Wash, Fold, Dry, Repeat. Again and Again…

I love clean laundry.  The sight, the smell, the feel.  Note, I said “I love clean laundry” and not “I love doing laundry”.  But where there are children, there is laundry.  I do a lot, and I bet you do, too.  Here are some ways to make the process go smoothly!

  1. Start with the basics nearby:  clean flat space for folding, hangers and a hanging rod, lot of clean empty baskets, bins for donations or items for repair / dry cleaning.
  2. Enlist aid:  A reader commented that she liked the break down last week by ages on the Kids and Money blog, so let’s try it again with laundry:
  • 2-4 year olds can: Place dirty clothes in the hamper; Select clothes from choices, and put on loose-fitting clothes; Pick out simple outfits (4 years) like shorts, shirt and underwear.
  • 4-5 year olds can: Sort laundry by color; Help put clean clothes away in drawers or on shelves;
  • 6-7 year olds can: Sort clean laundry and socks by person; Drag dirty hamper to laundry room
  • 8-10 year olds can: Fold Laundry; Strip and make bed; Load washer and dryer; Bring clean clothes to room and put them away
  • 11 and above can do all laundry duties, as instructed.

3.  Abandon perfectionism (in some areas):

  • Realize laundry is a process, not an event.  There is no start, nor finish, it just is.  So go do some.
  • Don’t fold more than necessary:  with my first child, I carefully folded every baby item and gently stacked it in its place.  By child #3, I realized that sleepers can be laid flat in a drawer and retrieved just as easily.  Same went for burp clothes, onesies, outfits and washcloths.  My kids’ underwear is still un-folded, stacked flat in their drawer.

4.  But get a little more detailed (in other areas):

  • Keep a stain stick in your hamper, and treat stains right away.
  • Set a timer.  I admit, I often forget I have a load running.  To stay on task, I set and re-set the timer for 30 minutes to remind me to check on the washing machine or dryer.
  • Hang up your hanging clothes immediately upon removing from the dryer.  This eliminates folding time and some wrinkles!
  • Color-code your laundry baskets and hangers by person or destination.  Each of us has a plastic hanger color (green, dark blue, light blue and white), and school or work clothes get hung up on those hangers as soon as clothes leave the dryer.  Then we grab the right hangers by color, and haul our clothes to our closet.
  • Consider the laundry’s end-user, and put outfits together on one hanger for those who need them (like my youngest).

5.  Keep the laundry in the laundry room, if possible.  When my babies were little, I would fold clean laundry wherever they were, and it often stayed there for a long time…. Now I fold everything in the laundry room, and avoid piles found in random places!

6.  Finishing the job means actually putting everything AWAY.

7.  Too much or not enough?

  • You probably have too many clothes.  Helping a client many years ago, I assumed the pile of unfolded teenager t-shirts was on a table.  She admitted the pile was actually THAT tall, with no table underneath.  We purged and donated dozens of t-shirts that day!  If there is not enough room to put all of your clothes away, you have too many.  But…
  • Buy extras of important and regularly worn items like (the right color!)  soccer socks or uniform shirts.  An excellent investment.  Also, buy extras of essentials that need washed after every wearing, like underwear and socks.
  • Purge Regularly.  Keep baskets in the laundry room for Dry Cleaning, or Donations or outgrown clothes. Once the bin is full of “too-smalls”, it gets labeled and put in storage to wait for the next child to grow into, or sent to our little cousin.

I hope you have found an idea or 2 that will help you in your personal pursuit  of clean laundry.  Me, I’ve got to go and fold some towels…

Money and Life Lessons for You and Your Kids

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Do your children, big and small, understand money?  Do you?!?  Learning to organize, understand and manage money is a necessary part of growing up, but there is no guarantee your children will learn about budgeting, bill paying, net income or the value of a dollar in school.  Like all life skills, the sooner we start teaching about money skills, the better our children will learn the lessons.

What Lessons Do We Want To Teach Our Children About Money?

