Here’s a product that may make the hectic fall season a little easier. I am an extremely visual person and like to see everything I have going on for the month in relationship to each other. If I know I have two busy weekends in a row, I’ll try (if it’s at all within my control) to make it a more low-key week. Or I can anticipate where I need some extra childcare based on what my husband and I have going on. For older kids, random half days, theme days, school plays, etc., all can be seen right there on the fridge. I also think writing out the whole month at the beginning of each month gives me a sense of organization and control. This calendar is $18.42 at Amazon and is eligible for Prime. Magnetic Dry Erase Calendar
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CPA Lady says
This is not at all high tech, but a magnetic month calendar on the fridge is how we track everything in our house too. I have everything on my phone calendar as well, but the house calendar is where we make sure we’re not double booking ourselves.
avocado says
The side of our fridge is our household command center. We have a calendar, the shopping list, and a to-do list for household chores. When the kid would still eat school lunch, the lunch menu was there too. Everything but the to-do list is on paper–I prefer a paper calendar because it allows access to future months for scheduling, and I like to be able to grab the paper shopping list when it’s time for errands. The to-do list is on a dry-erase board.
Anonymous says
we also do paper calendar because i need at least a 4 month block of time to plan.
Lyssa says
I agree with needing the upcoming months. This looks nice, but a monthly flip calendar makes more sense.
Avocado, have you tried the Any List phone app for lists? We use that for groceries and it makes it so much easier then a paper list, since we can’t forget to grab the list when we leave, and my husband and I can share it.
Ashley says
+1 for AnyList!
Ms B says
The Google Home shopping list feature is my favorite, especially because I can just yell at the Mini to put things on the regular list or the Target shopping list and then check items off as I shop.
Anon says
I tried something like this (well, on paper not white board) and it got absurdly messy very fast. Notice that this beautiful sample calendar has no more than one event per day! I put everything on my office Outlook calendar, which is synced with my phone.
Lana Del Raygun says
We have a paper calendar because we want upcoming months, we want to use a finer pen for multiple events/day, and we’re both really bad about smudging whiteboards constantly haha
Anon says
I like this, but there is definitely not enough space to write everything. I was a devoted paper planner person and over the past 2 years switched to using my google calendar. I actually really like it. I can invite DH to events and he has things on his calendar too. And I can have unlimited pesky reminders like “show and tell tomorrow” or “BFF’s birthday”.
It may be different when LO is in school and he wants to see everything too. We’ll reevaluate then.
Em says
I have a paper planner that I carry around with me everywhere with me that has everything in it. It it is a bullet journal (albeit a super plain blank-ink-only one) because I am a control freak and couldn’t find one that was set up the way I wanted. It has all the months in the front and then a weekly break down. Each Sunday I transcribe our week onto a magnetic calendar on our fridge so my husband knows what is going on that week.
RR says
We’ve implemented this through two of the big Pottery Barn white board versions–probably 2 feet by 3 feet? It has room for multiple things a day, and we color code by family member. We’ve always got the current month and the upcoming month. We keep everything on electronic calendars too, but that visualization is really helpful, particularly for the kids. Even my 6 year old can figure out what we have going on by looking at the wall calendars.
Anon for this says
Has anyone had a negative pregnancy test at the time their period was due but ended up being pregnant?
My period is very regular. On day 29 I had a big spot of blood, so I put in a tampon. 6 hours later the tampon was dry. I wore a pad all night and there was no more blood in the morning. I’ve had and continue to have lots of cramping and bloating and a little b00b tenderness. I have never had this spotting when my period is due, when I start to bleed my period gets pretty heavy pretty quick, and I never spot between periods.
So anyway, I took a test this morning (day 30) and it was negative. However, it wasn’t really my first pee. I had a big pee at 4:30 am, then took the test at 6:30/7 with a smaller pee.
With my first and only pregnancy, I waited until my period was 1 week late (day 35) and took the test, which was positive.
Anon says
Yes. The first three pregnancy tests I took were negative (took one day before period expected and each day after). Fourth one was positive.
Anonymous says
Honestly I know you’re looking for reassurance, but all you can really do is take another test tmrw morning. Trying to read the “signs” really doesn’t work.
OP says
Yeah, I’m debating if I should take another test tomorrow or wait longer. We’re going to the beach/pool this weekend, so I figure if I don’t bring any tampons I’ll get my period in an embarrassing fashion lol. As far as chances of being pregnant, my husband pulled out during the fertile period and that is our only form of bc, so there is a chance.
Lana Del Raygun says
I would take a pink dye test first thing in the morning and also bring tampons.
ElisaR says
i read this as a pink eye test and i was SO CONFUSED.
