Pen or Pencil?

Now you are probably wondering what to do with all those cute Christmas cards you are getting.
There is a ton of cute little stands to clip these on or some sort of hanging device.  But why not make

your own?!?  So I challenge all of you to come up with your own new card holder this week.  I repurposed an old french horn my mom gave me years ago that was looking sort of sad. I basically stripped it down, kept the ribbon for her present and scrapped the rest (garbage).  The red rope is from the original and I liked the rustic look of the horn.  So now I just use red and green clips to clip on the cards as they come.

Now you're probably wondering what this has to do with a pen or pencil.  As those cards come in, update the return addresses in your address book. Pen or Pencil? I prefer pencil, people move around waaaay to much to be scribbling in my book or getting a new one.

Snowy Saturdays!

I love snowy Saturdays with nothing on the calendar!

This is a little baby quilt my grandma made for my dolls,
 I repurposed it by using it as a table runner.

This is the backside so I can reverse it if I like.

I simply turned the plate upside down and hot glued 1 goblet to the bottom.

Viola! I beautiful centerpiece for a candle with a mini wreath or....

a fancy setting for Santa's cookies,
 or just a couple to enjoy with some eggnog or some other festive drink,
or for a mini cake or cupcakes.

You could clean out that closet you've been meaning to get to for a couple hours, play a game with a kiddo, and then still have time later to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa, and of course check out your favorite websites and pass them on. HINT, HINT. OR... you could repurpose something old. This was my latest favorite I was obsessed with buying, but didn't want to spend $ on myself right now, a cake stand.  So I started rumaging through my cabinets and came across these 3 goblets and 1 plate leftover from my husband's childhood and decided to make it my own.

IT"S FINALLY FRIDAY!!

Take a day off, you deserve it! Not that you really get a day off from being you, a wife, a mother, a nurturer, and all those other hats we put on. But other than that, take a few hours to yourself and go to lunch, go shopping, or start a project you've been putting off (come on, everyone has one, and no I don't mean mending).  Or put up the Christmas Tree and enjoy the season and embrace the cold by wrapping up with a fuzzy blanket, a good book, and a cup of hot cocoa. ENJOY!!

Thursday

Thursday is catch-up day! The day to do whatever didn't get done so far. Yes, this happens to the best of us, because you know those homework projects are really just bonding tactics the teachers come up with, like the one this week of inventions of a 2nd grader, and coming up with an obituary of an already dead president your daughter has never heard of, and the dr appts in between, and unwanted illnesses.  Anyhoo, so yes I will be vacuuming after piano tomorrow.  But that is why this chore solution works so great for me, it's flexible, so I can be.  And yes, my kids and their projects come before any housework.  Many of you may not also know that I'm a SAHM who doesn't really stay-home. I help teach/babysit my  toddler nephew while at preschool 3 days a week, and get to watch another cutie patooty 5 month old nephew the other 2 days, and sell Mary Kay on the side. Which side?  I don't know.  So on any other THURSDAY, I would probably be catching up on visits, ironing (only if absolutely needed), or organizing another room/closet for me or someone else.  Also, wash the towels (especially the ones you used to clean with all week) and bathroom rugs.

Wednesday

 Wednesday is Water Day!  That's how I remember to deep clean the bathrooms (in between the daily wipe downs by the kids with lysol wipes), and water all those plants!


I start with top to bottom.  Counters and sinks first, then tub, and toilets, followed by mirrors to finish it off.  I use my favorite oldie, AJAX for inside the toilets and sinks and just an all-purpose cleaner for counters.




To real freshen up, wash the week-old towels everyone uses to dry hands and hang back up. (No folding, yeah!)  Also take out the garbages (this is where we use the plastic shopping bags from the grocery stores, nice size for bathrooms), and make sure the t.p. is replenished, no less than 2 rolls per bahtroom so you don't run out.



Tuesday....

Tuesday I usually vacuum and sweep and mop the whole house.  It used to be Thursday, but piano lessons became the priority this year so I switched it up.  I seem to like it better actually earlier in the week because I feel like it stays cleaner longer and the weekend dirt gets picked up faster.  But whatever day works best for you, I'm merely suggesting a weekly routine with just 1 big job a day.  Then you can keep up on the clutter and other daily messes.  And no I don't just sweep my kitchen once a week. :) That is one of the kids chores/daily (sometimes twice, sometimes thrice).

