I’m starting to think about travel again this summer for straight 24 hours (one way) with a five, ten and twelve year old. I brushed off this list and started planning. You can never be too prepared!

• Audio books (my library checks them out) or you can download some for free here
• Ice chest w/drinks
• DVD player, preferably with movies that haven’t been seen
• We’ve been driving our smaller less gas-consuming car that doesn’t have a built-in TV.  So, we strap our laptop on an ice chest with a bungee, so the kids can watch a movie. (Yeah, we are THAT family).
• Bag or backpack with coloring books and small toys for each child.
• Pack a plastic box for kids personal things and then use the lid as a tray to eat on.
• Lap Desk for writing and drawing
• Headphones for MP3 players and/or DVD player
• Kid’s camera
• Sketch pad/pencil
• Extra change of clothes, separate from luggage.  Because if it can happen, it probably will.
• If you’re traveling with a toddler, leave when they are tired.  If you leave first thing in the morning, this is their active time and they don’t make the best travelers
• A package of pipe cleaners (to bend, twist and create)
• No Spill Bubbles
• Pack paper towels, wipes, and a couple of blankets.  Remember, we’re talking kids.
• Buy $5 Tape Recorder and ‘Read’ stories to your kids in your own voice
• Put a trash box in the back seat
• Travel Journal
• Sing silly road trip songs
• Travel games from the store  (Target has some great ones in the stationary section that are cheap and magnetic!)
• Travel freebies-links to free stuff for traveling
• Play the I spy game with license plates
• Wipe-off white board/marker
• Magnetic sets (paper dolls, fire trucks, found in book sections)
• Snack bag filled with pre-portioned zip-lock bags of non-messy foods
• Kid’s music
• Desk To Go
• Tin foil for creations
• Play Go Fish
• Make string figures
• RandMcNally Kids’ Road Atlas
• Kids pillow and blanket
• Treasure Jar
• Rest Stop Box-stock with jump rope, frisbee, inflatable beach ball and Nerf ball, according to July’s issue of Parents Magazine.
• No Spill Snack Catchers
• They also encourage travelers to ‘crank up the radio, open the doors and have an outdoor dance-a-thon).
• Printable Car Trip Check List
• Child-safety scissors and paper (it worked on a long flight w/my preschooler)
• Invisible markers/Magic paper
• Chalk Cloth Oil Mat
• Moon sand on a tray
• Post It Notes-draw on them, then decorate the car (Women’s Day, July Issue)
• License Plates Across the States:Travel Puzzles and Games!
• Printable Car Bingo
• Stickers
• Band-aids (again a toddler-pleaser)
• Leapster, DS Lite or hand-held game
• Magna Doodle
• Cookie sheet with magnetic alphabet letters
• The following incredible ideas came from MomsMinivan:  travel tickets, surprise packages, and more (Actually EVERY idea on this site is amazing!)
• Printable Boredom Busters
• I spy bags/jars
• Ear plugs for when the “how much longer questions begin”
• Potty chair (for those long stretches without a rest stop)
• Best Travel Activity Book Ever
• Travel Memory Game

Edited repost

What works for you when you travel with kids?

There’s a seven year age gap between my youngest and oldest. As my older kids get more involved in school,  music lessons, orthodontic appointments, etc, my youngest trails behind them and waits. It’s just part of being a little sister.

We’ve been going to the same Pediatrician since my oldest kids were 1 and 3 years old. (They are now 10 and 12). I love our amazing doctor! Her office is always bustling, but the staff makes the wait more bearable with sticker scene sheets. I like to borrow good idea.

They have been keeping my kids occupied for years (my big kids still like them when they have to wait). When we travel or have get stuck in an office, these stickers come in handy!

They are perfect for the car, a restaurant, even church. I have a variety tucked away for our 24 hours of flying in a few weeks.

They usually come in a pack of a dozen and you can create a new scene every time.

Here are some of our favorites from *Amazon: Safari Sticker Scenes, Make-A-Race Car Sticker Scenes, He Lives! Make-A-Sticker Scenes, Make-A-Farm Stickers and you can get a Mega Pack Assortment from Oriental Trading.

