I {heart} Menu Planning

I've been in the child care field my entire adult life---17 whole years.  (quit doin' the math!)   I've worked anywhere from large scale facilities, to Group Homes, Emergency Shelters, Family Drug treatment & rehabilitation facilities, to smaller non-profit & now, run my own private home daycare.  One of the greatest things I've learned is how to menu plan in a healthy & nutritious way. 

The more (food) decisions you leave to the last minute, the greater the risk of making poor food choices---YOU know:

• When it's been a LONG day @ work and you're exhausted and/or your family is constantly reminding you how hungry they are. 
• Maybe it's just you and you don't really care what you put in your mouth. 
• Perhaps you have to drive 3 kids to 3 different places in 60 minutes etc. 

You get the idea. Those super stressful moments when you just want to satisfy those hungry mouths (yours included) in the least amount of time so you can just sit back and RELAX for 5 minutes!! 

It's so easy to reach for that box of processed food, pick up the phone for take out or hit up your favourite drive thru.  But, by planning your meals ahead of time you'll be well on your way to successfully keeping yourself and your family "healthy" & more than likely save a few pennies too!

Once every few months I sit down and make not 1, not 2, but 5 weeks worth of rotational Menu plans.  It includes Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (Snacks have their OWN 5 week list--I'll post later).  It takes the guesswork out of everything and I have to say--it's WONDERFUL!! 

I sit at the kitchen table, with a nice cup of tea, my blank menu templates (which you can find here FREE MENU PRINTABLES ), my recipe books & magazines and jot things down.

I {heart} these templates because I can also create my grocery list! 
This helps me stay focused while I'm shopping and NOT be distracted by all the tempting yummies "calling to me" & my children hehehe!

We have family favourites (OH Nacho-night I LOVE YOU) that I include throughout the weeks.  I don't like to be repetitive so Nacho Night one week may be Burrito night another.   I try to be creative and incorporate a good balance of "new" things with our "old"faves.   I also get the family to give me their input...after all, I'm cooking for 4 people not just myself!  My girls (10 & 4) enjoy flipping through magazines/cookbooks and finding delicious things to add to our meals.  If my youngest REALLY likes something, she pretends to be eating the food right off the pages!

After all this "planning" I think it's important to note that I try to stay flexible--I mean, life happens--last minute lunch dates or birthday parties etc are inevitable.  

I challenge you to get started with this (if you haven't already)---it makes your life SOO much easier & allows you a few extra minutes of family time---or, if you're like me---ME time! haha

Cleaning Games for Kids

Oh Dear Lord---anyone who has children knows that they go hand-in-hand with MESS.  For those cool, relaxed "hippie" type moms mess is NEVER a big deal---but for A-personality type moms like ME---mess, though natural, is an actual STRESS in our my life!  I know my limits---I can only handle SO many messes at one time--running a home daycare + our household is a double challenge---so, I've come to get "creative"--enlisting as much "child labour" as legally allowed hehehe!  I found a nice list on Organized Mom and probably use 2 or 3 of these through any given day---

The days that I don't, well....the kids' rooms look like THIS! 

Days when we DO use them---they usually look something like THIS! (k, perhaps not EXACTLY but I can force them hope their rooms are similar!)

Colors Game – During this game you take turns with your child calling out a color. Then the person who did not call out the color picks up everything in the room that is mostly that color. Keep choosing colors until the room is picked up!

Find the Treasure – Hide clues under your child’s things in their room. As the clean up the room they will find the clues. When it’s all picked up and they have found all the clues it can lead them to a treasure in the house (a treat or something). A variation on this is to hide coins under all of the stuff and as they clean they find coins to keep!

Sort the Stuff – Put the different bins throughout the room (this should be the bins where the toys usually go and they already have their labels of what should go into the bin) move everything in the room into the middle of the room and start sorting.

Make it a Race – Each person in the race takes one section (it could be individual rooms or just different areas of the same room.) Try and clean up as much as you can and beat your mom/brother/sister.

Name the Person – This game has nothing to do with the actual cleaning, but can offer some distraction while doing a large job. One person starts to give clues about a person (real or fiction) and everyone else has to guess who it is. This game is good for during folding laundry, doing the dishes, etc.

