Recently, my youngest son and I went out apple picking. We quickly set about hunting down the most perfect of all apples. It became a fierce competition between us at which I sorely lost. My apples somehow always fell short of that mark... according to Brandon.
We arrived home with our bags packed with fruity perfection. I stood at the sink washing and polishing these gorgeous round red orbs until they became works of art when inspiration hit. Why not display these somehow as a table centerpiece. I found a large, dark wooden bowl and filled it to overflowing with these apples... the perfect ones on top... mine relegated to the very bottom of the bowl...(sigh). I tucked some greenery in and around the apples and stood back to admire my work.
It's simple, but yet elegant sitting on my table. A perfect centerpiece for the beginning of fall. And what's best of all... it's so easy to swap it out when the apples have all been eaten. Come October, you can then fill the bowl with uniquely-shaped gourds and small pumpkins and colorful fall leaves, perhaps even in the center tuck a fat ivory pillar candle.
Once Christmas season hits, you could very easily fill this same bowl with Christmas bulbs and evergreen and tiny white lights...
I think I'm onto something here. Just grab yourself a nice decorative bowl and have fun!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
School Supplies
School season is now well underway for the year; backpacks have been purchased and well-stocked. However, do you really think you're done buying supplies for the year? Probably not. In my house at least, it seeems like there is always a need for another notebook, index cards, or more pencils...
Why don't you clear a spot today in a cabinet or a closet to store extra school supplies that you might need during the year, saving yourself a rushed trip out to Walmart that always seems to come at the most inconvenient and busiest time possible....
I currently use the floor of my downstairs hallway closet to store notebooks, filler paper, extra pens and pencils, glue sticks, book covers, and a bunch of those duo-tang folders (not sure what the official name of those are...) How nice it is when a child asks (usually at bedtime...), "Oh, Mom, I need a new notebook tomorrow for English class," to which you can simply reply with a smile, "Just grab one out of the closet, dear." No frustration!
Right now is the perfect time to take advantage of a great school supply sale such as the one Target is currently having - 75% off all supplies, excluding backpacks and lunchbags!
This is one time it's "okay" to be a pack rat because it saves you time... and money!
Why don't you clear a spot today in a cabinet or a closet to store extra school supplies that you might need during the year, saving yourself a rushed trip out to Walmart that always seems to come at the most inconvenient and busiest time possible....
I currently use the floor of my downstairs hallway closet to store notebooks, filler paper, extra pens and pencils, glue sticks, book covers, and a bunch of those duo-tang folders (not sure what the official name of those are...) How nice it is when a child asks (usually at bedtime...), "Oh, Mom, I need a new notebook tomorrow for English class," to which you can simply reply with a smile, "Just grab one out of the closet, dear." No frustration!
Right now is the perfect time to take advantage of a great school supply sale such as the one Target is currently having - 75% off all supplies, excluding backpacks and lunchbags!
This is one time it's "okay" to be a pack rat because it saves you time... and money!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Evening Routine Helps!
Having an evening routine in place can greatly enhance your morning and free up more time so that you and your family are no longer rushing to get out the door, but can move at a more leisurely pace (as long as you don't hit that snooze figuring that you now have "extra" time!)
An evening routine should be SIMPLE; otherwise, chances are you won't do it, will you? And consistency is the key. Easier to add an evening routine with only 1-3 steps than one that has you doing 6-8 things and causing you to feel so overwhelmed and tired that you don't even bother most nights.
My evening routine consists of about 10 minutes of prep time. Now granted, I don't have children I'm getting ready for school, except one... and he's a junior this year in high school... "You're on your OWN, buddy!"
1) I lay out my clothes the night before keeping in mind what the next day's plans consist of and what the weather will be like.
2) I make sure to clean my kitchen before heading up stairs, making sure there are no stray dishes in the sink that my family snuck in at the last moment - there's nothing worse than coming downstairs first thing in the morning to dirty dishes or a sticky table or a cluttered countertop.
3) I run the dishwasher each and every night, whether it's full or not. I just like the routine of having clean dishes in the morning to start the day. That's just me. :)
If you get up from the TV every time a commercial comes on, you can get your entire evening routine accomplished in pieces here and there by the time your favorite TV show is finished!
Families that have the busiest mornings are those with school-age children. Which is ironic... because if you have school-age children in your home, you have built-in "helpers" in your home. Use them!
Some suggestions:
1) Lay out their clothes (or get them into the habit of choosing an outfit the night before)
2) Have the kids set the kitchen table for breakfast next morning.
3) Have the kids empty their lunch boxes and set them out on the kitchen counter (you can have them begin packing their lunch the night before).
Speaking of lunches, I really do love those individual pre-packaged cookie/cracker packs... yes, they're a lot more expensive, but if you can hit a "buy one, get one" free sale, STOCK UP! Much easier for a child to reach into the pantry and grab an already pre-packaged container of 4 Oreos than to fill a ziploc bag with a package of regular Oreos, and yes, my sons would literally FILL the bag! Hmm... maybe those pre-packaged snacks aren't so expensive after all...
4) Shower/bathe (if you have a few children all getting ready in the morning, in addition to you, this becomes a necessity to stagger shower times!)
5) Set the backpacks, jackets, and all other needed school items by the front door ready to go. All you need to do is add the lunch pack in the morning.
Don't be afraid to get your kids involved. Turn it into a nightly family ritual and then enjoy that unrushed morning time together.
No snoozing allowed though!
