DeCluttering

How do you know when it is time to get rid of stuff.  My usual rule of thumb is you haven't used/touched/seen it for a year or so.  OR your kid says, "I don't want this anymore," get rid of it!

The other day, my 12 year old just came to me and said, "Where is all my Barbie stuff."  She had forgotten she gladly got rid of it all in our last yard sale in March.  I'm always debating whether to stick that kind of stuff in a box in the closet and keep it or just get rid of it.  I know that my mom kept my Barbie stuff.  It's still at her house, with the little Barbie clothes falling apart with age. 

I do keep a big bag in bottom of my closet, and I'm constantly sticking clothes and shoes in it that I'm no longer wearing.  When the bag gets full, I put it in the attic for our annual yard sale. (At the end of our annual yard sale, everything that is left is given to charity.  I don't even bring it back into the house.  It all goes on the front porch for pick up.  I've donated to The Step Up Society for the last 3 years. http://www.atlantastepupsociety.org/ The Atlanta Step-Up Society is a non-profit that helps the suffering, homeless and hopeless to rebuild their lives and to recover from their addictions.  These folks will come to your house and pick up your stuff.)

Just the other day, I went through the girls' drawers with them.  I help up each item, and we determined if 
a) it still fit
b) she would ever wear it again
c) if she should keep it
(and d) if it needed to be washed!  Gross, dirty stuff shoved in their drawers!)

I bagged up the stuff they don't wear anymore (and was clean) and gave it all to my sister and friend.  How nice to clear out the clutter.

We tackled the art closet, too.  The girls must have flattened 2 dozen shoe boxes for recycling.  I was just throwing shoe boxes in the closet for possible projects and Christmas' Samaratin's Purse.  With the way they grow, we'll have another dozen shoe boxes soon enough.  No need to keep all of them.

Next, we'll hit the screened-in porch.  No only does it need a little decluttering, but most of the spring pollen still needs to be wiped away.

"Free" Bowling

Yesterday the girls and I finally made it to the bowling alley for a few free games.  At the beginning of the summer, I signed up the kids for 2 free games of bowling a day all summer!  www.kidsbowlfree.com
The games are free, but if you need bowling shoes, you must rent them.  At our bowling alley, Suburban Lanes, the bowling shoes are $3.25 to rent. (Last summer, my mom even signed us up in Charlotte, so when we went home, we bowled.  The rental for shoes there was over $4!)  Since I knew we'd play often,  I bought all the kids bowling shoes (Play It Again Sports and Ebay) last summer.  The shoes averaged $20 a pair.  This summer only one child needs a new pair.  I've got my bid in at Ebay.  We'll see.

So we went bowling yesterday.  This is what we learned about bowling:

• bowling 2 games exercises 184 muscles 
• bowling 2 games can burn between 320 to 580 calories 
• bowling 2 games results in walking around a half a mile.  

Who knew?!

When you sign up for "free" bowling, you keep getting asked if you want the family plan.  Just scroll down until you see "no thanks" in little print and move on.  Keep saying no thanks to get just the kids signed up.  The family plan is $24.95.  I might just sign up for that (up to 4 adults-2 games-every day). It's $3.50 to bowl a game at our lanes.   I'm planning to get my own shoes, so if I bowled every time we went, it'd turn out to be a good deal...otherwise, I'll just watch (for free).

By the way, I took bowling in college!  I'm pretty sure I made an A in that class.

Cloth Napkins

Growing up, whenever we used cloth napkins at a meal, it was a special occasion.  I liked setting the table when mom would get out the perfectly ironed napkins.  I thought cloth napkins were only for holidays and fancy dinners and other noteworthy occasions.  What a delight to unfold the square of cloth and drape it across my lap.  No thin bit of paper that crumpled and got in a wad.

How thrilled I was when my brother got married and his wife used cloth napkins just about every day!  What a paradigm shift!  Every day!  Not just special occasions.  I decided at that moment, when I had my own place, I also would have cloth napkins for daily use.  Guess what?  I do.

