Personal Hygiene Kits

I just read about this idea last night, while doing a little on-line research...

I was reading about the importance of homeschool families making sure they were still getting up and getting ready in the mornings.

The author acknowledged the temptation for homeschool families to not pay much attention to their physical appearance. 

What's the point? - is the thought. 

The author of the article encouraged homeschool moms to teach their children proper daily hygiene, and to take pride in their appearance, even on days when they are just staying home.

One of her suggestions was to give each child their own little basket or box to house some hygiene supplies.

I instantly knew I wanted to try it!

We had to go to the grocery store today anyway, so we picked up a few things for the project...

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that my children do a "morning routine" each day after breakfast, which includes basic hygiene tasks such as brushing hair and teeth.

But, other than toothbrushes, they've never had their own supplies.

So I told them we were going to be making "personal hygiene kits" today, and each of them would have their own.

They seemed excited about it!

I bought them each a crayon box, and they put their names on them...

Next, we filled them with toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, nail-clippers, chapstick, lotion, etc...

This is Soren's... He put a flashlight in his for some reason, haha...

The children enjoyed making theirs personal, with items only for them. 

Nola wanted to keep hair ties in hers...

And Roman thought his kit would be a good place to store his mouth retainer... 

I also made sure they each had lotion in their kits because our winters are so brutal!

We battle chapped hands every year.

*sigh

Other than that, I am hoping this new system will help us with two things...

One - Our chapsticks and hair combs always had an uncanny way of growing legs and running off!

We could never find one or the other when we needed it!

I would buy my kids a chapstick and within a week they would tell me they lost it!

So, I hope these kits will provide a more organized and convenient place to store these items.

And two - I think it'll be healthier for us!

In the past they would share toothpaste, nail-clippers, and even chapstick at times.

By giving them their own supplies, they won't be sharing as many germs - and I am happy about that this cold and flu season!

They've decided to store their kits in the cupboard beneath the bathroom sink.

I sure hope they will feel a sort of jurisdiction over their kit, and take care and keep track of the items.

Time will tell, of course, if this will prove to be a good system for us.

Roman made a noteworthy statement. He pointed out that it will be much quicker and easier to pack for our next overnight trip! He said, "All we'll have to do is grab our kit, and throw it in our suitcase!"

Great point!

What about you? How do you store your children's hygiene items?

I am sure you have an attractive and efficient way!

I know this because I have some very organized friends!

I am always impressed when I go into the homes of my mom-friends.

Playing house is just fun! Isn't it?!

Take care, friends...

xo,

~ Courtney ~

Snowed In...

Hi friends!

This is just going to be a quick post to say "hello" and to let you see what northern living in April is like...

Isn't it lovely?...

What began as a serene snow storm has upgraded to a blizzard and we are snowed in!

Snow drifts as high as our fence, oh my!

The poor birds must be so thankful for Micah, who keeps their feeders well-stocked in weather like this...

Old man Winter is pitching one of his temper tantrums again. He hates to let Spring have her way.

But we won't let him get the best of us, right?!

Come on inside where it's warm and cozy... I have tea...

You may remember from one of my past posts that we were given a new barn cat recently.

Well, we brought her inside for the storm. 

I just couldn't bear the thought of her suffering out in the cold.

She's been getting properly spoiled here in the house...

And trying out all the soft, cozy napping spots...

She's been a very good girl, so I don't mind.

I have put to good use these snowed-in days...

Using it as a chance to sort through games, toys, and books...

Purging what we no longer need, and tidying what we wish to keep...

It sure feels great to get organized!

It's like a fresh, new start!

I can get so absorbed in my little projects, that I don't even notice what's going on outside.

And before I know it, it'll all be over and I'll be expected to leave my house again.

(Being snowed in is an introverted homebody's dream life! Haha!)

I found out the other day that we are expecting overnight company in the very close future.

They will be with us for two weeks!

I have much to do to get ready for their arrival, as I'm sure you can imagine.

I don't know when I'll be able to blog again, since I still have to keep the homeschool and housework plates spinning, plus our family room project is still not complete. I really wish to make their stay with us as comfortable as I can, so I'll be busy as a bee with that!

(Any advice you can give me for hosting long-term company, I would greatly appreciate!)

