My daughter came home from kindergarten wearing this adorable Pilgrim hat last Friday. (That's not my daughter.) Precious, and unbelievably simple to make. Here's how. (I'm using purple paper because that's what I have. I'm sure there were little girls in Plymouth who secretly wished they could have had a purple hat, don't … [Read more...]
Daisy Cupcakes – The Only Detail that Mattered Today
Today . . . was crazy. But I did empty the dishwasher and re-load it to be run again tonight. It's that warding-off-disaster thing. Anyway, the majority of my day between getting home from Bible Study and delivering frozen cookie dough that just happened to come in on the day of our first Girl Scout Daisy meeting was spent . . . . … [Read more...]
How to Prepare for a Water Balloon Fight
I know. You come here expecting to read about cleaning, organizing, or maintaining. But this week, I haven't even thought about cleaning, organizing or maintaining. Instead, I've been directing a musical-in-a-week camp. So today, I'm sharing a little advice on how to prepare for a water balloon fight. Because slobs tend to be fun and … [Read more...]
Practical Tips for Teaching Kids to Cook
I've shared that one of my summer goals is to teach my boys to cook. Nothing fancy. No chef hats or complicated techniques. Just survival cooking. The kind that will keep them alive in their bachelor years. They are seven and nine, and they've helped me in the kitchen in the past, but I want them to gain some independence. I had each … [Read more...]
Apple Juice Popsicles that Kids Can Make
I've been overly cranky lately, and some of it has to do with feeling overwhelmed. In times like these, I tend to not do a lot of creative things with the kids. If the table is messy, or the supplies aren't handy, time slips by and the guilt can build up. But this little project is quick and easy. It was my daughter's idea. I'm pretty … [Read more...]
Birthday Parties – The "How Often" Dilemma
This isn't really a house-cleaning tip, but one that's good for people who struggle with Time Passage Awareness. Like I do. When it comes to scheduling kids' birthday parties, I'm thankful I have my mother's footsteps in which to follow. I started out this motherhood gig knowing that I would do it the way she did, because if it was good … [Read more...]
Spring Cleaning/Organizing/De-Disasterizing the Playroom
That's our playroom. It's a room I ignore, often accidentally . . . but mostly on purpose. Besides the fact that I'm sure every playroom in existence tends to get out of control, mine is actually a closed-in porch. It isn't under heat or air, and we leave the window open quite a bit so our dog can get in out of the wind/rain/cold/whatever. … [Read more...]
Oh yeah, that’s right, I AM a slob.
No cameras allowed in the house today. It's a complete disaster. Not a single room has been spared from the clutter-destruction. If I thought I was cured of this Slob Problem, or anywhere close to cured, weeks like this prove I'm not. I had grand plans to make this fourth Snow Day in a row a Family Cleaning … [Read more...]
Involving Kids in Yard Work
It feels a little strange to be talking about working in the yard (in short-sleeves!) today, since it's crazy-cold outside, but two days ago, it was beautiful. Where we live, this is the time of year when the last of the leaves are falling off of the trees, and it's starting to bug me that I can't walk out of my front door without sloshing … [Read more...]