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Archive for the ‘Friday: Random’ Category
Ten Parent Hacks That We ALL Need!
Who doesn’t need and want to make life just a little bit easier? I know I do, even the smallest of tasks can become daunting with the monotony of the day-to-day chores and hectic schedules. So…with that being said, let’s take a look!
1. Put a “safety spot” sticker on your car to ensure an older child doesn’t wander off
while you load or unload the car.
parkingpalmagnet.com
You can improvise your own with a large, round sticker, or purchase the Parking Pal magnet here.
2. If your kids are always using new cups, give them their own designated cups with magnets to stick to the fridge.
adventuresinpinteresting2012.blogspot.com
Not only does this mean less dishwashing, but cups can be kept at kid-height instead of up-high cupboards.
3. Helichrysum is the essential oil you need for accident-prone kids.
sarahtitus.com
It’s used by dentists to stop bleeding instantly. Read more about it here.
4. A plastic cup will keep little hands safe when handling sparklers on the Fourth of July.
love2dreamdoyou.blogspot.com
5. A crib sheet will keep an outdoor baby from getting bitten up by mosquitoes.
littlebabywatson.com
Sometimes you want to keep baby outside with you while working in the yard. A crib sheet provides shade and protection from bugs.
6. Use a glue gun to prevent shoes from slipping.
Facebook: CentralCoastTeachingTots
7. Add Jell-O to your popsicles so they don’t melt into a drippy mess.
forfood.rezimo.com
Get the recipe for this slow-melt popsicle recipe here.
8. Another use for your glue gun: Plug up those holes in your bath toys so they don’t get all moldy.
welovebeingmoms.blogspot.com
9. The “You Shall Not Pass” sign provides a visual limit to how much toilet paper your child can take.
amandathevirtuouswife.com
10. And finally… this solution will SAVE YOUR LIFE (and your beds) during the potty-training phase.
Peggy Wang/BuzzFeed
A serious time and sleep saver during a challenging time.
Here’s a bonus hack …or harmless plug - Dapper Snappers…Did you know we made a BuzzFeed list? Click here!
List Courtesy of BuzzFeed. Images credited in captions.
My 2 Cents
I’m not one of those parents who let’s technology babysit my kids all day, but I am a mom who uses technology to my advantage. I feel like time on the iPad, iPhone, and so on, can be beneficial, especially the plethora of educational apps out there.
My kids get to hang out at the toddler belt office for a few hours after school most days and while I think this is the most magical place ever, they aren’t as impressed. They get bored and I don’t blame them, so they get tech time to entertain themselves.
Here’s the thing, though, I monitor what they are watching/playing/reading. There are apps out there that look cute and innocent, but are far from it. I know my kids are a little too young for social media, but I still try to keep up with the ones out there. The most recent one that I’ve heard of is SnapChat. Spoiler alert: Keep this app away from your kids (PS: don’t google it either without safe search activated).
So, the idea was that you can take a picture, any picture, and post it and in a few seconds it magically disappears forever! So no need to be shy or worry about being embarrassed, very few people will see it. Sound too good to be true? That’s cause it is. I read an article today (courtesy of CNN) that stated the following:
“The heart of the issue is Snapchat’s assurance that customers’ messages were safe and private. Snapchat’s whole business was built on that promise.
For instance, Snapchat photos have a self-destruct timer. But recipients could get around the auto-destruct by saving an image of what was on the screen.
The company also had said it took appropriate security measures to keep the information safe. However, “disappearing” videos don’t actually vanish. They were stored, unencrypted, on phones. That meant anyone could just plug a device into a computer and play the files.
Snapchat was also quietly collecting information about its customers. The company promised it wouldn’t track users, but it surreptitiously followed an Android phone’s every move. It also uploaded entire contact lists from iPhones without letting a customer know.
That blew up in the company’s face when hackers stole the contact information for 4.6 million Snapchat users and posted their usernames and partial phone numbers online.”
So, basically, be careful and pay attention. Little ones (even not so little ones) don’t tend to have the best judgement (or common sense for that matter), that’s what us parents are for, to protect them.
Blessings,
Gluten Free Tips
So, that’s what’s new with me… no more gluten. Super Dude, Bug and I are all going gluten-free. Fun times, I tell, ya. I mean, really, it’s all the rage, everyone is doing it, I’m about to follow them off a bridge too…
But, seriously, we are trying the whole gluten-free thing for a while for health reasons. I feel like it can’t hurt to try and if it doesn’t work, we haven’t lost anything, except maybe money. Yes, definitely money, gluten free can be expensive and quite frankly, a tad overwhelming, too, I mean not everything can be as easy as our kids belts! There are sooooooo many choices out there for gluten free products, but just because it’s gluten free doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Technically, potato chips are gluten free, but that doesn’t mean they are a health food. With all of the options out there, how do you know what to get or how to even start being gluten free?
Good question, I’m glad you asked because I’m going to give you a few tips for going gluten free!
- Get reacquainted with your kitchen. Eating out is a huge risk towards breaking your gluten free diet. There is hidden gluten in sauces and breading and so many other foods that it makes it very difficult to stay on track.