So anyway friends, wish me luck, and say a prayer for me. I will need it! Also, feel free to leave a comment. I LOVE hearing from you! Your comments make blogging much more fun!

xo,

~ Courtney ~

Getting Ready For Wednesday Nights

I have sneaked away with my computer to jot down some notes on getting ready to leave the house with kids...

Every Wednesday night we attend church for classes and choir practice. It is non-negotiable in our schedule. Every week we're there. Over the years I have learned some things on how to get over to church smoothly and on time after a full day of homeschool and housework.

Other aspects of our Wednesday routine that are just as important include how to arrive looking somewhat tidy and put-together. (Emphasis on the somewhat! Haha...)

So, I thought I'd do a post about it.

This is a photo of myself with my daughters a few Wednesday night's ago right before we headed out:

Some obstacles to Wednesday night's that can make it tricky for us include:

- We live 30 minutes away.

- Micah almost always has to meet us there because of his work schedule, so I don't have help getting the kids ready and loaded up.

- We shoot to leave at 5:45, so dinner can be problematic.

etc...

I really, really hate it when I get into the car to go to church and I feel stressed and rushed. I've noticed that when that happens, it's because I have failed to plan and prepare properly. So, this post will be about some of my thoughts on what can be done on Wednesday's to make it run as smoothly as possible.

1. I do not plan out-of-the house activities on Wednesday's. 

Sometimes I like to get into town early to run an errand or something first, and I'll time it out so that when the errand is complete, we can head straight over to church. That always seems like such a good idea in theory, but I almost always end up getting to church feeling frazzled. (Four little kids in tow on an errand has the potential to break down even the veteran mama's.) So, I know not to schedule play-dates or activities on Wednesday's because of this.

(Wednesday night's should be revered and respected as almost as important as a Sunday morning. Not quite, I understand, but we're still entering into the house of the Lord. We're still fellowshipping with God's people, and we're still opening His word for study and refreshment. This is not the time to be dressed like, or have the attitude like we're just taking the kids over to a park or to Walmart. Our standards should be a touch higher than that.)

2. I plan outfits and lay things out early in the day.

Like I mentioned above, planning ahead is essential. I pick out what we'll all be wearing and set it out in our rooms in a way that will make getting ready easy:

Except for the 2-year old, I can send everyone upstairs with the instructions to get dressed for church and I don't have to worry about someone coming down in something inappropriate.

I do this early in the day!

3. In the winter, I also lay out coats and hats.

Anything that can be done ahead of time, I try to do!

We all need our bibles for our classes so it's nice when I remember to set those out as well:

I don't always remember to do this, and there have been plenty of times when we arrive at church and someone's missing their bible. But to make things run as smoothly as possible, this is hugely helpful.

(You'll notice in these pictures that I like to "assign" a chair to each kid's belongings.)

Even I have a chair for my coat, scarf, mittens and pre-packed bag. Basically, I do what I can to avoid any last minute scrambles. 

Everything's ready to go:

4. I do not cook on Wednesday's.

I have two reasons for this. First, there really isn't time. We're getting ready to leave during my usual dinner prep time, and are leaving during dinner time. But most importantly, I don't cook on Wednesday's because cooking smells adhere themselves to clothing and hair, and would make us stinky for our classes. 

For these two reasons, I feed us quick, simple, non-smelly suppers like peanut butter sandwiches, instant oatmeal, or hot dogs:

I feed my children before I send them off to get dressed because of the commonly known law of parenting that goes like this: If you dress your children to go somewhere and then feed them a meal... they will spill said meal all over their clean clothing. (*eye roll)

The last thing I want to mention is that I've learned the trick of counting backwards. What I mean is, I think about what time we have to be somewhere, then calculate what time we have to be ready to go, then determine if the children need to be fed first and how much time I'll need for that, and on and on... I keep counting backwards in my head until I settle on the time in which I need to begin the whole process.

How I decide the order in which to do things depends on each tasks ability to hold their value. Which is why I ask myself, "Can this be done ahead of time?" The tasks that do not deteriorate get done first. (Like packing bags and setting out clothes.) The tasks that do deteriorate get done as close to the end as possible. (Like eating, and styling my and my daughter's hair.)

The final hour before we leave is commonly referred to in our house as "hurricane hour". Anyone who has ever been responsible for getting multiple children dressed and out the door for something, knows exactly what I mean! This is the time where all things come to head. (I've been known to ignore phone calls and fly around the house barking orders like a lunatic during "hurricane hour".) This is the time where if a disaster has been brewing, it'll finally all explode. OR, if I've done well with my prep work, things will come together. 

