Junk Mail and Sales Calls

If you are anything like me, and don’t have an unlisted phone number/address, then you may get bombarded with sales calls and junk mail.  I despise both, and for a number of years, we have registered with the government’s “Do Not Call” registry.   I have been surprised how many people still don’t know about this service, though. 

The “Do Not Call” registry is a free government service that requires all companies who do sales calls to remove your number from their list of cold-calls.  While it does not apply to charities (therefore you may still get requests for money and donations), it applies to most other businesses.  It is so easy to register!  Just go online to https://www.donotcall.gov/ and follow the links and instructions.  Within minutes, you can register your home number, business number, and/or cell phone number.  It will take 4-6 weeks to be removed from most lists, so don’t be surprised if you get a few more calls. 

As if that isn’t good enough, I also discovered a way to eliminate over 75% of my junk mail!  We just moved and this is the first time I have used this service, but so far I am impressed.  For the first time in the history of my adult life, I may go several days with NO mail since I don’t get unsolicited flyers and catalogs.  I always hated the waste of paper that went straight to my trash due to these mailers.  The link  for that service is https://www.dmachoice.org/dma/member/regist.action  Again, just fill out your info, and it goes into the database for businesses, requiring them to remove the listed addresses from their mailing lists. 

There is one other link I can offer that lists these and several more–like if you get mail for a deceased family member, etc.  I have not personally used them, but it may be handy for you.  It is http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm#getofflist  You can find quite a bit of interesting info on here. 

I hope this helps you find some reprieve as it did for me!

 

Children and Allowances

I previously wrote a post about teaching kids financial responsibility.  You can read it here.

While this method worked well for quite some time, we began noticing some issues with the children beginning to expect that allowance, despite any inputs they offered into the family.  Because the allowance was not necessarily based on performance, this did not come as much of a surprise.  Rather, the surprise came from the selfish and greedy attitude with which they expected that allowance.  So, S and I talked, and we decided things had to change before the attitudes got too out of hand.  Because our last method of providing allowance was based on the financial teaching resources we had, this time we consulted the Bible for guidance.  We soon found verses that made us realize exactly what we should do….

Jeremiah 17:10 states, “I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”  Proverbs 31:31 supports this idea when it states, “Give her the reward she has earned…”  1 Corinthians 3:8 further states, “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.”

The answer was crystal clear.  Rewards SHOULD be based on performance–to a degree.  While work is a good, wholesome, even God-given fact of life, God promises to reward a job whole-heartedly and well done.  Thus, we should do the same for our children.  The issue then became figuring out how to balance teaching the life lessons that work is expected and fulfilling in itself, while also rewarding for a job well-done.

After some thought, prayer, and discussion, S and I agreed to discontinue our former way of giving a weekly allowance.  Then, we agreed the children would continue to have Chorepacks which guided them through their daily, expected, just-because-you-are-part-of-the-family chores (i.e. make their beds, feed their bunnies, put their clothes away, clean their rooms, set the table, etc.).  They do not get paid for those chores.  In addition, though, so they could begin to relate monetary reward with their labors, we developed the “extra-chore list.”  These are chores which are normally done by S or myself.  Some pose a bit of difficulty for the children, and some are relatively easy.  Because M cannot yet read, and JR is just beginning to read, I formatted it as follows:

• In the first column, there is a tiny picture that hints at the chore.  We discussed each item with the children so they would understand what the picture instructed them to do.  For example, for the chore that states “Make A’s bed,” there is a picture of a bed; for the chore that states “vaccuum dining room,” there is a picture of a vaccuum.  The kids figure it out pretty quickly!
• In the second column, the actual chore is written out.  For example, I have some that are similiar such as “Vaccuum dining room,” Vaccuum kitchen,” and “Vaccum downstairs hallway.”  Each of these has a picture of a vaccuum beside it, but they do quite well remembering the difference!
• In the third column, I list the monetary reward for that chore.  In most cases, it is worth $.25 (a lot to a 5 and 3 year old!)  Some harder or more time-intensive ones (like cleaning out the litter box or cleaning out the van) are worth $.50 or even $1. 
• The fourth column tells how often that chore may be done.  It contains either a “D” for daily or a “W” for weekly.  this prevents really simple chores that don’t need done frequently from being performed needlessly.  For example, my list has “Wipe off front of dishwasher.”  This just doesn’t need to be done every day, so it is listed as a weekly chore.
• The remaining columns are divided into days of the week and labeled at the top (S,M,T,W,T,F,S). 

