A Pet "Pee"ve

I hate using public bathrooms. I loathe it. I will do a "not going to use the bathroom until I get home" dance. Why do I hate them so much? Because I am not a squatter. My mom didn't teach me to be. I am not one of those people who can use the bathroom in the woods-I could give you the details but I think enough has been said about that.

So, inadvertently, I am teaching my daughter to not be a squatter either. Poor, poor thing. Boys are so much easier as far as the public bathroom problem goes. Just let them go outside, in the woods, behind a tree. Much, much easier at a toddler age.

Any way, here is my pet peeve. For those "squatters" out there, please if you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie! It is your own fluids after all. Be kind to those whose behind will come after you.

Oh, and I might as well leave a "Tip for Tuesday". My hubby and I have found that a great way to find clean, family friendly bathrooms while on road trips is to use the bathrooms located in hotel lobbies. If my hubby is traveling alone with my daughter or with my daughter and my son, it is impossible to use a store or gas station bathroom. My daughter is too young to go into a public restroom by herself and he, of course, cannot go in.

Most of the time hotel lobby bathrooms are marked Men/Women but are a single toilet room. This way my hubby can help my daughter if she needs or if not, at least he is right on the outside of a door where we know no one else will be entering.

As for my part, with three small children, I can enter the hotel toting all three and can have them all in a relatively safe environment (and clean).

Now, of course, ask. I don't pretend to be staying at the hotel/motel. I always just ask if it is ok. So far, I have never been turned away!

Tip On Tuesday - Coffee Filters

We are a snack family. In the afternoon, while watching our favorite afternoon cartoon, we enjoy a healthy or sometime on the unhealthy side snack (apple slices, marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate chip cookies, raisins, yogurt, popcorn...not all at once though!)

I am always looking for something to put our snacks in that can be easily held by both my 6 year old and my 3 year old. This is not an easy feat. Until today. I had an "aha" moment with this...





















A cone shaped coffee filter. It is magic! Not only is it bio-degradable, it is reusable. It is the perfect shape for little and a little bit bigger hands. And, they are relatively cheap- I bought a pack of 100 for about $1.50.





















An afternoon snack of animal crackers...





















Give it a try!

For a quick clean...

I am a messy cook. I usually have all of the kitchen cabinets open, more dishes spread around than I have counter space, and a pile of dishes in the sink that threaten to collapse and cause a even bigger mess.

But, I am a good cook (at least most of the time), I think.

Here is a trick that has come in very handy for me. I have a spray bottle that I have taken a floor cleaner, like Lysol concentrated, and have diluted it to the proper strength in it. When some wayward splatter of spaghetti sauce hits the floor, I grab my bottle, spray, and then wipe!

Whala! Instant clean...well, that is when I finally see the wayward spot in the floor.