Summer means downtime for kids, and Cara at Repurposeful has a great list of craft projects to put kids to work culled from ’round the internet:

If (like me) your child shutters at the thought of quietly reading a book, maybe one of these crafts — using repurposed materials, of course — will pique your interests.

Go check out her links. Also, ...Read More

Posted in Crafts, Parenting No Comments »

I was going to write the definitive article on how to baby-proof your home, but you know what? It can’t be done. There are too many variables to consider, such as whether or not you have small children who might undo certain baby-proofing measures? Whether or not you have a disabled household member who would lose access to parts of ...Read More

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I was responding to an article on ParentHacks about an article on TipNut about how much etiquette kids were taught in the 1950s compared to today, when something occurred to me:

Part of the reason why people – especially, but not only, young adults – are less considerate than they were 10 years ago is cell phones. And PDAs and iPods ...Read More

Posted in Parenting, Personal Development 1 Comment »

I’m so fortunate that my mom taught me about managing money from a very early age. When I was a kid, I got an allowance, and that was it: if I wanted to buy something, I had to save up for it. There was no asking Mom to buy it for me. I could make suggestions for presents, and sometimes ...Read More

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Looking for a new knitting project? How about a hat that droops down from your had and falls to a point like a windsock? Named the Floopy Hat because it’s floppy and goofy – and maybe even a little Seussy!

Presents Knits has the pattern for free – along with several other free patterns for scarves and other things. Check out ...Read More

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Not only is water a resource we should conserve, it’s a utility you pay for unless you live in an area where you have your own well. There are a lot of ways you can save on your water bill. They may not all be things you’re willing to do or that work for you practically, but that’s okay – ...Read More

Posted in Frugal, Going Green, Parenting 3 Comments »

Some quick tips for adding vegetable content when you’re preparing meals for picky kids:

Use vegetable cocktail in a soup. If a recipe calls for stock, tomatoes or tomato sauce, you can switch part of it out for vegetable cocktail and get the added nutrients from the other vegetables in the juice without affecting the taste too much. You can also ...Read More

Posted in Easy Food, Health and Beauty, Parenting 1 Comment »

Chore charts are a great way to keep kids organized and teach them how to build good habits. The one in the picture comes from Chart Jungle, which is a great source for printable charts of all sorts, including a blank version of this one.

Seeing all the days chores laid out visually makes it easier for kids to remember what ...Read More

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Spotlight Post: 25 Ways to Simplify Your Life with Kids

Prep the night before. Mornings can be a hectic time for parents and kids alike, but they don’t have to be. Instead, prep as much as possible the night before, and have your mornings be a little more relaxed. I like to prep lunches, get their clothes ready (and mine as ...Read More

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Disposable diapers are a very big part of landfill clutter, and they’re mostly non-biodegradable. Making your own cloth diapers is a great, eco-sensitive and frugal alternative. Here are some free patterns and instructions for making some. If you’re not comfortable with sewing, ask a relative or friend who is if they would make some diapers for you as a shower ...Read More

Posted in Going Green, Parenting No Comments »