Household Engineer

What a fun and informative morning we had at MOPS today!
Thank you to Christy for sharing some great ideas of organizing and cleaning in her house with all of her little ones a foot!
Here are 2 another "recipes" for super cleansers:
Cleanser 1
1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 cup water
1 Tbsp vinegar
Mix into spray bottle.

Cleanser 2
2 Tbsp ammonia
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
1/4 cup vinegar
Mix in spray bottle and add water to fill line.

It is easy to get frustrated and overwhelmed with trying to keep house with little ones, but remembering to keep everything in perspective and correctly prioritized is important. Easier said than done, I know. I often get things out of whack. That is where prayer and asking God to be your portion for the day is so important! Our relationship with God should be the first thing we give attention to. I know again, easier said than done. But try to find some time to focus on God and His provision for you and your family maybe while putting away dishes, folding clothes, cooking dinner. Give Him praise for His creation. Perhaps as you push the stroller on a walk or push kids in a swing or weed a flower bed. Talk with your kids about God's Handiwork. Take time to pray with and for your kids. The power of Prayer is mighty. Often it is all we have as a line of defense to protect our kids.
Trying to get everything done each day and meet everyone's needs is too often the impossible dream. But building and fostering a relationship with God is so important for moms and families!
Praying for all of us moms and our relationships with God!

What's For Dinner, Mommy?

A very easy and yummy topping to hot dogs. Grilled hot dogs are the best!

Hot Dog Chili
Ingredients
1 lb ground chuck
1/2 can tomatoes
1/3-1/2 cup onion
Salt to taste
1 tsp chili powder

Directions:

Brown ground chuck and drain.
Add other ingredients and cook about 10 minutes.

Household Engineer

It is so easy to get overwhelmed with all of the responsibilties of keeping a comfortable and neat house and meeting the needs of all the people and other things we are involved in. I ran across this idea of Minimum Maintenance. What Minimum Maintenance is in a nutshell is this: acknowledging that every day a minimum amount of effort will go into that day to make it work.
Minimum Maintenance is NOT a thorough cleaning process. It is great because it a morning (or evening) run-through of the house, that gives you a successful start (or finish) to your day, no matter what happens. All you need is a kitchen timer and your favorite cleaners.

Here are some basic guidelines to help you make your daily routine Minimum Maintenance- Remember MINIMUM- JUST TO MAKE THE DAY WORK:
1. Spend NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES! picking up and straightening. (Except the kitchen, which gets 15). When the timer goes off, move on to the next room!
2. Don't start cleaning too deeply during your morning run-through. Save that for later.
3. Don't let the needs of others control your life. (ex. telephone calls, checking email/blogs, TV, etc.)
4. Make the dinner decision early. (Like by 10:00am) Deciding early gives you more choices, even if you eat out. It gives you control. Try an easy monthly menu plan.
5. Start from the outside in. Clean off the top of the counter before you attack a drawer.
6. Categorize items as you go: start grouping stuff as you pick up. Like stuff with like stuff. Don't get try to get into specific, precise categories, just simple groups so that when you begin to really organize, half the job is already done.
7. Learn to pick up before the mess becomes too much. It is easy to ignore the little things lying about because the whole house seems messy. For today, just pick up the stuff you took out and used TODAY.
8. Make the picking-up process a habit. Clean as you go. Having cleansers and supplies in each bathroom make it easier to wipe over surfaces there as you pass thru.

Now here's an easy list of the Minimum Maintenance activities to show you what should be done.
Kitchen: dishes, countertops, sweep. (OK, it may take longer than 15 minutes.)
Entry: pick up, backpacks, shoes, stuff to take upstairs. No tripping over stuff as you come home.
Family Room: newspaper, books, remotes, trash, pillows straightened, laundry pile all over the couch
Bedrooms: The room owner should be responsible for his/her own room: beds made, clothes picked up off of floor, trash thrown away. Two year olds can't make their own bed, but spend a few minutes with your preschooler, helping them see what should be done. Give them a chance to "do" it and then you will probably "fix" it after they leave the room. It will take some time, but after a while they will grow more coordinated and able to do it. It takes practice and developing the expectations early on.
Mail Center: (You need one if you don't have one) junk mail thrown, bills and important papers where they go, etc. Hint: do this when you bring it in from the mailbox. Don't delay!

