Shelving on the left is the way both sides used to look.

The best thing about this in my opinion is that the shelf can be re-converted back into a bookshelf after the kids outgrow their costume phase!

Remove top two shelves (she left the bottom shelf in for shoes) use a tension rod and hang curtain hooks – voila! The genius is in the simplicity.

We haven’t tried this yet, but I’m eyeing our tall book-case to convert into something like this pretty soon Here is another angle–

A quick hang and you're set!

Hmmm… thinking this might also work well in a mudroom or entryway…

Do you have any interesting way you organize your kid’s costumes or clothing?

Well, my wife and I find role-playing with our 5.5 year old daughter to be a fun and educational way to drive home points on how to act/react in those types of situations.  First we talk about the situation, explain what’s proper and how participants may feel.  Then we take turns with role-play so she can practice and experience dealing with the situation in a safe environment!

Here’s example of what we have done:

Reaction to opening gifts - First we explain to our daughter that all gifts should be appreciated and that the giver took time to select it for the receiver.  So, no matter what comes out of the gift wrap or gift bag, always say thank you and something nice about it.  We then play the role play game and take turns gifting random things in the house.  This discussion was at the dining room, so we took things like a napkin holder, bottle of sauce, box of tissue, etc.  ‘Nice” comments that made it fun and educational were “Thank you, I love sauce on my food.”, “Thanks, I always need tissue.”, etc.  Sounds pretty weird, eh.  But believe me, it was a neat, fun, safe and educational exercise!

Reaction to food being offered – First you need to know that my mom takes so much pride in her cooking, showing her love through her food, so no one wants to tell her they don’t like a dish she made.  Young children need to learn this discretion and therefore we needed to prep our 5.5 year old for a week-long visit at grandma’s house.  We first discussed with our daughter that if you don’t have anything nice to say, then you don’t say anything at all.  So our bottom line is ‘if you don’t like a dish and are being offered more, just say no thank you, but I’d like some more X please.’  So again, role play with “Have some more bitter melon, it’s healthy for you” and our daughter replied “No thank you, but I would like more green beans please.”

Reaction when a kid is being mean – This situation, unfortunately, has hit home a few times.  To be honest, our, like most parents, initial reaction was ‘tell your teacher that X is being mean to you.’  But them we knew that is NOT the right thing to teach our kids.  So we explained to our daughter that it could be best for her to try to stop the situation herself and if the , lets say, bully doesn’t stop, then it is appropriate to get the teacher/parent/adult involved.  Of course, if there is immediate danger or pain, an adult should be brought in right away. For example, one of the issues was when a classmate kept swinging her feet at the lunch table and was kicking my daughter.  We role played this and I played the “leg swinger” to see how Julia would handle the situation, then she played the leg swinger and I played the “victim” and expressed how I would handle the situation before needing to bring in the teacher.  Another time, a fellow student was making fun of students of color and ethnicity, we discussed how to address this situation and took turns role-playing as well.  One bottom-line, initial response we expressed to her is to tell the person that ‘You are not being nice.  You should not talk to me like that’ and walk away.  Sometimes mean/bully kids just want attention, so don’t give it to them by sitting/standing there and accepting their actions/words.  If they persist to bother and harass you, then you should inform the teacher.

Surely you can think about situations where role-playing with your child(ren) will help build their confidence, self-esteem, and overall comfort level in dealing with situations.  Trust me, this is a fun and educational way for kids to learn and practice handling these situations!

What tips or stories do you have to share?  Please leave a comment and share it with us!  Thanks!

Hmmm... now what??!!!