  1. Very young children:
    1. Set up a savings account in their name
    2. Understanding that we exchange money for goods and services
    3. What money looks like
  2. Young school age children:
    1. Value of a dollar – what goes into earning a dollar, and what it can buy
    2. Money is finite, and Money spent on one thing can’t be spent on something else
  3. School age children:
    1. A healthy understanding of your financial views
    2. Value of work
    3. Appreciation for money spent
    4. Budgeting
    5. How advertising works
    6. Charitable Giving and Savings
  4. High School age children (list is endless, but includes):
    1. Household budgets and salaries
    2. Costs of higher education
    3. Benefits and pitfalls of credit, and Establishing a good credit score
    4. Investments, interest and the stock market

How Do We Teach Money Lessons to Our Children?

  1. Let them handle money.  Give them money of their own, and let them earn more money by their own hand.  Our boys earn a set allowance (the dollar equivalent of their age every 2 weeks) for regular chores, and can earn more for extra projects.  I know there are lots of differing views on children’s allowances or salaries, I am just presenting ours.
  2. Lead by example.  Start with a trip to the grocery store.  Have the kids review the weekly store flyers with you, and make your weekly menu or shopping list.  Show your children how you compare prices and quality on your favorite products.  Discuss brands and advertising.  Use coupons and sales to save money.
  3. Limit today’s lessons to those you think your kids are ready to learn.  Use small words and real world examples.  My 7-year-old won’t grasp tax rates and returns on investment, but he understands the exchange of money for goods and services.  He also knows that if he wants that new game, he needs to save his allowance for a month or 2, do extra chores or ask for it for his birthday.
  4. But, Don’t dumb it down.  My 14-year-old sat with my husband the last time he paid bills, to better understand our family finances.  Involve your kids in financial conversations.  They don’t need to know the details of your finances, but they can certainly listen as you discuss major projects, budgets, opportunity costs, comparison shopping, etc.
  5. Teach gratitude and giving.  My family is blessed with all that we need, and often everything that we want.  In our family, we encourage charitable giving of money and belongings from a very early age.  The kids donate books and toys and clothes to charities, and help us with service projects for those less fortunate.  Helping your children recognize how blessed they are with what they already have can help to counteract the “wants” list, and curb spending.

Your children’s money education starts with you. For more information on these topics, check out these resources:

And because I always get asked, I have a list of age appropriate tasks that I distribute at my “An Organized Family” class.  Here it is….

Age Appropriate Tasks & Chores
Adapted from “My Happy Little Helper”, Parents Magazine 10/03

Ages 2-3

  • Comb and brush hair
  • Get clean diaper and wipes
  • Wash and dry hands
  • Lather and rinse body (3)
  • Select clothes from choices
  • Put on loose-fitting clothes
  • Put on coat (no zipping)
  • Brush teeth, with supervision
  • Bring silverware to table
  • Wipe up spills
  • Pick up and put away toys
  • Put dirty clothes in hamper
  • Take own plastic dishes to sink

Ages 4-5

  • Pour from plastic pitcher
  • Put on shoes (tie laces 5-6)
  • Straighten bed
  • Empty wastebaskets
  • Dust furniture
  • Wipe kitchen table
  • Feed pet
  • Clear table
  • Help unpack groceries
  • Sort laundry by color
  • Help put clean clothes away in drawers or on shelves
  • Swiffer wet, anyone?

Ages 6-7

  • Sweep into a dustpan
  • Set table
  • Help wash car
  • Put groceries away
  • Help shovel snow or rake leaves
  • Remove dishes from dishwasher
  • Sort silverware into drawer
  • Run shower or bath (age 7)
  • Water garden or houseplants

Ages 8-10

  • Fold Laundry
  • Strip and make bed
  • Load and run dishwasher
  • Put clean dishes away
  • Help care for younger siblings
  • Vacuum, sweep and mop
  • Brush and floss teeth un-assisted
  • Load washer and dryer
  • Take out trash
  • Weed the garden

Beat The End-Of-Vacation Blues

Image       We got home yesterday from camp.  Two sons were gone for two weeks, and one son and I were gone for one week.   For the month leading up to camp we plan and dream and get excited, and we have a really great time while we’re there.  So we’re sad when it is over, and that sadness is compounded by the realities of ending a vacation; by 9 am on check-out day, I need to pack up a week’s worth of stuff and clean my little cabin in the woods, then drive 10 minutes up the road and pick up the tired, slightly smelly Boy Scouts with all their gear.  Then we drive 3 hours for home.

