5 Sanity-Saving Hacks for Seattle Parents

by Allison SutcliffeAugust 25, 2022

Family life is busy, and with the start of the school year on the horizon, it’s even busier. Between after school activities, trying to get a dinner on the table, and carving out time for family fun, there’s barely a minute to spare. If you’re feeling pressed for time, these Seattle-area companies can simplify your hectic routine and maybe even give you back a few minutes of much-needed family time. From dinner hacks to an easy way to sell your stuff, pepper your life with these Seattle parent hacks when you need a minute.

This article is sponsored by InnovAsian Cuisine, a world-class provider of pre-packaged, frozen Asian component meals, appetizers and sides. From the freezer aisle to your kitchen table, your kiddos can enjoy a delicious meal in less than 20 minutes. Made with quality white meat chicken and flavorful chef-crafted sauces, InnovAsian Cuisine offers restaurant-quality meals that will delight the whole family. Click here for inspiration for your next dinner.

a woman holds two stacked cardboard boxes to sell

courtesy Sella

When unused stuff is piling up…

It’s amazing how much gear kids require. From their first bucket carseat through their last pair of soccer cleats, there’s a constant flow of outgrown and no-longer-used stuff cycling through our homes. Who has the time to sort through the piles and pass them along, donate them or try to sell them online? That’s what inspired one Pacific Northwest dad to create Sella. An online service that pairs busy families with expert sellers so you can “turn your clutter into cash.” The process is pretty simple. Gather up all that unused Kindle, the baby carrier your kiddo has outgrown, or the baby monitor you don’t need anymore, because baby (finally!) sleeps through the night. Then ship it all out to Sella. They take it from there, snapping pics, listing it on different sites, and writing the listing. All that’s left is for you to approve the listing and wait for it to sell. What will you do with all that free time and space?

Insider Tip: Sella has plans to launch locally in Seattle so parents can drop-off items in person soon, but for now mail-in is how to get things done.

Find out more: hellosella.com

kids reading books on the couch upside down together

iStock

When your bookshelf needs a boost…

How lucky are we that Seattle is home to so many amazing indie bookstores? Some love to leave new books in Free Little Libraries around town. Some host storytimes and author meet and greets for kids. Others help parents keep their kid’s bookshelf fresh with a monthly subscription box. We’re big fans of Phinney Books’ Phinney By Post Kids program that delivers a new picture book to your doorstep monthly or every other month. What could be easier? The books are aimed at kids ages birth through five, and are hand-selected by the discerning staff at Phinney Books. While they have a lot things they take into consideration when selecting the books, the one that matters most to parents is that your kids will want to read it over and over and over again.

Insider Tip: If you’re short on time, but aren’t quite sold on a new book a month, call your local bookstore to get recommendations. Trust us, they know their stuff and have spot-on picks for every kid.

Find out more: phinneybooks.com

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A post shared by Sensa Play Rentals (@sensaplayrentals)

When your kiddo needs something new to do…

If you’ve got a toddler you know how quickly they move from one toy to the next. They’re a physical embodiment of the “ohh! squirrel!” phenomenon. And while we know how much you’d love to spend all day playing dress-up, reading stories, or heading out on the next pretend Paw Patrol rescue with them, there’s only so much time in a day to play. Enter Sensa Play Rentals, a parent-owned, Seattle company that makes gorgeous sensory play kits for kids, delivers them to your door, and even picks them up one week later. It’s what every kid wants (and every parent needs).

Find out more: facebook.com/SensaPlayRentals

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A post shared by InnovAsian Cuisine (@eatinnovasian)

When you need to get dinner on the table….

This Tukwila-based company has been helping Seattle families get dinner on the table since 1998. For those nights when sports, or theater, or working late leave you pressed for time, you can grab an Innovasian frozen protein, choose a family-friendly recipe, and have dinner ready in around 30 minutes. Inventive dinner ideas, like Asian Chicken & Waffles or Simple and Easy Spam Musubi are kid crowd-pleasers that fill them up just in time to shuttle them out the door (or maybe off to bed?) again.

