Grandchildren love Bumfoozle

Recently I had a chance to watch my grandchildren (ages 3 – 10) as they tried to find solutions in Bumfoozle.  I was surprised that even the 3 year old was able to do it.  He was able to see a space then see the piece in a different orientation that would fit.  It confirmed to me that this was more than just a way to occupy their time, it was a way to exercise their young brains as they learned problem solving, spatial relationships, eye-hand coordination and many other skills.  I asked my six year old grandson why he liked Bumfoozle and he said that it was because it made him think.  Kids love to learn and Bumfoozle is a great tool to help them develop their thinking skills.

Storm preparation hint using trash bags

Large plastic trash bags can be amazingly useful in your disaster preparedness.

Most realize that you can also put a large clean trash bag in your garbage barrel and fill it with water, that way you have a source of clean water.  But did you realize how they can be used when you can’t flush the toilet?

If you have a power outage lasts several days, you may still run out of water, but you still need to use the toilet.  A clever technique that hospitals often use is to lift the seat and place a large trash bag over the bowl, letting it rest on the water and drape down over the outside of the bowl.  Then put the seat back down.  It can be used several times, and when it gets full or begins to smell, you can dispose of it and replace it with a new one.  It is also a good idea to tape the flush lever so that it doesn’t accidentally get flushed.  Be sure to stock up on waterless hand sanitizer.