Today officially marks my first day on my own! My husband is back to work and my mom will help out occasionally now. I was a little nervous about how today would go, but so far it's been a relatively peaceful and productive day. By 9:30 I had showered, bathed the middle kiddos, made dinner to be cooked this evening, vacuumed, and completed a school project for my daughter. I could really use a nap, but am not sure how I can fit that in with my middle two no longer napping. Bummer!
I have come to realize that I am going to have to accept that I'm always going to be behind in some aspects of my life, but I am going to do my best to not get too far behind. For the past few months I had been a little lenient about the weekly "schedule" I had created for myself, but it is time to resume old habits that made our household run a little more smoothly. Today I thought I'd share a few ways I try to keep up with a busy household of kids!
Meal planning is one of the most beneficial activities I do. One day a week (usually on Wednesday when the local grocery ads come out) I sit down and plan out our meals for the week and our grocery list. If I have extra time, I'll look at Target or Coupons.com for some coupons to try to trim a few more dollars off of our grocery bill. I've tried to make meal planning a little simpler by sticking with a theme a few nights a week. For example, crockpot meal on Monday, breakfast for dinner on Thursday, homemade pizza on Friday, and a simple, kid-friendly meal on Saturday. This leaves a few days a week where I have to sift through my recipes to come up with dinner, but it has really cut back on time! My other time-saver is having chicken for casseroles in the freezer that is already cooked and shredded.
Keeping my house clean is also quite the time-consuming task. Each night I try to do a quick sweep through our main areas to pick up the toys and clutter that have emerged throughout the day. Our kids are old enough that they are all assigned a task or two during this time to help cut down on clean up time. The kitchen is also an area that is cleaned up each night, as waking up to a mess of a kitchen stinks! As for the rest of the house, I try to break the house cleaning tasks, such as dusting, vacuuming, bathrooms, and laundry up by day. Taking thirty minutes or less during the weekdays, I can keep up with the house for the most part. This is something that I had slacked off of while really pregnant, but am trying to resume so I don't have to spend an hour or more on the weekends cleaning.
I am also working on teaching our kindergartener the importance of completing his homework and school tasks on time, preferably the day the assignment comes home, as they usually aren't due for a few days. I made a bulletin board to pin all school things up on, so we can easily keep track of them. We are also encouraging him to read to us for 30 minutes a day, so we are working on blocking out that time each night as well and keeping a reading a log.
I realized a long time ago that there will never be enough hours in a day, but if we are mindful of what time we do have, we can schedule our time wisely and there will still be time leftover to enjoy some of the activities that we, as individuals, like to do, as well as fun family activities.
Showing posts with label Organizing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organizing. Show all posts
Monday, April 22, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Prepping For Baby: Meals!
With about a month to go, I decided it was time to sit down and plan out our meals and put together a large grocery list. While I am doing this to prep for the month after the baby is born, you could easily do this in your everyday life as well. It takes time and organization, but it will pay off in the end. We will not be eating frozen food and take-out, but some of our favorite homemade meals. Today I'll share with you our menu list and some tips on how to make meal planning easier! I am not planning to freeze any of these meals in advance. I will just have all of the ingredients on hand.
The first thing I did was look through my recipes to find the most time-efficient and simple meals I could find. My goal was to come up with at least one month's worth of meals for both lunch and dinner, as well as breakfast, snacks and some special treats I don't usually buy for the kids during this transition time.
Planning lunch was pretty simple, as our kids are pretty partial to the same old rotation of meals: jelly, Sunbutter/jelly, deli meat, or grilled cheese sandwiches; quesadillas, hot dogs (I like to buy the no nitrate turkey dogs), tomato soup, and macaroni and cheese. We'll have leftovers, too, if they're available. For myself (since my kiddos won't eat it), I'm going to have some cooked turkey on hand in the freezer for turkey and gravy over mashed potatoes (YUM!).
Putting together our dinner options and list took a little more time. Every Friday we have homemade pizza, so that was an easy one (and four meals-bonus!). I also like to have breakfast for dinner on Thursday nights, so we'll rotate through homemade french toast, pancakes, and waffles for those meals. One night a week, usually Monday, I like to do a crockpot recipe, so I chose Italian Beef and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and chicken tacos. I plan to make the chicken tacos twice and use the meat to make enchiladas one night. It's just an easy way to cook the chicken and it's very flavorful.
