Questionable Choices in Parenting

Laughing at life as a parent so they don't commit me

Oh you know, just me on The Rachel Ray Show!

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In addition to loving a good life hack, I LOVE Rachael Ray–LOVE Her. Check my kitchen, I have her pots and pans, her knives, her adorable EVOO drizzle thingy (obvi that’s not the correct name), and ton of her cookbooks and magazines. I’ve bought her dog food for Suggie and I’ve eaten at a dozen restaurants based on her recommendations. Basically, I think she is just rad so when I was asked to film one of my life hacks for her show… I basically squealed like a little girl, forced myself to be cool..be cool, and plotted a way to make Rachael my newest BFF. Here’s the clip of my appearance on her show and a great hack for this time of year! As always, my kids are the scene stealers and I swear, my house always looks this clean (just don’t look behind the camera because that’s where we stashed everything.)

Rachael Ray

Dexing and Skittling– Do you know what this means?

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I’ve recently realized that I am quite out of touch when it comes to the newest lingo teenagers are using. When I was teaching in a high school I’d see all the latest fashions paraded in my classroom, know all about the musicians my students were obsessed with, and I’d hear their teenage slang in the hallways and see it written in their English essays–that one was painful, I’ll admit. Since I’m no longer teaching in a classroom and my kids are very young, what’s cool,  new, and in-the-now with teens is quite a mystery to me. What about you? Would you know what your teen was talking about if they said kids were “Dexing”? How about “Skittling?”

Naively I would think they are talking about a new dance move, but I would be so very wrong. Because these two phrases are actually terms teens use to talk about abusing over-the-counter medicines that contain dextromethorphan (DXM). Feeling out of touch right now? Me too.

Since October is National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month, now is the time to empower yourself  with the knowledge to help your kids (even if they are really young) to know the dangers and for you as a parent to spot the warning signs of OTC abuse of DXM

Some DXM Facts:

  • Approximately 1 in 30 teens have abused cough medicine to get high, and one in three teens in grades 9-12 knows someone who has abused cough medicine to get high.
  • In 2010, 65 percent of teens agreed that DXM was “very/fairly easy to get.” That number has since gone down to 41 percent.
  • Taken in excessive doses, DXM has intoxicating, dissociative, and psychoactive properties. Teens report taking up to 25 times or more of the recommended dose of cough medicine to get high. Side effects from abuse include nausea and vomiting, distortions of color and sound, hallucinations, and loss of motor control. When combined with other substances (drugs and alcohol), it can be very dangerous and even lethal.

 

But the one fact that stuck out to me the most: Teens who learn a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are 50 percent less likely to use drugs.  According to StopMedicineAbuse.org when teens want to know more about drugs, it’s not their parents they turn to. Teenagers are almost three times as likely to trust their friends as a source of information than their family (this means sibbling too). They also turn to their most trusted source,  a good old Goolge search. Here’s what parents need to know.

  • Online search for DXM peaks during two times of year, aligning with back-to-school time: September/October and January/February.
  • Teens look to YouTube, social media, and online discussion forums like Erowid.com to get info.
  • Teens are more themselves on their mobile device and on platforms away from their parents.  They use different channels to manage their online reputation and to keep some privacy. Say gooodbye to the days of the journal hidden in their room.
  • 26% of teens agree strongly/somewhat that taking non-prescription cough/cold medicine to get high is something cool kids do, down from 29 percent in 2011. an overwhelming majority of teens have hidden online activities from parents (79 %).

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The kids seeking out this info are referred to as “fence sitters.” They are very curious, want to know more, but they haven’t tried dexing yet. What are they finding online is actually going to surpirse you. Thanks to the amazing efforts of the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and StopMedicineAbuse.org, teens will find the award-winning effort WhatisDXM.com and not the regular websites that talk about how to use the drugs.