I’ve read blogs and tips recently for planning your vacation, but no one seems to talk about organizing the end of your trip.  So let me be the first!

Before you leave:

  1. Tidy up the house and finish all the laundry. Check out these two blogs on the topic: “Did You Remember to Pack the …..”  and “Going Away Checklist” .
  2. Leave yourself frozen meals, or restaurant gift certificates to use upon your arrival (better yet, carry the number to the pizza place and gift certificates with you and pick up dinner on your way home!).

While still on vacation:

  1. Use a laundry bag while on vacation, to keep the clean and dirty separated.
  2. Pack your stuff and luggage (and car, if you’re driving) with unpacking in mind.  Put similar items together.  Put your toiletries in one large bag, and that bag goes straight to the bathroom to be      unloaded.  Our dirty laundry was in two large bags placed right inside the door of my van, to schlep to the laundry room ASAP.

Upon Arrival Home:

  1. Unload the car all the way.  Yes, all the way.  Dirty laundry, apple cores and fast food wrappers really stink after a day.  And it’s easier to get back into the swing of things when stuff is where it belongs.
  2. Start the first of many loads of laundry. My hubby is the coolest, and has been doing laundry for the last 24 hours.

Within a day:

  1. Unpack all your bags and put your stuff way.  Living in chaos makes the end-of-vacation blues even worse.  Yes, put it all away.
  2. Clean out your luggage, vacuum it (I think we brought a pound of sand home from camp!) and let it air for a day or two.  Then store other luggage inside, and put it all away.  Yes, away.
  3. Keep your travel toiletry bag in your bathroom or linen closet, to collect samples and items for next time.

A day or two after:

  1. If you are gone for more than a week, give yourself an extra day at the end of your trip for catching up, doing laundry and generally easing back into real life.  If there is a time difference between home and your vacation destination, expect a day or two to re-adjust for sleeping and bedtimes, too.
  2. Lower your standards for a couple of days, too, sticking with survival mode and the essentials, and slowly easing back into your normal pace.

Finally, make a point to print up those photos, remember your good vacation times and chat about it with loved ones.  Don’t let the end-of-vacation blues taint your good memories!

Step Outside Your Head: Stop Wondering, Wallowing and Worrying!

Have you ever noticed?  Some days, we can be energized and powerful in the face of daunting circumstances, and other times be overwhelmed by the tiniest set-back.  Our state of mind rules our reactions.

I am not a mental-health professional!  I am writing this from a time management perspective – negative ways of thinking are terrible time wasters.   Wallowing, Wondering and Worry waste time and energy with little gain.  I’ll let you do a little bit of each, then it’s time to move on.

I spend a lot of time inside my own head.  I laughingly tell people I have a rich inner life, to match my rich outer life!  What I am really saying is that I’m always thinking, and usually over-thinking.  Luckily, I am also always acting, and moving forward, and I ask you to find ways to do the same, regardless of your state of mind!  Here’s how:

Wondering:

I like to know how things work, where roads go, what makes people tick.  Some folks wonder about things, though, and never take that wondering any further than their own mind.  No resolution, wasting vital time and energy in wondering instead of discovering.  I wonder… what happened to that old high school friend; if I should set up an LLC or a corporation; if I’m just tired or if there is something bigger wrong… I wonder….

So, I wonder… what to do about wondering.  Some wondering is great, that’s where great ideas come from.  But we can wonder for ages without ever trying to solve the puzzle.  GO!  and look for the answers.  Be adventurous, ask the experts, search the internet, phone a friend.  You know smart people, ask them!  My boys and I are self guided learners, we look up topics on the internet all the time.  There’s also a dictionary, pocket thesaurus and small encyclopedia in the kitchen desk, to look up the big words I like to toss around.  It’s a great practice.

