Maid for Mondays: We’re Finally on the Cloth Diaper Adventure

Well, I guess its never too late to get started, right?! I really wanted to start with our third child, but it just never happened. Then, I was determined to start after our fourth child was over the whole meconium nastiness. But, again…it just never happened. And for several really good reasons, money being the biggest. And, the increased laundry being another.

So, we settled into disposable diapers – again. Granted there are perks to using disposable diapers: quick change on-the-go, no wet bag to carry around, the mess folds up inside of itself and throws away, no extra laundry…

I must say, those perks are what kept me buying disposable diapers for the past 3 years!! They were quick and easy. I was honestly scared to death of cloth diapers. As a teenager I babysat for a family that used cloth diapers. You know the old pre-folds that went into that icky plastic liner? They were confusing, nasty and I could never see myself using those!

Then, I started seeing many of my friends posting about their cloth diapers on facebook and raving about them. So, I decided I should check them out. No harm in checking, right? Oh. My. Word. Can I just tell you how overwhelming it was to see all the options now available? I immediately closed the browser and walked away. I forgot about them for quite a while simply because of all the new styles, types, options – it was too much!

Finally, I got up the nerve to try again. This time I employed The Hubster to help out so it wouldn’t be too overwhelming. He actually got quite into the research and did a lot of the reading. In fact, he was the one that found the type of diaper he thought would fit us well. What a relief!

Then came the issue of cost. We would have to save for months in order to be able to afford anything. We didn’t have the extra cash lying around to just up and buy a supply of cloth diapers. I mean, we’re talking close to $200 or more, at least! So, I began looking into the online resale shops and watching for ones I wanted. But, that was taking a long time and I was getting impatient. Actually, I thought the longer I waited, the less likely I would be to actually start using them.

Our Charlie Banana girl diapers - aren't they so cute?!

Then, about a month ago I saw a cloth diapering system at Target and fell in love with them!!! They were very similar to the style we’d decided on using and they were reasonably priced too!! But, still the money was not there. I knew going to cloth diapers would save us a ton of money each month (approx $150). So, I began to pray and ask God to provide. And, He did!!! (Duh, right?!) We were blessed with a set of 6 cloth diapers and 12 inserts from Target!!! They are the one-size Charlie Banana brand, and I love them!! I love how we can adjust the leg size to fit whomever wears them!!

My oldest daughter wearing her Fuzzibunz

Oh wait…it gets even better! I found some Fuzzi-bunz cloth diapers at a garage sale one weekend and snatched them suckers up in a hurry! They were $5/set, which included the cover and two inserts!!! I got 6 covers total and 12 inserts for a whopping $30!!!! WA-HOO!!!!

I was so excited that I just stared at them for days – literally! Well, that and I didn’t know how to wash them just yet. So, I employed The Hubster yet again to do some research for me. I really wanted a homemade mix that we could do ourselves, rather than spending tons of money on one that had to be shipped.

After some research and lots of reading, we finally found one we were comfortable with and pleased with the ratings. And, so it’s begun…

So, here are some things I’ve learned along this crazy journey. I hope they are helpful to some of you out there too!

1. Do your research! Start early so you don’t get overwhelmed and read, read, read. Read anything you can about the diapers you’re interested in; reviews, facebook pages, blogs, whatever you can find.

2. If you have a friend that uses cloth diapers, I highly recommend having a Q&A with them! I had a friend bring over some of the diapers she uses and we talked about why she uses this one at night and why she likes this one during the winter, etc. Seeing them in person made it less overwhelming and I was able to see which type I might like to try.

3. If your husband is on-board with this adventure, which I also highly recommend he be 100%, ask his opinion. You want him to feel just as comfortable changing the diapers as you are!! If they intimidate him, he might be less likely to help…and we sure don’t want to give them another excuse to get out of diaper duty! Haha

4. If you’re still not completely sure which diapers to go with, there are quite a few diaper re-sale shops online that you can find some on the cheap(er) and try them out. Buy a couple of different brands to try and just do some “testing” on your “subject.” Then, when you find the one you want you know you’ll love it and won’t feel as apprehensive!!

5. Don’t forget…just because the diapers come with inserts doesn’t mean you can’t use pre-folds with them too!!! It’s a GREAT inexpensive way to add more “diapers” to your stash! Plus, they’re great as a double-up layer!! Win-Win!!!

Here is the detergent recipe we decided to use. After much research, the Hubster decided that using Baking Soda was much safer than using the Borax. So, that’s why we chose this one over some of the others. And so far, so good. We mix up a small batch and put it in an old sour cream container and just use about ½ a scoop per load. You also want to make sure you follow the instructions for washing your particular brand of diaper/insert. Some of them vary. We wash our soiled ones in a cold wash/rinse first with no detergent and then add the others and run a regular hot wash with the detergent. Our hot wash has a cold rinse, which is what most of them want. So, if yours doesn’t you’ll need to run it through a cold rinse cycle again before drying them. And, don’t use a dryer sheet!!

