MomBuzz

It’s only the second week of school and we’ve already begun our first fund raiser! Sally Foster wrapping paper and ribbons! It comes at a good time as my mailbox is full of birthday invites for which I need to wrap gifts!

But where am I going to put all this new paper and ribbons? Today’s project came about as I was asking myself that very question. I started searching for a way to store my wrapping paper and vast array of ribbons. I could not find a commercially made one that would fit my space or my supplies. So, I set off to my drafting board and thunk one up.

Time: 15 minutes
Supplies:
4-8 yards or a thick ribbon (I used 2″ grosgrain)
2-3 large eyelet screws
several 1/8 to 1/2″ dowels

Simply fold the ribbon in half and stitch together at intervals of about 4″ for wrapping paper and 2″ for dowels which can hold wrapping paper or ribbon rolls. Be sure to leave room in between sections. Use a good thread and go over your seam several times so it’s sturdy. Be sure to install the hooks into a stud. Then simply place a thick dowel through and hang your ribbons off it. Now fill ‘er up.

Provides simple access to supplies and looks pretty on a wall or can go behind a door.

If your kids are like mine they love to draw and do crafts. In order to encourage this we found several products that help keep supplies handy and tidy.

First you need something to write on so you need paper handy.

I chose this paper organizer from Highsmith.com.
It fits 12×18″ construction or copy paper OR
2 rows of 8 1/2 x 11″ paper OR a stack of 12 x 12″ scrapbook paper

We use a drawer for other supplies, one for works in progress and one for finished projects. (Just don’t stack things on top of it!)

There are many other types of paper storage but they are pricer and mostly designed for 12×12″ scrapbook paper.

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Many stores these days, both online and brick-and-mortar, will ask for your e-mail address when you make your purchases. In these days of overloaded inboxes it may seem odd to encourage companies to send you “junk mail”, but the way I look at it, it ain’t junk if it saves you money!

Many stores send out newsletters with tips and ideas as well as information on new products. They also often send reminders when they are having sales and sometimes even coupons or other special offers. I am signed up for e-mails from bookstores, photo websites, toy stores, travel sites, theme parks, hotels, specialty stores, local theaters and Ticketmaster (oh, and I highly recommend signing up for the Friendly’s coupon mailing list as well. I think it may have saved us $10,000 this year alone!).

In general privacy advocates needn’t worry too much – most big name companies have privacy policies in place where they will not sell your personal info to other companies, and a few well designed e-mail filters can easily separate out the “useful” junk from the “real” junk.

If only my real mailbox’s junk mail was as easy to manage!

I am always looking for ways to get my kids (and husband) to help out more around the house. While the husband might be a lost cause, there may be hope for the kids. Last Christmas they each recieved a Spongebob pop-up hamper, and since that day they have been (happily) responsible for getting their dirty clothes into the hamper and getting the hamper into the laundry room. (Hey - every little bit helps!)

The hampers have handles for easy carrying and they collapse flat when not in use. We usually bring one or two on vacation with us. They take up very little room in a suitcase and help keep your dirty clothes contained (and out from under the hotel beds).

We’ve also found ourselves using them for storing and moving big toys like balls and dress up clothes. My kids even use the hamper as a toy, putting them on their heads and pretending to be robots.

They come in plain; decorated with your favorite character or sports team; and shaped like cute cartoon animals and flowers. Get them at your local home goods store or on amazon.com

Cost approx. $5-$20.

WARNING! Did you hear about the car thieves who are drugging women in parking lots with fake perfume samples? Or that collecting soda pull tabs will earn time on a dialysis machine? A friend of my cousin swears this is true!

I am sure you have gotten hundreds of similar e-mails forwarded from well-meaning friends and family warning of the latest scams, viruses, health issues, etc.. While they are often entertaining and would make a great episode of CSI, I am skeptical of these e-mails and thus rarely forward them on.

It’s not that I don’t want to warn my friends about perfume car-jackers, it’s just that 9 times out of 10 these stories turn out to be bogus. In trying to find out the validity of some recently forwarded e-mails, I found a great website that researches these e-mail urban legends and lets you know whether or not they are indeed true and worth passing along to friends.

The next time you receive one of these e-mails and feel compelled to pass it along, do yourself (and your friend’s e-mail inboxes) a favor and visit: snopes.com and see if it’s legit or not.

Believe me, I would love to help find missing children, but it does not help if you are forwarding around false e-mails with pleas for help.

I will leave you now with this story and you can guess if it is fact or fiction:

Hairbands manufactured in China are being made out of recycled (used) condoms and string. Click here to see if it’s true or false?

Knitting has been steadily gaining popularity for several years. It’s a relaxing hobby without many supplies required. Check your local directory for classes at the library, knitting store or adult school. You can probably even find a friend to teach you. Seems just about everyone is doing it!

Let us suggest that you make your first project a worthwhile one. Knit and donate a unisex scarf.

Make your next project a red scarf to donate to the Orphan Foundation of America program. Scarves will be accepted September 1, 2008  through  October 31, 2008 and are distributed in care packages sent off for Valentine’s Day. What a great and simple way to show you care.

Click here for more information on the OFA and specifics on the Red Scarf Project. They will provide the specifics on scarf size, color and styles accepted. They even provide a pattern.

The great thing is that even a beginner knitter can knit a decent scarf.

What are you still doing reading MOMBUZZ? Get Knitting!