Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Check Out My Favorite Books
Check my list of books at the bottom! All these can be found in the local library! Vaun
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Comments, feedback and suggestions, Oh My!
Please feel free to make any comments. I would love your feedback and suggestions. Thanks, Vaun
Halloween Ideas from one of my favorite websites, Sugardoodle:
http://www.sugardoodle.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3162&Itemid=429
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Catch Up
A new school week starts tomorrow...
1. Saturday, kids are responsible for getting a full weeks worth of outfits (or uniforms in our case), ready. This includes socks and shoes, coats, etc. In our home, our kids are taught to do their own laundry at age 9. This helps everyone involved! It cuts down on the amount of laundry I need to do but also helps them be more independent. Once you get past the pink socks...
2. We try to clean out book bags on Fridays ready for the following week. I have a basket set up in my Art Room where kids place any papers, permissions slips, order forms, etc. that I need to see. Hopefully if it's a good week, the kids are doing this every night. I try to go through any papers from school and those that need to be returned I put back in their back packs for the following day.
3. Saturday...clean the car out. This includes snacks on the floor, papers, homework, toys, clothing, socks (don't know how but...), garbage, etc.
4. Stock the fridge and pantry for the following week. I have bins in my pantry labelled "Lunch Box". Here I try to keep snacks for the kids lunches. This may include applesauce, fruit leathers, crackers, fruit in a cup, puddings, etc. I have also designated a drawer in the fridge where we keep cheese sticks, gogurts, juice boxes, etc. By the end of the week, both of these need to restocked for the following week.
5. I bought a relatively cheap cleaning caddy at Target. We keep it in under the sink in the bathroom closest to the garage. I try to keep it stocked with brushes and combs, hair spray for the girls, gel for the boys. Elastics, barrette's, toothpaste and deodorant. This has been very helpful for mornings when we are running around...imagine an assembly line! :)
6. Review of the weekly calendar. I purchased a dry erase calender from Pottery Barn. Can't imagine not having it. It is in the laundry room which is the room they come in and out of from the garage/car. Kids now know to look at this daily. If they have piano lessons the following day, they know to grab their piano books and stick them in the car. I even list on the calendar whether they are pickups or bussers. I have seen how others have used a different color dry erase pen for each kid but I found this to be too time consuming. I simply put by the task or to do the person's name.
7. Every kid has a 1" binder with their name on it. In these binders I keep information that I may want to refer to in the future. It's also the place where we keep monthly Progress Reports, reading logs, instrument practice sheets, monthly calendars and cafeteria menu, etc. The kids are not allowed to have these binders. They are more for me than for them. If the papers get into the binder, we are never looking around trying to find lost papers. This has been helpful as well when I am out of town or even in bed sick. My husband has been able to simply pull out their binder to find the information he is looking for or needs to sign (such as nightly reading logs). This was a great tip I picked up from the Fly Lady. If you haven't been to her website...you need to check it out! http://www.flylady.net/
8. We are a Love and Logic family...we feel our kids need to be responsible and that unless they learn now it will only handicap them later. If a kid leaves their lunch, homework or an instrument at home, I don't run it into town for them. The kids have learned to be responsible and in the beginning, they did have to eat a few dry sandwiches from the cafeteria or lose marks on late homework. While this may sound hard, they have learned. I don't remember the last time I received a call from school. They rarely ever forget their lunches or homework...(I'm still trying to get them to complete their homework! :) ) http://www.loveandlogic.com/
9. Everyone has heard this one...but doing as much as you can the night before. I will even try to have bowls, spoons and cups on the kitchen table with a few boxes of cereal and fruit. All that is required the next morning is for the kids to get the milk.
10. Lunches are made the night before. Both my girls have been making their own lunches for years. Now that I have a kindergartner, I give him a hand, but am teaching him to do the same. We discovered the kids will actually eat what THEY pack. Rather than trade or throw out what I pack. I usually will try to take a peek that their lunches don't consist of gogurts and cheese sticks only.
Have a great school week!
1. Saturday, kids are responsible for getting a full weeks worth of outfits (or uniforms in our case), ready. This includes socks and shoes, coats, etc. In our home, our kids are taught to do their own laundry at age 9. This helps everyone involved! It cuts down on the amount of laundry I need to do but also helps them be more independent. Once you get past the pink socks...