Start with the big items (bed, table top, countertops) and work down to smaller areas.
Carry a basket or wear an apron with large pockets to store things that need to be carried to another room.
You may not need to do ALL the rooms each day. And all the rooms may not need 5 minutes EVERY DAY.
Being flexible is important. With little kids, it will be nearly impossible to go from room to room without interruption. You maybe try picking up at night.
Keeping a basket in each room (living room, kitchen, bedroom, etc) that toys could be thrown into for a fast and easy clean up. It may not be the most organized way to deal with the toys, but it helps keep the floor from looking like the toy box exploded and makes it easy for the kids to help with a quick pick-up, too.

Setting realistic goals and accepting that a perfectly organized and clean house may not always be a reality with the little ones. But it is possible to maintain a comfortable and peaceful home for your family.

What's For Dinner, Mommy?

Creamy Italian Chicken
(from Fix-It & Forget-It)
Makes 4-6 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
¼ cup water
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
10-3/4-oz. can cream of chicken soup
4-oz. can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

Lightly grease slow cooker. Place chicken in the bottom. Combine salad dressing with water and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours. Combine cream cheese and soup until blended. Stir in mushrooms. Pour over chicken and cook until heated through. Serve over noodles or rice. Add a fresh green salad to complete the meal.

Mini Errand Center

Here is a simple and fun idea that will make your weekly errand shopping a notch more efficient. Put together an errands mini zone, stocked with everything you need to plan and execute errands and shopping trips. Creating your errands mini zone is as simple as corralling the following items into a basket or bin.


A pre-printed grocery list / menu planning sheet
Paper or note pads for other shopping lists
Pens or pencils
A recipe binder loaded with your favorite recipes and meal ideas
A clipboard to use while shopping
Store circulars
Small accordion file for coupons, gift cards and frequent buyer cards

Now all that’s left to do is shop!

www.simplify101.com

Parenting Tips

What to Do When Kids Are Annoying

Dealing with annoying behavior is not like disciplining for defiance or teaching a child to follow instructions. When it comes to impulsivity, the child can't always make changes just by choosing something different. In many cases, kids don't realize that they're being annoying and they don't know what to do to be more appropriate.

Furthermore, these patterns often come from habits that have been practiced for a long time. These reasons are not excuses for inappropriate behavior but they're a further indication that the job will take concentrated effort from the child and the parents.

Part of the issue is immaturity; the child hasn't learned how to pick up on the social cues or restrain behavior as much as we'd like. But these children need more than just time to grow up. They need concentrated work to develop two character qualities: self-control and sensitivity. These qualities not only help children when they're young, but they become tools for success as children get older.

Here are some working definitions for sensitivity and self-control to get you started with your children in this area:

Self-control is the ability to control myself so that Mom and Dad don't have to.

Self-control means to think before I act.

Self-control is the ability to talk about problems instead of grabbing, pushing, or hitting.

Self-control means that I limit the noises I make when others are around.

Self-control means that I focus on one thing until it gets done, before I move to the next.

Sensitivity means that when I walk into a room I look and listen before I speak.

Sensitivity is thinking about how my actions are affecting other people.

Sensitivity means thinking about how I could help someone else.

This parenting tip comes from Chapter 7 in the book Good and Angry, Exchanging Frustration for Character In You and Your Kids by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN,BSN.

Easter

Painting with Peeps!

Do you need some ideas for some fun Easter activities? This is a fun but a little messy idea. The kids will love it!

Materials:
Construction Paper, Vanilla Pudding, Easter Peeps®
Cut large Easter egg shapes out of the construction paper. Put dollops of vanilla pudding in a small bowl and then use the Peeps® as the paintbrush‖. The Peeps® makes a perfect grip for little hands and gives a great sponge-effect for painting. The Peep® will change the color of the pudding! Once your child is finished painting, they can eat their paintbrush.
Note: Peeps® come in the traditional blue, pink, yellow, green and lavender!