This is one of my favorite topics!!! I was so excited to discuss home organization at today's Stewardship Group. The key to organization is being prepared with enough time, the correct supplies and plenty of patience and endurance to complete the task. Over the years, I have read a lot of books on the subject of time management and home organization. The common thread is to declutter your belongings enough that they will fit into the alloted space. This is not always an easy task when you are working in small spaces. We talked about the Fly Lady last week when we discussed cleaning, and I must say that through the years, she has assisted me in paring down my belongings.
One of my favorite books on the topic of decluttering and organization is One Year to an Organized Life by Regina Leeds. This book breaks the task of home organization down by looking at a different area or project for each month of the year, and it is very specific on the steps and time that will be needed each month. If you are a beginner to home organization, I highly recommend this book. I also love all of the books by Julie Morgenstern on organization and the companion topic of time management. My favorite is Organizing from the Inside Out.
We shared tips for each area of your home this morning during our discussion. Here are some of my favorite organizational tips that I have picked up over the years and a few other wonderful ideas that were shared this morning:
* Plastic rectangular ice buckets are a wonderful way to store plasticware lids. Turn the bucket on it's side, and you have easy visual access to the contents.
* Use plastic storage units to store everything from laundry supplies in your utility room cabinets to spare toiletry items under your bathroom sink. Group like items in each tub. You'll never have to pull out 1000 items to get to your dryer sheets again!
* Use adhesive hooks to hang and organize your necklaces in your bathroom or closet and plastic ice trays to sort earrings.
* Buy a large CD storage notebook to store DVDs and CDs. Discard the cases unless they are collectible.
* Carbiner clips work perfectly to store your ponytail holders and hairbands.
* Jennifer has assigned a different color towel for each of her children. After their bath is over, they hang the toweland matching washcloth on a double hook in their bathroom. If there is a towel on the floor, she knows exactly which child it belongs to and this simple system ensures that the children participate in keeping the bathroom clean. The color assignment translates to other areas of her home, like the kitchen, where the kids have cups in their assigned color to prevent drink mix-ups.
* Charity saves empty round CD/DVD containers for marker and crayon storage for her young children.
There were many other wonderful ideas shared this morning along with lots of coupons. I will be adding the remaining coupons to our coupon exchange box in the church narthex. On the topic of coupons, we have GREAT news! The Bryan Eagle newspaper has agreed to donate their extra Sunday newspapers each week to provide coupons for the troops. This will be approximately 1000 copies of coupon inserts each week. The Blinn College Student Government Association will be sorting and clipping the coupons, and we will be sending them on to an organization which provides coupons to our troops and their families overseas to be used in the military commissaries. The commissaries accept coupons up to six months after their expiration date and families overseas have very limited access to coupons. This is a wonderful way to be good stewards of our extra coupons and LOTS of others courtesy of The Bryan Eagle! Thanks to Charity of taking ownership of this project!!!
Next week, we will be discussing Date Night ideas! Bring your best successes, ideas/suggestions and even some of your failures (we need to learn from each other). See you next week!!!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Cleaning with Kids
Is it possible to have a clean house with kids? I believe that it is! Today, we talked about cleaning tips for a busy household. There are so many different methods and systems out there, and no one system will fit every family. I encourage you to try a couple of systems until your find a hybrid that works for your family. Here are a couple of suggestions:
I love http://www.flylady.net/ ! I started reading her website many years ago when my children were toddling around and I was working full time. Housekeeping was such a struggle for me during those days! I hated spending every Saturday cleaning and grocery shopping and having no family time. I decided that I had to find a better system and that is when I came across Flylady. I do not totally subscribe to her system, but use the parts of her system that work for my family. Every week, I check in for Kelly's Missions, a daily reminder to spend 15-20 minutes on a specific, deep cleaning task. I also love her Weekly Home Blessing Hour and her detailed cleaning lists. The key to the Flylady method is doing a little bit each day to maintain your home and decluttering unnecessary items in your life. I employ her Weekly Home Blessing Hour on Wednesdays but it normally takes me a couple of hours with Baby Cooper in tow. I love to have the "Aha" moment when the house is clean-if only for ten minutes!
Last summer, I read a book by Tara Aronson titled Mrs. Clean Jean's Housekeeping with Kids. It is a wonderful guide to help you enlist your family into the cleaning process, and I highly recommend it for young families. She has some wonderful tips on age-appropriate activities for your children.
Another method that has worked for me in the past has been to clean different areas on a designated day of the week. For instance, Mondays are mopping days, Tuesdays are toilets, Wednesdays are wipes countertops, etc. This is methods works great for those busy moms who can't devote a couple of consecutive hours a weeks to a Home Blessing time. Thanks Gail for your suggestion many years ago when I was deep in the trenches!
