You couldn’t possibly be more excited to welcome your little one into the world, but incorporating a baby into your home is a whole different story. There are so many sharp edges, open doors, and hot objects that could be hazardous to baby’s soft skin, and it all might seem a bit overwhelming. Here are a few smart, simple ways to babyproof your home with ease.

1. Install a toilet lock in the bathroom. Once your baby begins crawling and walking, he or she will want to explore every room in the house. A toilet lock will keep baby’s tiny fingers from getting underneath the toilet lid.
2. Store medicines behind locked doors. If your current medicine cabinet doesn’t have a lock, install one. There are few things more dangerous to babies than pills and medicines, and even if your medicine cabinet is out of reach it's better to be safe than sorry.
3. Invest in a safe crib. Cribs with drop-sides were recently discontinued, so don’t attempt to re-use that hand-me-down crib. Also make sure that your crib’s slats are 2 3/8-inches apart.

20+ Tips for Babyproofing Your Home [Parenting]
Baby Safety [iVillage]
Childproofing Checklist [TotSafe.com]
Tips to Babyproof Your Home [Lowe’s]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Janine

With all of the chemicals and hard-to-pronounce ingredients in commercial cleaners today, it’s no surprise that many people are opting to make their own cleaners instead. Here are two effective—and surprisingly simple—recipes for homemade cleansers made with only natural ingredients.

All-Purpose Vinegar Spray [greencleaning.about.com]
This simple, aromatic spray is incredibly easy to make, and it can be used on just about any surface in your home. Vinegar offers powerful disinfecting properties that are on par with any store-bought cleaner on the market today, and it smells a whole lot more natural, too. Simply combine it with water and your favorite essential oils, pour it all in a spray bottle, and you’ll instantly have a versatile cleaner that you can really feel good about.

Glass Cleaner [Good Housekeeping]
You don’t like the laundry list of chemicals on the back of your name brand glass cleaner, but it seems like making your own just won’t produce the same results. This simple recipe is here to prove you wrong. By using only water, white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and some essential oils to mask the strong scent, you’ll get the same streak-free shine on every window or mirror in your home. Best of all, all of the ingredients used are environmentally friendly and safe for pets and humans.

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/cdsessums

Having good penmanship is an invaluable life skill, and even if it’s been decades since you first learned to write in cursive, it’s something that you can always try to improve. Here are a few helpful tips to help you improve you handwriting or teach your children the proper way to write.

1. Point out the flaws. Write a few sentences and evaluate them to see where you’re going wrong. Is the slant uneven, or are the letters spaced too far apart? Do you write with straight, bold lines or are they shaky and fine? Deciphering where your handwriting needs improvement will help you to make it better.
2. Use the right muscles. Most people with less-than-perfect handwriting draw the letters on the page with only their fingers instead of using their full arms to write properly. Try writing with your entire arm and shoulder in order to put the right amount of force behind each letter.
3. Go back to the basics. Many bad habits begin when people start writing letters in a way that is different than the proper formation. Using a kindergarten-style alphabet worksheet, re-train yourself to write each letter the way it should look. This will help you to make your writing more consistent and, in turn, more legible for those who have to read it.

How to Improve Your Handwriting [wikiHow]
8 Easy Tips to Improve Your Handwriting [Matador]
Improve Your Handwriting by Writing With Your Shoulders, Not Your Fingers [Lifehacker]

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