Christmas/Yule Countdown - Week 2

As promised, here is my list of Prep for this week. This week we have one of my favourite activities! Christmas Lights Across Canada. This is when they turn on the christmas lights at Parliament Hill for the first time. It really is magical! After the ceremony we we head to the Byward Market for a hot chocolate and a beaver tail- Don't know what that is? Stay Tuned!

Gift n Giving Week: : November 28- December 4

To Do This Week

• Write and address one-forth of the Christmas card list
• Finish all catalog shopping. Record tracking numbers and save receipts.
• List all gifts to make Jot down needed Materials and add them to the master shopping list
• Work on “To Make” gifts. You must make one-fourth of your gifts each week.
• Set up wrap and mail center.
• Reserve baby sitters for December nights out.

To Buy This Week

• Continue gift shopping
• Buy materials and supplies for “To Make” gifts

Yule/Christmas Countdown!

I have decided to blog about my Yule/Christmas prep to help me stay on task.

I break my Holiday prep into 4 stages: Organization, Gifting, Cooking, and Celebrating. This plan is inspired from what I learned from Flylady.net and Organized Christmas (To give credit where it is due) I have a list for each week. It contains action items and a shopping list. I have all of these list in my Holiday Preparation Planner. My planner is made with a Pocket Folder. I will post a picture of it shortly. Here is an excellent example of what I am talking about.

This weeks List (I will post them on Monday from now on

Get Organized Week: November 21 - 27

To Do This Week;

Spend 15 minutes each day this week to get organized for Christmas.

Set up your Christmas Countdown Organizer in a notebook or binder.

Make a holiday calendar.

Begin at the beginning: review your family’s holiday traditions. Record your findings on Holiday Traditions* page.

Start a Master Gift List*: Record purchases and home-made gifts

Begin a Christmas Card List.

Are you traveling? Make Travel arrangements and reservations this week Will you host house guests? Make arrangements for overnight guests.

Arrange for family photo sessions for Holiday gifts or cards.

Make a holiday budget*.

Divide Christmas card list into 5 groups. Write and address one group this week.

Print Master Shopping List for errand days.

Set up Holiday House Work Plan. Post Chore Check List; determine who is responsible for what chore.

Check Holiday wardrobe for family. Put to buy items on list.

To Buy This Week:

Christmas cards or supplies for Christmas Letters

Postage Stamps

Begins Christmas shopping Divide master list into 5 sections Buy one section a week. Wrap gifts as they are purchased. Keep a running total of gift expenditures on budget form.

Purchase any holiday clothing needed for family members

Today I am going to love myself

Today I will start the day with a little prayer


Please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

I will not berate myself for falling behind or pressure myself to catch up. I will instead, live in the moment.

I will enjoy my family because that is what is most important to me.

Sunday "Preparing for the Week" Day

Today is Organization day. I have started doing this because I find myself much busier lately. I have evening commitments where I didn't have any before so I have had to adapt somewhat. I have started using this day to catch up on items on my daily list that I may not have completed during the week. This week I need to catch up on Laundry. I also use this day to bake school snacks because I have stopped buying them in favour of more healthy options. This week I plan to make some Carrot Muffins and granola bars. I will soak the granola bars the NT way but the carrot muffins I make will be a traditional recipe. I will post the Granola bars at the end of the is post. I am also hoping to use the snack making as an opportunity to spend time with my daughter in the kitchen. I better go get busy! :)

Cherie's Nut Free Granola Bars

Ingredients

Mix together in non reactive bowl:
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of whey


Soak for 8-20 hours. Then stir in:

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Coconut oil
about a cup of additions like raw coconut or chocolate chips or other dried fruit.

350 degree Oven

Line 9X13 pan with parchment. Press mixture into pan and bake for 30 minute or until golden at edges. Cut while warm.

