Question of The Day: Are You a Homemaker or Not, and Why?

 

Ok ladies, there's a question I wish to pose to you. WHY or WHY AREN'T you a homemaker? I want to know why you've made the choice that you've had, or perhaps you'd LIKE to be a homemaker but are needed to work. Either way I want to know your reasons for what you do and why you do it.

In case you're wondering why I do it, here it is:

To be honest I never wanted a 'career', at least in the typical meaning of the word. I always knew I wanted to be home with my family. Some of it is because I wanted to be in charge of my own schedule, I've never really liked being told what to do. I know some of you moms out there are shaking your heads because, yes, our children are bossy and often try to tell me what to do. But I've got that Mom Card I can play.

Another reasons is that I wanted to be sure that I was the person who had the most influence and contact with my kids (at least for now while they are still at home). If someone is going to teach them bad habits then that person is going to be me!

One final reason I'll give you is just that the idea of being that mom that has fresh baked cookies waiting for the kids when they get home from school always made me smile. I know I'm no June Cleaver, but I love sitting with my kids over a batch of cookies we've just made and some glasses of milk talking about our day. Even if my 3 year old's answer to "What was your favorite part of the day?" is always, "Playing with daddy!"

There are a lot of reasons I do what I do, some selfish, some idealistic, but now I'd like to hear from YOU. I know there are so many different ways to be the Matriarch of a family, and I sincerely want to know how you do it and why.

Marriage is a Battlefield

One battle we fight almost every day begins when we hear tiny toes creep into our bedroom. The kids pull out all the stops to find the weak link who will get out of bed first. The parent who can pretend to be asleep the longest wins.

We're so excited for summer!!!!

10 of Wes & Scarli's Favorite Things to Do

Do you find yourself constantly trying to find something for your kids to do? I know I have that problem! Well here is a list of some of Wes and Scarlett's favorite things:


Going to college basketball games with Dad
We're lucky because Tad can watch the games from his office so Wes has a space to be crazy. Wes LOVES it when the mascot comes out and greets the crowd.


Having Picnics
What could be more fun than making a nice meal and sharing it with your friends?


Playing in the sand with daddy
(because mommy hates the feel of sand in her toes)
We have a volleyball sand court a block from our house and they love it when we pack up some buckets and shovels and let them get dirty.


Playing Superheros
You would think that Scarlett would want to be a princess or something, but no, she wants to be batman! Or Captain America, or Wolverine, or Darth Vadar. Half of our masks have come from yard sales, and the other half from Walmart, but they love them all equally.


Watching Videos on Mommy's Computer
They like to watch just about anything if it's on my computer, but the ones they like best are the videos of them playing. They can literally sit there for hours watching themselves.


Going to the park
I've started taking them for a long walk 3 or 4 times a week, and to make it a little more fun for them we stop at a park half way. If we go around lunch time I pack food.

Riding their bikes
Wes has a Lightning McQueen bike with training wheels that he has mastered.
And Scarlett borrows a trike someone left in here at the apartment. But both are happy. Scarlett reminds me of the opening sequence to Bobby's World when she rides around.


Swimming
Grandma Cinda has a great indoor pool that we've been to many times. It might just be their favorite thing.
The kids wear Puddle Jumpers, and I've gotta tell you that if you have toddlers and you've never used these then check them out! They are cheap, awesome, and there's no threat of the kids getting top heavy and tipping forward in the water.


Painting
I got some great robot cut outs from Michaels for Wes's birthday last year and they love it when I give them one and some washable paint. Plus Scarlett looks good in a green mustache.


Training for the Rodeo

Wes will be roping steer


And Scarlett will do tricks on horse back.

I bet you had no idea my kids were so talented?! So tell me, what do your kids like to do?

Guest Blogger: Danielle's Favorite Babycarriers

Today my sister Danielle has made another amazing list of some of her favorite things. Today's topic is Babycarriers. After reading this post I've learned that my baby carrier is actually harmful to my kids legs! Who knew? It's not like they write that on the box.