Fence sitters will find real-life testimonials, games, apps, and bait-and-switch videos interrupt teens’ searches and change their perceptions of cough medicine abuse. Pretty amazing, right?  Today, teen abuse of OTC cough medicine is at an all-time low and it’s because of CHPA and StopMedicineAbuse.org efforts. Because this generation of teens worries so much about image to peers and social media is like breathing to them, WhatisDXM.com shows the awful side of cough medicine abuse: sloppy teenagers annoying their friends by acting stupid, saying dumb things, and even throwing up on themselves. No teen with a fragile ego wants that sort of embarrassment in front of their friends or posted online.

WhatisDXM.com uses the negative perception of DXM abuse and teens’ fear of social disapproval to make DXM more undesirable and it’s really reaching these teens:

  • Teens have directly engaged with this content online (viewed, shared, clicked, commented) more than 21 million times, visited the website one million times, and the apps have been downloaded almost 300,000 times.

 

Parents, need a way to talk to your kids? Want more info? Here’s a list of amazing resources to help you get those conversations started. 

Resources:

Stop Medicine Abuse on Pinterest

Stop Medicine Abuse on Facebook

Stop Medicine Abuse on Twitter @StopMedAbuse #StopMedAbuse

Main website: http://www.whatisdxm.com/

YouTube channel with all videos – including teen perspective:https://www.youtube.com/user/DXMstrs

Facebook app (2.5 minute experience that scrapes your Facebook page for a simulated real-world experience, must log in via your Facebook page):http://sipitup.me/

Trailer for mobile app DXM Labworks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-boIyNwaV-Q

This post is sponsored by the CHPA educational foundation,KnowYourOTCs.org but all opinions are my own.

Easy Ways Every Mom Can Keep Her Car Clean

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My car is super clean…..bahahahaha. Let me try to say that again with a straight face. My car…. is ….super…. OK, I just can’t tell you such a lie. Come on, I’m a mom with young kids, and try as I might, my car is a mess. Don’t worry, my car doesn’t looks like an episode of hoarders, but we do have random school papers floating around, a few empty water bottles, and a a lot of rouge snacks that my dog hasn’t nibbled on when she comes for a ride. But, I’ve got some easy ways that we can keep our car a little cleaner and I’m sharing them over at Thompson Chrysler’s website. Click here to be magically transported!

Entertaining Kids on Long Car Rides

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With the holidays just around the corner (seriously, it’s not even Halloween and there are already Christmas decorations out in the stores), you might have some long car rides planned for your family. Keeping kids entertained in the car can be tricky, but I’ve got some fun, inexpensive, and EASY ideas to keep everyone in your car happy until you arrive! Click here to be magically transported to my post!

 

Great Day Washington– My First Appearance!

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I don’t want to brag, but when I was fresh out of college, I was a TV news reporter in a tiny, little town in West Virginia and I covered ALL the hard hitting news like county fairs, beauty pageants, and lots of ribbon cutting ceremonies. Hard Hitting News, right? But alas, I left that glamorous life to become a teacher, then a stay at home, then a mommy blogger and somehow that all turned into me getting the chance to share my life hacks on TV shows. So sorta full circle, right?

This week I was thrilled to be on Great Day Washington here in Washington, D.C. to share my sanity savers when your kids are sick, and I am always surprised how fast, fast, fast daytime TV is. Phew…

Great Day WashThe hosts, Chris and Marquette, were so nice and so funny. And Marquette is ridiculously beautiful and that dress, love! I mean, how cute is she?

Since cold and flu season is going to be hitting us soon, hopefully some of these tips will help you and your kiddos. Check out my appearance!

So much fun! Hopefully I’ll be back on Great Day Washington soon (hint, hint!!) and I’ll remember to talk faster!!!