But, you need to do your own research and decide for yourself. You may a friend who’s used borax on all her cloth diapers over the past 5 years and they’re still great. Then, go with it!

The point is…don’t get overwhelmed by all the research out there. Read what you can (want) and then ask questions, that’s where you’ll really get the answers you want.

Well, I hope that helps you!

Blessings,

Annette

My new blog site is up and semi-running. We're still working out all the technicalities. It will officially become my only site on Sunday. So be sure to visit me over there this week and subscribe via email, "Like" my facebook page and just browse around. I will double post here and there this week just to give everyone a chance to transition over! Thanks for your support!!! And let me know what you think of the new site!

www.inallyoudo.net

Linking up here:

The Better Mom

Raising Arrows

The Prairie Homestead

The Straightened Path

Growing Home

Deep Roots At Home

The Imperfect Housewife

Raising Mighty Arrows

Maid for Mondays: Little House on the Prairie Syndrome

 One of my favorite shows growing up was Little House on the Prairie. I absolutely loved watching it. In fact, I still love watching it! A friend of mine gave me season 1 on DVD a few years back, because I love it so much!! I’m not sure if it’s the simplicity of it all or the fact that everything seemed to workout in the end, but I always looked forward to watching it.

As a young girl, I often dreamed of being Laura Ingalls and having that beautiful brown hair with the cute braided pigtails. As I got older (and still watched the show), I envisioned my life as a wife and mother, just like Caroline Ingalls. Wasn’t she just perfect?

What I remember most about the show is how Charles and Caroline never really raised their voices at the kids. Sure they got frustrated, but they never yelled at them. That’s the life I envisioned; great kids, helpful kids, obedient kids and a loving, caring, hard-working husband.

Don’t get me wrong, I have great kids and sometimes they’re obedient and helpful and The Hubster is definitely loving, caring and a very hard-worker. I wouldn’t trade any part of my life for anything. Even with the heartache and trials we’re facing right now. I wouldn’t trade.

But, sometimes I find myself wishing I could live that more simple life. When times were slower and life seemed to almost stand still. Or at least it did on the show, right?! I often imagine how much time they had with each other, working the farm, cooking, cleaning and just spending time together as a family.

Then, I realize…their washing machine was their own hands, their transportation had to be fed daily and hooked up before leaving, their dishes washed and dried by hand and their homes took years to build.

And then I’m so thankful for how far we’ve come with our modern conveniences. I can wash clothes, run the dishwasher and take a shower all at the same time! Even though their life seemed much simpler, I’m sure they thought the same about the “olden” days too. Each generation has its own struggles, but they also have their own positives too. I’ll think I’ll stick with 2012 and all it has to offer.

Although…it might be nice to visit the simple life once in a while!

Blessings,

Annette


Linking up here:
The Better Mom
The Prairie Homestead
Raising Arrows
The Straightened Path
Growing Home
Far Above Rubies
Raising Homemakers
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Deep Roots At Home
The Imperfect Housewife

Maid for Mondays: Don't blink...

 It goes so fast. One day you’ll blink…and they’ll be in high school. Blink again and they’ll be getting married. Blink again and you’ll have grandchildren. It really does go fast. I never thought it was true, but it is!!

Whether it’s because life is busy and we move at such a fast pace or because we don’t take the time to enjoy them while their young or …you fill in the blank. Whatever it is...that statement is true!

Mister Bull at age 1 (left) and Mister Bull just a few weeks ago at the Zoo.
See how tall he is next to his Daddy?!

My oldest son will be 7 at the end of June and in many ways it seems just like yesterday I was so excited to find out we were pregnant (again, but that’s another post). At times I want him to stay my little one, a momma’s boy all his life. But, I know this too will change.

Several weeks ago, I caught him helping out at home without prompting. He was helping his sister into her high chair for lunch and being so sweet and kind. Then, he turned and helped his brother into his chair. And, if that wasn’t enough…he laid on the floor and played with his youngest sister until I could finish getting lunch together. My heart was filled with JOY as I heard his voice soften and the tone change to sweetness.

But…as with any 6 yr old boy, that was short lived. His brother quickly did something that annoyed him and I then hear, “Bubba! Stop that! Do you want me to take you out of that chair and put you in your room?”

Ummmm….when did he become the parent? Oh wait…he didn’t!! Has this ever happened to you? This was a real wake-up call for me. My kids hear everything I say and watch everything I do!! They want to be me! So, right then and there I vowed to myself to change my ways to allow my kids to be kids for as long as they want!!! Okay…maybe not that long, but definitely longer than 6 years old!