A number of other helpful suggestions were made today, and I wanted to highlight a couple of them. My friend Jennifer uses red, white and blue tall hampers so that her young children can help her sort the laundry and have a visual cue to ensure proper sorting. My friend Melissa has recently purchased a Lysol steam mop for her home and loves it to clean her tile and laminate floors. I personally love my Swiffer vac for quick cleanups on my hardwood floors.
We also talked about tips for sorting and storing childrens clothing and artwork. Next week we with be talking more about home storage and organizing. This topic is one of my passions!!!
On a personal notes, thank you all for your prayers during this past week. I was honored to sit in church Sunday and sing, "He gives and takes away, He gives and takes away. My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be Your name!" We are devastated to have lost Baby #5, but we know that God has a plan for our family and we trust His perfect will. Have a blessed week!!!
I love http://www.flylady.net/ ! I started reading her website many years ago when my children were toddling around and I was working full time. Housekeeping was such a struggle for me during those days! I hated spending every Saturday cleaning and grocery shopping and having no family time. I decided that I had to find a better system and that is when I came across Flylady. I do not totally subscribe to her system, but use the parts of her system that work for my family. Every week, I check in for Kelly's Missions, a daily reminder to spend 15-20 minutes on a specific, deep cleaning task. I also love her Weekly Home Blessing Hour and her detailed cleaning lists. The key to the Flylady method is doing a little bit each day to maintain your home and decluttering unnecessary items in your life. I employ her Weekly Home Blessing Hour on Wednesdays but it normally takes me a couple of hours with Baby Cooper in tow. I love to have the "Aha" moment when the house is clean-if only for ten minutes!
Last summer, I read a book by Tara Aronson titled Mrs. Clean Jean's Housekeeping with Kids. It is a wonderful guide to help you enlist your family into the cleaning process, and I highly recommend it for young families. She has some wonderful tips on age-appropriate activities for your children.
Another method that has worked for me in the past has been to clean different areas on a designated day of the week. For instance, Mondays are mopping days, Tuesdays are toilets, Wednesdays are wipes countertops, etc. This is methods works great for those busy moms who can't devote a couple of consecutive hours a weeks to a Home Blessing time. Thanks Gail for your suggestion many years ago when I was deep in the trenches!
A number of other helpful suggestions were made today, and I wanted to highlight a couple of them. My friend Jennifer uses red, white and blue tall hampers so that her young children can help her sort the laundry and have a visual cue to ensure proper sorting. My friend Melissa has recently purchased a Lysol steam mop for her home and loves it to clean her tile and laminate floors. I personally love my Swiffer vac for quick cleanups on my hardwood floors.
We also talked about tips for sorting and storing childrens clothing and artwork. Next week we with be talking more about home storage and organizing. This topic is one of my passions!!!
On a personal notes, thank you all for your prayers during this past week. I was honored to sit in church Sunday and sing, "He gives and takes away, He gives and takes away. My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be Your name!" We are devastated to have lost Baby #5, but we know that God has a plan for our family and we trust His perfect will. Have a blessed week!!!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Couponing and Bargain Shopping
The couponing discussion was so good, we decided to do it again! This week with talked about couponing best practices. Did you know that if you load coupons onto your Kroger card through websites like http://www.shortcuts.com/ that you can layer them with your paper coupons? For instance, if you loaded a $.50 coupon for yogurt onto your Kroger card and you had a $.50 paper coupon, you could use both coupons...and Kroger will double your paper coupons up to $.50!!! This would result in a savings of $1.50 off of your yogurt.
Here's another tip: If you have a coupon for buy one get one free for a certain item, these are very valuable. If a store runs a sale for buy one get one free for the item, you can use your coupon to get two items absolutely free! Your coupon "purchases" the first item and the store covers the cost of the second item.
If you are new to couponing, I am attaching a link to a website that explains some couponing terminology and best practices: http://www.couponing101.com/getting-started This is a great place to start and there is no time like the present to begin!
If you don't use coupons or are new to couponing, I challenge you to try it and watch the savings add up. Next week, we are going to begin our discussion on cleaning and organizing. Our first topic with be cleaning with kids!!!
Here's another tip: If you have a coupon for buy one get one free for a certain item, these are very valuable. If a store runs a sale for buy one get one free for the item, you can use your coupon to get two items absolutely free! Your coupon "purchases" the first item and the store covers the cost of the second item.
If you are new to couponing, I am attaching a link to a website that explains some couponing terminology and best practices: http://www.couponing101.com/getting-started This is a great place to start and there is no time like the present to begin!
