Rory from Time Out For Mom has given me more reasons to impart my wisdom! Like I needed it!  Anyway, you all have her to thank.  Pop on over, join the fun and thank her profusely for this little Tuesday Coffee Chat!

So, what are ‘we’ chatting about on this lovely Tuesday. Tips! There is P in the word, TIPS!! But, most of your are women so you didn’t misread it did you?  POSITIVE TIPS!! Now, don’t I ALWAYS pass on POSITIVE TIPS?  I see you eye rolling.

Well, with that, here are Lucy’s 5 Tuesday Coffee Chat Tips!!

1.  Barbasol Shaving Cream!  Yeah baby, you read that right.  Oh, no, it is not just for shaving those silky legs.  NOPE!!  A carpet guy ( I don’t know what else to call a guy who installs carpet, gee, I guess I could have said, guy who install carpet, duh) told me once that you should use shaving cream that foams, no gels, to clean a spill.  It is better for the carpet.  Of course, it works best when you get to the spill immediately but that is true for any spill, right? Anyway, You shouldn’t always soak a carpet  through to the backing, especially if you don’t need to worry about an odor (like dog or cat accidents).  For example, coffee, koolaide or wine just grab the shaving cream and it comes right up!! This is better for the carpet and cheaper than other products!

2. Hydrogen Peroxide isn’t just for a boo-boo and whitening teeth.  I am sure you have a lot of uses for Hydrogen Peroxide but sticking with CARPET.  If you have let a stain sit or missed it OR a KID has hidden it, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE will get it right up and doesn’t change the color like bleach.  I have used it on furniture too but test it first, always do a spot check first.  Better safe than sorry but if it is already stained what do you really have to lose? At least that is my excuse when it all goes to hell in a hand basket and I am explaining my new purchase.

3. Children prefer a schedule.  I learned this being a parent and from teaching.  BUT BALANCE is key.  A schedule doesn’t MEAN RIGID don’t ever bend.  Like all things you should be flexible.  But, this is a huge PARENTING TIP and this goes all the way through the teenage years, kids like stability and they get that from a routine, a schedule.  Think about yourself?  To a certain degree we are all ‘creatures of habit’.  It doesn’t mean we don’t like to mix it up from time to time or we don’t like to go with the flow but when you have constant chaos then it disrupts our system,we get a little grouchy.  We have digestive problems and potty problems and so on. So, moms, with those little ones take the time to stay home a little more, create a schedule and let the little ones nap in their rooms and not the car seat.  You will see happier kids.

4. Game night!  Do it!! Don’t stop no matter how busy your life becomes.  We did it all the way through high school with our kids.  Eye rolls and all.  No phones were allowed.  Of course no television on.  We had game night.  Come hell or high water.  I drove my kids nuts. They now FONDLY talk about game night!

5. Last but not least family dinner.  I cooked at least 4 nights a week.  I hate to cook. HATE IT WITH A PASSION.  My meals were simple and pretty much the same every week.  My kids can name them.  My daughter calls and NOW ASKS how to cook them lol but we ate at the table as a family 4 nights a week AND then we went out to dinner AS A FAMILY.  No where fancy or sometimes we had pizza.  We always had FAMILY DINNER.  My husband would leave the office come home for family dinner and then go back if he had work to finish.  Family dinner was a must.  We worked the schedule to make it a MUST.  If you can’t do it every night strive for 3 or 4 nights.  Don’t stress over the food.  Make it simple. The important part is all of the family is sitting at the table with no distractions.

None of these are new or earth shattering but they have been tried and tested and found to work well!  Good Luck

Bonus Tip!!! (warning maybe not all that positive but it is helpful it might save you some personal frustration)

6. My bonus tip!  Lately I have been reading a bunch of blogs written by women whining about people giving them advice.  These women clearly state that the advice comes AFTER the women have been ‘discussing’ their problem.  Usually it is a parenting problem.  Either they have a picky eater, or a kid that doesn’t sleep well, or a child that is struggling with the potty and so on.  You get my drift. Sometimes it is a husband/boyfriend problem but mostly parenting. Anyway, these women now are whining they don’t want any advice.  Actually, they are writing posts on how YOU should handle THEM.  Really, they are telling the LISTENER what to say and do, how kind of them!!  I just laugh and laugh.  Here is my tip to WHINING WOMEN.  If you want to whine and piss and moan THEN you run the risk of others responding however they want. What a novel idea in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!  I think it is hilarious you feel you get to tell others not to offer up advice after they just listened to you go on for 20 minutes or so or read a long blog post about your 4 year old still pooping in the diaper and yet we typically hear 4 year old  is a genius, (insert sarcasm).  One mother offered up this ADVICE TO THE LISTENER, “I just want you to tell me I am a great mother and then maybe offer to make dinner one night because you know I am exhausted.”   Is that mom on CRACK? (I know I just dated myself) Anyway,  I have raised two kids, “Been there done that” and she doesn’t want my advice but I am suppose to tell her she is doing an awesome job (when clearly she is not) and then make her family dinner.  Too flipping funny.

My BONUS TIP.  If you don’t want to hear advice think twice about WHINING!!

Alright, give me some tips and I do take advice! I may not always enjoy hearing it and it can be truly hard to swallow at times but I do take it, you know, all medicine doesn’t taste like sugar, although if you could give me a little chocolate when you dump on me,well,it helps