10 Tips to Conquer Kid Clutter in the New Year

10 Tips to Conquer Kid Clutter

By Kerrie McLoughlin

843 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

I get exhausted just thinking about how much clutter kids are born with: clothes, shoes, diapers, wipes, bottles, toys, stuffed animals, paperwork and on and on. And it only gets worse as they grow up and start to participate in activities outside the home (think ballet shoes, softball equipment, Scout projects, homework papers and such). Sure, you can tell your kid to clean his room, but chances are he has too much and won’t even know where to start. Why not give a few of these tips a try to help your household recover from clutter?

1.      Start by overhauling what your kids already have for about an hour a day so you don’t get overwhelmed (toys, stuffed animals, shoes, clothes, books, videos). Separate items into two or three piles or bags: throw away, give away (or sell at a consignment store or in a garage sale), and (if applicable) save for a future kid. Then group like items (e.g., shoes, leotards, sports equipment) so you can quickly figure out what you are missing or have too much of. A friend of mine with 4 boys says, “I found that my kids’ dressers were overflowing with clothes, much of it never worn. I went through them and … only kept a few pairs of shorts and pants and their 5 favorite shirts. It has made it much easier for them to get dressed in the morning because without all the clothes they weren’t wearing packed in there, they can choose their outfits quickly.”

2.      Notify family and friends that you are trying to reduce clutter. Grandma would probably be thrilled to get the kids a membership to the local zoo, while several people could pool money to pay for quite a few of your daughter’s ballet lessons. This is also a great way to teach your kids that birthdays and the December holidays are not just about what your kid can get out of the whole deal.

Kerrie McLoughlin is the homeschooling mom of 5 and you can catch up with her at TheKerrieShow.com.

Go Green in the New Year (and Save Money!)

Go Green in the New Year (and Save Money!)

By Kerrie McLoughlin

578 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

Going green isn’t always easy, but if you choose even just one area of your life to change, your household will save money while also saving the planet. Every little bit helps when you’re going green! It is important, though, to realize that you don’t have to go all-out when you’re just starting. For instance, I used cloth diapers exclusively for five years before I switched to using disposables at night, and I’ve always used disposables when on vacation. Do I feel guilty about not using cloth diapers every day of my kids’ lives? Heck, no! Going green can be a lot of fun … and think of the lessons you’re teaching the next generation! Below are five ways you can start going green in the new year.

Clothing. If your first thought is to head to the mall when it’s time for clothes or shoes, reprogram your thinking! Thrift stores, consignment stores and garage sales are great places to find a whole new (recycled!) wardrobe. As far as getting rid of clothing you no longer want, the Natural Resources Defense Council says that “the average American now discards 68 pounds of clothing a year, wasting energy, water and landfill space.” If your clothing is not in good enough shape to resell, swap or donate, just Google “[your city] textile recycling”. I’m personally setting aside some worn-out, outgrown kid clothing so I can make a crazy quilt someday.

Kerrie McLoughlin learned how to be green from her mom way back in the 1970s. Check her out at TheKerrieShow.com.

Teach Your Kids the Importance of Blood Donation

Teach Your Kids the Importance of Blood Donation

By Kerrie McLoughlin

539 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

There are countless stories told by people who have been helped by a blood donor they will never meet. Many of these stories include lives being saved by a one-time blood transfusion during childbirth, surgery, an accident or for so many other reasons. Other stories include people who needed regular blood transfusions, including pediatric cancer patients who would not be alive today without this amazing gift of blood. According to NCH Healthcare System in Naples, “It is estimated that nine out of ten people who live to age 70 will require a blood transfusion.”

According to the American Red Cross, just one pint of blood can save up to three lives. January is National Blood Donor month and the perfect time to start thinking about giving blood and/or plasma on a regular basis. Starting when my kids were young, my husband and I would take them to our local blood donation center so they could see their dad giving blood. Since then, they have been eager to hit the required blood donor age and are excited at the idea of helping to save lives. Why not take your child with you to see the blood donation process so you can get him used to the idea and take the mystery out of it?

Kerrie McLoughlin blogs at TheKerrieShow.com and is married to a man who donates his O negative blood and platelets on a regular basis.

Sources:

American Red Cross: http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood

9 Great Benefits of Teens Attending Camp

9 Great Benefits of Teens Attending Camp

By Kerrie McLoughlin

935 words

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

Summer camp is often a place to send elementary-age kids so they aren’t sitting around the house bored and so they’ll make friends and learn new things while having fun. As kids grow out of their “little kid years” we sometimes forget that they still need those kinds of experiences they had when they were younger, just in a different form. Maybe you don’t think your teen needs summer camp. Your teen should be babysitting, mowing lawns, working at the pool, hanging around with friends, right? Well, sure! But why not send them off for a week or more of summer fun and learning this year for a break? Here are some great benefits of teens attending summer camp:

1.      Learning how to give back. Community service camps offer a great chance for your teen to make a difference and help out in the community while also learning skills that will carry them through their life. Kids get to spend their days helping others, which just feels good to everyone involved. Maybe your teen will learn how to pack food for the homeless, teach kids how to read or work on a project that will benefit the community like cleaning up a playground or fixing equipment. They could even learn how to paint a house, care for a yard for an elderly person who is unable to do so anymore … or they may even learn how to plan and build a house for someone who is need.