The list is then inserted into a plastic page-protector so I can use a dry-erase marker on it.  A requirement for this chart is that the children must ask before doing anything on it.  Becasue most of them are part of my normal chores anyway, I may have already accomplished the task, in which case, I don’t want them to just do it for money.  Once they have permission to do a task, they complete it, and I go inspect.  If it passes inspection, I write their initial in the day of the week it was performed.  At the end of the week, we add up all their chore values, and pay them accordingly.

This system is working beautifully so far.  I find they need the occasional reminder, so when they have free-time, I might mention it casually, “Ok, it’s free-time.  You may go outside and play, play with your bunnies, look at the scrapbooks, or use this time to do some extra chores.”  While they don’t often think about the list on their own, this little reminder is often all it takes to get them excited about helping and earning some money.  Over time, this list will certainly change somewhat as their expected chores change.  Some chores may be divided among age groups, some may be taken off and others added to it.  As it is, though, they are already realizing that if they want to buy something but have no money, they can’t blame anyone but themselves.  And that is a crucial life lesson in itself!

Caught in the act! JR and M doing some extra chores during the pre-bed free-time. Mom can't help but be put in a good mood when faced with ending her day with such help!

 

Home Operation Center

School is just around the corner, and we can’t wait!  We will start our homeschool the first week of August…that’s NEXT Monday!  I can hardly believe it!  With all the chaos and instability the kids (and I) have had over the last few months with the move, the changes in plans, the house-hunting trip and cross-country vacation, settling into the new house, etc., we have greatly anticipated the start of our school year.  With it comes structure, schedules, stability, routine, and we all thrive on that! 

To help prepare, much like last year we have set up our “Operation Center”–for lack of a better name.  Interestingly, a year after I posted about this (which wound up being featured on an organizing tips website ), it is still my #1 post to be pulled up and viewed in random searches! 

Our "Operation Center" condensed to a standard-sized bulletin board.

On this board, I have posted the following items:

• Our daily schedule in the top left corner
• My personal daily chore list in the top right corner
• Under that is a small monthly calendar.  I have all my chores divided into individual days and weeks to help ensure most items around the house get done at least once each month.  The calendar helps me keep track, at a glance, as to which week of the month we are on. 
• Under the calendar is the older kids’ Chorepacks, within easy reach.
• Under the Chorepacks is our “If-Then” chart to aid with disciplinary issues that may arise during the day.
• In the bottom left corner is our new “Extra Chore” chart which I will post about another day.  Essentially, this is extra, out-of-the-ordinary chores the kids can do to earn money.

This bulletin board is located in an area that is convenient, easy to see and remember, and easily accessible to everyone.  The items that are more for my use are on the top, while items the children need are located on the bottom. 

We have been weaning ourselves into using it, as it is more detailed than the way we had it set up last year.  For someone like me, though, who is not naturally self-disciplined and is easily side-tracked and distracted, this center is a tremendous help for keeping me on track and organized!

 

Beware the Family Closet

This week, it came to my attention that there is a great risk in having a family closet!  Be forewarned, should you choose to go this route!

When multiple children have piles of folded jeans in shelves next to each other, and they are responsible for getting their own clothing for the day, there is a risk that one child might mistakenly grab jeans from a younger sibling’s stack.

JR came upstairs complaining, “Mom, I think we’re gonna have to get me some new pants.  These are getting pretty tight!”  Turns out he was wearing N’s size 18 month jeans!

 

The Family Closet

Some time ago, I was researching ideas for making my daily life a bit easier.  I found myself perusing large-family websites to find solutions to common household issues.  One of my favorite pages is the Household Center, where I found all sorts of ideas.  One that really peaked my interest was the idea of a family closet. 

Picture a typical laundry day.  Perhaps it involves several loads of laundry that must be washed, dried, and folded.  I like to sit and fold on some type of table or bed, which allows the toddlers to unfold things as fast as I fold (all in the name of “helping” of course).  I often delay the folding until after the kids go to bed.  Then, I’m stuck with piles of neatly folded laundry that must be shuffled all over the house to the different bedrooms, but then again, they can’t be put away in the kids’ rooms because they are sleeping.  When the kids woke up and were assigned the task of taking their clothes to the rooms, the younger ones often dropped a few items on the way, and I would later find everything mixed together in a drawer somewhere.  There was just no easy flow to the laundry sessions.

