Green Tip – Scrape Your Dishes

Scrape your dirty dishes into the trash before putting them into the dishwasher.

Scraping any leftover food on your plates into the trash or adding to your compost pile can save up to 10 gallons of water than by putting it in the garbage disposal in your sink.

Most newer models of dishwashers are energy efficient and can  remove any left on food and will save water more than doing them by hand as well.

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Being A Mom IS The Hardest Job

Being a mom is undoubtedly the hardest, most stressful job that there is.  It’s long hours, mostly without breaks and the only pay involved is the priceless unconditional love we receive daily.   We work hard to provide for our family, but  we don’t always feel like we’re doing our best.  Why?  We are loving, caring, funny, witty (OK…maybe not always funny and witty, but definitely loving and caring) and we give from our hearts – ALWAYS.

We are too hard on ourselves to be perfect.  To have a perfectly clean house,  perfectly dressed children,  perfectly cooked meals – all goals we strive to achieve, but feel like we’ve failed if we don’t keep this up on a daily basis.  Do our children care if the dishes are done from lunch before dinner is cooked?  NO. Do our neighbors know that we didn’t have time to wash our child’s hair before bed and that’s the reason it’s in a pony tail?  NO.  So why are we so hard on ourselves when it’s all not perfect and complete?

It’s time to step back and enjoy our children while they are young and while they still think we’re the greatest thing on earth (and funny and witty).  Take time to just sit with your kids and just be – no phones, no Internet, no TV.  Be still and actually listen to their little funny stories – no matter if they sound like jibber jabber or complete sentences.  Give your child your undivided attention today.  Read them stories for twenty minutes, a half hour or even an hour if they want.  Let the dishes pile up.  Hopefully, someone will take care of them for you – or not – and you can catch up with them once the kids are sleeping.  Enjoy your time together as they are only young once and one day you’ll wonder where all those special moments have gone – you’ll wonder why you didn’t enjoy them more when you had them around all the time.

On the days you feel like giving up or like you’re not making a difference or that it’s all overwhelming – stop what you’re doing, sit back and just watch your children.  Sit still and listen to their laughter and giggles as they dance a silly dance or chase the dog around the yard or pull yet another pot out of the cabinet and bang it repeatedly on the floor and smile while doing it.  I promise you’ll find that little feeling that tells you that it is all worth it.   That feeling that confirms that being a mom IS the hardest job in the world – but it is the most rewarding and best darn job you’ll ever have!

* Will you take my advice?  If so, share with me how you spent time with your children today.  How did you enjoy your time together and how did it feel?  Is this something you already do or do you need a little work on it.  I know I do.  I’m looking forward to hearing all about it!

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Day 3: Project Home Organization

Well, on to day 3 of my home organization.

I normally shop for 2 weeks of groceries and only run back to the store for staples such as bread, milk and eggs in-between trips.  Well, that’s the plan anyways.  Sometimes I decide I don’t want whatever I’ve planned for a meal or have a craving for something sweet, so I allot  for those trips as well.

This week when I brought home my groceries, I just knew it was time to clean out the pantry!  I didn’t have room for any of the new items and the shelves were overflowing and I had no idea what was in there.  I do straighten it all the time, but I don’t get in there and pull everything out and take inventory of what I have.  Boy, did I have a lot of stuff I didn’t know about!

6 bags of egg noodles, 3 boxes of elbow macaroni, 2 half empty bags of flower, 2 bottles of canola oil ( I don’t even use this!), numerous packets of taco seasoning, an overflowing recycle bin and lots and lots more!

I whipped it all out and started fresh.  I did not go out and buy anything to help make organizing easier or more efficient. Later on I’ll tackle the expense of nice bins for cereal, crackers, pasta and such and the Mabel’s Labels Household Labels. But not today!  Just good old fashioned elbow grease and organization skills.

Since I tackled the pantry, it just made sense to organize the spice cabinet as well.

Much better!  I feel like a new women.  I don’t know about you, but when things are neat and orderly, I feel much more calm and clear AND  I know where things are and what I have.

Next project:  Entry Way!

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(CLOSED)Mabel’s Labels Review & Giveaway!

COGRATS TO #5 – JEN FROM MARTYMOM’S MUSINGS!  YOU ARE THE WINNER OF THE MABEL’S LABELS “WRITE ON” STATIONARY KIT!

