C&C: September 25

Congratulations

• To skeet, who posted photos of her lovely new great-niece!
• To Rascal, who just turned one! (Now let your mummy get some sleep.)
• To SAHW, who posted some lovely ultrasounds of her two babies to be! What an exciting time.
  

Commiserations

• Thinking of brigindo, who is crptically working through some muddy issues with the knowledge that "need does NOT equal love."
• Thinking of Nancy, who is in a nasty funk. Here's hoping the funk lifts and doesn't morph into full fledged depression or come back as PPD.
• Healing thoughts to Moreena's little girl, who is again active on the transplant waiting list for a new liver.

Leave a comment to tell us about your congratulations and / or commiserations.

The 80/20 rule

(Or The Pareto Principle)

For a many activities, 80% of the value received will come from 20% of the effort. (With the remaining 80% of the effort spent finessing only 20% of the value.)

How much time do you spend fine-tuning the last 20% of the outcome?

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

MLF&H: Child safety concerns when using full name

Question:

My son has a common first name, Jack. There are two other boys in his class with the same first name and the same initial for their last name, so we'd like to get his full name "Jack Scott" put on his labels. However, we'd rather not have his full name on his bag tags, which would be clearly visible to strangers.

Can I order a combo pack and have the bag tags not have the full name? Or am I stuck ordering each of the label types separately?

Answer:

Mabel's Labels is conscious of child safety and appreciates your concern. It is possible to order a combo and request that the bag tags do not include the child's first name. (All of the other labels can be discretely positioned.)

Simply mention your request in the comments box on the online form, or call in your order (toll-free) at 1-866-306-2235.

Meaningful data

Finally, a pie chart that speaks to me!

[h/t: Joey deVilla]

Living life vs blogging life

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

DYSWIS: Popcorn face

Inspired by Puppy Doggie Sauce, I've started a new category, Do you see what I see.

Look! Look!

There's a face in the popcorn? A popcorn face! Do you see what I see?

What about now?

MLF&H: Iron-ons vs Tag-mates™

Mabel’s Labels – Labels for the stuff kids lose!® clothing labels withstand the wear and tear of laundry and children beautifully! But should you get iron-ons or tag-mates?

	Iron-ons	Tag-mates™
	Iron-ons are the classic choice for clothing labels.	Tag-Mates™ are ideal for quick labeling – no iron necessary!
Size (approx)	46mm x 12mm (1-3/4" x 1/2")	21mm x 10mm (13/16" x 3/8")
Photos	(In contrast to the above photo, iron-on labels are currently manufactured with rounded corners.)
Method of application	ironing onto fabric	stick to clothing labels
Time to apply	3-5 minutes	5-10 seconds
Durability	Withstands washer and dryer. If label begins to peel, can reapply with iron. (Following original application instructions.)	Withstands washer and dryer.
Ease of removal	Many people are able to just pull them off by picking at a corner that has come loose over time. By design, however, the iron-on label ever so slightly melts to adhere to the fabric.	With a little effort, comes off cleanly. (Clothing in this case had been through numerous cold water washes and regular dryer cycles.)
Text size	The identical text will always appear larger on the iron-ons than the tag-mates.	It is possible to have larger text-size on tag-mates if you order the labels without an icon.
Limitations	Fabric must withstand the heat of an iron.	Clothing item must have a clothing tag. (Many tops are now made without tags.)
Advantages	Can be used on clothing, whether or not a tag is present.	Quick and easy to apply. Can be used on non-clothing items.
Hacks	- Double your iron-ons! - Removing iron-ons - Help! I've got more than one child! See all iron-on hacks.	- How do I label boots? - Larger size text for Tag-Mates™? - What else can I do with Tag-Mates™? See all tag-mate hacks.

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Disclosure: I'm a Mabel's Labels Buzzmama and I receive free products for my involvement in the program. I'm also a Mabel's Labels web affiliate and I earn a commission if you use the following link to purchase your Mabel’s Labels – Labels for the stuff kids lose!®

Brick wall day

Ever have One Of Those Days? The kind of day where it feels like every time you come close to being productive, someone drops a brick wall obstacle in your path?

If you're really lucky, there will be a stress reduction kit on one of those walls. It feels really good when you stop.

The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Palin for president!

Every time I hear press coverage about the US election, my ears twitch when I hear the name "Palin."

Try as I may, I can't help thinking, "Michael."

It seems I'm not the only one. Michael Palin for President! How cool would that be? Check out this video.

Isn't this why every mother wants to become an entrepreneur?

A tongue-in-cheek comment on being a mompreneur, from Mabel's Labels Julie Cole.

"In our hormonally imbalanced and irrational states, we choose to live as over-extended and under-paid business owners, exhausted mothers and neurotic and somewhat manic women."

With a sell like that, don't you want to be one too?

Congratulations and commiserations

Congratulations

• Andrea, for going back to school and pursuing her passion for writing
• Dani, for sticking to your health improvement plan
  

Commiserations

• Sending healing thoughts Moreena's way. Her almost eight year old daughter is intubated in the pediatric ICU.
• Thinking of Kristin and her family as they mourn the loss of her father-in-law.
  

Leave a comment to tell us about your congratulations and commiserations.