1. Timing - ie. selling outdoor toys in winter time – especially in cold or colder areas is not a good idea – although there may be (lucky) cases where someone is looking for outdoor toys for indoor use (like a slide).  Same goes for winter coats in the summer, etc. If you can’t wait, you might need to take a steeper cut on your sales price, otherwise- waiting till the season or timing is better might be a good idea.
2. Competition/Pricing - Always, always, always check out the competition and price correctly for your market and the condition of your item.  Search for your item on Craigslist and see how many are being sold, what condition and model/age and at what price. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen multiple listings where people have clearly not done their homework. It does not matter if you bought your item full price – if someone else  has the same item in similar shape  and you price ‘over’ them - you technically just helped them clinch a sale.
3. Include a Link - If the item is available in stores, include a link to the retailer so your potential purchasers can view the specs on the item and see retail price.
4. Add a photo of the item and fully disclose any wear and tear – it might not be a deal breaker to you, but it might be for your potential buyer. I don’t know about you, but as a frequent buyer myself- I don’t even bother looking at ads without photos.
5. Respond in a timely manner - if you are busy or are anticipating to be busy, don’t post your sale, just like any business you need to be responsive to your potential buyers.  Even if you feel you have a buyer coming to buy the item already you should still be responsive to others, because there have been numerous occasions where a “sure” buyer dropped out and I was glad I still was able to contact the others who were interested.
6. Take advantage of the situation - I mean this in a good way — not in a ‘hijack the buyer’ sort of way – I mostly sell kids items and have found that people who come interested in buying an item might also want to ‘look around’ and buy more, so I usually have the other items I have for sale also semi-displayed on the side.  I don’t even have to do a hard sell at all – it’s there, if they want to look they can, and most of the time that’s how I get rid of  smaller items like toys.
7. Think outside the box in terms of pick up areas – I’ve done it during my lunch break at my work parking lot, at a gas station (someone was on their way to their son’s soccer practice), I think you get the point. Honestly some buyers are also leery now of going to someones house – so it’s always good to be flexible.

Hope this helps — there is nothing like the feeling of unloading something you no longer need to someone who does.  Good luck on your next sale!  Check out my other Craigslist blog posts and please leave a comment to tell me how your Craigslist sales go!

Related articles

• 5 Tips For Selling Stuff On Online Classified Ad Sites (Like Kijiji, Craigslist, & Backpage) (levynewsnetwork.wordpress.com)
• 5 Tips for Selling Your Stuff Online (bargaineering.com)
• So What Sort of Kid Stuff Really Sells on Craigslist? (declutterorganizerepurpose.wordpress.com)

Image via CrunchBase

We have a LOT of kids stuff.  I’m almost embarrassed to say – probably 90% of what we sell on Craigslist is kid stuff. We’re lucky that Craigslist is such a good marketplace for kids stuff and has worked pretty well for us over all.  We tried looking into doing one of those consignment events and found the amount of work, not to mention the cut they get – not to be worth our time and effort.  Yes, you could probably sell your kitchen sink on Craigslist, it is just that no one might buy it.  Same thing goes for certain type of kid’s stuff.  I’m not saying its impossible, but after trying to sell numerous items through the years, I’ve come to a number of semi-conclusions and unofficially coined the phrase “Declutter for Ca$h!”

1. Clothing is touch and go… depending on how you market it – a no-photo rough ad about ’2T clothes for sale’ will not get you anywhere.  Individually selling clothing is not quite worth your time either (IMHO) what has worked for me is taking group photos of the bunch for sale and selling it all for one price – list brands, sizes, and be honest about any wear and tear.  On the positive side, if successful – you probably will get more money selling clothing this way rather than selling them either at a consignment shop or at a ‘Just Between Friends’  type of event.  Shoes are another thing that I think some people are leery of paying a good price to get second-hand – ALTHOUGH an exception might be girl’s tap shoes.
2. Maternity Clothes - yep, you can try to sell this as a package deal.  Worked for one of our friends and she unloaded all her maternity clothes in good condition for a flat $125!
3. Infant ‘Essentials’ i.e. high chair, stroller, pack n’ play, etc.–  if a decent brand
   

   Our old Play Area/Gate-- useful, cute, and sturdy makes for a quick sell

   (Graco, Britax etc.) will usually sell well.  PLEASE take a good photo and try to clean the item beforehand. If it doesn’t sell immediately – patience – wait a couple of weeks and re-post. Having moved to Tulsa we found that ‘trendier’ items may not sell as well here compared to a major city – things like a Stokke chair, or a Learning Tower might sell pretty fast in Chicago, but not as quickly in a smaller city.