And that's what I want! That's why I do this!

You may be thinking, "She really needs to calm down!" (I know this because I hear it from Micah.) However to that I say, "Yes, But! I'm almost never late to anything! And I have all my kids with me!"

Well friends, I have no idea if these thoughts will help any of you. I enjoy learning how other mama's "do life", so I figured a post like this couldn't hurt.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Feel free to drop by comments and say, "Hi".

I love hearing from you!

Until next time,

xo,

~ Courtney ~

My Home Management Binder

Welcome to Part Two of My Home Management Binder tour!

(Otherwise known as Part Two of "Look at what a nerd I am!")

;)

         

I'm going to work through the last six categories today. They are:

Menu

Budget

Medical

Compassion 

Homeschool 

Other

If you missed Part One, I featured Schedules, Home/Garden, and Projects and filed it under the Organization label on the right side of the home page.  :)

~~~~~~~

My next section is Menu:

         

"Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread." Proverbs 20:13

Doesn't the King James Version sound so beautiful?!

As I've been going through the binder for these posts, and typing out each verse that's on the cover pages, I'm reminded that I went through a phase several years ago where I only read the KJV. Now I remember why I did that, haha... It reads like beautiful poetry!

But anyway, staying on task... Menu!

In this section I keep a couple of things. In the back is a list of healthy lunch ideas and a master grocery list:

        

A year or so ago I began to realize that I was making healthful breakfasts and dinners, but I struggled coming up with nourishing lunches. I did a little research and wrote a list of a few ideas. Now, whenever I become uninspired about lunches, I have a list I can refer to.

The master grocery list is something that I actually don't refer to when I make out my grocery list, but it was created in case I'm ever in a situation where I need Micah or my mom or somebody like that to run to the store for us. For example, last fall we had an emergency with our son and he was unexpectedly hospitalized. It put me out of the home for three days. My mom and mother-in-law took turns staying at the house with the other children. 

I would recommend making a master grocery list and keeping it in a spot where your husband or mom can easily find it in case something comes up, (another example would be having a baby) and you need help keeping your household running smoothly.

In the front, I keep our weekly menu list:

        

Every Sunday night I sit down and write out my grocery and menu list for the week. I also pull whatever recipe cards I'm going to need and keep them here for the week. That way I'm only rummaging through cookbooks once a week instead of wasting time searching for recipes every time I need to cook.

Next category, Budget:

        

"A false balance is an abomination to the Lord; but a just weight is His delight." Proverbs 11:1

I would love to think that only friends and honest-hearted folks are the ones who have access to my blog. Blogland, though, is open to everybody, and anyone's blog is at risk of falling into the wrong hands.

(Sad face)

With that in mind, I feel like it'd be wise to just tell you what's in the budget category, so that I don't accidentally spread personal information.

Several things are kept here. The monthly budget, a years-worth of checkbook registers, (with the current month in front) receipts that haven't been entered yet, and an envelope of coupons. 

On the first of every month, I sit down and "do the budget". I reconcile the checkbook, figure out the new month's budget, and pitch old receipts and coupons.

Moving right along, Medical:

       

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14

It seems like every time I take my kids to see the Doctor, they send us home with 20 papers. Do I really need a new paper every 3 months that says what my child's head circumference is? (Moment of truth... I don't care!!!)

When my children are teenagers are they going to think it's fun to spend an evening going through a box of papers, reminiscing about how when they were three, they were in the 60th percentile for weight? 

I don't keep these papers. I pitch them! (Am I a bad mom?... haha)

I do keep a few papers, though, and these make it into the medical section of my binder.

(I've done my napkin trick again to hide personal information. :)

Compassion:

         

"Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress." James 1:27

Micah and I sponsor four children through Compassion International. Leon, Nicole, Yair, and Hamidu. These kids are so precious and it's such a blessing but it comes with a lot of PAPERS!  So, just this alone gets an entire section of my binder.

         

They write us the sweetest letters and Compassion supplies us with stationary and envelopes to write back. We also get updated photos of them regularly, and sometimes they send pictures they have colored for us. All of this x 4 means there is potential for clutter. 

I keep everything in my binder and write to each of them regularly. Two of the kids have been with us for several years. This picture of Hamidu makes me want to cry because I think he was around five-years old when we got him. 

        