If you don't use coupons or are new to couponing, I challenge you to try it and watch the savings add up. Next week, we are going to begin our discussion on cleaning and organizing. Our first topic with be cleaning with kids!!!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Meal Planning
What a terrific day in the Lord! We were blessed today to discuss meal planning and strategies for feeding a busy family. There are lots of strategies for meal planning and countless benefits: better nutrition, cost savings and ultimately more time to spend with your precious family. Ultimately, your meal planning strategy should be one that best fits your family and cooking style. Below are some suggested methods:
* Category Menu Planning -- Each night of the week is assigned a category : casserole, chicken, pasta, hamburger/beef, soup, vegetarian, sandwiches, pork. This category stays the same from week to week, but the recipes change. For instance, Monday night might be casserole night. This Monday I will make a lasagna and the next Monday I will have a chicken & rice casserole.
* Recipe card meal planning -- Your favorite recipes are written on recipe cards and stored in a binder. Each planning cycle, you would pull out the recipe cards chosen for that time period and shop for the ingredients. The menu would change from week to week.
* Sale shopping meal planning -- The weekly sales ads are consulted and meals are planned based on the store sales for the shopping period.
* Recyclable menu planning -- weekly meals plans are developed, printed and stored for future use. After several weeks of plans are accumulated, mix and match your weekly menus to create varied monthly plans.
These are just a few of the planning ideas that we shared. Having a plan is the key. I have found a website with some great basic forms for grocery lists and weekly/monthly planning pages for those of you who would like templates and more detailed planning tips:
http://organizedhome.com/articles/kitchen
This website also has tips on freezer cooking. Lots of recipes can be frozen for future use. Whether you have a "cooking/baking day" or just make double and freeze half, freezer meals can help us manage our busy schedules. There are lots of great cookbooks and websites devoted to freezer cooking. If you are unfamiliar with a cooking or baking day, take a look at the following links as the author goes into detail about her baking day:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/10/menu-plan-and-baking-day-list.html
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/10/baking-day-the-master-plan.html
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/10/my-entry.html
We are putting together a cookbook of favorite weeknight recipes, crockpot recipes and freezer recipes to be shared. If you have recipes that you would like to contribute, let me know. I will try to have the recipe booklet published by next Thursday. I am also updating the links on the side of this blog with some of our favorite recipe websites.
Whatever method you use for feeding your family, pick one that is helpful to you and blesses your family with physical nourishment. Most importantly, we are reminded not to forget to "feed" our souls daily by spending time in God's Word and in prayer with Him. Physical malnutrition will eventually cause our bodies to waste away, but spiritual malnutrition will cause the demise of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Plan ahead for your spiritual as well as your earthly meals. Have you had your "soul food" today?
* Category Menu Planning -- Each night of the week is assigned a category : casserole, chicken, pasta, hamburger/beef, soup, vegetarian, sandwiches, pork. This category stays the same from week to week, but the recipes change. For instance, Monday night might be casserole night. This Monday I will make a lasagna and the next Monday I will have a chicken & rice casserole.
* Recipe card meal planning -- Your favorite recipes are written on recipe cards and stored in a binder. Each planning cycle, you would pull out the recipe cards chosen for that time period and shop for the ingredients. The menu would change from week to week.
* Sale shopping meal planning -- The weekly sales ads are consulted and meals are planned based on the store sales for the shopping period.
* Recyclable menu planning -- weekly meals plans are developed, printed and stored for future use. After several weeks of plans are accumulated, mix and match your weekly menus to create varied monthly plans.
These are just a few of the planning ideas that we shared. Having a plan is the key. I have found a website with some great basic forms for grocery lists and weekly/monthly planning pages for those of you who would like templates and more detailed planning tips:
http://organizedhome.com/articles/kitchen
This website also has tips on freezer cooking. Lots of recipes can be frozen for future use. Whether you have a "cooking/baking day" or just make double and freeze half, freezer meals can help us manage our busy schedules. There are lots of great cookbooks and websites devoted to freezer cooking. If you are unfamiliar with a cooking or baking day, take a look at the following links as the author goes into detail about her baking day:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/10/menu-plan-and-baking-day-list.html
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/10/baking-day-the-master-plan.html
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2009/10/my-entry.html
We are putting together a cookbook of favorite weeknight recipes, crockpot recipes and freezer recipes to be shared. If you have recipes that you would like to contribute, let me know. I will try to have the recipe booklet published by next Thursday. I am also updating the links on the side of this blog with some of our favorite recipe websites.