4. Toys - is another touch and go category — ‘classics’ such as train tables and train sets, climbers, ride-ons, usually do well depending on wear and tear.  Smaller pieces or toys with lots of pieces (ie. fisher price doll houses, etc.) maybe not as much.  We found that ‘large’ toys do pretty well (climbers, slides etc.).  We are on the fence when it
   

   I posted this art table twice before I got a sale. I love Step 2 or Little Tikes stuff- they always clean up real well and look brand new in a jif!

   comes to bundling vs. individual selling of toys – just like much of Craigslist it really depends on luck and the decision would fall more on you to decide whether you want to bother selling your toys piece meal or in one go.

Hopefully this helps you look at your ‘stuff’ differently – we certainly do.  I know there are certain items I’m itching to sell but my wife is still adamant about keeping (indoor trampoline anyone? kid’s bookshelf?).  At the end of the day Craigslist satisfies a lot of our needs, the need to declutter, the need to have a little extra cash, and the need to recycle – win win all around in my opinion. Happy Selling!

Itching to sell this train table someday We actually got this off of Craigslist for quite a steal.

Related articles

• The 25 Best Things to Buy on Craigslist (wisebread.com)
• 5 Tips For Selling Stuff On Online Classified Ad Sites (Like Kijiji, Craigslist, & Backpage) (levynewsnetwork.wordpress.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Be forewarned if you are expecting tips on black Friday shopping and getting deals on toy sales, this is the wrong post for you.  We’re far from grinch-like, yet my wife and I have always thought that Christmas is a little too over-the-top most of the time.  What we have found to work is to keep to the main essence of Christmas that (hopefully) our children will always remember — time together as a family, celebrating the season and creating family traditions!  After having 5 years of family Christmases under our belt, we realized that funny enough – if you make Christmas actually mean something – you actually end up saving more… in short, it is not just about the gifts!

- Create certain activities that you as a family do every year!  Since our kids are younger – we do breakfast with Santa, we buy christmas ornaments together, decorate ginger bread houses, go to Christmas Eve service, drive around in the evening to see other decorated houses and decorate our house together every year.  Honestly, I think the activities done together mean much more than the accumulation of stuff to children.  The hope is when you create an atmosphere of creating memories together the emphasis on “stuff/gifts” diminishes.

- Before christmas it is time to declutter, donate or exchange.  Out with the old before in with the new!  My wife just attended her first toy exchange and it was perfect – we got gently used toys and were able to unload our gently used outgrown toys.  Our kids are still too young ( 5.5 and 2 years-old) to know the difference between ‘new’ and ‘gently used’ and we plan to take advantage of that for as long as we can   If you don’t have a toy exchange you can join, definitely plan hosting your own – ask your neighbors, parents at your kid’s school, etc to participate.  It can be as simple as everyone bringing one or two toys to exchange.  It’s also a great time to donate gently used toys, clothing and household items to charity for the less fortunate – do something good for others and get a potential tax deduction!

- Gifts beyond toys!  This year we are re-decorating our 5.5 year-old daughter’s room, so her Christmas gifts will include bedding set, curtains, etc. that would go into decorating her room.  I think she’ll be super excited to see her new room unfold as she opens her gifts.  We’re glad to not be giving more clutter-inducing toys and she will still have the fun of opening gifts!  What’s in their stockings this year?  New toothbrushes!  Even Santa wants everyone to have good clean healthy teeth!