Insider Tip: Follow them on Instagram for creative ways to use Innovasian’s entrees, sides, and apps.

Find out more: eatinnovasian.com

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A post shared by Skylight Farms (@skylightfarms)

When you missed your trip to the Farmer’s Market…

Although you had high hopes for your pandemic garden, it’s a little overgrown at this point. And strolling the Farmer’s Market just isn’t in the cards this week. Let local Seattle farmers help get fresh produce from their fields to your fridge when you sign up for a fall or winter CSA share. In fact, it’s the right time to sign up for the next share with local farms like Skylight Farms, Local Color Farm & Fibre, Jubilee and Full Circle. (Hint: These are just a few of the local area farms growing fresh veggies right now). Then it’s as easy as picking them up on your way home from work (or after your last playdate) to have your fridge stocked for the week ahead.

This Applesauce Squeezer Has the Brain Nutrients of Salmon & Broccoli

by Jamie AderskiAugust 11, 2021

With kids home for the summer, the snacking seems to be endless (but isn’t it always?!). Finding a balance between “fun” food choices and eating healthy foods is high up on the list of daily fights we face. In particular, getting them to eat the foods known to be good for those active minds is a huge struggle (but if you’re lucky enough to have a kid that loves salmon and steamed broccoli, good for you!). For the rest of us, our kids are probably not getting the daily nutrients they need for healthy brain development. Good news: Help is on the way! Two dads who were on the same struggle bus created Brainiac® after discovering that their kids weren’t getting enough of the right brain nutrients from their daily meals.

Brainiac® Snacks are the greatest parenting hack: familiar healthy snacks kids love, powered with a blend of super nutrients for developing brains. Read on for five reasons why Brainiac® Applesauce Squeezers are the solution you need to keep your kids healthy as they return to school.

Brainiac® makes snack favorites like Fruit Pouches, Bars and Yogurt packed with brain-boosting nutrients for the whole family.

Each Brainiac® Applesauce Squeezer is packed with 160mg of Omega-3 DHA/EPA, 120mg of choline and 25mg of Vitamin C, 100% of the recommended daily intake for Vitamin C for kids ages 4-8.*

1. Food for Thought: Support Memory, Focus, Learning & Attention

Some food facts coming your way: Just like we need calcium for strong bones and protein for healthy muscles, our brains need Omega-3s and choline—the key nutrients in every Brainiac snack!

Omega-3 DHA: DHA is an essential building block of brain cells and makes up 15% of a child’s brain. It's critical for maintaining normal brain structure, function and metabolism. It also helps with memory formation and has been shown to improve cognition including reading performance, focus and verbal learning.
Omega-3 EPA: The body doesn’t produce EPA on its own so it’s crucial we consume it through diet. Omega-3 EPA helps reduce inflammation in the brain and helps improve mood.
Choline: Choline is critical in developing neurotransmitters in the brain and is shown to improve memory and learning.

Try Brainiac® today and get one Free 10-Pack when you buy a 10-Pack with this coupon at a Walmart Supercenter near you. Click here to learn more!

2. Brain Food Is Hard to Get (...Really Hard)

Chances are even if you don’t have picky eaters, your child likely isn’t getting the daily brain nutrition they need for a thriving, happy and healthy mind. That’s because these important nutrients are really only found in things like fatty fish, liver, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and eggs—a lot of the foods on kids' "yuck" list. In fact, most children in the U.S. are only getting 20% of the recommended adequate daily intake of Omega-3s and two-thirds of the recommended amount of intake of Choline (*based on guidance by the World Health Organization and National Institute of Health).

Just one Brainiac® Applesauce Squeezer provides as much Omega-3 DHA as a kid’s serving of salmon and as much choline as two cups of broccoli. So if you have the time (and energy!) to go through the motions of cooking an entire meal we applaud you, but for all of those other days, you can now grab a Brainiac pouch!

Want to try Brainiac® Applesauce Squeezers? Click here to get a free sample.