But, in the meantime, I must learn to let my son be a little boy! He won’t be one forever, so I must be careful not to rob him of this time in his life!! I don’t want him to grow up too fast. So, here are some steps and tips I’ve come up with for myself and thought they might be useful for someone else too.

1. SET BOUNDARIES EARLY. You must make them understand you are the parent, not them. You are the one that corrects and disciplines, not them. I suggest doing this very early on, so there is no confusion when they get older. We were not as firm as we should have been with our oldest and now, we’re having to correct that behavior. Believe me…I’d much rather start early than correct it when they’re older!

2. WHO’S IN CHARGE? When implementing your boundaries, it’s also important to teach your kids as they get older who’s in charge and when it’s okay to help. We are working with our 6yr old son on this very thing. He thinks just because he’s so much older than the others that he has a “right” to correct them.

3. DON’T GIVE THEM JOBS. Now, let me briefly explain my point of view here. I want my children to learn that a house does not run by itself. Therefore, we assign chores to our children from an early age. But, our chore assignments are just that…chores. Our kids do not get paid for them for several reasons (which I will probably need to expound on in another post), but the main one being that they are a part of this family and therefore, they have certain (age-appropriate) responsibilities. It’s just how it works in a family. My example to my oldest: I don’t get paid to wash, fold and put away your clothes, to do the dishes or to cook your meals. Why should you get paid to wash the toilet? Now, to thwart any arguments that may be arising in you…we do give rewards for doing their chores. Rewards include and extra treat from the treasure box, earned time on the Wii, extra time alone with Mom and/or Dad, etc.

If you’re wondering what chores our 2 and 3 year olds could possibly do, take a look at this amazing chart I found a few months back!! It’s been a blessing and a life-saver for us! She does a wonderful job of breaking it up by age group.

4. IT’S A FINE LINE. There is a very fine line with this subject. While I can’t allow my son to continue correcting his siblings, I don’t want to squash his sweet and helpful spirit. God has blessed him with that spirit and we need to nurture it, just slowly and healthily. So, we have decided that our oldest is not going to help with his younger siblings unless we’re there to directly supervise. At least for now. And, as he gets older and more mature, we can work on other ways he can help without being the “parent.” But, for now…he’s on the other side of the line and staying there.

It’s my job to be the parent; to guide him and teach him how to be a better person. A God-fearing man. That’s my job!! And if that means I have some extra chores for a while so he can be a kid, then so be it! I’ll take the long hours and lack of sleep for the sake of my kids any day!!

What advice do you have about letting kids be kids? How do/did you teach your kids they are not the parent? Feel free to leave your tips in the comments or link back to a post you’ve written. I love reading other blogs and learning from them! Your kind words of encouragement inspire me!

Blessings,

Annette

Linking up to these great parties today:

The Better Mom, Raising Arrows, The Straightened Path, Far Above Rubies, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home,  Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, Our Simple Country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows

Maid for Mondays: 5 Tips for Moving

In our marriage, we’ve moved 3 times…so far. But, we’re about to move for the fourth time. Our first move was across the city we lived in, our second was to another state and our third was just a few miles down the road. This 4^th move will also be across town and can I just tell you…I would rather move to another state than across town?!

However, having moved several times in our marriage now and in and out of the dorms at college 3 times, I have learned a few things. And, I’d like to share them with you.

Now, I know people who have moved for a new ministry or a job and have a company pack your house. You can still apply these tips. Just make your requests known to the movers!!

5 Tips to quickly and efficiently pack your home for moving

1. Pack according to rooms. Pack your current home according to the rooms in your new home. For example: Kids toys, which may be in their current rooms and/or living room, but will be in a playroom at the new house or you may be moving from one bathroom to two, three to four bedrooms, etc.

2. Do not over-pack boxes. Books get heavy QUICK!! So, I suggest packing some books with some lighter-weight items, such as games or DVD’s, stuffed animals, etc. while still keeping items sorted by room. But, if you need to pack a box full of books, this site gives some GREAT tips! You need to be able to carry the boxes yourself-even if just a short distance.

3. A tip I heard recently and plan to implement this time around is to color-code your boxes according to room. So, not only are you packing according to room, you’re going to put a colored piece of duct tape on the box. If you don’t want to buy rolls of duct tape simply for this process, you can purchase a kit from this site. It has all the labels you’ll need to use already color coded and ready to go!! This site gives a good tip or two on how to color-code your rooms and how to place the tape on the boxes.

4. Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, keep your clothes on their hangers. Put up a hanging rack in the truck to hang them on if you’re just going across town. Or use these handy-dandy Wardrobe Moving Boxes (pictured above). Aren’t they great?! This will save you (and those helping you) a lot of time and arm aches at the new house!