Let them help.  Just being consistent with a weekly cleaning routine helps them to know what is expected.
Then someday it will lead into them doing it themselves which saves you alot of time.




This little guy loves to help mop bathrooms.  Sometimes I think he is better at it than I am.




So whether you have big helpers or little helpers, everyone can help vacuum.  Even if it's just their own room.



Today is Monday....

Monday is Laundry day at our house, including all the bed sheets.

It just happens to be one of my days off from preschool when I'm home all day!

(Except this week, it's my birthday and if you don't schedule time off for yourself no one else will. So a few years ago, I decided no housework or cooking on my birthday!)

Of course it piles up through the week so I do about 2-3 more loads on Friday, also day off.

I'm not telling you, you have to do it on Monday, just simply pick a day that works for you, then your not doing everything, everyday.

I hate ironing, my husband even says it is a waste of time, especially when you have kids your constantly holding.  So I have bought 3-4 nice wrinkle-free shirts for Sunday, and maybe once a month I actually iron when it piles up and I pick a chick flick to watch while doing it. (I can't just sit and do nothing, ask my sis-in-law.)

Each day our laundry is put into 2 laundry baskets next to the bedrooms.  Each day a different kid has the job of sorting that laundry into these bins. Whites, lights, darks, and levis, the towels go in a hamper in my bathroom after being used at least twice.

I might be crazy for making my own laundry soap, but I love not running out, and this recipe (see bottom of post) saves a ton of $. I very rarely have to use the Spray N' Wash, and I only use the dryer sheets for less static. (My husband has one of those electric personalities.) And it makes everything smell fresh, you could also add some essential oils for fragrance.

I keep this 5 gallon buchet on my laundry room floor and fill when needed.

Everything gets hung up or folded and put away by the end of the day by who it belongs to.

Laundry Soap Recipe:
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 Bar Fels Naptha Laundry Soap Bar
water

Grate bar soap & dissolve in 4 cups water on med.-low heat in medium saucepan.
Pour melted soap and washing soda and borax in 5 gallon container. Fill to top with hot water & mix.
Cover. Let set overnight. Stir again. Fill 1 gallon jug 1/2 full with concentrate, 1/2 water. Shake.
Use 1/2-1 cup per load.

I found everything at Macey's.

Sunday Night Routine


 

This is the inside of our panty door.  In your house it may be in your mudroom or maybe a chalkboard in your kids room, but this seems to be the central station in our house.  I keep a whiteboard which I update every Sunday night with a list of chores for the week for each child, 1 job per day besides keeping their room clean, making their bed and putting away clothes.  Then I don't have to think when they get home from school what to have them do to earn their allowance. (Allowance you say: YES!  My kids get $1 for every age they are per month.) Cheap you say, maybe. But they usually don't spend it, they like to go to the bank and see their savings grow.  But now Christmas is upon us, yes ladies, maybe only 5-6 more paychecks till then, sad but true, they keep a little bit at home to buy for each other.
Back to the job chart, most of the time, those who are a little bit more focused in the morning, usually get their job done before school.  Since this picture was taken I have updated it to 4 different color of dry erase pens, 1 for each kid.  Easier for them to spot their own section .
Also the lunch calendar from school is printed out here, so those that are picky can decide if they are taking a home lunch on which days that week by writing their initial and a yes or no next to it.

Also backpacks are ready, papers signed, books inside, ready to go hanging inside the coat closet on command hooks, next to a jacket and pair of shoes on the shelf ready to go.
The kids also set out their own school clothes for the next day (as long as they are modest I don't battle, they actually do this all week long, takes out the guess work and one less thing to do in the morning), and take out a bathroom garbage because Monday is city garbage day.

And for all you couponers out there, after the kiddos have settled down for the night I clip and sort the coupons from the day. So I'm ready for Monday without weekend loomers.  Stay tuned for Monday routine...

It's that time of year...

