XBOX WIFE: GREATEST HITS

In this week's edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday: Greatest Hits Edition, Shannon over at Rocks In My Dryer, has asked us to rerun one of our own favorite old Works-For-Me Wednesday posts. I decided to get all nostalgic on y'all and rerun the very first Works-For-Me Wednesday post I ever made! Hope y'all enjoy it!

MY FIRST WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY!
Originally published on Wednesday, September 19, 2007.

For a couple of months now, I have been reading the
Works-For-Me Wednesday carnival hosted by Shannon at
Rocks In My Dryer. And y'all...it is so awesome! Each week I find wonderful new tips for just about everything! I've longed to join in the fun; but it wasn't until this past Saturday that I was finally ready to take the big leap and not only remove a post from draft form for the first time ever, but publicly publish that post as well! After privately blogging (in draft form) since the Spring, I am gradually making all of "XBOX WIFE" public. It's a work-in-progress. :)

Now, I am so excited
to finally be a part of:

THE UPSIDE OF DOWNSIZING AND ADDING MORE WHEELS

This summer was a big traveling summer for our family. We took an airplane trip, as well as a long road trip.

Sometimes traveling with kids can be,shall we say...difficult!

They tend to get bored while waiting in line at the airport and hotel check-ins, making it an easy temptation for them to:
a)get loud, b)get whiney, or c)get lost by wandering away,
leaving you either angry, frustrated, or panicked (or all three) and wondering why you took the trip in the first place!

We found something that kept our forces of nature at bay this summer. And y'all, let me tell you, it made our travel time SO much easier! We gave each child their own suitcase. It's amazing what putting them in charge of their own set of wheels was able to accomplish. Not only did pulling their own luggage keep them occupied, it gave them a sense of pride and responsibility. They did NOT want any help, and they kept up with us in the airport. Focusing on their luggage kept them from being distracted by other things. They did not fight. They did not whine. They did not wander away from us. This held true in the hotel check-in lines as well, and it was wonderful!

Of course, there were additional benefits as well. We packed far less than usual. Each person was limited to their one suitcase. This made doing laundry so much easier when we returned home. Lastly, Mr. Brownstone and I were able to have a stress-free check-in at both the airport and the hotels because not only were our children cooperating, but we were also each carrying only one small bag. Long gone were the days of lugging a couple of large, heavy suitcases and several carry-on items, all while corralling in kids. We did each have one small carry-on item because their were certain things we wanted to keep on the plane with us. I had a large purse, and he had a backpack. These helped to occupy the kids after the luggage was checked.

We followed the same exact packing plan for our road trip. We do not have a large car, and the four small suitcases fit perfectly in the trunk. We kept the "carry-on" items in the backseat with the kids, so they could access them easily. It was easy to unload what we needed at each hotel, and it kept our children from all whirlwind activity.

I can definitely say that the idea of downsizing and adding more wheels Works-For-Me, and I hope that it will work for you, too!

**To see another thing that is working for me, click here! (Link removed for reposting.)

HAPPY TRAVELING!

And now back to the present day...

What is working for me today other than the things about which I've already written?

It's "Ten Things Tuesday" ~ a carnival of thanksgiving!

You can click here to read the guidelines,
and you can click here to read about the inspiration behind it!

Since we're all breaking out reruns today, click here to see my other Works-For-Me-Wednesday tips, which include:

• how we clean out children's closets with ease (really fun!)
• what meaningful gesture of love we use with our children (my very favorite!)
• what we've learned about dining in and dining out
• "Backwards Edition" tips for shopping at CVS
• "Backwards Edition" tips for removing white spots/rings from furniture
• how we master math in the Brownstone household (GREAT tool for math!)
• "Backwards Edition" tips for correct "tipping" etiquette in almost any situation
• how I get my kids (and Mr. Brownstone!) to try new vegetables and love them (biggest reader response!)
• how we make traveling with kids easier (see above!)

Click here to find out what works for us regarding chores and allowance!

Click here to see what easy recipes are working for us!

XBOX WIFE: GREATEST HITS

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2008/04/xbox-wife-greatest-hits.html

GOT TIPS?

This week Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer is hosting her usual Works-For-Me-Wednesday carnival with a twist! She has charged us to ASK for tips rather than give them in honor of Works-For-Me-Wednesday: Backwards Day!