Friendship and Preserves

Before I make this post I just wanna say I have an awful lot of draft post. I think I might look them over and see if there is anything worth saving and posting. Not surprisingly, I get sidetracked fairly often lol

OK! the post today is about friendships I am extremely blessed to have amazing friends. Tonight I will test the strength of two of my friends as we attempt to make and can Salsa! lol The recipe we are using is from here http://belleadorn.blogspot.com/2008/08/best-salsa-recipe.html

I have all of my supplies ready I am so excited! I will post how it went...I promise!

Master Summer Schedule

Only one more week until school is out and everyone will be home all day. I am really excited about this. We have a lot of fun in the summer. Last year we started using a Master Schedule and it really helped the children and myself get the most out of summer break and have a whole lot of fun. The Master Schedule is an important tool for helping us stay on track. By no means is it is carved in stone nor do we strictly follow it every day. This is basically how a "Typical Week" will look. I am putting it here as a record for me but also to share it with anyone who might be looking for a way to organize their own summer. I know many folks who prefer not to have so structured a day but for our family it was necessary to avoid hanging out in Pjs all day watching T.V. and wondering where the summer went.

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
08:00	Morning Routine	Morning Routine	Morning Routine	Morning Routine	Morning Routine
09:00	Park Play	Field trip	Park Play	Park Play	Park Play
10:00	Snack Art Activity	Field trip	Snack Learning Activity	Snack Journalling Activity	Bookmobile Snack
11:00	Tidy up and story time	Field trip	Tidy up and Story time	Tidy up and Story time	Tidy up and Story time
12:00	Afternoon Routine	Afternoon Routine	Afternoon Routine	Afternoon Routine	Afternoon Routine
01:00	Swimming	Field trip	Swimming	Swimming	Swimming
02:00	Swimming	Field trip	Swimming	Swimming	Swimming
03:00	Snack	Field trip	Snack	Snack	snack
04:00	End of day Routine	End of day Routine	End of day Routine	End of day Routine	End of day Routine
05:00	Dinner Table chores	Dinner Table chores	Dinner Table chores	Dinner Table chores	M soccer
06:00	Daddy time	Family time	Mommy time	Family time	Dinner
07:00	I’s bedtime Quiet time for M&E	I’s bedtime Quiet time for M&E	I’s bedtime Quiet time for M&E	I’s bedtime Quiet time for M&E	I’s bedtime E Soccer
08:00	M&E Bedtime Routine	M&E Bedtime Routine	M&E Bedtime Routine	M&E Bedtime Routine	M&E Bedtime Routine

Getting the Kids Ready for Summer!

I am so excited! Summer vacation starts a week from Friday! We are planning to have a bit of structure but only to make it as fun as possible. What we have found in the past is that we hang out in our pajamas until way past noon and the day is over before we know it. This year it is gonna be different! This year we will have routines! This week I will go through the process of getting us organized for summer. We will purge the school year first. I have a wall dedicated to the children's art work. We will be putting favourite pieces in a scrapbook and completely empty the wall for our new summer creations. next we will reboot the bulletin board. This is the place where I post our routines, schedules, meal plans and calendar of events. When I get them set up I will post a picture (I have a camera now!)

The routines are guides. They are what we do on a "typical" day. Of course not all days are typical. Some parts will always be the same like the morning routine because we have to get up and get ready to get going everyday. But sometimes we will have field trips and sometimes we will stick close to home all day. The routines I will post below is for such a day. I cannot stress enough how much easier and stress-free life is since we have started using routines. Here they are for you to see and maybe get inspired to start your own. I promise you won't regret it!

Children’s Morning Routines

• Get up and make your bed immediately
• Go to the dinning room for breakfast.
• Do Table Chores (see schedule for duties)
• Get dressed brush hair, brush teeth and wash face.
• While you are in the bathroom; pick up after yourself.
• Check your calendar for today’s activities.
• Morning meeting at dinning room table

Children’s Afternoon Routines (if at home)

• Tidy up Morning activity
• Wash up for lunch
• Have lunch
• Do table chores
• Prepare for afternoon activity

Children’s End of day Routines

• Empty back pack put items away
• Put hat and sunglasses away
• Wash up for supper
• Quiet activity until dinner (reading, TV, etc.)