So if you're in the market for a way to carry your baby but save your arms READ ON!

Danielle has done her research well :)

Hello there, it's Danielle again. :) As promised I have returned to share with you what I know about my VERY favorite baby items... baby carriers. :)

If you are wondering WHY you should try babywearing go here :)

10 reasons to wear your baby

Babywearing can be a confusing topic, because there are so many different kinds and brands. I'm going to cover what I believe to be the three main kinds of baby carriers. And I'm going to start with my favorite kind to use for the itty bitties, as in baby's who aren't really mobile yet, need good head support and are happy to hang out and snuggle for longer periods than they will be once they get older. I used this the most often from newborn until 9 month's old. Though it will hold much older/heavier babies!

Tie Wrap (Moby/Boba/Sleepy)

(Family trip to the Zoo, 3 months old)

(about to ride the Polar Express, 6 mo's old)

This is the kind of baby carrier I have used the most. It's comfortable (no straps digging into your shoulders), safe (the baby's head is right up where you, can frequently check if they are breathing.. and you can kiss that sweet smelling head!), and pretty easy to use. It's also one size fits all. My husband (who is quite a bit bigger) and I can both use it, and it fits us both perfectly!

I think this type of wrap intimidates a lot of people because they think it looks complicated. Hey, I thought it looked complicated too! Then I went to the store, and the sales woman showed me how to put it on. I took it off and put it on by myself one time with her watching. That's all it took. I don't even have to think about it anymore. Below is a video demonstrating how to put it on.  (FYI, Boba Baby just bought Sleepy Wrap, this is the kind I own.)

One way to put the baby in.

This one above is how I wore my baby most of the time. She loved it. She felt very secure, and when she was most upset and wouldn't sleep the wrap was heaven sent. She would calm down right away and fall asleep. The warmth of your body, the sound of your heartbeat, the snug comfortable support. It feels like she is back is your womb. :) Though I do suggest trying it for the first time when your baby is happy, letting them get used to it for a couple of minutes before deciding your baby doesn't like it. We all handle new experiences differently, and everything is new when you are a baby. :)

Again, I just want to say how much I loved this wrap. If I was going grocery shopping, I would put it on before I left the house, and then instead of getting out the carseat and sticking it in the cart (which makes it too tall for a shorty like me to see over!), I would pull her out of the carseat and snuggle her in, and she would be happy as a clam the whole time. Some people have said to me, "oh, it's such a pain to get them out/put them back into their car seat!" Well, I personally think it's just as big of a pain to pull the car seat out, lug it around and then get it back in the car. Especially because, inevitably, at some point in my shopping trip my baby will get upset and I'd have to take her out of the car seat and try to push the cart one handed while trying to see around the car seat. Arghh!!
Anyway, I also used it a lot doing housework when she was fussy, and keeping my hands free so I could chase my older child at the park/mall/zoo/etc.

In fact, after I got my wrap, I found I tended to leave the car seat in the car most of the time. My little stick arms hate carrying that heavy thing around anyway, haha. And they are finding that too much time in a car seat can be bad for babies. If you want to read about it, here's a link Car Seats are for Cars. And besides.. they are only little for so long.. I wanted as many snuggles as possible. :)

Below is one more video for this wrap, a cute daddy showing how to do the newborn baby cradle carry. You can also switch them forward facing once they have good head control, and even nurse in it. There are a ton of videos on youtube showing you all you can do with it, and how. Just search 'moby wrap carry' or whatever kind you decide to get. :)

Newborn Baby Cradle Carry

Back Pack Type Carrier

(Ergo/Boba/Etc)

Ok.. on to our next one! So, baby carriers.. the one you have probably seen most often in the past are those little backpacky ones with the baby's legs hanging straight down. I had one of these.. I hated it. Almost never used it. It's SO uncomfortable! And confusing to use. And I've learned since then that it's also uncomfortable for babies! In fact, it's bad for their hips to have their legs hanging like that. It can cause something called Hip Dysplasia.

