ML Interest Tag: efficient

Magic Fountains in Chicago Worth Your Pennies

by Maria Chambers

Few things make parents happier than finding free entertainment, especially when it involves water play on a hot summer day. Gather your pennies — so, um, we guess it’s not totally free — because we rounded up water fountains worthy of your wishes. Some you can actually play in! From the world-famous and massive to the tiny and refreshing, these fountains in Chicago will put a smile on your face and a click in your camera.

Crown Fountain

You'll find it hard to find a spot to throw your wishful pennies, but Crown Fountain at Millennium Park should top your bucket list of must-see Chicago fountains. Completed by Spanish Artist Jaume Plensa in 2004, this fountain is unique because of its use of modern mixed media (light, LED display and water). Pack a swim diaper and change of clothes because the fountain's two 50-foot glass-brick towers joined by a 232-foot long granite pool invite visitors to ditch their shoes and take a respite from the summer sun. The faces appearing on the towers were taken from a cross-section of 1,000 Chicago residents and are modern interpretations of traditional gargoyles in fountains from which water, a symbol of life, flows from an open mouth. The fountain is open daily mid-spring to mid-fall.

201 E. Randolph St., Millennium Park; Online: cityofchicago.org

Eli Bates Fountain

You might know it as the “Storks at Play” fountain. Officially, the fountain is named for its donor after he bequeathed money making its 1881 installation possible. Tiny visitors will enjoy the whimsical bronze birds spewing water from their beaks and will be in awe of the half-boy, half-fish creatures holding large fish that appear to come alive, splashing in the water. Tall bronze reeds and cattails protrude from the center of this stunning fountain that serves as the centerpiece for the formal garden just south of the Lincoln Park Conservatory.

East of N. Stockton Dr. & South of Lincoln Park Conservatory, Lincoln Park; Online: chicagoparkdistrict.com

Buckingham Fountain

A list isn't complete without mentioning this Grant Park gem, arguably the most well-known fountain around. Open to the public in 1927, architect Edward H. Bennett designed it to be a focal point for Grant Park without obstructing views of Lake Michigan, in which it was designed to symbolize. The enormity of the lake is embodied by the 15,000 gallons of water re-circulated every minute and the water displays that shoot as high as 150 feet from the ground—something that’s guaranteed to impress the kids! The four states that border Lake Michigan are represented in the four sets of Art Deco-style sea horses in the massive lower basin. The fountain runs from 8 a.m.-11 p.m. daily from May to mid-Oct. and a 20-minute water show begins every hour on the hour.

Columbus Drive  & Congress Parkway, Grant Park; Online: chicagoparkdistrict.com

Triton Fountain

Make this a must-see on your next trip to The Art Institute. You'll have to pay general admission to enter the museum to see it — however, children under 14 enter free and Illinois residents get free admission every Thursday evening from 5-8 p.m. A calming sight, it was designed by famed Swedish sculptor Carl Milles and was dedicated in 1931. It's the centerpiece of the 11,000-square-foot McKinklock Memorial Park, located off the museum cafe and flanked by beautiful Dutch Elm trees. The park is open for dining in the summer and offers plenty of space to stretch little legs.

Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave., Loop; Online: artic.edu

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Fountain of Time

Simply known as "Time", artist Lorado Taft's creation is thought of as the most monumental piece of art in Chicago's Public Art Program and was the first to be completed using concrete. It was created in 1920 as a monument to the first 100 years of peace between the U.S. and Great Britain. Across a reflecting pool, Father Time looks over 100 figures representing birth, the struggle for existence, love, family life, religion, poetry and war. If you want to leave the deep, philosophical discussion aside, just take in its beauty, toss some pennies and snap a few pics. The sheer mass and intricacy of the 110-foot-long sculpture will make this visit to Washington Park a treat.

Cottage Grove Ave. & 59th St., Hyde Park; Online: chicagoparkdistrict.com

Children's Fountain

This bubbling beauty is photo opp gold. It was dedicated in 1982 by Chicago’s first female mayor, Jayne Byrne. Moved from its original location on Upper Wacker Dr., you'll now find it just south of the Chicago History Museum. Turn a trip there into a game of I Spy. Can you spot the frolicking children, musical instruments and arching cranes? Adults will simply appreciate its artfulness. It stands four tiers tall and has a scallop-shaped granite basin as the base. Shapely stairs lead to the fountain where you’ll find a plaque dedicating the fountain to all Chicago children who take from our past to better our future.

