW! But of course you don't! Halloween is the ideal occasion for Parenthackers. Improvise costumes! Buy candy at the last...
Parent Hacks: One of PC Magazine's 100 Favorite Blogs15 Oct 07 | Comments: 11
Yeah, me and PostSecret. We're huge. We're popular. We're like this. That is to say, we're on the same page of PC Magazine's "100 Favorite Blogs" because we both begin with P. Joking aside, I'm honored that the editors of...
Parent Hacks: The Jumping Monkeys interview!10 Oct 07 | Comments: 0
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing with Megan Morrone and Leo Laporte for the Jumping Monkeys parenting podcast, and it was like chatting with friends. Thanks for having me on -- I had a great time! (The previous episode...
FM Fall Shopping Guide: Home is where the heart (attack) is04 Oct 07 | Comments: 0
In my latest FM Fall Shopping Guide post, I lament my ongoing struggle with housework, and the nagging feeling that my home is rarely my retreat. Lots more good stuff, including Amalah's hilarious admission about her toilet paper issues (how...
Toys to Iraq: Send soccer balls!03 Oct 07 | Comments: 5
I just got an email from Michael Fellenz, Edmay's replacement with the US Army Corps of Engineers in Iraq: Asha, thanks to your website and your help the outpouring of stuffed animals is again, a resounding success. If you can...
FM Fall Shopping Guide: Smart Homes20 Sep 07 | Comments: 0
My next FM Fall Shopping Guide post is up: Smart Homes, about labor-saving gadgets that eliminated some of the hassle of getting in and around my house. Also: Sweetney demonstrates how to turn kid art into home decor, and the...
FM Fall Shopping Guide: Coffee Gear for Drowsy Parents17 Sep 07 | Comments: 1
I, along with a number of my Federated Media brethren and sistren (I made that word up), am participating in a nifty collaboration: the FM Fall Shopping Guide. Each week for the next six I'll be posting there on the...
Parent Hacks admin: She Lives11 Sep 07 | Comments: 5
First and foremost: thank you to all of you who wrote in response to my desperate gasp with comforting words, offers of advice and help, and general "it'll be okay" vibes. You people are amazing. I'm happy to report that...
Parent Hacks admin: The Fall31 Aug 07 | Comments: 14
Fall approaches, and, here in Portland, the school doors open next week. For many of you, the school year is already underway -- a reluctant transition for some, a relief for others. I know for me "back to school" brings...
Toys to Iraq: Still accepting toys and stuffed animals!22 Aug 07 | Comments: 10
Edmay Mayers is coming home after a long tour in Iraq with the US Army Corps of Engineers. But two of her comrades have agreed to take over her "duties" as volunteer distributors of toys to Iraqi children there. Michael...
Parent Hacks admin: Email woes17 Aug 07 | Comments: 8
I'm not sure what I've done to raise Gmail's hackles, but I just discovered that it has been junking a bunch of my email, including many of your notes to me and a bunch of Parent Hacks comment notifications. I've...
Congrats, Sarah! You (or perhaps your grandma) are our Presto winner!05 Aug 07 | Comments: 2
I was so pleased when my random process for choosing prizewinners landed on Sarah -- it sounds like this Presto Printing Mailbox will be put to wonderful use. May you and your grandmother use it for many years to come....
Toys to Iraq: Edmay's coming home30 Jul 07 | Comments: 5
Updated 8/07: The toy drive is back on! Two of Edmay's comrades have taken over her role, and are accepting toy donations. send your donations to: Michael Fellenz or Natalie Sudman USACE-GRS APO-AE 09331 Edmay -- the amazing grandmother stationed...
So, how's your summer going?13 Jul 07 | Comments: 10
Hello, dear Parenthackers! I'm back from my Internet vacation, some of which was spent on an adventure in Alaska (a place everyone should try to visit), but most of which was spent turning my full attention to family life. Summer's...
Parent Hacks admin: SXSW podcast is up!05 Jul 07 | Comments: 0
Here's the podcast of the panel discussion I was a part of at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival (SXSW). My co-conspirators in Austin were Danny (Dad Gone Mad), Amy (Amalah), Tracey (Sweetney), and Marrit (author of Inconsolable). The topic:...
Styrofoam castle hack in this month's Parents Magazine21 Jun 07 | Comments: 4
My styrofoam castle hack appears in a blurb in this month's Parents magazine! (That's a package insert, toothpicks, and some Post-It notes, by the way.)
Parent Hacks admin: Summer Internet vacation20 Jun 07 | Comments: 0
Summer has officially begun around here. No more school, sunshine, a relaxed schedule. It's as if my family is exhaling for the first time in weeks. What a relief. All is (mostly) well on my computer post-email crash as well....
Happy Father's Day!18 Jun 07 | Comments: 0
We were so busy yesterday putting Dad on a pedestal around here that I forgot to wish all of you Parenthacker Dads a happy Father's Day! I hope you got the doting and exultation you deserve -- I certainly appreciate...
Parent Hacks admin: Adrienne and Jim Jones15 Jun 07 | Comments: 0
Part of what has made Parent Hacks such an incredible experience for me has been the people I've met. Somehow, the fact that we've only "met" online and via email doesn't really matter. I feel as if I've found some...
"Dangerous" winner13 Jun 07 | Comments: 3
I LOVED reading all your suggestions for essential "dangerous" activities for boys and girls. What an incredible, ambitious list...thanks to all who participated. I also want to congratulate Shauna, winner of a copy of The Dangerous Book for Boys. Shauna...
We have a book winner!31 May 07 | Comments: 0
Jason Weiner! You're the lucky winner of The Kids' Book Club Book! Congrats to you...and thank you to all of you who made so many incredible suggestions for must-share books with children. I intend to compile the master list so...