How to Create Simple Lunchbox and Snacks Stations

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HorizonLunch #CollectiveBias

How to create simple snack and lunch box stations

“I’m hungry. Can we have a snack?” These are the very first words I hear from my son EVERY SINGLE DAY when he hops off the bus. Kindergarten is hard work, and when he gets home from a long day of serious kindergarten business, the man is HUNGRY! The problem is if I leave him and his sister to their own food scavenger hunt after school, they will both dive head first into the pantry, eat a bag of chips, and plop onto the couch in a carb comma until dinner. So I created a snack system that carried over into the kids helping to pack their own lunches in the morning. Now I know they are getting yummy and proportioned snacks  after school and the dreaded task of packing lunches, has gotten so much easier. In fact, our new lunchbox making station has actually saved us time and the kids love being independent and making their own choices

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Create a Lunchbox Making Station

Depending on the storage space in your kitchen,use either small, plastic stackable drawers in the pantry or baskets to organize each menu item. While I’m packing their “main course,” the kids are choosing what else will go in their lunchbox based on the numbers listed outside the drawers or baskets. You can use chalkboard paint or a sharpie to write the number on the outside of the container. The rule in this house is they don’t have to take everything, but they need a variety and cannot take more than the actual number (unless it’s a fruit or veggie, then take as much as you want—a mother can dream, right?)

In the Pantry

Drinks (in addition to water) My kids love Horizon® Chocolate Milk Boxes so that is always their go-to drink for lunch: 1

Salty, Crunchy snacks and crackers (individual bags that I proportioned or the lunch size) Lately they’ve only wanted Horizon® Sandwich Crackers both the peanut butter and the cheddar:1

Apple sauce, fruit cups: 2

Special Treats like fruit gummies or a piece of chocolate: 1

In the fridge

Different cheeses: 1

Yogurt and yogurt drinks: 1

Fruits and Veggies: 2

Create a Snack Station

Use small plastic storage containers as your designated snack bin (I got mine at the dollar store)—have one for the fridge and one for the pantry.

For the fridge, pack the container full of snacks your kids love: yogurt, cheese, cut up fruit in sandwich bags, fruit cups, veggies and dippers like hummus, peanut butter or ranch (use small to-go condiment containers for the dips), small portions of meats in sandwich bags, Horizon® milk boxes and small bottles of water are just a few ideas.

This system allows them to make choices about what they want to take and they are being responsible by packing their own lunches. Since I’ve portioned out the food, I don’t have to worry they are eating too much.

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Since this Snack and Lunchbox Station is such a hit in this house, I am always adding more Horizon® products into the mix. They make perfect drinks boxes for my kids. The chocolate milk is flavored with organic cocoa and it has no high fructose corn syrup. Plus they are shelf-stable so they are easy to toss in their lunchboxes or grab when we are running out the door and need a drink on the go. Also Horizon® Sandwich Crackers are stuffed with organic yummy cheese  or peanut butter (and usually I’m snacking on them too). So even if we are rushing around packing lunches during our hectic morning or grabbing a quick snack before we head out the basketball or dance class, I know that I’m giving my kids food with good ingredients and it’s super yummy.

Of course I grabbed all of the Horizon® drinks and snacks while I was at Walmart buying 5,387 other things

PicMonkey Collage

 

Right now a lot of the Horizon® products feature the characters for The Peanuts movie! We are so stinking excited for this movie! Here’s a sneak peak of the trailer!

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Of course my husband and I love Snoopy and the gang but my kids think Charlie Brown is hilarious! Come on, he is, right? So any snacks with Snoopy or Charlie Brown on the are winners in our book.

What are you lunchbox packing and snack secrets? Got any great tips for us?

How to get rid of lice!

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no liceThe second my kids get home from school I smother them with approximately 375 kisses. Then I bombard them with approximately 375 questions about their day: what did they learn, what did they eat, did they miss me–you know, the usual. Finally, I go through their bookbags because I love seeing their artwork and their worksheets from the day. However, there is one thing that comes home and can strike fear into every single parent: the dreaded letter!

Dear Parents,

It has been brought to our attention that a child in your son or daughter’s
class has LICE…..panic NOW!

When I get “the dreaded letter” my first instinct is pretty rational: burn down the house…burn it all. But the good news is we can all put down our torches because if our kiddos do bring home more than just a few math worksheets from school, we can tackle and get rid of lice with a little help from over the counter products.

