I was driving home from work the other night, and as the light snow fell I listened to the host ask people to call in to talk about New Year's resolutions. He wasn't just asking what listeners were planning for 2009, but also how their goals for 2008 worked out.

After listening to about three callers who all said their goals were weight or fitness related -- and not met in 2008 so reset for 2009, I might add -- I was about to change the station. Getting in shape is a common goal -- we all know it, we all hear about it, people who want to sell us stuff capitalize on it at this time of year.

To my mind, it gets a little tiring.

My finger was on the button to switch the station when a woman called in and said her resolution wasn't about her weight or body image. She said she set a resolution in 2008 to make an effort to listen, really listen, when her children were talking to her. No more half-listening while the TV or radio is going; no more reading a recipe in a magazine while the child is talking. Her resolution was to, when possible, stop what she was doing and give her child her full attention.

As painful as it is to admit, I recognized myself in what she was saying. When your kids are young, they seem to tell you everything. There's no determination about whether or not a story is worth telling or a game they played is worth reliving or a TV commercial is worth imitating. It all comes at you, all the time. 

If we're honest, we'll admit that a lot of it ends up being tuned out as we make dinner, fold laundry or dwell on some work or financial issue that's really holding our attention. 

I'm not there yet, but I hear there's an age when the kids stop talking (at least you don't hear everything anymore), and I've heard my friends who have children in this group long for the days when they actually knew what was going on. It's hard for me to think that I'll be there soon, but I will be, and right now I can't even realize how much I'll miss it.

So that's my goal for 2009 -- making time for the face-to-face real listening. I'm glad I didn't change the station too soon to hear it.

I was at a meeting last week and the opening chit-chat was about -- surprise, suprise -- the snow. Someone then brought up the big ol' freezing cold snap headed our way.

If you don't live for winter, it's enough to make you want to burrow under the covers and set your alarm clock for April.

So if you've got little ones at home, what do you do to keep yourself -- and your kids -- from going insane when you are, in fact, going insane?

Starting Monday morning (and every morning through Friday) I'll post a blog with an idea to do at home each day for a little activity to remind you that all is not lost when you can't get outside. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom of little ones or a working mom who wants to do something fun in the evening, give these ideas a try. 

And look on the bright side -- we're supposed to be in the double digits (granted it's only 12 degrees) by Friday.

It's just one week. Say it together: We can do it.

If you think you might try some of this stuff, here are a few things you'll need that you might not have at the ready at home. And don't worry -- these are random things you'll need. They aren't all combined together in one recipe that includes both chocolate chips and shaving cream. Shop on Monday; it's supposed to be 30. From there it's all downhill.

Shopping List

two packages unsweetened Kool-Aid

cream of tartar

corn oil

peanut butter

chocolate chips

bananas, kiwi, other soft fruits

vanilla yogurt

shaving cream

brown paper lunch bags

construction paper

yarn and/or pipe cleaners

In case you missed my Jan. 10 post, I'll catch you up. This week's going to be bad. Really bad. Cold, nasty -- the whole nine. 

What are you going to do with your kids if you're stuck in the house? Every day this week I'll give you a little something to do, an idea that doesn't cost a lot or require you to leave the house. 

Today's plan? Dance Party.

This is something I used to do with my kids from time to time. It has no rhyme or reason to it, but the kids always loved it and it keeps them occupied -- at least for a little while. 

In the dead of winter, when we were going stir-crazy, housebound insane, there were some days that were just made for dance parties. If you can call a friend and invite her and those kids too, even better.

Throw a pot of coffee on, and then head for the basement or closet to dig up last Halloween's costumes or costumes from the last few years. Ask your friend's kids to come wearing their old costumes, and also ask them to bring any extras they might have from years past.

Grab any other dress up clothes, sunglasses, big boots, hats, scarves, purses or other accessories that would make it fun.

Throw all the costumes the kids aren't wearing and any accessories into a big pile on the floor. Push back the furniture to make some room.

Now here's the key part -- find some music that really gets your kids rockin'. Back in the dance-party days for us, my kids and their friends were partial to the Disney "Tarzan" soundtrack and the "Spirit" soundtrack. Also big for us was this CD I bought for no good reason but it ended up being one of our favorites. It's called "African Playground."

Get your music going, encourage costume accessorizing and costume swapping, and just watch and enjoy. For some reason the combination of loud music, Halloween costumes and silly accessories seems to pass the time nicely. There's nothing quite like a Spider-Man costume paired with a Hannah Montana wig, a beaded handbag and aviator glasses and a "goofy dance move" competition to get everybody giggling.

Throw out a few bowls of crackers and some juice boxes, and you're all set.

Keep 'em moving, and you might even get some nice naps out of the whole experience.

OK, now you're all warmed up for the temperature drop. Get ready for tomorrow, when we're heading to the kitchen.

In case you missed my Jan. 10 post, I'll catch you up. This week's going to be bad. Really bad. Cold, nasty -- the whole nine. 

What are you going to do with your kids if you're stuck in the house? Every day this week I'll give you a little something to do, an idea that doesn't cost a lot or require you to leave the house.

Today's plan? Hit the kitchen.

For some reason, I didn't learn until my kids were older just how much kids love to cut stuff up. I was always slicing food into little pieces for them, not realizing how much they just might like doing it themselves. 

Give each child a cutting board or plate, a butter knife (or a plastic knife, if you're more comfortable with that) and some peeled bananas and kiwis, strawberries, cantaloupe slices -- whatever your kids will eat. Let them go nuts hacking up the fruit however they would like. Even completely smushed bananas are fine.

Give them each a carton of vanilla yogurt and let them layer in the fruit and yogurt into a short glass or bowl. Do this early enough in the day and this could be breakfast.