Children’s Bedtime Routines

• Gather items needed for next day and put on bench
• Go through house and put any belongings out of place where they belong
• Have bath or shower
• Brush teeth
• Put on pajamas
• Hugs and kisses and get tucked in for the night!

Back to Routines

I will be resuming my routines today and man! does it feel good! I already have my meat sauce in the crock pot and I am going to attempt a traditional Italian bread to go with the spaghetti dinner. I made the starter last night and will finish it later today. I will also make a nice garlic butter to go with it.

I have planned my menus for the week and will be sweeping floors when I get off the puter. The project I am working on is our Summer Routines. School doesn't get here until June 25 so I still have a bit of time but I want to do them this week in case they take longer to figure out than I anticipate.

It also looks like it might be a beautiful day so a trip to the park may be in store!

Have a great day!

Get the Funk out!

I am always amazed by how funky the washer gets. I mean you use it to wash things should it not stay clean? I think the biggest problem for us is that the washer and dryer live in our basement and it is super dusty down there. Oh well! To complain would be pointless. For this task I will take a bucket fill it with how water and a cup of vinegar grab a cloth and a tooth brush for detail cleaning. I start with the outside and work my way in. rocking tunes belting out of the player helps too. Today I am scrubbing to the Beatles, Ramones, Rem, Sheryl Crow, Bare Naked Ladies, The cult and Howard Jones. When I am done I am going to reward myself with a Chai Latte made with the best Chai tea I have ever tasted available from Take Charge Tea

Still Taking it Easy

I had a minor surgery last Wednesday and it has put me out of commission! I am glad I have my Home Journal. Anyone can come in to help me and know what I need to do each day. I have all my schedules and the tools I use listed in there. It proved to be very helpful! It will also be helpful for me when I am ready to resume my household duties. In the meantime I will continue to take it easy and get better. :)

I finished my shawl!

I don't have a picture of it to post but it turned out great! it is a light knitted shawl that is a jade green colour. I love it! I think I may make some more in various colours to give away as a gifts. Yes I am already compiling my "To Make" Christmas/Yule gifts. I think my Sister-in-Law would really like one. I am creating a new label for my blog called gift Ideas because I often post idea and then forget them. If I post them on my blog and tag them then I wont loose them and I might actually help someone else looking for an idea.

I love Saturdays!

I love shutting off my alarm clock. I love taking my time getting out of bed. I love lounging over my warm morning beverage while listening to my children create their fantasy worlds that they explore during their play. The are so creative! This morning they were wizards making potions and concoctions and then getting me to try them. They were designed to make me bigger than life and faster than light! lol fun stuff! Actually, it occurs to me that they had all this fun without stuff! They just used their imaginations. I love that!

Knit knite

I am having my monthly Knit Night this evening. I am currently working on a shawl. I got the inspiration for a dish cloth pattern of all things! knit 2 yarn over knit to the end. continue until shawl matches arm span then do one row of *knit 2 yarn over knit 2 together knit one* repeat ** to the end then knit one row and bind off the next. I am doing this on size 10 needles so it looks pretty lacy without trying.

I really love Knit Night! We are an eclectic group of amazing woman. We each of different backgrounds and lifestyles. We have been getting together each month at my house for a few years now. The sisterhood we have created is like nothing I have ever expect to encounter. One of the woman refers to it as our "Red Tent" in reference to way back in biblical times when woman would come together while experiencing their moon-time . I truly think these kinds of traditions now excluded from modern life would benefit many women so much. It is important to discover versions that apply to life today. For me it is Knit Night. The sharing of ideas, comfort, listening and advice I receive on these evenings have saved me from years of therapy I am sure!