Here are a few things you need to know about lice–try not to scratch your head every time I write that word––

  • According to the CDC, there are about 6-12 million cases of head lice each year in this country and it’s most common with preschool and elementary school aged kids. That’s a lot of bugs!
  • Cleanliness actually has nothing to do with getting lice–so ignore that old wives’ tale. In fact, lice tends to favor a clean scalp.
  • The very first time kids get infested they sometimes don’t get irritated. So there is no itching! This can go on for a few weeks, and when you do figure it out your child has lice, there are whole lotta lice.
  • According to the American Academy of Pediatrics: Head lice are tiny insects, about the size of a sesame seed (2–3 mm long). Their bodies are usually pale and gray.
  • Head lice feed on tiny amounts of blood from the scalp and if they’re not on a person’s scalp, they can usually only survive about a day.
  • Head lice live about 28 days.
  • They can multiply quickly, laying up to 10 eggs a day. It only takes about 12 days for newly hatched eggs to reach adulthood. This cycle can repeat itself every 3 weeks if head lice are left untreated.

Now we know more about these pesky bugs, let’s find out how to get rid of them if they take up residency in our kid’s heads–note: burning down your house is not on this list.

lice

 

  • The FDA has approved over-the-counter lice products as safe and effective when used according to the Drug Facts label instructions. Ingredients like Permethrin or Piperonyl Butoxide and Pyrethrum Extract are key to successful killing the lice.
  • It’s important to do a really thorough daily COMB to keep pulling out nits. So be sure to do both
  • If you’ve followed the directions and treated the lice with OTC treatments two or more times and STILL have lice, talk to your pediatrician and your child’s school to create a plan to get rid of the lice.

Stay strong, parents. We can fight lice. Lice doesn’t have to win. Lice doesn’t have to creep you out–OK, actually does. Lice will always creep me out because *scratches head* it’s lice after all.

This post is sponsored by the CHPA educational foundation,KnowYourOTCs.org but all opinions are my own.

 

11 Lifehacks to Manage the Chaos in Your House

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When you’re a mom, you quickly learn to master the fine art of Mommy-Multi-Tasking. You need to make it work, make it happen, and make everyone happy. After having kids, I’m the Super Woman of multi-tasking. Did you know I can braid my daughter’s hair, kick a soccer ball to my son, chat on the phone with my mom, and plan dinner in my head all at the same time? It’s true, and in fact, right now I’m performing open heart surgery and making pancakes for my kids.

All this multi-tasking makes me feel like I can keep everything in this house picture perfect. Sort of like this:

86639064e9dde083d959e7625232a9375ca6dd10But really, most days it’s more like this:

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Even with amazing multi-tasking abilities, there’s never enough time to get everything done. Having a spotless house would make me really happy, but it’s just not realistic. However, I’ve got a few life hacks that will help you manage the chaos in your home and make the most stressful chores a lot easier.

  • Make garbage duty less of a dirty job by attaching small Command hooks upside down on both sides of the can and loop the drawstrings onto the hooks. Now your garbage bag will always stay in place! Also, line the bottom of the garbage can with yesterday’s newspaper to catch any spilled liquids and soak up odors.
  • Cut down on laundry sorting by throwing everyone’s socks in a mesh bag. Toss the bag in the washer and dryer and finally solve the mystery of where do missing socks go.
  • Are you thinking “I just did all this laundry and now I have to put it away?” Yes, you do, but I’m going to show you how to hang clothes in record time.

