What exactly is Montessori education?

 

 

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What exactly is Montessori education?

via Slate Magazine - Family by Emily Bazelon on May 19, 2007

When Maria Montessori docked in New York on her first trip to America in 1913, crowds greeted her ship and her arrival made the front pages. Montessori, Italy's first woman doctor, was toasted as a revolutionary educator. By the end of her visit a few weeks later, "It seemed reasonable to suppose that American education would never be the same again," Rita Kramer writes in Maria Montessori: A Biography.

[more ...]

 

 

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Outsmart Your Toddler: 5 tricks for getting yours to do what you want - CNN.com

 

 

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Outsmart Your Toddler: 5 tricks for getting yours to do what you want - CNN.com

via del.icio.us/popular/parenting by jsmay on May 24, 2007

bookmark this on del.icio.us - posted by jsmay - more about this bookmark...

 

 

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Frugality: For Nearly Free, Man Eats Almost Only "Satisfied Or Your Money Back" Food For 8 Years

 

 

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Frugality: For Nearly Free, Man Eats Almost Only "Satisfied Or Your Money Back" Food For 8 Years

via Consumerist on May 23, 2007

Have you heard of Matthieu Laurette? From 1993 to 2001, he fed and cleaned himself by buying almost only products with "Satisfied or your money back" or "Money back on first purchase" items, then filing the rebates or writing to the companies and saying he wasn't satisfied.

Laurette then leveraged being a skinflint into an art project, Produits remboursés/Money-back Products (1993-2001).

Now that's thrift for ya! -- BEN POPKEN

products [Laurette.net]
Matthieu Laurette [Your Daily Awesome]

UPDATE: To alleviate commenter concern that this post indicates we're dry-humping Satan...

Companies put satisfaction/money-back guarantees on products, earning good-will feelings and trust from shoppers, yet the makers know an extremely small percentage of people will ever take them up on the offer. While Laurette's behavior may strike one as fraudulent, it's intellectually interesting to see someone take these guarantees to the logical extreme and live nearly entirely on rebated products, allegedly in a perpetual state of dissatisfaction, calling into question whether one can truly find "satisfaction" in today's consumer culture.

 

 

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Privacy: It's Easy To Use Google To Find Exposed Credit Card Numbers

 

 

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Privacy: It's Easy To Use Google To Find Exposed Credit Card Numbers

via Consumerist on May 24, 2007

When merchants expose your credit card numbers to the internet, there's an easy tool that ID thieves can use to find them. Google. According to an article on Slashdot, it's as easy as searching for the most common credit card prefixes. The credit card companies have known about this problem for years, and they've yet to fix it. Is it because they can't? Or is it because the vendors are the ones exposing the numbers? Whose responsibility is it?

Bennett Haselton, the author of the article has a solution. Publicize the problem in the hope that a fix will be developed. Good luck. --MEGHANN MARCO

Why Are CC Numbers Still So Easy To Find? [Slashdot] (Thanks, Spidra!)
(Photo: Sam Wilkinson)

 

 

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Usps: Forever Stamps Are A Scam

 

 

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Usps: Forever Stamps Are A Scam

via Consumerist on May 24, 2007

By law, "Forever Stamps" won't save you any money, says Slate.

In December, President Bush signed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, which ensures that future price increases will be kept below an inflation-based ceiling. In other words, postage hikes will never surpass inflation--and the forever stamp will never become a good investment. Incidentally, the USPS announced the introduction of the forever stamp less than two months after Bush signed the act into law.

Furthermore,

Since 1971, postal rates have increased more slowly than the actual inflation rate, as measured by the U.S. Consumer Price Index. So, despite the numerous rate hikes over the last 36 years, stamps have actually been getting cheaper. The 20-cent stamp from 1981, for instance, would be equivalent to 45 cents in today's dollars--which makes today's rate 10 percent cheaper than it was 26 years ago. Should this historical pattern hold, you'd be paying more for today's forever stamps than you would for any stamp in the future, no matter how high the rate goes.

So, unless you're into hardcore philately, don't buy forever stamps. -- BEN POPKEN

Should I Invest in "Forever" Stamps?Absolutely not. [Slate] (Thanks to Lyn!)

