Inspired by Parent Hacks & Amazon!

I've found some amazing tips at ParentHacks.com and some amazingly helpful products at Amazon.com (yay free shipping!) but never before has shopping at Amazon collided with Parent hacking!

My kids are between sizes at the moment. Too skinny for their size, and too tall for the next size down. I had safety pins and belts in my Amazon shopping cart when I came across Smartie Pants cinch belt for adjusting kids' pants/skirts whether there are belt loops or not. Brilliant! And cute colors, I was almost sold until I remembered a little something I had stored away in their sock drawer. Extra mitten clips to the rescue! My mother is forever buying hats, gloves, and mitten clips at a rate exceeding our number of heads, hands, or sleeves.

Isn't a mitten clip the same idea as the cinch belt? So I did a test run.

From iTookThisOnMyPhone

Success!

Here are some of my fave Parent Hacks from ParentHacks.com:

What to do with onesie snaps during diaper change or potty time?
What to do with extra wipes containers?
How to make slippery finger foods easier to hold

Hack away!

I've found some amazing tips at ParentHacks.com and some amazingly helpful products at Amazon.com (yay free shipping!) but never before has shopping at Amazon collided with Parent hacking!

My kids are between sizes at the moment. Too skinny for their size, and too tall for the next size down. I had safety pins and belts in my Amazon shopping cart when I came across Smartie Pants cinch belt for adjusting kids' pants/skirts whether there are belt loops or not. Brilliant! And cute colors, I was almost sold until I remembered a little something I had stored away in their sock drawer. Extra mitten clips to the rescue! My mother is forever buying hats, gloves, and mitten clips at a rate exceeding our number of heads, hands, or sleeves.

Isn't a mitten clip the same idea as the cinch belt? So I did a test run.

From iTookThisOnMyPhone

Success!

Here are some of my fave Parent Hacks from ParentHacks.com:

What to do with onesie snaps during diaper change or potty time?
What to do with extra wipes containers?
How to make slippery finger foods easier to hold

Hack away!

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If Amelia Bedelia had shabbos guests

This shabbos proved that when British English meets toddler logic, hilarity ensues. A friend is coming for a meal with his girlfriend. We're meant to meet, greet, impress, provide a comfortable table. This is what happened instead:

Hubsters: "Our friend is coming with his bird." (British slang for girlfriend or woman)

Later during dinner:

3yo asks puzzled: "But he did not bring a bird."

Me: Pause. "No, no he didn't, but thank you Amelia Bedelia" unrestrained laughter.

3yo: polite giggle. Sigh. "You thought he was going to bring a bird." Headshake.

Me: tears.

The best part was her mature "silly grownups" patronizing reaction. From a 3yo still funny. I'm hoping it stops while she's ahead.

This shabbos proved that when British English meets toddler logic, hilarity ensues. A friend is coming for a meal with his girlfriend. We're meant to meet, greet, impress, provide a comfortable table. This is what happened instead:

Hubsters: "Our friend is coming with his bird." (British slang for girlfriend or woman)

Later during dinner:

3yo asks puzzled: "But he did not bring a bird."

Me: Pause. "No, no he didn't, but thank you Amelia Bedelia" unrestrained laughter.

3yo: polite giggle. Sigh. "You thought he was going to bring a bird." Headshake.

Me: tears.

The best part was her mature "silly grownups" patronizing reaction. From a 3yo still funny. I'm hoping it stops while she's ahead.

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Kids and Guests

We love having guests. We don't have the most spacious accommodations, but we don't mind sharing what we have. My kids have occasionally heard me lament any Shabbos we weren't able to drum up guests. We're lucky enough to have several regulars who make sure this doesn't happen often.

This past shabbos we were invited out to lunch, fun for all, but that means no guests. On the way home the kids saw some people out for a walk.

"Are those our guests?" They asked pointing excitedly. The disappointment when I said no made me very glad I'd thought to invite a family to join us in the late afternoon! Awa and Hubsters sped home while RE and I plodded along together slowly.

Then RE saw a dog. "Can the dog come to my house?" He asked at least five times before I could answer. Seeing that we couldn't catch up with the dog I decided to use the opportunity to coax some conversation out of my strong n silent little guy.

"What would you say if the dog came to our house?" I asked, proud that I thought of a non yes-or-no question.

"YES!" RE nodded. So much for avoiding yes-or-no. "I'd say, Yes you can come to my house doggie."

