Customizable Buttons at www.zazzle.com
When our three year old started preschool last year I was very concerned about snack time. She has a number of food allergies...some severe enough to cause a possible anaphylactic reaction. I knew I could discuss her dietary needs with her teacher but I worried about assistants, substitutes and other children giving her things that could be potentially harmful. I started to search for ways to let everyone know about her allergies without asking her to wear a shirt that basically said, "please don't feed the Zoe".
I found rubber bracelets but didn't think she would keep them on...I also didn't think people would check a bracelet since so many little girls often tend to wear random jewelry. I found medic alert style necklaces and charms but these weren't specific enough and didn't detail each allergen. I then remembered www.zazzle.com. Years before I ordered a few custom items from them (tshirts, stationery, stickers) for a variety of functions so I knew they must have something. After a little searching I found customizable buttons and thought they were perfect...I could pin it on her, it detailed her allergens, it would catch everyone's attention and the best part was that they were so cheap!
So $6 later I had ordered two buttons...one for her shirt and one for her backpack. I felt so much more comfortable sending her off to school with her buttons in place. I then started to think about how other people could use these buttons to pass any message along to their children's teachers, daycare workers, caregivers at the gym, etc. They could be used for consistent events like if your child needs to stay for after care every Tuesday then on Tuesdays they could wear a button reminding their teacher of that. Or if your child goes home with another family on Fridays then they could wear a button to remind their teacher. Or if you just wanted to put your name and phone number on your child when they go on field trips then this could work, too. The possibilities are endless!
Pinterest Idea: Use This Handy Tool and Little Concoction to Clean Your Shower
A while back I pinned this idea on Pinterest because it just seemed to good, and easy, to be true. We have all seen these brushes in the mop/sweeper/sponge aisle of any grocery store. Here's what you do with it:
1. Fill it halfway with vinegar
2. Fill it halfway with Dawn liquid dishwashing soap
3. Scrub your shower down while you are scrubbing yourself down
4. Rinse (I highly recommend a handheld shower head for everyone...makes cleaning your tub a breeze!)
When I first tried this I didn't use Dawn because I didn't have any on hand. Instead I used Kirkland brand dish soap from Costco. It didn't come out of the sponge as well and didn't lather as well so I switched to Dawn and it has worked beautifully! I love that the ingredients are mostly natural, no harsh chemical smell, and it's kind of fun to scrub the tile down. I have even let my girls climb in when they are bored and give it a whirl...my 5 year old plays the role of Cinderella perfectly :)
I usually use it two or three times a week all over the tile and spot clean in between anywhere I see a little grime. Another bonus is that the sponge end of this is replaceable so for a couple of bucks you can change it out when it gets worn or yucky. As I said before, though, the handheld shower head is a must and whether you try this handy idea or not you should definitely invest in one if you haven't already...the world of cleaning bath tubs will be so much more enjoyable, if that's possible!
dafont.com
Before children (also known as 'BC' in our house) my husband and I loved to throw parties. From Super Bowl gatherings to housewarmings to baby showers to bridal showers to birthday parties. The first thing I focus on when planning a get together is the invitation, I feel this (and the cake) are two of the most important things to set the stage for the event. We had a wonderful invitation store near our home in Dallas called 'Needle in a Haystack' that I would frequent for just the perfect invite for whatever function I was planning.
In order to make my invitation selections look a little more custom I searched different sites for downloadable fonts. Now, after almost ten years, I am still using dafont.com for all of our fun and new font needs. While our party planning days have wound down a bit for the time being, I still use this website for the newsletter that I type for my children's preschool. The fonts are free, fun and super easy to download. So whether you are printing invitations or making lists for your household, notes for lunchboxes or love notes for your husband then check out this site for cute ways to make it unique!