Whatever method you use for feeding your family, pick one that is helpful to you and blesses your family with physical nourishment. Most importantly, we are reminded not to forget to "feed" our souls daily by spending time in God's Word and in prayer with Him. Physical malnutrition will eventually cause our bodies to waste away, but spiritual malnutrition will cause the demise of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Plan ahead for your spiritual as well as your earthly meals. Have you had your "soul food" today?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Couponing and Grocery Shopping
So how do you stretch a dollar when it comes to buying groceries for your family? Today we met to discuss this topic and share our couponing strategies. What a wonderful discussion! Here are some of the hints and tips that were shared with the group today:
I shop every two weeks for groceries and miscellaneous household goods. This helps keep me on budget and on prevents impulse purchases. I have created a spreadsheet for the miscellaneous household items I frequently purchase for our family. When I first created this document, I did it to find out if it was really cheaper to shop at Wal*Mart/Target/Walgreens/CVS. I have attached a sample copy of my list below:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0As1SECST8md-dERVM0wxazJpaGk5TF81b2M3bzRUQVE&hl=en
Each biweekly period, I go through the house and determine which household items need replenished or replaced. I delete the unnecessary items from the spreadsheet and then total up the columns to determine what it should cost to purchase those items prior to any coupons or rebates. Now before you say it, yes, it took a little time investment to price out the items and, yes, you can subscribe to services that will do this for you. I really found it beneficial to know how much a bottle of shampoo should cost. In my opinion, it was a worthwhile learning experience.
Once I have my list together, I go online and to my coupon organizer to find coupons for the needed items. There are lots of wonderful coupon sites that have printable coupons. Here are some of my favorites:
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.afullcup.com/
http://www.shortcuts.com/
http://www.upromise.com/
Don't forget to check manufacturer's websites. I find that sometimes the best way to find a coupon is to simply Google it. Type "crest toothpaste coupon 2009" in the search box, and you will often find a printable coupon.
It is always best to plan your meals based on the grocery store weekly sales flyers. They are published on Wednesdays in our local paper and by mail. When an item you use often is on sale, stock up if you can. Many products can be frozen to extend their shelf life.
Also, don't forget weekly specials in the Walgreens and CVS ads. Many items will be free or extremely inexpensive if you can find a manufacturer's coupon to go along with those sales. I only purchase items that my family will use or that I can donate to someone else. I love the printable Walgreens and CVS lists available from http://www.couponmom.com/! And last but not least, always be on the lookout for manufacturer rebates. I love www.thefreebieblogger.com and www.couponing101.com for their online tips!
These are just a few of the tips shared today. If you weren't able to join us this week, please join in next week when we will be talking about meal planning ideas. Bring your favorite quick weeknight recipes, freezable recipes, or just plain ole' family favorites on an index card, recipe card or computer printout. You can also post them here. I'll be putting together a recipe book!
I shop every two weeks for groceries and miscellaneous household goods. This helps keep me on budget and on prevents impulse purchases. I have created a spreadsheet for the miscellaneous household items I frequently purchase for our family. When I first created this document, I did it to find out if it was really cheaper to shop at Wal*Mart/Target/Walgreens/CVS. I have attached a sample copy of my list below:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0As1SECST8md-dERVM0wxazJpaGk5TF81b2M3bzRUQVE&hl=en
Each biweekly period, I go through the house and determine which household items need replenished or replaced. I delete the unnecessary items from the spreadsheet and then total up the columns to determine what it should cost to purchase those items prior to any coupons or rebates. Now before you say it, yes, it took a little time investment to price out the items and, yes, you can subscribe to services that will do this for you. I really found it beneficial to know how much a bottle of shampoo should cost. In my opinion, it was a worthwhile learning experience.
Once I have my list together, I go online and to my coupon organizer to find coupons for the needed items. There are lots of wonderful coupon sites that have printable coupons. Here are some of my favorites:
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.afullcup.com/
http://www.shortcuts.com/
http://www.upromise.com/
Don't forget to check manufacturer's websites. I find that sometimes the best way to find a coupon is to simply Google it. Type "crest toothpaste coupon 2009" in the search box, and you will often find a printable coupon.
It is always best to plan your meals based on the grocery store weekly sales flyers. They are published on Wednesdays in our local paper and by mail. When an item you use often is on sale, stock up if you can. Many products can be frozen to extend their shelf life.
Also, don't forget weekly specials in the Walgreens and CVS ads. Many items will be free or extremely inexpensive if you can find a manufacturer's coupon to go along with those sales. I only purchase items that my family will use or that I can donate to someone else. I love the printable Walgreens and CVS lists available from http://www.couponmom.com/! And last but not least, always be on the lookout for manufacturer rebates. I love www.thefreebieblogger.com and www.couponing101.com for their online tips!
These are just a few of the tips shared today. If you weren't able to join us this week, please join in next week when we will be talking about meal planning ideas. Bring your favorite quick weeknight recipes, freezable recipes, or just plain ole' family favorites on an index card, recipe card or computer printout. You can also post them here. I'll be putting together a recipe book!
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