This post is sponsored by Brother.
As parents, we’re always looking for the edge, a way to cut a corner and save a few minutes. However, we still want to keep the principles that form the foundation of our lifestyles intact.
A SUPER effective tool that I’ve found along the way is the Brother P-Touch D210 label maker. If you didn’t think this could be a life changer – THINK AGAIN. Allow me to tell you why and how the P-touch has helped me hack my life.
- The Big Growth Theory. I hate to say it, but my handwriting is moderately legible at best… so writing the date, height and names on a “watch me grow” wall was never a great pairing. With the P-touch PT D210, this has me comin’ out smelling like roses. If I measure the kiddo in September, there’s a football symbol (obviously) to go with it, for January there’s a snowflake… you get the idea. The options are endless (as there are 600+ symbols to choose from) AND I spare my wife and our guests from deciphering my chicken scratch.
- Special Dates Cheat Sheet! Often times (who am I kidding, MOST of the time), I’m so focused on the task at hand that I lose track of important dates on the calendar. For instance, dates that you should NEVER forget, like my wife’s birthday and wedding anniversary – OUCH.
I can’t do that again. So to avoid sleeping on the couch, I’ve created a top secret (until now) cheat sheet that I keep on my desk, stealthily adhered to the underside of the keyboard. What’s extra fantastic about the Brother labels are the fact that they are water-resistant and fade-resistant in the event I have a coffee (or beer) spill, which happens at least once a week. The cheat sheet laughs in the face of spillage!
- The Never Ending Cord Story! As Life of Dad continues to grow, so does the insane clutter on my desk and office floor. AND THE CORDS. I shudder at the thought of talking about the cords, however the Brother P-touch D210 label maker has been my savior. To help me get organized, I started by unplugging everything, untangling the woven birds nest of power supply and then labeled each one, tracking which cord went to which device. This simple task of appropriate labeling took me ten minutes, but the time it’s saved since is immeasurable – giving back valuable time I need to spend focused on my business.
- Are You Smarter Than A Grade Schooler? I’d like to think I am, but not when it comes to the constant, ever-changing activity schedule that we’ve got going on in my house. From kid’s swim lessons to tee-ball games to student-of-the-month assemblies and doctor appointments… the list is as long as my leg. Using our P-touch has allowed for me to create quick and easy labels each month to create a universal list of these events – we color code based on the type of event and add in symbols for different events. It has been a total game changer for the wife and I to keep track of everything.. Now if I could just manage to get everywhere on time.
- Whose Charger Is It Anyway! The Brother P-touch D210 label maker has so many fantastic label options to make organized tasks like this fit my style. You guys knew that I DID have some degree of style, right?
Each label can be personalized by using the different frames (and as I already mentioned because they come in handy so often, the over 600 symbols). For example, labeling my wife’s cell phone charger in pink tape has cut down on fights, accumulating resentments for stealing MY charger and essentially helped our marriage. It’s ended the blame game and once and for all proved that I steal her charger when I can’t find mine – WAIT – I thought this was supposed to help our problem? LOL.
I’m sure that you and your family can find a million other uses for the Brother P-touch D210 label maker, but these are a handful that have helped me hack my life! To purchase your very own P-touch D210, visit Staples.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This was a sponsored post on behalf of Brother and their #BrotherLabel and #PTouch campaign, however, my story AND growth chart are all mine (and theirs!). For more information about Brother and their amazing products, check them out here, on Facebook and Twitter!