3. Portable, Healthy (Tasty) Snacks

Ever just throw a fish fillet in your bag and go? (We don’t recommend this.) Brainiac® Applesauce Squeezers are not only packed with brain nutrients but also don’t have any added sugar (or low, natural sugar), have natural ingredients and are easy to throw in a bag or a lunchbox for school and take on the go for all of your summer trips or soccer games.

4. Not Just Another Squeeze Pouch

Most applesauce pouches are just smashed apples (so not the worst snack by any means, but kind of empty calories) but Brainiac pulls double duty. Brainiac® Applesauce Squeezers not only provide immunity-boosting Vitamin C but they add their proprietary BrainPack to each pouch—160 MG of Omega-3 DHA/EPA and 120 MG of Choline which is the equivalent Omega-3s as one kid’s serving of salmon and the same amount of choline as two cups of broccoli.

Try Brainiac® today and get one Free 10-Pack when you buy a 10-Pack with this coupon at a Walmart Supercenter near you. Click here to learn more!

5. Doing Good for All Brainkind

Shopping for high-quality fatty fish and fresh vegetables can be expensive. Brainiac® is committed to supporting communities and making brain food accessible to all. They’ve joined forces with Partnership for a Healthier America, Michelle Obama’s non-profit organization, and a portion of all Applesauce sales are donated to PHA to help fight food inequity.

Want to try Brainiac® Applesauce Squeezers? Click here to get a free sample.

*What We Eat in America, NHANES 2015-2016 (Ages 4-15), World Health Organization/UN-FAO (Daily Adequate Intake), US National Academy of Medicine (Daily Adequate Intake)

—Jamie Aderski

17 Activities That Double as Birthday Party Favors

by Oz SpiesJune 2, 2021

Fun activities that double as party favors are two-in-ones that make for party planning perfection. They give the kids something to do at the big bash, plus, it’s also a take-home treat. Now, that’s a parenting hack we can get behind. From darling paper dolls to super slime, scroll down to see our favorites.

Homemade Lightsabers

Every Jedi-in-training needs a lightsaber. We love that these pool noodle lightsabers are lightweight and affordable. Keep the fun going with a challenge: can they use the Force (and their lightsabers) to keep a balloon from touching the ground? Fly over to Muddy Boots to find out how to make lightsabers.

DIY Bracelets

These DIY unicorn bracelets from Buy Some Love will make your kiddo's birthday party extra magical. Each kit is stocked with enough beads for ten bracelets plus silver unicorn charms and beading string. Plus, Buy Some Love lets you request beads in your unicorn superfan's favorite colors, or go with classic rainbow-colored beads.

Available at Etsy seller Buy Some Love, $25

Slime

It's slime time! We love that I Heart Naptime's Fluffy Slime recipe takes just three ingredients, so it'll be easy for your party animals to make it in a few different colors. Pick up a pack of containers like these and pack them full of your party guests a personal batch of slime.

Individual Canvases

For budding artists, nothing could be better than a painting party. Order up a bulk pack of canvases, cover your table with newspaper and paints, and wait for inspiration to strike. Then, each mini Michelangelo guest can bring home their own masterpiece.

Design-a-Truck

Beep Beep! We love this four pack of wooden trucks and wheels that lets little drivers build their own vehicles. After they're done assembling, extend the fun by setting out paints so kids can give their trucks custom paint jobs before they hit the road.

Available at Etsy seller EndeavorToys, $20 for four.

Paper Dolls

Mer Mag's sweet, retro craft will have the guests at a dance-themed birthday party cheering bravo. With the help of a printable template, you can prep chains of paper dolls, and each kiddo can then decorate her own troupe of tiny dancers. Leap over to Mer Mag to download the paper doll template and find out how to set up this activity.

Name Letters to Paint

And A is for awesome! We love the idea of giving each guest a letter to decorate. Since your VIPs will probably want to do their own name, you’ll have to be sure the RSVP list is set a few days before the big bash. See how Puerta Bella Design principal Susan Crabtree set up her kiddo’s party by clicking here.

Yarn Dolls

This simple craft is so sweet. Let your party people design their very own stick dolls in any theme: mermaids, pirates, animals, and more! Craftmaster Jackie Currie suggests using a low-heat glue gun (so the kiddos can handle it) and explains the rest of the how-to over at Happy Hooligans.