5. If you have enough warning that you’re moving, start packing EARLY!!!! Start in one room and pack everything that is not currently being used. Winter clothes, your husband’s outrageous book collection, extra dishes, etc.

I would also suggest you purge as you go. That’s what we’ve not done in the past, but are doing this time. We simply have too much stuff without a home and I can hardly stand it! I have already started with the kids’ toys. They have been purged and are ready to pack. I’ve also gone through the kids’ clothes I have in storage. So, I know what is now stored away is okay to be stored away again.

I have a plan this time and I just hope it all works out that way! HA! When has that comment not gotten someone in trouble! No, but seriously…I will have each room color coded on a blueprint/floorplan and each box will be labeled accordingly.

I also plan to have furniture measured out and placed on the paper floorplan so it’s easy for anyone to follow. Since we have 4 kiddos, it’s likely I won’t be at the new house for every part of the move and I want it to go as smoothly as possible for everyone helping us out! Not to mention, the stress relief of entering a house where things are already in their correct place! That’s priceless to me! It may require more up-front planning, but it will be so worth it in the long run!

For those of you who’ve moved a lot, what tips do you have? Feel free to share in the comments or link up to your own post about moving!

Blessings,

Annette

Linking up to these wonderful parties:

The Better Mom, Raising Arrows, The Straightened Path

Maid for Mondays: 10 Tips for a Successful Garage Sale

It’s April, can you believe it?! Where has the year gone? I know we’ve been in a whirlwind around here, but it seriously feels like it should still be February! Now don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely ready for Spring, but I think I’m hesitant to welcome April because this is my birthday month. And, I’m turning 35. UGH!! I don’t feel 35…most days anyway! Maybe the Littles are keeping me young by making me crazy…er…run around in circles!

No seriously…April ushers in one of my favorite seasons – Gararge/Yard Sale season!!!! I love going to sales on Saturday mornings. It’s nearly a weekly thing with my Mom and I. We load up the kids in the van, put in a movie and off we go!!

I love the thrill of the hunt for bargains, old furniture that can be repurposed, play clothes for my kids, toys at a GREAT price and just going in general. I find it exhilarating, yet relaxing. I know that probably makes me weird, but surely there’s a few more of “me” out there!

Now I’m no expert in this area, but I have been to my fair share of sales and even put a few successful ones together. So, I’d like to share my experiences with you both from the buyer and seller’s perspective.

First I’d like to say a Garage/Yard Sale is NOT an overnight event. They take planning and an effort on our part to make them successful. So, here are my tips to making your sale a success. Stay with me, it gets a little lengthy with the explanations, so here we go!

10 Tips to Make Your Garage/Yard Sale a Success

#1 – Plan, Plan, Plan!!!! I cannot stress this enough. If you really want the most out of your sale, you need to plan 3-4 weeks ahead of time. Last year I found this great checklist on Pinterest. (I also use a lot of other printables from the original site here.) They say plan 2-3 weeks out, but unless you’re really organized and your kids are away at summer camp, I’ve found 3-4 weeks is a much better time frame!

#2 – When tagging your items for sale, make sure the prices are easily visible. And make sure they stick!! As a shopper, I find it very frustrating when people either don’t label their items with a price or it’s not easily visible. My goal, when out perusing, is to hit as many sales as possible (I usually average 12-15 in a couple hours). If I have to pick up every single item to find a price that’s not worth it to me and some other shoppers.

#3 – Display and presentation is KEY!!! As a shopper, I will tell you nothing frustrates me more than to pull up to a sale that just has boxes and boxes and tubs of clothes to go through…especially if they’re not sorted into sizes or anything. UGH!! Here are my suggestions:

*Tables for small items: knick knacks, sheet sets, rugs, smaller toys…anything that wouldn’t be noticed on the ground.

*If you’re selling furniture, use it to display a few items. It will draw more attention to it. For example: if you’re selling some night stands, put a few books on it and maybe a lamp you’re also selling.

*Don’t make things too crowded. Remember, you’re trying to draw in customers and if there is only room for one person between tables-you’re too crowded! Spread out!!

*And last…clothing!!! Adult clothing can be difficult to sell at garage/yard sales (at least around here). So, I usually just donate it. But as for baby/children/kid clothes – they are usually BIG sellers! Here are my suggestions to maximize your sales:

a. Sort your items by size and gender

b. Make sure your items are clearly tagged w/ a price. Whether you have a set price for all items or individual prices, just make sure it’s clear to your shoppers. It will make much less work for you if they are clear!

c. Hang your clothes!!!! Try to find a hanging rack on wheels or a stand. You can also use a long pole suspended on a few chairs. DON’T hang them from your garage overhang. It’s too high for most people to reach and really inspect the clothes. It can also deter customers all together. Typically I won’t spend the time going through bins of clothes that aren’t sorted or hung. Unless they’re a really good price, but we’ll talk about that in a minute.