Supposedly, the family closet solves this entire dilemma.  The great thing is that it is totally flexible based on the space you have available.  There are no rules!  You can decide if you want it in your laundry room, or a seperate area altogether.  In my case, I decided I wanted everything to be in the same area, with an additional area for storage space and seasonal clothing.  My big dream plan for the farm will be a significant investment, so I decided to start small and experiment, tweaking the plan as I go.  God blessed us in this new house with a huge utility/laundry space that I figured would be perfect!  So here is what we came up with:

S completed this project for me a week ago.  I am able to sort, wash, dry, and fold all the laundry within an arms reach of each area.  Then, I pre-match outfits for each child, sort into piles of play-clothes, dress-clothes, and others, then divide the kids clothes into their designated section of shelves or hanging racks.   We also had an extra 5-drawer chest that we put in there, and each child was assigned 1 drawer for underwear, socks, and PJ’s.  It is a limited-shelf area, so S stores most of his regular use items down there in the remaining spaces, but I still have my stuff  in our bedroom. Despite the limited area, though, I have cut my shuffling of folded laundry down to my clothing and my bedroom.  EVERYTHING else (clothing-wise) is in the family closet.

A quick sketch of my layout

Next to the closet space is a makeshift table for folding and sorting clean items. Just to the right of that is the washer and dryer.  Directly across from it are the hampers used for sorting.

 The plan is that the family will make their way downstairs each evening, select the clothes they want to wear the next day, and take those items to their rooms.  Dirty laundry is collected either in a basket in the bedroom, or in a hamper in the laundry area–dependent on where the bedroom is located.  Each week, on the designated day, as part of chores, the clothes are removed from any bedroom baskets and sorted into the laundry room hamper.  Each child (older ones) is responsible for their own clothing.

I may do a few tweaks as the time goes by, but so far I absolutely LOVE IT!  It just seems that my laundry time has somehow been cut in half.  I no longer stress about an unexpected visitor because my pile of laundry is laying on the couch in the middle of the living room. In one glance, it is easy to see who is running low on what. 

I am just thrilled that I have this opportunity to experiment with the concept prior to creating my final version back at the farm.  Be sure to check out Lots of Kids’ Family Closet site for more ideas.

 

Kitchen Organization

One of the “joys” of moving is the fact that I have to get creative with my organizing.  Over the years, I have learned to buy items that are multi-purpose, like baskets, racks, and hooks, and then just change out what they are used for in each house, based on current need.  One issue I have always had, however, was in my kitchen.  

As I have sought healthier, safer kitchen items, and gotten rid of plastics, I wound up with a large collection of stoneware, crystal, pyrex, cast iron, and stainless.  This has resulted in a big problem organizing the large items, all the lids, and all the non-stackables.  I did some research before the move, had a few ideas in mind to try, then arrived here in the new house.  This house is 1500 sq. ft, and the kitchen is hardly setup for someone who almost lives there, so I was forced to get really creative.  So far, I am liking it.  Here is what I came up with:

Although I had this hanging rack for my cast iron back in NV, when I arrived here, there was absolutely NO place to hang it. I remembered an idea I had seen some time ago, where a lady had used her cast iron and stainless cookware as her window decor. Well, circumstances didn't allow me to go that far, but I modified the idea by hanging the rack over the curtain and window, as the was the only space it would fit. As it turns out, it is quite handy there, within arms reach from both the stove and the sink!

Oh, the cookie sheets, pizza stones, serving platters, and misc. other big stuff! I have fought with that stuff for years! I decided I wanted to have everything side-by-side for easier access, rather than stacked precariously on top of the other items. So I bought a large rack that would allow me to do so. The only place it would fit was the bottom of my pantry, but it is perfect! I actually have a smaller one for my other, smaller, cutting boards and platters. I have dreams of nice wooden rack built into my cupboards serving this purpose when I move to the farm and renovate the kitchen.

Similiarly, my pot lids were at risk of breaking every time I opened the cupboard. I have spent countless minutes trying to stack, organize, or find the size I needed. I bought a smaller version of the other rack and used it for my lids. It's working beautifully!!

Not to belabor the racks, but I am so proud of these! This was a really small one made of wooden pegs, and it just perfectly organizes my pyrex lids by size. No more lids hiding under heaps of other lids!

I will say that I have found a store I love called “The Container Store.”  It is the ultimate place for organizing any area of your home.  The only thing I don’t like about them is that their supplies tend to be somewhat modern, and there is nothing that works well in a country-decor type home.  They have lots of plastic stuff.  Nonetheless, I have found quite a number of very useful items there, to include the racks and barrel jars you see above. 

