Parents Mag Sept 2007

If you're anything like me these days, getting through a magazine is such a feat that it feels like it should require some sort of medal at completion. If nothing else, cake, pie or a muffin. Unforunately, I'm still waiting for my muffin :-|

That said, the information I walk away with is always worth the effort. In case you're still trying to get through Parents Sept 2007 issue, here are some things I found especially enlightening.

Get rid of your old computer - Donate unwanted but still working computer equipment to the National Cristina Foundation, which provides used computers to disadvanted people in your community.

Homemade Stamps - 3 ingredients: the plastic top of a laundry detergent bottle, a sponge cut into a fun shape (e.g., square, heart, circle), and a glue gun. Glue on the sponge to the bottle top, which serves as a handle, dip in paint, and stamp away.

Prescription Errors - As with adult prescriptions, kid's presciptions can have errors. It might be the wrong pills, wrong dose, or something else, any of which can be a serious medical hazzard. Always check the prescription for accuracy. Don't sign a consultation waiver until you're either satisfied or you've seen a pharmacist, especially if you've never used the medication before. On that note, don't sign anything unless you've read it; you might be signing to decline meeting with a pharmacist. Per Parents, 15% of kids receive a presciption drug with a potential dosing error, according to a study in The Journal of Pediatrics. Here are some questions to consider.

Pick Fresh Apples - Find a local farm to pick fresh food at Pick Your Own, as well as a lot of great food facts.

Sears Kid's clothes - A warranty for all kid's clothes: "If an item wears out before your kid outgrows it, Sears will either repair or replace it with the identical item in the same size or, if it's unavailable, a similar item of equal value in the same size." Just take the article of clothing and your proof of purchase back to Sears.

Fun Sandwich Bites - Cut a sandwich into fun bites with an apple slicer.

Sandless Sandbox - If you don't like the idea of sand in your kid's sand box, fill it with dry oatmeal instead. That way, if he eats it, all he got was a little more fiber ;-)

Flying Delays with Kids - If you're stuck in an airport with your little one, ask for kid-friendly activities in the terminal. Las Vegas' McCarran Airport has a mini control tower and tunnel. Orland Airport has a 3,000 gallon fish tank. We might be using this one soon :-) Cheap Flights listed more on this pdf.