Live Chat!

Join us for a live chat at The Motherhood on Thursday, January 26th at 1:00PM EST to discuss disciplining without nagging!  Amy McCready, author of If I Have to Tell You One More Time, will be teaching us the strategies to get kids to listen without yelling, nagging, or complaining.  http://bit.ly/zymE1y

Become the COO of Your Home

By Bobbie Friedman of Simplified by Bobbie

Each new year is an opportunity for a fresh start; a chance to make your life better. Which is why now is the perfect time to become the COO of your home.  The CO-what?  The COO – Chief Organizing Officer!  As moms, wives, and even just as women we typically have the very BIG and important job of running our households (day in and day out).  So, why not have the title to go along with it?!

But, I don’t want you to just have the title… I want you to live up to it.  And here’s how you’re going to do it:  run your home like a business that’s been infused with order and lots of love.  Sound silly? Well, think about why big businesses are successful.  They have structure, plans, organization, and the dedication to make it work.  I have a feeling that you already have the dedication part which stems from love; so I’m going to show you how to put the rest into place.

Create a Business Plan: this is the backbone of a company. It’s like the road map for how the business is going to run. Your equivalent to this is a Home Management Binder.  An all inclusive binder that holds all of your important contacts, household, financial, medical, and personal information. If anyone in your home needs to know something – this is where they find it. If there is an emergency, this is where you go. I could write an entire article just on creating a home management binder! If you decide to make your own, you can find a template on the Tips & Resources page of my website. (You’ll notice that mine is a no frills version. You can get as pretty and detailed as you care for, but like everything I do I tried to keep it as simple as possible!)

Set Hours of Operation:  the big point I want to make here is that structure and routine are important parts of managing a household (or business). Make certain that you:

• keep a basic routine for the recurring chores & tasks you do,
• write everything down in your planner,
• make time for yourself (even OSHA requires break and lunch time), and
• “close down” in the evening and allow yourself time to rejuvenate and refresh.

Act like a CFO: the CFO is the Chief Financial Officer… in short he/she is the director of finances. You can imagine why this is incredibly important in a business setting, but it’s absolutely crucial to running your household smoothly as well. When your finances are not in order it creates stress; and there is no doubt that this stress will take a toll on you and affect every aspect of your life and home. Here are some of the financial basics you should have in place:

• create a budget (and stick to it),
• track your spending,
• balance your checkbook frequently,
• pay your bills on time (or early),
• keep your financial records organized, and
• set money aside for both savings and for fun.

Let’s face it, your family and home are more important than any Fortune 500 company… but when you combine their tactics and your dedication, your household is sure to become Simplified. AND you will be the proud COO of your home too!

Bobbie Friedman is a Professional Organizer, Home Management Consultant, and the owner of Simplified by Bobbie located in Pennsylvania.  She is dedicated to helping individuals and families simplify their lives!  Through personalized organizing services, hands-on help, and knowledgeable guidance she’ll help you establish effective ways to manage your schedule and home; turning CoMpLiCaTeD into Simplified.

Visit www.simplifiedbybobbie.com to learn more, view before & after photos, and read helpful organizing tips.  Contact Bobbie for your FREE phone consultation, and make your space & time work for you

 

Cold Weather, Warm Crafts

By Beth Engelman and Jenna Riggs of Mommy on a Shoestring

Weather too cold to play outside? Keep your kidswarm and cosy with these memeory making activities and crafts.

Family Scrapbook

You will need: Photos, paper, felt, stickers, magazines markers and anything “crafty” you have lying around the house.

Instructions:

Have your kids design their own scrapbook pages, which you can then assemble into a book. It is a perfect multi-age activity because the younger kids can color and glue while the older kids can do the “collage” thing by looking through magazines for cool letters and words. At the end of the day you can bind the pages with a hole punch stick in a binder for more scrap booking fun in the future.

DIY Snow Globes

You will need: Clear plastic bottle, 2 photos , Light corn syrup, Clear packing tape, and glitter

Instructions:

1. Make sure all labels are removed from bottle. Use warm soapy water or Goo Gone if necessary.
2. Crop your pictures, so they are about ½ inch shorter than your bottle.
3. Place your pictures back to back, making sure they are exactly the same size.
4. Waterproof your photos by completely covering both pictures (which are still back to back) with clear packing tape.
5. Roll your waterproof photos into a tube and plop them into the bottle.
6. Fill the bottle with a mixture of ½ water and ½ corn syrup.
7. Add glitter and sequins.
8. Close the lid and shake.

