jot your ideas in a Moleskine journal

Ever had a good idea that just dissipated because you couldn't write it down? Keep one of these handy, and it'll never happen again. Moleskine journals are pocket-sized, acid-free, and just plain cool-looking. Hey, even if you don't become the next Hemingway, at least you can have fun writing down your grocery list.

p.s. If you buy one of these, and end up loving it, you must check out this blog

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it's OK to write on the walls

Entertaining kids on cold winter days can be quite a challenge, but this home decorating tip could banish the boredom. Amanda Armstrong and Sarah Newell in Real Simple magazine suggest creating a wall mural with chalkboard paint. Paint simple shapes on the wall, let it dry, and then the kids can go crazy with chalk filling in the details. No more winter blues!

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at-home "washing machine" for delicates

Araks Yeramyan, lingerie designer, reveals a good lingerie-washing tip in Lucky magazine. Fill a jar (similar to the one pictured) three-quarters full of warm water, add a half capful of gentle detergent. Throw in about 5 pieces of undergarments, and shake, shake, shake! Rinse until water runs clear, and hang to dry. Try it for hosiery, sweaters and blouses, too.

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enjoy longlasting eyeliner with Visine

Visine can do more than just get the red out! According to makeup artist Charles Douglas in Ladies Home Journal, "Visine Eye Drops doubles as an eyeliner sealer. Apply a few drops to a powder eyeshadow, then pick up the dampened shadow with a fine eyeliner brush and stroke it next to upper lashes. The liner lasts for hours -- a better result than you'd get with water". What better way to make use of all those forgotten eye shadow colors at the bottom of your makeup bag?

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calculate your body mass index

With all the recent media coverage regarding the use of underweight models by the fashion industry, I got curious and wanted to calculate my own body mass index (BMI). I found a good online calculator here at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Here's a personal translation of the BMI categories:
>30 - visit your doctor to talk about weight loss, then get on a diet
25-29.9 - get on a diet
18.5-24.9 - status quo
<18.5 - second helpings at every meal
(Thankfully, my running behind a toddler all day has kept me in the status quo -- at least for now.)

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polka-dotted Puddle Jumper Shoes to the rescue

I recently bought these cute-as-a-button polka dot Puddle Jumper Shoes for my 3 year old. Needless to say, she's in love with them. Not really a bargain at $42.00, but they're soft inside, well-made, with nice bouncy, gripping gum soles - perfect for her playground antics!

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stay connected with a Vonage phone on a keychain

I ditched my landline a couple of years ago, signed up with Vonage, and never looked back. It just keeps getting better. This Vonage V-Phone plugs into any USB port and turns any PC or laptop into a fully functional Vonage telephone, for $39.99. I'm adding this to my keychain!

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rev up your party with lollipop cocktail stirs

Need to inject some zing into your next cocktail party? Real Simple magazine suggests using these retro-flavoured lollipops from Candy Creek as drink stirs. Now that's a new way to enjoy a vodka tonic!

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Carnegie Hall isn't just for grown-ups

For anyone living in or traveling to NYC with kids, this event is not to be missed. Carnegie Hall has a series of interactive family-oriented concerts aimed at kids between 5 and 12 years. At only $8.00 per ticket, it is a fantastic way to introduce young people to music. My husband took our 3 1/2 year old daughter and she had a blast meeting the musicians and seeing the instruments up close. She behaved like a real big girl, and came home talking about the timpani drum, her favourite instrument. Can't beat that for a cultural experience!

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get your FREE annual credit report

Did you know that you are entitled to receive one free credit report every 12 months? This website, AnnualCreditReport.com, sponsored by Experian, TransUnion and Equifax, is the place to do it. A good reality check for every busy consumer!

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Happy Chinese New Year!

Celebrate the Year of the Boar with this noodle-filled Chinese New Year Chocolate Candy by Sammeiy on allrecipes.com. It's quick and easy, perfect as a party treat:
Ingredients
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups butterscotch chips
2 1/2 cups dry-roasted peanuts
4 cups chow mein noodles
Directions
Butter a 9x13 inch dish.
Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in peanuts. Stir in noodles until all is well coated. Press into prepared dish. Chill until set; cut into squares.

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smooth your face with the Bump Buster Mask

Chrys Solomon of The Homemaking Cottage offers up a simple concoction you can whip up from things in your fridge/pantry. Here it goes:

Bump Buster Mask
1 ripe tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon instant style oatmeal or old-fashioned rolled oats
Mix all ingredients together in blender until smooth. Apply to skin. If mixture is too runny, add more blended oatmeal. Leave it on for 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

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coconut is not just for pina coladas

I'm always game to try natural remedies, so when my Dad suggested I try this Tropical Traditions organic virgin coconut oil as a moisturizer, I gave it a shot. With it's velvety texture and natural antibacterial properties, it sinks right into your skin. Perfect for soothing winter-damaged skin, hair and nails. (By the way, it tastes great in your oatmeal too!) Thanks, Dad.

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keep little legs warm with BabyLegs

My 3 year-old daughter refuses to wear anything but tights and dresses (since princesses don't wear denim, she says). Luckily, our reader Janet M. has turned me onto the perfect solution to keep her warm -- BabyLegs! They've got great colours and patterns and fit infants through size 10, so there's no chance they'll outgrow them too soon. Fashion with function! Thanks for the tip, Janet.

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a donkey for Valentine's Day?

Do we really need another box of chocolates for Valentine's Day? Instead, how about a mosquito net, 100 kgs of cement or a donkey? WorldVision, a UK based website, has an alternative gift catalogue filled with various gifts to help some of the world's poorest communities make their way out of poverty. Ditch those calories and spread some humanitarian goodwill instead!