2. We try to clean out book bags on Fridays ready for the following week. I have a basket set up in my Art Room where kids place any papers, permissions slips, order forms, etc. that I need to see. Hopefully if it's a good week, the kids are doing this every night. I try to go through any papers from school and those that need to be returned I put back in their back packs for the following day.
3. Saturday...clean the car out. This includes snacks on the floor, papers, homework, toys, clothing, socks (don't know how but...), garbage, etc.
4. Stock the fridge and pantry for the following week. I have bins in my pantry labelled "Lunch Box". Here I try to keep snacks for the kids lunches. This may include applesauce, fruit leathers, crackers, fruit in a cup, puddings, etc. I have also designated a drawer in the fridge where we keep cheese sticks, gogurts, juice boxes, etc. By the end of the week, both of these need to restocked for the following week.
5. I bought a relatively cheap cleaning caddy at Target. We keep it in under the sink in the bathroom closest to the garage. I try to keep it stocked with brushes and combs, hair spray for the girls, gel for the boys. Elastics, barrette's, toothpaste and deodorant. This has been very helpful for mornings when we are running around...imagine an assembly line! :)
6. Review of the weekly calendar. I purchased a dry erase calender from Pottery Barn. Can't imagine not having it. It is in the laundry room which is the room they come in and out of from the garage/car. Kids now know to look at this daily. If they have piano lessons the following day, they know to grab their piano books and stick them in the car. I even list on the calendar whether they are pickups or bussers. I have seen how others have used a different color dry erase pen for each kid but I found this to be too time consuming. I simply put by the task or to do the person's name.
7. Every kid has a 1" binder with their name on it. In these binders I keep information that I may want to refer to in the future. It's also the place where we keep monthly Progress Reports, reading logs, instrument practice sheets, monthly calendars and cafeteria menu, etc. The kids are not allowed to have these binders. They are more for me than for them. If the papers get into the binder, we are never looking around trying to find lost papers. This has been helpful as well when I am out of town or even in bed sick. My husband has been able to simply pull out their binder to find the information he is looking for or needs to sign (such as nightly reading logs). This was a great tip I picked up from the Fly Lady. If you haven't been to her website...you need to check it out! http://www.flylady.net/
8. We are a Love and Logic family...we feel our kids need to be responsible and that unless they learn now it will only handicap them later. If a kid leaves their lunch, homework or an instrument at home, I don't run it into town for them. The kids have learned to be responsible and in the beginning, they did have to eat a few dry sandwiches from the cafeteria or lose marks on late homework. While this may sound hard, they have learned. I don't remember the last time I received a call from school. They rarely ever forget their lunches or homework...(I'm still trying to get them to complete their homework! :) ) http://www.loveandlogic.com/
9. Everyone has heard this one...but doing as much as you can the night before. I will even try to have bowls, spoons and cups on the kitchen table with a few boxes of cereal and fruit. All that is required the next morning is for the kids to get the milk.
10. Lunches are made the night before. Both my girls have been making their own lunches for years. Now that I have a kindergartner, I give him a hand, but am teaching him to do the same. We discovered the kids will actually eat what THEY pack. Rather than trade or throw out what I pack. I usually will try to take a peek that their lunches don't consist of gogurts and cheese sticks only.
Have a great school week!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Odds and ends
Time Saving Tips:
1. Buy Costco Rotissiere chicken. Tonight I bought three and took what meat I could from off the bone. Using my food scale, (a cheap little thing I picked up from Bed, Bath and Beyond), I freeze the chicken in Ziploc bags. I freeze a pound of chicken in each ZipLoc. These have been a huge timer for me especially on nights when I am running behind. I simply thaw the chicken and throw it into a casserole, soup, stew or other dish. We had it last night for a recipe called Mexican chicken. Using my microwave rice cooker, I made white rice. We enjoyed a good meal and it didn't take long to prepare.
2. Buy a clock for your bathroom...especially helpful for those us who spend a lot of time with make up, curling irons, etc.
3. Using ZipLocs, store all manuals and packaging in one large Ziploc. These can then be stored in the decorative boxes (similar to hat boxes). Ross's has a great selection and they are reasonably priced.
