Take time Tuesday.....No more hurrying

As my alarm goes off at 5:15am I am up and running trying to accomplish all that I have listed on my list today.  I get up early to try and get a few hours n before the kids wake up and "run it all."  I wash the dishes, prepare my husbands breakfast, prepare the kids lunch ( should've been done last night but I was up until midnight working on our family finances), line up their clothing, check all school papers.....and the list goes on.  2013 is the year of the task accomplisher and with that comes time schedules and deadlines.  When I read and article on the Huffington post the other day I immediately identified with the author.  I realized that I too say hurry up more often than "I love you"or "take your time".  I realized after reading the article entitled  "The Day I stopped saying 'Hurry Up'" that I too needed to stop hurrying life along.  In this article, the author realized that by trying to keep to a schedule she was constantly hurrying her children through life and not allowing them to literally and physically smell the roses.  On a daily basis we watch the clock with anticipation of it turning 8pm...bedtime, 9am time for school but we rarely look the clock with thoughts of spending more precious time with our little loved ones.  So, today and every other day I will take the time out to consciously not say hurry up and to ensure my children are able to take in and enjoy every moment of their childhood life........with camera always in tote...LOL

Disclaimer:  I was not an english major......Enjoy!!!!

What will you take time out and do today?  Will you make the time to stop and smell the roses with a loved one?  I know I will!!!!!!

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First Day of School success

I am officially the parent of two school aged kids.  My son is entering 2nd grade and my daughter is entering Kindergarten.  Although my son has been in school since Pre-K it is different feel as he is no longer in private school but will be a part of the public school system.  I am a little nervous and excited to see what the school year brings.

Although a lot of children in the neighborhood ride the school bus I am not ready for that yet and since I am privileged to stay home with  my children I will make sure the time in the car is well spent (although we are a mere 5 minutes away) by turning off the radio and having an open dialogue with them to and from school.

Nevertheless, all of my preparation for the first day of school was not in vain.......now I can spend a little more time with my 1 year old and dedicate a little more time to some DIY projects, health and fitness and of course this BLOG!!!!!!

First day of school interviews.

Gifts for their homeroom teachers...of course I forgot to take a picture but I got the great idea from Cassie at Hi Sugarplum

and pictures to create, preserve and forever cherish.......

Yes, Brookey was upset that her sister and brother were leaving her behind.  Above all, she wanted to get out and put on her book bag.

Of course I had to go into the school and make sure they made safely.

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Back to school weekend

Summer is almost over, our late bedtime routine and extra television (kindle, Xbox 360 and playstation) time,  must come to an end.  There are two points of views on this situation:

The kiddios are thinking:

The Mothers/Parents are thinking:

Either way you look at it you must be organized and prepared to have a successful first day as well as a great school year.

My first post about preparing the kids for school was a little more detailed as there was more time to get things done.  If everything has not been accomplished (like me) make sure you still have time to get the most important things accomplished.....

1  Bedtime routine:  Kids need a minimum of 10 hours each night (adolescents at least 9 hours).  Make sure you get them to bed at reasonable time tonight and tomorrow.  Don't forget.....read them a few books, talk them about their day and give them a big kiss and hug goodnight.  Here is a great article about establishing a bedtime routine prior to the start of school.

2.  School supplies:  If you have not already purchased your child's school supplies most schools have them listed on the internet and Walmart is open 24 hours.  Make sure you make a Walmart run Monday morning.

3.  Plan your meals for the week:  Try to stock your house with all the ingredients needed for the weeks meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack).  Stock up on food essentials at Walmart when you make your school supply run.  You can get some great ideas for home and school menus over at organizing home life blog.

Great school lunch ideas:

.....and make sure you put a little love note in their lunch box to chill the first day jitter and let them know how much you love them over at the country chic cottage

Great menu planning for home:
Take a look at i heart organizing blog for some great ideas on planning your meals for upcoming meals.

4.  Printout out first day questionnaire and sign for pictures.
I found a lovely questionnaire over at positively splendid

and some great signs and other ideas over at mama to go

5.  If you have time get the teacher a gift for the first day of school.  There are some great ideas over at
i heart naptime

If there are still more things you think will make your school days and night flow better make note of them and try to accomplish them over the next few weeks.  In the meantime create temporary/similar situations with your ideal set up in mind.  Being that I just moved in a little over a month ago I am in this category as I am not only preparing my kids for the first day of school but I am in the midst of repainting and decorating the house we just purchased so that it will feel more like our home.

1.  Temporary command/drop station station.

I always wanted a mudroom but unfortunately I didn't snag one with this home.  Therefore I am going to create a command station near my eat-in kitchen as well as a mini mudroom in a closet.
Here is my temporary drop station:

My inspiration:

2.  Semi organized pantry and refrigerator for lunch and snacks

Here is what I am working with/my temporary situation:

My inspiration from.  Check out blooming homestead for some great ideas.

I hope this post was of some help to you.  What have you done to get yourself and kids ready for the first day of school

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New Family Orientation....The start of a new year!!!

9:00 am sharp....New Family Orientation at school.  Excited can only begin to describe how I feel.  This is a great opportunity for the kids to see their new school in a non-intruding way (especially if you have a shy one like my Sidney).  My parents were suppose to come for the week so that I wouldn't have to take all the kids with me but unplanned issues and Dr. Hubster had to work so its me and the kiddios.
Here they are all LOCKED and LOADED ready to go!

Nervous is another word I can use to describe how I feel.....Why you ask?....My babies are starting a new school, in a new environment and state.  I know they will be OK as I have prepared them for this new endeavor.  Here are a few ways to prepare you kids for life changing events (big and/or small).
Check out these websites for some valuable tips:
Preparing your child for a move
Preparing your child for a new school

The are looking forward to a GREAT school year!