North of W. North Ave. & East of N. Clark St., Lincoln Park; Online: chicagoparkdistrict.com

Trio of Sculptural Drinking Fountains

We’ve shown you where to toss your wish-carrying pennies and dip your toes, but how about where to wet your whistle? Lincoln Park Zoo has a trio of sculptural drinking fountains that put the old-school drinking fountains to shame. Just west of the Kovler Lion House, you’ll find “Lion Fountain” which depicts a lion pride — an adult male, adult female and three small cubs mounted on a bronze podium where they appear to be sharing a drink with their human friends. North of the Regenstein African Journey near Conservatory Gate is the home to “Elephant Fountain".  A bronze mama and baby elephant wait patiently for visitors to supply them with a cool drink. Lastly “For the Young at Heart” at the Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo features a rabbit, dear, raccoon and nut-carrying squirrel frolicking near its three spouts. 

Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St., Lincoln Park; Online: lpzoo.org

Rose Petal Fountain

Three acres at the Chicago Botanic Garden are dedicated to more than 150 varieties of roses, almost 5,000 roses altogether! The shades of these blooms get lighter as visitors near the focal point of the rose garden, the Rose Petal Fountain, a cast-concrete bubbler in the shape of a Tudor rose. Streams of water in varying shapes and heights shoot from its center. Neighboring the fountain, kids can rest their legs and find shade amongst the fragrant climbing roses on the Cedar Arbor.

Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe; Online: chicagobotanic.org

— Maria Chambers

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5 Ways Moms Can Help Balance Work & Family Time

By Rae Steinbach

As a working mom, there’s always the sense you can be doing more, whether it’s with your family or your career. At least, it can feel that way. The trick is to find a sense of balance that works for you. It’s a very individualized process and experience. One way of doing things doesn’t work for everyone.

Maybe if you work from home, on some days, you put the baby in the swing and do office hours that way. Then, once your baby is up from her nap, you let your clients or boss know that your office hours are over. For some moms, balance might be more about completely disconnecting from technology when they’re with their family.

The following are specific tips to keep in mind to have a sense of balance in your life as a working mom.

1. Talk to Your Boss about Your Schedule
If you aren’t already working from home some or all of the time, and your job would be something you could do remotely, speak to your boss. A lot of employers are more willing than ever before to go with flexible scheduling. Then, you can cut out some of the unnecessary elements of your day, like your commute, giving you more time to dedicate to the things that are important to you.

2. Organize Your Schedule
When you’re busy, and you feel like you’re juggling a lot, staying organized can help relieve some of the stress that might occur as a result. Create a family schedule and a work schedule, and post them both where the entire family can see them easily.That way, everyone knows what to expect and when.

3. Share the Housework & Outsource What You Can
Everyone in your family should be sharing in the housework. You don’t have to do it alone. Assign everyone in the house their weekly chores. Start teaching your kids how to do chores from an early age, so it becomes part of their routine. And if you can afford to, outsource some of these things as well, to give yourself a bit of time to relax when you are at home, rather than trying to get it all done. For example, maybe have a cleaner come a couple of times a month.

4. Stop Multi-Tasking
We’re trained to think multi-tasking is the most efficient way to do things, and the reality is that it’s not. When you’re trying to do multiple things at once, your attention levels are pulled in these different directions, and you’re going to end up being less productive.

Instead, focus on one thing at a time and give it all of your attention when you’re doing it, whether that’s related to work or your family.

5. Aim to Have Weekends That Are Completely Free 
Finally, your weekends should be a time of solace. Try your hardest during the week to get all of your work done, and also try to eliminate the number of chores and errands you have to do that are related to the household. That way, you can block out a period of time at the end of every week where you really can focus on being with your family. You can return to work on Monday, recharged and refreshed. Don’t let work or an overwhelming shuffle of errands and activities take over your weekends.