OP says
Thank for this tip, I took a blue dye test this morning and had no idea there was a difference.
Lana Del Raygun says
Pink dye tests are less likely to give evaporation line false positives, which is extra important if you’re trying to avoid a period mishap :)
Anonymous says
Yes, I have. For whatever reason, the “know before you’ve missed your period” tests didn’t detect for me, even though I have a very regular cycle and, with one of the pregnancies, had pretty strong implantation cramping.
Anon says
This really depends on how far past ovulation you are and how long the embryo takes to implant.
My vote is to take another test with your first urine: your hcg level may not be high enough to detect on the second round of urine.
Family Pictures says
Alright, you ladies who are much more fashionable and hip than me. Family pictures are in one month. What should we wear? Family is me, hubby, and almost-four year old. Family pictures coincide with her four year old pictures. Thank you!
Anon says
Does the preschooler have strong opinions about what she wants to wear? I’d find her outfit first and then dress you and DH in coordinating (but not super matchy-matchy) pieces. Fwiw, I wear dresses a lot in my daily life but I always find that they make me look heavier than I am in photos. I like skinny jeans and a sweater or short sleeve blouse (depending on weather) for family photos. Don’t worry about current fashion trends – you want the photos to look classic, not “so 2019.”
Anonymous says
I need help with this as well! Also coinciding with not needing maternity clothes anymore.
Anon says
What I’ve done in the past is picked out some sort of button front shirt for my son, and then incorporated the same or similar colors in DH and my’s outfits.
I’ve also read the advice to dress yourself first and then work everyone else around that.
AnotherAnon says
A photographer friend just sent me her ebook on this subject for me to edit. There are phone apps that will help you build a wardrobe color pallette! (mind blown) Her rec is to pick mom’s outfit first, and then have everyone else wear coordinating neutrals. Other tips: full length dresses are flattering on everyone, get your hair and makeup done if you can, have your guy dress in layers to add visual depth. A suit doesn’t have to be expensive, but does need to fit well: boxy jackets and too-long pants make you look wider. I know this sounds like a lot, but when I followed her advice (I almost never wear a dress), we got some really good photos. Good luck!
Emily S. says
We’ve always done coordinating but not matching. For summer, my favorite color combos are kelly green, hot pink, navy, and white. For fall, I like red, brown, olive green (like a fatigue jacket and jeans) or me in a black turtleneck and jeans and leopard shoes and kids in hot pink and kelly green and husband in jeans and a brown blazer. I like accents like a scarf, a jacket, statement earnings, or fun shoes. I’ve taken pictures in dresses and jeans and a top, and I think it depends on your comfort level and location. When we took fall pictures at a park, I wore jeans because we would be sitting down, playing with the kids, etc., but for more formal posed family photos, I wore a knit wrap dress. I think solid colors that you feel confident and accessorize with pops of coordinating colors is almost always a win. Most important is your comfort level: if you’re adjusting your skirt or hair, it will show.
I would also contact the photographer for suggestions, especially if they’re done outside your home, or at a location where the photographer has shot before.
Em says
I also do coordinating, but not matching. I always pick my own outfit and then coordinate my husband’s and son’s outfits (and the dogs handkerchiefs/bows) based on that. This year I bought a long dress that has a pattern with 3 colors in it. My husband and son are wearing shirts with one of the colors and the dogs get bows in the other two colors.
SC says
I know it’s only August, but my mom has asked me 3 times already what to buy my 4.5 year old for Christmas. Any ideas? She enjoys buying a “big” gift, meaning $75-150 and something he’ll play with for more than 5 minutes. It doesn’t have to be “big” in the sense of taking up a lot of space (and I’d really prefer it didn’t). The thing is, I feel like my kid has all the “big” toys kids play with from 3-4, and I have no idea what 5-year-olds play with.
Lana Del Raygun says
A bicycle? I know that takes up space but maybe it could be out of the house. Would she be open to something like a zoo/aquarium/children’s museum membership, which will certainly last more that five minutes? Five years old sounds like a good time for more or more intricate construction toys (lego, k’nex, etc) if he doesn’t have them yet.
Anon says
Yup in that price range I’d ask for a membership somewhere.
lawsuited says
She probably wants the gratifying feeling of him enjoying the gift on Christmas day, but maybe you could suggest that she get a membership and then take him on an outing in the few days before or after Christmas. Then suggest a less expensive gift that she can wrap and he can open on Christmas day. A firefighter outfit could be fun, or one of those cardboard play structures for him to colour and play in over the Christmas holidays.
Lana Del Raygun says
Aww I like that idea! And it could be a coordinating unwrappable gift, like a book about animals he’s likely to see in the zoo.