I have been wondering about how to re-word my professional bio for a new website.  I wonder how other people perceive me and my business… then I realized a number of you have sent me testimonials about my business (asked experts and phoned a friend), so I am going to read those to form my new bio.  Thanks for being my experts!

Wallowing:

We humans feel things strongly and can feel very sad and upset about things.  What you feel is real, and I respect you and your feelings.  But as in all things, there must be limits.

Son #2 feels things very strongly and was recently wallowing after some long-distance friends left.  But as his mom, I let him wallow for a while (we all need to), and then I helped him cope by turning the sadness to something good, thinking about positive ways to keep in touch with the long-distance friends (email, videos on his new camera, texting when he gets his cell phone next month, etc.).  We moved past wallowing by creating hope.

Set a timer, go ahead and wallow, then write down your sadness.  Read it out loud, then turn the page, and write down 3 actions you can take to make it better.  Then go do one.  Make a conscious decision to make the sad things better.  And yes, you can make things better.

Worrying:

How does the saying go?  “95% of what we worry about never comes to pass” or something like that?  We spend so much time and energy needlessly worrying, time and energy we could use to actually work on the problems instead.  I am a pro at worrying, but I also know when to act.  The answers for how to not get stuck Worrying are the same as for wallowing and wondering.

Ask for help.  Ask the experts.  Pray (God is the ultimate expert!!).  And put limits on your Worrying.  One suggestion is to sit down, set a timer and actually worry for a set amount of time, like 20 or 30 minutes about whatever is bothering you.  If that works for you, great.  I prefer less time sitting and more time planning and acting.  So, again, set a timer, write it down, write down three actions to take to make it better and do one right now.  My dad used to say “Do something, even if it’s wrong”, and I now recognize the wisdom in the statement.  These negative mind sets lock us in our own heads, and we require a change, a movement, an action of some type to break free.

So, if you are stuck in your head this week wondering, wallowing or worrying, take a break, step outside your head, talk to people and take action.  Do SOMETHING!

Never Be Late Again!

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Every organizing challenge we face requires time management to conquer it.  Improving time management skills creates good habits for using your time, either to add to current skills or replace old bad habits.   These four ideas will help create good time management habits and make life run more smoothly.


1. Did you know?  Americans waste 9 million hours total per day searching for misplaced items, according to the American Demographics Society.  That breaks down to each of us wasting an average of 55 minutes a day, roughly 12 weeks a year, looking for things we know we own but can’t find, according to a Boston Marketing firm (statistics from the NAPO.net website).


To Never Be Late Again, stop wasting time searching for stuff!  Establish a home for the important items that you CAN NOT leave home without, like cell phone or car keys, and commit to keeping them there while at home and at work. Invest in a bowl, make it pretty if you’d like, make it the same at home and on your desk, if  that helps you, and make it a habit to put your important items there every time you arrive home or to the office.  This will speed the leaving process and eliminate hours of searching.


2. Prepare to leave again as soon as you arrive home.  I re-load my briefcase with supplies at the end of every day when I am more likely to remember what I need, instead of waiting until tomorrow.  This idea works for personal lives, too – for example, we used to re-pack the diaper bag for the sitter as soon as we got home from work.   Create a check list, like “6 clean diapers, lots of wipes, 2 or 3 clean outfits, etc.”


Consider ambulance drivers and fire fighters.  They clean up and reload their rig after every call. Life is not an emergency, but it’s easier to be flexible when we know we’re prepared.


3. My next suggestion is what I call “next step-ping”.  I work through this process with clients –  today, look at tomorrow’s schedule and plan ahead now instead of reacting tomorrow.   Perhaps on tomorrow’s schedule I see a PTA meeting, a tennis lesson, then 2 clients back to back.  So tonight I leave my PTA notebook, my tennis bag and clean clothes and my briefcase by the back door to make tomorrow morning better.


I do this with my kids, too.  We look at today, starting with Now! and move forward: Eat breakfast, get bags to back door, review assignments, make sure lunch is in backpack, consider after-school extracurriculars, take something out of the freezer for dinner, etc.  We might even think about tomorrow, to avoid last-minute emergencies.