A Bottle of Pixie Dust

Set up a pixie dust making station and let your little guests mix up their own bottles to take home after the magical affair. Click here to find out what you’ll need.

Sweet Salt Dough

With a little advance prep, you can easily make a batch of salt dough in all sorts of shapes: dinosaur fossils, leaf prints, stars and more. Bring out the batch during the party and let kids paint to their heart's content. We are especially head over heels for the bright and cheerful salt dough leaves from Hello Wonderful.

Take-Home LEGO Creation

We all know kids can easily spend an afternoon building with LEGO. This time, let them take home their creation after the party is over. You can choose to buy a small set for each guest or—if your kids are cool with it—select bricks from your own overflowing stash.

Crowns to Go

Fairies-in-training will love making these DIY Flower Crowns, and you'll love that everything you need for this party activity comes in one kit. If your birthday kid's crown style leans more towards kings and queens than flower halos, then order a pack of cardboard crowns. Set them out with stick-on jewels and markers, and you'll soon have a house full of tiny royals.

available at Etsy seller Celebrated Parties, $15 for three.

Tiny Treasures

Whether you’re entertaining pirates, mermaids or even Indiana Jones-style adventurers, your party guests will totally dig designing their own treasure chest. Your local craft supply store—like these from Michael’s—should have plenty on hand. Add paint, jewels, stickers, and that’s it!

Mini Microphones

For a quick and easy solution that doesn’t require any prep, consider these adorable DIY microphones from Pretty Mini. There are 14 different colors to choose from and the mics arrive with everything your superstars need to shine. Click here to order a set or two.

Personalized Pots

A personalized flower pot is a gift that keeps on giving. Giving your guests some seeds or a small flower to plant is a nice touch, but it’s the paint that’ll keep them occupied during party time.

Make Mug Art

The classic holiday gift just got a party makeover. This is an easy and fun project for kids of all ages (supervision of super-littles is recommended) and takes just 30 minutes in the oven to set the ink. Hop over to Handmade Charlotte to see the entire tutorial.

Aprons to Decorate

Perfect for a Sugar Rush-worthy bake-off or just a chance to show off cupcake decorating skills, outfit your party guests with their own aprons. Pick up a bundle of aprons in bright colors or simple white, and pass out fabric markers or puffy paints so that your guests can add a little flair. It's a perfectly delicious activity for your chefs.

Available at amazon.com, $2.88.

— Oz Spies

Featured image: Lidya Nada via Unsplash

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11 Brands of Baby Bodysuits to Try Today

by Aimee Della BittaDecember 14, 2020

Ah, the baby onesie. It’s a staple, a workhorse, a must-have for any baby’s wardrobe. We love baby bodysuits because they’re easy and comfy and just so dang cute. We’ve rounded up 11 fashionable, good-quality babysuits that naturally rise to the top of the heap.

The Ollie World

Available in both a traditional onesie style and a wrap style, this supercute bodysuit is made from moisture-wicking, stretchy, buttery-soft fabric that keeps kids cool and comfortable. It comes in three soft colors (lavender, sky blue and stone gray) and four sizes: up to 7 pounds, 7-12 pounds, 12-15 pounds, 15-18 pounds.

Available at theollieworld.com, $18-$21.

Peasy Co

No snaps, buttons or zippers! This innovative onesie is made from soft, sustainable, eco-friendly Tencel and comes in a clever design that's comfortable for your baby and easy for you to put on and take off. It comes in soft colors in short-sleeve and long-sleeve versions, as well as a style with a sweet ruffle around the leg openings.

Available at peasyco.com, from $28.

12|12 Organic Clothing

There are plenty of reasons to feel good about splurging on one of these adorable, prima-organic cotton onesies for your little one. Each piece is obsessively sourced for the feel and quality of the fabric. So you can rest assured that what's touching your baby's skin is extraordinarily soft to the touch, machine-washable, and durable. The style options (kimono, cami, tank, short sleeve and long sleeve) and superior cotton may catch your eye, but the company's commitment to giving back will make you a forever fan. For each product purchased, 12|12 donates an item from their collection to Baby2Baby. Feel-good shopping is our jam!