....to rotate our 72-hour kits.  This is our food kits.  We used to do this just once a year, but we've found some of the items got a little to crisp for our liking, so we upped it to twice a year.  We all gather our backpacks (which came from unused school pile because they found a cooler one, or you can purchase them cheap at the D.I.) and dump everything into a huge bowl and eat the snacks throughout watching the 2-hour increments of church leaders speaking, or save some for the pantry rotation for after school snacks or ball games. We also have learned to store things we are used to or like eating. You may make changes to your liking, for instance you may have a peanut allergy in your household, but I do think chocolate is a must!

suggested food-type items for kits:
2 instant oatmeal
3 hot chocolate
1 hot cider
1 ramen noodles
3 granola bars
2 fruit snacks or fruit roll-ups
2 jerky
2 pkgs peanut butter crackers
1 pkg raisins
2 capri sun
1 vienna sausage
3 pkg crackers
1 pkg trail mix
1 chex mix bar
1 pkg gum
few tootsie rolls
few pieces hard candy
plastic spoon
ziploc bag to hold foods

 Menu:
Day One
B: oatmeal, hot chocolate
L: trail mix, capri sun
D:1/2 pkg ramen noodles, jerky, fruit snacks

Day Two
B: oatmeal, hot chocolate
L: 2 pkg peanut butter crackers, raisins, capri sun
D: 2 granola bars, jerky, hot cider

Day Three
B: granola bar, hot chocolate
L: 1/2 pkg ramen noodles, chex mix bar
D: vienna sausage, 3 pkg crackers, fruit snacks

Snacks: gum, tootsie rolls, hard candy

*Note: You will need at least 2 liters water (to mix food and to drink), cups, a heat source and small pan
for heating water.  Food kits should be rotated yearly to keep food fresh, but we've found 6 months works best for our family. I usually spend around $50-$60 for my family of 6 for the food kits.

We also have 1 set of clothes for each person in our backpacks. The adults usually stay, but since children grow like weeds, it is also a good time to rotate their clothes as well. We keep a pair of underwear, socks, long pants, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt or hoodie in them, and our camping shoes are in the garage for a quick grab.
For additional items we have 1 solar or crank radio, 1 roll of toilet paper, a small first aid kit, waterproof matches, a heat source, and extra water in the adult bags. In all of them we have a mess kit, disposable poncho, emergency sleeping bag & blanket, shaker flashlight, an all-in-one compass-whistle-mirror, activity books and crayons, small toy or comfort item, travel size toothpaste & toothbrush, any medication that person may need, and hand sanitizer.
For the little ones in your family, you may want to pack some children's motrin, and their medication in your bag just to be safe.
I just thought of this one to add this year; a wallet size family pic, (in case you get seperated, hopefully you won't).
Always better to be safe than sorry! It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark! Hoping we never have to use these, but knowing I am prepared brings my mind more peaceful bliss!

Today is great day to...

...open the windows, strip the beds, and air out those mattresses.  While the sheets are washing spray the mattresses down with some Febreeze or other air freshener you have on hand, wait  till you put the sheets in the dryer, then flip the mattress and spray again.  By the time the sheets are dry so will your mattresses.  And you've got a headstart on that FALL cleaning.
While you have that yummy Fall scented (I used Febreeze with Gain apple mango tango scent), air freshener out go ahead and spray the toss pillows that are on those comfy couches that you are going to land on tomorrow night after the kiddos are in bed to watch the Season Premiere of Parenthood. (WOOT! WOOT!!)

A Clean Place to Study

This is our project drawer for the kids, which obviously was in some much needed help after the summer to prepare for the school year.  So here are some before, during and after pics.  Yes, I through away quite a bit of used paper and coloring books.  Now it is ready and organized for the kids to have a nice and clean study station.

Yeah, one drawer for pencils, paper, and workbooks, and another for "rainy-day-I'm bored" projects.

Have you ever wondered....?

....how I keep sane? This, this is my "Brain" book!!

This is probably what most of your fridges look like, mine used to until we got this new one and we couldn't stand anything on it because it looks so pretty by itself.

What did I do? I put a message board inside the pantry door and in-and-out boxes on the counter that don't get abused. Also, get yourself a calendar. The 16-month ones are for sale right now. What a great headstart for the new year.

It's the 1st of September now is the time to get yourself and your kids organized. I'm by all means not saying I'm perfect, but I'm trying to turn my passions into a talent that may help others.

So be one of the first ones to name my new business and title of my blog and I will choose the best one for me. And the winner will win, one room of her choosing to be organized!