- All meals don’t have to be gourmet. You know what’s gluten free? Chicken, broccoli with cheese (even Velveeta) and homemade beans & rice (add black beans to cooked brown rice add some chopped tomatoes, onions and garlic). Meals don’t get much easier than that. Keep it simple so that you don’t overwhelm yourself. If I try to aim for the moon with every meal I cook, I know I’ll fail because that’s too much work and all the prep work… ain’t nobody got time for that!
- Stock up on good fats. Beef up your diet with heart healthy fats that will fill you up, avocados, nuts,
- Make the produce store your best friend. Enjoy all of the fresh seasonal fruits and veggies you can stomach! Throw in some starches like potatoes (white, gold, red, blue) and sweet potatoes they are also gluten free.
- Keep snacks simple and handy. Hummus and veggies are great, applesauce, almonds, homemade popcorn (not the microwaved stuff), cheese slices…
- Finally, plan. That’s right, plan your meals, including snacks and make a list. Do a little research and study up on the brands that are gluten free. Take it slow and easy…
If you are making the switch, I’d love to hear what worked for you. Share your tips and tricks!
Blessings,
I’m hooked
How’s this for a random Friday topic, essential oils. Yes, I have passions other than my glorious kids belts, shocking, right? I’ve gotten hooked on the essential oils. After extensive research, it’s my opinion that doTerra is the best brand for quality and consistency.
Giggles
Some days I get so wrapped up in life and in what’s going on in the world of kids belts, that I totally forget to sit back and enjoy life (not that I don’t enjoy kids belts). I know I’m not the only one who does that, at least, gets wrapped up in life, not the world of kids belts, that would just be weird if you were all wrapped up in kids belts, too.
Anyway, the point is I get caught up in rushing through the day to day and hurrying the kids along that I tend to forget to sit back and just watch them being kids.
Last night as was putting the kids to bed and I let them tell me jokes and stories, I tickled them and we cuddled. It was pretty great and it made me think of a poem that Jen wrote a few months ago on her blog, titled I Am Made. I hope you enoy it!
i am made for smilesmade for laughsmade for gigglesi am made for hugsmade for snugglesmade for wigglesi am made for dirtmade for rocksmade for ballsi am made for scrapesmade for bruisesmade for fallsi am made for runningmade for jumpingmade for bikingi am made for diggingmade for buildingmade for hikingi am made for soaringmade for flyingmade for reachingi am made for lovingmade for caringmade for teachingI am made for helpingmade for doingmade for givingI am made for servingmade for aidingmade for living
Ponies & Policies
Bug’s new obsession is My little Pony. She loves it and loves (to my dismay) watching it over and over, which means I watch it over and over and over… Well, while watching the episode “The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000″, I thought “there are some lessons to be learned here for our kids belts!” Click here for a breakdown of the episode.
Basically, there is a business in town selling cider. Everyone loves the cider, but they run out before everyone is served. A new business rolls up in town selling new cider and touting on how its better and they can make it quicker. After a competition, the new business wins because it makes more cider faster, however when the towns residents taste it, they realize it is poor quality and not worth the money.
That made me think of a problem we are currently having. There are unauthorized sellers selling cheap knock off’s of Dapper Snappers. We know that our genuine, made in the USA Dapper Snappers are the highest possible quality and we stand by that, as do our authorized retailers. However, as a result of the unauthorized retailers, we have had to put a new policy in place. We can not accept returns or exchanges of faulty products from unauthorized retailers because we can’t guarantee their authenticity.
The current list of retailers that we will NOT accept a return from is:
- wesaveyou$
- Alpine Baby Hub
- 6Saves
- Overstock.com
We will keep you keep you updated with any others as we come across them. There is a list of authorized retailers on our website (attention authorized retailers, if you don’t see your name listed, please email jen@toddlertechusa.com ASAP). We will also be posting a list of unauthorized retailers on our website.
Thank you all for all of your wonderful support!!! We love you all!
Blessings,
If I Could…
There are times when I’m all caught up with work at the kids belts office, when I don’t have two children vying for my time, when the hubby isn’t asking where I want to go for dinner, when I can actually just sit in beautiful silence and think. Sometimes there is nothing better than to just sit, staring off into space pondering the deep and meaningful questions of the universe… What’s the meaning of life? If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no one to hear it, does it make a sound? Which came first the chicken or the egg? If I could go anywhere in the world, where would I go and why?
Ohhh…. I like that last one. Let me take that topic and run with it.
If I could go anywhere in the world on an all expense paid pass, where would I go and why?
I’d go to the country shaped like a boot! That’s right, Italy.
And here’s why…
- It’s beautiful, or at least that’s what I have heard. I haven’t actually been there, if I had then I probably would have chosen a different place. Why would I want to go back to the same place and not choose somewhere else new and exciting? Anyway, think of all of the history there. The Colosseum, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pompeii (which would be equally as creepy, have you seen pictures of this place?), the Florence Cathedral and so many more…
- I have a strange fascination with Italians. No, I’m not talking about the Italians found in the show Jersey Shore, I’m talking about real Italians, like the ones seen in Under the Tuscan Sun. I am sure that movie is an accurate depiction of life in Italy and look at those people, they seem so jolly and fun to be around.