And while I hated the one I owned, I do love the idea of the backpack type carrier. I feel like less granola minded moms and dads are more likely to try something like that. But I hadn't found one I could really get behind until I discovered the Boba and Ergo, which are very similar in their make, with a few differences in options. (There are a few other brands too, but these are the ones I am most familiar with.) I've only ever used a Boba, so that's what's mostly what I'll talk about here.

I really love the Boba for babies that have started to become mobile. I adore my sleepy wrap, but when Nora started to be able to get around on her own, I found I was putting her in and taking her out multiple times.. and just walking around with a big strip of fabric tied to me, that seemed kind of silly without a baby in it. ;) This is also one my husband can use. There are adjustment straps in several places to make it fit. So, to start with, here are a couple videos showing you exactly what a Boba Baby Carrier looks like and how to use it.

Front Carry

Back Carry

I was lucky enough to borrow a friends Boba wrap for a trip I went on over Thanksgiving. My husband, my 4.5 yr old (Ainsley) and my 1.5 yr old (Nora) flew across the country to Florida. We went to Disney World for 2 days and then took a Disney Cruise for 4. And while this was an amazing trip, and TONS of fun.. corralling my chitlin's throughout the week was quite the ordeal. I began to appreciate the Boba before we even got on the plane. I can't imagine how much more work it would've been to get our baggage checked, go thru security, and get us all to the terminal and on the plane without it! She just hung out the whole time. I was able to hold my prone-to-wander 4 yr old's hand, my carryon bag and occasionally have a free hand to push buttons or hand snacks.

(us in the airport)

Once we got to the Magic Kingdom I realized that pushing a stroller through the packed streets was not an easy task. Nora is also too little to wander on her own two feet, she would be knocked down by the jostling crowd so easily. Also, she wanted to be up where she could see things! There's a lot to look at! I'm pretty sure my arms would've been ready to fall off by the end of the day, from holding her up to see everything she was curious about. Instead, she happily hung out on my back checking out the sights and pointing things out to me. :) I even got her to take a nap in the middle of the day by turning it around and laying her head on my shoulder. This was a miracle! This girl does NOT want to sleep anywhere but her bed. It made the rest of the day SOO much nicer!

(Cinderella's Castle!.. as if you didn't know.. )

I borrowed the wrap with Disney World in mind, and was surprised how much I used it on the cruise as well! I don't know if you realize this.. but those boats are HUGE! And REALLY not stroller friendly. Anytime we headed out of the room to go do something, I'd snap her on.. and then she'd bob along until we got there, and then I'd let her out and she could go play. The Boba was easy to just take my arms out and leave the stomach strap on and it would hand down my backside until I was ready for it again. Though it does roll up pretty small too and fit in my bag easily. I have to tell you, I cried a little when I had to give it back! I'm still on the look out for used one. These kinds of baby carriers are definitely the priciest, (The Boba is $120-$125 and the Ergo starts about there and goes up to $160 depending on the kind/fabric.. while the sleepy wrap is only around $40) so I'm stalking local classified and baby sale sites. It's hard to justify to my husband paying for a new one since we probably only have one more baby left to come.. but if I could go back in time, I would definitely splurge for one!

(meeting Ariel)

Oh! and another reason I favor the Boba over the Ergo (besides being slightly more affordable) is the way they handle newborns. The ergo requires you to buy a separate insert to accomodate a small child. (which is pretty pricey too!) The Boba figured out an easy way to make theirs work for little ones. No additional purchases required.

 Here's a video on how to convert your Boba Carrier for a newborn.

Ring Slings

(Maya Wrap/etc)

I tried a ring sling when my oldest was a newborn, but didn't know how to use it properly, and so it never really felt safe and I stopped using it. I borrowed one to demonstrate in one my childbirth classes when Nora was about a year old and realized how much I loved it! (Again, tears were involved upon return.) It's kind of the perfect blend of the other two wraps. It's comfy and cosy like the sleepy wrap.. but it's super easy to put on and take off like the Boba. It's probably the easiest of these wraps to put use. And for the ages where they are still sitting on your hip, it's the best!! Another amazing arm-saver. (It's also a less expensive option, the brand name ones can be 50-75, but you can find a bunch on amazon for around $30.)