Block Photo Puzzle

Not only does this 6-sided photo puzzle provide hours of family fun, but it’s also a great way to reuse favorite family photos.

You will need:

9 – Wooden Blocks (I recommend using either old alphabet blocks or a wooden block puzzle)

6 – 8 x 10 Photograph Prints (colored copies work equally as well)

Ruler

Scissors or X-Acto knife

Mod Podge and Paintbrush

Directions:

1. Arrange blocks in a square and measure the length and width of the square.
2. Measure and cut print to the exact same size as the 9-block square.
3. Arrange blocks in a square on top of the print. Position blocks so they’re lined up neatly and as close together as possible.
4. Trace the outline of each block onto the print and carefully cut out using scissors or an X-acto knife.
5. Use a small paintbrush and Mod Podge to adhere the print pieces to the blocks.
6. Wait several hours until the glue is completely dry and then seal with a final layer of Mod Podge.
7. Repeat this process until your have covered all 6 sides of the blocks with different photographs.

Thank you to the creative folks at www.photojojo.com for sharing the snowglobe and photo block ideas!   Be sure to check out their website for more fun photo ideas.

Jenna Riggs and Beth Engelman are the creative talents and owners of Mommy on a Shoestring, a website and weekly radio show chock full of ideas on how families can live creatively and large on a small budget.

 

5 Tips for When Mommy Has To Travel

By Melanie Moore of Only a Breath

Many jobs, like mine, require mothers to take occasional business trips. These trips may cause anxiety in both children and parents. Normal routines become disrupted and children often feel very sad while mommy is away from home. However, Mom, don’t despair! There are several things you can do to make these times easier on everyone in your family!

Plan Ahead!

It is essential to plan ahead and ensure that all necessary school and appointment drop-offs, pickups, and childcare is arranged. If your family’s schedule is complicated with multiple appointments, you may even want to consider creating a “master plan” that identifies all responsible parties for drop-offs and pick-ups throughout the entire length of your trip.

Talk to Your Children Often

Children love to know that Mommy is thinking of them. Before your trip, explain the length of your trip, the purpose (so they don’t imagine you sneaking off to Disney World!), and how often you expect to be able to call them. Then, be sure to make every effort to call each day just to reassure your children that you are thinking of them.

Plan a Special Surprise

My children love to have a special surprise to look forward to when I come home from trips. This can either be a little souvenir from where my trip adventure took me or it can be a special privilege when I come home. For example, my oldest son loves to have “movie night” and sleep on the sofa together when I come home from trips.

Thank Your Spouse

My husband travels frequently with his job so I know first-hand how difficult it is to manage schoolwork, home responsibilities, and my own job duties — alone. It means the world to me when he takes the time to thank me and let me know he appreciates everything I do while he is away. Please remember to do the same for your spouse and everyone who helps to step in the gap while you are away!

Enjoy Your Time Away!

Of course you are going to miss your husband and children, but since you are going to have to be gone anyway…. Enjoy yourself! Try to enjoy the opportunity to do things you don’t normally get to do at home — like sleep all night, eat in restaurants, or take super-long showers with no little knocks on the door! You will come home to your family refreshed and ready to get back to Mommy Life!

Melanie writes at “Only A Breath” about life as a small-town, southern, girly-girl mommy of two rough and rowdy little boys. She is so thankful for a wonderful, hard-working husband who makes her laugh and is a wonderful daddy. She works full-time as an industrial software developer (“computer geek”) and offers practical tips and encouragement for moms who work outside the home. Her heart’s desire is to encourage others to celebrate life and cherish each breath of this journey.

 

Failure Hurts

I failed!  Ugh…that hurts, but it is the truth.  Technically it wasn’t just me who failed, they are family goals after all and all of us have ownership in completing them.    But as the designated household manager, I feel like I let us down and should have done a better job of helping us stay on track.  Putting the blame aside, here are the main reasons I we didn’t reach our goals in 2011.  Hopefully you can learn from my our mistakes….

