Works for Me Wednesday: one-handed bracelet fastening

Time for a ride on the Works for Me Wednesday blog carnival, now hosted over at We Are That Family. I was flipping through a gadget catalogue the other day—one of those catalogues I scoff at at first, then wish they had a store nearby, and finally have to talk myself into throwing it into [...]

Works for Me Wednesday: The solution to messy kids’ rooms.

I haven’t posted to Shannon’s blog carnival Works-for-me Wednesday in a few weeks, and man, there have been changes. 1) it is now hosted by Kristen at 2) We Are THAT Family (a blog I read regularly and love) and 3) today she is asking us to repost a WFMW post that we really liked. [...]

Works for Me Wednesday: eat that snow!!

Time for Shannon’s weekly blog carnival—and I have a no-cost, frugal find that’ll keep kids busy outdoors for ages. Sounds interesting? Read on! I was packing Luka’s lunch the other day and he said wistfully, “I wish you could give me some simmammom.” After a short back-and-forth, I discovered he meant cinnamon, which I had [...]

Works for Me Wednesday: Brush those teeth!

After years, literally, of trying to get kids to brush their teeth—egg-timers that went ping, Days-of-Our-Lives like-sand-through-the-hourglass timers where the sand always got stuck, stopwatches, digital timers, bribes, threats, you name it, I have finally come late to the party of the singing toothbrush. Why didn’t I get here sooner??? I spent $12 to get [...]

Getting Organized 2009, Part 2: Ziplocs rock!

As part of the Works for Me Wednesdays blog carnival that I take part in almost every Wednesday, I was inspired to write on a subject very close to my heart—Ziploc bags. I’m including my fave uses, Staci’s—whose blog is Family of 6 on $26K/year and she has some great ideas, 10 from Real Simple [...]

Works for Me Wednesday: Dear Diary, I’m the perfect present

When I was a girl (oh yes, when Bugs Bunny was invented, says Luka) there were standard gifts from certain relatives and friends. There was always fudge and handknit mitts from one grandmother, and writing paper and some bath salts and talcum powder from the other grandmother (oh my, I do sound as if I’m [...]

Works for Me Wednesday: my 8 year old reading and writing on his own!

Like many boys (I hope, or at least other parents and teachers say it’s true) Luka hasn’t been bitten by the reading bug yet. It took Graydon a long time too, but he had extenuating circumstances. Luka claims to have a “reading disability” that makes him unable to read, but when you consider he has [...]

Works for Me Wednesday: Cosmic Catnip Extract Pump Spray

This is such an easy works-for-me posting that I feel somewhat guilty. guilty because it is no clever trick of mine, or hard-won wisdom. It was as easy as spending 25 per cent of my time in the pet aisles at the local MegloMart that gave me this brilliant tip. Our big baby cat Angel, [...]

Works for Me Wednesday: saying goodbye to too-small clothes

I’ve called my kids’ inability to get rid of stuff a number of things, but mostly it’s good old-fashioned packratism. It is a neverending exercise. One of the things they find most difficult to ditch are clothes. “I love this shirt. I don’t want to give it away. I’ll forget all the good stuff I [...]

Works for Me Wednesday: lunch for breakfast

It takes a long time for brilliance to strike sometimes. Like, after raising two kids to high school age, and working on the third child in Grade 3, and BAM! There I was in the kitchen cooking up KD for his school lunch when I burnt the toast and dropped the grapes on the floor. [...]