I'm a big fan of casseroles, so of course I will be incorporating those into my menu. One of the easiest ways to make the casserole prep work quick is to cook and cube the chicken ahead of time. I put two cups in Ziploc and put them in the freezer. I usually find that this amount is enough to suffice for most of my recipes. I chose the following casserole recipes: Cheesy Chicken (which I can make the night before which is a bonus!), Chicken Tetrazzini, Turkey Tetrazzini, Spaghetti Pie, Shepherd's Pie, Tator Tot, and Chicken and Rice. Most of these are easy to have supplies on hand for. You'll need your soups, pastas, frozen vegetables and potatoes, and other odds and ends that you can buy ahead of time.
I've also included Spaghetti, Baked Mostaccioli, Sloppy Joe's, Tacos, Chicken Pot Pie, Ribs, Oven BBQ Chicken Drumsticks, and BBQ Chicken Sandwiches. Of course, I put in a few of the kids' favorites for our Saturday fun night: Mummy Hot Dogs, Fish Sticks, and popcorn and apples. I also hope the weather gets warmer, so my husband can grill! I bought steaks, a pork tenderloin, and chicken drumsticks for that purpose!
This seems like a lot of food! Maybe it will last longer that a month, but I would rather be over-prepared than under! I have all of the meat we will need stored in our big deep freezer as well as vegetables for sides. We have more than enough juice, cereal, and oatmeal to last and I will be stocking our freezer with a variety of muffins and breakfast breads as well to change things up a bit. We'll still have to go to the grocery store weekly, but for the most part we will just need milk, bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, yogurt, and cottage cheese. I think I'm going to get spoiled. Maybe I'll try to keep this up to an extent!
The majority of the recipes that I've included in this post are on my blog. You can search by their names to find them. Today I will include a recipe that we had this week. It's very simple and our kids love it!
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
4 chicken breasts
1 12 oz. can 7-Up
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Place chicken in a skillet. Mix together 7-Up and BBQ sauce. Pour over chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour, covering the skillet. Remove the chicken from the skillet and shred in a bowl or pan. Pour the liquid in and mix together.
The first thing I did was look through my recipes to find the most time-efficient and simple meals I could find. My goal was to come up with at least one month's worth of meals for both lunch and dinner, as well as breakfast, snacks and some special treats I don't usually buy for the kids during this transition time.
Planning lunch was pretty simple, as our kids are pretty partial to the same old rotation of meals: jelly, Sunbutter/jelly, deli meat, or grilled cheese sandwiches; quesadillas, hot dogs (I like to buy the no nitrate turkey dogs), tomato soup, and macaroni and cheese. We'll have leftovers, too, if they're available. For myself (since my kiddos won't eat it), I'm going to have some cooked turkey on hand in the freezer for turkey and gravy over mashed potatoes (YUM!).
Putting together our dinner options and list took a little more time. Every Friday we have homemade pizza, so that was an easy one (and four meals-bonus!). I also like to have breakfast for dinner on Thursday nights, so we'll rotate through homemade french toast, pancakes, and waffles for those meals. One night a week, usually Monday, I like to do a crockpot recipe, so I chose Italian Beef and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches and chicken tacos. I plan to make the chicken tacos twice and use the meat to make enchiladas one night. It's just an easy way to cook the chicken and it's very flavorful.
I'm a big fan of casseroles, so of course I will be incorporating those into my menu. One of the easiest ways to make the casserole prep work quick is to cook and cube the chicken ahead of time. I put two cups in Ziploc and put them in the freezer. I usually find that this amount is enough to suffice for most of my recipes. I chose the following casserole recipes: Cheesy Chicken (which I can make the night before which is a bonus!), Chicken Tetrazzini, Turkey Tetrazzini, Spaghetti Pie, Shepherd's Pie, Tator Tot, and Chicken and Rice. Most of these are easy to have supplies on hand for. You'll need your soups, pastas, frozen vegetables and potatoes, and other odds and ends that you can buy ahead of time.