I had the amazing opportunity to try out a wonderful product for my little girl, Ella, that makes my life easier and worry free.  MABEL’S LABELS - labels for the stuff kids lose! WOW!  I’m not sure if you’ve heard of these little gems, but if you have children you HAVE to have these.

Now, they do also carry labels for adults to keep their life in order as well.  Those are next on my list of must haves!

But, for today…I’m going to tell you about these adorable, fun labels that makes me very happy.  As you may know if you read my blog, I have 2 children of my own, ages 3 and 1 and I also run a home daycare.  Talk about “stuff”!  I have 5 pairs of shoes, 5 jackets, 5 sippy cups, 5 diaper bags, 5 cubby bins and 1 bottle to keep track of daily.  Yeah, its a lot of “stuff”!  One thing I always have a trouble with is keeping it straight.  I used to whip out the masking tape and slap on a piece with a name on it to whatever I was trying to keep straight.  Not now!  Mabel’s Labels come in fun colors, cute icons and a variety of sizes and uses that I have fun trying out on all the items around the house. Mabel’s Labels are made by moms, so they knew exactly what a mom needed.  No more wondering what to do with something in a kit because it has no actual use.  Mabel’s Labels are made for the items you need the most!  I was able to try out the following label’s at home:

Sticky Labels, which are both durable and practical, are used for toys, dishes, bottles and more.

Skinny-Minis™ are just like the original Sticky Labels, only smaller. These labels are perfect for school supplies, dishes, small toys and more.

Shoe Labels are extra tough and extra sticky. They will not rub off on socks or fall off when shoes get wet because of a protective overlay, designed to ensure durability. They fit nicely on the insole of shoes, boots, skates and other footwear.

Teeny Tags™ are clever metal tags designed to hang off backpacks, lunch bags, pencil cases and more. Similar to Mabel’s Labels’ Bag Tags, itty-bitty Teeny Tags™ are also great for personal identification – perfect for runners, walkers and other sports enthusiasts.

Mabel’s Labels website offers a ton of more choices for your life, such as:

-Iron on clothing labels, Children go through hundreds of clothing items in just a few years. Protect that investment with our clothing labels, which resist the wear and tear of laundry beautifully

- Household labels, Developed by professional organizers, household labels will keep you as organized as your kids!

- Kid safety products, Disposable bands can be customized to include names, phone numbers, allergies and other special needs a child may have.

…And much more!

My Results:

These labels worked just as the description said and I was even being asked by my daycare parents, preschool moms and family members where to buy their own! What’s even more impressive, is that they have made their way to the celebrity mommy world!  Mommy’s such as, Jennifer Garner, Tina Fey, Tori Spelling, Brook Sheilds, and Reese Witherspoon are using them for their little dumpling on a daily basis and sharing the news!

*Make sure to check out the Mabel’s Labels website and blog to choose what products suit your life the best. I promise you’ll be impressed and glad you found them!

Visit Mabel’s Labels on:

Twitter

Website

Blog

Facebook

Here’s the deal:

Enter to win your very own “Write On!” Stationary Kit in either Cowpoke or Mermaid!

Kit contains 40 sheets of paper, 30 envelopes, 30 return address labels, 30 personalized name stickers to put on the stationery sheets, 30 sealers to add a special touch to the envelopes.

MANDATORY ENTRY
Go to  MABEL’S LABELS WEBSITE and check out their products.  Come back here and tell me which one your love or that you’d like to try.

Extra Entries:

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Make sure to leave a comment on each of the entries you complete above.  The contest will run through TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6TH. The  winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email.   The winner will then have 48hours to respond.  At that time if no response has been given, a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck to everyone!!

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Day 1: Project Home Organization

It’s Day 1 of my home organization project. I’m finally ready to get on with organizing all the things in my life that are driving me crazy.  It seems that most days, being a mom and daycare provider, takes all the time I have to just get through the day.  Tasks such as organizing a closet, a desk, a drawer or even my paperwork, gets pushed aside.  I’m sure most of you can relate to that being a mom and taking care of the kids always comes before the “extras”.  Organizing is not something that I want to put on the back burner, it just happens.

