photo by sunsurfr
I receive a lot of gift ideas for the mom-to-be and baby but rarely any ideas for the dads. The first tip is a cute gift idea for the new dad. He’ll have everything he needs for diaper duty.
DAD-TO-BE GIFT: You can make a tool belt filled with supplies. Use a canvas work apron (has pockets and ties around the waist), and fill it with supplies, such as rattles, rubber gloves, pacifiers, hand sanitizer, a pair of tongs, nose plugs, baby wash, diapers, plastic goggles, baby wipes, etc. — Erica, e-mail
TURKEY THAWING: It’s one day for every four pounds of turkey for fridge thawing. I usually use a cold-water bath just because I do not have the extra room in my fridge with all the other food I have. I use a big cooler and put it in my bathtub (for easier draining). — Heather, New York
SOAP SPRITZER: If you put dish liquid and water in a spray bottle, you can do a quick spritz, rinse and dry on the stray dishes that aren’t very dirty. — Jenna J., e-mail
FLAVORED FROSTING: When I make frosting for cupcakes and cookies, instead of adding food coloring, I add drink powder. It colors and flavors the frosting. — Michele, Arizona
PREVENT BOIL-OVERS: When boiling liquid in a pan, either oil the rim of the pan or place a wooden spoon across it. The liquid won’t boil over. — Jo, Pennsylvania
TOTE IT: Each member of my family has a personal plastic carry tote for bath items, such as soap, shampoo, brush, hairspray, etc. The totes are stored in the linen closet, and, because everyone has his or her own, I don’t hear, “She used my razor on her legs” or “He didn’t clean the hair from the brush.” They each learn to make a list when they run out of an item. I also fill them up for holidays. I love that the bathroom counters aren’t cluttered up, too. — Pauline, e-mail
TIMESAVER VEGETABLES: The last thing I want to do when I get home from work is to peel vegetables. I use red potatoes and baby carrots a lot. I save time and don’t have to peel them. — Kim, New York
FRUGAL PIE SHIELD: Cut out the center of a disposable pie tin, invert, and put over the top of your pie when baking to prevent the edges of your piecrust from burning. — Carrie, e-mail
MUG WARMER: When serving hot drinks in a mug during the holidays, I use my candle-tart warmers to keep the mugs warm. It adds a special touch. Mine are electric, but the votive tart warmers would be nice, too. — Jean, Indiana
GROUPING LINENS: I fold my bedding sheets and place them inside one of the pillowcases so I don’t have to hunt through my linens to match everything up. — Stacia H., New Jersey
CHEAP GLASSES: I have the best place for getting cheap prescription glasses and sunglasses — Zenni Optical. I have ordered only three pairs so far, but I plan to order more. All three pairs that I have gotten have been perfect. They ship pretty quickly, with a hard case and cleaning cloth for each. The shipping rate is $5. All you need is a copy of your prescription, which you enter on the Web site at zennioptical.com. — Danielle, Wisconsin
译文:
给准爸爸的新生儿派对礼物
photo by sunsurfr
我收到许多给准妈妈和婴儿的礼物套装但很少有给准爸爸的礼物套装，一份可爱的婴儿套装是给新爸爸的第一个提示，他将拥有一切，因此他有去换尿布的责任。
给准爸爸的礼物：你可以制作一个装日用品的腰带式工具包。用一件帆布工作围裙（腰部部位有口袋和绑结），并在里面装上日用品，比如摇铃、橡胶手套、橡皮奶嘴、洗手液、一把钳子、鼻塞、婴儿沐浴露、尿布、塑料护目镜、婴儿湿巾等。——来自埃里卡的电子邮件
火鸡肉解冻：每四磅火鸡肉用冰箱解冻需要一天的时间。我通常用一盆冷水，只是因为我在冰箱里已经装满其他的食物而没有额外的空间，我使用的是一个大的制冷器并把它放进我的浴缸（因为更容易排水）。——来自纽约的希瑟
喷雾式肥皂水：如果你将餐具清洁液和水放进一个喷雾瓶中，你能很快地在脏盘子上喷出肥皂液，然后进行清洗并干燥，这样就不会很脏。——来自简娜·J的电子邮件
调味剂：当我做蛋糕和饼干上的冰糖屑时，不加食物色素，我加的是奶粉饮料，它使糖屑有了颜色并且可口。——来自亚利桑那州的米歇尔
防止煮溢：当锅里的液体沸腾的时候，在锅的周围放点油，或者在里面放一个木勺。——来自宾夕法尼亚州的乔
带着它：我家里的每个人都有自己的塑料手提袋，里面装着洗澡用品，如肥皂、洗发液、刷子和发胶等，手提袋放在衣柜里，因为每人都有他们自己的手提袋。我没听过，“她把我的刮胡刀用在大腿上”或者“他不用刷子洗头发”。当要出门时，他们每个人都知道要列一份清单，在假期里我也会把他们装上，我还喜欢保持浴室柜整洁。——来自圣保罗的电子邮件
方便蔬菜：下班回到家时我最不愿意做的事就是将蔬菜削皮，我经常用到红色马铃薯和婴儿胡萝卜，为了节约时间，我并不削皮。来自纽约的金姆
节约派盘：将一次性馅饼烤盘从中间剪开，反过来用，并在烘烤时将其铺到馅饼的上面，为防止馅饼的外层燃烧——来自卡丽的电子邮件
杯子加热器：假日里把热饮料放进杯子里，我用蜡烛加热器使杯子热起来，它使人产生一种特殊的感觉，我家里是用电的，但许愿式的加热器也是非常好的。——来自印第安纳州的珍
整理亚麻制品：我把床上的床单叠起来并把它们放在一个枕头里面，因此我不需要将亚麻制品与其他物品匹配。来自新泽西的斯塔奇
便宜的眼镜：我知道一个用便宜的价格就可以配到眼镜和太阳镜最好的地方——“Zenni”网上眼镜店。到目前为止我只订购过三副眼镜，但我打算再多订购一些。我买的这三副眼镜都非常地棒，他们很快就送到我的手中，并且每副眼镜都配有一个牢固的眼镜盒以及眼镜清洁布，运费率是5美元。当你进入zennioptical.com这个网站时，只需要你的一份验光处方。——来自威斯康辛州的丹妮拉