"What would the doggie do at your house," I continued the interview.

"Um, I'd give him strawberries and melon." RE spoke with certainty.

"Where would the doggie sleep?" I was on a roll.

" . . . " Confused look.

"Ok, who else should come to our house?" I asked desperate to keep him talking during his rare moment in the spotlight without his older sister piping in.

"A dog, and a cat, and Nana & Papa (my parents), and Saba & Safta (hubster's parents), and a dog. . . . and a cat" RE listed.

Phew! He was still willing to talk, and boy did he have plans!

"And where will they all sleep?"

". . . " Again confused look.

I guess he'll do the inviting and I'll do the worrying about who will sleep where and what to serve outside of the fruit course.

We love having guests. We don't have the most spacious accommodations, but we don't mind sharing what we have. My kids have occasionally heard me lament any Shabbos we weren't able to drum up guests. We're lucky enough to have several regulars who make sure this doesn't happen often.

This past shabbos we were invited out to lunch, fun for all, but that means no guests. On the way home the kids saw some people out for a walk.

"Are those our guests?" They asked pointing excitedly. The disappointment when I said no made me very glad I'd thought to invite a family to join us in the late afternoon! Awa and Hubsters sped home while RE and I plodded along together slowly.

Then RE saw a dog. "Can the dog come to my house?" He asked at least five times before I could answer. Seeing that we couldn't catch up with the dog I decided to use the opportunity to coax some conversation out of my strong n silent little guy.

"What would you say if the dog came to our house?" I asked, proud that I thought of a non yes-or-no question.

"YES!" RE nodded. So much for avoiding yes-or-no. "I'd say, Yes you can come to my house doggie."

"What would the doggie do at your house," I continued the interview.

"Um, I'd give him strawberries and melon." RE spoke with certainty.

"Where would the doggie sleep?" I was on a roll.

" . . . " Confused look.

"Ok, who else should come to our house?" I asked desperate to keep him talking during his rare moment in the spotlight without his older sister piping in.

"A dog, and a cat, and Nana & Papa (my parents), and Saba & Safta (hubster's parents), and a dog. . . . and a cat" RE listed.

Phew! He was still willing to talk, and boy did he have plans!

"And where will they all sleep?"

". . . " Again confused look.

I guess he'll do the inviting and I'll do the worrying about who will sleep where and what to serve outside of the fruit course.

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Happy Mother's day!

This year was my first real Mother's Day. The kids learned about it in school a little and made gifts for me.

RE made a little bowl that said "Ima" (mother) in Hebrew stickers. Inside was a little cupcake and a cookie. Which he at Shabbos morning when he woke up early! Little scamp! "Happy Mother's Day Ima! I got you a bowl of crumbs and an empty cupcake wrapper!" Urp!

Awa's gift survived until today. It is a painted box filled with: A heart with her name in it, 2 muffins, a button key chain, and "Ima there's coffee!" A little sleeve of french vanilla instant coffee. I like to think her maturity and love kept her from scarfing it, but I think she just forgot all about it.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there! May the crumbs always frame smiles of love!

This year was my first real Mother's Day. The kids learned about it in school a little and made gifts for me.

RE made a little bowl that said "Ima" (mother) in Hebrew stickers. Inside was a little cupcake and a cookie. Which he at Shabbos morning when he woke up early! Little scamp! "Happy Mother's Day Ima! I got you a bowl of crumbs and an empty cupcake wrapper!" Urp!

Awa's gift survived until today. It is a painted box filled with: A heart with her name in it, 2 muffins, a button key chain, and "Ima there's coffee!" A little sleeve of french vanilla instant coffee. I like to think her maturity and love kept her from scarfing it, but I think she just forgot all about it.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there! May the crumbs always frame smiles of love!

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Weirdo wakeup call!

I have two brothers, a dog, several years of college, and motherhood under my belt. I thought I'd been woken up by it all. But last night took the cake . . . or more accurately, the chocolate.

Hubsters had gone to a movie with the guys and I tried to stay up to greet him when he returned. I gave up just after 1am and collapsed exhausted. Somewhere around 2am I had a dream that my hand was covered in some brown goo. Then I realized that my eyes were open, my hand was outstretched in front of me, and it was indeed covered in brown goo. I sleep on my stomach with my hand under my pillow, so I immediately jumped up, sure enough, there were brown smudges next to my pillow, and underneath my pillow? A body-heat melted bar of Cadbury's chocolate that hubsters and I had shared as a Shabbos snack.