I think it's brilliant!!!

Speaking of tips...
Today what I would REALLY love to know from each of you are your thoughts on correct tipping etiquette. We always wonder ~ especially on vacation ~ if we are tipping too much, or if we aren't tipping enough, and even if we should we be tipping at all for some services? This often leaves us with a feeling of frustration. I have searched high and low for a good guide but have yet to find one. (If you know of a good one, particularly a free one, please pass along the link, or the title!)

So my I guess my questions would be (and not limited to) the following:

• How much do you tip the security officer that brings a band-aid to your room?
• How much do you tip the taxi driver that doesn't answer any of your questions, or chooses to text message friends while he is driving?
• How about the taxi driver that gives you great tips and good conversation?
• Do you tip the doorman that greets you, the one that takes in your bags, AND the one that carries them to your room?
• How much do you tip the doorman that hails a cab for you?
• The concierge?
• Housekeeping?
• Do you tip housekeeping daily, or at the end of your trip? (I always worry that the person that has been cleaning our room all week will have the day off on the day we leave!)
• Salon and spa services in your hotel?
  
• And what about salon and spa services in your hometown ~ How much do you tip your hairstylist, the shampoo person, the manicurist, the esthetician?
• The barber?
  
• The shoeshine guy?
• Car wash attendants?
  
• Restaurants? How much? Do you determine the amount depending on the specific restaurant? How about the maitre d'? How about self-service places where someone buses your table?
  
• Airports! How much do you tip the guy who unloads your car and the separate guy that checks your bags before you ever actually get into the airport? The parking attendants? The bus drivers for long-term parking?
• Valet parking attendants?
• Grocery store baggers and car loaders?
  

If you provide a service for which you receive tips - even if I didn't mention it above - PLEASE give us a guideline on what is the minimum expected and what is considered generous for a job very well done! Or maybe you travel often or dine out frequently...please share what you know to be a fair tip for these services. And by all means, if you live in a city where you take a taxi...this one ALWAYS baffles me! Please shed some light!

Thanks so much for ANY help you can provide!

Visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer to GIVE more Works-For-Me-Wednesday: Backwards Day tips this week!

• Click here for my second ever Works-For-Me-Wednesday tip. See how I getting my kids (and husband!) to try new vegetables and love them!
• Click here for my first ever Works-For-Me-Wednesday tip! It's a great tip about making travel easy with kids!
• Click here to find out what works for us regarding chores and "allowance".
• Click here to see what easy recipes are working for us.

Have a wonderful Columbus Day weekend!

GOT TIPS?

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/10/got-tips.html

MY FIRST WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY!

For a couple of months now, I have been reading the
Works-For-Me Wednesday carnival hosted by Shannon at
Rocks In My Dryer. And y'all...it is so awesome! Each week I find wonderful new tips for just about everything! I've longed to join in the fun; but it wasn't until this past Saturday that I was finally ready to take the big leap and not only remove a post from draft form for the first time ever, but publicly publish that post as well! After privately blogging (in draft form) since the Spring, I am gradually making all of "XBOX WIFE" public. It's a work-in-progress. :)

Now, I am so excited
to finally be a part of:

THE UPSIDE OF DOWNSIZING AND ADDING MORE WHEELS

This summer was a big traveling summer for our family. We took an airplane trip, as well as a long road trip.

Sometimes traveling with kids can be,shall we say...difficult!

They tend to get bored while waiting in line at the airport and hotel check-ins, making it an easy temptation for them to:
a)get loud, b)get whiney, or c)get lost by wandering away,
leaving you either angry, frustrated, or panicked (or all three) and wondering why you took the trip in the first place!

We found something that kept our forces of nature at bay this summer. And y'all, let me tell you, it made our travel time SO much easier! We gave each child their own suitcase. It's amazing what putting them in charge of their own set of wheels was able to accomplish. Not only did pulling their own luggage keep them occupied, it gave them a sense of pride and responsibility. They did NOT want any help, and they kept up with us in the airport. Focusing on their luggage kept them from being distracted by other things. They did not fight. They did not whine. They did not wander away from us. This held true in the hotel check-in lines as well, and it was wonderful!