Parent Hacks admin: Status. Sigh.30 May 07 | Comments: 8
Well folks, I want to apologize for the delay in getting back to the daily hacks. My best-laid plans to get my computer fixed up over the weekend were upended by a number of complicated family issues -- everything had...
Parent hacks admin: Digging out, and profiled in Canadian newsweekly Macleans25 May 07 | Comments: 7
Well, folks, I've learned two tough lessons this week: 1. I'm a fish out of water without my laptop and connectivity. In other words, I'm a pathetic Internet addict. 2. MUST. BACK. UP. MY. DATA. The latter is more embarrassing...
Parent Hacks admin: Hard drive crash24 May 07 | Comments: 0
Ugh. Big-time computer crash last night, so things may be a bit wonky around here for a day or two while I get things cleaned up. Wish me luck.
Get paper under control with 3-ring binders01 May 07 | Comments: 3
Louise's paper organizing secret: View binders (3-ring binders with a clear vinyl overlay on the covers) are an organizing favorite. I use them for organizing everything from my Christmas information, notes and ideas, to the appliance manuals and receipts, to...
Blogger's Choice Awards: We're nominated!23 Apr 07 | Comments: 4
Anna! Thank you so much for nominating Parent Hacks for Best Parenting Blog -- what an honor! If you're so inclined, pop on over and give us a vote. And Jason: your comment there was too sweet. Superpowers? Really? I...
Parent Hacks community roundup: 4/20/0720 Apr 07 | Comments: 0
Thanks to all of you who are tagging your blog posts, photos and links with parenthacks. What an incredible collection! Here are some recent highlights: Gretchen of Mind Flush shares some Aqua Doodle hacks (a favorite toy around here) Jen...
I'm a GeekMom!13 Apr 07 | Comments: 8
I'm proud to announce that I'll be a regular guest at GeekDad -- the new Wired blog devoted to geeky fun with kids. I'll be injecting a GeekMom perspective, which is sort of funny given that I'm a geek more...
Parent Hacks admin: Back from Spring Break09 Apr 07 | Comments: 0
I'm back from Spring Break (now physically and mentally -- those two things don't always correspond) and will get back to posting at my regular frequency. For those of you who have emailed or sent me hacks recently, I'll be...
Parent Hacks admin: Spring Break24 Mar 07 | Comments: 2
I'm heading (mostly) offline to spend a (relatively) work-free week with my family for Spring Break. If you've emailed me recently (and even not-so-recently, ugh), I'm reading everything but may not respond as quickly as usual. Happy Spring, everyone!
Where no woman has gone before: the Dadlabs.com interview23 Mar 07 | Comments: 5
Parent Hacks: The Dad Labs Review I had a planets-and-stars-aligning moment while I was in Austin, TX attending SXSW. I met Troy Lanier, Clay Nichols and Brad Powell of Dadlabs.com. These talented, savvy, accomplished men are producing some of the...
Parent Hacks admin: the new Parent Hacks Widget15 Mar 07 | Comments: 1
So I fell for a tempting little Widgetbox ad inside of the Typepad interface urging me to turn my blog into a widget. Well of course! Who WOULDN'T want to turn one's blog into a widget? It's a silly question...
Update from SXSW12 Mar 07 | Comments: 2
From Saturday: I'm basking in the sun and all of the intelligent, creative energy here at SXSW Interactive in Austin. The atmosphere here fairly crackles with all the excitement that comes with an incredible film festival and tech conference happening...
Reminder: Austin meetup this Saturday!08 Mar 07 | Comments: 0
Hope to meet you in Austin this weekend! If you're attending SXSW, consider checking out my big-time speaking gig -- "Parent Bloggers 2.0" -- as well.
Parent Hacks admin: new link-y features08 Mar 07 | Comments: 0
A couple new details to note: See the nifty "Bookmark" button in the top right corner of the site? That should help you keep track of all of your favorite hacks. Instead of cluttering up your browser's list of bookmarks/favorites,...
Color n' Kids winner!07 Mar 07 | Comments: 0
Congrats, Julie! You've got some lovely Color 'n Kids goodies on the way. Just email me with your mailing address and I'll get them to you ASAP. Thanks to all who mentioned their favorite craft resources. There were several I...
Update from Edmay in Iraq: 423 boxes of toys so far06 Mar 07 | Comments: 1
Updated 8/07: Two of Edmay's comrades have taken over her role, and are accepting toy donations. send your donations to: Michael Fellenz or Natalie Sudman USACE-GRS APO-AE 09331 Just got this comment from Edmay, and wanted to post it up...
Parent Hacks Community: 3/5/0705 Mar 07 | Comments: 3
A few highlights from the Parent Hacks community at large: Blog posts: Nicole at Much More Than a Mom is hosting a discussion about children's clothing sizes. Which brands run big, small, and just right? Add your two cents! Plain...
And the snot sucker goes to...28 Feb 07 | Comments: 18
Congratulations, Heather! You get to suck snot out of your son's nose as soon as next week, depending on how fast the mail goes! Send me an email with your mailing address and I'll send your NoseFrida right out. Let...
Parent Hacks admin: Self-service graphic ad discount ends today28 Feb 07 | Comments: 0
If you've been considering booking a graphical ad on Parent Hacks and have your graphic ready to go, today's the day to sign up! FM has been offering a 35% discount on all graphical ads booked through their self-service platform,...
Parent Hacks Meetup! 03/10/07 Austin, TX23 Feb 07 | Comments: 3
Are you coming to SXSW Interactive? If not, will you be anywhere within spitting distance of Austin, Texas on the morning of Saturday, March 10? Then come on down to the Halcyon Coffee Bar and join me, Sara, and hopefully...