Then I noticed that hubsters wasn't in the room. Ok. Double panic. Covered in chocolate. Missing husband. Wanting to keep the chocolate devastation confined to my bed linens I went the bathroom to wash up and discovered hubsters brushing his teeth.

Although disoriented, I still appreciated hubsters reaction to seeing me stumble in bed creased, dazed, and covered in chocolate, yet relieved to see him.

"On rough days don't you say you wish you could swim in chocolate?" He asks. A sleepy squint and a grunt are my only answer as I lick chocolate from my fingers.

After helping me change my sheets and bagging the imported bedwrecker, hubsters adds "You've gotta tweet about this." Thank G-d he's well trained :)

I have two brothers, a dog, several years of college, and motherhood under my belt. I thought I'd been woken up by it all. But last night took the cake . . . or more accurately, the chocolate.

Hubsters had gone to a movie with the guys and I tried to stay up to greet him when he returned. I gave up just after 1am and collapsed exhausted. Somewhere around 2am I had a dream that my hand was covered in some brown goo. Then I realized that my eyes were open, my hand was outstretched in front of me, and it was indeed covered in brown goo. I sleep on my stomach with my hand under my pillow, so I immediately jumped up, sure enough, there were brown smudges next to my pillow, and underneath my pillow? A body-heat melted bar of Cadbury's chocolate that hubsters and I had shared as a Shabbos snack.

Then I noticed that hubsters wasn't in the room. Ok. Double panic. Covered in chocolate. Missing husband. Wanting to keep the chocolate devastation confined to my bed linens I went the bathroom to wash up and discovered hubsters brushing his teeth.

Although disoriented, I still appreciated hubsters reaction to seeing me stumble in bed creased, dazed, and covered in chocolate, yet relieved to see him.

"On rough days don't you say you wish you could swim in chocolate?" He asks. A sleepy squint and a grunt are my only answer as I lick chocolate from my fingers.

After helping me change my sheets and bagging the imported bedwrecker, hubsters adds "You've gotta tweet about this." Thank G-d he's well trained :)

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Shabbos toilet paper made easy

I don't know why it took me so many years to finally think of it. I either bought pre-torn paper or spent a good chunk of time tearing pieces one by one. But no more! Now I grab my big kitchen scissors and cut through the roll and Voilà! Long strips in a fraction of the time. Generally works best when down the the last 1/3 of the roll. Now if I had gardening shears . . .

I don't know why it took me so many years to finally think of it. I either bought pre-torn paper or spent a good chunk of time tearing pieces one by one. But no more! Now I grab my big kitchen scissors and cut through the roll and Voilà! Long strips in a fraction of the time. Generally works best when down the the last 1/3 of the roll. Now if I had gardening shears . . .

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Toddler Bedelia

Conversations with toddlers often leave both sides rather confused. A confused look from a toddler however shouldn't be mistaken for a lack of understanding or slowness. I'm still boggled at the cleverness my two and a half year old showed this morning once I caught up with him.

I was helping him get dressed.

Me, holding socks: Do you want to wear socks today or have bare feet?

RE: Bare feet.

Me: Ok. (puts away socks)

RE, grabs favorite teddy, throws to the ground, stands upon its back & yells: Bear feet!

Me: wha?

RE, points to bear: Bear feet!

Me: oh, ok . . . wait . . . lol!

Apparently he inherited my side of the family's curly hair, olive skin, wide short nose, cleft chin, AND love of bad puns.

Of course that's assuming he meant to be funny and wasn't just pulling an Amelia Bedelia.

Conversations with toddlers often leave both sides rather confused. A confused look from a toddler however shouldn't be mistaken for a lack of understanding or slowness. I'm still boggled at the cleverness my two and a half year old showed this morning once I caught up with him.

I was helping him get dressed.

Me, holding socks: Do you want to wear socks today or have bare feet?

RE: Bare feet.

Me: Ok. (puts away socks)

RE, grabs favorite teddy, throws to the ground, stands upon its back & yells: Bear feet!

Me: wha?

RE, points to bear: Bear feet!

Me: oh, ok . . . wait . . . lol!

Apparently he inherited my side of the family's curly hair, olive skin, wide short nose, cleft chin, AND love of bad puns.

Of course that's assuming he meant to be funny and wasn't just pulling an Amelia Bedelia.

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