As any parent knows, adding a child to the family can quickly and drastically alter the environment of any home. From infants to teens, kids come with a lot of “stuff.” What are you supposed to do with it all? Here are a few simple tips to help you teach your children how to get organized and stay that way…

• Bins, boxes, and baskets kept on lower shelves make it easy for your child to put away toys. Label storage containers with both pictures (for young children) and printed words (for preschoolers).
• Better yet, have your child draw pictures for the labels. Or, you can cut out the toys’ logos straight from the original boxes, take photos of the toys, or print the logos directly from the manufacturer websites. And, if your storage containers have handles, luggage tags are a quick and easy way to attach the finished labels.
• Before birthdays, Christmas, or other special gift-giving occasions, sit down with your child to sort through toys together. Guide your child through the decision-making process of which toys to keep and which to donate in order to make room for new toys received as gifts. In fact, take your child with you to the donation center.
• As you fold laundry, separate your child’s clothes into complete outfits. Store them individually in gallon-sized zip-top bags. Keep one bagged outfit in the car, just in case. And, when you travel, squeeze any extra air out of the bags to make packing the suitcase a breeze.
• Provide low hooks for your child to hang up sweaters, pajamas, jackets, book bags, etc. Before bedtime, check the weather forecast with your child. Then, have your child select an appropriate outfit to wear the next day.

It never fails… With little ones at home, our days quickly become a blur of chunky spit-up, toxic diapers, and never-ending sibling rivalry. Sure, “things will get easier” when the kids are older, but do they really? Every stage of development seems to bring its own challenges and frustrations to the table. Is it actually possible to “get things under control” and live a “normal, happy life”?

Well, I hate to break it to you, girlfriend, but you are already living a “normal life.” Motherhood is tough. You’ll second-guess yourself continuously. You’ll wonder whether you’ve made a mistake. You’ll believe that you’ve scarred your children for life. And you’ll be certain that the mom you see at the supermarket or the park or the library or wherever is doing a far better job than you… (never mind the fact that it is now 3 o’clock in the afternoon, she hasn’t showered since last Tuesday, and the only reason she’s finally out of the house is to get away from her over-critical-in-town-for-a-month-long-visit mother-in-law that was driving her crazy!)

It’s time to get real. Here’s the brutal honest truth…

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Woohoo! I am on fire tonight, baby!

Have you ever found yourself in a really good groove… or, better yet, a totally awesome groove… you know, the kind where time really does fly and when you finally take a potty break before the next bladder-busting cough comes along, you suddenly realize that it’s way past the kids’ bedtime, you haven’t checked for homework, and dinner never made it out of the freezer (let alone onto the table for a family meal)! Not to worry, though… the little ones aren’t starving… they’ve been helping themselves to all kinds of snacks while you’ve been engrossed in your work! *grin*

Well, I am totally on the verge of drowning for all the creative juices flowing out of my brain right now! Yay! Finally… Mommy brain turned off… Intelligent, eloquent, innovative, college-educated mass of mental prowess turned on! *wink*

I am simply giddy with excitement for all these new ideas floating around in my head (that have now, thank the heavens, found their way onto the page)! Phew! Debilitating self-loathing averted! *heavy sigh of relief*

So now the question is… What to share? How much to divulge? O, all the tillating goodness lurking ’round every bend…! Ah… But you must wait, my good friend… Let me have just one moment more to mold this marvelous mental music into a magnificent masterpiece before you peek inside…

If you have young children in school, you’ll no doubt appreciate these last-minute printable freebies for their upcoming Valentine’s Day parties. Enjoy!

Note: I’ll be posting some ‘grown-up’ valentines on Friday for your printing pleasure…

	Animal Valentines from Secret Agent Josephine
	Animal Valentines from Secret Agent Josephine
	Owl Valentines from Living Locurto
	Chocolate Wraps from Scrapbook and Cards
	Dino Valentines from Cottage Industrialist
	Butterfly Valentines from Skip to my Lou
	Lollipop Holders from Kate.net
	Lollipop Labels from Scrapbook and Cards
	Lollipop Valentines from Tricia Rennea
	Valentine Bookmarks from Living Locurto

Recycle old crayons that are too short to draw with to make new crayons in fun shapes.

Heat makes a crayon a little loopy; it may melt into a swirl or pool into a whirl. With this in mind, we chopped up crayons and baked them in shaped mini cake tins, making large blocks that are easy for toddlers to hold and will surely inspire older artists.

Encourage kids to come up with their own combinations—a blue-and-white blend for drawing the sky, or a mix of reds and oranges for sunsets.

Tools and Materials : old crayons, kitchen knife, mini cake tins

Crayon How-To Parents can use the knife to chop crayons into pea-size pieces, taking care to keep colors separate so kids can combine them as they like. Preheat the oven to 150°F while children fill the tin with crayon pieces, arranging them in interesting designs. Bake just until the waxes have melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the shapes after they have cooled. If they stick, place the tray in the freezer for an hour, and the crayons will pop right out.

— courtesy of Martha Stewart Kids