Now, beside the breakfast table, I have a basket of napkins.  All colors and patterns.  I have more in the small chest of drawers in the breakfast area.  I have them for all seasons and occasions.  I have some with monograms and some from Great Aunt Dot that used/made.  And I don't iron them!  I launder them along with the rest of our stuff, pull them out of the dryer, and smooth them as I fold.  (Occasionally, we use a paper napkin or two, but not too often.)

I do have these super sized white linen napkins I inherited from my Grandma Grace.  They are used for special occasions, and I do iron them (with spray starch).  They are luxurious and fun to use. 

I'm always on the lookout for new and pleasing cloth napkins.  I just bought some super-fun colorful napkins (on sale) at Target with some of my birthday money.  I'm a happy girl

ReUse, ReCycle

Okay, so I reuse paper towels!  But only the ones that I've used for keeping my lettuce.  (To make my lettuce last for a couple of weeks, I wash it, spin it, and lay it out on paper towels, roll it up and put it in a plastic grocery bag.)  After the lettuce is eaten, I lay out the paper towels on the counter to dry.  I then can reuse them...

I also rinse and reuse my Ziploc bags, but not if I've stored meats in them.  (My great Aunt Dot did this...My great Aunt Dot also used to save me her coupons.)

We recycle copy paper for the printer.  Tom brings home paper from the recycling box at work.  We print on the other side.  We have new paper for important school things that need to be turned in for a grade.

Label Maker

I just love, love, love my label maker.  It helps me to stay a little more organized. 

I first bought my label maker when the kids were little, when they had a gajillion art supplies.  I bought a dozen or more plastic see-through shoe box size containers and made a label for each box: craft sticks, pipe cleaners, wiggly eyes, beads, wooden pieces, felt and so on.  I even made a "label maker" box.  It's time to revisit that closet and reorganize.  It's a super mess right now.

For my linen closet, I made shelf labels according to sheet size and towel size: queen, full, twin, bath towels, hand towels, pillow cases.   So organized, except for when a kid pulls something out from the bottom of a stack and all falls to the floor in a heap and it's left there...

In the pantry, I've labeled the plastic containers that hold the rice, grits, crackers etc.  (That might of been part of a cub scout thing.)

Even our yard tools got labeled.  I think it was for a cub scout project, too.  All the rakes, shovels, spades... have been labeled.  That's good for when you go to a work project and bring your own tools.

School things: notebooks, calculators, pencil cases.  Each child prints out name/subject for each notebook.  (The kids like making labels.)

Don't forget the flash light and camera!!

And, some of my files I've labeled with the labeler.  If I was super organized, I'd do them all.  I'm not super organized. 

Scooter Port

My disclaimer: I get nothing for sharing this info with you.  I love this product.

If you have kids, you probably have scooters lying around the carport, garage, sidewalk, whatever.  Well, years ago, a friend emailed me about Scooter Ports.  These little bits of plastic changed my life (not really), and made my carport nice and tidy.  I have four of these: one for each child and one for me.


Check out scooterport.com.  [They don't do the referral program anymore.  I talked to the guy (by email), and he said that the program was not being used, so they discontinued it.]

Father's Day

 I try to make Father's Day special around here.  This year, one child is a away at camp, and another child had a fever and stayed in bed.  Only one child was around for present opening.  Tom received the universal shirt/tie combo (2 bow ties...I love him in a bow tie.)  Well, he didn't like the shirt, so I'm taking it back.  By the way, I'm so okay with that.  If you don't like it, take it back.  He really liked the bow ties, thought.  One-red/silver stripe, other- blue/red/ white stripe.  Very nice.

Twice a year I fry chicken for Tom- his birthday and father's day.  So I fried some chicken for dinner.  I also decided to make something with all the Vidalia onions I have.  I just love Vidalia onions.  I found a super easy recipe.  This is it.  I'm going to try to add some pictures.  Here goes.

Super Easy Vidalia Onion Casserole
You need: a couple of big onions sliced thinly.
1/2- whole stick of butter (I used 3/4 stick, but will use less next time)
1/2 cup or more sour cream
1 cup and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese  (I used the already grated kind in the can.  Could use fresh.)
1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed

First, saute the sliced onions in the butter until the onions are soft.