4. Finally, to Never Be Late Again, we need to understand and embrace the difference between Load Time and Leave Time (Confessions of a Tardy Mom, Parenting 2009).  Sometimes our time management issues are our own, and sometimes they are created by others, but most often they are both.  Over the weekend, I was talking to a professor friend.  I was pondering this presentation, and we chatted about time management.  She admitted she’s late to her own classes because she can’t make it down the hallway without being stopped.  So, other people interrupt her, which is their issue, but she allows the interruption to make her late, which is her issue.

     Let’s say a meeting is set for 10 am and is 5 minutes away.  In a perfect world, we could leave at 9:55 and arrive on time, but – alas – we do not live in a perfect world.  Load Time is rarely Leave Time.

     To Never Be Late Again, we have to start factoring in that extra 5 minute cushion to respect our time and the time of everyone else around us.  Personally, I need to realize one child will always have to run back in the house for something before we head to school.  Professionally, we have to realize that if the meeting starts at 10, we really need to arrive by 9:50 to network and prepare, instead of arriving at 10 and interrupting everyone else.

     Using my friend’s story as an example, if you, too, have a difficult time getting to a meeting on time, set the alarm clock on your cell phone to chime warnings at 10 minutes, 5 minutes and 2 minutes to class time, providing a way to break out of unsolicited conversations in the hallway.

             I can’t guarantee that you will Never Be Late Again, but trying one or more of these ideas will certainly help!  Give them a try, and let me know what you tried and what worked for you!

What Would Make This A Great Week?

Last Monday, my friend Karl posted on Facebook:  “I am going to do everything possible to make this a great week.”  He doesn’t know how much his statement resonated with me.  Reading the post as a week began really got me thinking.  Hmmmm…., what would a great week look like?  I will:

1.  Give the “best of me” to my family.

  • There is a line from a favorite song:  “Those closest to your heart / so rarely get the best of you.”  We put on our public face for work and friends, and then give our crabbiest selves to our loved ones, because we feel comfortable with them, and secure in the fact that they will love us anyway. But don’t they deserve better? Of course. This week:
  • There is more tickling, hugging, music and gratitude.
  • I have been editing myself a lot, taking a breath before acting.  I composed a note to my older (12 and 14) sons the other day, outlining house tasks to complete.  Because I was very frustrated with the recent lack of cooperation, the dictation in my head was littered with cranky language.  Luckily, I edit.  A lot.  I switched to writing the note on the computer to save my hand, and left them a polite and concise list of expectations for their day (and I even told them why things needed done, so they could see how “putting away laundry” should come before “pack for the weekend” because then they can find their favorites easier).  It took longer, but it was better.
  • I am communicating more with the teenager, as to why we make the decisions we make.

2.  Take good care of me.

  • I take care of others, but I don’t always take care of Me.  This week, I made a greater effort to take my vitamins and get enough sleep.
  • I made appointments with the allergist, the acupuncturist, and for a massage.
  • I’m still working on the daily exercise, but managed at least basic push-ups and sit-ups most mornings.

3.  Take Care of Business, personal and professional.

  • I completed some unfinished business, and permanently eliminated some items on the to-do list, either by completing them or eliminating the expectation.
  • I practiced some tough love in my business, and had a couple of difficult client conversations.  I’ve been dreading these conversations, and the worry was really draining on my mental energy.  The conversations went fine, of course, I should have acted weeks ago.

4.  and Be On Time.

  • As summer began, it felt like we were late to everything.  Just a few minutes, and no one noticed       (much), but it made me cranky.  Transitions are always tough and we had our new summer       schedule.  And I am balancing my sons’ desire to stay up later and sleep in (a joy of summer for my boys) with my need to get things done and get to work.  So we got back on track:
  • I synchronized all the clocks (and shhh….. set them 2 minutes ahead, just 2 minutes), then asked the boys to set their watches.
  • I enlisted and embraced aid – Sports Camp Car Pool, you say?  I’m in!  Thanks, ladies!
  • The older boys are using more pedal power.  We tuned up the bikes, discussed the best and safest way to their various destinations, and they like the feeling of independence so they have been leaving earlier to get to their activities.  Win-win!!