I've also included Spaghetti, Baked Mostaccioli, Sloppy Joe's, Tacos, Chicken Pot Pie, Ribs, Oven BBQ Chicken Drumsticks, and BBQ Chicken Sandwiches. Of course, I put in a few of the kids' favorites for our Saturday fun night: Mummy Hot Dogs, Fish Sticks, and popcorn and apples. I also hope the weather gets warmer, so my husband can grill! I bought steaks, a pork tenderloin, and chicken drumsticks for that purpose!
This seems like a lot of food! Maybe it will last longer that a month, but I would rather be over-prepared than under! I have all of the meat we will need stored in our big deep freezer as well as vegetables for sides. We have more than enough juice, cereal, and oatmeal to last and I will be stocking our freezer with a variety of muffins and breakfast breads as well to change things up a bit. We'll still have to go to the grocery store weekly, but for the most part we will just need milk, bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, yogurt, and cottage cheese. I think I'm going to get spoiled. Maybe I'll try to keep this up to an extent!
The majority of the recipes that I've included in this post are on my blog. You can search by their names to find them. Today I will include a recipe that we had this week. It's very simple and our kids love it!
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
4 chicken breasts
1 12 oz. can 7-Up
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Place chicken in a skillet. Mix together 7-Up and BBQ sauce. Pour over chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour, covering the skillet. Remove the chicken from the skillet and shred in a bowl or pan. Pour the liquid in and mix together.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Organizing Your "Stuff"
Awhile ago I posted about a great organizational inservice I attended a few years back. In that post I shared creating a folder for "A Day in the Life Of" your family. I desperately need to update mine, but I hope that you have found that to be a helpful little resource to have on hand for emergencies or a, gasp, no children, vacation! Today I'd like to share another component of that inservice with you.
I have a little "hub" where I keep our bills, mail, and other important pieces of information handy. Here's a quick breakdown of the materials you will need:
For each member of your family, two colored folders (assign each member a color) plus two extra, one each in an unused color
A binder that closes (place for folders, zip pocket; I found mine at Office Max)
An organizer for mail, folders, pencils, etc. (Wal-Mart or Office Max is where I got mine)
The first step is to create two folders for each member of your family in "their" color. You will put one folder in your organizer and one in your binder. The items you place in the folders in your organizer are those that you will use right away or soon. Think school papers, medical information you need to take to the office, etc. The items you put in the binder folders are items you will need to access, but not necessarily soon or on a regular basis. For example, class lists, vaccination information, etc.
Create a folder for your binder for menus/coupons (think Bed, Bath and Beyond) and insert behind your family's colored folders. This is also where I keep our "Day in the Life Of" folder as well as a folder for medical receipts. In the front zipper pocket, I keep stamps, my address book, and any gift cards we receive. This velcros shut and sits behind my organizer.
In the organizer, I place everyone's colored folders. In the front we have a spot for writing utensils, bills or mail that needs to be sent out, our checkbook, and any cards that I will need that month. You can also slip papers that need to be filed into your colored folders in the organizer, so they don't get lost and can easily be accessed if necessary.
I'm not going to lie, after awhile it can get a little messy and things need to be put in their correct files, but overall it's been a great system and one that I would recommend!
*I have pictures, but Blogger is not uploading correctly again. I will add soon!
I have a little "hub" where I keep our bills, mail, and other important pieces of information handy. Here's a quick breakdown of the materials you will need:
For each member of your family, two colored folders (assign each member a color) plus two extra, one each in an unused color
A binder that closes (place for folders, zip pocket; I found mine at Office Max)
An organizer for mail, folders, pencils, etc. (Wal-Mart or Office Max is where I got mine)
The first step is to create two folders for each member of your family in "their" color. You will put one folder in your organizer and one in your binder. The items you place in the folders in your organizer are those that you will use right away or soon. Think school papers, medical information you need to take to the office, etc. The items you put in the binder folders are items you will need to access, but not necessarily soon or on a regular basis. For example, class lists, vaccination information, etc.
Create a folder for your binder for menus/coupons (think Bed, Bath and Beyond) and insert behind your family's colored folders. This is also where I keep our "Day in the Life Of" folder as well as a folder for medical receipts. In the front zipper pocket, I keep stamps, my address book, and any gift cards we receive. This velcros shut and sits behind my organizer.
In the organizer, I place everyone's colored folders. In the front we have a spot for writing utensils, bills or mail that needs to be sent out, our checkbook, and any cards that I will need that month. You can also slip papers that need to be filed into your colored folders in the organizer, so they don't get lost and can easily be accessed if necessary.