Stickers work for us! *affiliate

Mom doesn’t expect the perfect gift this year. She would trade pearls for a macaroni necklace, a breakfast at Tiffany’s for paper napkins and a messy kitchen. She is hoping for a little bit of quiet, a lot of harmony and chocolate. Still looking for a thoughtful, inexpensive gift? Check out these free printable ideas!

• Fun Coupons just for mom
• Breakfast in Bed picks
• Mom Subway Art to frame
• Coloring sheet and bookmarks to give
• Mother Art to display

Cute photo gift ideas:

• Baby masks-so cute!
• Stick this {adorable} bookmark in a favorite book
• Make a handprint arrangment

Last day to snag That Works For Me! Ebook for 50% off with code: WORKS4MOM

I’m in Spring cleaning mode.

The other day I realized that nearly every space in my life was a mess–from my garage to my car to the yard.

I’m tackling one space at a time. I’m not on a perfection hunt, just a this is better than before state of mind.

So far I’ve managed under the sinks, the yard and a partial garage-I know- and the linen closet. I am woman, hear me roar.

We are going on nine years in our house. By most standards, we have plenty of space, but most of our spaces are full. I’m working on that.

My biggest challenge are the closets and hoarding. Ok, I just kidding about the hoarding, but do any of y’all have kids who are savers? Mix that in with toys (we don’t have a game room), clothes and my daughter’s love of shoes and we have issues.

I dream of closet organization like this. Don’t we all?

Simple tips to closet organization: (I’m saying this out loud so I will be accountable. Ahem).

• Clean it out: don’t be afraid to toss or donate-if you haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it
• Everything has a place: label shelves, color-code hangers, whatever helps little eyes remember where things go
• Cubbies and containers are your friend. Baskets work too.
• Go vertical: add extra shelving around the top of the closet for more space
• Store clothes, toys, keepsakes in a separate space. Keep closets for practical, everyday use

Organized closets work for me!

Disclaimer: This post contains a sponsored link.

Dayspring has some amazing deals for Mother’s Day right now!

I’m so glad I’m a mother.

{grin}

Mother’s Day Special- 30% off 12 of the most popular items!

Coupon code for this sale is: MD30off

This code cannot be combined with any other coupon codes. This special sale ends Monday, May 14th. My post contains Dayspring affiliate link, all opinions are mine. Dear Mom and mother in law, please don’t read this post.

Dayspring goodies always work for me!

Do I have a deal for y’all:

Thirty-eight ebooks from top bloggers on family life– more than $375 value— this week, for only$29!

From parenting to relationships, from home decor to free printables, from recipes to home planning, there are ebooks for everyone (including my new ebook That Works For Me!)

Click here to purchase entire group of ebooks for $29!

Massive list of ebooks include:

Entrepreneurship & Blogging

Blogger Behave by Laura @ 10 Million Miles ($4.99)

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Tap Into Your Unique Creativity and Self Expression Webinar by Lisa @ WellGrounded Life ($39.00)

Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($4.99)

Your Blogging Business: Tax Talk & Tips from a Bookkeeper Turned Blogger by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)

Food & Cooking

Get Lean Recipe for Success by Nisha @ Healthy Mom’s Kitchen ($37.00)

Got Dinner? by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($4.00)

How To Cook For Yourself: A Complete Beginner’s Guide by Rachael @ Kitchen Courses ($35.00)

Plan It, Don’t Panic by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($4.99)

Real Food Basics by Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama ($6.95)

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Smart Sweets by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)

The Everything Beans Book by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)

Homemaking

2012 Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner by Susan @ The Confident Mom($9.00)

Clean Start: Your Guide to Natural Home Cleaning by Michelle @ Open Eye Health($4.95)

Complete Printables Download Pack by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($7.00)

Food on Your Face for Acne & Oily Skin by Leslie @ Crunchy Betty ($7.99)

From Debtor to Better by Barry @ Debtor to Better ($15.00)

My Buttered Life {Summer + Gift Giving Editions} by Renee @ MadeOn Hard Lotion($10.00)

Not a DIY Diva by Melissa @ The Inspired Room ($3.99)