Overly Ambitious – Looking back, our goals should have been less ambitious.  We had three family goals (community service, family nights, and saving for a vacation), and each goal had a little too much stretch.  This year we are going to keep similar goals, but scale them back to hopefully something more manageable and  achievable.

We Didn’t Have Regular Family Meetings – Having regular family meetings is REALLY hard for us.  There never seems to be a perfect time to have them and coordinating the schedules of six family members (two of which are teenagers with busy social and academic lives) is challenging to say the least.  And if I am being really honest, I should have done a better job of forcing the issue.  If we had been better about having our family meetings we would have reviewed our status more regularly and done a better job of staying on top of the goals.

We Didn’t Expect the Unexpected – One of our goals was to save for a big family vacation in 2012 and when we set the goal, we didn’t plan on having to replace a water heater AND a garage door.  Looking back we should have done a better job of planning for the unexpected when we set the goal.

Reasons aside, we are moving onward and upward in 2012 and have already begun to set our goals for the new year.  Wish us luck!

Is Time Out a Waste of Time?

Why is it so difficult sometimes to get kids to listen?  You know she heard you, but she ignores you.  You ask again and still . . . no response.  Now what?

If Time Out and other “tried and true” discipline strategies aren’t doing the job in your house – this session is for you!  Families with Purpose is excited to partner with Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions & TODAY Show contributor to offer a FREE LIVE training webinar on Wednesday, January 11th from 9-10 PM Eastern Time. Read more

Cooking with Kids without Losing Your Mind

By Jennifer Ascher of Organizing without Limits

Do your children constantly bother you in the kitchen wanting to help you cook, but you just want them to leave you alone because it is quicker and easier to do it yourself?  I know what you’re thinking; cooking with my kids will create a bigger mess in the kitchen, it will take longer to prepare the meal, and I don’t have the time or patience. Well I am here to tell you that the benefits of learning, fun and family time outweigh the mess and extra time it takes. Let’s look at some of the benefits and learning that occurs when you cook with your children and then I will share how with some planning and organization you too can involve your children in the kitchen without losing your mind.

The benefits of cooking with children:

• Creates family time and bonding
• If your child is a picky eater. By getting them involved they are more likely to try new foods because they helped create it.
• Teaches them concepts such as math skills, following directions, thinking, planning, sequence and so on.
• Boosts self esteem, confidence and gives them a sense accomplishment.
• Encourages creativity
• Teaches them the art of giving for other’s enjoyment.
• Promotes fine motor skills.
• They are learning skills that will be invaluable later in life.

Some steps to take to make this an enjoyable experience for both of you:

• Cook with your kids when you are not pressed for time and can devote the time to it. A good way to plan for this is to incorporate a day during the week in your schedule where they will be chef for the day. This will let them know that they will be in charge of preparing or helping with the meal(s) that day. My boys love this because not only does it let them decide what is for dinner but gives them a true sense of accomplishment knowing they helped prepare the meal. My oldest who is a picky eater has become less of one since I started doing this.
• Start small let them help you with something very simple but provides immediate success for them.
• Provide them with their own equipment (small rolling pin, apron, etc) make sure that it is age appropriate and safe.
• For younger kids set up a work area at a lower height.
• Be generous with praise. Everybody likes to be acknowledged for a job well done.
• Model the behavior you want them to follow (washing your hands, cleaning up as you go)
• Be clear on what is expected of them in the kitchen (safety, listening, following directions, cleaning up etc)
• Lower your expectations. Don’t expect perfection and stay calm.

The most important tip I can give you is enjoy the time with your kids and know that you are teaching them valuable life lessons and creating family memories that they will cherish when they grow up. What better time to start than the holidays!

Jennifer Ascher is an Organizing Coach and owner of Organizing Without Limits. It is her belief that organizing goes beyond pantries, closets or even time management. It’s about taking control of your WHOLE LIFE.

Organizing Without Limits provides organizing solutions to transform your life and offers both hands-on and virtual organizing services. You can reach Jennifer at http://www.organizingwithoutlimits.com

Stress-Free Christmas Shopping

By Melanie Moore of Only a Breath

For many people, Christmas begins as a time of joy and celebration, but becomes quite stressful when faced with a never-ending Christmas shopping list. Does Christmas shopping have to be stressful? Should we just accept that stress is just as much a party of the holidays as mistletoe and Christmas trees? No, I hope not!