Available at shop1212.com, from $22.

Primary

The founders of Primary decided to develop a line of clothing for people like them. Parents who want super-soft, sustainable products that let kids be exactly who they are. Every color is for every kid. No labels and no slogans. All of this and you don't have to break the bank. Check out this mixed three piece long-sleeve babysuit set for only $16 (shown above).

Long-sleeve and short-sleeve options available at primary.com, from $10.

Under the Nile

Under the Nile's baby one-pieces are made from Egyptian organic cotton, ensuring they're super-soft and comfortable. Bonus: The lap shoulder design or snaps allow for quick and easy dressing. You can even pull the garment down instead of over the head (which is a little parenting hack for those sudden diaper blowouts!). They also come in sets with matching pants, like the popcorn print shown above. Also, check out their best-selling footies for those brisk autumn nights.

Available at underthenile.com, from $25.

Rags

From selling out of her garage to slaying it on Shark Tank, Rachel Nilsson, the founder of Rags, has created more than just a cool clothing line for kids. She is inspiring moms and future moms to live in the moment, not sweat the small stuff, and always follow their dreams. Fans of her baby and toddler rompers, a variation of the traditional baby bodysuit (no snaps! leg pieces!) call them "cheeky and oh-so-wearable." We couldn't agree more. We love the unisex look and elastic neckline that makes dressing a cinch.

Available at rags.com, from $24.50.

Oliver & Rain

Oliver & Rain's line is parent-friendly, baby-friendly and earth-friendly. One of the company's core values is to make sure children inherit a healthy planet, and that means doing their part as business owners to run an environmentally focused company and adopt consistent and continual sustainable practices. They offer a breadth of bodysuit options, including union suits, coveralls and jumpsuits, as well as an array of on-trend colors and styles.

Available at oliverandrain.com, from $10.

MORI

Crafted from organic cotton and bamboo from viscose, MORI offers a signature fabric that is exceptionally soft on a baby’s delicate skin. It also helps keep your baby at the right temperature every night, and that means more sleep for baby (and for you!). Check out their selection of short-sleeve, long-sleeve, roll-neck, and kimono bodysuits, available sold separately and in multi-packs.

Available at minimori.com, $15.60.

Monica + Andy

If you like printed fabrics, you'll love Monica + Andy bodysuits. Made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, the sleeveless, short-sleeve and long-sleeve onesies are unisex and feature everything from flowers and animals to lightning bolts, cactuses and more.

Available at monicaandandy.com, $19.

Posh Peanut

A celebrity favorite, Posh Peanut offers a wide selection of bodysuits for your baby. From sets with matching leggings and hats like the vintage dino print shown above to sweet bodysuits with attached skirts, there's a style and a print for every baby. But that's not it, they also offer adorable family matching sets. Cue, the family photo shoots!

Available at poshpeanut.com, from $38.

Magnetic Me

Parents are busy, and often tired. The last thing we need is an outfit that has 1,000 snaps or buttons we need to master just to get our baby dressed. That's why Magnetic Me developed their patented magnetic-closure clothing so parents can get back some of that precious time (and sanity!). The brand's bodysuits come in sets with matching pants, so you have an instant outfit.

Available at magneticme.com, $36 for a bodysuit & pants set.

—Aimee Della Bitta

featured image: Primary

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This Parenting Hack May Be the Best One Yet

By Jocelyn Greene

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

February 14, 2020

You know those days:

Your kid sees a new vegetable on their plate and they deliver an Oscar-worthy performance of revulsion!
The flu shot appointment is in 10 minutes and they refuse to leave the house.
An inter-sibling squabble has erupted and the house is consumed in chaos.
It is homework time, and feelings of being overwhelmed and anxiety have capsized your kid…

There are daily (dare I say hourly!) parenting hurdles in which patience runs thin and the words to reassure, cheerlead, positively reinforce ring, well…hollow. These are the moments when emotions get the better of our kids and their legitimate (but explosive) feelings are no match for our better-selves.