 

"Rae is a graduate of Tufts University with a combined International Relations and Chinese degree. After spending time living and working abroad in China, she returned to NYC to pursue her career and continue curating quality content. Rae is passionate about travel, food, and writing (of course)."

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Strategies to Encourage Your Kids to Eat Their Lunch

By Alexandra Gabalda

Lunch boxes coming back home full can create a lot of frustration and frictions at home, especially if you are the parent of a child who doesn’t enjoy a wide array of food. The good news is that there are easy strategies that you can use to encourage kids to eat their school lunch.

Mathilde Cerioli, Positive Discipline Educator for Little Dragon, has 4 easy steps to teaching our kids how to be responsible for their lunchbox. This is an efficient first step towards a healthier relationship with their lunch. Read them all, and don’t forget to download your FREE printable before your leave!

1. Put the Kids in Charge of Their Lunchbox. Encourage your child to carry their lunchbox to and back from school. Whether you’re taking the car or walking to school, their lunchbox can be their responsibility. They can start doing so at a really young age, it will help them take some responsibility for their lunch. As they get older, you can also encourage them to empty their lunch bag and wash their containers (or place them in the dishwasher) when they get home.

2. Involve Children in Making the Menu. The first step to teach your child how to make their own lunch is to talk with them about what constitutes a proper lunch. You can introduce them to the different foods they will need and give them options to choose from. By giving choices, it is not up to them whether or not they get vegetables for instance, but they get to decide between carrots or cucumber, broccoli, or peas. You can also plan a trip to the grocery store and let them pick a new fruit or veggie they are ready to try. See useful resources below to help you start the conversation.

Remember, the main goal of lunch is that they get the fuel they need to learn, focus, and stay active all day. So, if you have a broccoli hater on your hands, the lunchbox is probably not the right place to convince them to try some. Prefer a moment during the week when they will be more relaxed and will have more time to make new experiments.

3. Teach Them How to Prepare Their Lunch. Did you notice how easier it is to throw away leftover pizzas you ordered, rather than food you spent 45 minutes cooking? That’s because you know the energy that went into making it. So, why not make the kids take part in the process the same way?

Children can start being involved in making their lunchbox early on. Younger children can help put the food in the container, while older ones can start peeling and cutting food. It is more time consuming to cook with children, so it does not have to be something you do every day. But, you could decide together on a day when children help. However, do not expect your child to know how to do things, use a positive parenting tool ‘Climb the Ladder’ to do so! First, you start doing it and they watch, then you do it together, then they can do it by themselves. This will take several days for some skills.

4. Ask Them about Their Lunchtime. Invite problem-solving when the lunchbox comes home mostly untouched. Children might not eat as well for many different reasons, some they might have not even identified themselves yet. Is lunch too long to eat and they don’t get enough time to play? Do they have a wiggly tooth and carrots are too hard to eat? Is there a food item in their friend’s lunchbox that they would like to try? Then, talk with them about how to change whatever is keeping them from eating. Maybe pack something more nutritious that is faster to eat? Maybe cut the carrots a different shape so they are not bothered by their wiggly tooth?

Resources to Help You Get Started:

Lunchbox Packing Tips: 5 Basics you need to know before you get started with lunch packing.

Teaching Kids: 4 Easy steps to teaching your child to be responsible for their lunchbox.

Get inspired. Visit Teuko.com and see what other kids actually eat.

This post originally appeared on Teuko Blog.

Teuko is the first platform that empowers families to simplify lunch packing. Using Teuko, they can find and share kid-approved lunchbox ideas, recipes, and tips, all in one place. Teuko is transforming the lunch packing experience by boosting inspiration and motivation week after week. 

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5 Ways to Simplify School Lunch Prep

By Alexandra Gabalda

The kitchen can easily become cluttered, making it less efficient to do daily tasks like making the kids’ lunches. Here are our top five kitchen organization tricks to help organize your kitchen and simplify school lunch preparation.

1. Clean Out Your Pantry & Refrigerator 
Places like the pantry and fridge can quickly become disorganized. If you often catch yourself searching for certain foods or rummaging past miscellaneous items like pet food or cleaning supplies, take the time to clean out these spaces. Remove everything and set them on the counter or table. Sort through the items and toss anything that is expired, anything you know you won’t use, or anything that doesn’t belong.

