MarloElaine » Outbounds

Weekly-ish Roundup #8

Marlo — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 23:02:01 +0000

For those who have been following this blog, I have updated the “Weekly Roundup” series with a new title: “Weekly-ish Roundup.” I have been neglecting my duties of sharing some noteworthy posts with our readers on a weekly basis. I’m sorry.

Collection of the best Sesame Street Videos on YouTube
Ali of Bay Beans has posted a list of the Essential Vintage Sesame Street on YouTube. Elaine and I grew up on Seasame Street and we both agree with Ali. It’s not the same Street.

gethuman 500 database
As a parent, my time is a precious. There’s only so many hours per day I can spend with my family. There are moments when you have to call your bank or make reservations with an airline. Don’t waste any more time going through the automatic prompts. This site has the direct number shortcuts you need to press so you can talk to a real person.
Mom My Ride
“You like Pimp My Ride? This is the version for all the Moms out there.”

Weekly Roundup #7

Marlo — Mon, 28 May 2007 04:50:28 +0000

Daycare Reviews
“Daycare Reviews is the premier online reference to find and rate daycare providers nationwide. We feature a comprehensive database of daycare providers and user reviews/ratings in every state and the District of Columbia!” Hat tip to Dulce for this link!
Screen time tickets
Do you want a solution to help limit your children’s TV time while teaching them how to make their own choices? John over at flagrantdisregard has created tickets which can be printed and given to your kids. Head over to ParentHacks to read how the ticket system works.
The origins of the baby carrot
“For those of you who don’t know, baby carrots aren’t really baby carrots. I was surprised at how many people didn’t know that when the topic came up at work the other day. I suppose it’s an easy mistake to make – baby carrots are small, they’re sweet, and… well, they’re small.” Save your money and buy regular carrots, they cost about half as much.

Weekly Roundup #6

Marlo — Mon, 14 May 2007 18:45:33 +0000

flickrvision
It’s a cool Flickr & Google maps mashup. The site displays pictures in real-time as they are uploaded onto Flickr. The location of where the photo was taken is indicated on a global Google map.
Live spider flushed from boy’s ear
“A NINE-year-old American boy who was suspicious of a “Rice Krispie” sound in his ear, was found to have a couple of spiders living in there.” This reaffirms my fear of spiders.
17 year cicadas outbreak
“In case you haven’t heard yet, the cicadas are coming this year. In the next few months you will be hearing about the impending emergence of the 17 year cicada, mistakenly called 17 year locusts. If you don’t remember the last outbreak, or if you are new to this area, you need to know a few facts about this periodic phenomenon.” Gross!

Weekly Roundup #5

Marlo — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:30:25 +0000

Factory Tours
The site lists information about factory tours around the US. We’re planning to check out the Jelly Belly Factory in Wisconsin this summer.
Desktop Wallpapers
Get rid of your default wallpaper. If you are a Cubs or Sox fan, you’ll find something you like. Hat tip to Erwin.
The Landlord
Video short starring one of my favorite comedians, Will Farrell and a swearing, beer drinking two-year-old girl. Be forewarned, the clip contains adult language. Earmuff your kids!
The Landlord

Weekly Roundup #4

Marlo — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 04:09:28 +0000

Edible Origami. Crane croutons for your salad.
“Crispy wonton wrappers add cheerful crunch to an asian salad, but shouldn’t they be… more interesting? Presented here is the ideal upgrade. No more must you clutter your salad with amorphous crispies or chow mein noodles to obtain the requisite crunch: Crane Croutons will be your piece de resistance.” If only we had a deep-fryer.
50 songs for kids AND their parents
“We recently spent about 18 hours in a car with both of our kids (9 hours each way). There was no way I was going to listen to The Wiggles for 9 hours. So the day before we left, I created a bunch of mix CDs with songs that I thought both the kids and I would like. I’m happy to report that it was a total success. The kids liked the songs and I kept my sanity.”
We’re going on a road trip in a few days. This playlist has many good songs for both kids and adults. We even have some of these songs already on CD’s.
Bloons
This flash game isn’t as addicting as the last one I posted. It’s still brain-dead fun. I’m sure a couple in NYC will be enjoying it. I only had time to play up to level 9 before I was forced to go to bed.

Weekly Roundup #3

Marlo — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:16:08 +0000

How Not to Talk to Your Kids
“For a few decades, it’s been noted that a large percentage of all gifted students (those who score in the top 10 percent on aptitude tests) severely underestimate their own abilities. Those afflicted with this lack of perceived competence adopt lower standards for success and expect less of themselves. They underrate the importance of effort, and they overrate how much help they need from a parent.”
How much do you really save when you breastfeed?
Trent over at The Simple Dollar actually did the math and computed the average cost to feed a baby in her first year of life. “… average formula to feed an average baby costs $1,733.75, while the cost of breastmilk is $0.”
The guys at DadLabs have posted another hilarious video. They address the issue of what to do when your child poops during bathtime. This has only happened to us once… knocking on wood.
Lastly, the main reason why I have been slow at collecting links for this post. The Desktop Tower Defense flash game is guaranteed to suck at least an hour of your time. Be forewarned!

Weekly Roundup #2

Marlo — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 20:44:12 +0000

Is your computer ready for the time change this weekend?
“Daylight Saving Time (DST) patch tester.” The site will determine if your computer needs a patch. Thanks to Neal for sharing this link.
Can you name all 50 states in 10 minutes?
“You have 10 Minutes to remember as many of the 50 United States as you can.” Elaine and I did this together and we missed one. I have a feeling 5th graders will do better on this test than adults.
Do you have a smelly Diaper Champ?
Adrienne over at Baby Toolkit has the diaper champ and was able to get a fix from the manufacturer. “I called the toll-free Baby Trend helpline today (1(800) 328-7363). A friendly associate took my contact information and they are sending me replacement gaskets.”

Weekly Roundup #1

Marlo — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:49:11 +0000

Each week, I’ll be sharing interesting parenting-related links I’ve found over the web. Most of them will be from blogs since I scan over 100 everyday. Here’s the first of many. Enjoy!

Would you buy soap in a roll?
“It’s soap that’s solid and unrolls just like regular ol’ tape. You put a piece on your hands, add some water, and it breaks down into soap and cleans your hands.” I wouldn’t buy it. It looks too much like gum tape.
Paper toys
“Readymechs are free, flatpack toys for you to print and build. They are designed to fit on an 8.5″x11″ page and printed with any printer. You’ll need double-sided tape, thick matte paper, and 10-15 minutes for build time.” If this is anything like the paper dragon, I can’t wait to try them out.

How do breast pumps work?
A couple of dads decide to find out for themselves.