Family Briefs

I always have great intentions to do all these wonderful Easter crafts with my children . . . and then reality hits me like a ton of bricks.  Not sure why this time of year things get crazy - it’s like Spring makes everyone want to schedule everything now before the end of the school year.

There might be hope for me yet this year!  I came across this little gem which offers several EASY options for fun, kid-friendly Easter projects that I already have items on hand for.  And any project that saves me a trip to Wal-Mart is a project worth doing!

So head over to Kids Craft Weekly and subscribe to her newsletter - then you can be crafty all the time!

We just got back from a whirlwind Spring Break road trip.  We stayed in New Orleans for a couple of days, drove on San Antonio, TX,  for six days, then headed back to New Orleans for an overnight stay, then back home.  Whew!  Where was the vacation???

If my husband had his druthers, we’d drive straight through and everyone just pee in a cup when needed.  Fortunately, my mother was along with us, so we got to stop every two-three hours.

While hubby gasses up the van, we back up the line to the restrooms.  While we’re standing there, the kids get the gimmies - they eyeball all the yummies surrounding them in the “quick mart.”   That’s why I keep a good supply of snacks in the car - makes it easier to say no.  It doesn’t reduce the whining, but I feel less guilt feeding them something!

A few years ago, I chose a kid-size shoe box with Buzz Lightyear on it to be our snack box.  Crackers and goldfish got smushed in a bag - how is it that everything on a trip eventually makes its way to the floor?  Anyhow, in a box the snacks remain in tact.  I choose from our variety of snacks at home and shove as many of them in the box as I can, knowing already that not everyone will be happy and whatever I choose, will not be fair to someone.  Who cares, right?

So when there get to be too many “he touched me’s,” “she’s leaning on me,” and “he’s breathing,” comments, I whip out the snacks.  Hubby was especially happy this time ’cause the guys at Jerky.com sent us some Spencer’s Beef Jerky samples to try out.  They have a couple of new flavors - Orange and Mango.  Both were labeled as “Sweet and spicy,” and I was only stupid brave enough to try a small bite of the Mango flavor.  Husband LOVED them.  Me?  Flavor was good, texture was good,  and the after-burner stayed with me through most of Texas.   Their beef jerky really is good . . . I just think I like the pineapple better :)  .  If you want to hear more about what my husband thought of the jerky, you can hear his upcoming podcast on the subject at Southeastern Backpackers.

So pack a snack box on your next trip.  When the kids start whining, you can tell them to “stuff it!”  Then head on over to We Are That Family for more Works For Me ideas!

I hate clearing books off the kids’ shelves, I mean they’re BOOKS!  You don’t throw out things that are GOOD for you, do you?  But the truth is, we simply have too many (’course, we have “too many” of a LOT of things).  Now that the youngest is 3, there are several books we can pass along to the library, other children we know, charitable organizations, or sell at the local consignment store.  It’s still hard to part with them . . . .

. . . but when I stumbled across this, my guilt went away!

From Unclutterer:

“My wife and I recently discovered the website One More Story. It is a great way to supplement your child’s book collection while increasing her reading comprehension and basic computing skills. The site has the equivalent of books on tape with highlighted words. The site also includes illustrations, sound effects, and music with certain stories. A demonstration is available for preview. “

They offer a number of ways to use their online library, and the annual subscription rate is only $44 - I spent more than that at the last school book fair!  And this website won’t clutter my house at all.  Check it out!

In light of the recent tragedy in Haiti and Chile, Sylvan Dell Publishing is doing its part to help parents and teachers educate children about earthquakes. For the entire month of March, the Panda’s Earthquake Escape eBook will be available on the Sylvan Dell Web site for free.

Pandas’ Earthquake Escape, written by Phyllis Perry and with stunning illustrations by Susan Detwiler, follows the adventures of a mother panda, LiLing, and her cub, Tengfei, for several days after the devastating earthquake that hit China two years ago. Perry’s story follows the two pandas’ quest to survive outside the comfort of their reserve.

The eBook features read-aloud, auto page flip, and selectable English and Spanish text and audio. This title is also available in hardcover and paperback. We hope this book is enjoyed and helps children understand world events around them.

Sometimes I give myself a hard time.  You see, ultimately I’m lazy.  There!  I said it.  Out loud.  Where others could hear it.  If I toss a piece of paper in the trashcan and it misses . . . I leave it if I’m in a hurry.  If the toilet paper roll runs out just before I’m crawling into bed at midnight . . . I let it wait until morning.

I don’t know if it’s having to prepare 80+ Valentines for school parties, washing a minimum of 3 outfits per day for my 3-year-old, or the not-so-simple act of just getting through the day sometimes  that makes me so completely tired.  I become lazy.

So every now and then, I have to try to outsmart myself so that things actually get done.  Without the intervention of others.   I’m lazy about my soap.  You know, you’re washing your hands and the soft soap squirter just kinda “farts” in your hand with that last little bit?  Well, I don’t have time to do anything about it now, so I’ll do it later (there’s that lazy side of me).  When, exactly, does later arrive?  I’ll let that soap dispenser “fart” in my hand several more times before I actually GO TO THE OTHER END OF THE HOUSE AND GET THE SOAP REFILL BOTTLE AND FILL THE THING UP!!!!!

So, I’ve purchased soap refills and placed under each sink in the house.    Whenever I clean a sink, guess what?  I go ahead and refill the soap dispenser.  I mean, I have the time right?   Not to mention saving a trip ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER END OF THE HOUSE  (a whole 25 feet away, mind you).

Like I said, I’m lazy.    But having the soap on hand with an easy refill system, means I can keep on being lazy and everyone can still wash their hands. Now, you don’t be lazy and head over here to find other great Works for Me Wednesday ideas!