When they're soft and straw colored, remove the onions from the heat and add the sour cream and mix well.

Put half the onion mixture in a shallow dish, sprinkle with 1 cup or so Parmesan cheese.  Put the rest of the onions on top of that.  Sprinkle with the ritz crackers and 1/4 cup Parmesan.  (My friend, Fran, just gave me this tart dish...just the perfect size for this recipe!  Thanks, Fran!)

 Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.  Delicious.

List on the Fridge

I really don't know when we started this, but we keep a magnetic pad of paper on the refrigerator so that when we're just about out of or have run out of something or need something, we write that item on the list.   Right now, I have yeast (for Friday night pizza) and moth balls (to store my woolen clothing) on it. Now, only to remember to take this list when I go to the store next.  That's another post.

Not all pads of paper come with those great flat magnets on the back.  Well, simply reuse the magnets from a used pad.  I peel off the magnet from the old pad and glue (hot glue or Elmer's) it onto the new pad.  Voila, new magnetic paper pad for the fridge.

How to Treat Others

One lesson I've tried to teach my children is to treat others the way that you want to be treated.  This is such a hard lesson for a child.  Their response to me is, "Well, they did this to me!  I will do the same thing to them!"  No...it's not how you are treated, but how you would want to be treated.  Very difficult.     I seem to say ad nauseum, "Is that how you would want to be treated?"  "Are you treating your brother/sister the way you would want to be treated."  One day, I hope they get it.   This is also a lesson I apply to myself.  Do I treat my husband the way I would want to be treated.  Do I say nice, kind words?  Am I respectful in my actions or do I criticize and lash out, disrespect, nag etc.  (I certainly want my husband to speak kindly to me, to respect me.)  When I'm at a restaurant and am waited on, am I demanding...do I under stand if things just aren't going well.  (I sure would want a customer to be nice if I was the waiter.)  I try to put myself in that persons shoes and treat them the way I would want to be treated.   Matthew 7:12  So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Clothes Pins

I love clothes pins.  They really can come in handy.  I have a basket full of them in my kitchen drawer. 

• I use them mainly as a bag clip: chips, cereal, anything that isn't already resealable.  
• I also use them to hang up skirts and pants in my closet.  No need for fancy hangers.  Two per hanger.
• At Christmas  time, I run some jute along my windows like a clothes line and hang Christmas greeting cards from it.  Very fun.  
• Sometimes I'll even use them in the place of a  paper clip.
• For Girl Scouts I used them for job charts, when the girls had different duties, I could just move the pin to the new job. 

Graduation Party

Since my nephew was a toddler, he's lived with my mom (and dad when he was living.)  Mom has loved and cared for him as her own son for 16 years.  This year he graduated from High School.  Wow.

Mom threw Jake a graduation dinner/celebration before the actual graduation ceremony.  It my eyes it was a perfect gathering.  The food was just right, and friends and family were able to come together to observe the occasion.

Here's the menu:
Chick-Fil-a nuggets and sandwiches--Jake's favorite!
Three Bean Salad
Potato Salad
Fruit- fresh fruit sliced and arranged on platter! gorgeous (watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, blueberries, pineappe)
Cake- 1/4 sheet bought from Harris Teeter with Jake's picture on top (edible)
Half and Half tea (half lemonade/half tea)

Mom also had hydrangeas in little vases set about.  So pretty.  So simple.




This recipe came from Great Aunt Dot.

Calico Salad:
    I 15 oz can cut green beans
    1  "      can small green peas
    1  "      can wax beans
    1  "      can corn kernels
    2  "      cans kidney beans light or dark
    1/2 bell pepper, chopped
    l small onion, chopped

                                                 
     Drain and rinse kidney beans.  Drain others and mix all, together.

              Sauce:  3/4 cup wine vinegar
                          3/4 cup veggie oil
                           1 cup sugar
                           1/2 tsp. salt
                                  Heat to just before boiling point.  Pour over vegetables and refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving, 48 hrs is even better. 

Scrabble!