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health alert for Olay Complete Body Wash with Vitamins

I normally like to keep my posts on the positive side, but I can't help sharing this must-read article from the L. A. Times titled "Testing finds traces of carcinogen in bath products". The highest concentrations of 1, 4-Dioxane were detected in Olay Complete Body Wash with Vitamins and Clairol Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers Shampoo. The cosmetics industry says the amounts of this chemical detected are safe, since most evaporates or is washed off. Doesn't make me feel terribly reassured; I use this Olay Body Wash every day, and now I'm scrutinizing the ingredients on all my other toiletries. Guess it's back to good ol' Dove bar soap for me.

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don't jet off to Paris without these two must-haves

Just in case you're about to escape to Paris on one of those incredible winter specials, here are two things you can't be without. First is Plan de Paris, a pocket-sized book which will be your guide to Paris' Metro, arrondissements (city districts) and street maps. The second is the Paris Museum Pass. Formerly known as la carte musées-monuments, it gives you pre-paid access to all the major museums and monuments with no need to stand in admission lines. With these two things in hand, you're set for your adventure in the City of Lights!

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babies can talk too

Apparently, babies' fussy noises aren't all that random, according to Priscilla Dunstan, creator of the Dunstan Language System, in Parenting magazine. Here's a short list of five "words" that babies 0-3 months use:
Neh: "I'm hungry"
Owh: "I'm sleepy"
Heh: "I'm uncomfortable"
Eaih: "I have gas"
Eh: "I need to burp"
I wish I'd have known about this when my own daughter (pictured at left) was an infant -- it would have saved a lot of guesswork on my part! Heh!

clear the air with a spider plant

Every time I sit warming my toes by a fireplace, I a.) enjoy the toasty feeling b.) wonder what noxious gases I'm inhaling. It might be the pessimist in me. Nonetheless, in a study done by NASA it was found that the common Spider plant removed 96% of carbon monoxide from the air. Hooray for houseplants!

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ever heard of a diaper toolbox?

This is a perfect solution for small spaces, or soon-to-be-parents who just don't want to commit to buying yet ANOTHER piece of furniture. The Skip Hop Diaper Toolbox holds diapers, ointments, creams, you name it, and can be moved from room to room as needed. My diaper-changing days are coming to end, but I'm still tempted to get one! Makes a great baby shower gift, too.

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Google's search box can do math, too

I was poking around late one night and found this handy Google calculator tool. Just plug your problem into the search box, like 45+34, hit enter, and there's your answer, 79. Pretty cool, and it sure beats digging around to find your computer's calculator!

Brad's thoughts on the perfect mattress

Brad Pitt offered a great tip in Esquire magazine. In his words, "Don't spend a lot of money on a big, giant mattress with double padding on both sides and all that. Just go out and buy a normal firm mattress. Then go buy the three-inch Tempur-Pedic pad, the memory foam, and put it on top. I'm telling you, take my tip. It's the perfect pressure. I take full credit for the discovery. You will sleep in bliss forever more . . . unless you've got a six-week-old." I wonder if Angelina concurs...

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tickle her heart with a vintage lucite ring for Valentine's

Looking for something unusual to give someone who seems to have everything? The Carrotbox is a site dedicated to rings made of glass, lucite, resin, plastic, jade, wood, bakelite and even stone — anything, as long as it's not metal. It's like a trip to the candy store...

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zap your cold with elderberry

Hooked on Robitussin or Tylenol to battle your cold? Try this holistic approach with elderberry tea. "To prepare a medicinal tea, two to three teaspoons of dried elder flowers are simmered in one-half cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Two to three cups of this tea may be safely consumed in a day," according to Winston J. Craig, Ph.D., R.D. Save the trip to the drugstore.

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diet with your dishes

Looking for a painless way to cut a few calories? Just replace your dinner plates with salad plates and you'll cut 1/3 of your calories, according to Milton Stokes, RD, in More magazine. Your portion sizes will be reduced, and hopefully too your waistline.

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cracked heels begone with Vaseline

Just before bed, slather Vaseline all over your feet and put on a pair of loose socks. When you wake up in the morning you'll have soft, smooth feet, says our reader, Alice L. She also says Aquaphor does a better job but Vaseline is the cheaper way, so take your pick. Thanks for the tip, Alice!

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don't ditch that hairdryer just yet

Before you give up on your hairdryer, try a quick fix that might give it a second wind, so to speak! Grab a pair of tweezers and clean that mesh-like screen at the back, just as you clean the lint screen on your clothes dryer. The hot air should be flowing in no time.

Tip submitted by Rachel C-S, thanks!

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easy chicken adobo

I think I might have stumbled upon the easiest chicken adobo recipe ever. Here goes:

2 lbs. chicken parts
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp. whole peppercorns
8 bay leaves
6 garlic pods, peeled and chopped

Rinse the chicken, place in a large saucepan. Mix together the other ingredients and pour on top of chicken. Cover and cook on medium heat until it starts to boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked through - I like it falling off the bone. To get it nice and brown, I took out the chicken and broiled in the oven for 5 mins., then put it back in with the sauce to continue simmering. Yum yum!

brighten up nails with toothpaste

The dark nail polish trend will leave a lot of stained nails in its wake, but never fear, toothpaste to the rescue. Brushing nails with whitening toothpaste and a soft toothbrush will lighten them up, according to Parenting magazine. Use it as part of your at-home manicure to freshen up yellowed nails as well.