I recently begged Micah for a plane ticket to Uganda so that I can hug and kiss him before he turns 18 and leaves the program and I never hear from him ever again. (Micah didn't pick up on that... Something about, "Flying to Uganda is kind of a big deal... blah, blah, blah....." Whatever.)

Homeschool:

         

"Therefore shall ye lay up my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your head, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deuteronomy 11:18-19

I do not keep curriculum or workbooks in here (I have a cupboard for our books). This part of the binder is used for saving invoices from curriculum I have ordered and contact information for the teachers that are in my kids' lives because of church, dance lessons, and other extra activities.

       

I also keep a Memory Verse Log for the three older kids in this section:

I love that quote by J.D. Greear that goes something like, "Our goal should be to stuff our kids so full of scripture that when life cuts them, they bleed God's Word."

         

When my oldest was a toddler I had a vision. My dream was that by the time he became an adult, he would have huge chunks of scripture stored away in his heart.

"I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11

So.... I began working with him, little by little. By the time he was 4-years old, he had the 23rd Psalm completely memorized.

I consider it one of my greatest accomplishments of my life.

I have continued the tradition with my other children as well.

I have learned from experience that small children are capable of memorizing large chunks of scripture if you're willing to call them up to that standard and take the time to work with them.

The final section in my Home Management Binder is Other:

            

"For the word of The Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all that He does." Psalm 33:4

This is really just a miscellaneous assortment of random things like, cards people have given me, pictures my children have made for me, etc...

           

We have reached the end!

Whew! Are you sick of looking at papers?!!!

Me too.

If I didn't have my binder and all of these papers were scattered around my home, I would grow weary of that real soon!

I really hope I didn't bore you to tears but that you enjoyed my series on my Home Management Binder!

What about you? What do you do to help keep down on paper clutter?

I'd love to hear about it! Don't hesitate to leave a comment! I love hearing from you!

~Courtney 

My Home Management Binder

Hello again!

I'm excited to share my Home Management Binder with you today!

I feel like I've been into writing series lately. Certainly not because I enjoy creating cliff-hangers for my readers, haha, but more because I fear I will compose too long of posts that could potentially bore you. Since I really don't wish to bore you, I've broken up my Home Management Binder tour into two parts.

I hope you all are ok with that! :):)

I believe it is an honor and a privilege to be able to work at home, and my binder really helps me stay motivated and on task.

I did not come up with this idea on my own. Many years ago, when blogs were kind of new, one of my favorite bloggers wrote a post about her Home Management Binder. I really hate paper clutter and loved her brilliant way of solving the problem, so I used her binder as sort of my template and made my own.

(She took her blog down several years ago, otherwise I'd post a link.)

Her legacy lives on, because even though I made it long ago, I've been using my binder everyday since.

I'd be lost without it!

The cover looks like this:

The verse on the cover is Titus 2:5, "To be discreet, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

It is a 2" white binder that is filled with nine categories. They are:

Schedules 

Home/Garden 

Projects 

Menu 

Budget

Medical 

Compassion 

Homeschool 

Other

Each section is tabbed, as you can see...

I made mine using card stock, magazine clippings, and bible verses. If you'd like to make a Home Management Binder of your own, all other materials I used for it came from the office supply aisle at Walmart.

What I have found is that my home is not cluttered with junky looking papers. I do not keep papers on any of my kitchen surfaces or refrigerator. Everything has a place in my binder.

Someday I would love to have a little office area with a desk of my own, but for now I always keep my binder on my dining room table. It's out of the way of cooking messes and all other kitchen messes. 

Would you like a tour of my Home Management Binder?

Upon opening the binder, you see a "Cover Page" which looks like this:

I do not believe that just because we as homemakers have left our careers in exchange for a home life, that we can't still apply an organized and somewhat professional attitude towards our work at home.

When you put forth the effort as you would in an actual work place, you can preserve the dignity of the home.

Flipping over the cover page, I have a little zippered pocket where I keep a calculator, post-it notes, paper clips, extra pens and pencils...etc...

I made a title page to start each of the nine categories and slipped them into plastic protectors.  Because I tend to think that everything in life should be pretty, I made each title page colorful and with pictures that inspire me. Each title page also includes a corresponding quote or bible verse.

First up... Schedules:

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

This is where I keep my calendar.

I always make sure to buy the planners that are three-hole punched. If you were to make a binder, I would strongly suggest that kind. I personally don't want to have to deal with an inserted planner that keeps sliding out.