So my challenge to you this week is to determine for you and your family what would make this a “great week”, and make a couple of small changes to make life better.  And please, share with me what would make a “Great Week” for you!

Right-y tighty, left-y loosey: Gratitude and a Flat Tire

ImageTo say my morning did not go as planned is an understatement.  The mental checklist I went over in my head after the alarm went off bears little resemblance to how the day actually evolved.  I did not drive the day-camp carpool (thanks Beth), I did not make my 9:30 meeting, and I did not see my client at noon (but she cancelled with me before I could call her to cancel!).  But that’s all OK, actually it’s just fine, and let me tell you why…

All the reasons I am truly grateful I had a flat tire this morning.

  • I now know how to change the tire on my new(ish) van, and it was not that difficult.
  • I taught  my 12-year-old son how to change a tire, and he was really good at it!
  • Last night’s rain cleaned most of the dust off the roads, and today’s rain had not yet begun.
  • I discovered the flat in broad daylight pulling out of my alley, 100 yards from home, instead of having it occur on a busy expressway or in the dark.
  • The event served as a reminder to check over the safety items in my car.  We are well prepared, but the flashlight could use some batteries.  Check!
  • I changed the tire myself, drove 10 minutes, and the nice people at Firestone at 104th and Cicero in Oak Lawn fixed me right up.  But this event also compelled me to confirm the phone and membership numbers programmed in my cell phone for Toyota Cares and All State Motor Club, just in case I need more help next time.
  • Sometimes we need something like this to push us out of our regular routine and cultivate gratitude.
  1. I am grateful for God’s grace and good friends.
  2. I am grateful to a boy I dated in high school for teaching me the golden rule of auto repair, “Right-y tighty, Left-y loosey”.  Thanks, Matt, wherever you are.
  3. I am grateful for a helpful son, a sunny day, my hubby for listening, the landscaper working nearby who offered assistance as well as the neighbors driving by and checking on me, a flexible schedule that allows for life’s little hiccups, and a capable mind and body.
  4. I am also grateful to be home and safe, and that I can now go change out of my clean-this-morning-but-now-grubby-with-tire-dirt work shorts…

Have a great day.  And you can make it great by listing all the things you are grateful for, too!

3 Tips: Frozen Dough, Favorite Cookies and Creative Gift Giving

I love to bake, and I love to share what I bake.

I learned how to bake from my Mom, and I bake a lot for my Dad.  My Dad is a great guy, but is, shall we say, difficult to shop for.  He encourages creative gift-giving, which is tough when he is the guy who truly has everything he needs.  But it just so happens, he loves cookies.  So last year for Father’s Day, I researched Cookie of the Month Clubs.  There are few out there, but they all cost A LOT for a few cookies.  Then I realized that my cookies are better than most, so my gift to him was a list of our top 10 favorite cookies, with optional raisin and nuts, and a batch of homemade cookies of his choosing shipped to him every month.  He really likes the gift, so much so that he asked me to renew the offer this year.

     So, Tip # 1 for the day is to think outside the box, or in this case, inside the oven, when it comes to gift-giving.  This is the season for graduations and wedding, so be creative when you think about your friends and family, and consider what they really want may be some of your time or talents, and not just $$ or a gift in a box (thought those are lovely, too!!).

At the same time I was baking today, a reader responded to my recent menu planning blogs and reminded me of a fabulous cookie-related tip that I just had to share!  I often suggest this tip around the holidays, but as this reader proves, it is a great idea all year around!

From Laura:  “As I was making cookies for my teenage son and his friends yesterday, I thought it would be a good idea to cook half of the cookies and make the remaining batter into frozen pucks like the ones we purchase for fundraisers, to use later.  I also thought it might be a good idea to put the dough in mini muffin tins while they freeze, to help with consistency of size and shape. Freezing the dough also helps eliminate the temptation of mom eating the cookies!  Next time the boys are over, it will be easy to bake up a couple dozen fresh, homemade cookies.”