"Fridge googling": Macmillan Dictionary's Word of the Week22 Feb 07 | Comments: 6
What can this mean? Will Parenthackers be forever enshrined in the annals of popular language? (And technically, it's phrase of the week, but who's complaining?)
Parent Hacks Community: 2/20/0720 Feb 07 | Comments: 7
Our new community "features" are taking off nicely! Folks are starting to tag their relevant blog posts, del.icio.us links, and Flickr photos with parenthacks. (Many thanks to Jim for the incredible tutorial on how tagging and Technorati work.) Here's a...
Parent Hacks admin: Google subscribers, where have you been all my life?17 Feb 07 | Comments: 20
I almost spat my orange juice onto my keyboard this morning. I knew I was in for a little treat at FeedBurner. I check there every day or two to keep track of how many folks subscribe to Parent Hacks...
Send those Valentine bears to kids in Iraq15 Feb 07 | Comments: 4
By now you're probably wondering what to do with the one or two or ten Valentine-themed bears you or your kids brought home. Once the novelty wears off, pack them straight into a box and send them to Edmay in...
Happy Valentine's Day, dear Parenthackers14 Feb 07 | Comments: 1
If I could send each of you a Moonstruck truffle, I would. Instead, let me just wish you a happy, silly, frilly day full of love. And chocolate.
Parent Hacks community: How tags and Technorati work08 Feb 07 | Comments: 2
Have you seen this? In an amazing act of generosity, Jim (Linux Activist, Baby Toolkit) has written up a tutorial for Parenthackers who want to learn more about how and why to tag their blog posts. I say amazing because...
Parent Hacks admin: New community "features"06 Feb 07 | Comments: 16
Now that we've swapped stories of public restrooms, marriage challenges, and vomit, I think it's fair to call ourselves a community. There's a good balance of likemindedness and diversity here -- the vibe is positive yet real. No playdates...yet...but support...
Save the date: SXSW Interactive Festival, Austin, TX, March 9-1304 Feb 07 | Comments: 2
If you happen to be wandering through Austin, Texas March 9-13, come see me at the SXSW Interactive Festival! I liken SXSW to the Burning Man of tech conferences, with plenty of music, film, and general reveling happening alongside the...
Queenie! You've won a Diaper Valet!03 Feb 07 | Comments: 1
Congrats to Queenie, winner of my random drawing for a Diaper Valet! (Queenie, get in touch with Adrienne directly to claim your prize: info [at] diapervalet [dot com].) Some of those diaper stories are hilarious. I'm still chucking about Shauna's...
Guest post on National Geographic Traveler blog01 Feb 07 | Comments: 6
Marilyn Terrell, Chief Researcher for National Geographic Traveler, has been sending me all manner of great tips. She was also kind enough to put me in touch with the writers of Inside Traveler, the magazine's travel blog. My guest post...
Parent Hacks admin: New ad slots for small businesses25 Jan 07 | Comments: 0
As pleased as I am when the Hitachis of the world buy an ad on the site, I especially like when a smaller business like Javis Davis or Baby Dagny decides to advertise here. There's so much creativity brewing among...
Live radio interview on WLPO (Illinois) tomorrow at noon CST20 Jan 07 | Comments: 2
Weekend talk show host John Small of WLPO 1220 AM has invited me to join him for my first live (!) talk radio interview, and he's promised to be gentle. If you're in north central Illinois and find yourself without...
Amberlynn, please pick up a white courtesy phone19 Jan 07 | Comments: 1
Amberlynn, frequent hack contributor and commenter, is the random winner of the Philips baby monitor! Thanks to all 126 of you who played along and shared your baby gear must-not-haves (and a few must-haves as well). I'm going to compile...
We're today's Yahoo! Pick18 Jan 07 | Comments: 10
As if the stampede of folks throwing their hats in for the Philips monitor weren't exciting enough, I just discovered that Parent Hacks is today's Yahoo! Pick. A banner day! By the way, I love all of your anti-suggestions for...
Meet the Parenthackers: Jill Pohl17 Jan 07 | Comments: 0
Given the enthusiastic commenting on Jill's potty training hack, now's a great time to tell you a little more about her. Jill never fails to come up with great tips, and her responses to others' ideas bubble with friendliness and...
Baby Loves Disco: a report!15 Jan 07 | Comments: 4
I happen to know several of you were at Baby Loves Disco yesterday afternoon, but unfortunately we never managed to meet up. (That's what I get for not wearing my "I'm the one from Parent Hacks" t-shirt.) No matter --...
Parent Hacks admin: Apologies to my RSS subscribers13 Jan 07 | Comments: 2
Hopefully most of you will have no idea what I'm talking about, because I fixed the mistake right away. But for those of you who got an "Advertising on Parent Hacks" post in your face feed readers earlier this evening,...
Meet the Parenthackers: Kittenpie13 Jan 07 | Comments: 1
Kittenpie has been a reader and commenter from early on, and we've had plenty of companionable email chats. She is a prolific blogger in her own right, and part of Toronto's amazing mommyblogging community. She's sent in many a good...
Baby Loves Disco: One more ticket winner13 Jan 07 | Comments: 0
Emily of Red W(h)ine and Boo! I had one BLD ticket left, and yours was the name I pulled out of my hat! Email me to let me know you got the note. Looking forward to seeing those of you...
Baby Loves Disco: We have winners!11 Jan 07 | Comments: 1
Congrats to the winners of free tickets to Baby Loves Disco this Sunday: Memorie, TomWsmf, Tarehna! Glad to make it less expensive for at least a few of you. If you're cursing at the heavens right now, saying "Why oh...