I'm not going to lie, after awhile it can get a little messy and things need to be put in their correct files, but overall it's been a great system and one that I would recommend!
*I have pictures, but Blogger is not uploading correctly again. I will add soon!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Charitable Giving During the Holiday Season: Some Helpful Tips for Stretching Your Dollar and Time
This is the time of the year that I always slip into "holiday mode." It seems like the last three months just fly by and before I know it the holidays have passed. I am looking forward to being closer to family this year, so we do not have to spend so much time traveling and away from home. Perhaps I will feel like it didn't all just pass me by in a blink of an eye this year, because we won't be so rushed and sleep-deprived!
This is also the time of year that I realize how blessed we are to be able to celebrate these holidays with our families and to provide food and gifts for these occasions. We all know that not everyone is so fortunate. Every year we set aside money in our budget to purchase food to donate to food drives or to provide a Thanksgiving meal for a family. We also participate in Giving Tree opportunities, choosing one person for each member of our family. As our kids have gotten older, I think it is important to include them in these charitable opportunities and help them understand that not everyone is as fortunate as they are.
Because we are on a budget, I work hard to make our money go as far as possible for these occasions. I look for sales in the grocery adds and stock up when there are good deals on non-perishable items we can donate. Another way to stretch your money a bit is to use coupons for popular items that you may not normally buy. By the time the donations are requested, I have usually stockpiled quite a bit of food.
When we purchase gifts for the Giving Tree, I shop around for the best price. After discussing what we should buy each of our people, we look in the ads or online. A lot of times I purchase our gifts online to cut costs, as it seems like that is where you can get the most for your money (especially after using Ebates in addition to the sale price). I love to buy books for our kiddos from the Scholastic book orders and will double up on some of the books, especially the $1 books each month, and include a few of them with the gifts for the children we choose from the Giving Tree. I love to give the gift of reading!
Throughout the year I will check the clearance section at stores like Target and Kohls to see if there are some everyday basics on sale. In the past I have purchased sheet sets, clothing, backpacks, and other necessities at a fraction of the cost they were during the peak season. I store them away and pull out my "stash" when it's time to donate items. By saving money on these items, we can help more people.
I know that at times you may get caught up in the busyness of the holiday season and adding anything else to your plate may seem overwhelming. By doing some of the work ahead of time, you can contribute to wonderful causes during the holiday season and not feel like you've taken on too much. A little planning ahead goes a long way and you will feel wonderful knowing that you've brought some joy to those in need.
This is also the time of year that I realize how blessed we are to be able to celebrate these holidays with our families and to provide food and gifts for these occasions. We all know that not everyone is so fortunate. Every year we set aside money in our budget to purchase food to donate to food drives or to provide a Thanksgiving meal for a family. We also participate in Giving Tree opportunities, choosing one person for each member of our family. As our kids have gotten older, I think it is important to include them in these charitable opportunities and help them understand that not everyone is as fortunate as they are.
Because we are on a budget, I work hard to make our money go as far as possible for these occasions. I look for sales in the grocery adds and stock up when there are good deals on non-perishable items we can donate. Another way to stretch your money a bit is to use coupons for popular items that you may not normally buy. By the time the donations are requested, I have usually stockpiled quite a bit of food.
When we purchase gifts for the Giving Tree, I shop around for the best price. After discussing what we should buy each of our people, we look in the ads or online. A lot of times I purchase our gifts online to cut costs, as it seems like that is where you can get the most for your money (especially after using Ebates in addition to the sale price). I love to buy books for our kiddos from the Scholastic book orders and will double up on some of the books, especially the $1 books each month, and include a few of them with the gifts for the children we choose from the Giving Tree. I love to give the gift of reading!
Throughout the year I will check the clearance section at stores like Target and Kohls to see if there are some everyday basics on sale. In the past I have purchased sheet sets, clothing, backpacks, and other necessities at a fraction of the cost they were during the peak season. I store them away and pull out my "stash" when it's time to donate items. By saving money on these items, we can help more people.