I’m not the most organized person in the world, but I want to be and I felt like now was a great time to get started.   I’ve always looked forward to the 1st day of school, even when I was not in school or had kids in school.   There’s just something about it that gives me a sense of new beginning and renewal.  And so, I have decided that now that I am a mom of a preschooler and have a tiny bit of free time each week, I’m going to tackle organizing my family, my home and my life. In my quest for finding the best tips on accomplishing this,  I’ve visited several blogs that I would consider “pros” in this area and will be using some of their tips on becoming a more efficient, productive and organized mom and I’ll share this information with you as I go along!

Today I started with my 1st project: Organize my daughter’s craft supplies.

My daughter, Ella,  LOVES to color, paint, cut, sticker, draw, and do puzzles and spends most of her free time doing so.  It’s the first thing she does in the morning and the last thing she does at night.  We didn’t have a designated area for all of her supplies and she normally works at our island on her projects.  Ideally, this was not the best set up.  Her stuff would be scattered and cluttered and she would always loose things since we only had them in a basket on the counter.  I knew I needed something to keep it all in, but didn’t know what.   Here’s what I came up with:

1.  Preschool Desk from Pottery Barn Kids.

(I was going to link you up to this, but they must have sold out since I ordered it last week.)

This is an adorable little child-sized desk and the kids all love it.  I actually think my 15 month old need his very own.  He spends alot of time sitting here as well.  As cute as it is, it’s not very practical for keeping Ella’s supplies in order.  The two drawers are narrow and not very long – just enough room for  some pens and pencils and maybe some other little items.  So, I came up with another storage solution.

2. 4-shelf Organizer Cube

I picked this up at Michael’s but also saw one at Target.  This was a snap to put together and holds all of Ella’s construction paper, drawing paper, notebooks, coloring books and marker and crayon holders.  I even placed some of her scissors and stickers in closed containers on top of the cube. For now, it sits on the island in the kitchen so that the little kids don’t make confetti out of the contents.  My plan is to sit Ella’s desk beside my desk (that will be delivered this weekend) and place the cube on my desk for her to use.  I also have another modular storage system on order that we’ll put together later.

But  this is a good start.  It doesn’t look like much, but I feel a ton better AND more productive since I got this all organized today.  I’m also going to be working on a great tip from Simple Mom for all of Ella’s completed artwork. She has some great ideas to storing and displaying all those special pieces that I’d like to save but not have it just cluttered into a drawer or taped all over the house like it currently is.

I’ll keep you updated every step of the way on my Project: Home Organization.  In the meantime, send me your tips and tricks that you use to keep your child’s projects and hobbies in order.  I’d love to see pictures as well.  I’ll post them right here!

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What happened?

I love holidays. As a child, there was never a holiday that went by that we didn’t get together with my grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins.  We usually grilled out or enjoyed a large meal and sat and and laughed the day away.  It was so much fun and I’m so glad that I have those memories from my childhood.

Now, I live far away from my family and don’t get to see them as much as I’d like.  It’s just hard to travel 6-8 hours away with two small children in tow.     I want my children to get to know my family well and hate that we’re not closer.   It’s hard.  One day, it will be easier and we’ll make that long drive more often.

My husband’s family lives about an hour from here and we don’t see them as much as I’d like either.   Even though we’re not that far away, we really only seem them on special occasions and holidays. It seems that everyone is busy these days with their own children and responsibilities.

What happened to us?  How did we all get so busy?  Is it where we live and the environment?  Have our priorities changed so much more drastically  than they were 20 years ago?  Or are our lives just so full we can’t possibly fit in one more thing?  Now our work days start before 8am and are over after 6pm.  It’s too much!  No wonder marriages and families are falling apart and that people are having heart attacks and strokes at such a young age.

I believe we need to slow down and get back to our roots.  Back to what is really important in our lives.  Maybe it’s spending Sunday with just your family at home and missing that round of golf, or maybe it’s cutting out 1 extra activity a week or volunteer opportunity or maybe it’s even cutting back on work so that you have a few evenings a week dedicated  to just your family.