     Tip #2, I suggest taking cookies all the way to ready to bake on the cookie sheet, but pop them in the freezer instead of oven.  Once frozen, place in a freezer bags then bake as needed, no need to thaw.  A few caveats:  do not tell your family that there are frozen dough balls in the freezer.  And store them in an opaque container, labeled something un-interesting or even undesirable like “beef tongue” or “brussel sprouts” if you want them to stay around for a while.  🙂

And Tip #3 is the actual recipe for our current favorite cookie, here is the link: The Traditional Nestle Oatmeal Scotchie Recipe and our secret is adding 1 ½ cups dried cherries to the dough with the morsels.

Thanks to Laura for sharing her idea, and I hope you try and enjoy the cookies!

The recipe below, from the Nestle Website:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
  • 3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
  • 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ®  TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels
  • OUR ADDITION, 1 1/2 c. dried cherries.

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION:  Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

Legos and Books and Star Wars, oh my! Organizing with Kids

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I organize with my kids regularly, probably more often than they would like.  I remind them that most people have to pay for my services and that they’re lucky I nag / torture / organize them for free, but I doubt they consider themselves lucky.

Image     I do enjoy brief shining moments after organizing when they say “wow, mom, it is more fun to play with my xxx when all the pieces are together”.  I worked with a young client (he is 9) last week, and was reminded of 8 tips for organizing with children (and adults, too!!):

  1. Let them use THEIR words.  Ask your kids to verbalize the benefits of organizing.  If they can’t come up with any, brainstorm together about why they need to organize: it’s more fun to play with toys when all the parts are together, make room for something new, sell stuff to buy more, make room for a sleepover with friends, etc.  Also, use THEIR words for making container labels (and label makers are really cool).
  2. Make it fun:  Play music, use a timer, make organizing a race or game.  Try “Let’s see if we can get through this pile before the timer goes off”, or “Let’s pretend we’re packing for a trip and find the 10 things you want to take” or “imagine your friend is coming over and wants to play Transformers, let’s collect all your Transformers”.
  3. Break big work into smaller pieces: Large projects may need to be broken into smaller chunks, depending on your child’s age and attention.  I can give my 14 year-old a task and a time frame, and leave him to do it.  The 7 year-old requires shorter projects and more assistance.  Let’s say the project is Organize Your Bedroom.  The smaller pieces may be an hour a day: Monday – organize book shelves, Tuesday – dresser drawers, Wednesday – closet, Thursday and Friday – toys and toy box.  By the end of the week, you’ve maintained focus, you and your child are still speaking to each other and the bedroom is organized.
  4. Take Breaks and Schedule your Stop-Time:  When organizing, we all need short breaks (but not too many) to grab a beverage, stretch and regain focus.  And scheduling an Stop-Time gives us all a light at the end of the organizing tunnel, and keeps the kids from losing focus or feeling resentful.       Stick to the Stop-Time even if the project is not done, and come back to it tomorrow.
  5. Law of Diminishing Returns: Decision-making starts slowly, builds in speed, then slows again.  When we start organizing, we move slowly as we define our categories and their containers (like legos, pokemon cards, hex bugs, or books in different piles).  Once we establish categories and containers, we gather speed and make progress.  Then, after the important and easy sorting is done, we are left with a pile of less important, less defined items, and decision-making slows down again.  Don’t get hung up on the un-important stuff.   When you get to that final scruffy pile, put it in a paper bag with today’s date on it, and set it in the closet.  Agree that if your child doesn’t go into the bag looking for something specific within a week or two, you’ll toss it.
  6. Recognize the different ways to sort:  When we started to lose focus the other day, we switched from “pulling out one item at a time and deciding where it belongs” to “look at the pile, and pull out all the books or legos or light bright pegs”.  Both ways are correct, and shifting gears helped us re-focus.
  7. Embrace AWAY:  Make sure the last 10 minutes of your organizing session are spent putting things AWAY.  That is one of the most important parts of organizing with kids, and one that we often do for thm, gloss over, or don’t complete.  AWAY is a wonderful word, an important idea, and kids need to know that AWAY is the end goal.
  8. Make it worth their while.  I don’t pay my kids to organize or complete everyday tasks like cleaning their room or cleaning up after meals.  However… I mentioned to a client that my boys were working on organizing projects while I was working with her, and she asked “What’s the pay-off?”  And      apparently Mom’s Happiness was not what she was suggesting.  So, call it positive reinforcement, and if there happens to be a bowl of ice cream or trip to the local park as a reward for an organizing project done well, maybe the kids will even suggest the next organizing project (a mom can dream, right?!).