Sunshine on my Shoulder Make Me Happy!

Today my daughter is singing in the choir with her school. I am going with her two little brothers. They will be performing at the Tulip Festival I am really looking forward to it!

This week my pamper mission is going to be a soak in my foot bath. It is one of those fancy numbers with massage and whirlpools. I got it as a Birthday gift from my husband. and then a pedicure. Summer is comming and I want to wear sandals!

Weeding Wednesday!

It is a gorgeous day here in the Nation's Capital! We are spending time outside. I am getting some weeding done in the precess. Traditionally May long weekend is the when I put in my garden plants that I have grown by seed or purchased at the nursery. I like to get my garden beds ready before but I am lagging a bit behind. This year I am putting in some perennial bulbs that I got through the school's Vesey Seeds fund raiser. I really hope they come in before the weekend!

This afternoon I am going to try my hand at making bagels! I hope they turn out! While my bread proofs I will be scrubbing my bathrooms. Looking forward to my bubble bath tonight!

Homemade Cleaning Solutions

There are so many cleaners on the market today that choosing one can in itself be an overwhelming task. I have a couple of criteria that helps me a lot; cleaning solutions must be kind to the earth and they must not cost a lot. The best solution I have that meets all of these standards is to make my own. there are recipes all over the net for making your own solutions. I will share the best of what I found but by all means experiment until you find what is right for you.

SUPPLIES

Liquid Castile Soap
Baking soda
Washing soda
White distilled vinegar
A good liquid soap or detergent
Tea tree oil

1 empty detergent bottle
6 clean spray bottles
2 glass jars

DISH DETERGENT
Mix 2 cups castile soap with 1'4 cup of water and shake

CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER
Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough castile soap to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit.


WINDOW CLEANER

1/4-1/2 teaspoon castile soap
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups water
Spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle and shake. Use as you would a commercial brand.

ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER

1/2 teaspoon washing soda
A dab of castile soap

2 cups hot tap water
Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a rag.

FURNITURE POLISH
1/2 teaspoon oil, such as olive
1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.

Tile Cleaner

2 teaspoons tea tree oil

2 cups water
Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse.

Meal Planning

I love to meal plan. I really do! I feel it is an act of love on my part toward my family. I have a lot to consider when I do this task; likes, dislikes, dietary concerns, allergies. I am blessed not to have picky eaters but I think this is due in large part to offering a varied list of foods, insisting they be tried and tried again a few months later if it is disliked the first try. I do have a family member with a strong dislike for rice which happens to be one of my favourite foods. This dislike actually turned out to be a fortunate thing however because I had to get creative and I discovered new foods that I otherwise may not have experimented with. We also have growing bodies and *ahem* aging bodies to consider. Fat, salt and sugar content are carefully monitored. The growing bodies need good fats and the aging ones need less of it. Salt and sugar needs to be moderated for both body types. Allergies in our family are more like sensitivities and usually just require that they be cooked a certain way or limited in the amount we eat.

I usually make my menu plans on Sundays. I plan 5 suppers for the week to allow for leftovers or dinner out and I have a 2 week breakfast plan. For lunches I take requests as my brown baggers make their own. For supper, usually have 1 part protein 2 part vegetable and fruit and one grain or starch for example tonight's dinner is Trout Grenobloise With garden salad, baby carrots and cous cous. My breakfast plan is a post on it own. Watch for it soon!

I try really hard to make a favourite of each family member at least once a week. I do put a lot of thought into my meal planning. It is one of the ways I like to take care of my family.

A family who eats together...

Meal times are really important around here! As it should be! When else can you get everyone together sitting face to face with full attention on family. This is when we share how our day was. This is time when we connect with one another. without this time I think it would be really easy for members of the family to loose touch with each other or worse, not develop a relationship at all. I see many families who do not take time to share a meal together - sometimes because they have no choice- and I wonder what they do to make up for the lost face time. We as a family have other times that we do spend together but most of the planning of these times takes place while we are eating dinner. I think if we didn't make a point of eating together we would also miss out on some of the other times. I know when on occasion my husband has to work late for a few days in a row he begins to feel out of touch with the family. Thank goodness this doesn't happen too often.