While everything is out of the pantry or refrigerator, take a moment to wipe down the surfaces. Before you put anything back, create an organizational system that makes the most sense for you—such as sorting and storing items by type or priority for easier access. Bonus points if you repackage some items into clear storage bins for better visibility!

2. Optimize Your Storage Spaces 
While we wish everyone could have walk-in pantries and spacious cabinets, that’s not always the case. Regardless of the size of your kitchen, there are ways to maximize what you have and create a more optimized storage system. Use cabinet shelves to double or triple your shelf space or under-cabinet baskets to create additional storage. If you don’t already have a kitchen island, add a simple wire shelving unit with a wooden top. Not only will this increase your storage space, but it will also increase the amount of work surface you have.

For a weekend project, you can go a step further and renovate your pantry. Remove inefficient wood shelves and replace them with wire shelving. A small swap like this can make a world of a difference for everyday use.

3. Keep Frequently Used Items on a Cart 
Are you always pulling out the same items when making your kids’ lunch or running out of storage room? One of our favorite multi-purpose solutions for kitchen organization is a mobile wire utility cart. This rolling cart can act as moveable storage to hold frequently used snacks, containers, or cooking utensils. This can help streamline the lunch preparation—not only allowing you to pull out everything at once but giving you the ability to tuck it away quickly once done.

4. Designate a Lunch Box Home 
Never hunt for a lunch bag again by creating a designated lunch box storage spot. Streamline the process and add small coat hooks in your pantry or a J-hook onto wire shelving to hang lunch boxes near where you prepare the food. Alternatively, keep them along with their backpack, sports gear, or other school items to keep it all stored in one spot.

5. Make Lunch Prep Accessible to Your Kids 
When your kids feel like they’re part of the lunch-making process, they may be more encouraged to eat and enjoy the meal. Help get your kids involved by keeping items easily accessible. Organize your kitchen to give them some autonomy—store common lunch foods at their height, like in a lower drawer in the fridge or on a lower shelf in the pantry and ask them to pick out what type of fruit cup they want that day.

Store non-dangerous utensils like kid-safe knives, plastic cookie cutters, or rubber containers at their level to select and grab themselves. You can also stash a small stool nearby, so they can reach the counter and assist with food prep and lunch box assembly.

Hopefully these kitchen organization tips will help make packing the kids’ lunches more efficient and enjoyable for the whole family.

RELATED:
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Photo: Ace Of Space Organization

This post originally appeared on Teuko Blog.

Teuko is the first platform that empowers families to simplify lunch packing. Using Teuko, they can find and share kid-approved lunchbox ideas, recipes, and tips, all in one place. Teuko is transforming the lunch packing experience by boosting inspiration and motivation week after week. 

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UNO Goes Green & Removes Cellophane from Deck

by Jennifer Swartvagher

Don’t forget to call out, “UNO!” The world’s most popular card game just went sustainable. UNO Nothin’ But Paper is the same matching game everyone loves, but it’s the first UNO deck that has removed cellophane from its packaging and is now 100% recyclable.

UNO Nothin’ But Paper

UNO also plans to remove the cellophane from 100% of standard, paper-based decks entirely in 2021 – on its way to achieving Mattel’s 2030 commitment to achieve 100% recycled, recyclable or bio-based plastics materials in our products and packaging.

UNO Nothin’ But Paper

UNO has always been committed to creating a low-waste and reusable card game for all people to enjoy, and as of 2020, all decks and packaging are made with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified materials and feature soy-based ink for the paper cards that are non-VOC (volatile organic compounds), more efficient for recycling and made from soybeans, a renewable resource.

UNO Nothin’ But Paper retails for $5.99 and is available on Amazon for ages 7Y+.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of Mattel

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11-Year-Old Identical Twins Create Sleek New Writing Utensil

by Jennifer Swartvagher

When studying did you ever wish you had a highlighter attached to your pencil? SOZY’s The Annotator, created by 11-year-old identical twins, Sophie and Izzy, combines a #2 pencil, extra-strong eraser and liquid highlighter into one sleek, functional package. This sleek tool is useful and efficient for students and professionals alike, ideal for note taking, color-coding papers, highlighting materials for presentations or just doodling.