Baby Loves Disco: Free tix drawing tonight10 Jan 07 | Comments: 0
I'll be picking the winners of the free Baby Loves Disco tickets tonight. If you can make it Sunday afternoon and want to get your name in the running, leave a comment here by 7pm PST with the number of...
Parent Hacks meetup at Baby Loves Disco - win free tickets!07 Jan 07 | Comments: 29
So I've been thinking about ways in which we can make the jump from online lovefest to real-life meetups. And then, I found out that Baby Loves Disco was coming to Portland! I've envied the folks who've gotten to go...
Meet the Parenthackers: Serrina Yozsa, DPM07 Jan 07 | Comments: 2
Serrina of Scottsdale, Arizona wrote to me full of enthusiasm days after her son was born...which amazed me, because I had the mental capacity of algae at that point in my parenting career. Immediately she began sending her hacks and...
Parent Hacks admin: Thank you for the Amazon love!03 Jan 07 | Comments: 0
Okay, so Amazon Love may not be entirely accurate, but I'm leaving it because it's funny. I'm referring to the bump in my Amazon Associates referral fees during the holidays -- I'd like to thank all of you who clicked...
Meet the Parenthackers: Melissa (oddharmonic)03 Jan 07 | Comments: 0
Melissa (known online as oddharmonic), of Dallas, Texas, has been contributing to the conversation, almost without fail, every month since Parent Hacks launched. She's left over 30 comments on Parent Hacks, including her funniest Parent Hackfire, in which she took...
More on Edmay's toy drive for Iraqi children03 Jan 07 | Comments: 12
Updated 8/07: Two of Edmay's comrades have taken over her role, and are accepting toy donations. send your donations to: Michael Fellenz or Natalie Sudman USACE-GRS APO-AE 09331 Edmay just shared this lovely article with me -- all about her...
Meet the Parenthackers: Dana Rudolph02 Jan 07 | Comments: 1
Dana has sent me a bunch of great pointers and hacks over the last year, many of which she publishes on her own site, Mombian. Two of my favorites: Low-tech babyproofing hacks and Save money with reciprocal museum memberships. Dana...
Top 10 Parent Hacks of 200601 Jan 07 | Comments: 3
Happy New Year, all! Our reveling plans (low-key though they were) got shelved due to colds (we've all got 'em), so Rael and I spent our New Year's Eve playing Excite Truck on the Nintendo Wii. (Did I just admit...
Top 10 Parent Hacks of 2006: Voting ends today31 Dec 06 | Comments: 0
Last chance to vote for your favorite Parent Hack of 2006...winners will appear here on New Year's Day.
Meet the Parenthackers: Stu Mark30 Dec 06 | Comments: 2
Soon after Parent Hacks launched, Stu's comments popped off the page and into my psyche. Honest, wise, and positive...I found myself waiting to hear what he had to say, and almost always taking it to heart. He models the sort...
Meet the Parenthackers: Sara Carlstead Brumfield29 Dec 06 | Comments: 2
Sara, a native of Austin, Texas, has been an incredible contributor to Parent Hacks since the beginning. She's become one of my Internet friends and I hope to see her when I'm in Austin for SXSW in March (more about...
Top Parent Hacks of 2006: the tension mounts...29 Dec 06 | Comments: 0
Get in on the action! Vote now! The winners will appear here on New Year's Day.
Parent Hacks admin: New square link badge27 Dec 06 | Comments: 4
You've got a Parent Hacks link badge on your site, right? Well, Charlene didn't, but when she went to add one, she found my offerings wouldn't fit properly. So she created her own, and kindly passed it along for all...
Meet the Parenthackers: Amie26 Dec 06 | Comments: 0
Vegas, baby! No, really. Amie lives in Las Vegas, NV, and just had a baby! Congratulations, Amie! For as long as I can remember, Amie has been a constant, friendly source of enthusiasm. She's been submitting hacks from the beginning...
Meet the Parenthackers: Hedra25 Dec 06 | Comments: 1
I see Hedra all over the parenting blogosphere leaving wonderful comments. Luckily, we're graced with her hacker intelligence here, too. For example, she penned the hack I will likely turn to every October from now on: No-sew modular Halloween costumes...
Happy holidays!25 Dec 06 | Comments: 2
Happy holidays to you all. May it be a safe, warm time...a time to marvel at those little beings who push you be your hackerish best. Lately I've been beset by what I call "attacks of joy;" those moments when...
Meet the Parenthackers: Kirsten24 Dec 06 | Comments: 2
Kirsten (who likely has no Net access as she's in the super-snowy Rocky Mountain region) has submitted some incredible hacks, including the homemade calendar for preschoolers, the illustrated potty training tutorial, and using a spray bottle as portable air conditioning....
Meet the Parenthackers: Duane Morin23 Dec 06 | Comments: 1
Duane Morin hails from New England (NE United States), and has been a reader since just about the beginning. We "met" at Lifehacker, where he left a suggestion that Parent Hacks should publish its full feed (he was right; we...
Vote for your favorite Parent Hacks of 2006!23 Dec 06 | Comments: 2
Parent Hacks is officially a year old. And along with the goopy cake and the uncomfortable hats, every good first birthday party includes a little reminiscing. "Remember her first smile?" "Remember when he started crawling?" "Remember when he peed on...
Parent Hacks turns 123 Dec 06 | Comments: 4
A year ago today, Parent Hacks made its entrance into the world with my little ode to Purell. 1000 posts, over 4400 comments, and about 540K page views later, here we stand, a little older, a little wiser, and hopefully...