#4 – Advertising: If you followed the checklist, you’ve already placed an ad in your local newspaper. (Note: I suggest running the ad the day before the sale & the days of the sale.) I also suggest posting your sale on Craigslist and any other garage sale sites your area might have. To find the most used sites in your area, just search Saturday Garage Sales, your city and it should pull up some sites like gslr.com and yardsalesearch.com and more.) You also want to make sure your street signs are visible the day of your sale(s). I don’t like those little signs you buy at the store. They can be difficult to spot when driving by. So, I prefer ½ poster board size signs in a bright color to draw your attention! (Be sure to check your city/county ordinances about posting signs in the right of way or they could be pulled up and tossed.)

#5 – Increase Sales by offering refreshments. Offer donuts (we make our own to maximize profits) in the early morning hours and then hot dogs with minimal condiment choices (mustard, ketchup, onion, relish) around 10:30. Remember, a lot of these shoppers have been out since about 6:30am or 7am (at least around here). If you have older children allow them to help sell lemonade, pop and water bottles. Find a mission organization or “cause” you could send the profits to. (A great way to teach your kids about missions and having a servant’s heart.) Buy in bulk to also maximize your profits!!

 #6 – Increase Traffic will Increase Profits!!!! A great way to draw in more customers is to have a multi-family sale at the same location. If you do this, make sure your items are clearly labeled either with different colors or initials. (We’ve used a sheet like this one in the past to keep track of all the sales.) If your neighborhood has an annual sale, take advantage of it!!! Neighborhood sales draw in large crowds and are usually very profitable. If not, ask some of your neighbors to have sales the same weekend. When searching sales, I look to neighborhoods and multi-families first. And last but certainly not least…advertise, advertise, advertise!!!! (see my notes above)

#7 – Shop first! Do some shopping (or scouting) at other sales prior to your big weekend. If you’re not a regular garage saler, you need to know what prices are typical in your area. Around here, it’s typical to pay anywhere from $.25 to $1.00 for most children’s clothes. I, personally, will not pay more than $1.50 for any one clothing item at a garage sale. Now…if you want more out of your clothes than that, you can always look into consigning with either Just Between Friends (www.jbfsale.com) or Rhea Lana (www.rhealana.com). There I will pay up to $5-$6 for nice clothes. (It’s also another way to maximize your traffic!!!) I typically buy all the nice clothes for my 4 kids at these sales and then shop for “play clothes” at garage sales. Occasionally I’ve found some really nice dresses at garage sales for $1, but not often. Still…it’s fun to shop! I told you I’m addicted!!!!

#8 – Be prompt! If your ad says you’re going to open at 8am, be set-up and ready at 7:50am. There’s nothing more irritating than a sale that says its going to start at 7am SHARP, but they don’t have their items out and ready when I get there at 8am!!! Do you know how many sales they’ve probably lost out on?! Allow yourself enough time to set-up. Depending on how much you have and how much help you have, I would allow 45min-1 hour for set-up.

#9 – Be ready to negotiate! People who shop garage sales are typically “wheelers and dealers.” It’s not personal to them, but it is all about the bottom dollar. They want to know your rock-bottom price. So, ahead of time you need to decide what you’ll take on your large items. For example: if you’re selling a 5 year old couch/love-seat combo w/ extras and you put $500 for the set on it, you need to be ready with a bottom price. If you’re set on your price, simply write FIRM underneath it. They may still try to deal with you, but you can say no…it’s firm. Don’t be offended when people try to deal. Say I find a sale with clothes for $.50 and I pick up 15 items. That would total $7.50, but I would offer $5. Some take it, some don’t. If that’s too low, counter with $6. Bottom line…be ready to haggle because they will!!!

#10 – Good customer service is a must when conducting your own sale. Greet people as they approach. Interact with them when possible. Make them feel a connection and you’ll have better luck with your negotiations. Another nice service to offer is a sack for their items. I know many of us have gone to the recyclable grocery sacks, but often times I forget to use it when picking up only a couple items. Those are stored in my panty just for these sales!!!! I also have some paper sacks for larger/heavier items. Ask your friends and family to save them too!

Those are my tips and observations. All in all, if you plan ahead and are well prepared you should have a successful sale!!!

One other thing I would point out…when picking the date for your sale, check out the local calendar. Our city hosts quite a few sports tourneys and those could deter a lot of people from your sale. Also, make note of holiday weekends and anything else that might take away from traffic.

Have you had a successful sale? What are your tips and ideas? Feel free to leave a comment and share with everyone!