One Bite at a Time by Tsh @ Simple Mom ($5.00)

That Works for Me by Kristen @ We Are THAT Family ($8.00)

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A Simple Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($4.99)

Buck Naked Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($2.99)

Entangled by Amy @ Permission to Peruse ($4.99)

The A to Z Guide: 26 Ways in 26 Days to a Happier, Healthier Marriage by The Dating Divas ($9.97)

Minimalism for Families

101 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Laura @ Journey to a Simple Life ($9.95)

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Inside Out Simplicity by Joshua @ Becoming Minimalist ($11.99)

Simple Ways to Be More with Less by Courtney @ Be More with Less ($9.97)

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom($9.95)

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Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

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Nurturing Creativity by Renee @ FIMBY ($3.00)

Parenting with Positive Guidance by Amanda @ Not Just Cute ($9.00)

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Impress Your Kids ($6.99)

Click here to buy. Hurry, this crazy-good offer ends on April 20!
The Simplify Your Family Life Sale is brought to you in part by Plan to Eat, an online meal planning app that makes eating at home simple. Receive an exclusive coupon code on a one-year membership with your purchase!

Deals always work for me!

*affiliate link used in this post

My youngest has been struggling with staying in bed at night. She’s five and I thought we were  past “sleep issues.” We’ve tried everything and were really having a hard time getting her to obey. She continued to say she was scared.

I went back and forth between thinking it was a control issue and true fear. We talked about monsters and prayed. We sang songs, talked endlessly and even tried different discipline techniques.  I’m all about letting my kids sneak in my bed when they are sick or struggling, but she was getting exhausted from not going to bed and frankly, so was I. I promised “Jesus is right next to you in bed” and that totally creeped her out. I’m just sayin.

On a whim, I grabbed a piece of paper and some old stickers and drew a quick chart. For every night she stayed in bed until morning, when she woke up she could put a sticker next to the day.

There was something magical about letting her be in charge of her chart. One day we did “half” stickers because she struggled, but then she went five nights in a row.

Each morning she proudly put her sticker in the right spot and counted down to her special surprise.

Today, we celebrated her accomplishment with this treat (her choice) and we’ve got our stickers ready for tonight:

I don’t know if this will work for every child, but it totally works for us!

————————-

There’s still time to enter to win on of FIVE copies of the new Works For Me Wednesday E-book: That Works For Me! Enter here.

“You want to know how to take care of makeup brushes? Curious how to make a scarf wreath? How about how to plant grass over concrete? This is the book for you. I love the Internet because it truly is the world’s hive mind; the ultimate chat-over-the-fence-with-your-neighbor neighborhood. And this book has compiled the best of the best tips in one place! I love that, and I love that it supports an amazing ministry. Every household could use this book. It’s worth every penny.”-Tsh Oxenreider, blogger behind SimpleMom.net and author of One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler

Kindle version available here.

Regular price $8

One of our favorite family activities is watching a movie together. We turned off cable a few years ago and just have Netflix. I think since we try and limit screen time, it makes the time together more special. But honestly? It’s not that easy to find family friendly flick these days.

We also have a wide age span with a preschooler and nearly a teen, so finding something appropriate for the whole family can be challenging.

1. Check in with sites like Plugged-In Online- This is such a fantastic website, created by Focus on the Family. It not only reviews movies and TV shows, it also reviews games. I find it especially helpful for checking out movies. It breaks down movies by:  Positive Elements, Spiritual Content, Sexual Content, Violet Content, Crude or Profane Language, Drug and Alcohol Content and Other Negative Content. It wraps up each review with a helpful Conclusion. Two thumbs up for this site, plus there’s a handy smartphone app. Movie Mom (Belief Net) is also an option for a quick glimpse into a movie or DVD. It love the “grades” it gives movies.

2. Ask someone you trust- Odds are someone you know has seen a movie you’re considering. You can always preview it yourself. I’m always a little hesitant to recommend movies unless it’s something I’m really confidant about sharing.

