I am honored to offer you this guest post, written by Jeremiah of Z Recommends. Hopefully it will be the first of many!
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Kids grasp the concept of time on many levels and at many different stages. One of the earliest levels of comprehension parents care about is helping children recognize how time governs some activities, especially as kids head towards two and three and really start negotiating how long they have to do what they want before they do what you need them to.
We’ve found that one of the keys to minimizing conflict is to recognize and respect the way our daughter focuses on activities, and have our actions reflect that we don’t expect to have her at our beck and call. We try to allow her “wrap-up” time before requiring her to stop doing something. We learned a while ago that she would transition much better when we let her help us set the oven timer and discussed how long she had to do something before we were going to leave the house / get ready for bed / etc.
Then we discovered the Time Tracker, a kid-friendly timer that counts down time in a way toddlers can easily understand. Complete with three-phase lighting (green, yellow, and red) and customizable sound effects (some of them actually quite annoying) you can set the timer to shift automatically through phases when given an initial start time, or can set the timing and sounds associated with each phase for total control of the timing experience. The only curious feature of this in-depth customization is that the time period is also one of these many variables, and you actually have to set at least some of them every time you want to change the time period. There are two memory settings, so that means you can store two times.
Since this device is all about helping to maintain rituals, however, it is not too hard to establish timings that we are most likely to want, and tend to confine our use of the Time Tracker to these times. So far one of the best uses we’ve found has been to put some parameters on “reading time” which we now allow our daughter in bed before the lights go out. Since she is just now getting to use her toddler bed with no fourth wall, meeting her halfway is a big part of helping her feel she can wind down and keep from getting up as soon as she gets the urge.
Below is a demo run of the timer set to the shortest time interval I thought would allow you to get a real sense of how useful the sound and light changes are. I set it up to run for a minute and a half. Surely it’s not the most exciting video you will ever watch, but it does give you an idea of how it works and what it offers beyond a simple oven or digital timer.
If the timer’s $34 price tag doesn’t scare you off, we recommend it.
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Tonight as I prepared to be frustrated while I cut some sausage on my very basic cutting board, I tried to think of a way to make it stay in place. My first thought was non-slip shelf liner. But after our recent move I realized I have no idea where my roll is.
Then it came to me - I could use my little rubber jar opener.
We’ve got two of these, and they’ve both been given to us as promotional items, printed with business logos like the ones you see above. I use these several times a week, from opening soda bottles to pickle jars. If I haven’t been able to open a bottle with just my hands, these have always worked for me.
I’m glad we have two, too, because my kids like to play with them for some strange reason. And one is usually missing or in the dishwasher.
Anyway, I stuck it under my cutting board and it worked great! If I’d had both available it would have worked better; I’d have stuck one under each end of the board instead of the one I had in the middle.
I imagine that it could work well for other items in the kitchen as well - under the slick cookbook from which you’re trying to make a recipe or under your child’s soup bowl at the table.
So next time some business is trying to give you a free jar opener with their logo on it, don’t pass it up! Let us know what else you use these for in the comments below.
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It’s 8:00 on a Saturday morning. You’ve heard the kids get up and they’re quietly watching TV. Maybe they’ve even fed themselves. You, on the other hand, are still in bed. You were up late last night - maybe you were watching a movie or maybe you were blog-surfing, maybe you were even ranting about something writing on your own blog) - and all you want to do is sleep some more.
But that darn sun is making your room so bright that you can’t get a wink more of shut-eye! Frustrated, you drag yourself out of bed to face the day.
With these curtains you can make your room as dark as the best hotels do.
It was from staying in a (good quality) hotel that I found out about these curtains years ago, and I always kept that memory stored in the back of my mind for use in my home one day. Being homeschoolers, we are fortunate to be able to do things on our own time, and one way that presents in our home is by sleeping later than most people. So after our recent move to a beautifully sunny house, I knew I’d have to get myself some of these curtains (instead of using blankets to block out the light).
A quick search on the ‘net and I found out they were available from Wal-Mart’s website, so we decided to see if we could find them locally (saving time and money). We easily found them and grabbed one package of two panels (failing to do the math with regards to their total measurements), feeling that the $25 was well worth it.
We got home and immediately started to set them up in the master bedroom; I wasn’t going to let Mr. Sun wake me up ever again! He’d been waking my co-sleeping toddler up even before me, which meant that I had to drag myself out of bed before I was ready.
Upon reading the installment directions, we found that there were several ways these could be used. We decided against what I assume is the best way - putting them on the drapery hooks. The house is a rental and we just thought it would be better not to take any chances with their property.
This meant a trip back to the store to get a drapery rod the next day, and another morning being woken up by Mr. Sun.
We also realized that the two panels we had wouldn’t completely cover our window horizontally, but were way longer than necessary vertically. Three panels will fit this window just right when we’re ready to buy two more packages (so we have three panels for another window as well).
It was a quick set-up slipping the rod through the pocket at the top of the drapes and sticking it between the walls of the window (do those have a name? ) This means that some light is allowed through. But compared to what could be shining in, it’s acceptable. Now we get up when we wake up naturally and are well-rested and happy.
According to the package, these are useful for more than just blocking out the light:
Insulates against heat and cold, which saves on electricity bills
Muffles Sound
Protects sun-fading of carpet and furniture
Blocks light day or night and reduces noise
Provides privacy (no silhouette)
Not a vinyl product and not a laminate, Blackout looks and hangs like a normal drapery but will not crack, peel, or bubble.
It’s also suggested for those of you with home theaters - these can help you get more of a theater-like feel by blocking light from the room and keeping glare off your screen.