I’ve gathered some tips to make your Christmas shopping as stress-free as possible. Try them today, and please add your helpful tips to the list below! We all need a little backup during this time of “mall madness”!

• Start Early — It is not too early to start planning and buying gifts! If you start early, the rest of the holiday season will be stress-free, and you can stay far away from the mall madness.
• Make a List — Write down all of the people you need to buy for, any size information you have, and an approximate budget for each gift. If you have a gift in mind, go ahead and jot that down too. It is much easier to plan ahead, in the peace and quiet of home, rather than shopping “off the cuff” in a chaotic, crowded store.
• Keep the List Simple — In the economic times we live in, so many people are realizing that the best Christmas gifts are the ones that are meaningful and from the heart. You don’t have to spend beyond your budget to purchase lavish gifts. Instead, consider any home-made items you could give — like photo books, recipe binders, or even food!
• Think Outside the “Box” — Gift baskets can be a huge hit, and a surprising savings if you make them yourself. Try to think of a hobby or pleasure that your loved one would enjoy, and make a homemade gift basket. For example, make a “movie night” basket filled with popcorn and video rental vouchers. You could also make a basket filled with gourmet coffee, a journal, and a couple pretty mugs for those who enjoy quiet time at home. These gifts show such thought and are always a big hit!
• Skip the Malls — Rather than face the holiday crowd, consider doing your Christmas shopping online! Many online stores offer free shipping during the holidays or exclusive discounts. Also, be sure to “google” for “coupon codes” for any store you purchase from online! I almost always find additional coupons online that can save lots of money!
• Keep Your Perspective — Yes, Christmas shopping can be overwhelming, and the Christmas spirit tends to take a leave of absence when surrounded by impatient, cranky shoppers. However, you don’t have to join in! Be determined to keep a thankful heart for each person on your Christmas list. Keep in mind that we never know what each day may hold, and consider the real gifts you treasure…. the friends and family on your shopping list.

How do you keep Christmas shopping stress-free?  I hope your Christmas season is a wonderful one, and I wish you all the best in the upcoming new year!

Melanie writes at “Only A Breath” about life as a small-town, southern, girly-girl mommy of two rough and rowdy little boys. She is so thankful for a wonderful, hard-working husband who makes her laugh and is a wonderful daddy. She works full-time as an industrial software developer (“computer geek”), is a consultant with Blessings Unlimited, and offers practical tips and encouragement for moms who work outside the home. Her heart’s desire is to encourage others to celebrate life and cherish each breath of this journey.

Thanksgiving Treats on a Shoestring

By Beth Engelman and Jenna Riggs of Mommy on a Shoestring

Give thanks this year by mixing up a batch of these goodies to serve with your holiday meal!

Candy Turkeys

You Need:

Double Stuff Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Candy Corn

Whoppers

Peanut butter Cups

Chocolate or Vanilla Frosting

Yellow Frosting

Optional: Red frosting

Optional: black sprinkles for eyes

Directions:

• Give your turkey some feathers by adding candy corn to the top of one cookie.   Use frosting as glue if desired.
• Put a dab of frosting on the opposite end of the cookie and secure it to the “base” cookie.  You may want to prop it up next to a wall until the frosting dries.
• Turn the peanut better cup into a “turkey body” by cutting a tiny sliver off the end and attaching it with frosting to the cookie with  “feathers.”
• Add a head by gluing a whopper on top of the pb cup.  TIP: Put frosting on the side of the whopper that hits both the cookie and the pb cup.
• To make the beak, cut off the white tip of the candy corn and “glue” with frosting.  Add yellow dots and sprinkles for eyes and red frosting for the little “gobble gobble” below the beak.
• Once everything is dry and secure, flip the turkey over and draw little yellow feet.

Pilgrim Hats

You Need:

1 Bag Chocolate Chips

1Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Marshmallows

Yellow Frosting

Fudge-Striped Cookies

Directions:

• Place cookies (striped side-down) on a piece of waxed paper.
• Melt chocolate and oil in microwave.
• Dip marshmallows in chocolate and place in the middle of each cookie.
• Wait an hour or two until dry.
• Add a buckle with yellow frosting.