Parent Hacks admin: Oh, Canada! Parent Hacks appears in Glow Magazine21 Dec 06 | Comments: 1
Parenthacker Kelly (who wrote up this review of "Ablum" by Duplex) was kind enough to send me her copy of Glow Magazine ("Canada's Definitive Guide to Beauty and Health") because in it was a blurb about Parent Hacks written by...
Parent Hacks admin: Welcome Parents Magazine readers!18 Dec 06 | Comments: 0
I just found out from my buddy Amy at Mommytrack'd that Parent Hacks is mentioned in the January issue of Parents as a "site to bookmark." I had no idea, and I'm so grateful when people point these sorts of...
Toys to Iraq: Look what you've done...16 Dec 06 | Comments: 2
I received the best gift in the mail last week: an actual paper letter from Edmay in Iraq. In it she thanked us all for the incredible response to her appeal for toys for the children of Iraq. She also...
How to deal with a friend who's overprotective of her children? Talk amongst yourselves.05 Dec 06 | Comments: 20
My heart went out to this reader when I read this note. I too had a run-in like this when my first child was a baby, and it left me dumbfounded: Five of us are in a mom's group, and...
A bear travels to Iraq...03 Dec 06 | Comments: 0
Sometimes Technorati reveals gold. I just found this post at Spectacles in which the author shares a picture of her handmade bear in the hands of an Iraqi girl (Edmay kindly sent her the picture). Gorgeous. Thank you so much...
Parent Hacks admin: WichiTalk puts Parent Hacks in the top 1020 Nov 06 | Comments: 1
Helloooooo, Kansas! Jillian Cohan of the Wichita Eagle calls Parent Hacks one of the Web's "10 most useful sites for women." She went on to list nine other DIY-oriented sites, including Ask Patty (automotive advice), BeJane (home improvement tips), and...
Parent Hacks admin: Start your Amazon holiday shopping here16 Nov 06 | Comments: 2
For those of you super-organized types who get their holiday shopping done early, may I make what I hope is not-too-tacky of a suggestion? Please consider starting your Amazon.com shopping here at Parent Hacks. You can get there by clicking...
I wasn't kidding about "collaborative" in the tagline03 Nov 06 | Comments: 9
Elizabeth, R-Bro and I need one more stanza (but will happily accept any number) for the ditty we're writing, inspired by Kara's comment that the list of candy disposal ideas made her think of Paul Simon's "Fifty Ways to Leave...
Spouse hack: Work off the same to-do list03 Nov 06 | Comments: 5
Duane offers a simple and thoughtful "spouse hack" -- the essence of good communication and partnership. Surely my wife and I are not the only parents of toddlers who are tired at the end of the day and just want...
Parent Hacks admin: Stikkit, Web 2.0, and a possible meetup02 Nov 06 | Comments: 2
Posting has been light around here, even with all the wonderful hacks I've got sitting in my queue. The reason: I've been living the supercharged, caffeinated life of a member of a Web 2.0 startup. As some of you already...
We have three winners!27 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
Congratulations to Carolina, Ashley and Megin, winners of Go, Diego Go! Wolf Pup Rescue DVDs! Thanks for playing along with my silly trivia contest. For the record, the working name for this site before my brother in-law Robin came up...
Parent Hacks admin: All is well22 Oct 06 | Comments: 2
Ha! I have triumphed over the all-consuming inbox! If you've been holding off writing to me out of pity, pity no longer! All is well in the land of Parent Hacks. Thanks for your patience and offers of help. You...
Pill pockets make medication palatable to cats20 Oct 06 | Comments: 6
Okay, so you'll either think this is cool, or you'll think I'm a creepy dork who spends her limited free time checking out products her readers buy at Amazon. But, come on, if you saw Pill Pockets for Cats Chicken...
MothersClick: new networking site for parents17 Oct 06 | Comments: 5
Launched today: MothersClick, a new site for sharing ideas, creating private discussion groups, and generally hanging out together online. Cool Mom Picks has already done such a good job describing MothersClick I'll send you there for the lowdown. Founder Andra...
Free postal supply kit for sending toys to Iraq14 Oct 06 | Comments: 18
Updated 8/07: Two of Edmay's comrades have taken over her role, and are accepting toy donations. send your donations to: Michael Fellenz or Natalie Sudman USACE-GRS APO-AE 09331 Thank you so much, Nicole, for passing this along: I was sharing...
Update from Edmay in Iraq: Toys are arriving daily!14 Oct 06 | Comments: 15
Updated 8/07: Two of Edmay's comrades have taken over her role, and are accepting toy donations. Send your donations to: Michael Fellenz or Natalie Sudman USACE-GRS APO-AE 09331 Thank you, thank you Parenthackers and everyone else who has responded so...
One family's experience sending toys to Iraq05 Oct 06 | Comments: 1
I just came across this lovely post by a mother who, with her children, packed a box of toys to ship off to Edmay in Iraq. The conversation that resulted between her and her daughters is wonderful. Updated 8/07: Two...
Parent Hacks admin: Where we are right now04 Oct 06 | Comments: 8
I thought it was a good time to chat with you about the goings on at Parent Hacks -- what's happening now, and what I'm thinking about for the future. Now More and more people are finding Parent Hacks, thanks...
Pssst! Did you notice the "surprise" giveaway happening now?06 Sep 06 | Comments: 0
I hid a book giveaway at the bottom of my review of A Modern Girl's Guide to Motherhood. Aren't I sneaky? Check it out -- especially if you're pregnant or expecting -- and enter to win a free copy. Tags:...
Parent Hacks admin: More posts per day31 Aug 06 | Comments: 7
In an attempt to make faster progress through my queue of hacks you've submitted, I'm experimenting with increasing my posting frequency. My intention is to keep the frequency low enough that no one (including me) gets overwhelmed, but high enough...