O, les not forget.....I was also nervous as I am not sure what type of behavior I will get from my lovely children during this orientation.  I can safely report back to you that they did an AWESOME job and earned a special treat!  I just hope I can get the same behavior today at 2pm for Kindergarten orientation and tomorrow at 2pm for 2nd grade orientation.

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Life....Simplified

If you are anything like me you are scouring the internet and switching between social media (facebook), blogs and pintrest.  Yes, I must admit those are my three addictions that I can't live without.

I wanted to share a list of "50 things to simplify your life" a facebook friend posted.  I was already aware of a lot of the great ideas but some of them are new to me.  Either way, I think they are all fantastic.

Life....Simplified

Take a look and let me know what you think!  What is your favorite find?

Have a great weekend!!

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Take time Tuesday......to lay with your child

Life is so hectic now that we look forward to the end of the day and/or the end of the week.  A lot of times we rush some of the most important moments a long because we just want to finally get a few minutes to ourselves.  As a mother of three I find myself rushing bedtime because I am exhausted from my daily task of caring for MY children.  Although, I enjoy this task it is very tiring as it does not allow me a moment to myself.

Tonight I took the time to lay in the bed with my daughter and just talk.  I am sure this is not the first time you heard that you're kids open up when take the time and do this but I can truly say it works.  Tonight when I got under the covers with my 5 year old I found out that a little girl, lets call her Girly...

• said she didn't like her and it hurt her feelings
• pushed her and it made her sad
• pushed my youngest daughter
• misses her best friend in Georgia
• loves her pillow pet because of the Unicorn
• meeting new people makes her nervous and shy

Although, I knew a lot of this already it was nice to have a one on one conversation with my daughter and to see her light up because she is able to have Mommy all to herself.  This is something you should start early so that when your child gets older they feel comfortable talking to you about any and everything.  I found some nice pillow talk question you can ask your child while lying in bed on imom.com to help them open up.

You should seize every moment you have to talk with you child.  About.com list a few other great opportunities to strike up a conversation with your child

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Countdown to school...T-13

As I sit outside and watch my kids play with our new neighbors I realize that summer is almost over which means school is about to start.

I can hardly believe that our extended summer vacation is about to end (3 months summer vacation because of the move from the Georgia to Maryland).  I have been so busy unpacking our new house and trying to make it OUR home I almost forgot how important this post is for families with school-aged children.  My friends in Georgia have already started school so to all my friends in states that start at the end of August.....whew, you still have time.


Here are a few tips of what you should accomplish over the next few weeks:

At least two weeks prior
1.  Order a book bag and lunch bag.  If you are getting it personalized do it as soon as possible as it takes a few extra days to get it from the company.  I love L.L. Bean book bags.  My son has had the book bag since the beginning of 1st grade and he is now entering 2nd grade.  The bag still looks brand new.  I just ordered a Land's End book bag for my daughter which is entering Kindergarten this year as they had more patterns to choose from.  A friend of mine highly recommends Land's End book bag and says they are reliable and I trust her judgment.  Therefore if you don't want to purchase a new book bag every year try out Land's End or L.L Bean bags for this coming school year.

2.  Go through your child's closet and have them try on their clothes to see what items need to be purchased for the coming year (jeans, short sleeve shirts long sleeve shirts, skirts etc...and don't forget the underwear and socks).

Before you hit the stores make sure you have a budget in mind so that you don't overspend.  Also, try to hit the stores during tax-free week.  To find out when/if your state has tax free week click here.

3.  Obtain a supply list from your child's school and head out to Walmart.  I suggest getting everything on the list plus a few extras while the back to school sale is going on.  In addition, try to find out what your child's teacher may need for the classroom and pick up a few extra things to help out.  Also try to  stock up on school supplies necessary for completing homework and projects.

4.  Organize your pantry and refrigerator so that you can easily prepare lunch and have after school snacks readily available for them when they get home.  I would love to let them eat school lunch everyday but unfortunately they are not always the most balanced.  Take a look at a few blogs that have great ideas for organizing your refrigerator and pantry for school and your kids.

• Organizing Made Fun
• Delightful Order

One week prior
1.  Start getting back to your school year routine.  During the summer my kids bedtime and morning routine was anything but a routine.  There were good 8pm days and bad 11pm days.  So, at the start of school draws closer get them to go to sleep earlier so that they get at least 8-10 hours of rest.

2.  Attend school orientation and decide if you are going to carpool or let your child ride the school bus.  I am still undecided here.

3.  Go food shopping and stock up your house with food for family meals and school food and snacks. In addition, plan your meals for the upcoming week so that the first week of school runs smoothly.  Here is a site I like on menu planning tips here.

• i heart organizing

4.  Designate a special place for homework and studying.  Make sure you have a system in place to ensure school work/paper stay organized and don't get loss.  This is when a family command station comes in handy.  Take a look at a few of these for a little inspiration.

• i heart organizing

Weekend before school
1.  Take out all outfits for upcoming school week.

2.  Print off a sheet that says "1st day of school" with the grade they are entering so that you can take a picture of them holding that sign on their first day of school  I got this great idea from....

Prepare an interview sheet for the kids to fill out before they go to school the first day.  Great idea I found from: Positively Splendid

Night before school
1.  Make sure all book bags are packed and ready to go
2.  Prepare lunch.  There are so many great ideas on how the kids can help you with this.
3.  Make sure alarm clocks are set.
4.  Get the kids to bed on time
5.  Kiss the kiddios Goodnight and RELAX they will be fine

Morning of 1st day
1.  Get them up on time
2.  Feed them a good breakfast
3.  Take a 1st day of school picture
4.  Kisses, Hugs and Thank God school has started!!!

How do you prepare for the first day of school.  Do you have any first day of school traditions.

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