This is my favorite wrap for doing things where my munchkin will want to get up and down. Nora is always wanting me to pick her up.. and then 15 mins later, she wants back down again. The Boba was awesome at the airport because I knew she was going to be there until we got on the plane. If we're at a zoo or something I love the ring sling because she can hang out with me, then get down and play until she's tired again, and then back in the sling and it's SO easy to put on and take off. And I love the way you can tighten the wrap just by pulling on the one strip of fabric. ( I am NOT a fan of the slings that are just a circle of fabric, with no real way to adjust the size. People come in SO many more sizes than S, M & L. If you are an in between size, your wrap will never really feel snug enough or secure.)

Here's a video showing how I used the ring sling.

Though I must add that you can definitely use a ring sling for a smaller baby. You just have to be sure you are doing it correctly. Make sure the babies head is up on your chest, within kissing distance. :) And check that their chin is not to their chest ensuring they can breathe.

YES

YES

NO!!!!!!!!

Here's a some videos showing how to use a wrap for a younger baby.

So, there you have it. :) I hope that helped someone out there to simplify the world of baby carriers. And I hope you will give babywearing a try! If you aren't sure you want to spend the money on the unknown just ask around and borrow one from a friend to try it out. (As I did for two of the three I talk about!) It was such a life saver for me, I can't help but want to spread the word. :) Feel free to ask any questions in the comments and I'll come answer them. :) And as always, you can find me at http://www.facebook.com/Danielle4Birth

Thank you for sharing your infinite wisdom with us once again Danielle!

Whenever you buy one of these I will be sure to come steal it from you :)

Mommy Advice Please

Ok, one of my other New Year's Resolutions was to have more of a schedule with my day to day tasks with my kids. So I started with trying to think of at least 1 thing we could do each day. Basically all I've done is set up play dates with some of my friends who have kids about the same age as mine. While this is nice, I don't think it's enough. Here's what I have so far:


Monday - playdate with a friend & her son

Tuesday - drop my kids off to play at a friends house so I get 2 hours to myself

Wednesday - watch my neighbor's kids for a couple hours

Thursday - return the favor from Tuesday

Friday - I have class for 1.5 hours, kids get time with dad


Like I said, I think this is a good start, but it doesn't feel like enough. So I need help, please tell me what you do each day. Keep in mind that I can't afford to take my kids to do things that cost money very often, I have no back yard, and even though I live in St. George it's fairly cold outside (at least it is in the mornings).


We usually do ok in the mornings, and then there's nap time/quiet time from about 12-2. It's really just the last 3 hours of the day that are killing me. My one year old has decided to turn from a little darling to a big pain in the 'arse'. So any tips or suggestions would be great!

Our Very Awesome Very CHEAP Date Night

One of Tad's new years resolutions was to institute a weekly Date Night. Now the problem is coming up with a date every week. I was in charge this week and this is what I came up with. I think it's pretty awesome, especially since it's about as cheap as you can get!

First copy down this list (twice, once for each of you), next head to your local bookstore/library. Once you're there each of you take a list and start making your way through the sets.

via Love Actually

After each set find a place to sit and chat through your choices. Each new set begins after you return your previous set's books.

I would follow this activity up with this list of questions from Zack Terry while you are munching on some treats from the BN Cafe. Questions 28-31 are a little....intimate, so just be warned!

50 Questions to Ask your Spouse on a Date Night

By Zach Terry

Today I met at Starbucks with a few guys to discuss how what we have been studying on Sunday mornings at Capshaw practically applies to our lives. One of the big things we discovered was the need for very open communication and date nights with our spouses. To help with that I want to share this list of 50 questions that are to be discussed with your spouse while the two of you are alone. Don’t try to tackle too many in one setting. It’s actually best if you just get through a few but really talk in detail. Let me warn you that a couple of the questions are specifically only for married couples.