My interview with Lisa Birnbach29 Aug 06 | Comments: 1
Whew - it's 6:30 AM my time, and I just finished my first live interview on the Lisa Birnbach show. For those of you who missed it, or were unwilling to get up this early (Mom!), Greenstone Media will post...
Parent Hacks featured on ClubMom's 'Parenting Pop Culture'28 Aug 06 | Comments: 0
I recently did an online interview with Meredith O'Brien, author of the Parenting Pop Culture blog at ClubMom (when it rains it pours, eh?). It's now up, with pointers a few favorite posts, including our winning Parent Hackfire! Tags: ClubMom,...
Listen to me live on the Lisa Birnbach Show27 Aug 06 | Comments: 1
If you were mesmerized by my Life Hack Podcast interview, set your alarm clocks and listen to my live interview on the Lisa Birnbach Show Tuesday, August 29 at 6am PST / 9am EST. Yes, folks, that's live, with all...
Funniest Parent Hackfire: We have a winner!24 Aug 06 | Comments: 3
Dang, you people are funny, and your children are smart. I'd like to thank Dennis, Amy, Nicole, Hedra, Anne, Gail, Caley, Charisse, Lisa, Julie, oddharmonic, and Marla for writing up their Parent Hackfires. (Be sure to read Cathy's, too, which...
Parent Hacks admin: Trackback apologies21 Aug 06 | Comments: 0
Ack! My spam filter grabbed the notifications, so I have neglected to approve my trackbacks for the last month! So sorry. Problem fixed, and I will be sure to check more often. I enjoy watching conversations start here and then...
Funniest Parent Hackfire: Judging has begun21 Aug 06 | Comments: 0
Thanks to all of you who submitted your best Parent Hackfires on your blogs or in the comments. I'm busily reading (and laughing) and will announce the prizewinner Thursday, August 24. (What? You haven't yet read all the entries? They're...
Your funniest Parent Hackfire? Time's almost up!18 Aug 06 | Comments: 0
The deadline to submit your funniest Parent Hackfire is tomorrow, August 20! (And the winner gets a PRIZE...the first contest of its kind here at Parent Hacks.) If you've written up your Parent Hackfire on your own blog, be sure...
Parent Hacks admin: Retooled site search17 Aug 06 | Comments: 2
Now that Parent Hacks has been around a while, the archives are bulging with good hacks waiting to be read (and reread). Google has been doing a good job of indexing the site, so I've retooled the site search so...
"Helicopter parents" article quotes Parent Hackers14 Aug 06 | Comments: 2
A while back I passed along a question from my friend Lainie who was doing research for an article about teaching kids independence, and many of you graciously shared your tips. The article has just appeared in the Sunday Oregonian,...
Parent Hacks admin: Wanted -- Parent Hacks for teens10 Aug 06 | Comments: 1
Kvetch of Kvetch Blog wrote to me the other day lamenting (I won't say kvetching about) the relatively empty 13-18yrs (teen) archive. She's right -- most of the hacks I receive and write myself concern younger kids. She offered to...
Parent Hacks @ BlogHer '06: I may touch you inappropriately27 Jul 06 | Comments: 6
I just arrived in San Jose for the BlogHer conference (it starts tomorrow), and I'm filled with 80% excitement and 20% apprehension. I'm going to be meeting people I admire for their talent, creativity and nerve -- people I've never...
Parent Hacks admin: The FM Parenting metablog26 Jul 06 | Comments: 3
FM, the company that serves up our graphical ads, represents quite an illustrious pool of parenting bloggers. As such, I was rather excited when they told me about their plan for a parenting "metaweblog." The metablog would give a quick...
Parent Hacks admin: We've been stumbled upon21 Jul 06 | Comments: 0
Several of you are users of StumbleUpon, a service that allows you to discover new sites by browsing those recommended by other people with similar interests. Parent Hacks has been rated "I like it" by a bunch of you, and...
Parent Hacks admin: the swag-for-review exchange policy16 Jul 06 | Comments: 2
I've started getting notes from authors of parenting books, PR firms and other companies telling me about their products, and in some cases offering samples and review copies in the hopes of getting a review. (Alas, no KY Sensual Mist,...
Parent Hacks admin: Advertising on Parent Hacks13 Jul 06 | Comments: 0
I'd like to encourage any of you who are even remotely curious about advertising on Parent Hacks to get in touch with Federated Media. I happen to know that many of you are involved in fascinating projects, and I would...
Parent Hacks admin: Life Hack Podcast Episode 4 features an interview with...me07 Jul 06 | Comments: 4
Lifehack.org contributor Chris Brogan interviewed me for the latest episode of the Life Hack Podcast, which is available now should you want to hear the dulcet tones of my voice. It was a lot of fun chatting with Chris --...
Sponsor love: Adagio Teas and the IngenuiTEA05 Jul 06 | Comments: 1
Parent Hacks sponsor Adagio Teas is promoting this starter set as a good way to jump-start your tea-drinking habit. Check it out -- the reviews are great -- but I'd like to take a moment to tell you about the...
Parent Hacks admin: Sponsor love30 Jun 06 | Comments: 4
I'm not sure where my manners have been, but up till now I've failed to recognize the sponsors who have advertised on Parent Hacks. FM has brought me some lovely sponsors, so I'd like to take a moment to thank...
Parent Hacks admin: Terms of service and privacy policy24 Jun 06 | Comments: 0
Three things have prompted me to write up a terms of service and privacy policy for Parent Hacks: My encounter with a content scraper (not the first, I'm sure), The vague notion that Parent Hacks content could someday appear in...
