mum's the word's Profile

My cabbage patch kid was named Iris, and had light brown hair. I remember being a bit frustrated that she had come pre-named. I remember my sweet "adopted" grandmother saying (in her thick french accent) "zey won't even let you name your own bebe?" when I complained that I didn't like the name Iris.

I have worked as a professional tutor, and while I appreciate the comments of tutors suggesting that tutors be paid what they are worth, I don't think that searching for cheaper options when it comes to hiring a tutor for your child is at all a bad idea, especially as most of us aren't actually buying $100 mobiles.

Another resource that might surprise you is your local high school. For elementary and middle school students, a high school junior or senior taking advanced classes may be just the ticket to help your child understand that tricky long division problem or solve pre-algebra woes. Contact your local high school counselor for recommendations.

I also tried this recipe, and it didn't work for me either. I am going to try again, using a mixture of melted white chocolate and yogurt, but the directions to mix powdered sugar and yogurt together were a complete flop.

This room is darling. I actually had the same print of the girl and the puppy in my childhood bedroom.

This has the potential to be fun IF the dryer lint isn't nasty. I remember my mom and little brother using dryer lint as the base for some really cool homemade paper. However, the lint they used came from laundry loads of things like brand-new blankets or fabric needing preshrinking from the fabric store.

My son is in love with this tortoise puppet, one of my favorite quiet toys:

http://www.amazon.com/Folkmanis-2181-Tortoise-Puppet/dp/B00000K1Y3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1292353761&sr=8-1-spell

The head and front legs can be moved in and out of the shell, and the puppet has great textures. We love that the puppet is a parent/child toy--it gives us something to play together. We found ours at a local Borders, but have seen them for sale at lots of toy and bookstores.

This is a brilliant reminder. As a small child, I remember being terrified of a landscape painting my parents adored--the reflection in a pond looked like a giant, toothy bear when viewed from a child's height.

My in-laws have a similar product in their family room, and I have occasionally used it to nurse my now seven-month old. It is hard to find a position that is comfortable for both the baby and me, and almost impossible to stand up holding a sleeping baby.

I would pass on the love-sac in favor of a comfortable, supportive chair with the addition of a boppy-style nursing pillow.

If you are worried about bunk beds but tight on space, have you considered a trundle bed? It would open up a lot of space in the room during the day without the potential for falls off of a high bunk bed.

Cover up that ugly wall!

Using metal 3-M command hooks and ribbon to hang artwork is a nice way to avoid putting holes in the wall. Using poster putty on the back of the frame will help keep the picture level.

I would also consider bringing your own curtains and slip-covering the chair.