As a Mom, sometimes it seems like I spend half my day “picking up” after my family. I often spend so much time getting the small stuff in order that I never make it to the deep cleaning. Consequently, I’m always looking for cheap tools to help speed up the the process. Two of my favorites are my Butler’s Broom and my ultra-handy Grabber.

It’s kind of amazing how quickly the kitchen floor can go from clean to crumb-covered. Even if the mess is isolated to a certain spot (like that pesky area under the stools) - the kitchen gets so much foot traffic that the initial mess seems to spread within minutes. My solution? Catch the mess early with a Butler’s Broom - or better yet, make your kids do it. I bought this handy little tool in the cleaning supplies section of Wal Mart for around $10. Its short size makes it very kid-friendly and allows it to tuck away neatly on my pantry door. It’s perfect for sweeping up small messes and reaching into tight corners. As a bonus, the handle-mounted dustpan saves you from bending down and it’s large enough to hold even the bigger kitchen clean-ups. I’ve used mine several times a day for the past two years and - although it’s starting to signs of wear - still works like a charm.

My Grabber was another Wal Mart find that I can’t live without. On any given day, I probably pick up dozens of random items off my floors, tables, sofas (and pretty much any other horizontal surface). I guess it might have something to do with the 4 people in our family that are less than 40 inches tall. You long time readers might remember the stash boxes I created to help deal with this pick-up-after-yourselves problem. Although the stash boxes and our weekly stash box challenge help a ton, I still hate bending over a zillion times a day to pick up what remains. That’s where this handy tool comes in. Designed to help people with disabilities extend their reach, the Grabber is perfect for Moms looking to streamline their clean-ups.  It’s narrow and lightweight which makes it incredibly convenient for grabbing kid shoes, papers, matchbox cars, couch cushions and pretty much everything else that wanders out of place each day. Best of all, the long handle virtually eliminates the need to bend over and provides extended reach for when your son decides to stash his rotten apple core behind the way-too-heavy-to-move-by-yourself armoire.

I loved having my Grabber during pregnancy - especially during that last trimester when I couldn’t bend over to tie my own shoes, let alone pick up Polly Pockets. If you’ve got a baby shower to attend in the near future, I highly recommend skipping the sea of traditional pastel baby presents and picking up a Grabber instead. Trust me, yours will be the first thank you card she’ll write! You can find the Grabber at various sites online or in the “as seen on TV” section of your local Wal Mart for around $10. Just thought I’d pass it on.

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My 8 year-old has been home sick with a cold for the last two days.  As all Moms out there know, life doesn’t slow down when you’re kids are home sick.   No matter how much we wish we could tend to our kids hand and foot; work, laundry, dishes, and dozens of other daily to-dos demand our attention too.  Sometimes it can be tough to keep track of the little things our kids need to get them back on their feet.

Last year, I read about a simple solution to this problem in Family Fun magazine.  One smart Mom wrote in a suggestion about making marks on a water bottle to help keep track of your kid’s water consumption.  I can’t remember exactly how she did it but the idea stuck with me.  So, when my daughter came down with a fever yesterday, I decided it was a good time to test it out. 

Yesterday morning I removed the label from a plastic water bottle and added several lines on the side with a sharpie marker (click on the photo above for a better view).  Next to each line I added a time of day (11am, 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm).  After setting up my daughter on the couch with blankets, pillows and tissues, I gave her the bottle and told her that her that her big job was to get the water level below the marked lines by the various times.  Surprisingly, the goal marks really seemed to help her.  She managed to down the entire water bottle before bed time without a single reminder from me.

As a side note, I also used the bottle to track her medication throughout the day.  I often forget when the 4-6 hour window is up (that might have something to do with the big list of to-do’s I mentioned earlier).  To help myself keep track, I added a little orange dot to the water bottle timeline each time I gave her a dose of Tylenol.  Whenever I needed to know if it was time to give her another dose I just checked her bottle for a quick reference. 

Granted, these aren’t groundbreaking ideas.  They’re just simple solutions that can make your child’s next sick day just a little easier.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

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My oldest daughter turned eight this year and one of her many transitions into “big kid life” has been to manage her own bath-time routine.  One area she seemed to struggle with was temperature control.  I can’t tell you how many times I had to drain the tub because she’d managed to fill it with icy-cold or scalding-hot water.  I thought shifting her to showers would help but she would end up letting the water run for 10 minutes before her shower because she couldn’t seem to get the water to a comfortable temperature.  After awhile, I gave up on the training and opted to start the shower for her each night.  It was tedious, but at least I didn’t have to worry about her scalding herself or draining all the contents of the hot-water heater. 