Happy Selling!!!!

Blessings,

Annette

Linking up here today:

Raising Arrows, The Better Mom, The Straightened Path, Growing Home, Time-Warp Wife, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Homemakers, Raising Mighty Arrows

Maid for Monday: How the Leftover Chart has saved our marriage!

Most people I know, physically or through the blog world, who cook for their families every night of the week have a leftover night. Whether it’s a weekly thing or every other week when things get piled up in the fridge, they have a leftover night (or some call it a FIY night…fix it yourself).

So, how do you organize your leftovers? I’ve been pondering that question for months now. I have been working to organize my pantry and freezer, so I can be intentional with my meal plans and work towards Whole Food eating and the organization sheets got me thinking. I could use one of those for my leftovers!!

I don’t know about you, but I love lists!! I love making them, looking at them, crossing things off of them…I just love lists. In fact, it might be an unhealthy obsession I have. I have been known, on rare occasions, to make a list that told where my other lists were. Yes, I realize that makes me a nerd, but I’m over that fact and I fully embrace it now!!

You can download the PDF version here. 

Especially, when this list has saved our marriage! Okay, not that our marriage was in trouble to begin with, but leftover nights were quite stressful around our house. The Hubster would look at the meal plan and see it was leftover night and then proceed to open the refrigerator and stare into it like it was a blank canvas waiting for paint. Then, he would calmly ask, “Where are the leftovers?” SERIOUSLY?!?!? You mean, all the Tupperware/Rubbermaid storage containers didn’t give it away?

Okay, don't completely cringe at my fridge. It needs to be cleaned out badly. However...do you see the containers? Kinda hard to miss, don't ya think? And not just because the red arrows are giving them away to you right now, but even without them wouldn't you be able to see the "leftover" containers? And don't mind that I have an un-healthy obsession with buying pickles. Whether we're out of them or not I always have to buy more. I don't know what that's about. OH...and that nasty "cheese dip" on the top shelf...yeah...I didn't buy that - just for the record!


We probably ought to move on before our marriage takes a downward spiral.


So, once he's located the containers and pulled them out comes the all important question…”How long ago did we have this? Is it still good?” And let me tell you, when I’m trying to wash up the littles and get them in their chairs all these slightly annoying questions (since the meal plan is neatly posted on the front of the inside refrigerator, of which he is currently staring into!!!) were simply not good for our marriage. Not to mention the kids are usually getting quite antsy by this time and are talking to me trying to carry on a conversation complete with unrecognizable words (you know those 2 & 3 yr old words that no one on earth understands) all the while their stomachs are wasting away into nothing (the 6yr old is quite dramatic these days) and the babe needs to be fed (something only I can cure at this time). Needless to say, meal times can get a little hectic around here.

So, I created this handy-dandy Leftover Chart to help save our marriage. I laminated it and use a sharpie (it’s okay…it wipes off as long as its not left too long) to write in the meals. I post it on our freezer door in the garage (so it’s not unsightly in our kitchen). It works like a charm!! You can download the PDF version here.

And while I was at it, I made another Weekly Meal Plan page. Feel free to download and print as many as you like! I'm working on some other ones right now, so I hope to have those done soon! Stay tuned!!!

How do you keep track of your leftovers? Do you have a specific night planned for leftovers at your house?

Blessings,

Annette

Linking up with these wonderful parties:

The Better Mom, What Joy Is Mine, An Original Belle, The Prairie Homestead, Raising Arrows, The Straightened Path, Growing Home, Time-Warp Wife, Deep Roots At Home, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, The Imperfect Housewife,  Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, Our Simple Country Life, Holy-Spirit Led Homeschooling

Maid for Mondays: How to make the most of a small…ish space

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If you’re like me, you probably have a small…ish space in your house that you need help with. Well, I hope this post will help you with just that. Our house is 1600+ sq ft and we have 6 people living here. Now, that doesn’t sound too bad, until you realize the only reason we have that much room is the previous owners enclosed most of the garage to make more of a living room space. The old living room is the dining room area and the kitchen…well, it’s just all different.

Don’t get me wrong, I love our living space. But, it quickly became apparent to me when our 4^th child was born that I needed to do something different. The closets in the kids’ rooms are so small and not good for multiple children’s clothes. That is what eventually led me to make our laundry room/extra space into a central closet of sorts. (I’m still working on it, but it’s getting there.)

But, what about some of those other spaces in your house? How can you make that small, narrow utility/linen closet work for you? Well, here are some tips I hope will help you.