- Green Christmas Greetings!  Instead of sending hardcopy greeting cards or the ever so popular photo cards, be ’green’ and send an e-card or photo slideshow card!  A great friend of ours has done the photo slideshow greetings via Smilebox.com for a few years now.  It’s great to see photos of their family for the entire year.  You save on the cost of cards and postage if you do the e-card or photo slideshow greetings! 

In the long run, we’re hoping that by starting early and building expectations and a good foundation of Christmas spirit we can avoid the general too-much-ness that can invade the holidays and instead have what the yuletide was really meant to be – a time of happy family memories!

Related articles

• Christmas list culling for friends and family (moneyexpert.com)
• Our guide to budgeting over the holiday season (cleardebt.co.uk)
• Top Tips – Don’t go out of control this Christmas (moneyexpert.com)

Firstly – never assume anything. Maybe its the ‘new’ generation or just me, but a lot of things need to be mentioned and not left up in the air– namely –

- cleaning up after themselves and the kids – we don’t expect the babysitter to clean the house, but they must put stuff and toys away when done. We expect them and our kids to clean up after themselves…you would be surprised what a mess that could be welcoming you back from a date night if you don’t make this clear!

- No uninvited ‘guests’ — I know “say what?!” but it has happened to a friend of ours – this is where my comment on the death of common sense comes in – make it clear they cannot have friends over to ‘hang out’ when you are gone – especially without telling you first. Ugh.

- Make it crystal clear how your family disciplines your kids — moving to Oklahoma has made us realize that in general a ‘little’ corporal punishment (i.e. spanking) is acceptable. Unfortunately for them, not in our household. A friend of mine was making it clear to her babysitter that they do not spank and that’s when it hit me that we never tell our babysitter our rules for discipline. Whether timing out, or quiet time, you have to tell your babysitter what your expectations are.

- Make it clear how you deal with crying or sadness. Another friend of mine came home with her daughter crying and her babysitter just standing there looking at the toddler. I have told babysitters that I expect them to sooth and carry my child if they are crying – bouncing on the exercise/yoga ball also helps sooth my toddler. It helps both your child and your babysitter to know what the best ways are of soothing your children and getting them to calm down.

- To help ensure your kids have fun and enjoy their time with the babysitter, set up activities you know they will enjoy! For our 5.5 year old this means having arts and crafts projects ready to go. Both our daughters love books, the toddler can be read to by big sis or the sitter. If the weather is good, we give the sitter the bug spray and tell her to take them into the backyard for some time on the swings or to kick a ball around. If it’s an extended time that we will be out, we leave a DVD for them to watch together.

I’m definitely not saying that all babysitters need all these instructions and have no common sense, but in a case where you don’t have neighbor’s teenage children you’ve known for years, or relatives you can rely on — it pays to be clear rather than vague.

Related articles

• The decline of the teenage babysitter (parentcentral.ca)
• No more adventures in babysitting: Today’s texting teens aren’t interested in looking after other people’s kids (news.nationalpost.com)
• Ideal Babysitter: Parent’s Guide to Hiring a Babysitter (idealbabysitter.wordpress.com)
• Ideal Babysitter – Briefing the Babysitter (idealbabysitter.wordpress.com)
• Signs of a bad nanny or babysitter (diamondnannies.wordpress.com)

Yes, I eat Smart Ones and Lean Cuisine frozen entrees for lunch at work/home at times.  What do I do with those plastic plates/trays???  I keep some of them and repurpose them for my 5 year-olds breakfast/snack on the go!  Of course, due to BPA concerns, we hand wash them and do not heat them in the microwave again.  But these are super handy for her to eat scrambled eggs, mini-waffles, cheese bread, veggie sticks with hummus, etc.  Another plastic that I repurpose is the Advil/Tylenol measuring & dispensing cups/caps!  These are perfect to hold her gummie vitamins (and sometimes a treat, like M&Ms or Skittles)!

