Projects and Ideas- kids' grocery list

Grocery list- a great tool to keep toddlers and preschoolers busy while you shop for groceries.  Find a couple of grocery store ads and cut out pictures of the items you purchase most often.  If your child works well with scissors and glue sticks, they can help- they don’t have to be perfect.  Use a glue stick to attach the pictures to both sides of note cards (preferably used ones or some that your child has found and scribbled on almost every single one).  Write the name of the item on the card with each picture.  Use a hole punch to punch holes in the corner of each one and attach them to a sturdy ring.  During your shopping trip, ask your child to find a picture of the next item you will pick up, or find a picture of a vegetable, something green, or something that starts with the letter C, for example.

Projects and Ideas- towel holder using bulk packaging loops

I hate throwing away plastic, especially plastic loops.  Maybe I'm having flasbacks to all those media images from the 80s and 90s showing poor birds and marine animals with soda loops stuck around their necks.  Our local recycling program is very limited, so I've been really trying to reuse as much as I can.  I finally figured out a way to reuse the thick plastic loops that come on the bulk packages I purchase.  Unfortunately this only keeps one out of landfills (unless you give them to all of your friends), but it is a start.  Now the kids can dry their hands and my kitchen towels don't end up on the floor!  Hooray!

Projects and Ideas- NO SEW old cotton t-shirt into a cute toddler skirt

This one speaks for itself...
I really needed to figure out a way to use all the t-shirt tops left over from making my upcycled t-shirt scarves (www.etsy.com/shop/utilitarianmom) and came up with this.  PERFECT for 1-3 year olds in men's sizes large to XXL, but obviously the waist size will vary with the neck size of the shirt.  Be sure to pick one without any logos or writing- they don't turn out as well.  You can easily add elastic to the neck/waist if you want, but you probably won't need it if you put them on over onesies (and then you don't have to worry about diaper covers or bloomers!
Have fun with this one and feel free to send me pics of your creations and variations (utilitarianmom@hotmail.com).  I'm excited to see what people will come up with- bleach prints, tie dye, permanent marker designs- anything is possible!

TILTHW- Save money on nursing pads

Things I Learned The Hard Way- If you plan to nurse, consider buying re-usable cotton nursing pads.  They are also very easy to make your own with layers of terrycloth, microfiber fabric or absorbent fleece sandwiched between outer layers of plain woven cotton.  The disposable type can trap moisture and give many mothers rashes or sensitize the skin, making nursing very uncomfortable.  Cotton pads allow the skin to breathe.  Safety pin the cotton pads together or put them inside a mesh delicates bag before you wash them so you always have a pair, and wash them with your infant’s clothing in a mild detergent (Dreft, All Baby, etc).  Don’t use fabric softener or dryer sheets because they can increase the risk of skin irritation.

TILTHW- Stop the stairclimber workout retrieving tossed toys

Things I Learned The Hard Way- If you have open staircase or patio railings, you can purchase plastic or mesh sheets to secure to the railings to prevent your child from sticking arms and legs (or their heads) through, or throwing toys down.  An inexpensive clear shower curtain liner and zip ties work well for this too.  Just thread the sheet through the rails, alternating which rails you go in front or behind, or thread behind every third or fourth rail depending on their distance apart.  Punch holes with a hole punch and slide a zip tie through to secure.

TILTHW- No more missing parts!

Things I Learned The Hard Way- Purchase a plastic or mesh drain cover for the kitchen sink.  It will prevent endless searching for the tiny plastic spoons, bottle parts or breast pump parts that slip down the drain during washing- especially if you have a garbage disposal!

TILTHW- Quick clean-up

Things I Learned The Hard Way- Consider getting plastic bins, baskets or buckets to use while cleaning.  Keep one with cleaning products (carpet cleaner and a cloth for spit up stains, dust cloth, paper towels, glass cleaner, etc).  Take your cleaning basket and an empty bin or basket with you to the first room, pick up everything that doesn’t belong in that room and put it in the empty basket (some of us need large laundry baskets for this).  Finish cleaning the room, then move to the second room.  Take everything out of the catch-all basket that belongs in room #2 and put it away.  Pick up everything in room #2 that doesn’t belong there and place it in the basket.  Complete cleaning room #2 and move on.  This saves valuable time moving from room to room putting things away.  It is also easy if you get interrupted, to put the baskets up out of your child’s reach or in a closet until you can get back to them.

TILTHW- Hooray for video monitors!

Things I Learned The Hard Way- Consider purchasing or registering for a video monitor with an intercom from the beginning.  You won’t really need the video or intercom aspect early on, but it becomes very useful if you have a climber (you can figure out how they are getting out of the crib), or when you switch up to a toddler or big kid bed (you can tell them to get back in bed when they try to get up repeatedly).  As your child gets older, you may be able to ask them what they need when they awaken at night saying “mommy, mommy, I need you”.  They may just need to hear the sound of your voice and know that you are close by.  Video monitors are also a great way to just watch your sweet baby sleep peacefully or to figure out just what they are doing in their crib when it sounds like a tumbling routine in their room before they fall asleep.  When you no longer need the monitor in the child’s bedroom, you can move it to their play area to keep tabs on them while you use the bathroom, prepare lunch, or throw in a load of laundry!

TILTHW- Lost socks

Things I Learned The Hard Way- Pin socks, mittens, and other small items together with diaper pins or safety pins as soon as you take them off your child.  Tiny socks are easily lost in the wash and you won’t have to sort through an entire load to find a match, or have one get stuck inside a sleeper and get lost.  You can also pin outfits together, but pin them through the tags so you don’t snag the fabric.