3. 90 Family Movie Night Suggestions- Plugged In Online also offers suggested Movie Night films based on age breakdown (a list of 20 recommended movies for teens and kids). Simple Mom also has a list of 11 great family movies. Here’s a list of 50 good, clean older movies. Many older movies I saw as a kid would be rated PG-13 today, so beware. But I also think classics (My Fair Lady), musicals (Sound of Music) and old Disney movies (Apple Dumpling Gang) are fun to watch with your family

4. Make it a Teachable Moment- There have been a few movies our older kids have begged to watch, that we weren’t sure about. We have a strict No PG-13 policy, but we bent the rules to watch Courageous together and we’ve done it a few other times. Instead of always saying no, sometimes we surprise our kids and then look for the teachable moment.

“Aside from the simple pleasure of spending time together and discussing films over a big bowl of hot-buttered popcorn, there are teachable moments in Hollywood’s modern parables and character studies. Crafted properly, movies can lift the spirit, tap into eternal truth and convey moral messages that challenge us to live out what we’ve experienced. We have a brief window for watching age-appropriate movies together before our children have to make those decisions for themselves. Here’s your chance to influence the process. The key is to use movies with which you feel comfortable in a controlled setting.” Focus on the Family

5. Use the Remote Control Libererally-I’ve lost count of how many movies we’ve turned off. It’s always disappointing, so doing research is a great idea. We usually end up watching America’s Funniest Videos and laugh our heads off. Clearplay is also a great option for filtering movies.

6. Follow Your Instinct- If you’ve done your research and still don’t have a peace, go with your gut. Just because everyone is watching it, doesn’t mean you (or your family ) should.

How do you choose a movie for your family?

Final countdown to the first ever Works For Me Wednesday compilation e-book called, That Works For Me! Tried and True Tips from WFMW. Coming NEXT WEEK!

I’m the kind of cook that gets half-way thru a recipe and realizes she doesn’t have all the ingredients.

I usually improvise.

Oh, you should be me. It’s an adventure let me tell you.

I think it was divine providence that a professional baker lives next door to me. She’s shared more than one egg. Which is sort of why I googled “egg substitutes” because even I have some baking pride.

Did you know you can use the one of following so substitute eggs in a recipe?

• 1/2 banana, mashed (medium size) + 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 TBS applesauce
• 3 TBS mayonnaise (*contains eggs so not suitable for allergy or vegan accomodation)

Most eggcellent!

E-Book Coming in April: That Works For Me! Tried and True Tips from Works For Me Wednesday

In honor of all the eggs that will give up their yolks in the next month, I thought I’d repost my popular eggshell tip!

I’m not exactly known ’round these parts for being a baker extraordinaire.

Shocking, I know.

I do have a reputation with a certain neighbor for loving cookies and hiding some of her treats from my kids, but that doesn’t exactly count.

I come from fine cooking stock. My mom is a mean cake-baker. And my mother-in-law lives in the country without Internet or a WalMart and fills her day cooking, gardening and baking. So, you could say she’s an expert.

On our last visit, I was fumbling my way around her kitchen (I usually just set the table and help clean up), and my daughter begged to crack the eggs. She did great on the first two, but before I could brag, the third egg was not as fortunate. We both looked into the batter and gulped at all the tiny white eggshell pieces.

I started telling a story (which I do in moments like these, a gene passed along from my father) about how I spent 25 minutes once fishing for one tiny bit of shell.

My mother-in-law took a piece from my daughter’s hand and gently placed it in the batter, near the loose eggshell pieces and they were magically drawn to the piece in her hand. “I’m not sure why, but the small pieces are drawn, almost magnetically to the large piece,” she explained as she picked up every piece in about 20 seconds flat.

I totally knew that little trick.

I just forgot.

(I also dashed to my purse and WROTE THAT LITTLE FACT DOWN. For you, of course).

This egg tip works for me!

edited repost from the archives

We are a big soup family. If there’s the slightest breeze, we heat up the stove.

[A few of my favorite recipes: Potato Soup, Posole, Barley Chicken Chili, Black Bean and Pork Chili]

I’m sort of a mad-dasher when it comes to soup. I really like it savory , so I’m all about the spices. But every once in awhile, I over-salt the soup.

