A letter to my son before he gets his driver's license...

My oldest child will be getting his driver's license soon.  Not only does that make me feel old, but it also tests my limits on how much control I am willing to give up in his life.  Right now he is mostly a captive audience; he can't go anywhere beyond the small town that we live in without a ride from someone.  But that will change soon.  I'll have to trust that he will remember the things I have taught him and forget the things that I have done while driving that I'm not so proud of.  So if I can write down some tips here for him, maybe it will make me feel a little bit better.  I hope.

Dear Brian,

Pretty soon you will be getting behind the wheel of the Yukon XL without your dad or I climbing into the passenger seat beside you.  (If I am crying, just hand me a Kleenex and pat me on the shoulder.)  I knew that this day would come sooner or later, and there are some things that I want to share and/or reinforce with you before that day comes.

Driving is a privilege:  Carrying a brand new license with your sparkly-eyed, excited picture in your wallet will not entitle you to using the car whenever or for wherever you feel like going.

Driving is a convenience:  Having your driver's license will (hopefully) be helpful to your dad and I.  You can drive yourself to meetings, friends' houses, the grocery store, and wherever else that will save us some time.

Driving is a responsibility:  Getting into a car and driving it as a law-abiding, sign-watching, responsible teenage boy will take forethought and maturity.  Remember to put your seatbelt on as soon as you get in the car.  Practice doesn't make perfect, Practice makes Permanent.  Keep your eyes and your mind on the road.  There are so many distractions when driving, so even fiddling with the radio, checking out a cute girl, rummaging around for a piece of gum, taking a drink of your Gatorade, or talking to someone else in the car can distract you enough to make a mistake.  And do as I say, not as I do.

Driving takes practice:  Even though you have a shiny new license burning a hole in your wallet, that doesn't a professional driver make.  You will constantly be improving and learning as you are behind the wheel.  Take it slow.  Watch for pedestrians, especially kids.  They are short, and don't show up in your windows and mirrors.  Check behind you, beside you, and in every mirror and out every window, and then check again.  Try not to be in a hurry, and leave with plenty of time to get to where your going. And most importantly; beware of other teenage drivers.  Don't try to show off to or one-up any other drivers on the road.

I know this sounds like my usual lecture, but I'm only concerned because I love you.  And because I want you to learn from mistakes experience.

Love, Mom

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

When all else fails, give a gift card!

I am not a shopper. I go to a store with a list in hand and usually get what is on the list. So Christmas and birthday shopping throws me for a loop.

In the past few years gift cards have made an explosion. I can't go through a line in the grocery store without seeing a dozen different gift cards in a dozen different denominations for purchase hanging on the rack beside me.  Gone are the days of buying a "gift certificate" anymore, unless it is at a local mom & pop type story that doesn't use a gift card.

I have to say that gift cards have made my shopping just a bit easier.  Natalia needs a birthday gift for a friend?  We get a Jamba Juice gift card, stick it in an insulated Jamba Juice reusable cup, fill it with M&M's, and we have a cute little (consumable!) gift. 

Brian wants music for his birthday?  itunes or Best Buy, Amazon, or even a Wal-Mart gift card.  These are cute packaged with a set of speakers for the MP3 player or ipod.

Give the gift of a Sonic gift card in a decorated 4-pack drink holder with other little gifts or snacks included.  Perfect for happy hour!  Chocolate Cherry Diet Coke, anyone?


Restaurant gift cards are a great gift, especially when sending a gift long distance.  Gift cards cost very little to send.  Pop the gift card into a greeting card and mail!

When we lived in Missouri I bought most of my gas at the local Wal-Mart store.  If I used a gift card to pay for it there was a 3-cent discount.  Every penny counts, and I would almost always get the gift card to get the discount.

Since being involved in SocialMoms I have earned enough Amazon gift cards to buy myself a birthday present:  a Blendtec Wheat Grinder that I've had on my wish list for some time.  I love it!  And I love that I could buy it with my gift cards, and no money out of pocket.

Gift cards have definitely put a different spin on shopping for me, and I have to say it has been a positive spin!



I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Gift Cards Rock blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Keeping up with the toy clutter...

The thing with having 4 kids is there is clutter .  Times four.  We've tried a lot of different strategies when trying to battle the toy clutter monster, and some have worked for a while and fizzled out, some worked not at all, but here are a few things that have helped us keep the clutter to a minimum:

1.  Go through the toys, every single one, at least twice a year.  Make it a spring and fall cleaning, or during summer break and before the holidays.  Throw away any broken and unrepairable toys, and donate the toys that the kids have grown out of or don't play with anymore.  Get the kids involved in this process and talk about blessing other children with the toys that are donated.

2.  Figure out what toys are played with most.  In our house it is Lego's and board games.  Lego's are my nemesis.  I'm always stepping on them in the middle of the night, or sucking them up in the vacuum.  We started using under-the-bed plastic containers for individual projects or cities or anything else under construction.  Then the whole container can be scooted under the bed and brought out the next day.

3.  Keep some toys portable.  This worked really well when the kids were younger but didn't need diaper bags anymore and I was tired of carting hot wheels cars around in my purse.  We would keep a backpack with some books and small toys always packed in it, then we could grab and go on the way to ball games or appointments.

4.  Keep it simple.  It's not necessary to sort every single toy out, but go with a system that the kids can keep up themselves.  They are not going to want to sort toys by color or alphabetically, but size or type is doable.

5. Have a toy hospital bucket.  Any toys that are broken and can be repaired or need new batteries can have their own bucket or bag, then when there is time to deal with them they are all in one place.  Have the kids do as much of the repairs on the toys as they are able to.  It will give them a sense of pride and accomplishment, and teach them to treat their toys responsibly.

6.  Rotate toys.  If you find that you are just overwhelmed with the number of toys that your kids have, pack some away for a month or so, then pull them back out and pack some of the others away.  This doesn't have to be done with the "favorite" toys, but some that aren't played with as much.

7. Ziplock bags are a mom's best friend.  Use them to corral puzzles, game pieces, crayons, small collections, and anything else you can think of.  Since they're clear and don't take up any extra space, they are a no-brainer when it comes to organizing toys.

8.  Keep board games on a high shelf.  I can't tell you the number of times we've had to go through and pick up all of the little pieces and cards and everything else that comes in the many board games we have.   It's a nightmare!  We keep the boardgames up high so they will survive the toy finding frenzy intact.  This is where tip #7 comes in handy.

9. Label drawers and bins that can't be seen into easily.  The kids can help with this one.  Give them a sheet of labels and a sharpie and have them write or draw a picture of what goes in them, or take pictures of the toys, print, and attach the picture.  Anything to make cleanup that much easier. 

10.  Keep the kids involved.  If they have the responsibility of picking up the toys, they need to be involved in de-cluttering the toys, too. 

These are my ten best strategies for de-cluttering and organizing toys in our kid's rooms. Keeping on top of things definitely helps mom AND the kids enjoy the toys even more.


I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hot Wheels® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.