Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Moving forward

My new acquaintance, Tim, is going to be helping me make this idea official. I have the idea and the work ethic, but none of the business "know-how". Tim tells me that to get the most out of a new business, and not let it falter, a focus group is in my future. Although I am completely uncomfortable with this, I am going to step out and do it. He knows better than I in this case. It will be interesting to pick the brains of my target demographic.

Tim is also the one who tells me that I MUST have a blog. It is essential in today's small business world. Perhaps. But I draw the line at twitter. If no one reads my blog, I will be blissfully unaware. I'm pretty sure that if I was sending off tweets, I would need subscribers and that would just be depressing if no one wanted to receive them! My fragile ego couldn't take that. ;-) Plus, Twitter is annoying and a bit narcissistic.

But what exactly am I supposed to put in a blog? Apparently tips and ideas. Alrighty then.
Here are a couple to start my zero readers out:

Don't throw out the training potty!
It's so simple you'll be shocked you didn't think of it before.
Keep your training potty in the trunk of your car or back of your van for emergencies! The “under-five” set is notorious for urgency. Our 4 year old always needed to go “right now” a mile after we pass the rest stop on trips. We’ve also used it many times at the older brother’s soccer games and our favorite school park that has no bathroom. Necessary accessories: a handful of plastic grocery bags (pre-checked for no holes to use for liners, wet wipes or a roll of t.p. and hand sanitizer. When you are done, you can just tie it up and toss it out.

Why are puzzle boxes so big?
Gather up all your puzzles. Notice how the box is many times larger than the puzzle pieces inside? I think puzzles take up WAY too much room and they keep falling open and losing pieces - but - kids love them and they are really great educational tools for preschoolers and young gradeschoolers.
What to do?
Depending on the size of the puzzle, use either a gallon or quart -sized zip lock baggie as a new home for each puzzle. (The key is having the sliding zipper top that little hands can do or you will gain space, but still lose pieces.) Cut out the picture from the front of the puzzle box and put it inside the baggie with the pieces - you need that so you know what the finished puzzle should look like. It's OK to trim it close or even fold it to make it fit in the bag. Put all the puzzles in bags in a basket or other container and place them within your child's reach. You'll be surprised how often they will use them.

This is a picture of our basket full of puzzles. I didn't count, but I bet there are at least 20 of them - in all sizes.


Make your stuff fit in your space, don't try to make your life fit in your stuff!

Tamara






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