“Dirty” Dancing – Blast the children’s favorite songs and get to work. Dance as you sweep, scrub, and dust. Ice Skating – Have the children put on old socks and put water and cleaner on the floor. Let them skate all over the room to get the floor scrubbed.

Mirror Fight – Give each child some cleaner and a rag and have them each clean one side of a window. They will have fun spraying each other (which won’t actually hit them because they are on the other side of the glass.)

Hotel – Have your kids open a bed and breakfast. They can be the innkeeper and change the sheets and towels in their bedroom and bathroom. Then they can make the bed and get it all ready for “guests”.

The Clean Fairy – Do random bedroom checks. If the bedroom is clean then leave a note and a treat saying what a good job they have done keeping their room clean. If it is messy leave a note saying the fairy was there but couldn’t stay because it was messy.

Decorator – Whoever sets the table gets to decorate it for dinner (a centerpiece, placemats, etc), this can also work for cleaning the bathroom

P.S. Sometimes, these games work on Husbands/Dads as well! hehehe ;)

The Magic of Baking Soda!!

Ooooooh, Ahhhhhhh....this cheap stuff is marvelous!  Just look at what it can do!  Don't believe me, try it for yourself!

• Use half your usual amount of dishwasher detergent and then fill the cups with baking soda. No worries about what harm caustic detergent may be doing to your body long-term, and it makes your silverware shine, saves you money and means fewer scratches on your glassware! Who knew??

• Throw a cup of baking soda in with each load of wash.  The baking soda softens the water and makes the detergent more effective.  And of course your clothes will smell fresher too! You can also cut down on the amount of detergent you use per load.

• Use baking soda just like you’d use powdered cleanser: for the bathroom and kitchen sinks (including stainless steel), bathtubs and shower stalls.

• Sprinkle a little baking soda to absorb grease in a pan instead of pouring it in a can. (You’d never pour grease down the drain, would you)?

• When you scorch a pan, try sprinkling dry baking soda over the scorch, let it stand awhile and clean as usual.

• A paste of baking soda and water will effectively remove coffee and tea stains from the inside of your coffee cups.

• Sprinkle baking soda on your carpets 20-30 minutes before you vacuum. Brighten and deoderize in one easy step. This is especially effective if you have inside dogs:  no more doggie odor!

• Pour a cup of vinegar in your toilet, add baking soda.  When it stops fizzing clean as usual.

• Use a baking soda and water paste to clean the window of your oven.

Rolling, rolling, rolling.....

While we were packing for our move to Woolgrass I kept coming across rolling pins--now I knew I had some but I didn't have them all together!

I had one with the children's baking stuff, and my French rolling pin (the "BIG" one) was in a cupboard with my bread maker---the oddly coloured one was my moms & I tend to use that one most of the time--the smaller ones were with playdoh toys *gasp* ! While others were kept in a cabinet just waiting to be showcased properly....the one on the far right was owned by my Gran's mother--who ran a boarding house in Brandon, Manitoba during the Depression. She made SO many pies that she actually warped her rolling pin!! If you look closely you can see the rings from all the rolling!

ANYWAY...I had this HUGE glass container (which usually contains flour) and decided to transfer them in this...and well...I kinda like 'em in here...I have it next to our fireplace hehe & think I'll just leave it there for now...

Good thing my kitchen is right around the corner from the family room!

Lil' Miss Smartie Pants

The other morning 4 year old Ava got mad at me because I wouldn't let her have Smarties on her scrambled eggs.  She called me "The Meanest Mom EVER"....*ouch* So, in an attempt to win back her love, and reclaim my "Best Mom EVER" status (and maybe to just get rid of the delicious chocolate candies) we baked Smartie Cookies!

Recipe Description

You'll not be able to stop eating these… They're so addictive!

Ingredients

• 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 pinch Salt
• ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ cups Butter, At Room Temperature
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 1  Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 50 grams Smarties Chocolate (NESTLÉ) Or M&m's

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder.

In another mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar. Add the egg and the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix well.

Incorporate the Smarties and drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 9-12 minutes depending on the size of your cookies.

Success! BEST MOM EVER status has been reinstated!

Ten Basic Home Organizing Concepts

 With all the unpacking going on around here over the past couple of weeks I am DETERMINED to not only unpack stuff but ORGANIZE it too!  While searchin' the ol' interweb I came across The Modern Sage.   Here are ten of the basic home organizing concepts that should help people every day.

