lee's things

Lest we forget

2009-11-11T07:23:00.001-05:00

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Flowchart masters

2009-11-05T18:46:00.004-05:00

Check out these impressive flowcharts for pop songs!

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler done by Jeannie at Tumbler:
[h/t: Joey deVilla]

"Hey Jude" by The Beatles done by Love All This at Tumbler:
[h/t: Joey deVilla]

MLF&H: You live life in Technicolour, why not label in full colour too?

2009-11-04T09:59:00.000-05:00

Introducing full colour Label Out Loud Sticky Labels!

Just like Mabel's Classic Sticky Labels, Label Out Loud (LOL) Sticky Labels are fantastic for toys, bottles, dishes and more, providing that famous Mabel's Labels durability in an exciting NEW look!

And just like the Stickies, LOL stickies are dishwasher/microwave-safe and UV resistant.

The name on the labels can be whatever you like to a maximum of 20 characters. Names are printed exactly as you type them.

The only constant in life is ...

2009-11-03T19:00:00.001-05:00

change.

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Handwashing vs hand cream

2009-10-27T09:39:00.001-04:00

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Pumpkin carving for easy candle access [rerun]

2009-10-26T09:33:00.003-04:00

[originally posted Oct 27, 2008]

Have you ever burned your hand trying to get a candle in or out of a jack-o'-lantern? Try cutting your pumpkin 'lid' a little differently.

Materials:

pumpkin
carving knife

Instructions:

Prep the pumpkin for carving.
Mark where you're going to cut the 'lid.' The front (shown as top of the photo) will be a semi-circle, while the back will extend all the way down the back of the pumpkin.
Using your favourite method, clean out and carve the pumpkin.
Now you're able to put a candle in through the back of the pumpkin, with much less risk of getting burned!

[Remember to keep children away from lit flames and matches!]

[Cross-posted at Craft Day.]

Law of parking

2009-10-22T18:58:00.000-04:00

Is there a law of parking that states "no matter where you park in an empty parking lot, another car will quickly come in and park so close to you that you can barely open your door wide enough to get out of your vehicle?"

There should be.

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Car seats for big kids

2009-10-19T10:13:00.011-04:00

Is your child:

heavier than their peers, and you feel uncomfortable putting them in a car booster seat at such a young age?
too tall to stay in their car seat but too light to go in a car booster seat?
so precious to you that even though they meet the specifications of using a car booster seat, you wish to keep them in a five-point harness?

If you answered yes, to any of the above questions you are going to need to find a special car seat for big kids.

With the help of the kind folks at Transport Canada, here's a list of seats that may be useful to you.

Car seats for big kids comparison
	Britax Frontier	Apex Safety 1st	Graco Nautilus
5pt specs	25-80lbs 30-53"	22-65lbs 34-52"	20-65lbs 27-52"
booster specs	40-100lbs 42-60"	40-100lbs 43-57"	30-100lbs 38-57"
additional notes	- "no tangle" belts - side impact protection - quick adjust headrest (harness repositions w/o rethreading)		- converts to backless booster

This information is provided for your convenience. Confirm details with product manufacter and Transport Canada.

If you have questions about child safety or other road safety issues, please contact Transport Canada directly.

Mabel awards

2009-10-17T10:31:00.001-04:00

Oscars, Tonys, stand aside boys! Here are The Mabels!

This one's for you, our wonderful, loyal customers! We're celebrating those of you who have been with us the longest, spread the word about us online and off, or who simply use our products in marvellous ways.

Each of the five winners will receive a $100 Mabel's Labels' gift certificate and a set of 45 limited edition sticky labels (not sold anywhere!). Plus, those with blogs, Twitter pages and websites will be eligible to display a graphic of their 'Mabel' Award online.

Read all the details here.

Deadline for entries is midnight EST, November 1st, 2009.

Dwell

2009-10-14T18:57:00.001-04:00

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

MLF&H: Holiday gift tags are back!

2009-10-13T07:23:00.001-04:00

For every order of holiday products, the Mabel team will make a donation to a local family in need of support this holiday season.

Personalized Holiday Gift Tags

Perfect for the holiday you celebrate! Gift Tags are round tags that are personalized with any information or message you like.

Added bonus: If your kids think that your handwriting looks similar to Santa's, keep them on their toes by getting St. Nick a set of these labels!

Designed to stick to presents, Holiday Gift Tags come in four great designs: Festive Forest, Holly Jolly, Twinkle Twinkle and Winter Wonderland.

Available until December 31st, 2009.

Personalized Holiday Return Address Labels

By popular demand, Holiday Return Address Labels are back in a fun snowflake design. Printed on evergreen, rosy red or winter night with white writing. Colours sold separately or in a mixed pack.

Available until December 31st, 2009.

One cold summer

2009-08-30T12:49:00.000-04:00

In case there was any doubt, here's proof from a local retailer that this has been one cold summer!

Back to school tip 8: picture day

2009-08-28T08:55:00.005-04:00

While you're going through your child's back to school wardrobe, make sure you've got something that could pass for picture day. Some schools have picture day as early as the second week!