Whenever we're together, my mom and sister and I love to play Scrabble! We'll sometimes play two games in a row, or several times in a day if we have the time.  We play "kind-and-gentle" Scrabble where we use the Scrabble Dictionary to confirm works we're thinking about using; We have lists that list 2 letter words and  "Q" words without the letter u.  When dad was alive, he'd play with us, too, but he liked to play by the rules--no dictionary unless to "challenge!"  He knew some pretty obscure words (leno), and he liked to bluff.  Dad rarely would win.  We even keep a little piece of paper taped to the inside of a door to record the highest scores a person makes.  My personal best is 485 points on November 17, 2007.   That might of been the game that I had 3 seven letter words...

How did our devotion to scrabble begin? With a heart attack.

When I was middle school age or so, my dad had a heart attack while we were vacationing at Myrtle Beach.  We were staying at a high rise condo in North Myrtle called the Brigadune.  Dad and I were swimming in the ocean when he got out complaining of chest pains.  I thought he'd swallowed too much sea water.  The next thing I know, he's at Myrtle General being treated for a heart attack.  I remember visiting dad in the hospital.  I remember he stayed in the hospital while we went back home.  I think he was in Myrtle for 3 weeks.  While there, dad bought into a Time Share at the Montego Inn.  For the next 18 years, vacation would be at Myrtle Beach.

It was during our week at Myrtle that we'd play some Scrabble.  Mom would pack some games and she'd include scrabble. We might play once or twice while at the beach, but that was it for the year.  We really didn't play at home. 

It might have been after college that we would play when I'd come home for a visit.  Our affection for the game has really grown since.  My mom and my sister and I even take it along with us when we go on girls' weekends away.  It seems that mom is the catalyst to want to play.  Amy and I rarely play just the two of us. 

Another game we girls like is Rummikub.

Early Riser

Since my kids hit school age, I have found that getting up 30-45 minutes before they do makes my entire day run smoother.  I'm able to get some quiet time in, eat breakfast, read the paper, check emails and get my thoughts together for the day before the mayhem begins.  Mercifully, I am an early bird. 

Of course, I could never get up early enough when they were babies/toddlers.   They all were also early birds.  We never needed alarm clocks then, because they would always wake us up.  No matter how early I tried to get up, I think they had the "mother is up" sensor, they would get up very shortly after. 

When Thomas was two years old or so he would get up VERY early and come to our room to either start the day or just to climb in for the rest of the night.  We had to train him to not get up and come into our room until it was 6 AM or when the first digit on the alarm clock was a six.    He knew his numbers.  After the first night, we learned that we had to put black electrical tape on the last digit of the clock...he was waking us up at 3:46AM, 4:16AM and so on. 

Le Creuset Dutch Oven

I am crazy for my 4.5 quart Le Creuset dutch oven.   It is an enamelled cast iron cooking pot, and I use it for everything from boiling water to slow cooking a pork shoulder for great BBQ.  I love for fall to roll around because it is perfect for all the soups and stews that I have an appetite for.  It is fire engine-ish red and virtually non-stick and easy to clean.  Occasionally, I even throw it in the dishwasher!!  This size suits my purposes, but I've longed for a larger one.

Well, my dear husband, who knows me quite well (knows that he can buy me a kitchen appliance as a gift only if I've talked about it over and over for years and years...), gave me a 5.5 quart Le Creuset for my birthday.  Now I'm wondering, "Do I want one that is larger?"  I've asked a couple of my cooking friends their thoughts on this.  I hope hear back from them soon.  If they recommend larger, I will trade it in.

More savings!

If you read the previous post, I told you about my savings at CVS.

Well, I went back to CVS to use my $5 Extra Care Bucks that I received for buying the Pantene and John Freida Poducts (remember, I only paid the tax on those items).

The kids are going away to camp next week, so I was looking to buy some candy for a care package.  The Starbursts were priced 2 for $5.  (Usually they are $3.69 each.)  So I decided to get those, proceded to the register and only paid 10 cents for both bags.   KaChing!

