We all have those items in our house that make life easier as a mom. Today I am sharing my favorite practical Mom-Items, but also the ones that make life more fun and memorable.
1. IKEA Noticeboards (Dry Erase Boards)
When my husband and I moved into our first house, he wanted a Giant Dry Erase Board with black easel to be in our kitchen. (Previously, when we lived with my mom, the board found a home in the foyer and my husband and my mom would write notes to each other!) I often wondered about the peculiar draw Dan had to white boards.
And then one day, I was visiting him at work, sitting in his chair for a few minutes while he took care of something. As I spun (yes, spun!) around in the chair, it dawned on me that there wasn’t just one white board on his wall. As I rotated, I found SIX! This wasn’t just a draw, this was an obsession!
Realizing this, I made it a mission to find something much more attractive! IKEA has these great Noticeboards and they’re not white!! Write notes, lists, Scripture verses and attach papers easily! FYI: they are not available for purchase online, you must purchase them in the store.
2. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers
These things are amazing! I have cleaned up crayon on the wall (Read about the day I stole M&M’s from my daughter’s potty jar!), weird marks on the counters or floors and so much more. I don’t get them, but I love them. They make life with toddlers and preschoolers easier.
3. A Good Journal
Children’s milestones, the funny and cute little comments they make . . . I want to remember them all. So I have a Mommy’s Journal. My mom kept a journal; my husband’s mom kept a journal. They are priceless to look back on and remember the special times.
I am in the process of digitalizing all my notes (a lot of scraps of paper) of milestones and funny things my kids did or said. If I were on the ball, I would just type them as I go or at least keep them all in my customized Shutterfly Lined Notebook (It is really cute with my kids’ pictures on the cover). My current practice (no shame) is to email myself the journal entry and eventually plan on combining everything.
4. An Amazing Cell Phone Camera
I love my Panasonic digital camera, but it isn’t always practical to carry around. And with kids, I want to be able to capture any fun moment at the drop of a hat. I have always filled up my phone SD card pretty easily with thousands of pictures.
The phone that I have right now (iPhone 4s) has an incredible camera. It is super fast and I love it! Even my kids can take 150 pictures in a matter of minutes!
5. A Handy Little Video Camera
This goes along with the last item. This little Flip Mino HD Video Camera can fit in my pocket and actually has pretty good quality. Drawbacks? The amount that you can record is limited to one or two hours and there are no back-up blank tapes to keep nearby. You have to download it to a computer. But with good planning, you can make it work. Best part? It fits in my purse (…ok, gets lost in my purse).
6. A Fun Assortment of Ink Pens and Permanent Markers
I am a sucker for Sharpie/Bic Mark It permanent markers and my favorite gel pens. I love making lists, writing cute things for my kids or working with markers on my latest project for my favorite car/train-loving boy (coming soon!). My current favorite pen is the Pilot B2P Gel Pens made from Recycled Bottles. I usually only buy them when I am getting them for free with coupons and rebate money. My lists must look fun and pretty! Can you tell I get a little nuts when it comes to cool markers and pens?
Guess this list is getting a little long. TO BE CONTINUED . . .
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Haha I loved this! I have a pen obsession too. My hubby always gives me a hard time but I can’t help it.
The white boards look much more contemporary than the traditional ones. Much better for a home setting. The personalized notebooks are such a great idea. Would be great for customizing homeschooling notebooks by subject.
That is one cool dry erase board!
I love IKEA and that dry erase board! Very clean looking!
I love pens too!
Fabulous list! Those noticeboards look cool. I’ve never been to IKEA but I keep wanting to go to one.