So now, despite my small kitchen and very limited cabinet space, I think it will all work well!

 

“Emergency” Car Bag

I heard about this concept a couple of years ago, and assumed I was the only person who couldn’t come up with it on my own.  I have since been informed that few parents have heard of this idea, so I thought I would share.

If you have children, you have undoubtedly, at some point in time, faced a dreaded crisis in the car or while out and about.  It never fails that during such a crisis you need some commonly used item, but don’t have it.  The crisis can be anything from a diaper blow-out to car sickness to a cold child.  Fortunately, I have found an wonderfully easy and low-maintenance solution!  You simply pack a small bag in the trunk of your car with all the items that could make your life easier.  There is, of course, no limit to what you may decide to put in this bag, but the following is a list of what I currently pack, or have in the past (and I have, at some time or another, needed every item!)

• Spare diapers (for the forgotten diaper bag) 
• A cheap travel bag of wipes (handy for older kids too!)
• Spare baby bottle and a can or pack of formula (for those unexpected delays)
• Changes of clothes for each child, including underwear (for oops! moments while eating or when they just can’t “hold it” any longer).  The exception is if you have several children, and some that wear clothes within 1 or 2 sizes of each other.  You can get away with having only 1 set for 2 children in this case. 
• Snacks (for those delayed lunch times)
• Baby burp cloths or hand towels (for whatever mess could happen)
• Gallon ziploc bags (for wet or messy items, or just to serve as a trash bag)
• Back-up Toy (you never know!)
• Lightweight jacket for each child (we use these all the time, even in the summer since most places we go have the A/C blasting!)
• Anything else you can think of.  I have been known to occasionally have hand sanitizer, disposable bibs, and even lotion.

I pick lightweight items, so I can fit all the above for all my children into 1 backpack or tote.  It’s not in the way, but is there if I need it.  In addition, I have learned to carry a first aid kit with basic supplies like ointments, cleaners, and bandaids.  We have a seperate one in the car, but if you don’t, then definitely add it to your emergency kit.  The only maintenance that is required is to make sure you refill whatever you use, and go through it when the seasons change (warm/cold) to put appropriate clothing in.  That is also a good time to check on expired baby formula, dried out wipes, or expired snacks. 

This is well worth the few minutes you invest to get it setup!  You will be thankful many times over that you did!

 

Recipe Box

For some time now, I have been desiring a new way to organize my ever expanding collection of recipes.  I finally got in mind what I wanted, and proceeded to search for it.  I found something that worked on a country decorating website:

 However, I was far to frugal to pay the necessary $35!  So I discussed my desires with S.  I wanted a rustic look about it, so it had to be wooden.  It also had to be large enough to hold 4×6 cards.  I also really wanted a removable divider so the cards would not constantly fall flat in the box (a problem I have fought for some time with my old box). 

One of the many things I love about my wonderful husband is that he is so quick to do things that I mention needing. On Christmas day, as if he hadn’t given me enough already, he disappeared into the garage (his workshop) for a while.  Using some scrap lumber he had, he came up with this:

Then it was my job to give it the finishing touches.  First, I sanded it down to get off all the old varnish.  I love the natural look of wood, so I stained it a pretty honey oak color using some stain we had in the garage.  What I didn’t consider was that he had used 2 types of wood, so the color did not absorb evenly.  Next, I decided to try painting it a country color, and found a can of hunter green spray paint in the garage.  I let dry overnight, and it wound up looking more crayola crayon green than country.  I also didn’t like the sheen the paint gave it.  It wasn’t rustic enough for me. 

Finally, we broke down and bought some acrylic dark jade green.  It wound up being perfect!  Since it was acrylic, it lacked the fresh shine of the other paint, giving it a much older, beaten look.  I am working towards a kitchen theme of “Fruit” to go along with the “Fruit of the Spirit” scripture found in  Galatians 5:22, so the green went well with that too. To add to the theme, I also bought some rub-on transfers to decorate it a bit.  Finally, using an online scrapbooking program I had, I designed and printed a label, and  I used my scrapbooking tools to handwrite Galatians 5:22 on the top. 

I love the final result:

Look closely and you can see the scripture written subtly across the top.

Inside, you can see S installed 2 dividers, with 2 additional grooves to allow me to customize it as needed.

 I wasn’t able to find recipe card dividers to go with my fruits of the spirit theme, so I gave up and used my scrapbook software again to design my own.  Nothing fancy, but it gets the point across.  Just a simple, vintage looking card, with Galatians 5:22 printed across the bottom.