Typically, photographers ask the children to wear a top of a solid colour. (Which can be more difficult then it sounds. It seems all shirts have big designs on them now!) The last thing you want to do in September is go back to the malls to get more clothes!

Back to school tip 7: get an extra pair of shoes

2009-08-27T08:52:00.004-04:00

While you are doing your back to school shopping, don't forget to pick-up an extra pair of shoes. Most daycares and schools ask for children to have a pair of "indoor" shoes, so the kids don't track the mud and leaves and snow into the classroom.

Don't forget to put your child's name in them too! (There are only so many styles that come in preschooler sizes!)

Back to school tip 6: give some thought to lunch

2009-08-25T08:25:00.006-04:00

Whether it's obtaining a laptop lunch system so you can make adorable bento box style litterless lunches or it's finding a favourite recipe for homemade granola bars, one really needs to give the lunch routine some serious thought.

Why?

Aside from wanting to give your kids something yummy and nutritious to look forward to, you definitely don't want some of your 15 minutes of fame coming from being featured in an article like this one: "Grossest Lunches."

According to Nadine's research, lunchtime no-nos include:

frozen sandwiches
liverwurst and
dog food!

Back to school tip 5: first day jitters

2009-08-23T08:42:00.003-04:00

Nadine Silverthorn over at Sweetmama.ca has some terrific tips for little helping little ones overcome the anxiety associated with the First Day of School Milestone. These include deep breathing, visualizations, art therapy and acting out the fear. (She describes these things in a way that you can implement them with your child!)

For older kids, Catherine Wakelin (Sweetmama.ca) and Christine Carter (Science For Raising Happy Kids) share some tips for transitioning back to school.

Ideas

2009-08-21T08:38:00.003-04:00

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

If only everything in life were like this

2009-08-20T10:06:00.000-04:00

Saw this at a restaurant.

If only everything in life were this clearly signed and set-up for our convenience!

Back to school tip 4: read Ask Moxie cont

2009-08-19T07:36:00.001-04:00

Go back to Moxie's place and read her Back to school post. She and her wise readers have some interesting, experience tested thoughts about back to school.

Back to school tip 3: read Ask Moxie

2009-08-17T15:42:00.004-04:00

Go over to Moxie's place and read Making Life Good For Your Kids' Teachers.

Highlights:

If you want to have an extended conversation with your child's teacher, please make an appointment so your child's teacher can schedule his time and plan accordingly.
Please, please, please thank the teachers who take the time to meet with you for extended conferences.
Teaching is a lonely profession with few extrinsic rewards. A quick email saying, "Hey, that was such a cool project! My son really enjoyed it!!!!" takes 2 minutes to write and will be remembered by your son's teacher for years.
Tell your child's principal when your child's teacher does great work.

And especially:

Your child's teacher is a partner with you in caring about your child's learning. Treat them as a partner, not a boss or a servant.

Show me the moolah!

2009-08-16T08:30:00.001-04:00

Mabel Moolah™ is back!

Spend $80 or more on your next order and collect $25 in Mabel Moolah to use towards your next purchase!* It’s as easy as that. (Canadian and American orders placed between August 15 - September 15, 2009.)

* Read all the fine print at Nicole Lee's Mabel's Labels agent site!

Back to school tip 2: listen to Ann Douglas

2009-08-15T15:22:00.001-04:00

Ann Douglas has put together a fabulous post titled "Back to School Guide: A Parent's Guide to Surviving the Season of Shopping for Hot Gadgets, Cool Clothes, and School Supplies."

Topics of her post:

Rethink school-year routines.
Get your kids back on a school-year sleeping routine before it's time to head back to school.
Establish the shopping ground rules before you hit the mall.
Keep your schedule as free as possible during the first week back at school.
Keep things simple on the mealtime front.
Take time for yourself.
Set some goals for yourself as a parent.

Back to school tip 1: label everything

2009-08-13T14:34:00.011-04:00

What do I need to label for back to school?

Good question. It's always a good idea to have labels / bag tags / teeny tags for:

backpacks / book bags
pencil cases
lunch bags / boxes
water bottles
pencils / pens / markers
outerwear (jackets / hats / mittens / gloves)
sports equipment
gym clothes
shoes / boots

For preschoolers:

Teachers and daycare staff alike typically recommend that you label EVERYTHING you want to come back home with your child. That includes shoes, shirts, socks and underwear. Apparently it's not uncommon for a preschooler to have no idea what their underwear looks like.

Bonus tip:

Have your child try on their clothing for size BEFORE you label their clothes. The last thing you want to do is spend time (and labels) labeling everything all up, only to find the shoes you bought last week don't fit anymore!

Where grape juice intersects toddler

2009-08-11T08:44:00.001-04:00

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

People can be good!

2009-08-10T04:25:00.000-04:00

I am thankful that I live in a place where a sign can be put up that reads:

Don't wait.
Back shortly.
Please pay your fare and go.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Thank you!

And (although I didn't capture a photo of it), people actually paid their fares!