We’re all busy and we all have a lot more to do than we can possibly fit into the day – but you know what, it’s not important in the grand scheme of life.  Will your children remember one day when they’re adults that you were the chair of the Economic Development Committee or that you made the entire dance class costumes?  No, but they will  remember you sitting around the table cutting out paper dolls or playing ball in the back yard or that visit to their aunt and uncle’s house sitting around a campfire with their cousins roasting marshmallows.  Making memories and sharing with the ones we love, that’s what life is all about.  It’s not about all those other things that stress us out and make us exhausted by the time we go to bed after midnight.

Do you agree?  Do you feel exhausted by the end of the day and not really know what you really accomplished for yourself or your family? Do you make time to be with your extended family?

Tell me why you think our society has turned into what it has become today.  Is life all about the  hustle and bustle where you live or is it relaxed and laid back?   I’d love to know..share with me!

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Green TIP: Turn off the LIGHTS!

Turn off the lights!

Mom really does know best.  There is no reason to leave on the lights after you leave a room.  Did you know that almost 15 percent of your annual electricity bill goes towards lighting your home?    In the summer, turning off the lights and even pulling closed the drapes will also keep your house cooler.

I have my kids trained to turn off the lights whenever they leave a room.  My 3yr old AND my 15mo old reminds me if I forget,  “Mom, you’re wasting electricity!”  Geez, maybe the kids know best too!!

So, don’t forget to turn off those lights when you leave a room or better yet, don’t turn them on during the day in the first place!

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I HATE Clutter

I hate clutter.  I don’t just hate clutter….it makes me crazy!  I don’t really know when I went from the carefree teenager that had cans of Coke stuck under the nightstand, clothes laying on every inch of my bedroom floor to this person who actually gets anxious from time to time when I turn around and see all the stuff on the counters, in the closets, on the floor, in the corners, in the garage, in the bedrooms, in the closets….you get the picture.  I really, really try hard to keep on top if it.  A clean, clutter free home gives me peace.  I actually believe that the planets are aligned and hear angels singing when I look around and see nothing but bare counters and corners.   But with 5 kids here a day – it seems impossible to keep it this way.  With limited garage and closet space and no basement…where do you put it all?   I don’t keep things I don’t need but I need a lot of stuff with kids and the daycare.  I searched the Internet on tips to be clutter free and found this Ehow.com article on how to organize the clutter in your home:

• Step 1 
  Stash the clutter when unexpected guests stop by. Before they arrive, take big boxes or laundry baskets and toss all of your clutter inside. Place these containers out of site to organize after guests leave.  – Ok I do this one…but then I forget where I put all the stuff and I end up having to pay late charges on my credit cards.  I also use old Target bags to shove stuff in.  LOL
• Step 2
  Use clear storage bins. These can be found in most large stores, and they will help you organize the clutter in your home without losing sight of where you have put your things. – Good tip too..unless you keep all the bins in your garage and you have to shove them out of the way to get to the car door and then you forget what’s even in them and have to go buy new stuff that you thought you lost but really it’s in the bins in the packed garage. 
• Step 3
  Donate your clothes to a local charity. Each month, go through the clothes in your drawers, and in your closet, that you haven’t worn. Make a donation box or bag and take it with you the next time you run errands. -I once had a box of clothes for charity in the trunk of my car for 6 months. Once I took them in..they didn’t need them because they were for last season.
• Step 4
  Shred your documents. Make time each weekend to shred all of your sensitive documents from that week’s mail. Paper shredders can be purchased at any office supply store, and they come in many sizes to fit your needs. – Who in the world has time to do this weekly?!  I’m lucky if I even get all the mail opened weekly!
• Step 5
  Set a limit for yourself on the length of time you allow yourself to hold onto old magazines. No matter what, once your time limit has passed, toss the periodicals or give them to your local library. – I am a magazine junkie (to be covered in a later blog!)  I’m not giving away my magazines!!
• Step 6
  Leave the lids off of toy bins in the play room. A toy box is meant for play, and the lids will only limit what you can toss in when you organize the clutter. - Do kids put the toys back in the bins even when the lids are shoved behind the toy shelf without you threatening them that you’ll throw them away??

I start out staying on top of it – but by now, 10:00 pm, I’M DONE!  Let it be.  It will still be there in the morning and I’ll still hate it.  But, at least I won’t spend my only hour of the day to myself cleaning.  So the never ending cycle of cleaning and de-cluttering will start again in the morning.

What’s your best tip for staying clutter free or do you struggle with it everyday?

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