Summer's here, finally15 Jun 06 | Comments: 0
Ahhhh. No more lunches to pack, or kids to rouse early in the morning, or backpacks to check, at least for a little while. As much as I appreciate the relatively quiet time while my son's in school, I'm so...
Parent Hacks admin: We've been Hacked Off!14 Jun 06 | Comments: 5
Chris Brogan has created a new cartoon series called Hacked Off! which pokes fun at the whole lifehacking craze. Today, he took a friendly stab at Parent Hacks. So now I'm feeling very special. Tags: Hacked Off
Parent Hacks admin: Working Dad's Site of the Week14 Jun 06 | Comments: 1
Paul Nyhan, Family and Parenting reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, is always uncovering interesting bits of parenting news, and has recently gotten into the blogging game. His blog, Working Dad: An Unauthorized Guide to Parenting, is one of my regular...
Parent Hacks admin: The backlog12 Jun 06 | Comments: 2
The time has come again for me to explain my long delay in posting your fantastic hacks, some of which I've had for an embarrassingly long time. Here's my process, just so you understand the reason for the holdup: When...
Parent Hacks admin: URLs in comments now work as links08 Jun 06 | Comments: 0
So many of you include interesting links in your comments that I realized my "no HTML in comments" policy is a real drag. I've turned on autolinking of URLs in comments, which should make it a lot easier to click...
Parent Hacks admin: Trackback moderation07 Jun 06 | Comments: 2
Just an FYI, I've started moderating my trackbacks to stem the tide of spam (ew...tide of spam...horrible image. Sorry.). So, don't worry if your trackback doesn't appear right away -- it's just waiting for my approval, which I generally provide...
Parent Hacks admin: New link badges!05 Jun 06 | Comments: 6
Honk...er, link of you're a Parent Hacker! Stand tall, be proud, and add a snazzy new Parent Hacks link badge to your blog or site. You'll gain new respect from your peers, and maybe (just maybe!) your kids. This badge...
Parent Hacks admin: A veritable smorgasbord of kid music!28 May 06 | Comments: 0
THANK YOU for all of your fantastic music recommendations! I've entered a whole new world of excellent kid music! I'll be highlighting my favorites in upcoming Parent Hacks posts and in the "What we're listening to" sidebar -- and, as...
Parent Hacks admin: Search our favorite parenting sites24 May 06 | Comments: 4
Have you noticed that the Parent Hacks search feature can search more than just Parent Hacks? Because Parent Hacks doesn't answer every parenting question (yet), I've put together a Rollyo "searchroll" of my favorite practical parenting sites such as Babycenter,...
Parent Hacks admin: What are YOU listening to?19 May 06 | Comments: 34
I've always got my ear to the ground (to the radio?) for good kid music, whether it's specifically geared toward kids or not. I'd love to know what your family's favorites are. Which artists or albums get you and your...
Come on down!16 May 06 | Comments: 0
New stuff on Parent Hacks this week. Mmm. What we're listening to Foodmomiac's Kids iMix (which includes Crazy Frog: Axel F, how could it not?). Thanks, Danielle! Things we like The Motherhood Manifesto (a must-read), all of Andrea Buchanan's recent...
Parent Hacks admin: Talk Amongst Yourselves03 May 06 | Comments: 4
In addition to the many wonderful hacks I receive every day, I also get a fair amount of "hack requests," or appeals to the collective wisdom here at Parent Hacks. At the moment, my blog-only setup can't accommodate reader posts,...
New lovelies on the site01 May 06 | Comments: 0
What we're listening to: this week, it's a fantastic blog about kid music What we like: Handy items for your car, your kitchen, and your bookshelf We like to save money: 10% off the BusyBodyBook, an organizer just for family...
Today, it's all about ME18 Apr 06 | Comments: 7
Okay, so I just got a big surprise over at Mommybloggers, where I'm being showered with adulation and rose petals, and oiled, muscular men in loincloths are fanning me with peacock feathers as I recline on silken pillows and am...
BlogHer 2006: I'll be speaking17 Apr 06 | Comments: 0
I'll be joining urbanMama Sarah Gilbert and others in a "Room of Your Own" session about group/community blogging on Day 2 of BlogHer 2006. If you're interested in community blogging -- you're part of a community or group blog, you...
New stuff on the site17 Apr 06 | Comments: 0
In the sidebar this week: What we're listening to Foodmomiac's Housecleaning iMix Because we like to save money 10% off plus free shipping at Boden. Mary Wells calls Mini Boden "high-quality, good value, great, cool, unisex children's clothing." Things we...
Now I really heart Dr. Parker11 Apr 06 | Comments: 0
Got this note today from Dr. Steven Parker, author of the WebMD blog Healthy Children, in response to my mushy post about him a while back: Just wanted to say thanks for the kind words about my Blog at WebMD!...
Parent Hacks featured on Blogher10 Apr 06 | Comments: 4
Mary Tsao did a fantastic writeup of Parent Hacks for BlogHer, the network devoted to supporting and promoting women bloggers. She highlighted a few of her favorite hacks: seaweed, mold-free tub toys, Bandaid addiction, and middle-of-the-night crib sheet changes (hats...
I'm not the only one who thinks Parent Hacks is cool08 Apr 06 | Comments: 0
We're today's Cool Mom Pick! Parent Hacks is like having a whole bunch of "been there" and "this worked for me" friends at your fingertips, without having to endure all their one-up-you kid stories. I couldn't have said it better...
Placenta Pizza, and other hacks we've rejected04 Apr 06 | Comments: 4
Kristen Chase is the brilliant mind behind Motherhood Uncensored, and one of the founders and editors of Cool Mom Picks, but she can't seem to get it right for Parent Hacks. We simply can't endorse housing one's child in a...