So, this is my latest simple repurposing tip!  Share your tips by leaving a comment!

Related articles

• Repurpose Plastic Zipper Storage Bags into Packing Material [Repurposing] (lifehacker.com)
• Repurposing Pasta for Kid’s Crafts! (declutterorganizerepurpose.wordpress.com)
• Repurpose Pipe Insulation into a Door Draft Guard [Repurpose] (lifehacker.com)
• Repurpose an Old Wooden Ladder as A Bookshelf or Towel Rack [Household] (lifehacker.com)

As family movies go, at least this one doesn’t take itself too seriously, the ‘geeks’ are goofy, and the actors are likeable.  Yes, the story line is somewhat predictable, BUT if you want a family tv movie that at least puts college education in a fun and intellectual light (barring the fact that one of the faculty tried sabotaging a student) this movie is for you.  It has a positive message on family, loyalty and doing the right thing.  I would say that the age range for kids to get the most out of this might be at least 7 or 8 to late tweens.  After that it might be too boring for actual teenagers.  My 5-year-old did find it interesting that college kids don’t have to live with their parents anymore ;o) . There is no uncomfortable love scenes to be worried about and things stay very G-rated.  They do end the movie with a Christmas scene!

 Below is the detailed synopsis –

When industrious high school gamer Zach Taylor lands a prized scholarship to the prestigious Digital Institute of Game Design (DIGD), his future breaks wide open. The opportunity to study under gaming legend Marcus Bentton and alongside the country’s most creative minds will certainly propel him into a successful career as a video game designer. That is, if he can pass the infamous freshman project that eliminates more than half of the class within the first three months.

Paired with brilliant yet socially awkward teammates Phillip and Donald, the trio persuades Sara Ramirez – a determined and striking team leader with whom Zach has a history (and possibly a future) – to join their team. Working off-campus in the teched-out Lincoln Alley loft, the four set out to involve the entire campus in a quirky new social interactive game. But as the group becomes entrenched in the project, Zach learns that his father Billy, a widower, is facing growing financial woes at home. To help out, Zach accepts an opportunity to work directly with Marcus Bentton on a secretive side project that seems too good to be true. The effort requires nearly all of Zach’s time and energy, which he should be devoting to the project. Struggling to keep it together, Zach is torn between his responsibility to his team, his admiration for Bentton and a chance to help his father.

Everything comes to a breaking point when Zach’s team threatens to remove him from the group and the deceptive truth behind Bentton’s project comes to light. With the guidance of Professor Abbie Lambert, Zach must make a decision that not only affects his future, but the lives and livelihoods of the people around him as well. It’s a revealing story that recognizes the magnitude behind the choices we make and the importance loyalty plays in making good decisions.

Premiere of Game of Your Life is on Friday, December 2 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

The official Family Movie Night website: http://www.familymovienight.com/

The Family Movie Night Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/familymovienight

Disclosure:

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

On top of the above regular schedule, there are two seasonal activities, Wednesday evening from 6-6:45pm is choir & music at church and then Sundays (from Oct-Dec) from 4:30-6pm is her weekly rehearsal for The Children’s Nutcracker.

Of course, the next layer is the periodic/random events, parties, playdates, family activities, etc.

So, based on the above, do you think she’s “over scheduled?”  Honestly, for the typical healthy and energy filled 5 year-old I would say No.  Personally, I believe having a child involved in activities that he/she enjoys is very fruitful.  It (1) nourishes their interests (2) sharpens their social skills (3) developes hobbies, possibly for life (4) provides opportunities to build friendships and (5) some would say keeps them active/busy and out of trouble/boredom.

However, unfortunately my 5 year-old has asthma and allergies and her immune system just doesn’t seem to be as strong as the average kid.  When a cold/cough/virus or anything hits her…it usually take her 2-3 times the amount of time to get over it than the average healthy kid     Once she gets hit with a cough, cold, strep, etc. it is almost sure to be followed with her asthma kicking in.  It’s quite sad as she truly enjoys all the activities above – no “tiger parent” here forcing her to perform! 