1. Decide what you need out of that space, not just what you want.
2. Organization is KEY!!!
3. Be creative for storage. Re-purpose things like furniture, boxes (see tutorials here, here and here). This beside the fridge, slide-out can pantry is A-MAZING!!!
4. Think outside the box! This site gives 22 Tips to organize your craft room! WOW!!!
5. Purging as you go is a great way to get rid of those things you don’t use (or might be outdated in a pantry) and makes room for the items you really need the space for.
6. Painting the space is a very inexpensive way to re-do a space!

Now that you’ve figured out what you need out of the space and found some practical ways to organize it, here are steps to take so you can begin changing your space.

1. Take some measurements of your space. You’ve got to know what you’re working with!
2. Draw out a plan for your space. There are quite a few FREE online planners you can use. I just googled Free Online space planner and found some great sites. These three are my favorite: Floorplanner.com, 3 Dream, and Icovia Room Planner. Or you could do it the “old-fashioned” way and use graph paper!! I just like to draw it myself, but seeing the 3-D planners was quite intriguing.
3. Once you’ve got your plan in place, it’s time to start doing! But, plan carefully. Don’t set unrealistic expectations for the project. A hall closet re-do might take a well-planned afternoon. But, a pantry might take an entire weekend…or longer!
4. Enlist some good help!! Now if you have older kids, they should be great help. But, if you’re like me and have 4 young kiddos, you’re going to need some major help!! My kids are very curious and would mean well wanting to “help”, but they can get seriously hurt. Plus, Mommy is still Mommy and so I am not much help to my husband when I’m Mommy.
5. Make it happen!!! I don’t know about you all, but for me this can seem like the hardest step. I don’t know if it’s nerves about messing up or what, but I can plan and plan and plan to my hearts content. But actually getting it done is so difficult for me.

So, there you have it! Annette’s practical tips for making the most of a small…ish space!!

Have you re-done a small…ish space in your home? What tips to you have?

Thanks for stopping by and sharing with us!! Be sure to leave a comment or link so we can all benefit!

Blessings,

Annette

Maid for Mondays: Surviving those sleepless nights!

Well…it’s that time of year again…SPRING FORWARD! I must admit that I am not like most Mom’s. I actually really like moving my clocks up an hour. I know that sounds crazy, but hear me out. My kids seem to think 5am is a good wake-up time! Wowza! Some days I’m lucky and get to sleep until 6:30am! And believe me when I say this does not bode well with my night-owl side! But, when the clock moves up an hour…aaahhh…I get to sleep until 7:30 or 8am!!! At least for a while…until their internal clocks readjust.

So, trust me when I say…I’ve had my fair share of sleepless nights! And even nights when there is very little sleep. I mean, I have FOUR children ages 6 and under for crying out loud! Just so you know…I rarely sleep a full 8 hours without interruption. Okay, let’s be honest, I rarely sleep 8 hours! I can’t seem to sleep much past 6½ or 7 hours. But, my body can run on that.

But 2 or 3 hours is another story. You know those nights. They are the ones that can steal your JOY come morning! They are the ones that make you count the hours and even minutes until naptime. So how do you not let them affect you and your attitude? Especially if you’re one that really enjoys her sleep?

Here are some simple steps you can take to ensure a pleasant and even JOYFUL day is had by all!

1. Start with Scripture: Even though you may have to drag yourself out of bed, this is a MUST! Even if it’s just a short passage you can meditate on in the “thinking room” (aka the restroom), it will change your mood. I have a book in our “thinking room” that is a short devotional for Mom’s. It’s absolutely perfect for those mornings when I’m dragging.
2. Take a shower if possible: I don’t always get to take a shower in the mornings due to the Hubster’s schedule. But, on those mornings I almost insist that I get the 20 minutes to myself. I need that quiet time to relax and reflect on what I’ve just read. Sometimes I spend that time crying out to God, “Why me? Why did they have to stay up last night of all nights? I have so much to do today. I can’t drag on like this.” Then, my cry turns into a plea for help. “Lord, I need help! I can not do this alone. I need even more patience than normal.” Now, I know praying for patience is dangerous, but trust me…He’ll be there with you every step.
3. Lighten your load: If at all possible, lighten the days load on yourself. Instead of doing 5 loads of laundry do 2-3 loads. And instead of prepping food for the week, only cook 2-3 days of make-ahead meals. Or simply push things back a day! It’s your house…who’s gonna know? Okay, your kids will know if you don’t feed them for an entire day, so do that. But seriously…if everyone has clothes for a couple days don’t stress over the laundry. It will get done!
4. Skimp on school: If you’re having one of those days, its likely your kids are feeling the effects themselves. (Even if they try to convince us otherwise with their hyperactive moods and rambunctious routines!) So, take it easy on school work. Switch it up and do something FUN for the day! Do an experiment for Science, take a nature walk if its nice outside and collect leaves and rocks. Act out your History lesson like a one-act play…the list could go on and on! The point is to do something active and fun!! From personal experience, it’s very difficult to get your tired kids to sit down and practice handwriting on a day like that!
5. Take a nap!! I know this probably seems impossible on some days, but sometimes just a short 30-minute nap is all I need to keep going or to re-energize me. If I get a nap, its usually when my three littles are down for their naps between 1pm and 4pm. Sometimes I even sneak in an hour! Trust me…its good for everyone if a tired, worn-out momma gets a quick nap in.

