5 Things

For a lot of years, I kept my phone downstairs at night. But then one child went off to college, and the other started driving, so I want to be able to be notified if a situation arises. I don’t want to check my phone or be bothered by it, though, throughout the night. Do Not Disturb bypass solves my dilemma. I am able to place my phone on Do Not Disturb but can allow notifications to come through if either girl texts or calls. It’s easy … go to the contact you want to put on bypass, click on “info” and then scroll down to text tone. Click there and you’re able to choose “emergency bypass on.” Voila! A little peace of mind at night.

Air Purifier

Does your car sometimes get stinky? Mine does (typically from someone’s leaving a coffee drink in the car and then forgetting to throw it out) and so does my hubby’s, so we got a PURGGO Car Air Eco-Purifier & Freshener. We decided my husband’s vehicle was stinkier, so he got to try it out. Guess what? It has greatly reduced any less-thanpleasant smells! It comes ready to hang on the back of the headrest and gets rid of the smell without replacing it with an artificial scent. Great for any car that sometimes smells not so great! Amazon.com

5THINGS WE LOVE RIGHT NOW

StairSlide

New Exhibit

I was recently talking with a friend who said she was looking for different ideas of things to do in KC. I gave her a list and included on it the recently opened Maya, the Exhibition: The Great Jaguar Rises at Union Station. As always, the exhibits are not only well done, but educational as well. The exhibit includes more than 300 artifacts and allows you to discover how the Maya live on today—in their inventions that continue to shape our daily lives and in the millions who carry on the Maya tradition in language and lineage. UnionStation.org

Compiled by Margaret Sarver

When my girls were young, they would get into a sleeping bag and use it to speed down the stairs. It kept them busy for hours, but I always worried they’d hit something because they couldn’t see where they were going. So when I received an email about StairSlide and it coincided with an upcoming visit from my young nieces and nephews, I knew had to give it a try. It turns your stairs into a slide and it’s as awesome as it sounds. Naturally, safety was a concern, but my fears were allayed immediately. StairSlide secures to the carpet with a grip on the bottom, and you can adjust the number of stairs you place it on to adjust speed. Provides hours and hours and hours of fun! StairSlide.com

Container Workshops

A green thumb I do not have. Nor am I creative when it comes to arranging plants. But I can water a plant and keep it alive! Enter Family Tree Nursery’s container workshop, Sept. 9-11. Each fall my younger and I visit during the container workshops and we have fun putting together planters that not only look great, but last all season. The Family Tree staff does a great job of assisting with choosing and arranging plants so that you leave with a masterpiece! Make sure to grab a coffee before your workshop at the newly renovated Café Equinox at the Shawnee location. Pre-register for a spot at FamilyTreeNursery.com.