Then last week I had one of those ah-hah moments that every mother loves.  I was filling the tub for my youngest kids when I noticed that, unlike my daughter, I didn’t have to adjust the handle when filling the tub.  I seemed to know - from years of experience, I guess - just how far to turn the handle to get the water to the right temperature.  It occured to me that if I could somehow mark that “perfect” spot for my daughter, she’d be able to do the same.  I quickly grabbed a pink Sharpie from the junk drawer and, while the water was still running, marked the faucet handle.  I put one small stripe on the wall fixture and another in the same location on the handle (click on the picture above to get a closer view).  When the stripes are aligned, the water coming from the faucet is a perfect kid-friendly temp.

So far, the results have been great.  Now when my daughter needs to start her own bath or shower she just lines up the pink stripes, waits for the temperature to regulate, and then hops in.  It also came in handy today with my little five-year-old.  I started the tub for her and then went to clean the kitchen while she hopped in.  Apparently she bumped the handle during her entry because within a few minutes she was screaming about the “super-cold water” that was pouring out of the faucet.  In the past I would have had to drop whatever I was doing and go fix it for her…but not this time.  I just reminded her about the pink shower stripes and told her to make them touch.  She adjusted the handle all by herself and was happy as a clam in her warm, bubbly bath. 

If marking up your fixtures with permanent marker makes you nervous, try a bright shade of nail polish instead - just create little dots instead of lines.  That way if you ever need to remove or adjust the marks a little nail polish remover should do the trick.  It’s not a revolutionary idea, but when it comes to managing the everyday motherhood obstacles, every little bit helps. :)  Just thought I’d pass it on. 

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Thanks to everyone for your fabulous responses to last week’s Talk to Me Tuesday post.  It’s great to know that I’m not alone in my hatred of slimy, grimy showers.

Recently I got a great question from April regarding my many charts.  She wondered where I stash my charts in order to keep them accessible without making things look cluttered.  Although the fridge is a tempting solution, I like to reserve it for things like my Kid’s Weekly Planners and their current homework.  Consequently, I have to stash my other charts and lists elsewhere.  My favorite stash spots?  The inside of my kitchen cupboards and doors.

For example, the picture above shows the inside of the cupboard door nearest to my fridge.  On it I keep my Mom Game Plan, my Stash Box Challenge sheet, a pack of post-its and a clip of quick-reference school sheets (like the lunch menu, and the school calendar).  I’m not crazy about taping things to the inside of my cupboards and doors, so I use removeable hooks to hold things in place instead.  When used in combination with small binder clips they’re an inexpensive, flexible way to keep everything close at hand. 

I use the same basic solution on the inside of my pantry door as well.  Here the clips and hooks hold things like this ziploc bag of clipped box tops, the kid’s lunch boxes, and my Reuseable Grocery List.  As for your question regarding the Picture Job Chart, April, I keep that one on a similar hook inside the hall closet door.  When Saturday morning rolls around I grab the chart from the hook, adjust the jobs, and then post it on the outside of the pantry door for easy viewing.

So there you have it, April.  By keeping my charts and lists in these hidden stash spots around the house, I’m able to keep everything accessible without adding clutter to the public areas of the house.  It’s a simple, cheap and easy way to keep things organized and out of view.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

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Maybe I’m just a slacker parent, but I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with homework lately.  I’ve only got two in school and already the spelling words, reading minutes, and worksheets are starting to overwhelm me. 

Part of my problem is that my kids are so young that most, if not all, of their homework requires adult supervision.  For example, my third grade daughter is supposed to doing multiplication flash cards each night in addition to all her other work.  I think we’ve done it three times since school started because I’m having a hard time squeezing it in amidst all my other nightly duties and I refuse to push back kid bedtime.  In addition, when we do manage to squeeze the time in, she seems thoroughly bored by the whole flash card process.  Frankly, I can’t say that I blame her.  I’m kind of bored by the process too…which is probably another reason we do it so rarely.  See?  I told you I was a slacker Mom.

I’m hoping that a few of you experienced parents can help me out.  Have you found any great ways to inject a little fun into the homework process?  Additionally, have you come across any games, websites, or other alternatives that help your elementary-age kids manage homework on their own?  Any suggestions you could offer on this topic would be fabulous.  For those of you that comment, thanks - in advance - for passing it on.

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Perhaps it’s my own fault. Maybe decorating for Halloween five weeks early naturally creates holiday over-anticipation/impatience in my kids. Whatever the reason, my kids are constantly dragging their costumes out of their closets to ask me if it’s time to trick or treat. Yesterday, after answering that quetion for the 493rd time, I decided I needed a way for the kids to keep track of the countdown themselves. So, I created this simple little countdown poster to do just that.