Friendship Mix Rolls

Ingredients

Mini pretzels

Raisons

Pretzel m & m’s

Nuts

Banana chips

Dried apple pieces

Cranberries

Small clear plastic bags and ribbon

Directions

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl and add to a jar or container of your choice.
• Be sure to include a “key” with what each ingredient means.
• Pour mix into small bags and tie with a bow and a “key” telling what each ingredient means.

• Mini pretzels = hugs
• Raisins = old friends
• Pretzel m & m’s = new friends
• Nuts = self explanatory
• Banana chips = love to monkey around and have fun
• Dried apple pieces = health
• Cranberries = love

These mini bags of love are perfect accompaniments for place cards or a special  “treat” to send home with guests after home after a Thanksgiving meal!  Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Jenna Riggs and Beth Engelman are the creative talents and owners of Mommy on a Shoestring, a website and weekly radio show chock full of ideas on how families can live creatively and large on a small budget.

5 Tips for Easy Thanksgiving Entertaining

By Bobbie Friedman of Simplified by Bobbie

Thanksgiving is approaching quickly… and for many of us that means hosting a holiday dinner for family and friends.  This should be an exciting, happy event but sometimes it can become overwhelming and stressful!  Do you know the feeling?  This Thanksgiving I’d like to help you entertain the easy way!  And in my world “easy” translates to “organized!!”

I love to host gatherings (especially Thanksgiving – it’s my favorite holiday); but the only way I can be a good hostess and still enjoy it is by being organized!  Here are my 5 favorite (organized) tips for entertaining – no matter what the occasion or amount of guests on the list:

1. Plan Ahead:  As soon as you commit to being the hostess, think through your plans from start to finish and write down everything you need to purchase, borrow, set up, and prepare.  Then put these things on your calendar and chip away at them.  You’ll feel good knowing that each time you check an item off you’re one step closer to a successful (and relaxing) event!  This is also helpful when someone asks the famous question “What can I bring?”  You’ll know just what to tell them.  And if you haven’t yet checked out the Frazzle Free Christmas, be sure to do so!  It will help with your Thanksgiving planning as well.
2. Get it Done: Complete in advance as many preparations as possible:  start stocking up during your weekly grocery shopping, make-ahead some of the menu items and freeze them until the big day, and the night before Thanksgiving set the table and set out serving dishes and utensils (so all you have to do the next day is fill them up)!  It’s also helpful to set up a “drink station” away from the main flow of the kitchen (include glasses, mugs, pitchers & carafes of drinks, ice, sugar, and cream).  Now no one will be in the way while you’re trying to baste the turkey and whip the potatoes!
3. Keep it Simple: Buy items pre-made from the store or bakery.  I’ve finally learned that not everything has to be homemade (your guests won’t have more fun just because you slaved over the stove hand-making every last treat).  Start the party day with an empty dishwasher so you can put dirty dishes in as you clear the table.  Leave the mess and enjoy your guests (the mess isn’t going anywhere – relax and enjoy your family and handle the clean-up later)!
4. Make it Beautiful:  Remember that you eat with your eyes first… so if there is one day when you want to pay a little extra attention to detail, it’s Thanksgiving!  When you go the extra mile to make everything look nice it makes your guests feel special.  So spend some time dressing up your table and buffet area, get creative or keep it simple – just put some thought into it.   And make sure the food is presented in a pretty way, even the store bought items!  Use tiered pedestals to serve items at varying heights and top dishes with natural garnishes for decoration (ie. cinnamon sticks, orange peels, and bay leaves)
5. Be a Good Guest: If you’re the guest (and not the host) then make sure to take a gift to your hostess; my favorite is inexpensive storage containers.  The hostess won’t have to send her favorite Tupperware of leftovers with guests.  Trust me, she’ll thank you for it!

Cheers to easy entertaining and a Happy Thanksgiving from Simplified by Bobbie!

 

Bobbie Friedman is a Professional Organizer, Home Management Consultant, and the owner of Simplified by Bobbie located in Pennsylvania.  She is dedicated to helping individuals and families simplify their lives!  Through personalized organizing services, hands-on help, and knowledgeable guidance she’ll help you establish effective ways to manage your schedule and home; turning CoMpLiCaTeD into Simplified.

Visit www.simplifiedbybobbie.com to learn more, view before & after photos, and read helpful organizing tips.  Contact Bobbie for your FREE phone consultation, and make your space & time work for you

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