An evening routine should be SIMPLE; otherwise, chances are you won't do it, will you? And consistency is the key. Easier to add an evening routine with only 1-3 steps than one that has you doing 6-8 things and causing you to feel so overwhelmed and tired that you don't even bother most nights.
My evening routine consists of about 10 minutes of prep time. Now granted, I don't have children I'm getting ready for school, except one... and he's a junior this year in high school... "You're on your OWN, buddy!"
1) I lay out my clothes the night before keeping in mind what the next day's plans consist of and what the weather will be like.
2) I make sure to clean my kitchen before heading up stairs, making sure there are no stray dishes in the sink that my family snuck in at the last moment - there's nothing worse than coming downstairs first thing in the morning to dirty dishes or a sticky table or a cluttered countertop.
3) I run the dishwasher each and every night, whether it's full or not. I just like the routine of having clean dishes in the morning to start the day. That's just me. :)
If you get up from the TV every time a commercial comes on, you can get your entire evening routine accomplished in pieces here and there by the time your favorite TV show is finished!
Families that have the busiest mornings are those with school-age children. Which is ironic... because if you have school-age children in your home, you have built-in "helpers" in your home. Use them!
Some suggestions:
1) Lay out their clothes (or get them into the habit of choosing an outfit the night before)
2) Have the kids set the kitchen table for breakfast next morning.
3) Have the kids empty their lunch boxes and set them out on the kitchen counter (you can have them begin packing their lunch the night before).
Speaking of lunches, I really do love those individual pre-packaged cookie/cracker packs... yes, they're a lot more expensive, but if you can hit a "buy one, get one" free sale, STOCK UP! Much easier for a child to reach into the pantry and grab an already pre-packaged container of 4 Oreos than to fill a ziploc bag with a package of regular Oreos, and yes, my sons would literally FILL the bag! Hmm... maybe those pre-packaged snacks aren't so expensive after all...
4) Shower/bathe (if you have a few children all getting ready in the morning, in addition to you, this becomes a necessity to stagger shower times!)
5) Set the backpacks, jackets, and all other needed school items by the front door ready to go. All you need to do is add the lunch pack in the morning.
Don't be afraid to get your kids involved. Turn it into a nightly family ritual and then enjoy that unrushed morning time together.
No snoozing allowed though!
Friday, September 5, 2008
New Season... New Routine
With the new season and the arrival of another school year comes the necessity of tweaking my morning routine. When something doesn't work for you, don't be afraid to make changes periodically until you find something that does work.
My new morning routine that I've recently printed out and placed into my binder looks something like this...
6:30 Wake/Dress/Make Coffee
6:45 Devotions/See Jordan off to school/Clean kitchen
7:15 Walk or Exercise
7:40 Shower/Wipe down bathrooms
8:00 Computer time
8:30 Breakfast with Brandon/Start laundry/School prep
9:00 Begin school
I then have another schedule/routine for once our school day begins, but I won't bore you with those details. :)
Remember, your morning is the key to how the rest of your day will go. Make the best use of that time!
My new morning routine that I've recently printed out and placed into my binder looks something like this...
6:30 Wake/Dress/Make Coffee
6:45 Devotions/See Jordan off to school/Clean kitchen
7:15 Walk or Exercise
7:40 Shower/Wipe down bathrooms
8:00 Computer time
8:30 Breakfast with Brandon/Start laundry/School prep
9:00 Begin school
I then have another schedule/routine for once our school day begins, but I won't bore you with those details. :)
Remember, your morning is the key to how the rest of your day will go. Make the best use of that time!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
My Results - 7 Minute Experiment
Motivated by what the mom that I blogged about previously was able to accomplish in a mere seven minutes, I put myself to the test. I set the timer as I was about to cook myself an omelette for breakfast. Here are the results:
Scrambled my eggs for omelette and started the cooking (took longer than 7 minutes to actually cook thoroughly)
Emptied the dishwasher
Printed four forms that I needed to fill out for school
Went out on my front porch and watered my flowers
Started a load of laundry on the way out
Wiped down my kitchen counters AND my kitchen table
I was hoping to finish cooking my omelette during this 7 minute experiment, but it needed a few more minutes to cook through thoroughly. But wow, I was amazed at what I could do in that small amount of time. Try it for yourself! All you need are 7 minutes.
And if you can't get 7 minutes, try 40 seconds! In the time it takes me to microwave a cup of coffee (sometimes I'm that desperate for a hot cup), I can empty my dishwasher or wipe down my counters.
If only I could teach my boys this amazing principle. Brandon is still just standing there watching his oatmeal cook in the microwave...
Scrambled my eggs for omelette and started the cooking (took longer than 7 minutes to actually cook thoroughly)
Emptied the dishwasher
Printed four forms that I needed to fill out for school
Went out on my front porch and watered my flowers
Started a load of laundry on the way out
Wiped down my kitchen counters AND my kitchen table
I was hoping to finish cooking my omelette during this 7 minute experiment, but it needed a few more minutes to cook through thoroughly. But wow, I was amazed at what I could do in that small amount of time. Try it for yourself! All you need are 7 minutes.
And if you can't get 7 minutes, try 40 seconds! In the time it takes me to microwave a cup of coffee (sometimes I'm that desperate for a hot cup), I can empty my dishwasher or wipe down my counters.
If only I could teach my boys this amazing principle. Brandon is still just standing there watching his oatmeal cook in the microwave...
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