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Scaling Down the Homework -Pt 3
Homework is a very personal and sensitive topic, and most parents have their opinion on what is appropriate: what subjects, how much, due dates, and more. If you missed the first two installments of Scaling Down the Homework, you should read them before continuing with this article. Scaling Down the Homework (Part 1) Scaling Down the Homework (Part 2) We Figured out the Problem with Homework Our ideas were great, well-thought out, and successfully executed. Why, then, did they not work? They made sense in our minds, but would have only worked on a child whose mind thinks like my husband’s and mine. My mentor and life coach Tony Robbins…
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Scaling Down the Homework -Pt 2
School has finally wrapped up for the year, and we, as parents, are left to contemplate what WE learned from the school year. My husband and I finally got the homework situation figured out with our daughter once the school year was already drawing to a close. If you missed the first installment of Scaling Down the Homework, you should read it before continuing. Modifying the Homework: Our Failed Attempt My husband and I were fed up with our 8 year old daughter spending all of her non-school hours either confined to her room doing homework or sleeping. We never saw her, outside of reminding her to stay focused and…
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My Job: Problogger, Freelance Writer, Work at Home Mom
I am employed full time (well, more than full time, if such a classification existed) even though I work from home. My job title reads: business owner, problogger, editor, freelance writer, and work at home mom (WAHM). When I tell people I work from home and that I’m the editor and blogger, I’m often asked, “Do you actually get paid for that?”, “But do you get any money from it?”, “But you don’t have a real job other than that, right?” It can be hard for people to understand that working from home is real work. Jennifer at Network Blogging Tips inspired this article when she wrote Typical Conversations I…
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Organizing Under the Bathroom Sink
While making my Summer Projects List, I added “clean under the bathroom sink” to the list. It hasn’t been done in a long time and was definitely overdue. When you have to push things back to fit in a new item, it’s time to purge! I made half of the products under the sink disappear. There were many duplicates: 2 mousses, 2 curling sprays, 4 hairsprays (2 pump, 2 aerosol)… They were piled behind other things and I didn’t even know they were there! I had to exercise some serious Product Control (only 1 of each thing open and in use; put the rest in the pantry). Many things had…
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Don't Take the Lid off Your Crockpot and 4 More Slow Cooker Tips You Didn't Know
Don’t lift the lid! According to the Reynolds company, it’s best to leave the lid on your crockpot / slow cooker the whole time you’re cooking. Each time you lift the lid to check or stir your food, it adds 20 minutes to the cooking time to compensate for the heat that escapes. If you really must stir to mix ingredients, only do it once and then set your timer for an extra 20 minutes. 4 Slow Cooker Tips You Didn’t Know 1. Use a crockpot liner – These make for super quick clean up after an especially messy meal, like chili 2. Condensation catcher – Put a dish towel…
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Date Night Rescue: How to Make Time for Quick Dates!
Make Room for Quick Dates Every married couple with children knows that your relationship with each other changes once you have kids. The definition and rules of your relationship change, and it is different for each couple. Your alone time is limited and may be filled with different activities than before you had kids. The important thing to remember is that your marriage is not about children, it is about the two of you! Marriage and family are two independent things that just happen to go together. Your family includes your children, and it needs a strong center. Mom and Dad are the center of the family, the strong core,…
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The Return Station
Home Systems: How to Create a Return Station Also pictured is the Donation Station. Read about it here! Problem #1: Transient items can overrun the house. Items like rental movies, library books, items to return or exchange at stores, and things borrowed from people, are scattered. They end up everywhere – in bags, on the floor, lost in kids’ rooms, car trunks, garage, and on the couch. Problem #2: You can’t give these items permanent homes in your house if they are not meant to stay in your house! How do you keep transitional items from getting lost and making junky clutter all over the place before you return them?…
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Box Tops For Education Holders
Box Tops for Education Refrigerator Holder Let’s organize another one of the messiest things in the kitchen / dining room area today. Today we’re going to make a permanent home for your little Box Tops. Box Tops for Education, Betty Crocker points, UPCs for rebates, Campbells Soup Labels: all these items come off of packages which are usually kept in the kitchen. Without a system for storing for these little cut-out labels while waiting to turn them in or redeem them, they can get scattered or lost and possibly never used. Instead of letting them end up in multiple places, create a permanent home for these items that your whole…
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Top Energy Wasters in Your Home
In an article in US News & World Report: “Putting Your Home On An Energy Diet” by Mariann Lavelle, the energy wasters were very surprising to me; top shocker was a digital photo frame. Can you believe it costs on average $9 a year to run one? Also on the list were cable boxes, cell phone charges, older large appliances such as refrigerators, new TVs, and more. We’ve done a lot of work in our family on not being “energy hogs” and wasting energy! My favorite website about energy consumption is the Department of Energy’s website EnergyHog.org. They have an adult entrance to the site that provides great energy-saving tips.…
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11 DIY Projects Using Recycled Food Containers
I love reusing things, and food containers are no exception! Some of the great uses I invented for plastic peanut butter jars in my bathroom are holders for dental flossers and cotton swabs. Peanut butter jars (the small, 17 oz. jar) are the perfect size to hold these small items. The jars are washable and cheap to replace. They’re also lidded, which is great for keeping your hygienic items clean. Lidded containers protect from germs and airborne particulates, such as dust, deodorant, hairspray, and perfume. But what other uses can we come up with food containers, glass bottles, plastic jars, and more? Here are some fun DIY projects and crafts…