I love meal times. Cooking delicious nutritious meals allows me to feel like I am nurturing my family. I really pour my heart into it! But what I love the most about meal time is being able to look at each of my family members and soak in their sweet faces and enjoy what they are saying and witness them growing and discovering while I squeeze the hand of my partner or share a knowing glace. Really there isn't much that compares with that feeling.

I can't wait for dinner!

Living Kitchen: Kombucha

I am enjoying a glass of my second successful batch of Kombucha! I was inpired by what I read in Nourishing Traditions. I used a S.C.O.B.Y. that I got from a friend and a really big glass jar I bought from Ikea. I boiled 20 cups of water and poured it into my glass container. Then, I added 6 Tetley tea bags and a cup of sugar and stirred until the sugar dissolved and let it cool to room temperature. When the tea was cool enough, I added the S.C.O.B.Y on top and put a cotton towel on top, secured it with an elastic band, placed it in my brewing cupboard and forgot all about it for a week. When the week was up I tasted it and it was done and it was good! To me it tasted similar to ginger ale. I am not going to comment on any of the benefits to drinking it but if you do a google search there is tons of information out there. I just wanted to post that I made it and it was easy.

Purging

Massive de-cluttering going on over here! It feel amazing! I have purging my mental and my physical space. I have been collecting boxes of clutter in the basement for years. I am finally getting rid of them. It is causing an amazing thing to happen! I am developing this sense of peace within that I hadn't realized was missing before. That clutter was robbing me! I have read FlyLady testimonies before that describe this but I didn't fully grasp what was meant. I am figuring it out now though! removing all this clutter is making room for me to feel peace

Image: Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Spring Cleaning!

I have decided that I am going to post about my body and spirit as well as my house and home. I am following a new to me blog called Domestic Witch that is going to help me with this I think. She is running a 12 week series that I am really excited about. Each week has a theme and this week the focus is on our home's exterior and our health. I am bit behind as I just started today but I will be on track in no time. The first task is an excellent one! We are to go to each room of the home and create a list of what repairs and maintenance needs to be done. I plan to take time to do this tomorrow. I will put this list in my Home Journal when I am done.

The second task is to create a similar list only for myself. I will list any health concerns I have and make a plan to address them. I will also write down exercise or other lifestyle goals I have and make a plan to accomplish what I want to in those areas as well.

Anyone wanna join me?

When Life Presents Its Challenges

It is so easy to get hung up on problems and wallow in the bad feelings when life is kicking you in the head. Try to remember to take a break from time to time to enjoy something you love. It is a huge part of self care. When you take time to do this it is amazing how much more manageable problems seem to be and how often we discover solutions after take a break and coming back to it with fresh eyes.

Home Journal Update for 2010: Weekly Schedule

I started this in January (really only three posts back) and now that I am back to post regularly again I feel I would like to continue. I have reviewed my weekly schedule and I have discovered that it still works for me exactly as it is so I am not going to change anything but I am out of practice and I will put this list to use again. Each day is posted on the right but I thought it would be good to post the whole week to show you how it looks. Reminder: These are guideline and not carved into stone. If I don't follow it perfectly I do not beat myself up. They are meant to help not not make me feel worse!

Sunday: Renew Your Spirit Day!