1.  Be decisive!

Everything that is on your counter top or desk right now most likely represents decisions that have not been made.  Clutter results from putting off these decisions for later.  Your ability to get and stay organized is directly related to your ability to make decisions!

• Keep or toss?
• Donate or sell?
• Action item, or reference item for filing?
• What is the next action to take with this item?
• Where is the best place to store this item?

2. Give everything a parking spot.
 
Quick—can you tell me where your underwear is?  I bet you can.  Most people have a special drawer for their underwear, and most people know exactly where their toothbrush is, because those things have a specific home.  Virtually everything in your home can have its own parking spot so you can find things quickly and easily.  Whenever possible, use a label maker to label the parking spot—just like reserved executive parking spaces!  
(I {heart} my label maker--best $40 I ever spent!)

3.  Plan ahead.
 

A few minutes of planning and preparation can save hours of time and loads of frustration. Think ahead, anticipate!  What will you need?  Can you combine trips to save time?  What issues may come up?  What do you already know now that you could proactively do something about before it becomes a problem?

I LOVE my planner--Thanks again KAT!

4.  Grade your stuff.

Our own “ABCD” concept is one of the first things we teach our clients.  We refer to both things and places as A, B, C, or D.  This vocabulary refers to both the frequency of use of the items and the accessibility of the space.  The goal is to put A things in A places and D things in D places, and so on.  This simple concept has provided many “light bulb moments” for people over the years!

Things	Priorities	Places
Pens, stapler, toothbrush, dishes	A Used frequently, even daily.	Handiest drawer or on top of desk/counter
3-hole punch, iron, blender	B Used often; weekly or monthly.	Above, below or behind “A” items, enclosed in cabinet
Holiday decorations	C Used rarely or seasonally.	Higher shelves, less accessible places—even attic
Archived documents, skis, spare furniture	D Never or seldom used.	Completely out of daily flow- in least accessible location or offsite storage

5.  Group like things together.

When you are sorting your things, ask yourself what is going to make it easiest for you to find and manage later.  If you are organizing a bathroom, you may group things by type, such as dental care, hair care, and first aid.  If you are organizing a kitchen, you might group things by function, such as serving utensils and food preparation tools.  

• By color 
• By alphabet
• By size
• By type
• By name
• By function

 I find using trays an easy way to corral things:

6.  Assume laziness is the norm.

It’s just human nature - we want to do things with the least amount of effort possible.  Especially kids!  Assume that people are going to be lazy when you create an organizing system, and work with habits that your family has instead of trying to change them. 

• Make things easy to see and choose.  It's all about having visibility to your items!  You want your system to be Visible, Easy, and Obvious ("VEO" is Spanish for "I see.")
• Use labeling whenever possible to make it very easy to find things and put them back.
• Make it easy to put things away.  Avoid lids, doors, extra steps, and anything else that makes it take longer or require more effort.

7.  Create stations. 

We teach people there are some common “stations” that virtually every home should have.  Here are the seven that we feel are most important.

A.     Destination Station - This station belongs where you come in and out of the house.  It’s where you put all of your things down when you come in, such as purses, keys, and backpacks. 

B.     Gift and Shipping Station - You may not have a permanent station set up for this one, but at least gather all of these items together in a bin or drawer for easy retrieval when you need them.  You should have gift wrap, scissors, tape, and all of the other items needed for wrapping and mailing.

C.     Education Station – The homework and reference area, mostly for the kids.  You’ll need a comfortable flat surface, preferably a desk, where the kids can do their work.  There should be plenty of office supplies, paper, a dictionary, a thesaurus, and probably a computer in this area.

D.     Communication Station – This station is for the family calendar, messages, mail, and other communications that help the house run smoothly.

E.     Donation Station – Every home should have a designated place to collect items for donation, and when it’s full, take it to your favorite charity drop-off location.

F.     Administration Station – Also known as the home office, this station is where the bills get paid, forms get filled out, medical claims are filed, and phone calls are made. 

G.     Creation Station – Homes with children and/or other artists need to have a place to paint, draw, sew, or pursue other creative outlets.  Craft and art supplies can be stored here, nearby an available surface to work with plenty of light.  Like the Gift & Shipping Station, you may not have this station set up permanently.

8.  Put things right where you need them.

Professionals call this concept storing things at the “point of use."   Put the laundry soap next to the washing machine, and put the pot holders right next to the stove or oven.

