15 Minutes to Spare

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff that life is made of." - Benjamin Franklin

Good 'ol Ben also said: Time is money. To me, time is golden, priceless and fleeting. The most valuable moments are spent with my family but I still have a household to maintain and every evening I find myself wondering where the time went. Some days my Wrinkle in Time (i.e. a fold in the fabric of The Daily Routine) renders me incapable of completing something as simple, yet deceptively elusive, as the task of unloading the dishwasher. Such Wrinkle often occurs after a late breakfast...


"Breakfast time! Crap. Late again"
[Fast Forward] 
Ok. it's 10 am. "Naptime!"
[Fast Forward] 
The kids are awake. "Time for lunch."

[Fast Forward] 

Papa is home..."Enzo, say hello to your Papa (whew-it's about time)."
[Fast Forward] 
Is it 5 o'clock already? Holy COW. I have to figure out what to make for dinner. "Is that clothes still in the dryer?!"

I've compiled a list of things I can do in 15 minutes or less (when I can find the time):

Spot-clean the bathroom
Sweep the kitchen floor
Vacuum a room
Load/unload the dishwasher
Take out the trash
Make the beds
Pick up toys and put them away (several times)
Water plants
Discard junk mail
Sort laundry
Create a shopping list
Clip coupons
Purge the fridge of old food
Prep dinner
Set the table
Clear the table
Make a phone call
Meditate/take a "power" nap-whatever that means
Thumb through a magazine
Read a book
Water the lawn
Groom a pet
Bathe a kid
Play hide-and-seek
Sew a button onto a shirt
Upload photos from a camera/phone
File a bit of paperwork
Check and return e-mail messages
Clean out my purse
Take a shower
Write and send a thank-you note
Blog

Keepin' it "real": If I had 8 consecutive, uninterrupted hours of spare time (kid-free), I probably wouldn't do any of the above, except "blog"...and maybe take a nap. When spending time with the my husband and kids, I do my best to make sure we all enjoy every minute of it. After all, they are only young once and time flies.

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Altshuler 


Photo courtesy of paper-money.blogspot.com

When Shaving the Cat is NOT An Option

Our beloved cat, Geronimo is like one of the family and, before the babies arrived, he was the king of our castle. He's grown accustomed to being waited on hand and paw, having the run of the house and sleeping in our bed. The day we set up the baby crib he must have thought, "Great! Another place to sleep" because he wasted no time making himself at home in it. Ick (he spends quite a bit of time gallivanting outdoors and we don't usually know where he's been). He was promptly removed and the crib sheet was laundered.

I gotta hand it to him, though. He's no quitter. He kept jumping into the crib so we started closing the door to the baby's room. Goldilocks soon started testing out the bassinet, activity mat and even on top of my nursing pillow. Hey, hey...wait a minute! What about the baby? Is nothing sacred around here, you filthy animal? One day I was in the kitchen tearing off a piece of aluminum foil from the roll and Geronimo ran out of the room in terror. It turns out he hates the crinkly, metallic sound of the foil. Ehhhhh-xcellent. When the baby's not sleeping I put a sheet of foil in the bassinet and it worked! I've also heard of people using balloons to deter cats from using a flower bed for a toilet...same idea.

If you desire a fur-free home, good luck (unless you own a hairless cat) but here are some helpful suggestions for when the fur starts to fly:

• Designate a "pet-free" zone and block access to your child's sleeping/nap areas, bedroom, den or wherever you decide is appropriate. Keep others (family members & visitors) informed so they can help keep Fido in check.
• Groom your pet regularly.
• Wash bedding as often as possible.
• Vacuum with a hepa filter. That can help control pet dander and dust.
• Use a fur-remover for upholstery.*
• If you have hardwood or tile floors, try to wet-mop whenever you can. This can gather more fuzz than dry-sweeping alone.
• Be realistic- you may not be able to keep your pet out of every room, all of the time. Trust me, they can be persistent and sneaky.

One Last Thing: Consult with a veterinarian and your child's doctor about your pet's hygiene and potential health problems that may affect you or your baby. I found that WebMD has helpful information for those with moderate to severe pet allergies: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/survival-guide-pet-allergies.

Our four-legged pal may never reclaim his spot on his throne, but at least we can co-exist peacefully. And, although it may seem like a good solution, I promise to never shave him. 