I keep the current month paper clipped so that I can easily open to the correct page.

My binder is almost always open to this page. This is what I come back to as I work around the house. This is what guides my day. It's this month's calendar filled out, and my daily to-do list. In the far right column I keep a list of things like, future blog post ideas, projects I'd like to accomplish, or items that need to be purchased before the end of the month. 

Whenever I'm given an invitation to something, (for example, you can see a bridal shower invitation in the picture) I write it on the calendar, but I also clip it to the page. The reason for this is in case I need a phone number or something before the event. Once the event is over, I pitch it.

(I have placed a folded napkin over it to conceal their personal information.)

Here's a close-up of my daily to-do list:

Every night before bed I sit down and write out my to-do list for the next day. I think about whether we're staying home or need to go somewhere, and what my priorities are for the next day. I write down the main things that need to be accomplished.

Next... Home/Garden:

"Some things offer so great a resistance to our gardening intentions that it is better not to struggle against them." -Grace Tabor (1934)

One thing I should tell you, if you're going to make a Home Management Binder, is that I purchased a few cheap paper folders and split them in half. I put one half of each folder in each section. It's great for containing papers that can tend to clutter up a home. 

In my Home/Garden section I have...

A list that I wrote down from an article I read years ago:

Magazine clippings of photos that give me inspiration and ideas that I wish to accomplish someday...

An envelope of my house plant tags...

I like to save my plant tags for future reference and write on them when they were purchased and where they are located in the home... But that doesn't mean that I still don't kill them!

(Why don't plants like me? I'm so like-able!!!!!)

;)

Also in this section, I keep a log of what we've planted on our property and when:

Sadly, I didn't start doing this until around 2013 and we've lived here and have been planting trees and plants since 2009. I wish I had known to begin my garden log back then. It is SO helpful, after a long winter, to be able to look up this information for the next season of planting.

We have an area in our backyard that we call our "patio", and it seems like we're always ripping things out and planting new things. Every spring it seems like we forget what grows where and we find ourselves asking each other questions like, "Can I plant a Phlox here or is this where the Black-eyed Susan's come up?" And neither of us ever knows the answer, haha.

Last year I got so sick of this that I drew up a rough sketch of what grows approximately where in our back patio. I keep that in this section as well:

The Home/Garden section is also for saving receipts from home purchases, for example:

My next section is Projects:

If you are considering making a binder for yourself, I feel like I can't stress enough the importance of making it visually pleasing. If I had a cluttered mess of junky papers strewn about, and I needed to look for something among them, I would quickly feel discouraged and even "junky" myself. Give yourself the gift of beauty! Beauty inspires! 

When my daughter asks me why I'm curling her hair I tell her, "Because it's good for you!"

When my kids ask me why I'm clearing toys off of the table and arranging a fresh vignette I tell them, "Because it's good for us!"

I feel the same way about this! It's good for me to work among beauty, even in simple things, so that I can feel motivated and inspired and happy about my life at home.

"She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27

We are project people! We have been slowly renovating our home over the 6 years we've been here, and we still have rooms to re-do. The project section is for papers that may accumulate while we're planning for or in the middle of a room renovation. 

For example, the next room in our house that we plan to tackle is our back family room. I'm not on Pinterest, (because trends are not the boss of me) so instead, I collect magazine clippings that give me ideas and keep them in this section.

I'll also keep paint swatches and receipts from the project we're in the middle of, in this section as well.

Whenever an idea pops in my head of how I want something to be or if I want Micah to build something, I'll draw a rough sketch and keep it here.

We are currently in the planning stages for our family room. Micah and I have been dreaming together of how we want it to be. A new fireplace... new furniture... fresh paint... Soon! Very Soon! I keep telling myself. But for now, our family room looks like this most of the time:

(Why did I just hear a collective GASP from all of you through my computer screen?!!!)

But, we want it to look like this:

Dear Pottery Barn,

Why must you torture me?!!!

Well, my dear readers, wish us luck!!!...haha... and join me back here in a day or so for Part Two of this riveting adventure that is MY HOME MANAGEMENT BINDER!

(I know you'll all be on pins and needles until then...)

;)

I love the comments and encouragement that you leave for me here and on Facebook. Please don't hesitate to leave a comment or say "hi". I enjoy getting to know my readers!

~Courtney