1. What are your 5 favorite foods, with the most favorite first?

2. What are your 5 favorite kinds of meals, with the most favorite first?

3. What are your 5 favorite desserts, with the most favorite first?

4. What are your 5 favorite restaurants, with the most favorite first?

5. What is your favorite color?

6. What are your 5 favorite hobbies, with the most favorite first?

7. What are your 5 favorite recreations, with the most favorite first?

8. What are your 5 favorite sources of reading, with the most favorite first?

9. What gifts do you like?

10. What is your favorite books(s) of the Bible? Why?

11. What is your favorite verse(s) of the Bible? Why?

12. What is your favorite song?

13. What makes you the most fulfilled or happiest as a woman/man?

14. What makes you the most fulfilled or happiest as a wife/husband?

15. What makes you the most fulfilled or happiest as a mother/father?

16. What makes you saddest as a woman/man?

17. What makes you saddest as a wife/husband?

18. What makes you saddest as a mother/father?

19. What do you fear the most?

20. What other fears do you have?

21. What do you look forward to the most?

22. How much sleep do you need?

23. What do you consider to be your skills?

24. What do you believe to be your spiritual gifts?

25. What are your weaknesses?

26. To ask wife: What things (personal, home, car, etc.) need repairing?

To ask husband: What things around the home need to be cleaned?

27. To ask wife: With what chores and responsibilities do you like my help?

To ask husband: How can I make it easier for you to lead our family?

28. What caresses do you enjoy the most?

29. What caresses do you enjoy the least?

30. What action of mine provides you the greatest sexual pleasure?

31. What other things stimulate you sexually?

32. At what times do you need assurance of my love the most?

33. How can that love be shown?

34. What can I do that will make it easier to discuss and work on areas or problems that are uncomfortable to you?

35. What concerns do you have that I do not seem interested in?

36. What things do I do that irritate you?

37. What desires do you have that we haven’t discussed?

38. What do you enjoy doing with me, with the most enjoyable first?

39. What things can I do that show my appreciation of you?

40. What varying desires (spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual, social, worth,

appreciations, recreational, security, etc.) would you like me to provide?

41. To ask wife: In what ways would you like me to protect you (physically, spiritually, socially, emotionally)?

To ask husband: In what ways would you like me to respect and reverence you?

42. In what ways would you like me to sacrifice for you?

43. What things do you see by my actions that I place first in my life?

44. What implied or unspoken desires and wishes of yours would you like for me to

fulfill?

45. What concerns and interests of yours would you like me to support?

46. How much time would be good for us to spend together each day?

47. In helping family members to use their skills and develop their abilities, what

motivating factors would be helpful for me to use?

48. What can I do that provides the greatest comfort and encouragement for you when

you are hurt, fearful, anxious or worried?

49. What personal habits do I have that you would like changed?

50. What ways demonstrate to you that you are a very important person who is as important or more important than I am?

I would love to hear some of your date night ideas! And I hope at least one of you will have a good time with this plan, we sure did!

Christmas Memories, Take 2

My memories from Christmas as a kid are all filled with fun and excitement and the strange magic that fills the holiday. I have found that looking at Christmas with 'Mom-Colored Glasses' opens me to a completely different, but just as magical kind of joy. Except this time I'm the one with most of the magic powers! Here are a few things I've seen differently:

Getting Presents vs Giving Presents
It was SO exciting to make my Christmas list when I was a kid. I loved running through the list of 'must have' toys that were popular that year. That's how I ended up with a Skip-It and a Giga-Pet :) But now that I'm the mom in the family it seems so much more exciting to watch my kids open the presents that I've carefully picked out for them. I even keep most of their gifts a secret from Tad so I can watch his face too.