What we're listening to03 Apr 06 | Comments: 3
We spend a lot of time listening to music and recorded storytelling. My kids love music, possibly as much as they love TV and movies. We listen to all kinds -- popular stuff, 80's nostalgia rock, classical (which our girly...
Parent Hacks admin: Tag your Flickr photos as 'parenthacks'30 Mar 06 | Comments: 0
Amie had an excellent suggestion: if you submit a hack that has an accompanying Flickr photo, tag the photo as parenthacks. That way, anyone who wants to can browse all photos associated with Parent Hacks (such as Amie's diaper caddy,...
Parent Hacks admin: Comments! Now with one fewer click!23 Mar 06 | Comments: 0
To my RSS and email subscribers: See the new "Comment on this post" link at the bottom of each feed item? It's my subtle reminder to click through and read the comments and/or leave one of your own. What you'll...
Chris Anderson is a GeekDad22 Mar 06 | Comments: 3
Back in January (due to my habitual sifting through my referrer log), I stumbled onto GeekDad, which, at the time, was little more than a promise of "more soon" with a link back to Parent Hacks. I've since discovered (through...
Please fill out our survey13 Mar 06 | Comments: 12
A couple days ago, I talked about our new (and exciting) partnership with Federated Media. Finding good-quality, relevant ads for Parent Hacks requires knowing something about the folks who visit. To that end, FM has put together a short, anonymous...
Parent Hacks in Hip Mama11 Mar 06 | Comments: 0
Parent Hacks is one of eighteen mama-owned businesses/projects highlighted in Issue #35 of Hip Mama: The Parenting Zine, edited by Ariel Gore. If you're here as a result, welcome! Have a look around, and if you're so inclined, send us...
Parent Hacks admin: On advertising09 Mar 06 | Comments: 2
As you may have noticed, Parent Hacks now sports graphical and text ads. Here's why I've decided to make Parent Hacks (hopefully) ad-supported, and what I am (and am not) planning to do with this site.
Parent Hacks admin: Feed scraping the sincerest form of flattery?08 Mar 06 | Comments: 7
Thanks to the wonders of Feedburner, I just discovered a site that was using my RSS feed to pass off Parent Hacks content as its own in an attempt to collect Google ad revenue. (You know who you are, @#$%.)...
Parent Hacks admin: 100K page views, and 1600 subscribers05 Mar 06 | Comments: 2
I just watched the Parent Hacks stats roll over into six digits -- we've hit our 100,000th page view. We also have over 1600 subscribers who get Parent Hacks delivered via RSS feed or daily email digest. If we were...
Parent Hacks on TechTV (Part II)23 Feb 06 | Comments: 0
So, yes! Parent Hacks was indeed on TV! Yesterday, we were featured on the G4/TechTV show "Call For Help." If you didn't catch it, the transcript is available at the G4 website (thank you, kind commenter, for pointing this out)....
Parent Hacks on TechTV tonight (I think)22 Feb 06 | Comments: 5
Good thing I love to scan my referrer log. I'm getting lots of visitors today via the G4/TechTV site, and here's why: Parent Hacks is going to be featured on today's "Call For Help" show, hosted by Leo Laporte and...
Parent Hacks admin: Our new Rollyo search box21 Feb 06 | Comments: 0
You can now search Parent Hacks! In the lefthand sidebar, you'll find a nifty, blue Rollyo box ready to take your search queries. Search this site, or, if you don't find what you need, try our "Practical Parenting Tips" searchroll...
'Mamas in Blogland' at Mothers Movement Online20 Feb 06 | Comments: 1
I have two new articles up at the wonderful Mothers Movement Online. In The Blogging Mom Clique: Anyone Can Join, I talk about what it was like to join the community of blogging mothers. Ironically, I began writing the article...
Parent Hacks admin: Typepad problems today08 Feb 06 | Comments: 0
We were having domain problems today. Everything seems back to normal, but if you run into a problem, could you let me know? Email hacks@parenthacks.com. Thanks.
Parent Hacks admin: Full feeds coming soon!25 Jan 06 | Comments: 0
[Feed subscribers: please click through to Parent Hacks for important info in the rest of this post.] Good news for the RSS and email subscribers among you: in a few days, the Parent Hacks feed will contain full-text posts. Several...
Parent Hacks admin: Keep the hacks coming!13 Jan 06 | Comments: 0
Fantastic hacks have been arriving daily -- thank you! I'm amazed (but not surprised) by their creativity and volume. Parent Hacks readers are a smart and generous bunch. I will keep posting a few per day -- any more and...
Parent Hacks admin: The Gut Test11 Jan 06 | Comments: 0
Mieke's wise (and much appreciated) comment in Robitussin works best got me thinking about the role of Parent Hacks with respect to the "parenting advice" business. This is probably a good time to reiterate that we're not experts in the...
Parent Hacks admin: Daily email update06 Jan 06 | Comments: 0
For those of you subscribing to Parent Hacks updates via email, I've changed the message frequency from weekly to daily. Things are happening fast on the site, and this way, the message length won't get unwieldy.
Parent Hacks admin: the floodgates have opened!05 Jan 06 | Comments: 7
I'm very happy to report that Parent Hacks has been picked up by Cory at BoingBoing and Sarah at Blogging Baby (and many other mama- and papa-bloggers; immerito calls it "Lifehacker for those who no longer have lives"). The result...
Parent Hacks admin: Welcome!03 Jan 06 | Comments: 0
We just went live about a week ago, and are now enjoying an influx of visitors via Davenetics and Literary Mama. Welcome! As you may have noticed, we're still working out a few kinks (comments were wonky earlier, and our...