  • The witching hour in this house is right before dinner because the kids want to eat ALL THE FOOD NOW, and I don’t want them to spoil dinner with too many snacks. Ease those tantrums with small and healthy snacks while you whip up dinner with my snack bins in the fridge and pantry system. Find it here!
  • Does your kid have an army of stuffed animals that have waged a war on their rooms? Let them put all those stuffed animals inside a bean bag chair cover for a creative and practical storage solution.
  • Got a dumper in your house? You know, the kid that dumps all their toy bins the minute you turn your back. Simplify your storage system by putting a picture of a character or type toy that should go in each stackable storage bin. All princesses go in one drawer, trains in another, and blocks in another. Even the youngest dumper can help clean up by sorting the toys based on the pictures.
  • Have toys taken over bath time? Put a shower tension rod low on the back of the bathtub and attach hooked baskets. The baskets keep everything up and away and let the toys drain so you don’t have to worry about mold. If your kids are older, move the rod higher and store everyone’s shower supplies in the baskets.
  • If the floor of your vehicle looks like a buffet of snacks, dirt and things you’re not too sure about, welcome to the club, but there’s hope. Line the floor of your car with long rag rugs from the dollar store. The ridges of the rag rugs help catch all the crumbs and falling debris and cut down on vacuuming. You can even use blue painter’s tape or double stick tape to secure the rugs to the floor. When you’re ready to clean, shake the rugs out, throw them in the laundry, vow to never let your car get that messy again, break that vow the next day, and smile because this hack is saving your sanity.
  • Line all the cup holders in your car with silicone muffin cups. Don’t forget the ones in the back! The muffin cups are a perfect catchall for spills, change, and any surprises your kids left for you. Just rinse the cups when dirty and they’re ready to use again.
  • Dinner is done, but no one wants to scrub the pots and pans. Just toss a dryer sheet into your cookware, fill with warm soapy water, and soak overnight! The grease and grime come right off with NO scrubbing!
  • Keep your garbage disposal cleaned and smelling great by filling an ice cube tray with a white vinegar and few hunks of lemon, rinds and all. When the cubes are frozen solid, toss a few down the disposal and turn the disposal on. Your disposal is sanitized, has a fresh smell, and the blades are sharpened by the ice cubes

Now take some time for yourself to relax. Maybe do some yoga, or just wear yoga pants. To be honest, both make feel really zen.

Missing Your Grandparents is Hard. But CloudPets™ Help!

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CloudPetsForever #CollectiveBias

cloudpets

When my kids see my parents, it’s like one of those scenes from a movie where everything turns to slow motion, two people run towards each other, and then they throw their arms around each other like they haven’t seen one another in years. My kids are madly in love with my parents, their Nene and Pappy, and believe me, the feeling is mutual. When those four are together, I’m all “Hey guys, remember me?”

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My parents want to be involved in the kids’ lives every single day, but that’s not always easy since we live three hours away from my parents. So we turn to technology like FaceTimeing before bed and talking on the phone when the kids get home from school to stay connected on every little but all of those very important aspects of their lives. But this week I surprised the kids with  CloudPets™  when we headed to my parents’ house for a long weekend. The results: happy kids, happy grandparents, happy mom.

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I’m a fan of any toy that serves a purpose more than just collecting dust in my house. I’m looking at you stuffed animals! Besides being adorable stuffed animals, CloudPets™ have a text/voice message feature.  You can download a free app, register your child’s animal, then invite friends and family to send a message to the pet. So your friends and family can record a message, your child’s pet’s heart will flash red, and your kids know that they have a new message waiting for them. You can hear the message on your CloudPets™ and then record a message and send it back. So they can actually receive and send messages as many times as they want. Don’t worry, CloudPets™ come with parental controls and only the people that you as the parent invite can send a message to your child’s pet. You can even send stories and songs to the CloudPets™.

IMG_4780So when the kids get up in the morning, they race to their pets to see what message is waiting for them. Then I get these happy, happy faces.

You can find all of the CloudPets™ at Walmart. Our store had a big pallet display right in front where they had the different animals you can choose from. Also, each animal takes three AA batteries. Aaron picked the puppy  and Lyla picked the unicorn

IMG_7544Missing your grandparents is hard. But sweet messages from your grandparents on your very own CloudPets™ makes missing them a whole lot easier. What about you? Who do you know that would love a CloudPets™?