So, we (and she) get sad when she has to miss out on some events/activities…but these are the cards we were dealt and are evaluating if a set class/activity needs to be dropped off her schedule…

What kind of schedule do you have for your kids?  I’d love to hear about it and your experience/thoughts…please leave a comment.

FYI – I found the article ‘Overscheduled Kids: How Too Many Activities Affect Moms And Dads’ from HuffingtonPost.Com to be a good read and ‘Family Happiness and the Overbooked Child’ from TheNewYorkTimes.Com provides another similar point of view.  Time Magazine’s 2007 article ‘The Overscheduled Child Myth’ provides a different point of view along with some statistics related to juvenile pregnancy, violence and crime.

Some of my personal favorite tips from this article are ‘Maximizing Space’ via a 3 shelf organizer with canvas shelf bins – great for underwear, socks, etc.  as my 5-year-old doesn’t have a real dresser of her own and we have been using canvas bins on a shelf for these items.  The “Sort the Wash” laundry hamper also geta  big thumbs up from me!  Makes doing the laundry easier and gives your child some more simple organizational responsibility!  I also love the ‘Days of the Week Closet Organizer’, where my daughter can just open her closet and change into her clothes for school each day!

Do you have any tips and tricks to share?  PLease leave a comment to do so

Clean Your Kid’s Closet

Hello, Clean Closet!

Organizing your child’s wardrobe doesn’t have to be an all-day affair. Follow these simple steps to make over even the messiest closet in no time!

 

Organize Clothes

Kids can dress themselves when outfits are neatly placed in the Days of the Week Closet Organizer. $30; onestepahead.com

Buy Days of the Week Closet Organizer from onestepahead.com.

 

Hang Low

Create easy access to everyday clothes by installing a second rod that can simply be removed as your child grows.

 

Maximize Space

Make use of the area above the lower bar by installing a 3-shelf organizer, then and add canvas shelf bins to keep clothes from falling out. Hanging organizers, $7; burlingtoncoatfactory.com and shelf bins, $7 each; landofnod.com

Buy 3-shelf organizer from burlingtoncoatfactory.comBuy canvas shelf bins from landofnod.com

 

Tag Containers

Store off-season or infrequently worn garments in labeled bins on the top shelf. Tag Kit $20, Orange Bin Set $8 for 2; stacksandstacks.com and Gingham Storage Bins $13 to $15 each; containerstore.com

Buy Tag Kit at anyrandomjane.comBuy Orange Bin Set at stacksandstacks.comBuy Gingham Storage Bins at containerstore.com

 

Sort the Wash

Make separating laundry simple by tucking this portable Hamper Tote in the bottom of the closet. $42; organize.com

Buy Portable Hamper Tote at organize.com

 

Group Garments

Closet dividers help keep items together by size, type or season. $12 for 5; oreoriginals.com

Buy Closet Dividers at oreoriginals.com

 

Store More Shoes

Get your kid’s kicks off the floor and into these plastic stackable baskets. $6 each; containerstore.com

Buy plastic stackable baskets at containerstore.com

 

Expand Hangers

Grow-with-Me Hangers adjust to hold big and small kids’ tops. $8 for 3; walmart.com

Buy grow-with-me Hangers at walmart.com

 

Access with Ease

A step stool, like Kidkraft’s Step ‘N Store, helps kids reach stuff off the top shelf. $30; toysrus.com

Originally published in the September 2011 issue of Parents magazine.

Buy Kidkraft’s Step ‘N Store from toysrus.com

 

www.parents.comBringing together the power of respected magazine brands including American Baby and Parents, the Parents Network is your go-to destination for parenting information. From first kicks to first steps and on to the first day of school, we are here to help you celebrate the joys and navigate the challenges of parenthood.© Copyright2011 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.