Monday: Menu and Mop Day

Work on menus and grocery list for next week>

Feed sourdough and make buttermilk

Make sure refrigerator is clean

Dust and Mop all floors

Work on project

Wash my clothes

Tuesday: Grocery/Errand and Surface Clean Day

Double check list and put in purse

Clean inside windows, mirrors, tv/monitor screens

Get Groceries

Go to Post Office

Go to Library

Wednesday: Kitchen and Bath Clean and Partial Desk Time

Clean all toilets

Clean bath tub

Clean bathroom sinks

Shine kitchen sink

Do children's laundry

Make Bread

Cut Children's nails

Work on project

Work on Budget

Write thank-you notes

Thursday: Free Day

Water plants

Gather all Garbage to put out

Do Something nice for me

Friday-Paperwork and Large Appliance Clean

Be Romantic today!

Do bedroom laundry

Pay and file bills

Clean large appliances

Clean laundry room

Inventory laundry supplies

Clean out purse

Saturday: Family Fun Day!

Do some reading

Do yard work

What is in your Purse?

Today is the day I clean out my purse. It has occurred to me that what is in my purse is a strong reflection of what stage I am in life. Currently I have a wallet, a change purse, my planner with Dr. appointments, parent council activities and various activities of children, a few diapers, a package of baby wipes, hand cream, a camera a bottle of water, a package of crackers and sugarless gum. Clearly a mom's purse right? I remember a time when my purse was a lot different lol I have had a teen's purse - gaudy make-up, hairspray, a hair brush, notes from class I am hiding from my parents, concert stubs. Career Girl - wallet with a lot more disposable income lol and condoms! Planner with appointments to the salon, dates with friends/hot random guys (Ok, maybe not)

I have also noticed that what I carry my purse items in has changed often over the years as well. I have used a disco purse-barley large enough to hold keys and money, a fashionable backpack-perfect for holding personal items along with school books, a diaper bags way back when I was a new mom and had to bring half the house along with me just in case baby needed something, a quilted bag for outings that required me to bring a selection of entertainment and nourishment for toddlers and now my current handbag that my mother got me for Christmas because she wanted me to have something nice. I am sure at some point I will probably change to something else again to suit my current needs.

Today I shined my sink...again.

A few personal trials have taken my attention away from this blog...yet again but the good thing about that is that it is still here when I return.

So I am back to basics again. Routines, Thank Maud for routines! I just open my Home Journal and there they are! This week my focus is on Recovery. This is what I do when I fall off the Home Management bandwagon. This could happen for many reasons - illness, family tragedy, whatever! All it means is that for the next few weeks I will do an intensive "Getting Things Back in Order Protocol". Here is what it looks like:


Step 1: Re-instate Routines

This is simple usually because they are already written down for me in my Home Journal. Sometime an adjustment needs to be made due to whatever kept me from doing them in the first place but for the most part I just have to jump in where I left off.

Step 2: Declutter (While continuing with routines)

This step is often the begest. I start at the the top of the house and with three boxes and a timer I enter a room and file all the clutter that doesn't belong in that room. The three files are "Put Away", "Give away", and "Throw Away". I set the timer for 15 minutes and start at the doorway and work my way around the room for 15 minutes at a time. When the timer goes off I file the items in the boxes.

Step 3: Re-instate Projects (while continuing with missions)

Which really means a return to normal


When I follow this plan it usually doesn't take me more than 3 weeks to get back into my groove and return my serenity!

January

This is a month of reflection for me. I will be spending time updating my Home Journal. I will be posting about this as I accomplish this. My Daily Routines still work beautifully so I will not be changing them but my Daily To Do Lists need tweaking however, so I will be changing those. I have also developed a new Menu plan system because Menu 4 Moms no longer offers a free weekly plan :( The plan I have now does require a bit of work in the beginning but benefits (reduced stress, money saved etc.) totally make it worth it! I am really excited to share this with you!

To recap, January will be about Updating the Home Journal. If you do not have one but would like to build one, the posts labeled Home Journal describe how I built mine.

Home Journal Checklist for Updating

√Routines (posted in the bar at the right side)
Weekly Schedule
Cleaning
Menu Planing
Children's Section
Pamper Section
Budget
Fire Safety Plan
Important Numbers
Home Maintenance Schedules