 

 

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Recalls: Costco Recalls Dirty Underwear Punching Bag

 

 

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Recalls: Costco Recalls Dirty Underwear Punching Bag

via Consumerist on May 25, 2007

Costco is not cool with underpants-filled punching bags. From their website (emphasis ours):

We are issuing this voluntary recall notice for the TKO Sports Heavy Punching Bag with Speed Bag Combination, manufactured by TKO Sports, of Houston, TX. We have learned that the fill material in the heavy punching bag does not meet our high quality standards.

Yeah, that's quite the understatement. If Costco's records reflect that you've purchased this bag, they're sending a box and UPS shipping label out to you right away. They're also sending you an Everlast punching bag to replace the one that is filled with used underwear. You know, the more we write about it, the more we notice that the concept just doesn't get any less gross. Even the grasshopper leg in the Applebee's salad got less gross the more we thought about it. Not so, used underwear punching bag.

Who did they hire to pack the bags? Where did they get the underwear? These are the unanswerable questions. Or rather, we'd just prefer that they were not answered.--MEGHANN MARCO

IMPORTANT RECALL NOTICE TKO Punching Bag with Speed Bag Combination [Costco] (Thanks, Andrew!)
(Photo: Joe Heckel)

UPDATE: Eagle-eyed commenters notice that this recall is from June 23, 2005. Apparently, Costco has been on top of the dirty underwear punching bag epidemic for years.

 

 

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Helvetica: The Font Of The 20th Century

 

 

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Helvetica: The Font Of The 20th Century

via Consumerist on May 27, 2007

The miscellany gods at Slate have compiled a slideshow describing how companies such as American Airlines, Sears, Target, ConEd, Verizon, and the New York Subway system use the font Helvetica to convey a sense of "modern efficiency with a human face."

Ultimately, Helvetica is a cipher--and this is the key to its success. It can be authoritative or ironic, sober or idealistic, corporate or cozy. It's the tofu of typefaces: bland in itself but ready to absorb whatever flavors you add to it. It's clean, legible, and well-designed, but its real power lies in its uncanny mutability.

Though we seldom think of many of the companies using Helvetica as efficient, it's nice to know what they were striving for when they chose their font. -- CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

The Helvetica Hegemony [Slate]
(Photo: dantegeek)

 

 

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On The Cheap: How To: Salvage Old Cast Iron Cookware

 

 

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On The Cheap: How To: Salvage Old Cast Iron Cookware

via Consumerist on May 29, 2007

Cast iron cookware is not only indestructible, it's amazing! It may look all worn out, but even the most neglected cast iron can be restored to its former glory with a little TLC.

So, if your grandmother's garage or local thrift store is full of old cast iron, snag it. DIY site Curbly has some techniques that will whip ancient cast iron back into shape in no time. --MEGHANN MARCO

Salvage and Season Cast Iron Cookware [Curbly]
(Photo: stu_spivack)

 

 

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Zenhabits: 6 Free Alternatives to Quicken & MS Money

 

 

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Zenhabits: 6 Free Alternatives to Quicken & MS Money

via StopBuyingCrap.com by Cap on May 25, 2007

Leo (father of six, blogger extraordinaire) of Zenhabits, has a spiffy post on six great free alternatives to Quicken & MS Money. I can definitely vouche for Yodlee's spiffiness, which I wrote about here.

Will also like to throw in another great free altnerative -- Mint.com (which will be available to everyone ASAP!).

 

 

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LEGO Key rack

 

 

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LEGO Key rack

via MAKE Magazine on May 29, 2007

A few Makers sent in this LEGO key rack and noted it would be a fun (and easy) project to build yourself... - [via] Link.

[Read this article] [Comment on this article]

 

 

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HOW TO - Large format printing

 

 

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HOW TO - Large format printing

via MAKE Magazine on May 30, 2007

GeekDad has a round up of ways (and how) to do large format printing for things like bedroom walls Link.

From the pages of MAKE:

Print the Universe. MAKE 03 - page 127. Make gigantic posters with a free web service. Subscribers--read this article now in your digital edition or get MAKE 03 @ the Maker store.

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Fact or Fiction: Can a Rain Barrel Save You Money?