9.  Have duplicates when it makes sense.

Since you are storing things at the point of use, sometimes you have several points-of-use and it makes sense to purchase duplicate tools.  For example, you need some scissors at your Gift & Shipping Station, and you also need some in the kitchen. 

10. Batch up your tasks.

Sometimes it's easier to do something multiple times while you are at it -- that is why the assembly line was invented for greater efficiency in production.  Think ahead about anything that you can do in batches like this, such as phone calls, filing, or correspondence & you can even extend this concept to your kitchen in meal preparation.  A little bit of planning goes a LONG way—especially in a busy household!

Using these ten concepts, you can approach your household with renewed motivation and enthusiasm for getting it in shape! 

 P.S. Photos to follow---just gotta find my camera ;)

Crush

Yeah, I think I have a serious Blog Crush!  I visit this one Blog EVERY SINGLE DAY & I think about it ALL the time---even when I'm all tucked in my blankets and starting to nod off....I'm thinking of this certain blog....Last night, for example, I said to Hubbz--"I want to redo our new place like the house on my favourite blog..." yeah....I've got it bad!  Here's a link to my  Blog Crush

Home Office Organizing Tips and DIY Projects

I dunno about you, but for me there never seems to be quite enough desk space to keep the clutter at bay without daily filing. And drawers tend to eat important necessities that I need for running my office life smoothly.
Sooo...to solve this problem I've taken to searching the 'net on the subject of office organization. Following are some of the tips and projects I've found.

Source: marthastewart.com 

For me, desk space is always an issue, so the key to finding more space is looking up. You can use the walls to hang clip boards with notes, schedules and other important papers and to do lists you need to keep up with. Utilize the hooks above the clip boards for small, less often used objects. A roll of tape, scissors, rubber bands...whatever your mind can conjure up.  Bring an inexpensive, plastic pegboard into the home office to hang over your desk or on the wall beside your desk. You can add hooks and containers to the pegboard and bring everything you need on a daily basis right in front of you, just above your computer.

If your short on desk space then you don't want bins stacking up for incoming and outgoing mail. Instead, you can create a diy mail sorter with this simple tutorial from bright and blithe blog. It's made from unbleached cotton, this mail sorter can be hung on a neighbouring door or wall. The tutorial includes printable labels for "action required," "to be paid," "to be filed," and "to be sorted."

I LOVE this idea-- if you're looking to create more desk space, look up, and organize with a wine rack. Attaching under the shelf wine or stemware racks to a wall bookshelf, gives you more room for those everyday supplies. Simply insert glass cylinders in the racks then fill with pens, pencils, markers, and even paint brushes. And hey, you can always have a bottle of wine in your office...some days momma NEEDS it! Right?!? hehe ;)

I Heart Organizing offers more insight into ways to create more room for more concise organization. Attach baskets to walls for folders, reference guides or craft papers. Attach a towel bar or rail above your desk space with hooks for hanging scissors, tape, and Asker Cups from Ikea that can hold pens, pencils and more. (I think this looks SOO pretty)

You can always hide your filing cabinet inside a chest when not in use by creating a Mini Office in a Chest. Oh Martha you're so wise--- Not only does this allow you to hide important papers out of view in a room that you might not want to look like an office, it can also double as extra seating by throwing a few throw pillows on top. This chest is large enough to hold a mountain of files, plus it allows for extra storage on TOP of your files with a removable tray that stacks neatly over files for extra paper clips, staples, etc. The inside of the chest drawer doubles as a cork board for pinning important notices. *Just be careful not to stub your toes....knowing me I'd have to wear steel toed boots in my home office if I had a big ol'chest in it!

Oooh...and don't forget to use the side of your desk for more storage room and places to tack notes. Install a magnetic knife wall mount to the side of your desk or a shelving unit and attach magnetic hooks. Use it to hang your keys, purse, or even binder clips with notes.

Do you have ideas to share? I'd love to hear them. Just leave your favorite tips in the comments!

I think I may...

 K, so when I'm not packing boxes or cleaning out cupboards (I HATE the cupboard over the fridge btw--TOTAL waste of Space in MY opinion!)I drool peruse the ol' internet at beautifully decorated/organized homes!  SERIOUSLY, how do these women do it all?!?! *sigh*  They're amazing (or robots!)