 

Ready to Stroll

I love my strollers. Baby #1 is an adult now but when she first arrived, I was financially challenged and content just having one to use. Enter baby #2: I announced to my husband that I wanted a jogging stroller to which he replied, "Why? When do you jog? For some reason I can't imagine you'd need one of those." Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. He's right, though. I'm definitely not the jogging type. I'm a walker-in-training. For baby #2 we forked over some hard-earned cash for a travel system that enabled us to snap the infant car seat into the stroller; the two combined canopies helping to protect the little guy from the elements. Baby loved it, too and slept through the bumpiest of rides. It was perfect!

Enter baby #3. Uh-oh. I can "wear" an infant and push another one on four wheels- no problem but babies get heavy...and heavier. Recently, our family bought us a stroller we could use to accommodate both our new baby and our toddler. THANK YOU!!! We are now grateful to have at our disposal a double stroller, single stroller, umbrella stroller and baby carrier.

I realized early on that a leisurely stroll 'round the block could be hazardous. This was something I took for granted when it was only hubby and I on our four legs (two per person, of course) and we could easily negotiate an uneven sidewalk. With a few safety precautions and preventative measures, it can be fun and stress-free to cruise around with little tykes. All that said, here are a few tips for safe and fun strolling:

• Choose a stroller that's right for you and your family: Consider how and where you will use it. Are you a "city slicker" or the off-road type? Ideally, it should fit in your vehicle (if applicable) and not be too difficult to maneuver, unless you like a challenge.
• Plan your route: Have you ever run out of sidewalk? It helps to be familiar with your route to avoid having to push the stroller in the street, over rough terrain or through an unexpected detour.
• Use caution in high-traffic areas and parking lots: Even if you have the right-of-way, don't assume that drivers can see you! Keep a safe distance from the edge of the curb before crossing an intersection and don't "jay-stroll". Wear bright colors or use a flashlight/reflectors if out before sunrise or after dark.
• Strollers are equipped with safety restraints and brakes...USE THEM: Always have your child properly seated and restrained. Apply the brakes when stopping even for a short period of time, especially on a hill. Stay close to your child(ren) and don't rely solely on the brakes...hold on to the stroller. Check with your child's doctor before jogging with them.
• Don't load-up like a pack mule: Try to use the bottom storage basket/net whenever possible and avoid hanging heavy items from the handles or sides of the stroller, this can cause the stroller to tip.
• Make sure you know where 'Thumkin" is: Check that your child's hands and fingers are clear of any moving parts when folding or unfolding the stroller or canopy.
• Sun Protection: A canopy can't always cover every baby part. Use sunscreen. Hats and sunglasses (some kids will tolerate these) are good, too. 

  So there you have it...that's how we roll.

In the film  "Away We Go" Maggie Gyllenhaal's character "LN", who has an alternative approach to child rearing, is presented with a baby stroller (an unwelcome gift) and asks,"Why would I want to push my child away from me?"

Oh, and, um...I never did get that jogging stroller. 

 

Reducing Our Carbon Butt Prints

Diaper wipes, baby wipes, wet-wipes, "wipies" whatever you call 'em they sure come in handy, don't they? So much so that, for a while now, manufacturers of these products have been marketing them toward adults for every-day use as well. I've heard of many, many uses; everything from automotive to zoological. Their use extends beyond the diapering stage. Bicyclists use them, athletes, use them, even Brad Pitt admittedly uses them....for himself. According to his co-star, Eli Roth, "...after a scene, Brad had to get next to me for a close-up shot, and he said, 'Damn, you're ripe,'  I said, 'I didn’t have time to shower.' He said, 'Baby wipes, man, baby wipes.' " Way to go, Brad!

I like the pop-up dispensers and keep one in each room; they're used most often at my house for changing diapers and cleaning dirty little faces but they are also great for me. My motto is: if it's safe enough for baby's bum it's safe enough for my face...or the cat. I often use a wipe to remove my war paint after a day in the trenches and our cat likes to sleep on our bed after rolling around in the dirt so I use them on him as well, which he detests.

We go through a lot of wipes on a regular basis. I'm not too pleased with the type I am using now and am ready for a change. I want to help my kids reduce they're carbon butt-prints but I like the convenience-factor so I did a bit of research and here is what I found:

Seventh Generation (http://www.seventhgeneration.com/) offers wipes that are hypoallergenic, whitened without chemicals containing chlorine, unscented and alcohol free.

To go a step further into eco-friendly territory, Elements Naturals (http://www.elementsnaturals.com/) makes wipes from "...man-made fiber created from 100% annually renewable plant resources..." that are 100% natural, biodegradable and even compostable. Imagine that! Every little bit helps.

I have yet to try and am not endorsing either of the products/websites mentioned, they just looked interesting. Check them out for yourself and let me know what you think. I also plan to check our local "natural" market soon. Happy wiping!