Random things that have worked

Watch timer

I got a sports watch for Christmas that has an easy to use count down timer. This is both useful for working out when I want to rest between weightlifting sets for a certain amount of minutes and for managing kid fights over toys. When my kids used to fight over toys, sometimes I put the toy in timeout because I couldn't figure out who had what when. Now, I usually try to see if one is willing to let the other play for a few minutes while I set the timer. When the timer beeps, the toy is handed off. Frequently, by the time the timer beeps that "must have" toy has already been abandoned. But for some hot ticket items we have switched back and forth three or four times. Way less tears lately, and I love it. 

Broiled chicken "nuggets"

I did this a long time ago, but recently tried it again. It's quick and the whole family enjoys it. Here's how I've been doing it lately:

Preheat oven on broil setting

2 chicken breasts, sliced in 1 cm thick pieces, tossed in 2 tbsp milk

Breading:

1 c. corn meal

1/2 c rice flour (we have two gluten free eaters)

salt & pepper

paprika

cumin

garlic powder 

Mix breading ingredients together, dump in ziploc bag or tupperware container, add chicken, shake until coated.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with oil. 

Lay out chicken and throw in oven for 4 minutes, 

turn pieces over

put back in oven for 3 min

check and add for another 90 sec - 2 min depending on how they look

Done.

Clorox wipes/equivalent

I was a cloth rag person for a while, but then I realized that some time after I had the kids, I also stopped cleaning my bathroom. The perfect being the enemy of the good, and having clean bathroom surfaces during potty training being a good idea, I broke down and got these wipes. You know, the stuff they advertise on TV. I have a stash in each bathroom, and it take seconds to wipe the surfaces down.