 

 

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Fact or Fiction: Can a Rain Barrel Save You Money?

via Get Rich Slowly by J.D. on May 20, 2007

In the forums, robblat asked about rain barrels: Are they useful? How much do they cost? Where do you get one? My wife just installed a rain barrel last year, so I asked her to explain how they work.

For my birthday last year, I asked my parents for a rain barrel. After doing some research online, I went to our local nursery and paid $100 for a complete barrel set up. While it will mean a small savings on our future water bills, the upfront cost is really too high to justify it from a purely financial standpoint. Instead, I wanted to collect rainwater for several other reasons.

Collecting a renewable resource for our own use
Rainwater belongs to everyone, right? But for the most part, we are dependent on a vast infrastructure to collect, purify and deliver this most basic of life's requirements to our doors (er, faucets). I like the idea of harnessing a bit of that rain before it makes it through the whole human system. My plants don't need chlorinated water, anyway! Plus, anecdotal evidence on gardening websites suggests that plants do better with lukewarm rainwater than cold tap water.

Minimal money savings
If you are serious about reducing your irrigation water use from the municipal water supply (and thus your bills), you can rig up a system of multiple rain barrels. One or more is attached to the house's downspout; the rest of the barrels are linked to the first ones to collect their overflow when it's really raining.

Get this: if you have 1,000 square feet of roof surface area, then one inch of rainfall will produce over 600 gallons of rainwater. How big is your roof? I have my rain barrel hooked up to our detached garage (an old carriage house), and its roof is about 300 square feet. If you cut that in half (I'm only getting the rain from half the roof) and do the math, my 60-gallon rain barrel will be filled by just two-thirds of an inch of rainfall. In Oregon, that's easy! The overflow drains through a tube that I have draped under the boxwood hedge, or I could collect it in a secondary container.

Convenience
Our 3/5-acre lot has a grand total of one outside spigot, right by the house. Watering the far reaches of the gardens (vegetable, fruit, and flower) requires lugging hoses across the lawn and around trees. With the rain barrel at the garage, I can easily fill a watering can or bucket for the flower beds for some quick spot watering. While the gravity-fed flow of the rain barrel isn't typically enough pressure to power a sprinkler, it would be enough for a short soaker hose. A rain barrel by the patio would be ideal for watering potted flowers and container plants near the house.

A few more considerations
Rain barrels come in many sizes and designs. Some are made to be pretty; others, not so much. Some are made from recycled or reused materials. A few have a flat side so they can sit flush against the wall, or have built-in storage for hoses and such. There's plenty to choose from, but this is a bulky item, so avoid shipping costs and find a local store that stocks them. You may think a big plastic barrel isn't your idea of garden décor, but what's more fashionable than not wasting water?

You can certainly make your own if you are handy and have a source for a large food-grade barrel. It must be food grade so you aren't having plastics leach into the water that you're using to water your carrots. And be sure to have a screen to close it off. This will prevent mosquitoes from breeding in the barrel and keep leaves, mischievous animals, and small meteorites out.

Like any irrigation supply dependent on rainfall, sometimes you'll have too much and sometimes not enough. July, August and September are pretty dry here (I kid you not), so my barrel did run dry last summer. But it doesn't take much rain to fill it back up. I tend to do most of my flower garden-watering in the spring when I've just planted seeds and seedlings and they're not fully established yet. The rain barrel is perfect for those dry, beautiful 75-degree days between our Spring rainstorms.

Watch the overflow location: you may need to extend the overflow hose to prevent drainage near your home's foundation. Portland actually gives residents a one-time credit if the house gutters are disconnected from the storm sewer system. Rain barrels have been popping up like wild flowers in certain neighborhoods!

Today rain barrels — maybe in a decade or two, solar panels so we can go off the grid?

 

 

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SideCarrier Makes Biking with Your Kid More Fun

 

 

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SideCarrier Makes Biking with Your Kid More Fun

via Geekdad by Dave Banks on May 18, 2007

My kids have graduated to their own bikes this past year, but before they got their own two wheels, they traveled next to me in a Chariot SideCarrier. Most bicycle child carriers put your kid behind you, subject to tires kicking up water, sand and gravel – not to mention a constant view of your backside. And this is bonding time?

