So Here I Sit...
Nibbling on a homemade chocolate chip cookie - yummy. OK I had two, not "a".
Listening to news reels on Tim Tebow that Tom is engaged in - He's totally on the Tim Tebow bandwagon. I guess I'm jumping on too, today's game was fun. "This kid is a play-maker...He's shattered the mold...Turn him loose..." :)
***
Anyway...
So far I'm feeling really good about our "family logistics". I've got several things in place that are really helping with chores for the kids and meal-planning.
Since I love it when a friend shares their latest and greatest method for doing something, I thought I'd share mine here.
Chores
I found this idea for chores on somebody else's blog. I took a picture of all the chores that need to be done and then glued them to some colored card stock - yellow for daily, orange for weekly, pink, green or blue for kid specific chores (Livvy is pink/purple, Sammy is green, and Ben is blue). I laminated them at our local teacher supply store, punched a hole in the top, and put the appropriate color ring around each child's set of chores, starting with morning chores and ending with afternoon chores. They hang on our dry erase board from a magnetic organizer that I bought at Office Max.
We've had the system in place for almost two months now and it's really working. I don't have to remember what needs to be done each morning, I just remind the kids to check their chore pack and then they run off and complete each one.
Sammy loves racing through his to be the first done. If one does finish their chores before the others, I have them help a brother or sister finish their chore pack.
Meal-Planning
As far as meal-planning goes, I just followed the advice from Large Family Logistics and made a monthly menu. You take a blank month, fill in everyday with a meal, work your way from the first Sunday of a month to the last day, and then start all over again. I've only had it in place for a week now, but it has already removed the stress of "what's-for-dinner".
The one I made is a winter menu. Once summer come around I'll probably make another one that includes more "summer" meals.
Listening to news reels on Tim Tebow that Tom is engaged in - He's totally on the Tim Tebow bandwagon. I guess I'm jumping on too, today's game was fun. "This kid is a play-maker...He's shattered the mold...Turn him loose..." :)
***
Anyway...
So far I'm feeling really good about our "family logistics". I've got several things in place that are really helping with chores for the kids and meal-planning.
Since I love it when a friend shares their latest and greatest method for doing something, I thought I'd share mine here.
Chores
I found this idea for chores on somebody else's blog. I took a picture of all the chores that need to be done and then glued them to some colored card stock - yellow for daily, orange for weekly, pink, green or blue for kid specific chores (Livvy is pink/purple, Sammy is green, and Ben is blue). I laminated them at our local teacher supply store, punched a hole in the top, and put the appropriate color ring around each child's set of chores, starting with morning chores and ending with afternoon chores. They hang on our dry erase board from a magnetic organizer that I bought at Office Max.
We've had the system in place for almost two months now and it's really working. I don't have to remember what needs to be done each morning, I just remind the kids to check their chore pack and then they run off and complete each one.
Sammy loves racing through his to be the first done. If one does finish their chores before the others, I have them help a brother or sister finish their chore pack.
Meal-Planning
As far as meal-planning goes, I just followed the advice from Large Family Logistics and made a monthly menu. You take a blank month, fill in everyday with a meal, work your way from the first Sunday of a month to the last day, and then start all over again. I've only had it in place for a week now, but it has already removed the stress of "what's-for-dinner".
The one I made is a winter menu. Once summer come around I'll probably make another one that includes more "summer" meals.
I tried to stick with meals that are pretty simple to make, but also have one meal a week that requires a little bit more prep time. Of course, Mondays is still a pasta, Tuesdays have a Mexican theme to them, and pizza on Fridays.
It's been a great start to the year so far.
Now, if I could just get a better system in place for school we'll be set. Any ideas?
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