4. Jott.com. I love this website! I have been using it for a few months now and it has been great! It's a free service (although they do have upgraded plans), which allows you to have reminders, notes, etc. transcribed and delivered to your email inbox. I have assigned a speed dial number on my phone for Jott and then when prompted, "Jott your note", I leave myself a message, reminder, etc. It is then in my inbox within a few minutes.
5. Car Organization: School has started and i was so frustrated last year with the mess in my car from bookbags, instruments, lunch totes, papers, loose homework, snacks, etc. that I decided to organize my car. I found a front seat organizer (Target), which goes on my passenger side seat and is easly removable for when someone is going to sit in the passenger seat.
I bought a cell phone holder that inserts to one one my air vents and when in the car, I always know where the phone is. No digging around while driving!
Also, my favorite! I bought bungie cords with the plastic hooks at the end. I wound them around the top of my car head rests and now the kids simply hang their book bags, lunch bags, etc. on the hooks. I also use them to hang coats, jackets and shopping bags. I wound two around the head rest of the passenger side so two hooks face back and two face front. I use the front hooks to hang my purse, grocery bags, etc.
I also keep a folder in my car and when kids get in the car from school, bus stop, lessons, etc. I ask them for all their papers and stick it in the folder. Later that evening, I will sort through the folder and return it to the car organizer ready for the next day. No more papers on the car floor.
Cooler in the back to keep groceries frozen, cold, etc during the warmer months.
Phone book in the car for easy reference. We tend to get a few phonebooks and even if you don't, often last years can be just as useful. I also keep a copy of the ward directory in the car, this has saved me so many times!
Visor CD/DVD organizer. This can be used not only for CD's and DVD's but for store coupons, take out menu's at favorite restaurants, etc. Or buy two and keep it on the passenger side visor.
1. Buy Costco Rotissiere chicken. Tonight I bought three and took what meat I could from off the bone. Using my food scale, (a cheap little thing I picked up from Bed, Bath and Beyond), I freeze the chicken in Ziploc bags. I freeze a pound of chicken in each ZipLoc. These have been a huge timer for me especially on nights when I am running behind. I simply thaw the chicken and throw it into a casserole, soup, stew or other dish. We had it last night for a recipe called Mexican chicken. Using my microwave rice cooker, I made white rice. We enjoyed a good meal and it didn't take long to prepare.
2. Buy a clock for your bathroom...especially helpful for those us who spend a lot of time with make up, curling irons, etc.
3. Using ZipLocs, store all manuals and packaging in one large Ziploc. These can then be stored in the decorative boxes (similar to hat boxes). Ross's has a great selection and they are reasonably priced.
4. Jott.com. I love this website! I have been using it for a few months now and it has been great! It's a free service (although they do have upgraded plans), which allows you to have reminders, notes, etc. transcribed and delivered to your email inbox. I have assigned a speed dial number on my phone for Jott and then when prompted, "Jott your note", I leave myself a message, reminder, etc. It is then in my inbox within a few minutes.
5. Car Organization: School has started and i was so frustrated last year with the mess in my car from bookbags, instruments, lunch totes, papers, loose homework, snacks, etc. that I decided to organize my car. I found a front seat organizer (Target), which goes on my passenger side seat and is easly removable for when someone is going to sit in the passenger seat.
I bought a cell phone holder that inserts to one one my air vents and when in the car, I always know where the phone is. No digging around while driving!
Also, my favorite! I bought bungie cords with the plastic hooks at the end. I wound them around the top of my car head rests and now the kids simply hang their book bags, lunch bags, etc. on the hooks. I also use them to hang coats, jackets and shopping bags. I wound two around the head rest of the passenger side so two hooks face back and two face front. I use the front hooks to hang my purse, grocery bags, etc.
I also keep a folder in my car and when kids get in the car from school, bus stop, lessons, etc. I ask them for all their papers and stick it in the folder. Later that evening, I will sort through the folder and return it to the car organizer ready for the next day. No more papers on the car floor.
Cooler in the back to keep groceries frozen, cold, etc during the warmer months.
Phone book in the car for easy reference. We tend to get a few phonebooks and even if you don't, often last years can be just as useful. I also keep a copy of the ward directory in the car, this has saved me so many times!
Visor CD/DVD organizer. This can be used not only for CD's and DVD's but for store coupons, take out menu's at favorite restaurants, etc. Or buy two and keep it on the passenger side visor.
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