Much like the Christmas Advent Poster I posted last year, this simple little chart hangs out on our fridge for easy access to my three kids. Rather than use stickers to mark the days, I opted to go for something a little more Halloweenish…googly eyes. Each morning at breakfast during the last two weeks of October, my kids get to add one googly eye to the poster. They start at the fourteen and work their way down to the one so they can know at a glance how many days are left until the big day.

To make your own handy chart, simply print out the file below on heavy white cardstock. If you’d like to give it a little more strength (like the one pictured), trim the edges and glue it to a sheet of black cardstock. I designed the file to use 12mm wiggle eyes, but you could use whatever size you have on hand. Ideally, you’ll want to look for the wiggle eyes that have adhesive backs. If you can’t find those, just use glue dots or keep a bottle of Elmer’s in your kitchen drawer. You’ll want to start marking your chart tomorrow (Oct 17th). 

If your kids have other Halloween activities to look forward to (class parties, family traditions, etc.) you can track those on your chart as well.  Simply use a marker to add a little color to the party date.  For example, our church Trunk or Treat Party happens on the 26th so I used an orange marker to highlight the number 5 circle (I did this after I took the pictures for the blog).  If my kids want to figure out how many days are left until the party they just count the open circles between today and the orange circle.

Cheap, easy and totally kid-friendly. I think this chart will be a party of our Halloween festivities for years to come.  Just thought I’d pass it on.

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Sorry for the long delay in posting.  There’s nothing like cramming a birthday party, back to school, and a baptism all into one week to make you fall behind in your posts. 

Last week I received a great little email from Arian regarding my home laminator.  For years I thought a home laminator was out of my range.  After countless trips to the teacher supply store to laminate my stuff, I finally decided it might be worth the investment.  Thankfully, before I forked out the $150 I was planning to spend, I came across this little wonder.

Made by Duck brand, this inexpensive heat laminator is perfect for home use.  It’s small, lightweight, and folds up on itself for easy storage.  I found it at Wal Mart for under $30.  I bought mine a few years ago, but last time I checked, they still had them in stock.  The laminator’s instructions recommend using their laminating sheets (available in packs of 25 at Wal Mart for around $7).  However, I’ve tried it with several different types of film and it seems to work well with all of them.

I’ve used my laminator for tons of different projects around the house.  It’s kind of addictive, actually.  Trust me, once you make a simple sheet of paper toddler-proof, it’s tough to stop.   So far, my little laminator has held up fabulously; well worth the $30.  Just thought I’d pass it on.  Thanks for the great question, Arian.

If you’ve got a question you’d like to throw my way, please feel free to email me.  I’m no expert, but I seem to stumble through most organizing dilemmas sorta-successfully.  You can find the link on my About Me page. 

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Keeping track of your kids activities and school schedules can be an overwhelming challenge.  My solution?  Take the pressure off yourself by helping your kids do it on their own.  In our house my kids use their fridge planners to keep track of all their weekly to-dos.  When I posted this idea early on in my blog only my oldest daughter was in school.  Now that all three of my kids have schedules to manage I reworked the original idea and created a smaller, more versatile version.  I added lots of new icons to accommodate their changing activities and moved the velcro strips to the back so I could fit all three on the front of the fridge easily.  I’ll list the original post description as well as the new downloads below.

During the morning rush to get the kids off to school, I found myself checking multiple papers to find out what was happening that day. Did we need to pack library books or p.e. shoes? Is it a hot lunch day or do I need to pack a lunch? Does she need to bring her girl scout vest or ballet shoes? Some things were on the calendar and some were tacked up on the fridge. I felt like I was wasting time that I couldn’t spare, so I created this weekly planner to help my first grader manage her own schedule.

It’s a very simple velcro system. On it I list the days of the week Monday through Saturday. I created icons in MS Word (you should be able to adapt them easily) for each of my daughter’s usual activities and color coded the titles for easy sorting. Under each day on the chart, I’ve added a strip of velcro that can hold three icons. The first icon shows what’s happening at school that day (art, library, pe, music, computer). The second icon shows what type of lunch she’s having (cold or hot). The third icon shows reminders and afterschool activities (test, homework, gymnastics, etc.).

Usually, on Sunday night at family council we’ll gather all the various calendars and reminders and my daughter will arrange the icons on her chart. She’ll also use this chart to help her know what clothes to put in her under-bed clothes organizer. For example, if she sees that she’s got PE on Tuesday, she knows that she needs to pack an outfit that will work tennis shoes. 

We post this “planner” on the fridge so she can see it each morning when she’s getting dressed and packing her backpack. It has made a huge difference in our morning routine. I’ll also use it throughout the week when her teacher sends home reminders and other info. I think this one will stick with us for several years. Just thought I’d pass it on.

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