I used think too salty soup was doomed, but now I know: the potato is my friend.

Add a peeled, cut up potato to absorb the salt. Discard potato before serving.

Someone also told me potatoes are great for troubled skin (from improving acne to curing warts). It also removes glue from your hands and a million other things. I’m serious. Here are 60 uses.

Now, go hug a potato.

(and if it’s still way too salty, add a little lemon juice).

Coming soon! April 2012: That Works For Me: Tried & True Tips from Works for Me Wednesday

[If you don't have a new tip this week, feel free to link up an older tip. Theme idea: Share a frugal tip!]

These 5 frugal tips save me hundreds of dollars… and my momma taught me to share.

1. Print your own tags for gifts for every occasion. Cards are expensive! It’s hard to find one for less than $5 these days. Shop Pinterest for free printable gift tags and make your own. Or buy cards in bulk from places like Dayspring. They have an amazing collection of cards for every occasion and sell them in boxed sets, which is much cheaper per card.
2. Celebrate your birthday (and your kids, spouse, your great Aunt Ruth’s) with freebies! Did you know there are dozens of amazing things you get for free on your birthday? Money Saving Mom has a fantastic list.
3. Decorate your walls with free printables that you frame. I cannot believe how many fabulous printables are out there. Here are 101 amazing, FREE printables!
4. Sign up for a 3 month free trial of Amazon Mom –you get FREE shipping on all Prime items, plus eligible purchases and 20% off select diapers and wipes, which includes a 5% Subscribe & Save discount plus an additional 15% discount exclusively for Amazon Mom members. The membership is $79 once the trial ends, so be sure to cancel if you’re not interested. Fast, free shipping is worth it if you do most of your shopping online like I do.
5. Grocery shop with a plan: Either do the crazy coupon thing (buying in bulk) or use something like E-Meals (my choice). There are great menu plans (for every diet) and I spend less when I use the provided shopping list. Click below to learn more.

*affiliate links in this post

Coming soon: That Works For Me! Tried & True Tips from Works For Me Wednesday

I’m a big fan of The Discount.

I fell in love with Totsy during the fall of 2012. It all started when my oldest daughter entered the sixth grade and discovered fashion.

{insert dramatic pause}

If you have a tween or teen daughter, you understand the significance of this statement.

To me, Totsy is the perfect place to shop deeply discounted name brand items for the entire family. We’ve scored winter boots for less than $15 a pair and cute, cute top and legging sets for my little one who refuses any kind of denim. And look at my oldest daughter’s darling top we got for just a few dollars…

Her winter coat? It was 90% off and I bought it a little big for me to wear  for her to grow in to.

I’ve had nothing but great experiences with them! I buy nearly everything online these days and Totsy is in my top choices for apparel!

Here’s how it works:

• Totsy is completely free to join
• Email is required
• Receive daily deal emails
• Click and shop
• First time buyers get free shipping and a tree is planted with your first purchase!
• Often there are clothes, shoes, toys, books, plus more for the entire family up to 90% off!
• Refer friends and earn Totsy credits!

*I am using my referral link in this post and  receiving Totsy credit for this review–I’m sure I will end up being talked out of by said tween.

Coming soon: That Works For Me! Tried & True Tips from Works For Me Wednesday

I read this tip in a magazine and thought it was brilliant. I rolled up the magazine and inserted it into my boot! It’s so simple and keeps my boots from doing this:

and makes them do this:

It works for me!

We have at least one date night a month. But I’m pretty sure we have just about talked our dear friends into a second dating co-op, so two date nights a month (without paying a babysitter) is looking good.

What is a date night co-op you ask jealously? It’s just babysitting swapping with friends. You take a turn. They take a turn. It cuts down on costs and my big kids who don’t feel like they need a babysitter, but don’t really stay by themselves yet, can play or help our friends with younger kids.

There’s really no excuse not to have a regular date night with your spouse! No money? Can’t find a babysitter? Get creative with the following ideas:

• 50 Fun and Cheap Date Night Ideas
• 20 Pocket Change Date Night Ideas
• 33 {At Home} Date Night Ideas
• 101 Fun Date Day or Night Ideas
• 24 Frugal Date Night Ideas

Some fun links from around the web to spice up your marriage!

