Member Articles

5.) Laundry. We hate it, but it refused to go away. Or maybe that's just me who hates it? Here's how I make it go faster: I don't sort clothes. Unnecessary, a household myth that needs to be busted! I take down a basket from upstairs when it is full of clothes, dump it in with my detergent, and wash it on cold. It's more eco-friendly that way, it's quicker on me, and our clothes still get clean and look fine.

6.) This one is absolutely essential if you have babies, but really a great idea for car-travel with kids of any age, even if you're just running errands around time. I keep a stocked bag in the car: it includes diapers, wipes, extra clothes, snacks. For summer, I might add sunscreen and insect repellent, say, so we're ready for an impromptu playtime at the park. What you need in your survival bag will depend on your kids, but I bet you know right away what would be helpful.

7.) Mamas with babies: Get a restaurant-style high chair. You know those wooden ones? You will thank me, you will bless me, you will want me to be your baby's godmother. They are the best-kept secret for feeding babies. The push right up to the table and they are so very much easier to clean than those huge, clunky, plastic-and-metal-and-fabric concoctions they sell us at Babies'R'Us. Plus most designs double as a nice holder for baby's car seat. I plop Zeke, my youngest, in there and he can watch me while I cook dinner. (By the way, I reclaimed mine from a restaurant throw-away. My husband fixed the minor problem and it's good as new. Try asking a restaurant manager for first dibs.)

8.) We're trying to eat healthier, me and my husband, Joe. He doesn't really need it; he's hot, anyway, but I've got about 40 pounds of baby weight to lose. (That's what happens when you have three babies in three years.) Every weekend we go to the farmer's market, and on Saturday or Sunday I make up a huge salad. I eat it for lunch and we have it as a side (sometimes as the main course) for dinner until it's gone.

9.) I hate cleaning the bathroom. That's mainly because I hate the bathroom right now, which is in dire need of remodeling. That iffy decoupage cover I did on the yellow linoleum didn't help a whole lot, either, but you have to try. To make bathroom clean-ups quick, I keep a spray bottle of my favorite cleaner under the sink. If I have time in the morning, I grab a used washcloth and the cleaner and give everything a swipe, then toss the wash cloth in the laundry basket (where, as you know, it will later mingle in the washer with multiple colors of clothes and linens). If I don't have time in the morning, I do it while I'm bathing the kids at night...