Early Riser vs Late Sleeper
There was one thing that really pissed me off when I was little. My cousin and I would wake up at 5 am on Christmas morning to check out our loot. When we went to wake up our older brothers and sisters to taunt them that we had been the first to see what Santa had left, they would casually inform us that they'd looked through everything at 3 and could we please go away. So unfair. However, now that I'm the one who fills every stalking (including my own) I am lacking in that desire to get up before the crack of dawn. Sadly my 1 and 3 year old don't quite grasp the concept of sleeping in.

Stalking vs Stalker
I pretty much had a one tract mind on Christmas morning, and it went something like this, "presents, presents, presents, candy, presents" I didn't give much thought to anything beyond that. I love looking back at old Christmas pictures and seeing our ridiculous PJ's and crazy bed head. It only now dawns on me that the reason we have such great pictures of our priceless memories is that my mom spent most of her Christmas recording the day.

Playing vs Visiting
Oh how I HATED waiting on my mom to finish talking with people so I could get on with whatever was so important to me that day. It seemed like she could talk for endless amounts of time about things that could not have been vital to my life. How rude, right? Yet, once again, I have realized how very nice it is to just sit still for an hour and talk to my sister or brother about what's going on in our lives. It's a good think I'm a lot less boring than my mom was ;)

So I ask you, what kinds of Christmas memories are you starting to remember differently?

SimpleMom's Simple Tips: Creating Routines

When I saw this article on SimpleMom I knew it was just what I needed. I hope there is someone out there who feels the same.

5 Tips for Creating Family Routines and Establishing Rhythm in Your Home

by Kara Fleck

Odds are that you already have some sort of rhythm in your life. Even something as simple as bath time, pajamas, brushing teeth, story time is a bedtime routine that children can come to know and count on. Perhaps you go to the library on Thursdays or you bake together on the weekends. Anything that you do on a regular basis is your routine.

Creating a family routine from scratch, adding new elements to an established routine, or altering schedules when life situations change can be a bit intimidating. Being consistent with your schedule helps establish rhythm, but it doesn’t come naturally to everyone.

Here are five tips to keep in mind when creating routines and establishing a rhythm in your home:

1. Keep it Simple

Pick one element to add in to your routine and work on getting that woven into your rhythm before you add another. Decide what your top priority is and focus only on that. Maybe you want to start incorporating a crafting day into your week or a daily story time. Focus on blending that one addition into your schedule before you move on to adding in another layer.

Be Realistic

It is good to have a goal in mind of where you would like to be eventually, but create a schedule based on the way things are at this moment in time. Do what will work for your family the way things are right now.

If you know your child needs to take a nap in the afternoon, don’t plan to run errands or arrange afternoon play dates until after naptime. Save those outings for a time when you know your child is more receptive to activity and it will be more enjoyable for all of you. In our family, we try to schedule outings for only one day a week and let the rest remain low-key.

This is the time to be realistic about your time constraints, obligations, and the ages and stages of your children, too.

2. Stay Flexible

Allow yourself to make changes if things aren’t working. Perhaps the day you chose for crafting is creating stressful afternoons because there isn’t enough time to devote to a project between nap time and dinner preparations. By staying flexible you can play around with your schedule until you find a day and a time that are a better fit.

Downtime

Don’t be tempted to over-schedule your days. Allow your family to have some downtime. The purpose of routines is to allow your days to run smoother so that your family can enjoy them. Don’t be tempted to fill up those spaces with more activities and commitments when things are running smoothly. Instead, enjoy the quiet and the slow days.

Be Open to Change

Be willing to make changes as your family changes. One thing I have learned to be true about family life is that it exists in a fluid state: children grow, situations change, life happens. Being willing to re-evaluate from time to time gives you the freedom to create a routine that meets the needs of your family.

3. Lower Your Expectations

Yes, I said to lower them. You don’t have to do it all and I would encourage you not to try. Evaluate what is essential and then eliminate what you don’t need. Take out the extra steps and keep things basic.