Annotator

Sophie and Izzy’s journey started in school with a simple hack, combining a highlighter to a pencil by taping them together. This solved the problem of switching between both writing instruments at school. When they went to buy the product, and realized it didn’t exist, they decided to design one themselves.

The girls decided to combine elements of their names for the brand and SOZY (SOphie and IzZY) was the result.

Annotator

For the girls, their passion project has been a lesson in entrepreneurship.From sketching a prototype from scratch, creating a mold to picking a color palette, developing a brand name, designing a logo, creating a website and writing Instagram posts, they have made important decisions, faced challenges and learned how to start (and run) a business.

The Annotator currently comes in packs of four, in pastel shades and in brights ($10) and they have more in development. Available online, The Annotator has also already been picked up by Kitson, Uncommon Goods, The Graphite Store and Presence, among others.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

All photos courtesy of SOZY 

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Home Depot Has a Coco Halloween Inflatable Featuring Miguel and Dante

by Jennifer Swartvagher

We’re un poco loco for this adorable inflatable.. Halloween evokes a spooky feeling, but what if you want something that won’t scare the little ones coming to trick-or-treat at your door? This giant Coco Halloween inflatable decoration features Miguel and his dog Dante.

Coco Inflatable

This 6 ft. Coco Miguel and Dante Halloween Inflatable is available at Home Depot. This inflatable easily self-inflates in seconds for easy setup. With energy-efficient LEDs, it provides lasting, season-long illumination. Simply plug it in and stake in the ground.

Find the Coco Miguel and Dante Halloween Inflatable at your local Home Depot for $129.00.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Home Depot

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Study Finds Parents Are Going Out of Their Way to Do *This* During the Pandemic

by Karly Wood

During this time we are all staying safe at home, parents are getting creative when it comes to finding “me” time. A study from DoorDash recently discovered that moms and dads are using meal times as a means for escaping the house––and we totally get it.

The survey found that 20 percent of parents admitted to ordering takeout for the purpose of getting alone time and taking a break from home. Not only that, but they are ordering more takeout than ever before.

photo: William Krause via Unsplash

It’s no surprise that the survey found that 56 percent of customers admitted to ordering more during the pandemic, many of which are bound to be parents who just can’t stand another night in the kitchen. Not only are customers placing more orders to avoid cooking, but to also support local businesses during this challenging time.

Recognizing the upward trend, DoorDash has made the pickup process even more efficient by adding a new pickup feature which not only makes the process safer, but minimizes wait time at restaurants, too. Users can to opt-in to share their location while the DoorDash app is running, and as they approach the restaurant, merchants will be alerted they arrive so their order is ready.

––Karly Wood

 

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You Can Buy the 90s Version of the Caboodle & Our Inner Teen Is Freaking Out

by Karly Wood

There are few things that take us back to the ’90s like scrunchies, Lips Smackers, a bottle of Vanilla Fields and a trademark two-toned Caboodle used for storing all your rocking, colorful makeup. Luckily for us, Urban Outfitters is bringing back the iconic makeup tackle box for just $10––our inner ’90s girls are rejoicing.

Created in 1987, the Caboodle took it’s cue from a photo printed in People of Wheel of Fortune’s Vanna White toting her makeup in a Plano Molding tackle box. Plano decided to use their design to manufacture an official makeup box, complete with mirror, deep storage and swing-out trays which are all reminiscent of their super-efficient fishing tackle box.

And thus, the Caboodle was born.

In the 31 years since Caboodles was founded, we’ve seen lots of updates to keep the box modern and on point. The company now offers train cases, bags, valets, countertop acrylics and teen-specific boxes, but nothing compares to the original which was probably the first-ever makeup carrier for us 90’s girls.

What sets apart the Urban Outfitters Caboodles (aside from the wallet-friendly price) are the iconic colors and original swing-trays which bring back tons of memories talking on your party line while reading Tiger Beat. You can pick from mint green, lavender and pink which have been described as “vintage-inspired.”

Pass us the night cream, please.

Alright, who’s adding a Caboodle to their shopping cart? Let us know in the comments!

––Karly Wood

 

All photos: Urban Outfitters

 

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