If your children like baking with you, here's a peanut butter cookie recipe that's so simple, you'll want to make it all the time. The nice part is that it only makes about 15 to 18 cookies, so you won't have a ton of them around, threatening to ruin your New Year's resolve. (And you're not missing anything on the recipe -- there's no flour, baking soda, butter or added salt in this recipe.)

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

chocolate chips

Combine all the ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

So now we've had our day in the kitchen. On tap for tomorrow? Get ready for some sensory fun.

Day 1: Dance Party

In case you missed my Jan. 10 post, I'll catch you up. This week's going to be bad. Really bad. Cold, nasty -- the whole nine. 

What are you going to do with your kids if you're stuck in the house? Every day this week I'll give you a little something to do, an idea that doesn't cost a lot or require you to leave the house.

Today's plan? Sensory Day.

There's nothing more fun than playdough, but not for parents. Play-Doh brand playdough is crumbly, leaving little bits and pieces all over the place for you to clean up.

This homemade playdough recipe is superior to anything you can buy at the store. It comes together in just a few minutes, smells good (watch out if you have a little one who might want to eat it) and, best of all, actually holds together without being sticky.

Try making this up in the morning and give it a few minutes to cool before you turn your kids loose on it. A batch of this, some small toys to bury and undig, and some cookie cutters will keep little hands busy for a good long time.

Super Playdough

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup salt

2 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid

4 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 cups water

2 tablespoons corn oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a large, nonstick saucepan. (I use my old electric skillet for this.) Cook and stir over low heat until the mixture thickens and the bottom is just starting to crust up -- about 5 to 15 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and almost impossible to stir.

Dump the dough out onto a large cookie sheet and allow it to cool. When it's cool, knead it until smooth -- and play! Store it in a covered container. 

Makes 3 cups.

You might remember a can of shaving cream was on the shopping list for this week as well. When the kids tire of  the playdough (if they tire of the playdough), squirt the shaving cream onto the tabletop and give your kids some scoops, cups spatulas -- whatever they think might be fun for moving it around. This is more of a mess than the playdough, of course, so you can certainly skip this part!

Remember those little toys we were playing with today in the playdough? Those are a hint for tomorrow, when we'll get our brains moving with puzzles.

Day 1: Dance Party

In case you missed my Jan. 10 post, I'll catch you up. This week's going to be bad. Really bad. Cold, nasty -- the whole nine. 

What are you going to do with your kids if you're stuck in the house? Every day this week I'll give you a little something to do, an idea that doesn't cost a lot or require you to leave the house.

Today's plan? Puzzle Day.

If you ever sat in a pediatrician's office growing up, odds are you spent some time reading Highlights magazine. Highlights is online these days and has some cool hidden picture puzzles your kids can do online or print out and try on paper.

Thekidzpage.com has all sorts of free online jigsaw puzzles your kids can do on the computer, ranging from six to 40 pieces. Puzzle subjects include everything from animals to transportation to bugs, so there's surely something to please each child.  

And once you're ready to get the kids off the computer, how about solving a real-life puzzle like "where do all the little pieces go?" Dump out all the big toy bins in the house and have the kids help you locate the real home of all the little pieces. It's amazing how much more fun it is to play a game or play with the Fisher-Price schoolhouse when it has all the pieces. It's like having new toys!

Now you've warmed up your brains. Get ready for a crafty day tomorrow.

Day 1: Dance Party

OK, this is the last post this week with an idea for something to do if you're stuck in the house with little kids and actually want to turn off the TV for a little while.

Today's plan? Craft day.

I say this realizing that it will turn some of you off right away. Like many other moms, I am not crafty. Not gifted with the least bit of artistic talent, actually. I also don't really care for a mess, so crafts aren't my first choice for fun activities.

Despite all that, kids love making stuff, and they not only don't mind if it is messy, they hope that it will be. This craft project, basic paper-bag puppets, is not really messy, but if you go wild with the Elmer's Glue, then yes, it could be.

About.com offers some simple ideas for making the puppets, which only require paper lunch bags, construction paper or white paper that you can color, markers, yarn and maybe pipe cleaners.

DLTK Crafts for Kids has even more ideas. 

When they're done making the puppets, sit back and watch the puppet show.

Then pour yourself a big cup of coffee and thank your lucky stars that you made it through this nasty week. Congratulations!

If you've seen "A Christmas Story" (and who hasn't!), it might not be a bad idea to remind your kids that this isn't a good idea. 

Ow.

Our new president has barely finished taking his oath of office (for the second time) and already his two daughters, who he and wife Michelle fiercely hope to protect from the media spectacle that is the White House, are grabbing public attention.

This is nothing like the partying of the Bush twins that got Washington tongues wagging -- in fact, it's the exact opposite. 

Dolls made in the likeness of the girls and bearing their names are being sold by Ty Inc., the makers of Beanie Babies. The dolls, called "Sweet Sasha" and "Marvelous Malia" were released this month. And while Ty Inc. initially hoped the girls would like the dolls, it's backing down on that now and claiming they are not modeled on the new occupants of the White House.

C'mon, really?

Michelle Obama's spokesperson released this statement about the dolls: "We believe it is inappropriate to use young private citizens for marketing purposes."

In case Ty Inc. is having trouble understanding that, it means you won't see the real Sasha and Malia carrying around the doll versions of themselves anytime soon. 

If Ty wanted good publicity around this, maybe the company should have waited to cash in on the Obamas until the new presidential puppy is in the White House.

Click here for the full story. 

If you're thinking of going with an unusual name for your soon-to-be baby boy, you might want to think twice.

Some economists reported in Social Science Quarterly this week that there's a link between having an unpopular name and ending up in trouble as a teen boy.

Read all about it here.