Enter…The puppet!

“Puppets can be powerful learning tools for you [the adult] too. Because they can open the door for some important conversations, they can help you gain insight into what children are thinking about and how you might support them,” said Hedda Sharapan, an early childhood development expert at The Fred Rogers Center.

You don’t have to speak in a slew of funny voices or be a Jim Henson or a Fred Rogers to use a puppet as a parent! In other words, don’t get performance anxiety! Rather, think of the puppet as a playful tool in the arsenal of your parenting that will help make life just a little easier.

In fact, in Child’s Play NY classes for our pre-k and kindergarten set, puppets are an invaluable tool in unlocking shy voices and getting the group laughing and playing together.

Why a Puppet is the Best

Using a puppet can support our kid’s social-emotional development.
They will be able to talk to the puppet in a way that they might not be able to talk to us.
When they use puppets, kids can also talk to each other and problem-solve creatively.
Puppets support communication and emotional literacy since kids can face feelings through play.

How to Use a Puppet to Manage Emotions

Check out this video to see how a simple puppet can be the best parenting hack but in a nutshell, “Puppet Problems” lets kids have the (right amount of) power.

I suggest that the puppet (which is voiced by you!) be scared, misbehaving, or working on the issue that you know your kid is going through. In the video you see us working on a game I call, “Puppet Problems!” This lets your kids be leaders and teachers. For example, when the lion doesn’t want to try vegetables, and your kid has to encourage them, they get to articulate all the good stuff that you’ve been instilling in them! “Lion, these green beans have vitamins!” Ultimately this role-reversal, where they get to be in charge, is so empowering too!

Playing in Character Sheds Light on Good Stuff…and it is Fun!

Role-playing is really healthy. It is also a good opportunity to get to know your child even better and see what they know or what they feel. Maybe they articulate their concerns in a new way, or they express to the puppet something that they might not otherwise voice to you! The exciting thing is that when you the parent voice the puppet, you can communicate with them in a non-threatening way. Essentially, the adult puppeteer disappears.

How to Pick Your Puppets

Get some puppets that are characters you think your child will love to engage with. If they are excited by animals, princesses or astronauts…there’s a puppet for that! That way, they will be even more excited to enter in a dialogue with the puppet – especially if it is the kind of character that they might want to be friends with in real life. I’m constantly amazed by how willingly kids are able to engage with a puppet, ask it questions, give it counsel. But it all starts with a puppet that they are excited to interact with. In the video, we use ones from Melissa and Doug and ones from Folkmania.

Get Creative with your Puppet

Honestly, though, you don’t need to buy a puppet. You can turn your body into a puppet! Check out this video of Silly Chins to see how, with very few supplies, you can make a great (and goofy) puppet with what you have. You can paint faces on your thumb, or the side of your hand too! And if you are looking for an art project extension (hello, rainy day activity!), paper bags and socks also make excellent puppets. Additionally, since your child will have a hand at making this puppet, they might use it even more effectively than a store-bought one for articulating their emotions.

When to Use Puppets

Don’t bust out the puppet for the first time in the middle of a tantrum! It is better to introduce this prop when the issue isn’t even presenting itself. For example, try after dinner or at a chill moment on the weekend. Like preventative medicine, work on the issue not when there is a true emergency. When you use a puppet in this playful way, you start the wheels spinning about bravery and behavior you want to see more of.

Here’s some examples of times when busting out the puppet can help open up communication:

The birth of a sibling
A loss in the family
Trouble falling asleep
Sibling rivalry
Having trouble sharing
General anxiety
Conflict resolution
Aggression
Death of a pet
Bullying
Unwillingness to try new food
Attending a new school or camp

This post originally appeared on Child's Play In Action.

Jocelyn Greene

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Jocelyn Greene is a Brooklyn based educator, director and mom. With her company, Child's Play NY, she teaches hundreds of kids a year and is equally joyous adapting fairytales for 4s as she is staging Shakespaere with the teens. Check out http://www.childsplayinaction.com/ for video tutorials on game-based play to do at home!