I know that at times you may get caught up in the busyness of the holiday season and adding anything else to your plate may seem overwhelming. By doing some of the work ahead of time, you can contribute to wonderful causes during the holiday season and not feel like you've taken on too much. A little planning ahead goes a long way and you will feel wonderful knowing that you've brought some joy to those in need.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
"A Day in the Life Of..."
A few years ago I went to an organizational talk at my son's preschool. I got some great ideas for organizing my "hub" and still use those ideas today. One of the best suggestions I received at that brief workshop, though, was to create an informational folder in case were are unable to be around because of an emergency or (cringe) in case something happened to us. It was a wonderful idea, but really common sense. This is especially true when your kiddos are young and have their routines that must be followed!
Last fall, my husband and I took our first extended vacation just the two of us. This was the perfect time to gather all of the information and put together my little folder that I affectionately called "The Directions." While this was necessary for the grandmas to have while we were gone, it has become a wonderful safety net to pull out in case we are away.
What do you include in this little folder? Here's a quick rundown of the information I included. My first page was titled "A Day in the Life of the (Insert Name) Kids." I went through their daily routine from their typical wake-up time to bedtime. I made sure to include things such as what special items are taken to bed, what songs are sung, diaper sizes, and approximate meal times. I also included some of their favorite play activities and specific bedtime routines for each kiddo.
My next section was titled "Odds and Ends." This included school times and anything that needed to go to school with them, medicine dosages for each kid, and where medical items were located (i.e. thermometers, bandaids, medicine, etc.). I also included our health care provider information (doctor, dentist, ER), our insurance information, and what pharmacy we used. To conclude that page, there was a list of important phone numbers from relatives to neighbors to the school.
This may seem funny, but I included a detailed "TV Instruction" page. Given the variety of cable choices and additional media sources other than the tv, this was imperative to include for the grandmas! It also worked well for the babysitters. I included their favorite tv shows and movies, as well as what channels those shows could be found on.
The last section was titled "The Food Guide." I broke it down by meals and included their favorite foods, as well as how much of certain items (like oatmeal) they typically eat. I listed snack options, meal options, and a recipe on how to make homemade smoothies, since these are a staple in our home. Food and kids can be tricky, so the more detailed you can be and more options you can provide for meals, the better.
This may sound like a lot of work or a little over-the-top, but I know how much my kids depend on their routine to get through the day as well as their little quirks that, if addressed, can prevent a major meltdown. I keep this folder in my "hub" and have it handy to pull out if the need ever arises. The supplies are simple: a pocket folder with brads and your typed out instructions!
Last fall, my husband and I took our first extended vacation just the two of us. This was the perfect time to gather all of the information and put together my little folder that I affectionately called "The Directions." While this was necessary for the grandmas to have while we were gone, it has become a wonderful safety net to pull out in case we are away.
What do you include in this little folder? Here's a quick rundown of the information I included. My first page was titled "A Day in the Life of the (Insert Name) Kids." I went through their daily routine from their typical wake-up time to bedtime. I made sure to include things such as what special items are taken to bed, what songs are sung, diaper sizes, and approximate meal times. I also included some of their favorite play activities and specific bedtime routines for each kiddo.
My next section was titled "Odds and Ends." This included school times and anything that needed to go to school with them, medicine dosages for each kid, and where medical items were located (i.e. thermometers, bandaids, medicine, etc.). I also included our health care provider information (doctor, dentist, ER), our insurance information, and what pharmacy we used. To conclude that page, there was a list of important phone numbers from relatives to neighbors to the school.
This may seem funny, but I included a detailed "TV Instruction" page. Given the variety of cable choices and additional media sources other than the tv, this was imperative to include for the grandmas! It also worked well for the babysitters. I included their favorite tv shows and movies, as well as what channels those shows could be found on.
The last section was titled "The Food Guide." I broke it down by meals and included their favorite foods, as well as how much of certain items (like oatmeal) they typically eat. I listed snack options, meal options, and a recipe on how to make homemade smoothies, since these are a staple in our home. Food and kids can be tricky, so the more detailed you can be and more options you can provide for meals, the better.
This may sound like a lot of work or a little over-the-top, but I know how much my kids depend on their routine to get through the day as well as their little quirks that, if addressed, can prevent a major meltdown. I keep this folder in my "hub" and have it handy to pull out if the need ever arises. The supplies are simple: a pocket folder with brads and your typed out instructions!
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