- The food, oh the glorious food…. I don’t really think I need to explain this one, but I will. Umm… Pasta, pizza, pastries, fresh cheeses and cured meats, espressos, breads, soups, sauces, oh my, I think I have gained 10lbs just thinking about it.
- Because I used to work at Olive Garden (which is super authentic), so it’s sort of my civic duty to go to Italy now. I mean that practically makes me Italian, right?? (I’m kidding, I know that doesn’t make me Italian!)
Now, here’s the tricky question, if you could go anywhere (all expenses paid), where would you go and why?
Blessings,
Not Cool, Robert Frost…
It’s Friday, y’all! I’m in the south, I have to fit in, so y’all, it is! Anyway, Friday means it’s “Random Topic Day…” on the kids belts blog which means I can say what I want! I know what you are thinking, “But Chelle, it’s your blog can’t you say whatever you want whenever you want?” Well… true, but I have schedule of topics and there is some cosmic force that keeps me bound to that schedule. So, you see, my hands are tied.
Since it is Friday, I felt like a little encouragement for the weekend would be nice. My assistant, Jen, showed me this Kid President video and I fell in love with this kid. He’s got character, moxie… and I like it!
Plus, there are so many quotable quotes! I’ll list my favorite ones after you watch it (seriously, watch it, your life will be better for it!):
Favorite Quotes from Kid President:
- “This is life people… you got air coming through your nose… you got a heart beat… it’s time to do something”
- “Not cool, Robert Frost”
- “It’s like the dude, Journey said: “Don’t stop believing.” unless your dream is stupid. Then you should get a better dream. I think that’s how it goes.”
- “The world needs you so stop being boring. Ya- you! Boring is easy everybody can be boring.”
- “Life is not a game people. Life isn’t a cereal either. Well, it is a cereal.”
- “But what if there really were two paths. I want the one that leads to awesome.”
- “I don’t know everything, I’m just a kid. But I know this, its everybody’s duty to give the world a reason to dance.”
Have I said, “I love this kid”? He’s got other videos, but this one is just so spot on…
So I’ll leave you with this, what will you create to make the world more awesome?
PS Here is a little bit about Kid President: “Robby, age 9, is my little brother-in-law. He’s full of life and ideas. Robby has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) a brittle bone condition which has resulted in him having over 70 breaks since birth. What’s inspiring about Robby isn’t his condition, but the fact that his condition doesn’t define who he is. In spite of all he’s been through he not only keeps going - he dances.”
Blessings,
Painting
I decided to take a break from the ever demanding world of kids belts to focus on our house. You know, that thing we live in, eat in, sleep in, shower in, rest in, etc… If you are like me, you take it for granted. “Oh, we have a roof over our head, that’s all we need.” In the mean time, the walls have little finger print smudges, stray crayon marks and what appears to be traces of splattered drinks from days long past.
I really got to looking at our walls the other day and I thought, “gross! How did I not notice this before?” So, I did what anyone would do. I immediately went out and got numerous paint samples to test out. That’s right, I went around my house painting little swatches to see what would work. Now, I know what you are thinking, “That’s smart, that way she’s not stuck with a hideous color.” While that’s true, the hubby didn’t appreciate me painting several swatches of the same color all over the living room and bedroom so that I could see how the color looked in different lighting.
I would like to say that it looked similar to this…
Realistically, it was probably more like this…
Ok, maybe not my best idea, but I did find the color I love for the bedroom and I even got it all painted while hubby was away so he came home to a freshly painted room! I love how clean and crisp the room looks. Painting really is the cheapest way to redecorate a room. It took maybe $40 in paint and our room looks completely different. The best part? Hubby loved it, too, and he REALLY loved that he didn’t have to do it!
Now on to the living room. I still have about 25 colors to narrow down… where did I put that paint brush???
Blessings,
Quoth the Raven…
Ah, that Lincoln, such a visionary… He knew even back then that we would have trouble differentiating actual quotes with made up ones on the internet. Plus, he knew we would have the internet, and he was a vampire slayer and something about being a president and abolishing slavery… What a man!
Anyway, as I was taking a break from designing new packaging for our kids belts, I saw that picture on my favorite website, Pinterest, and I laughed. Then I started really paying attention to the quotes and realized, that’s so true. How do we know that Marilyn Monroe said “Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.” While I like that quote, I generally won’t repin quotes who give credit to who said it, just because I don’t know if it’s true. And lets face it, I don’t want to look like an idiot. 
If you judge Benjamin Franklin by the things he is quoted with saying on Pinterest, you would think he may have had a problem.
Like this quote, I really like it, but I don’t know if he said it. So if I repin it do I look silly if he, in fact, didn’t say it?
Am I the only one concerned with this? Does it really matter or will someone just look at this quote and think “That’s nice”. I’m over-thinking, I know. It’s what I do and because of that, you will rarely, if ever, see me pin a quote that actually lists a name on it.
Hows that for our “Random” blog topic??
Blessings,