Anyway...I came across this lil' bloggy A Simply Klassic Home and beside the wonderful tips (change up pillow shams, add a this or that) to "freshen the living room" into a "Summer" feel...I got to thinkin'....I need to include some "Sea" type stuff in our new home---since Hubby is a Newfie and his father is a REAL fisherman I feel we SHOULD represent him/them somehow.  I won't go all crazy with lobster traps and lighthouses....but it's really got me brainstorming that's for sure.

Do you have any suggestions for me?  What about your home--any plans to "freshen" it up for Summer?

Easy Recipes for Natural Homemade Cleaners

With our new move just days away I'm starting to get my collection of "cleaning supplies" ready for action!  Since the people we were renting from for the last 4 years are total jerks I don't feel like paying big money for cleaning supplies either.

In doing some research I've found that contrary to what the cleaning aisle at the supermarket might say, you don’t need a lot of different specialty products to get your home clean. And when you look up homemade cleaners online, a lot of recipes call for many different ingredients for different types of cleaners. But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. With just a few basic items, you can do the vast majority of your household cleaning, save money, and keep your home free of the toxins found in many store-bought cleaning products.
White vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda are about to become your new best friend.
Here are a few recipes that will help you do most of your everyday cleaning.

 All-Purpose Cleaning Spray:

For countertops, sinks, toilets, and for spot cleaning floors
Mix 1 part white vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle. Spray and scrub.
For really tough soap scum or mineral deposits, warm the solution first, spray, and let sit before scrubbing, or use straight vinegar (but avoid straight vinegar on tile grout – it can cause the grout to break down).

Bathtub / Sink Scrub:

In a bowl, make a paste with baking soda, a squirt of your dish soap*, and a squeeze of lemon, to the consistency of frosting. Dip cloth or sponge into paste and scrub.
For really stubborn grime, allow to sit 10-15 minutes before rinsing.

Mirror & Glass Cleaner:

2 tsp vinegar
1 quart water
Mix in a spray bottle. Spray on mirror or glass, and wipe clean with old newspaper. (The ink doesn’t smear, and it leaves no lint!)

Floor Cleaner:

1/4 Cup dish soap*
1/2 Cup white vinegar or lemon juice
2 gallons warm water
Combine in sink or large bucket, and use with mop.
You can use this on any floor, unless the manufacturer has specified to avoid all detergents.

Photo by Scott Feldstein

Some other tips:

• Don’t use vinegar on marble – it can damage the surface.
• If you’re concerned about the smell of vinegar, you can always add a few drops of essential oil to your mix, but know that the odor of vinegar disappears as it evaporates.
• Vinegar is a disinfectant, but for raw chicken juice and other clean-ups involving bacteria, you will want something more powerful, like hydrogen peroxide. Read more.
• For really dirty toilets, you can shake in some baking soda in addition to using the all-purpose cleaning spray, and add a little lemon juice, too, if you like.
• If you don’t want to cut up fresh lemons, keep a squeeze bottle of lemon juice in your fridge. You can buy this, or make it yourself by squeezing some lemons ahead of time. If you buy it, make sure it only contains 100% lemon juice, with no added oils or essences.
• Use 100% cotton microfiber cloths for your cleaning – they will not leave lint behind, and you can throw them in the wash afterward and re-use them.

*About dish soap: when you purchase dish soap at the store, look for words like biodegradable, septic-safe, and non-toxic. Don’t buy anything that contains petroleum distillates or phosphates. Some good brands are Seventh Generation and Earth Friendly Products (this is what I use and I love it – it’s cheap and lasts forever).

These basic recipes should take care of 95% of your basic housecleaning needs. They will also save you money and most importantly, they are safe and non-toxic, so you and your family can rest easy.

The Home Management Binder

I'm lucky to have both grandmothers alive and well--one is 97 and the other is 90.  Both ladies have lived in the same homes for 25-30+ years.

Every time I walk into their homes I'm fascinated with how spotless, organized and comfortable they always are!  By comfortable I mean that despite the apparent "perfection" you can sit on the couch and not worry about messing something up!  I realize they have 70+ years of schedule management down pat--and don't have numerous children & acquaintances in and out of their homes--but that doesn't mean I can't strive for the same thing right?!

To help me get on track I've decided to start a home management binder.