Ashton Kutcher Has a Clever Parenting Hack to Avoid Saying Bad Words

by Shahrzad WarkentinSeptember 12, 2019

When you step on that pointy little LEGO brick hiding in plain sight on the living room floor, there are likely a ton of expletives you can conjure up to shout out. But as a parent you want to censor little listeners from those four-letter words. Ashton Kutcher has a clever parenting hack to avoid saying bad words and you might want to break it out the next time you encounter a LEGO.

Dad of two, Kutcher recently revealed his interesting trick for preventing those unsavory words from slipping out––he self-censors. As the actor demonstrated to The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, he leaves a pause in the sentence where an expletive might be.

He rolled out his made-for-tv trick and Fallon instantly picked up on it, exclaiming “I love that you just censored yourself. That’s amazing. No one’s ever done that!” And of course Ashton responded, “I have children.”

They then proceed to have a completely self-censored, expletive-filled conversation and it’s gold. Watch it a few times and you’ll be able to pick up the hack yourself… or just enjoy the laughs.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: The Tonight Show via YouTube

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This Mom’s Parenting Hack Fail Proved a Bigger Issue Most Moms Face on the Daily

by Shahrzad WarkentinFebruary 26, 2019

Anything that convinces your family to take more responsibility at home is worth a shot. However, one mom’s parenting hack backfired, proving that it’s going to take more than a quick fix to solve a problem that many moms face daily.

Mom Miranda Crimbring came up with a clever trick to get her kids and husband to clean up and pitch in with the house work. Unfortunately, her plan backfired—and instead of encouraging her family to help, it perfectly illustrated the idea that moms are more likely to be bear the brunt of invisible labor.

In a Facebook post, Crimbring shared a picture of a small scrap of paper with a $5 bill taped to the back of it. As she explains in the post, she left the paper scrap on the bathroom floor to see how long it would take her family to pick it up and discover the money underneath.

“Well, while trying to prove a point to my kids, we’ve just surpassed the 48-hour mark of the ‘who will pick up the random piece of trash that they KNOW isn’t supposed to be there’ challenge,” she wrote in the caption. “Between the kids and the husband, and multiple trips in and out of the bathroom, this little piece of heaven may just be in it for the long haul!”

While her clever parenting hack failed miserably it serves a much bigger purpose as an important reminder of the under-appreciated tasks mom perform daily, also known as invisible labor.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Volha Flaxeco via Unsplash

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This Mom’s Ridiculously Simple Shopping Cart Hack Will Change Your Life

by Shahrzad WarkentinOctober 4, 2018

Breezing through a quick grocery run is so much easier when your kids are contained in a shopping cart, but hoisting big toddlers into those carts can be killer for your back (especially if you have have baby in a carrier, too). One mom’s viral shopping cart hack is an unbelievably simple way to get your kids into them with ease.

Houston, Texas mom Laura Castrillo recently took to Facebook to share her clever parenting hack for getting her son into the shopping cart without throwing her back out. Instead of lifting him up and over the shopping cart handle and putting him in, she simply lifts the front panel of the cart up so he can crawl in on his own. Um, genius.

Castillo explained that she learned the hack from another mom with a special needs son. “I started doing it with my own kids because lifting them into a shopping cart can be difficult,” she told POPSUGAR. “They’re heavy, and I’m very short in comparison to a shopping cart, since I’m only 5 feet tall.”

We hate to be the Debbie Downers here, but while this hack is incredibly clever, we’d be remiss if we didn’t say that it might not necessarily be the safest hack. According to an American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on shopping cart safety, kids should not ride in the basket section of a cart.

It’s also impossible not to point out the obvious fact that with your kids in the cart, there’s less room for food. Plus, if your tots get antsy, that hack might not prove as handy when your toddler inevitably wants to get out halfway through the store with a fully-loaded cart.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Rawpixels via Unsplash

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When unused stuff is piling up…

When your bookshelf needs a boost…

When your kiddo needs something new to do…

When you need to get dinner on the table….

When you missed your trip to the Farmer’s Market…

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