• Date of the Month Club
• Date Night in a Bag
• Coupon Book
• DIY 52 Reasons I Love You
• Read this book and implement
• Give a Marriage Survival Tool Kit
• DIY A Year of Date Nights
• Show them (and the world) they rock
• DIY Lovopoly Game
• Food from the Heart

Coming soon: 

That Works For Me: Tried and True Tips From Works From Me Wednesday

P.S. there were mixed comments on the picture or text linky. So, I think I’ll alternate, it’s a win-win.

I’m straying from my usual tip-giving to share an exciting announcement: A team of awesome people have been helping me compile a WFMW ebook!

It’s called That Works For Me: Tried and True Tips from Works For Me Wednesday and it’s featuring hundreds and hundreds of the greatest tips from you.

Can I get a woot?

For the first time, the best tips from carnivals over the past several years will be organized in a searchable, categorized easy-to-use ebook!

It will be released Spring of 2012.

If you participate regularly in WFMW, please check your inbox (or comments if you don’t have an email on your blog) for a time sensitive email in case one of your tips was chosen for the ebook.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Mercy House.

[Updated] I forgot to mention that my portion of the proceeds are going towards our savings fund to bring our kids back to Africa with us this summer to do our annual staff development, skill training and develop our new community program for single moms.

I hope you’re as excited as we are!

Because that works for me.

AND—to celebrate this fun news, I’m mixing it up with a thumbnail picture linky instead of what we normally do. I’ve been thinking about trying it. Make sure you leave your preference in the comments: regular linky or picture.

I love the new site: Craftsy.

Have y’all heard of it?

It’s for knitters, sewers, quilters (people with real skill), but it’s also for people like me who are wicked with a glue gun.

Craftsy is the fastest growing online community for Crafters!

Craftsy users love:
1) Terrific online classes from amazing instructors for beginning, intermediate and advanced quilters, knitters, crocheters, seamstresses, jewelry makers, and other crafters.
2) Fantastic good deals on crafting supplies: organic yarn, lovely fabrics and high quality needles, etc..

It’s free to sign up and be inspired.  (If you sign up for online classes and tutorials, there are class fees). I like hopping on there and looking thru ideas for Mercy House and my daughter who says every other day, “Got any crafts for me to do?”

Take a look and get craftsy!

*affiliate links are in this post

My youngest is five. She is strong and independent, when she wants to be.

When she doesn’t want to be, she wants us to do things for her.

It’s just part of having a strong-willed child.

But she’s learning so much and asking questions relentlessly. It’s such a fun age!

She can get dressed by herself, even socks and shoes. But she still struggles with her left and right.

I finally figured out how to help her independently put her shoes on the right feet!

Cut a sticker into two halves and place each half into a shoe: I told her to make a heart with her shoes and when she did she would know which shoes goes on the right foot. It works like a charm! What works for you?

“A watched pot never boils,” the saying goes.

But in our house, the saying is, “An unwatched pot always boils over.”

Ahem.

It never fails, it doesn’t matter if I’m boiling eggs (a favorite snack in our house), potatoes or noodles, the pot usually boils over. I get distracted, answer the phone, help with homework, exercise (kidding) and I forget I’ve got water on the stove.

I heard about this tip over the holidays and I put it to the test: place a wooden spoon over the pot and the water won’t boil over.

Pin It

It works!

*UPDATED* While this tip did work for me, please do not leave boiling water unattended. Apparently, there are many naysayers it has NOT worked for. Some say it works for pasta, not rice, etc. Boil carefully, people. And if you find out HOW and WHY this *sometimes* works, there’s a lot of people who want to know!

What works for you?

[Have you run out of tips to share? January's suggested theme: share an organization tip, old or new]

I don’t know about you, but I’m on a bit of a cleaning spree. There’s just something about taking down all the Christmas decor that gets me in the mood to purge. I’m out of control. I walk in a room to hang something up and end up reorganizing an entire closet and stumble out an hour later. It’s both awesome and exhausting.

