Blog Posts by Yahoo! Contributor Network

Even young kids can handle simple bathroom chores.Once our preschooler started becoming more independent and helpful, we started realizing our little one was old enough to begin helping around the house. We started with simple activities like carrying dishes from the table to the kitchen, but it wasn't long before we found other kid-friendly chores he could handle, from straightening his bed sheets to even helping in the bathroom. Here are a number of bathroom chores that kids (even the youngest) can handle:

Restocking the toilet paper - Keep your extra supply of toilet paper in a place accessible to your kids. Since our little ones tend to use the most paper anyway, assign them the responsibility of restocking the toilet paper on the roll whenever it runs out.

Picking up their bath toys - Parents know that when you have kids, your bathtub easily becomes overwhelmed with toys. Rather than sweeping them all to the back of the tub or gingerly stepping around them when you want to take a shower, kids can handle the chore of picking up

Throw a cookie party just for kids!

I've seldom met a kid who didn't love cookies. Even those who don't like eating cookies still seem to enjoy baking and decorating them, especially during the holidays. My kids especially love making Christmas cutout cookies in the shapes of snowmen, reindeer, angels, Christmas trees and of course, Santa. One of our favorite holiday memories includes a batch of our homemade Christmas cookies and a very mischievous Santa Claus who bit only the heads off each cookie and left the rest for us to discover on Christmas morning!

As much as we love baking holiday cookies, it's even more fun with friends. If you are considering planning a cookie party for your children and their friends, here are some tips that will make the event extra special.

Baking together or apart?

Decide ahead of time whether you want to bake together, decorate pre-made cookies or simply have guests bring cookies for an exchange. All these ideas make for great parties, but you need to be specific about which

Keep your kids' bathroom organized!

At our house, bath time is an entertaining event. My son crawls around the bathtub. My daughter likes bubbles and splashing. Both kids love playing with their bath toys. Over the years, we have accumulated a lot of rubber duckies, squirting bath toys and plastic boats. Now that we have two kids, there are more toiletries, hooded towels and clothing to manage. As a result, our kids' lavatory can become messy. However, there are 10 quick solutions for a better-organized kids' bathroom.

1. Organizing Caddy

My son uses a different shampoo than my daughter. My daughter also needs a detangler. Keeping all of these items in an easy to reach caddy allows me to quickly access the bath products. When bath time is over, the toiletries can be organized.

2. Mesh Toy Holder

I love the mesh toy holders because they keep all of the toys contained. In addition, it allows the toys to dry out. This way those rubber duckies don't harbor mold and mildew.

3. Hooks

Hooks are great for

Keep that toilet clean!

Like many moms, I feel like I spend a lot of time cleaning. From crumbs on the floor to dirty laundry, I am constantly scrubbing, washing and vacuuming. With two little ones in the house, the bathroom can get especially messy. Toothpaste dribble, potty training accidents and puddles of water are all too familiar for me. Yet, sometimes those invisible germs bother me most. Since I am a little bit of a germaphobe, I try to keep the bathroom as clean as possible. These bathroom hygiene tips for moms of toddlers will help you have a healthy household.

The Right Spot

It can be very messy when a toddler misses the toilet. As someone who has tried a lot of kid-potties, I think a flip potty seat is the best option. After all, being able to easily and quickly get on the potty is half of the battle. You also need to make sure your child is sitting in the middle of the toilet. Finally, for easy clean up, keep some flushable wipes near the toilet.

Target Practice

For boys, a target

Use pumpkin in muffins for a kid-friendly recipe.My daughter loves helping me in the kitchen. Unfortunately, not every meal I make is conducive to a tiny budding chef. When I'm looking for fun fall recipes for my children and I to do together, there are several tried and true favorites that my family adores.

Seasonal cereal treats

My daughters adore marshmallow and crispy rice cereal treats. Fall is the perfect time to add some color to this yearlong treat. Consider dipping half of a cereal treat in orange, yellow, or green candy coating (available at your local craft store) or melted milk chocolate. Add edible eyes and a chocolate drizzle mouth to add some spook to these seasonal creatures. Or, stick with basic fall colors for a simple Thanksgiving treat the kids can help create without too much fuss.

Homemade applesauce

Ever since my daughters made applesauce at preschool several years ago they've been on me to make applesauce at home. Fall is the perfect time of year for this family-friendly fall recipe. Start with a

Make baking fun and healthy.














It's a well-known fact that most kids love helping in the kitchen, and with the bonding and educational experiences it brings, baking is a welcome tradition in many families. If it were up to my son, though, the only things we'd bake in our kitchen would be chocolate chip cookies and brownies. And though I completely understand (and share) his sweet tooth, it's my role as a mom to teach him healthy eating - and cooking - habits. Here are seven tips for healthy baking with your children:

1. Bake with vegetables - There's a mystique to vegetables, in that anything becomes edible when it's in a baked product. When baking with your children, add grated or pureed vegetables that your children may not otherwise eat, such as zucchini, spinach, squash or carrots. Not only will this broaden their palate and familiarize the tastes of healthy foods, but children will learn that vegetables can actually taste really delicious.

2. Substitute your oil - Cut out some of the fat in your baking by

Racing the clock each morningUsually when I hear discussions of crazy morning routines, it sounds like the kids are behind the chaos. If only they would get up when the alarm goes off, or eat their cereal and stop asking for pancakes!

Here's my confession. In my house, I am the major culprit behind the morning crazies.

Yes, my 5-year old will dawdle. Time is a meaningless term for her. My husband is the early bird, ensuring my daughter gets up and has a decent breakfast. Me? I struggle to rise because I'm a night owl. In my first half hour, I make lunches and gather school supplies in a barely muttering, zombie-like state. In the next half hour, I'm already running behind, I need to shower and dress (to my credit, I do both quickly), so I let my daughter watch Sesame Street or Curious George. She becomes hypnotized and distracted, holding the clothes she is supposed to be putting on.

The clock ticks down. I get stressed as I supervise her painstakingly-slow tooth brushing and hair combing. Maddeningly, the more

First, you'll need to empty the whole closet!

If you're like me, there's a door in your house you ignore whenever possible. When necessary, you yank it open, try not to look too carefully at what's inside, grab what you need and close the door before you get any ideas. Better to face facts: it's time to do another linen closet clean-up.

It doesn't have to be a horrible or haphazard experience. With a few steps, you'll get it out of the way and free up time to watch that game with the family (or play one, for that matter).

First, empty out the entire closet.

Don't try to organize it shelf-by-shelf, because you can't actually see what you've got until it's all displayed in front of you. Volunteer the dining room table for this duty so you've got a nice big area to spread it all out.

Sort it out.

Grab a box and load it up with anything that's faded, torn or in any other way not entirely usable. Cut it into rags or fold it and set it aside for donations. No matter how worn, old blankets and towels will be eagerly