I found the SideCarrier at my local bike shop and fell in love. I'd turned over a lot of miles before we had our kids, but time constraints had kept me out of the saddle during their first couple of years. This was a chance to get back to turning the cranks and spending some time with the kids at the same time.

The great thing about the SideCarrier was that it attached to the side (more on that in a second) and put the child on the business side of the bike. I felt more comfortable with my kid where I could see him/her and it made the bike no less maneuverable in most situations. It allowed us to make eye contact and talk while whistling down the avenue. I was able to experience their thrills rolling down hills … and be encouraged by their cheers heading back up the other side.

The carrier attaches to a hitch, which is mounted in front of the bike's bottom bracket. (See photo for detail.) The hitch has certain space requirements, which prevent it from being used on certain brands and types of bikes. There is a short list of incompatible bikes on their site.

A three-point harness keeps your loved one safe and there is also a full-time screen (and fold-away clear rain guard) to keep the elements at bay. Though not included, there is a sleeve for a safety flag.

I really enjoyed the SideCarrier for carting my kids around town. It provided a unique experience for both of us. They still beg for rides in the sidecar, but they've grown too heavy for my tired legs.

 

 

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Victor Poison-Free Ant & Roach Spray

 

 

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Victor Poison-Free Ant & Roach Spray

via Cool Tools on May 18, 2007

Most pesticides I've used are full of toxic chemicals, but this spray doesn't have anything like that. The active ingredient is natural mint extract, which is a neuro-toxin. It works just as well or better than any spray I've tried, and smells very minty. I've been fighting roaches this spring, mainly in the kitchen, and my dog has become pregnant. I have never been a fan of the toxic chemicals in most roach sprays, so when I found this at the hardware store I decided to give it a try (it was also less expensive than the more toxic stuff I'd been using). I sprayed the baseboards and everything in my kitchen, and I found that not only does it kill on contact, the roaches seem to avoid it like the plague for about a month. I have also used it to spray and kill spiders, and it was just as effective. The minty smell is nice in small doses, but when I do my entire kitchen the whole house kind of smells like toothpaste, which opening a door or window helps.

-- Jessica Boydston

Victor Poison-Free Ant & Roach Spray
$5
Available from Planet Natural

Also $12 (for 2 bottles) from Amazon

Manufactured by Woodstream Corporation

[There is also a Poison-Free Wasp & Hornet Killer by Victor, which has been recommended by the HortIdeas newsletter - sl]

 

 

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A Frugal Guide to Used Car Purchases

 

 

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A Frugal Guide to Used Car Purchases

via Dumb Little Man - Tips for Life by Dumb Little Man on May 17, 2007

So what's it going to be? Spend money on a NEW car or should you save some cash and buy a used car? Knowing that gas prices are going to $4/gallon in the US, you know my recommendation. I think you should cut back on both sides. If you don't NEED a car, learn to use public transportation.

If a car is a necessary evil, please (!!!) learn how to buy a used car before heading to the car dealer or private seller. Your money problems will expand 10-fold if you buy a lemon.

Life Learning Today does a good job of listing out what to look for in your used car search. There is too much to list so I will share my favorite section and rely on you to read the rest at their site.

• Review the Car. Check for all these things that can be negotiating points and also safety issues:
  
  
  1. Rust, if so is it surface or deep body rust?
  
  
  2. Doors and trunk do they work?
  
  
  3. Body: do you detect repair work such as different color paint on the car?
  
  
  4. Tires: is there wear on the treads and are all tires the same size?
  
  
  5. Trunk: any signs of water leakage such as dampness or mildew smell? Is there a jack and spare tire?
  
  
  6. Interior: water leakage signs? try all the electronic and manual controls such as adjusting the seat, windows, etc.
  
  
  7. Undercarriage: any signs of oil leaking, how does the muffler look.

Read on at How to Buy a Used Car - a Frugal Guide by Life Learning Today

Related:
How to Test the Odometer before you buy
20 Ways to Waste Money on your Car

Photo: Thomas Hawk

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Quicken Hacks: 25 Hints, Tips, and Tricks

 

 

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Quicken Hacks: 25 Hints, Tips, and Tricks

via Get Rich Slowly by J.D. on May 17, 2007

I use Quicken to track my personal finances. Back in the olden days, I used Andrew Tobias' Managing Your Money, but that hasn't worked on my Macs for nearly a decade. I'd still use it if I could.