2.      Kerrie McLoughlin is the seasoned homeschooling mom of 5. Her oldest teen has attended camp and wants to try new ones! Find them at TheKerrieShow.com.

Holiday Gifts Teachers REALLY Want

Holiday Gifts Teachers REALLY Want

By Kerrie McLoughlin

755 words in full article

Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!

You want to show appreciation for your child’s teacher but are most likely short on time and maybe even on money. I polled teachers across the country to find out what gifts they are loving this year and which ones they would happily take a pass on. The answers might surprise you.

Must-Have Gifts (the full article shares 7):

·        Gift cards for local and chain restaurants because a teacher’s gotta eat!

·         Gift cards for teacher supply stores so the teacher can restock the supply for the classroom with items such as tacks, books, markers, pens, calendars and other fun items that might not be provided by the school.

·        Chocolate and coffee products! Consider putting together a basket of special chocolate bars, hot chocolates, fancy coffees and creamers and other treats.

Get to know them and find out what they like (4 quotes from parents and teachers across the country)

Melinda Cerra, mom of four, says, “Our school's room parent coordinator (which was me for a while) has teachers fill out a questionnaire telling us their favorite food, restaurants, stores, colors, drinks, scents, classroom needs, etc. every year. Very helpful. Also has the teacher's birthday. My daughter Lily's 4th grade teacher was a total health nut and didn't like most of the stuff that lots of the other teachers liked. I liked buying for her.”

Gifts to skip (the full article shares 5):

·         Anything homemade. It may be easy for you to whip up a batch of cookies or give your famous banana bread, but the teacher may be watching his or her sugar, gluten, calories or worse … might be allergic!

·         Candles and mugs. Same as with lotions and scents. And a teacher can only burn and store so many candles every year.  Where to store so many mugs? And how to rotate and use them all so every kid gift-giver feels special? Erin Hammons, preschool teacher, says, “No more candles or mugs. Yes, they are quick and easy to buy but everyone's tastes are very different. Get to know each teacher personally if possible. Gift cards aren't as personable but they are easier and still just as much appreciated. Maybe a little candy too!”

The bottom line seems to be that it’s entirely worth it to take some time to get to know your child’s teacher’s likes and dislikes. Then pick a gift with your child accordingly, and you’re sure to give the teacher a happy holiday break and a wonderful school year!

Kerrie McLoughlin (TheKerrieShow.com) is the homeschool mom of 5 who has many teacher gifts to buy for her kids’ religious ed and co-op teachers this year and will take these suggestions to heart!

I'm not a Grammar Nazi; I'm a Document Control Freak (Editor Versus Proofreader)

Should have snapped a pic of this but I didn't want to look like a psycho (for a change) ... for the record, I NEVER go to Whole Foods but was close and needed cookies for kids and up on their wall is writing and it was HUGE. Something about "great tasting food" and I was physically uncomfortable at the NON-USE of a hyphen in great-tasting as a modifier.

Doesn't all food TASTE like something? But not all food is great-tasting food. I envisioned myself getting a ladder and a paint brush or massive Sharpie and putting in that hyphen. I'm not a Grammar Nazi, because I'm not an editor. I'm a Document and Word Control Freak because I'm a proofreader. The proofreader catches all the tiny junk the editor doesn't catch.

I know if a sentence sounds wonky but I don't get caught up in the anal retentiveness of fixing a sentence that sounds GREAT but which doesn't follow every grammar rule taught by all the English teachers in the world. Instead, I want writing to have energy, voice, personality. And then I fix the stuff like hyphens and semi-colons and extra spaces between words, and even sometimes other formatting issues to make it pretty.

What's my point? Maybe that we all have different strengths ... and that it's okay to hire a proofreader to catch your mistakes. Everybody needs help sometime!

You can find my Fiverr proofreading reviews and a link to my gig here!

9 Ways to Go Green and Save Money

Nobody ever said going green would be easy. In fact, some of my ideas might have you saying “ick!” But if you pick even just one of my ideas in my article (below as text), your readers will save money while also saving the planet. You don’t have to go all-out when you’re just starting. For instance, I used cloth diapers exclusively for five years before I switched to using disposables at night, and I’ve always used disposables when on vacation. Do I feel guilty about using disposables? Heck no! Every little bit helps when you’re going green! I realize you may want to edit the piece to take out the parts about menstrual cycle products, and that’s fine by me. You obviously know your readers better than I do, so of course I trust your edits! (882 words)