Now I just have to add my recipes to the box, and I’ll be set!

Honey, I LOVE IT!  And I LOVE YOU!  Thank you!

 

Christmas Bags

Every week, I resolve to do better and try to post at least once a day, during the kids’ naptime.  However, ever week, after the first day or two, I find that I just get too busy.  Between homeschooling, baking bread and making snacks (a family does have to eat after all!), cleaning house, tending to the children, and handling other things that come up, I just find that blogging is kind of low on the list of priorities.  I figured, however, that the least I could do is tell about the latest project that has been keeping me busy.

We are always looking for new ways decrease our waste, recycle materials, be self-sufficient, and, if it happens to add speed and convenience to my day, so be it!  A while back, I found a website (sorry, I have no idea where) that had suggested using bags to “wrap” presents instead of wrapping paper.  I was intrigued by the idea, and after some discussion, we thought it could be fun to give it a try.

I’m not talking about re-using brown or plastic bags.  I mean actually sewing some bags together, adding a drawstring cord, and viola!  I have only made a few in small sizes, but so far I am loving it!  I tend to do most of our Christmas shopping earlier, before the Christmas season gets here, so I don’t get all caught up in the stress and commercialism of the holidays.  I love being able to take the time to really put thought and effort into our gifts.  The one part I always hated though was wrapping gifts.  Ever since I can remember, I was in charge of wrapping gifts.  Growing up, my parents hated to wrap, and I was the oldest child, so the responsibility fell to me.  Most years, my parents would even put my gifts into an obscure package and make me wrap it!  We laugh now, but I am finally a bit tired of the hours involved in wrapping.

Now, I take a bag, drop in the gift, pull the cord tight, tie a loop, and I’m done.  Now that the Christmas season is getting closer, gifts have started piling up.  I needed a way to hide them, but the kids play in every room (and closet) of our house.  The solution?  Bag it!  Now, I have all the gifts acquired so far bagged up neatly.  Unless they actually pick up the gift, they don’t have a clue what might be inside because of the standard shape of the bag.  Now, I do remember reading on the website that the biggest downside to using bags is that it is very easy for older children (or adults!) to untie the bag, take a peek, and retie, and you have no way of knowing.  Therefore, you may have to keep the bags tucked away until the night before Christmas, which could be a bit more inconvenient.  I guess I finally figured though, that, in our case, I store them for so many months anyway, what’s another 3 weeks? 

My goal now is to make several sizes of bags (sm, med, large, and a few extra large if needed).  For the most part, I am trying to do the bags in distinct colors so maybe I can decipher at a glance which gift belongs to which person.  I am not sure how that will work out in the end though.  We will also keep a roll of wrapping paper on hand for now for gifts being given away, or just any last minute things that don’t have a bag.  Of course, who knows, maybe I can eventually make enough bags that I can give gifts away in them, and introduce others to this concept! 

To start this off, I am going to give away one of these bags!  To participate and try to win, just leave a comment telling me your favorite Christmas tradition (past or present).  I will leave the comments open through Friday, and randomly draw a name from all the comments posted.  Consider it an early Christmas present!

 

Mission Accomplished!

I must say, I have surprised even myself today! As you know (see previous post), we started out pretty rough this morning, but I have managed to update my budget, do school with JR, take the kids for a walk to the bank, help M work on her computer phonics, vacuum and mop, get my kitchen clean, do 3 loads of laundry, tidy up most areas of the house, have Bible reading time with the kids, read my Bible, and even taken a quick nap to make up for my lack of sleep last night! I cannot explain to you the sense of accomplishment I feel right now. I have accomplished everything on my list of daily chores, and most major items on my schedule. I would never have guessed today would have turned out so wonderfully. As tired as I was, I was dreading waking up tomorrow, far behind in my “to do list.” But, today is a perfect example of and a testimony to God’s rich blessing. He promises to give strength when we need it most, and He can always be counted on. Trivial as it may seem, any wife/mom knows the emotional relief felt by knowing you have accomplished tasks that will benefit your family, set an example for your children, and please your husband. Thanks to the strength and focus that God has provided me today, I know I will be able to go to bed tonight, fulfilled and encouraged, rather than dismayed and regretful.

Now, as scheduled, I am going to take the kids outside to check on our strawberries and water the other plants. Then I will come back in, start dinner, and bake my loving husband’s favorite dessert….homemade cheesecake! What a treat for us all!