Time to gather:

 Binder

Labeler

Hole Puncher

Pens

Pencil pouch

Dividers

Printer/paper

And get ready to create your home Management Binder! This will be my first attempt and I'm sure over the next little while it will evolve!  Be sure to make YOUR Home Management reflect YOU & your HOME/Family.  You're unique--so be creative and have fun!

The categories that apply to our household are:

Calendar

Schedules

Cleaning

Menu Planning

Finances

To Do

School

Medical

Contacts

Child Care

My first tab is"Calendar"... I used this free printable for my "week at a glance" because it's super cute. I fill this out every Sunday--though I add & subtract things periodically throughout the week too.

You can create your own home keeping printables with various home publishing applications (MS Publisher; MS Excel;) I have Stampin up Digital Studio too. I'm sure there are others I've missed--feel free to post those in my comment section.

For those of you who would rather have something "ready made" you can sift through numerous "free home management printable" blogs/sites or you can just check out this wonderful shop on etsy:

"The best place to get homekeeping printables that REALLY work for you AND make your life easier! Clean Mama Printables specializes in original organizational documents designed to take the work out of organizing your life."

In my binder I like to have the "SCHEDULES" tab next.  This is where I place all of the girls schedules (swimming, dancing, lunch menus, running club, Science club, Kindergarten days etc... and my schedules for work, sorority, running club, etc...& hubby's stuff too!) Its a never ending list!  Make sure you hole punch everything and throw it out when it no longer applies.

The next tab is "CLEANING".  It makes life so much easier to follow along with the cleaning schedule.  

Running a home daycare I HAVE to be organized.  I would be LOST without my Menu Plans.  I find that when I ignore them--like now, because we're so busy packing for our move--meals happen when they happen--and we all know that children don't function as well when they're eating breakfast at 8:30am-lunch at 2:30pm and dinner at 7pm!  (and yes, sadly, that's happened lately!)  Meal plans not only help with running little folk smoothly hehe...but it's one less stress to worry about in the morning--I KNOW what I'm going to be making/baking/cooking well ahead of time and I don't waste time humming and hawing.  Oh, and of course it helps on the old grocery lists/grocery shopping...and actually SAVES you money in the long run.....and who doesn't like that?!? (I'll blog more on that later).

I'm a TOTAL "A" personality and because of that I am constantly making lists/marking things down & keeping track---I'm also one of those people who HAS to write things down and see it in front of them to remember it!  I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the BEST with "numbers" so I NEED a "financial" section to keep me in the know!  I NEVER worry about when something is due/coming out of an account.  I do all of my bill tracking & budgeting here.  In this section I also keep bill acct. numbers & phone numbers on a list. So if I have to make a phone call to a creditor, I don't have to look the numbers up every time.

The next tab is "TO DO"... Pretty self explanatory.

Next tab... "SCHOOL".  This section holds the girls teacher welcome letters, phone numbers, school calendars, newsletters, permission slips etc. Anything pertaining to "school" goes here. It's been very convenient to have all of these papers in one place.

The "MEDICAL" tab is next.  All medical & health insurance information goes here. Phone numbers, copies of health cards, immunization records (copies) & physical records (copies) are kept here.I also like to keep track of any illnesses (type/length of).  I have a "home remedies" section too.

"CONTACTS" is next... The list of contacts you should have in your binder are:

Family

Friends

Neighbours

Doctors

Dentist

Vet (if we had a pet)

Insurance

Schools

Take-out

Work

Local Businesses

Coaches

Kids "friends" Parents

Gas, Electric, Water, Cable, Cell, Mortgage #'s

*I created a spread sheet in "word" and typed up all of the names & numbers.

 

A little bit of planning and organizing makes your life SO much easier, less stress, more time with family/friends and you're rarely "out of the loop" b/c you know EXACTLY what's goin' on where & when and then you can sit back and relax.

A Binder for Everything

Sometimes life catches up to us and things fall to the wayside. Soon we get "pile-ups"... From laundry , to bills, or the trash, to the schedule, or the dishes - ugh I HATE washing "the big things" by hand-- the list goes on and on. It's confusing, and stressful (for me at least) especially if you need it ASAP and can't find it!