Start Small

Lets say one of the things you want to add to your routine is to start serving your family a warm breakfast every morning. Don’t overwhelm yourself by attempting a different menu every morning of the week or by preparing complex, time-consuming recipes you’ve never tried before. Seek out something simple and tried-and-true that you already know how to make well. Perhaps make it a goal this first week to serve a hot breakfast for two mornings and then next week aim for four.

Get the basics established and once you have a solid foundation you can build on to your routine from there.

4. Make it Personal

Your family’s rhythm isn’t going to look like any other family’s rhythm. That is okay. Family routines are very personal and each household’s will be unique. The only “right” routine is the one which works the best for you for the place where you are today.

Don’t Try to Keep Up with the Joneses

Many of my own early attempts at creating routines for my family were doomed to fail from the beginning because I was trying to copy the beautiful weekly and daily routines I saw on the blogs I was reading. I was overwhelmed and it wasn’t long before those early plans were abandoned. I set myself up for failure because I trying to do everything my family already normally did PLUS all those neat things I saw other families doing – whether or not they were truly relevant to our life.

Creating routines based on your family’s personal needs means that the changes you seek to make have a greater chance of being successfully implemented.

5. Stay One Step Ahead

Plan and Organize

Once you know what is essential, do some prep work to make it easier to follow your routines. If you want to have a daily nature walk, try establishing a designated place to have coats, hats, mittens, boots within easy reach by the door. You’ll be more likely to take a nature walk if you can get dressed for the elements quickly and easily instead of having to gather the proper wardrobe from all over the house or retrieve items from the mini-van.

If I know that on Wednesday I want to do watercolor painting with the children, then my task on Tuesday night is to make sure we have the proper paper, paints, brushes, aprons, and any other materials relevant to the task. Doing this ahead of time allows us to spend less time on prep-work during our painting time and more time on creating.

Some family routines are more structured, some are more free-form but both types of schedules provide value to the kids who count on them and find comfort in their familiarity. An hour by hour routine doesn’t work for my family, but for many families it works very well. Do what is right for your family.

I think you’ll find that a little rhythm and a basic routine can go a long way toward simple days.

20 Small Steps Toward an Easier Day – Fifteen Minutes at a Time

SimpleMom had some great tips for moms who are looking for a way to make their days a little easier!

by Kara on March 14, 2011

in nesting

The following is by editor Kara Fleck.

I hope you have been enjoying our month long theme of rhythm and routines as much as I have. The discussions and questions that have come up in the comments have been very thought-provoking. I thank you for your feedback, especially the way you’ve been responding to each other.

Before we delve into this topic further, I want to remind readers that there is no “one size fits all.” What is one family’s simple solution might be another family’s complication. Life at your home doesn’t look exactly like life at my home, or the Simple Kids contributor’s homes, or your neighbor’s home, or even your sister’s.

Your routine must reflect your own family’s individual circumstances and season of life in order to best serve you.

I hope by sharing examples from our lives of what works – and doesn’t work – for us, that the contributors and I are inspiring you and giving you some ideas that you can take and apply to your own lives.

My goal is to get you thinking about ways you can make things easier for yourselves and help life flow smoother for your families.

Photo by Kara Fleck

I also want to gently remind you, in case you are feeling overwhelmed or discouraged, that most of the families I know who have steady rhythm and routines in place didn’t get there in a day or even in a week. These routines evolved over time.

With that in mind, I thought this was a good time to revisit an article I wrote last year on Small Steps, Big Changes: the idea of keeping it simple and giving yourself small, manageable goals that are realistic.

Specifically, these are changes you can make fifteen minutes at a time.

Making over your entire day all at once? A daunting task. Making small changes, with big benefits, just 15 minutes at a time? Now that is something you can do!

Changes You Can Make, Fifteen Minutes at a Time

Not every item on this list will apply to every family, of course. Today I’m offering twenty ideas for you to pick and choose from as you make small changes in the flow of your days.