I also had a $10 gift card to Kohl's that I received through the mail in my pocket.  I drove over to Kohl's and looked around.  What's popular right now are the socks that are cut really low, so you don't really see that you are wearing socks.  There were some priced at $13 with a sign that said, "Buy 1 get 1 half price."  I didn't want to spend the money buying two sets, so I picked up the six pack of socks thinking it would ring up as $13 and I'd pay $3 plus tax for 6 pair off socks.  I would be fine for that.  But, actually, the socks rang up for $9.75 (the buy 1 get 1 for half price price per set).  The total was $10.43.  I handed the girl my gift card.  She said I owed nothing!  The gift card zeroed out the cost of the socks, so I owed nothing!  How great is that.

So let's recap the last two days:

• For 74 cents I bought 2 bottles of Pantene Conditioner and 2 bottles of John Freida Shampoo/hair product.
• For 10 cents I bought 2 large bags (20% more than usual) bags of Starbursts
• For zero cents a six-pack package of socks

This is a grand total of 84 cents!!!

I love to save.

CVS super deal

I just have to share this because it makes me so happy to save money.  I love a deal, coupons, being frugal, pinching pennies.... 

Today the girls told me they needed conditioner.  They like Pantene.  I noticed that in Sunday's paper  that if I bought 2 Pantene products at CVS I'd get $2 in their Extra Care Bucks.  So I headed over to www.southernsavers.com to see if I could get any other deals.  Well, John Frieda Full Repair is on sale for $5 and there are $5 off coupons in the P&G thing from Sunday (that equals FREE), and then I'd get $3 ECB for the John Frieda. 

So I headed over to CVS.  I scanned my card at the Coupon Tower and it spit out a $3 off coupon because my birthday is this month.  Yippee!  $3 I didn't know I'd have.  Then it gave me a $3 off coupon on $10 of cosmetics.  I also got a coupon for $4 of Allegra.

I got my 2 things of Pantene and 2 John Frieda products and went to pay.  I had $1 off coupon for the Pantene, the 2 $5 off coupons for the John Frieda.  I used the $3 birthday coupon.  And the guy also took the $3 off cosmetics coupon that the Coupon Tower gave me just moments before.  I didn't even ask for him to do that.  He asked if I had any other coupons.  I said no.  He looked at what I had in my hand.  He practically pulled it out of my hands.  He said shampoo/hair care was cosmetics.  I'm not going to argue.

I ended up paying 74 cents (the tax) for these products.

Then...with my receipt I got $5 Extra Care Bucks to use the next time I shop!  They paid me $5 to shop today.

 

I'm going back to get more John Frieda (free) b/c I have 2 more coupons. Thank you CVS for the great deals this week.  I'll use the $5 to buy camp treats for the kids.

The File

I have a two drawer filing cabinet that I got at target around when we got married.  Just your basic metal filing cabinet.  I've decorated it with the children's "magnet art."  Each year in elementary school, my kids bring home some art that has been turned into a 4x5 magnet.  I digress...I try (try) to keep my papers in order.  I do find that I make a big stack before getting around to filing.  If only I filed as I went along, it wouldn't be such a chore. 

Anyway, yesterday I got around to filing almost all of the stack.  Some stuff I filed, some recycled and some for the shredding stack.  I also pulled papers out of files that were super old and put them in the shredding stack.  This website http://www.onlineorganizing.com/NewslettersArticle.asp?newsletter=go&article=672 gives you great guidelines about what papers you should keep and for how long. 

I do have a folder that says "Taxes 2011."  Whenever I have something that might needed for our taxes at the end of the year, I file it away here.  I have donation receipts, receipts for car tax, stuff like that.  It's nice to have it all in one place.

So, as a summer chore for my kids, I've set up a shredding station to shred all of the papers that might have personal information.  Big trashcan and shredder.  Too bad my shredder is broken!  I'm off to buy a shredder.

Notebook and Pencil

It seemed like for the longest time I would always need a piece of paper and pen or pencil while driving around in the car.  I'd have a thought I'd want to remember; I'd hear something on the radio that I'd want to jot down.  I'd scramble around looking in my purse or glove box trying to find a napkin or old receipt to write on.  Then, if I did find a scrap of paper, I'd have nothing to write with.