Quicken on the Mac is a pale comparison to the Quicken on the PC. I feel like I should be able to get more out of the program, so I went on a scavenger hunt, scouring the web for the best Quicken hacks. There aren't many out there. Here are the 24 hints and tips I deemed worth sharing:

Getting started with Quicken

• How to get started using Quicken — Gina Trapani is a dedicated Quicken user. Here she explains how to get up-and-running in no time. [@ Lifehacker]
• How do I convert data from Microsoft Money files? [@ Quicken customer support]
• Handy Quicken shortcuts for entering dates — t is today, for example. [@ Quickenhead]
• How to use categories in financial software — This site is a mess — it's more ads than content — but the info here is good if you're just getting started with Quicken. [@ About.com]

Setting up accounts

• Tracking your mortgage and escrow account in Quicken — "If you are like me, you have a monthly mortgage payment that also includes an amount that goes into Escrow every month. Here's how you can record your mortgage and escrow account in Quicken." [@ Quickenhead]
• Tracking an interest-only mortgage in Quicken [@ Quickenhead]
• Configuring Quicken to access your Vanguard accounts — Apparently this isn't as straight-forward as it should be. [@ Making Our Way]
• Track airline miles or points — By setting up your airline miles as a "foreign currency", you can track them from within Quicken. [@ Consumerism Commentary]
• How to incorporate your PayPal account into Quicken — Tricia shows how to set up a PayPal account. In the comments, Mandi explains how to set up your account so you can download data from PayPal and import it. [@ Quickenhead]
• How to track an envelope budgeting system in Quicken — "A very popular way to budget is the Envelope Budgeting System. Paychecks are cashed and then a budgeted amount for certain expenses are placed in envelopes. When you need to spend money, you use the money from each envelope. Can you record a system like that in Quicken? You bet!" [@ Quickenhead]

Working with Quicken

• Back up your data files often. I back up my files once a month. It is imperative that you back up your data before you upgrade versions. Intuit practices an asinine "sunsetting" program whereby they intentionally "break" older versions of their software. For example, I was using Quicken 2004 on my Mac. It worked just fine. But because of the sunsetting policy, Intuit was going to prevent that version from downloading transaction information online. I was forced to upgrade to the new version. Why this is legal is beyond me. It makes my blood boil. Anyhow, Quicken upgrades have been known to break things. When you upgrade, be sure to create a backup copy of your data.
• Tips for solving reconciliation discrepancies in Quicken — "The main thing is to try to not get frustrated." I recently had a $.06 error that I could not find. When I reconciled with the next month's statement, things balanced. Sometimes you just need to put things aside and come back later. [@ Quickenhead]
• Tracking cash spending using Quicken — "To me, cash can often be forgotten about when it comes time to looking at your finances. Here's a way that has helped me keep track." (Note that Tricia also writes Quicken Head.) [@ Blogging Away Debt]
• What category to use when you're unsure what an expense is for — What should you do when you can't remember where your money went? This is a great reason for saving your receipts in one easy-to-find location! [@ Quickenhead]
• Quicken investment recordkeeping tricks — "Quicken provides powerful investment record-keeping tools for individual investors. Unfortunately, once you step beyond investments like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, the mechanics can get a little tricky. Here are some tips for handling common investments in Quicken." [@ Buzzle.com]
• How to set aside money in your checking account for a future expense — This is a clever idea, a way to remove money from the general pool without actually spending it. [@ Quickenhead]
• Accounting for accrued expenses in Quicken — "Sometimes you may received services one month, but not be billed for it until months afterward. Normally, you would pay the bill after the bill is received and that expense will show on your income & expense statement the month you paid it. If you would actually prefer to show that expense the month it was incurred (using an estimated or known cost), the following tutorial will help you do that." [@ Quickenhead]

Working with files

• How to access a password-protected Quicken file without the password. [@ Quicken customer support]
• Hack Quicken to import QFX files on OS X — Quicken data files are the same for both Mac and Windows. But because of obscure licensing issues, Intuit disables importing from certain banks on the Mac. This hack allows you to work around the issue to get at your data. (More here.) [@ Digital 501]
• QIF Master — "QIF Master adds Quicken categories based on the description (e.g. payee) of each transaction."