Anonymous says
Toy kitchen, bike, fancy blocks:
https://www.maisonette.com/play/kids/pretend-play-play-tents-and-vanities/royal-castle
Anonymous says
If you don’t already have a play kitchen, it’s not too late. Bike or scooter? Sleeping bag (though I guess that could be too inexpensive)? I suspect it won’t fly with your mom, but that’s the age my in laws started buying tickets to musicals or plays that they would bring my kids to.
Anonymous says
My parents got my 5 year old a sleeping bag for christmas. It was a huge hit.
anon says
My 5 yo loves:
her 2-wheel bike
walkie talkies
art supplies like iron beads, scratch art, shrinky dinks, beads for bracelets and keychains
puzzles
legos
accessories for her swingset (e.g., net swing, disk swing, monkey bars)
ultra cool melt hot glue gun, pipecleaners, and popsicle sticks (for building inventions)
board games like Carcassone Jr, Labyrinth, Bingo (with the spinning cage), Operation, Sequence Jr, Uno, Go Fish, and War
She might consider doing a membership for the bulk of the gift, with a smaller present or two that can be opened.
Anonymous says
A big Lego set would have been the exciting thing for my son at that age, and they are expensive. As far as he’s concerned you can never have too many.
SC says
DS has lots of Duplos and a bin of loose “regular” Legos but isn’t quite ready for sets, or just isn’t into them. He likes to build what he wants without the restraints of instructions or what it’s “supposed” to look like :-)
Anonymous says
That’s great – much more creative! Enjoy it as long as it lasts. And actually I think my son was closer to that then being into the sets at 5…foggy memories.
Anonymous says
There are Lego junior sets that my kid liked. Things like super hero hideout playsets and such.
Magna-tiles, 2 wheel bike, Kindle Fire are also good big ticket items at that age
anon says
Magnatiles!
Ms B says
+1 on Magnatiles if you do not already have them. Target usually has a good deal on BF weekend; $1 per tile is my buy price and we like having an almost unlimited number of them.
At 5, the big hits were the Playskool Millenium Falcon plus lots of figures, Mr. Potatohead Star Wars multiset (Costco!), Hot Wheels sets, Playmobil (I think we got the pirate ship right around that point; it remains a favorite), and an RC dino. The neighbor kids got pop-up soccer goals when the oldest was that age and they still get good use.
Anonymous says
Legos? A bike? A climbing dome?
Irish Midori says
Depending on your views about electronics, a kids’ Kindle Fire tablet is about right for this age and runs $80-100.
Anonymous says
Train set? Legos? Soccer net? T-Ball set?
Chewing on crib says
My one year old has left teeth marks all over his crib rail. I’ve just been ignoring it because it seems developmentally normal and hard to avoid. Is that right? Or was I supposed to somehow cover the rail to prevent this? (Here’s hoping the finish is non toxic, ha.)
Anonymous says
Our hand me down crib had plastic rail covers, but this is the kind of thing I would also have ignored.
Anon says
I’m sure the finish is non-toxic.
anon says
It’s fine, but you can buy fabric covers that you tie on the crib for like $15 on Amazon, which is what I did after the crib biting started.
Anonymous says
I think this is pretty common. When we bought kiddo’s crib, the salesman who helped us was in his 60s and had three grown kids. He really advised against paying extra for a crib that turned into a regular bed (toddler bed, yes – regular bed, no) because after 3 kids, their crib was in no shape to be used in that way. Now, I do understand that it is probably in his best interest to sell a crib plus a bed down the road. But he seemed very genuine by it and really miffed by the concept.
Pogo says
I looked up on the internet how to make rail covers with fleece from the fabric store. I measured wrong so it was harder than it should have been – really only like a 20min project if you can use a tape measure properly. Still, we have some marks from before we covered and when he’s gotten the fabric off. I don’t worry about it, since it is a piece of furniture intended for a kid’s room anyway. Our crib came w/ claims like “GREENGUARD Gold Certified – screened for 360 VOCs and over 10,000 chemicals” so I was not at all concerned about him potentially ingesting any of the finish.
ElisaR says
PSA: browsing the Nordy website today and seeing a bunch of anni sale stuff I bought now 40% off (that’s more than the anni sale). A couple of Vince items I shelled out a lot for. Ugh. Maybe somebody else can benefit from my mis-purchase!
Anonymous says
message their customer service and ask if they will price match or give you store credit for the difference
Anonymous says
I rebought a couple of things myself (one pair of jeans I’d been on the fence about returning for the smaller size and a pair of shoes I hadn’t worn yet where the price dropped another $20). I’m going to return the first purchases.