Than maybe a year or two ago, I decided to dedicate that compartment in the driver's side door to a small notepad and pen and pencils.  How wonderful it is!!  Now, whenever I'm in need, voila, I have what I need.  I actually have several little notepads in that side compartment.

How often have I heard, "Mom, do you have a pencil?"  Now I have a pencil.

Also, if I'm waiting at Marta for carpool or pick-up with Caroline, we can play hang-man.

Cursive Hand Writing

It makes me sad that cursive hand writing will no longer be taught in school...at least that's what I've heard.  My three kids "learned" cursive at some point in the third grade.  I don't think they were taught, but they just did pages from the cursive book they had.  They were not required to do actual class work in cursive or anything like that.  The girls can mostly write in cursive.  Thomas really can't. 


A couple of summers ago, I had them practice writing their names in cursive so they'd have a decent signature.  The girls picked it up...not Thomas.  I've decided this summer to continue reinforcing cursive handwriting.  Each child will do a cursive handwriting page a day (some copied off the internet).  Thomas has a funky signature.  I hope to fix that.

Why do I even care?  They really should be learning to type!  I did buy a typing tutor program for the computer; the school even has a link to a typing program.  I tried last summer to have them learn.  The problem is you need consistent, dailyish practice to learn.  We are here and there all summer... Maybe I'll have them learn typing when school starts back up; it will be part of daily homework.  Don't tell my kids this, they don't know yet.

So to answer my question-- "Why do I even care if they can write in cursive?"

• Their grandma's write them letters in cursive, and they can barely read them. 
• I think everyone should have a cursive, legible signature. (Yes, I know, your signature doesn't have to be legible...it can just be squiggles.  Believe me, I've seen all kinds of signatures, I know.)
• I'm old fashioned this way.

First Time Obedience Summer

When the kids were about 8,7 and 4, I noticed that I was repeating myself over and over to get the kids to do what I wanted.  This is not very "teachery" of me...as a classroom teacher, I expected first time obedience from my classroom students.  Here I am with my own daily "students" allowing them to not obey me the first time!!  I should be ashamed.  So...I declared that particular summer First-Time-Obedience Summer!!

Before school let out for the summer that year, I gathered the kids together and, first of all, apologized for not being the parent that I should.  Secondly, I told them that I was sorry that I had not insisted that they obey me the first time that I asked. And, thirdly, that when school let out, they were going to have to learn how to obey me the first time I asked.  It is going to be First-Time-Obedience Summer!  Yippee!

So...how did we go about this.  Together we thought up some consequences that could happen if they didn't obey me the first time and put them on a list on the fridge.  We talked about them.  I think I even asked them which consequence they thought they should receive if they didn't obey me the first time.  Then we even practiced how to obey the first time...that might mean
1) How to respond (Yes, mom).
2) Role play giving a child an "order" and he/she following through.
3) We even talked about, "What if I'm in the middle of something, Mom?"  What to say to Mom if they need a few minutes to obey (may I finish this first?)

How did it go?  Well...for the first weeks of summer, before I asked the kids to do anything, I would say something like, "Remember, this is first time obedience summer...I'm getting ready to ask you to do something....I need you to obey me the first time..."  I really wanted them to succeed, to obey me the first time, to remember to obey me.  It went great!  They picked up on the obeying the first time right away.  Not too many consequences had to be doled out.

Now that they're older, we might have to have a refresher course.  Sometimes all I need to say is, "Do I have to ask you a second time?" which is technically asking a second time!  Hmmm, this might be another First-Time-Obedience Summer.

Paula Dean Sangria

We had this refreshing drink at my friend's house not too long ago.  She gave me the recipe, and I can't wait to try it at home.  With this July weather we're having in June, I think I'm going to make a batch.

Paula Deen Sangria

1 cup suger
orange, lime thinly sliced
1 liter dry red wine
club soda

1)Put sugar and 2 cups water in a small pan. Boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  (This makes a simple syrup.)  Add oranges/limes to syrup and cool to room temperature.  Chill overnight.
2)In large piteher mix syrup and fruit and wine.  Pour Sangria in wineglass (with ice if desired) and top with a splash (or more) of club soda. 

Very refreshing!