The Places We Go
It’s not that you’re unfaithful, you just like to travel occasionally. We know, and we’re OK with that.
It’s a great big world out there—of websites that is. We actually have a roster of our own savvy favourites that come to our aid all the time. They’re nice to have in our lives (variety being the spice of life and all that).
If when we say ‘online’, you say ‘shopping’, check out etsy.com. It’s a fantastic online marketplace of handmade things to buy (and sell if you happen to be the crafty type). Run by computer geniuses (and former lego maniacs, we’re sure) who have created ways for you to shop by color (our personal fave—just try it!), place, time and material. Admire, inspire, desire—it’s amazing what people can create by hand (and a great stop to find the perfect gift for the girl who has everything or a one-of-a-kind Valentine’s present for your beloved).
If questions about where sock heaven exists keep you awake at night, we have the answer. www.monthlysocks.com might not be the place where those odd socks go but it is a slice of heaven for moms who need to replace them and now don’t have to make the trip to the store. Sign up for a subscription for quality men’s socks (good prices too!) delivered regularly to your door just like a magazine. That’s one errand you’ll never have to volunteer for again.
If dinner-on-the table time is boring you to tears and all you have in the fridge is chicken and cilantro (and you’re not quite sure what to do with it) try Epicurious.com’s advanced search feature. Put in your key words or select your main ingredients and out pop great ideas selected from the 22,000 recipes culled from the annals of Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines. It beats the recipe card box hands down. (But no more excuses for not cooking!)
For a great learn-to-read website, try www.starfall.com, a free service that is enjoyable for children and easy for the educators. For the homework helper, go to www.enchantedlearning.com. It’s a user-supported site with an annual membership of $20US, but some of the resources can be accessed for free. It’s our online encyclopedia—for those “Why?” questions you sometimes don’t know the answer to. We especially love the Little Explorers picture dictionary which is fun to use with the kids. The lifecycle of a ladybug, flags of the world, Spanish words—they’re all there.
Be crafty (even if you aren’t) and check out www.dltk-kids.com. This mom-run site is full of easy ideas and printable templates for everything you could imagine (or couldn’t imagine—which is why you might just need this site).
Rash? Cough? Something worse? Trying to decide about immunizations? Get a read on what is going on from the Canadian Pediatric Society’s Caring for Kids site, chock-full of great doctor-approved information on everything from behaviour and development to healthy eating for kids.
So go forth and check out those exotic shores ‘round the world (wide web).
We’ll always be here when you return.