Pick a project or two to tackle with your kids, and keep these 8 tips in mind!

Kid Convenience and Nutrition in My Clean Freezer!

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I am the mother of teenage (and younger) boys, which means purchasing, preparing, serving and consuming food, and cleaning up feels like a full time job.  I’ve been strategizing to streamline our schedules and routines, so my first project was to make the kitchen more user-friendly, for convenience and good nutrition, for my boys, starting with the Freezer.

My objectives for the Freezer Clean Out Project were to

  1. make kid-favorites more accessible;
  2. inventory what I have on hand for an upcoming menu planning day / grocery trip; and
  3. purge the icky stuff.

With my objectives in mind….

  1. To start, as with all kitchen organizing projects, I made sure to have a clear work space.
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  3. Next, I put all the contents of the top freezer shelf on the counter.
  4.  Image Image
  5. Then I:
    • tossed the unidentifiable bread products;
    • discarded the excessive packaging from our last Costco bread purchase;
    • was distracted by the frozen raspberries and ½ container of frozen cool whip – dessert?!?
    • realized we have way too many frozen green beans;
    • grouped veggie bags in their bin;
    • re-stocked the breads, and left a loaf out on the counter for a change.  We usually freeze our bread and defrost just what we need, but we use it faster in the summer when everyone is home for lunch (my oldest makes a de-lish grilled cheese!).
    • Note:  Bins and baskets are great in the freezer for lending structure to the slumpy bags, and making it easier to stack and access stuff.  High-end appliances have them built in, but I use bins from Target for the same result.
    • Note:  I really appreciate the removable ½ shelf in my freezer (see photos above), it has been great for protecting our loaves of bread from getting squished.
  6. On to the bottom shelf:
    1. I dumped all the contents on the counter, again, and wiped off the bottom shelf.
    2. Our bottom shelf is mostly meats, so I took out the two baskets and sorted the contents.  I moved the microwave-able breakfast meats within easiest reach of the door, and placed the packaged meats like hot dogs and meatballs in the bin next to that.  The boys now know which bin is which, so if they feel like making a meatball sub or hot dog for lunch, they can.
    3. The  dinner meats are all together, and I’ve noted what we have on hand for making this week’s menu.  Pork Chops anyone?
  7. Door:
    1. This is the kids’ go-to place in the freezer. Upper left bin is designated for buns and bagels, easily visible and accessible.
    2. Upper right bin is for ice packs for lunches and coolers.
    3. Bottom shelf is self-serve for frozen lunch items and snacks.
    4.  Image
  8. Other things I did just this morning, to make good nutrition more convenient:
    • Hard-boiled and peeled a dozen eggs, since since self-sufficiency and good nutrition are the objectives and the little guy is not adept at peeling. The boys love slicing them up for breakfast.
    • Cleaned and cut carrots and veggies for quick snacks, cleaned fruit for the bowl on the counter, and re-stocked the granola / breakfast bar stash.
    • Explained all the updates to my darling children so they would know what and where things are, and would need to bug me less.  I hope. The real test will be in about an hour, when they get hungry.  Again.  Ahhh, teenagers.  Maybe the big guy will make his mom a grilled cheese!

The freezer project took all of half an hour last week, and the kitchen prep time this morning was minimal.  Think about your home and routines – there are probably lots of quick projects you could accomplish together that would make your life simpler, too.  If you need a place to start, check out your Freezer!