Here are a few tips to get your new year organized:

• Make piles to trash, to keep, to give and then actually trash, keep and give the piles
• Repurpose old furniture for storage solutions (old dresser above without drawers serves as entryway shoe storage and old dining room hutch now stores arts and crafts supplies below).

• Organize up: use vertical space to store and organize (dining room turned home office)

Pin It

• Focus on one space at a time: it can be overwhelming to tackle the entire house, so do a little at a tim
• Once you’ve got a room organized, don’t allow anyone in it. Kidding! Be realistic and don’t let it snowball out of control again.

What works for you? 

I have a tiny laundry room.

But it’s cute, that should count for something, right?

Although if you stop by, it won’t look like that. [hint: piles]

My big kids are in charge of their own laundry (which is a fancy way of me saying, once a week, I ask them to bring down their basket, put it in the washer, oversee their soap-usage, remind them how to start the washer, tell them when it’s time to move to the dryer, add in the dryer sheet they forgot and tell them to now fold and hang up. It’s a work-in-progess).

I’m always trying to look for ways to tidy up the laundry room (since I’m only caught up about 45 seconds a week-FREEZE, everything is clean. Ok, moment over).

I love this idea:

What’s your best laundry tip for the New Year?

edited repost

These quick, easy and delicious Rolo Pretzel Turtle Cookies are the perfect last minute gift.

Three ingredients: pretzels, Rolos, pecan halves:

We made over 100 of these in less than a half an hour for five amazing neighbors…

1. preheat oven to 250 degrees and unwrap the Rolos (you can only eat one)

2. spread out the pretzels on a cookie sheet and add one Rolo to each pretzel:

3. bake at 250 just until chocolate gets soft (less than 5 minutes) and press pecan half into melted Rolo. Let cool.

4. share on a fun plate (these awesome silver trays are only $3.74!):

5. to give away!

These are seriously good.

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* Jesus Is The Gift – Metal Tray

Just a quick tip! (Thanks to a reader for letting me know) Friday, December 16th is known as “free shipping day” for thousands of online stores…It’s the last chance to get many items mailed in time for Christmas. You can check out ALL the many participating retail stores here in case you aren’t done.

Are you finished Christmas shopping?? I am. Wrapping– that’s another story.

Lately, I’ve been feeling super guilty about breakfast.

Yes, you heard me right.

I’d gotten in a bad habit of handing my kids a granola bar or filling up their cereal bowl. I mean, sure, sometimes that’s an okay breakfast, but Eggo waffles were becoming the norm.

Y’all know dinner is a big deal to me.

And I decided I was missing out on a great chance to help my kids get the best start to their day via breakfast. So, for the last two weeks, Momma has brought breakfast back. It’s not fancy, but it’s hot and fresh and (mostly) healthy and all three of my kids have separately and quietly thanked me.

We’ve done bagel egg sandwiches, pancakes, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs and toast, all kinds of muffins, etc…

But by far, this breakfast has been the biggest hit (we’ve made it for dinner too!) and even changed it up a bit.

You can click to get specific instructions, but here’s my version: I cut a circle out of a piece of wheat bread (I used a glass cup). I sprayed the muffin tin, placed the bread in the bottom, cracked an egg over it and added salt and pepper. I didn’t have bacon the first time, so I added a mini sausage (YUM) and baked it at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Mine:

Y’all, it’s a winner!

Here’s a fun, quicker variation that my hubby came up with. Cut the hole in the bread, spray a skillet with Pam, crack an egg in the center of the bread and cook on low until the egg is done.

P.S. We sometimes do paper plates at breakfast. Baby steps.

Yummy, hot breakfast works for them, which works for me!

I’m finding as my kids get older, our lives are getting busier.

I’m the keeper of the family calendar. I’m the one who says “No, you can’t miss dinner” or “Yes, you can go to that birthday party.” I have a central calendar where it gets written down, but I’ve found I need a place to hang important papers, reminders and invitations.

I give you: The Family Message Board-

Mine if from Blessings Unlimited. I love how big it is!

Here are a couple of magnetic DIY ones from Pinterest:

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Family message boards work for me!