1) A Basket, A Friend
The Market Basket changed my life.
My sister put the Market Basket on her Christmas list, my mom liked it so much she bought them for everyone. I would never pick this for myself, I would never put this on my Christmas list (my list included the Sex and the City movie (didn't get it), Seven jeans (didn't get them, thankfully since now that I look, I realize that I was asking for jeans that would have been 3 sizes too big), and a pasta machine-which I got and love. And I absolutely love this basket.
I get so many questions, comments and compliments about my basket. It is great. I use it almost every day.
On schooldays: I usually try to get things organized the night before. This is a good way to localize the chaos (permission slips, show & tell, checks, invites, thank-yous, silkies, tuition checks, etc.). In the morning, I put everything else in the basket, including my odds and ends (planner, cell phone, office keys, coffee). So, as I go about my leisurely morning I plunk more things into my basket (capacity 50 lbs., IMpressive).
Then at the end of the day all the (junk) that comes home from school (art projects, random one-eyed monster renderings, pennies, rocks, sweatshirts, gloves, hats, book orders) goes right in the basket. Then we add mail, stinky milk cups (from the leisurely breakfast the boys have in the car most mornings) and any other item that is trying to set up house in the vehicle of the day. Sometimes it still takes me two trips to unload the car, but this is down from four or five (and I used to give up and leave stuff behind). My cars are so neat!
Then it is Patrick's job (Keith usually helps, monkey see) to unload the basket while I make dinner. Listen to me: CHANGED MY LIFE.
Errands: I tend to be overly ambitious on the rare occasion I have time to run errands. So organization is critical to leveling my mediocrity. I always have something to return, a coupon I have to use, a fabric swatch to be matched and banking to do. As I build up to my errand running my basket serves as Org. Central. I know that I could just stick this all in my purse but I change purses almost every day AND the topless nature of the basket is helpful to remind me where to go next. I'm the one going around and around the roundabout at Riverpark trying to remember what comes next.
Garnet Hill and Sur La Table both carry the Market Tote. buy me, buy me, buy me.
2) An Advisor, A Friend.
The last time I mentioned a FREE and useful online resource that had changed my life the company soon started charging $10 per year for online access! Coincidence? I think not. So run and click on this FREE and useful online resource now. But first, the build-up...
Every Friday night at our house is movie night. Most weeks Patrick asks whether it is movie night, Every Night. Patrick and Keith have their own Netflix queue, reserved for kid-friendly Friday night movies. Maybe I'm overprotective (and proud of it, okay?) but I think a PG rating is an indicator of mild to serious inappropriate content. I don't have the time (or patience) to sort through the content. Lucky for me on one of my Netflix Kid Queue Quests I found COMMON SENSE
Common Sense Media is a non-profit organization dedicated to "improving kids' media lives." CSM provides reviews of family movies on Netflix. On the movie's Netflix page you will see the age in a colored bubble, you can click for more information including violence, language, sexual content, social behavior, even consumerism (yes please!).
On the CSM home page you can get information on movies, books, video games, TV, and music. At first I was excited about the quick and easy age selector. But it is the "Parents need to know" section that is the most informative. Then based on my kids (and my mood) I make a choice about the movie. CSM also provides "discussion topics" for families, which kind of feels like homework but okay whatever.
Patrick goes crazy when I say "butt" or "poop". He says a little prayer everytime someone on tv says "stupid". I love my innocent child who is four and half and doesn't need to see or hear things that are only appropriate for double-digit kids. Keith is 13 (learned how to ride the scooter today at Grandma Carolyn's) and he watches all of the versions of The Real Housewives and DVRs In Treatment.
1 comment:
I use my basket to carry lunch in the KDI cooler to picnic at school. Then it stores lunch and after school papers. LOVE IT! All the moms at school are jealous because they thought I found a basket with a lid that zips closed.
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