The price we paid might seem kind of steep to some, but these are definitely extremely sturdy and will last for years and years. After we got our package of two panels for $25, I saw the same exact package in a catalog (not a high-end one, mind you) for more than $40.
I guess you’ll have to determine how much it’s worth to you to have a completely dark room to sleep in. I know that I am looking forward to getting more as our budget allows, and using all of our blankets for our beds.
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How many times have you put food into your refrigerator, only to forget when you put it there and ended up throwing it away for safety’s sake?
I’ve done it too many times to count.
I’ve read the recommendations to put masking tape on my plastic containers and jars and to write the date it gets stored away, but it just doesn’t happen. It’s a bit of a hassle (gotta find the tape), and a bit of a mess (when the lid goes into the dishwasher… removing the tape beforehand and removing the gunk afterwards).
Now my dilema is solved!
The DaysAgo Digital Day Counter attaches to a variety of surfaces with a magnetic or suction backing. This amazingly simple gadget is re-usable, helps you save money and gives you peace of mind.
Besides using it on food containers, you can use it to indicate when you last changed your kitty litter box or watered your plants, among other things. It only counts up to 99 days so wouldn’t be useful for knowing when you need to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors (it’s recommended to do it annually), but would be very useful for knowing when to replace your furnace or air conditioning filters (every three months).
Another thing I love is that they offer a very handy food storage guide on their site. Even if you don’t get the timers, print it out and stick on your fridge or inside a pantry door.
When you go to buy (from the site) you get to choose if you want magnetic (sticks to most metal surfaces) or suction (sticks to most smooth surfaces) timers, and you get two per pack for $10. It seems to me that you’d recoup the money spent on the timers in just a couple months by not tossing out good food. At least I know I would.
These are just the kind of cute and colorful little gadget that I like to play with. I wonder where else in and around the house these would be useful. Got ideas? Please share them below.
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High tech lotion sounds kind of scary, doesn’t it? I’m getting visions of naked-to-the-eye nanobots being pumped out with the lotion, going about their job of mechanically “healing” the skin as they’re spread about.
Ugh - not natural at all!
But to answer the question: Yes, high tech and natural can co-exist in a healing lotion, and without the nanobots, too.
It exists as a product called Skin MD Natural, which uses natural ingredients for dry skin treatment along with the latest advances in dry skin care technology to hydrate and protect the skin. In fact, this is one product in an entirely new concept in skin care, which required a new classification: “Shielding Lotion”.
According to the Skin MD Natural site, a Shielding Lotion
“is a lotion that forms a protective barrier on the skin and keeps out irritants and chemicals. It also allows the natural oils and moisture to remain in the skin so it can heal better. It is a big advantage that shielding lotions are light and go on without a greasy mess, ” says Dr. Brian Zogg, a dermatologist in Albert Lea, MN.
What makes it high tech?
The silicones that are used as spreading or wetting agents and which form a protective layer to help prevent transdermal water loss.
What makes it natural?
Aloe vera
vitamin E
arnica
comfrey
chamomile
and yarrow
Why would I love Skin MD Natural?
A parent who is concerned about keeping themselves and their children healthy is a parent who washes their hands often. Particularly parents who are changing dirty diapers and wiping snotty noses. And all that hand-washing means dry skin, which is even worse in the winter.
With continuous use, this lotion has an accumulated effect, typically after only a few days of daily use. You’ll only need one or two daily applications for complete dry skin care. And those natural ingredients I listed above are healing ingredients, making this lotion do double-duty.
So this all sounded great to me, particularly for the dry and cracked skin on my knuckles. They stung just from the air that touched them.
I received my samples (see below for more information) and was happily surprised to see they sent three instead of the two stated on the site. Hopefully that wasn’t a mistake and their site just needs to be updated. The packets each hold 3cc of lotion. This felt like nothing in the container, but the package states that they’re useful for 3-5 applications. I typically got 6 applications per packet.
How did it feel going on?
A tiny bit of lotion - about a dime’s worth or less - spread extremely easily across the entire surface of both my hands. It was very slippery for aabout 10 seconds. After 20 seconds it became sticky, and by 25 seconds of continuous rubbing, my hands became slick. They were never greasy feeling and feel nice and smooth after the lotion is dry.
How did it feel after a few days use?
Even after just one day my hands felt great! I would put a little extra lotion on my dry knuckles, and by the next day all the dryness was gone. One packet usually lasted me a day or two, and I was sad when my supply was up. When I washed my hands I could feel the lotion kind of rehydrating, but would always put on just a bit more. It seemed to take less and less to keep my hands moisturized.
So you would recommend it?
Definitely yes! Here are some other reasons why:
Your complete satisfaction is always guaranteed!
No animal products or testing
Dermatology tested
Fragrance and colorant free
Hypoallergenic
Where can I get me some?
You can order directly from them online. It’s expensive at $25 dollars for a 4 oz. bottle, but that will last you for up to two months with daily application. Remember that it has an acculumlative effect, so you’ll use less and less each day.
I used their store locator, but couldn’t find a store that carried it locally. I even searched the nearest big city (Denver) and didn’t find a store. Skin MD Natural does offer free shipping if you purchase more than one bottle, which I think is a good deal.
Free samples!
You can get a free sample by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address below.
21st Century Formulations Free Sample Offer
9663 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 860
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Or you can do as I did, and pay $2 for two sample packets (which may actually be for three sample packets, unless I just got lucky).
If you order or otherwise get in touch with them, please let them know you found them via Great Family Gadgets.
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And one is usually missing or in the dishwasher.
So after our recent move to a beautifully sunny house, I knew I’d have to get myself some of these curtains (instead of using 
) This means that some light is allowed through. But compared to what could be shining in, it’s acceptable. Now we get up when we wake up naturally and are well-rested and happy.