Here are the original 10 changes:

1. Spend 15 minutes preparing the night before for the day ahead
2. Set your clock for 15 minutes earlier in the morning
3. Get in the habit of spending 5 minutes immediately after each meal washing the dishes with your child (3 meals a day = 15 minutes)
4. Start your bedtime routine 15 minutes earlier in the evening
5. Spend 15 minutes outside with your child and work your way up to an hour (or more!)
6. Do 15 minutes of structured play or crafting with your child
7. Spend 15 minutes reading to your child.
8. Take in 15 minutes of peace and quiet. Do nothing. Slow down.
9. Have a 15 minute Tea Time or After School Snack with your child
10. Set one 15 minute toy pick-up at the end of the day (or three 5 minute toy pick-ups during the day)

Photo by Kara Fleck

And here are 10 more changes you can make, fifteen minutes at a time …

1. Take time after each meal to set the table for the next meal (3 meals = 15 minutes)
2. Spend 15 minutes the night before filling up sippy cups and/or bottles, so they are in the fridge and ready to go in the morning (for younger kids)
3. Spend 15 minutes after dinner packing lunch for the next day (for older kids)
4. Take 15 minutes and designate an assigned spot for library materials so that you don’t have to spend time searching for them every week when they are due (Bonus: take 15 minutes and read some of the great advice readers gave me last year when I was looking to get my family off of the library’s “most wanted” list)
5. Spend 15 minutes at the beginning of the week going over the calendar – include your spouse and older children so that everyone knows what is on the agenda for the week.
6. This Spring, take 15 minutes and attack your clutter with this week’s Project Simplify assignment at Simple Mom. Just 15 minutes a day will add up to a big difference in just a few weeks’ time!
7. Give yourself a 15 minute break before dinner to relax, meditate, and take some time for peace and quiet before one of the busiest times of day begins (a wise suggestion from contributor Jaimie last week).
8. Lay out the next day’s clothing for yourself and your children the night before.
9. Are you already getting up 15 minutes earlier than you kids? Great! Now I challenge you to get up 15 minutes earlier than that to give yourself a half an hour of quiet time in the morning. Looking for some motivation in this area? Check out Kat’s Hello Mornings on Inspired to Action.
10. Spend 15 minutes a day this week getting your family’s paperwork and important documents organized. A couple of suggestions for this are to build a Home Management Notebook (my friend Mandi has some great printables to help you do this at Life Your Way) or, if you prefer paperless planning, as I do these days, check out the resources at AboutOne and see if they might be a good fit for you.

Pick one fifteen minute change or pick a handful, but please do consider these small steps toward big changes in your routine.

Good luck!

Birthday SOS!

So I realized today that it's less than 2 weeks till my boy's birthday, and I've run into a snag. Trying to pick a theme for a kid's birthday party feels a lot like trying to pick my wedding colors. How on earth am I supposed to choose?! And my almost 3 year old is not much help. He says yes to every single idea I run by him. So where do you turn? Pinterest of course! Here are my top picks so far:

Spy Party
from Chicken Babies


Robot Part
from Project Nursery


Pirate Party
from Hostess (with the mostess)


Cars Party
from The Dragon's Fairy Tail


Ninja Party
from Cakes Likes a Party


Harry Potter Party
from Toad's Treasures

So please help me! Opinion's please!

Childbirth Classes & Awesome Giveaway

One of my awesome sisters is doing something awesome. Big shock, I know. You might remember a post I did on her and the Childbirth Education Classes she teaches. You can check that out here. She is starting a new class soon and is offering a great giveaway and incentive!

You can enter to win a Family Photo Session with Cristi Nelson Photography (who is AWESOME! she's done some work for my family) Plus she's offering a $30 gift card to Target or Amazon if you refer someone who signs up for her class! So if you know anyone in the Salt Lake area who's expecting you should have them check out Danielle's class. They'll be glad you did!

Are Dogs Really Kids In Disguise?

Tad and I started out our marriage with the sweetest little puppy ever. Now that we've moved onto the big time and had kids I've noticed myself saying the same things to my kids that I did to Penny. Here's a few: Are you kidding me?!

Roll Over!


Quiet!


Down!


Speak!