Perhaps you're one of those people, like me *blush*,who have several "organized" places/stations throughout their/our homes full of wonderful intentions but not in one set place. Look at those sticky notes everywhere and those important phone numbers on the backs of numerous old envelopes and/or school newsletters! Perhaps you have a recent recipe from your favourite food blog printed & surprisingly "lost it" in that pile on your counter/table/desk....Let's not forget your wallet that's about to explode with one more receipt any day now! 

Sound familiar yet?

I've been doin' some research into "household management"--yup, Google it, it DOES exist! And have come across a wealth of ideas, tips & wisdom. Some of which I'll share with you now.

Must have Binders:

• Receipts

• Medical Records

• Food Storage

• Recipes

• Home Management

• Household Documents

• School Stuff

• Pet Records (if we ever get one)

Supplies Needed:

• Binder(s)
• Labeler
• Hole Puncher
• Pens
• Pencil pouch
• Dividers
• Coffee/tea (or somethin' stronger if you're REALLY disorganized! hehe)

 Looks like I have some shopping to do--now, where did I put that envelope list??

SOOOO excited!

Well, after a lot of searching and researching we've FINALLY decided on some of the new appliances for the new house.

I've NEVER had new appliances--so THIS is a HUGE thing for me! We went with the stainless steel--finger prints or not--I'm wiping them off any appliance anyway--that's what happens when you have little sticky fingers around! I like the look of stainless--sleek, professional--ya know?

So...here's the fridge. It's a Kenmore®/MD 22 cu.ft. French Door Bottom Freezer Refrigerator - Stainless Steel...Oh French doors--I KNOW I'll love you!

The stove we chose, and when I say "we" I mean "I", is a Kenmore®/MD 30'' All-Touch Electric S/C Convection Smoothtop - Stainless Steel -it's got all
sorts of bells and whistles--all of which I intend to take FULL advantage of!

So the next question is....when are you coming over for dinner? ;)

Prairie Dreams

I've got a bit of a confession...I miss the "Prairies"--the sunsets, the blue skies, the yellow/golden fields & even the thunderstorms.

You see, I'm a Manitoba girl. I grew up in a small French town just outside of Winnipeg. I was bussed into Winnipeg from grade 7 through to grade 12. I was lucky to have the peace & quiet of the country & the convenience of a city on my door step.

It's given me a bit of a split personality I think....I'm a country girl & a city girl all wrapped into one. Even now, at 35 30 years old, my family & I live in a small Mennonite village just outside of Kitchener-Waterloo---I have horses and buggies park outside my drive, and have a Wal-Mart & Home Depot 5 minutes up the road.


One part of me loves to get dirty and dig in the garden, I think I could spend all day outside--the other part of me (the part Hubbz appreciates afterwards but his wallet doesn't!) can spend hundreds of dollars on an afternoon at the Spa and an evening of yummies and drinks afterwards *note: Drinks to me usually means a PLAIN iced tea or some kinda of frappacinio thingy full of whipped cream*

ANNNyway...There's something romantic and mysterious about old barns and abandoned farmhouses/homesteads. The historian/archaeologist in me longs to dig into the past and remember those who lived there---what was their story? Where did they go? What happened to them all? How did it come to this? I remember sitting in the backseat of the old family station wagon, passing these places on our drive "into the city"--inventing stories of the families that once lived there. No matter how the story began, it always had the same outcome---because of struggle & hardship the family was forced to leave their hopes & dreams--which now lay, figuratively & metaphorically, in ruin.

In my own way I hope to honour those homesteaders that came "out West" with a dollar and a dream (if that) and use our new home to reflect my love of the Prairie. Hopefully I'll be able to achieve this using photographs, trinkets, paintings, folk art what have you--all kinds of mediums--a mishmash of all things Prairie--bringing the outside in! (Minus the bison---they can stay outside! Too much mess for me!) Most importantly, I'm hoping it'll help me feel more "at home"--*sigh* and who could want more than that? :)

Can't wait!

Oh how I dream to be a Work-at-Home/Stay-at-Home momtrepreneur! To be among the blog-queens---who seem/appear to be perfect photographers, cooks, wives, mothers that live in perfectly decorated & organized homes...*sigh*....

With our move to our new home quickly approaching (July Long weekend) I'm just itching to take the opportunity to "start fresh"---throwing out/donating old "junk" and begin life in our new home just like I envision my "blog queen" mentors do--

Hey, if they can do it so can I, right?
*gulp*