Of course, there were additional benefits as well. We packed far less than usual. Each person was limited to their one suitcase. This made doing laundry so much easier when we returned home. Lastly, Mr. Brownstone and I were able to have a stress-free check-in at both the airport and the hotels because not only were our children cooperating, but we were also each carrying only one small bag. Long gone were the days of lugging a couple of large, heavy suitcases and several carry-on items, all while corralling in kids. We did each have one small carry-on item because their were certain things we wanted to keep on the plane with us. I had a large purse, and he had a backpack. These helped to occupy the kids after the luggage was checked.

We followed the same exact packing plan for our road trip. We do not have a large car, and the four small suitcases fit perfectly in the trunk. We kept the "carry-on" items in the backseat with the kids, so they could access them easily. It was easy to unload what we needed at each hotel, and it kept our children from all whirlwind activity.

I can definitely say that the idea of downsizing and adding more wheels Works-For-Me, and I hope that it will work for you, too!

**To see another thing that is working for me, click here!

HAPPY TRAVELING!

MY FIRST WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY!

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/09/my-first-works-for-wednesday.html

"HONEY, ARE WE PACKED YET?"

I am a very nervous flier. Actually, unless there is a lot of...OK, OK...unless there is ANY turbulence, I do alright once we are in the air, and the pilot has turned off the fasten seat belt sign. The first four minutes are what get me. Every time.

As a result of this, I am a procrastinator packer. I never pack anything more than one day before a trip. (Being honest here, it's necessary to say that I am this way even if it is a driving trip.) We went on a trip last summer with several other couples, and I was still shopping at 9:00 p.m. for a dress to wear while renewing our wedding vows! (Of course, we're women, so all of us were trying to coordinate our outfits for the vow renewal with a mixture of white and brown. The six couple ceremony is a story for another time.)

Part of it is that I'm scatterbrained most ~ if not all ~ of the time. I think it might have ADD, but that's a whole other subject! I also have a hard time saying "no" ~ whether the request is to be on some committee at school, to teach at church, or to just go have some fun with friends. I like having the ability to be flexible, so I am easily distracted.

Another part of being a procrastinator packer is due to the fact that I tend to work well under pressure. I feel more organized because the one task becomes so large that I cannot let myself be distracted by other things. If I do things too far ahead of time, I end up worrying that I have left something out or unfinished.

When it's a airplane trip, though, the biggest part of it is that I start thinking about that first four minutes of flight the moment the suitcase comes out of the closet! It's not a fun feeling. I can happily anticipate a trip, setting aside the flying part, if I'm not having to pack for it. Packing makes it real. So...my little method actually works well for me. By the time I finally do pack, it's so important to get it done that I go into a one-track mode. I have to be so focused on the actual job that other things don't distract me as easily.

It drives Mr. Brownstone crazy.

He starts asking the week of the trip if I have started packing. I used to tell him "no", but now I just smile and say, "We'll be ready." Everyday he asks the same question. "Are we all packed? I'd really like for the bags to be by the door before we go to bed the night before we leave." I just smile and say, "We'll be ready." (I love it how he uses the term "we" as if we were all participating in the act of packing. I also find it humorous that he actually still thinks with each trip that I will be sleeping that night.) Then once came my favorite question of all time,

"Are you packing clothes, or will we be sightseeing naked?"

The funny thing is that he was really asking. He really asked this! So dramatic! He gets that way sometimes. I just smiled and said, "Of course." He smiled back in a panicky sort of way ~ you know half laugh, half fear, slight eyebrow raise, and then back-to-business. "Will we be packed? Will the bags be by the door the night before we leave?" I always smile and say, "We'll be ready." I never answer "yes" because I learned long ago that Mr. Brownstone never puts the bags in the car the night before we leave.

I won't lie. I am STILL nervous about flying. It's the middle of the night. We are leaving for the airport in four and a half hours, and I will not sleep at all tonight. I will finish packing, do whatever laundry is left to do, clean things like the baseboards and the ceiling fan blades, get myself ready (because of course I haven't showered yet today - I've been too busy keeping myself busy), and then as promised, I will smile in triumph as I place all the bags by the front door for Mr. Brownstone.

"HONEY, ARE WE PACKED YET?"

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-about-some-socks-with-that.html