Quicken resources

• Many of these tips are from I'm a Quicken Head, which has infrequent but useful updates. (Subscribe to Quicken Head.)
• Quicken community forums — Get help from other Quicken users.
• Quicken hints and tips by Dr. M — This is a treasure-trove of Quicken tips, with ten pages of ideas. But the site may make you go blind. If you can't find help elsewhere, check here.
• Kerry's Quicken tips has some good ideas, particularly if you're tracking a small business in Quicken in addition to your personal accounts. (Such as I'm doing.) But this site, too, may make you go blind.
• Ask Metafilter: How different is Quickbooks from Quicken? And how difficult is it to learn?

I'd love to hear about more Quicken tips and tricks, especially when it comes to working with graphs and reports. I've managed to learn a few things on my own simply through trial and error. For example, I can now create reports that break down data by quarter. These are useful for spotting trends. (Like too much comic book spending.)

How many of you use Quicken? Do you feel comfortable with it? Do you have questions about it? Flexo just posted a list of 10 improvements he'd like to see in Quicken 2008. He's also giving away a copy of Quicken Premier 2007!

 

 

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Tell Me Why

 

 

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Tell Me Why

via Geekdad by Brian Little on May 17, 2007

"Why, Daddy?" is easily the most gratifying and frustrating question a child can ask, as any parent is (or soon will be) aware. As recent Geekdad posts have made clear, there are tons of resources out there for answering basic kid-type questions. The one I remember from my childhood is Arkady Leokum's Tell Me Why series, copies of which are still easy to find, and still useful in answering questions of basic science.

Leokum wrote a whole series of Tell Me Why books in the 60s, starting with Tell Me Why, and moving through such descriptive, if uninspiring titles as More Tell Me Why, Still More Tell Me Why, Yet Another Tell Me Why and so on. In the mid-90s, these books were republished (and, I believe, updated) in compendium format, three books to a volume, under the name The Big Book of Tell Me Why.

Don't let the age of the books fool you. Though they're are out of print, all the titles -- especially the 90s editions -- are still readily available from used booksellers. I recently bought a copy of the first updated volume recently, which answers basic questions ranging from "Why does the moon shine?" to "Why does soap clean?" to "How do spiders spin their webs?" It's just as sharp as I remember it. Certainly some few of the answers might be slightly out of date, but the basic science and history in the books, along with their simple illustrations and clear, concise, older-kid-friendly writing will never go stale. I suggest copies for all geekdads.

 

 

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Just moved? Double-check the screws on self-assembled furniture

 

 

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Just moved? Double-check the screws on self-assembled furniture

via Parent Hacks by Asha Dornfest on May 16, 2007

Gretchen offers extremely important advice for families who've just relocated:

We've finally dug out from the mountain of boxes from our move, and have found that the screws on a lot of our furniture managed to back themselves loose during the six-hour drive from our old house to our new house.  So we go to open a drawer, and the handle falls off in our hand.  I try to put up one of those cabinets with a towel bar underneath, and the locking cam falls out and the piece literally disintegrates in my hands (an incident that provoked much language unsuitable for toddler ears).  This is not stuff that bounced around in the back of Uncle Earl's van - it was professionally packed, loaded, unloaded, and unpacked.

As someone who only tightens up her Ikea furniture (and other build-it-yourself stuff) when it is noticeably wobbly, this could have been a huge problem if, say, the kid's bed had wiggled itself apart, or her bookshelf died in the middle of the night with 400 pounds of board books on it. 

Since we've noticed the problem, I've been the good little parent and double-checked all of her furniture, and I'm working my way through ours.  But if it hadn't been for the cabinet disintegrating, I wouldn't have bothered. So I really recommend that parents double check all of their self-assembled furniture after a move, just to make sure it's still sturdy.  Because it would be really embarrassing to have to call your mother-in-law with the news that your child was crushed beneath a mountain of Sandra Boynton books, just because you forgot to tighten a few screws.

 

 

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