We are at that time of going through clothes again and switching over to the next season. Is it just me or does it seem like this comes quickly? I will say that this is not my most favorite thing to do as it involves pulling all the previous season's clothes out, figuring out what to keep for the next year (even though my kids' have never worn something two years in a row due to their growth), what to keep for the next kid, and what looks too bad to keep and goes to yard sale and/or charity.
We are having a yard sale tomorrow, so I have a lot to do. I am also going through my clothes for the past 7 years. I don't know if you are like this but I have been every size from small to XXXL maternity in the past 7 years. I've got it all and I am ready to get rid of some things.
I have been working on the kids' clothes already some but I am determined to get that done this weekend. I am very very very determined to get my clothes gone through today so that I can maybe yard sale some stuff.
Any tips on what you do when you go through clothes each season?
Friday, October 7, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Mastering a Morning Routine
I don't know about you but the mornings at my house definitely dictate the rest of the day (or at least the rest of the morning). If I wake up and jump up out of bed and get going it is so much better than laying around until the last possible second (or even late) and starting the day all frustrated.
My morning routine is all about how to make the day run smoother. There are a few things that I have to do before we start our day.
#1 - Start with a quick morning prayer (usually done in my bed or as I am doing a few tasks). I will say here that I do not get up hours before my kids and have quiet time for a few reasons. 1) I am not a morning person and need as much sleep as possible, 2) Luke wakes up the minute he hears me sit up in bed, and 3) I prefer to have my in depth quiet time when I can really get deep with my time with the Lord - afternoons and/or evenings after the kids are in bed.
#2 - Make our bed. I love the way a made bed looks and feels. I also have Luke make his bed.
#3 - Straighten up the master bedroom. I sometimes have a drink cup or can or late night snack box or books sitting around. I like to straighten it up in the morning so that I don't have to look at it all day.
#4 - Do something with laundry. Start a load, rotate loads, dewrinkle a load, and/or fold a load.
#5 - Straighten up the living room. Ideally we would have done this before we went to bed, but that is not always the case. It's amazing how putting pillows in place and picking up a few random items can really make a difference.
#6 - Straighten up the kitchen. Again, ideally we would have cleaned the whole kitchen up the night before after dinner or before bed, but that is not always the case. I like to unload the dishwasher if needed, load up dirty dishes, wipe down the counters, table, and high chair, and sweep the floor.
#7 - Make breakfast. I like to have breakfast made or at least started before Nathan wakes up. He is really fussy if his food isn't ready when he is ready for it.
These few things really make the day go a little smoother. Of course, it would be great if most of it was done the night before, but sometimes after dinner my priorities are to spend time with the kids and Lee and do my quiet time and relax before bed. I used to beat myself up if things weren't done at the allotted time, but now I realize, it will get done at some point. Why fret? :)
PS What is your morning routine?
My morning routine is all about how to make the day run smoother. There are a few things that I have to do before we start our day.
#1 - Start with a quick morning prayer (usually done in my bed or as I am doing a few tasks). I will say here that I do not get up hours before my kids and have quiet time for a few reasons. 1) I am not a morning person and need as much sleep as possible, 2) Luke wakes up the minute he hears me sit up in bed, and 3) I prefer to have my in depth quiet time when I can really get deep with my time with the Lord - afternoons and/or evenings after the kids are in bed.
#2 - Make our bed. I love the way a made bed looks and feels. I also have Luke make his bed.
#3 - Straighten up the master bedroom. I sometimes have a drink cup or can or late night snack box or books sitting around. I like to straighten it up in the morning so that I don't have to look at it all day.
#4 - Do something with laundry. Start a load, rotate loads, dewrinkle a load, and/or fold a load.
#5 - Straighten up the living room. Ideally we would have done this before we went to bed, but that is not always the case. It's amazing how putting pillows in place and picking up a few random items can really make a difference.
#6 - Straighten up the kitchen. Again, ideally we would have cleaned the whole kitchen up the night before after dinner or before bed, but that is not always the case. I like to unload the dishwasher if needed, load up dirty dishes, wipe down the counters, table, and high chair, and sweep the floor.
#7 - Make breakfast. I like to have breakfast made or at least started before Nathan wakes up. He is really fussy if his food isn't ready when he is ready for it.
These few things really make the day go a little smoother. Of course, it would be great if most of it was done the night before, but sometimes after dinner my priorities are to spend time with the kids and Lee and do my quiet time and relax before bed. I used to beat myself up if things weren't done at the allotted time, but now I realize, it will get done at some point. Why fret? :)
PS What is your morning routine?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Tackle One Thing at a Time
I have been so overwhelmed since the birth of Nathan and even more so with starting our homeschool year. I have the personality that wants to tackle everything and fix it overnight. Unfortunately, that is not realistic. I have decided to take my husband's sage advice and tackle one thing at a time.
I sat down with him and asked, "What is the biggest priority as far as homemaking goes?" He said having dinner at home on a regular basis. We had been eating out more often than usual, which was hurting our budget (not to mention my waistline). So I decided to come up with a doable plan instead of trying to overdo it.
Our plan was to eat at church on Wednesday nights and have one night for takeout. I also wanted to have 1-2 nights for leftovers. So that left me only having to cook a fresh meal 3-4 nights a week. Not bad. So I came up with a monthly meal plan which I shared here - http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2011/09/monthly-meal-plan.html.
So far it is going great. Having a plan for each month cuts way down on my planning time. Going to the grocery store once a month for a big bulk of our groceries cuts down on time and money spent. Knowing each week what we are going to have for meals cuts down on time and mental energy. It has been great. It also offers me flexibility. For instance, tonight we are going to a funeral and will be eating out, so we take our takeout night and switch it with our pot roast and it's all good.
My next task is to tackle clothing. We need to switch over clothes from summer to fall/winter and I have a ton of clothes I need to go through to get rid of. I am going to tackle it one pile at a time and just work until I get it done.
I sat down with him and asked, "What is the biggest priority as far as homemaking goes?" He said having dinner at home on a regular basis. We had been eating out more often than usual, which was hurting our budget (not to mention my waistline). So I decided to come up with a doable plan instead of trying to overdo it.
Our plan was to eat at church on Wednesday nights and have one night for takeout. I also wanted to have 1-2 nights for leftovers. So that left me only having to cook a fresh meal 3-4 nights a week. Not bad. So I came up with a monthly meal plan which I shared here - http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2011/09/monthly-meal-plan.html.
So far it is going great. Having a plan for each month cuts way down on my planning time. Going to the grocery store once a month for a big bulk of our groceries cuts down on time and money spent. Knowing each week what we are going to have for meals cuts down on time and mental energy. It has been great. It also offers me flexibility. For instance, tonight we are going to a funeral and will be eating out, so we take our takeout night and switch it with our pot roast and it's all good.
My next task is to tackle clothing. We need to switch over clothes from summer to fall/winter and I have a ton of clothes I need to go through to get rid of. I am going to tackle it one pile at a time and just work until I get it done.
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