You don’t have to have multiple children to experience sleepless nights. I remember being up countless nights with our first-born. It was exhausting. Thankfully the Lord and good friends have helped me realize the 5 tips for surviving a sleepless night. And, now with four kids I can say that unless someone is sick, I usually get between 6-7 hours of sleep. I don’t know what I’ll do if another one comes along! I’m kinda’ getting used to it! Guess I’ll take my own advice and re-read this post!!

What are your tips for surviving those sleepless or sleep-little nights? Leave a comment below so we can all benefit!!

Blessings,

Annette


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Maid for Mondays: The GREAT Clothes Swap

Well…it’s that time of year again. The time when us Mom’s get to drag out boxes and bins of clothes to sort, organize and pack or un-pack.

Is it me, or do your kids’ clothes multiply over the past season? I pull out boxes labeled with the size and gender I need (at least I’m that organized…or mostly anyway) and start the sorting process. Sometimes this takes days upon days at my house.

I have nearly finished this daunting task at my house. (I’m still a little nervous about completely packing away winter just yet! Oklahoma weather tends to get a little crazy in March!) This year it took me a little longer than normal to put away winter and bring out spring/summer.

These are the one’s she didn’t wear much.
Dresses on top, long-sleeve shirts on bottom to left.

As I was putting away my older daughter’s dresses, I realized she didn’t wear half of them. Some of them fit smaller than others, some just didn’t fit her body (she’s kinda thick through the chest area, so empire waists don’t do well on her at this age). But, more than that…she had probably 35-40 dresses!!! And, that was only 24m-2T!! OH. MY. WORD! Can you say overboard?

Remember this? The dresses she wore
the most are in these 2 stacks!

So, I decided that as I packed Winter away and brought out the Spring/Summer items I would be more intentional in my choices. I mean, seriously…my 2yr old daughter does not need 45 dresses! Now, keep in mind she also has some skirt/shirt combos too!! I mean, really?! Can you tell she was the first girl?? Of course, it doesn’t hurt that there are so many cute dresses and skirts out there! And don’t even get me started on the bow situation! ugh! 

So, I made a list of what we thought would work number-wise and went through the bins very intentionally. I made sure every shirt and skirt had at least one match and more was even better! Then, I had to sort through those cute, adorable dresses and pick out the ones I thought she got the most/best wear out of and the ones that were my favorite on her. WOW was that tiresome! I had a hard time letting go of some things, even if she never wore it! But, I did.

Not only am I conserving space by only having ONE bin per size/gender, but I’m also learning to be more frugal with our money and what we buy our children.

The other reason I did this was to get ready for the semi-annual Just Between Friends (JBF) Sale here. I do two different sales each season, which has given us a little re-imbursement on our own purchases. I usually go with a list of what each child needs, but my numbers were mere guesses. This year I decided to get specific and spend only what I had to spend. So, I went through the clothes I already had for each child and wrote down what else was needed. I went shopping on Saturday with a very specific list in hand. My mom and I did GREAT!!!

The white outline shows you what we purchased!!
Just don't look at my mess behind it!!

Let me tell you…shopping for all 4 kids in ONE location in under 4 hours is absolutely priceless!! I was able to get everything on my list too! I am so pleased with what we found and the prices I was able to pay!!

Now…don’t get me wrong, I’ll probably still scout out some garage sales this season and look for more deals. But, I know that if I find nothing its okay! My kids’ are going to be clothed anyway! Whew! Isn’t that a relief?! I know you were sweating that one, right?!

So, now my bins are back in their rightful place until late July/early August. That’s when I start going through the Winter clothing for the Fall/Winter JBF sale! (Be sure to check for JBF sales in your area by visiting their website.)

This system of organization and shopping seems to work for us right now. But, I am always open to new ideas!!! What other tips do you have for organizing a “large” family’s off-season clothing?

Don’t spend all your time indoors sorting clothes though! Be sure to get out and ENJOY this lovely weather!!!! Hmmm…I guess that depends on where you live, doesn’t it? Nevertheless…Happy Sorting!

Blessings,

Annette


Linking up with these parties:
The Better Mom
The Prairie Homestead
A Wise Woman Builds her Home
The Imperfect Housewife
Growing Home
Far Above Rubies
Raising Homemakers
Women Living Well
Our Simple Farm
Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling