WFMW: Organization is the name of the game!

So.....this is an old post but this month is all about organization so here you go. Happy Cleaning !!!

I thought I would share how I got under my kitchen sink under control. I had everything....well but the sink under there ! :) (Some of the stuff, I wonder how in the world it got there!!! )

I found this 3 pack of baskets at Walmart for $2. I then divided my hand soaps, sponges, dishwasher detergent, dish soaps, gloves and anything else I might need. (I may have a thing for hand soaps....don't judge me sister!)

It works for me because it stays neat and I can pull the whole thing out if need be....and that works for this crazy mama!!

For more great organization tips visit We are That Family!

WFMW: Bad fruit

I just love when I buy fruit and about 1 1/2 days later it starts to go down hill.

NOT !!!

I hate to waste anything so this really irks me. I have found a solution that works for us and I thought I would share it.

I take any banana, peach or berries that are starting to turn to the dark side and remove any stems or peeling. I think slice or cube it, place it in a freezer bag and pop it in the freezer.


Then whenever my littles want a smoothie for breakfast, I grab it out of the freezer. Add some vanilla yogurt and milk and you have an easy nutritious breakfast!!

(You can also do this for peppers and onions....just don't use them for smoothies. Save them for recipes and pizza toppings!)

And that totally works for this mama!


For more great WFMW ideas visit We Are That Family !!!

WFMW: What my child CAN do.

This week over at Works for me Wednesday, they are talking about what helps you "back to school". I have been thinking about this alot since I have my oldest baby going in to kindergarten (gulp) and the other one starting preschool. (double gulp)

I have been thinking about sending them out in this world and what tools they need to have to survive it. (I know, I know....they are only 3 and 5 but it starts young.)

I sat down and made a list of all the things that my kids CAN do this year. You know....things that they are not currently expected to do and won't kill them to start?!


* Clear their own dishes
* Put their dirty clothes in a hamper
* Pick up their own toys
* Put their book bags in their room and on their hook
* Pick out their clothes the night before
(Thus saving all the drama for their grandmama..just sayin.)
* Make their own bed in the morning (and I will resist the urge to re-do it !!)
* Start to give some of their own coins to church (I will match it )
* Help their sibling with a task. (Because we are in this together in this house!)

This list is going to go on the fridge the first day of school and hopefully will be a reminder to this mama !


For more school WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday: Gift bags for older siblings

I am so blessed to have a beautiful healthy new baby girl.

I was worried, however, how the big ones would react to said baby girl. Oh sure, they acted excited before she got here. But any mama knows that things can change after you add a little one to the mix. :)

So, to help a little I came prepared.

I went to the dollar store and got new packs of crayons, fresh coloring books, juice boxes, candy, a little lego kit and a princess compact. I put them in a colorful gift bag for each child and put a big bow on each. I carefully packed them away with my overnight bag awaiting our little blessed event.

When the time came, in the trunk they went. When the kids came to see their new sister, they got a gift from her. They were thrilled and I would like to think that gave the newbie a little edge...but that is probably just mama's wishful thinking....

(( It also helped keep them occupied while daddy got to visit and relax. ))

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!!

Works for me Wednesday: Keeping bakeware organized

I am in the midst of hot and heavy nesting. I know this baby will not care that I have re-lined all the cabinets in the kitchen and gotten rid of the Tupperware without matching lids, but somehow the need drives me on.

I have a cabinet for all things baking. It frequently gets cluttered with measuring cups, spoons and tools. (It always seems to happen when I am in the middle of baking something too :( )

While in this most recent nesting kick, I have found the best solution for this.

I used hooks to hang both the measuring cups and spoons. They are out of the way and very easily assessable. And that totally works for me !!!!

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday: Party on !!

I don't know about you but I hate trying to find things to fill birthday goodie bags. I have kids attend our parties that range in ages 14 - newborn so you see my dilemma. Batman coloring books for the 14 year old? I can see the embarrassment on his face already.

If I want to please everyone, I have to shop several different stores and I end up spending alot more sanity and money that I intend to.

This year for my daughters birthday party I tried something new which worked wonderfully!

Instead of goodie bags, I had a candy bar ....

I choose many different candies that would work for all ages and I placed them in several glass containers that I had. I provided some Chinese take out boxes and scoops and let all my guests belly up to the bar and fill their own favor boxes with the candy that looked good to them.

It was very economical as I bought candy after Valentines day when it was 75% off and even found some great candy at the dollar store! (I ended up spending way less than I usually do on goodie bags )

Everyone was happy that they didn't have one more trinket cluttering up their house and I could eat the leftovers :)

And that works for this mama......

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday: Greatest Tip edition

This week we were asked to submit one of our greatest tips and here is one of mine! I use this all the time It helps save time and money so that makes mama very happy :)

Hello. My name is Summer and I am a......stockpiler.


I admit that when I see a next to nothing deal, I grab it. Or two or three or a dozen.


I just can't help myself. If I have 3 coupons for an item, its a manager special and it's $.20 for a bag of frozen broccoli, you bet your tushy I buy 3 of them.


I get alot of sighing and looks from my hubs but he rarely says anything because he has seen the power of the money savings. I get the looks because it is his job to go out to our chest freezer and find a spot for all the deals.


There is only one itzy bitzy problem......... I forget what I have out there. I could go out there every Sunday night and see what I have before I do my menu planning. I tell myself, however that Sunday is supposed to be the day of rest, right?!?! I know, however that I just don't want my hands to turn blue as I dig through the Mary Poppins bag of freezers.


So...... I have come up with this.


I found these magnetic whiteboards at a store for $1. I love that I can simply write what I have in my freezer, erase when I no longer have it, post dates of casseroles and baked goods and add as I go to the grocery store. It actually saves me money because we are using the things that I have gotten the deals on and nothing goes bad and gets wasted.



And that works for this mama...who would rather play games with her kidlets than dig through a freezer!



For more great WFMW ideas visit We Are that Family!

Works for me Wednesday: Keeping the kids craft drawer organized!

I wish I had taken "before" pictures of my kids craft drawers because they were so bad that we couldn't so much find a coloring book. (Then again maybe I am glad that I didn't take any pictures :) )

Things get out of control quickly with little excited hands throwing things in a drawer in a rush to get to the next thing.

With me nesting, I tackled these drawers and I have to say its working for us!!

All the coloring books, paper and work books are in a drawer.

In another drawer I threw all crayons and pencils in a large box that the kids can easily get to ....and dare I say throw back in when done? I also put all the painting supplies in a a large 2 gallon zip lock baggie (Hello, no more hunting for those skinny paintbrushes) All the Color Wonder markers and special paper goes into another bag. Then the bain of my existence, markers, go into a final bag.

I can monitor what they are playing with better. They can do art more often now because they just grab the baggie they want and then throw everything back in.

I see clearly if they have a purple marker out in the family room....near the new TV.

And that works for this mama!!

For more great WFMW ideas, visit We are That Family!!!

Works for me Wednesday: Kid Friendly dinner

Hubs has been working alot of overtime and that means that I have been trying to discover kid friendly dinners. (That doesn't take much effort to make!) I am running out of ideas....

The other night I got out some hamburger and fried it up not sure what I was going to do with it. I found a tube of crescent rolls and some cheese and decided that I would would try my hand at cheeseburger squares.

I just unrolled the crescents and filled the center with a little bit of cooked meat and good amount of cheese. I folded the crescents over and pinched them shut and then baked until golden.

I have to tell you that my kids dipped them in ketchup and then gobbled them up....it was a hit!!

I thought I would share in case you were looking for a quick kid friendly meal !!!

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!!

Works for me Wednesday: Start Valentines day off right!

This week WFMW is to share a Valentines Day tip so here is one of mine that both my hubs and kids love!

My love bugs wake up on Valentines day to red heart pancakes!!

I just add some food coloring to my pancake mix and carefully place two blogs together until it forms a heart :) It makes my family feel special and fills their tummy so that works for this mama!!!

For more great WFMW tips visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday - house rules!

We have a house rule in our home...well several of them. This has to do with eating dinners together and trying to get our kids to expand their horizons.

I am not into the clean platter club. You stop eating when your full. Period. (My mama used to tell me that my body is not a trashcan and somewhere along the way I forgot that because I continue to eat after I am full! :) ) I will gladly wrap your plate up and stash it away until you are hungry...at which time I will produce the uneaten plate of goodness. I'm sneaky like that....

One thing I am adamant about, however is our rule.

"If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it....BUT YOU HAVE TO TRY IT !!!"

I would say 80% of the time my kids end up liking the item they swore they found totally disgusting and end up asking for seconds. If they don't like it...not a biggie! As long as they tried it, I am happy.

And everyone knows a happy mama works for everyone!

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday- the great clean out

So its Thursday....I was busy doing the WFMW on Wednesday so its a little late :)

Every year I look at my pile of presents to wrap and then my eyes just automatically wonder to the overflowing toy boxes and bins.

A couple years ago, I decided that enough was enough. The kids and I spend a couple days every December going through their toys. They actually love it because they thing they are playing all day, but they have some tough decisions to make.

I tell them that they have to choose quite a few toys to give to a little girl or boy that doesn't have many toys to play with. I try to explain the importance of giving or donating and how it helps people who have needs greater than ours.

Its hard for them but I am hoping that it starts them on the path of giving and service and putting other before themselves.

It also makes room for the new stuff- which totally works for this mama!

We watch for the donation truck and we talk about how when they sell these things, the money will help people who need things.

They are way to young to serve in a shelter or ministry along those lines so this is their holiday sacrifice. ......Because that is what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown :)

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday: Keeping the house clean

So this is a kind of generic WFMW but it does really work for me and my sanity so I thought I would share!

I clean my house on Saturday mornings and it really works for me. The hubs usually takes the kiddos for me or they watch toons, I get the house cleaned and I start the week with a fresh clean house.

Its about Monday night when I realize the house doesn't feel so clean anymore. I give a heavy sigh.

I then started a new routine that really keeps my life so much easier.

I go through Wednesday morning and wipe out the sinks and kitchen with a cloth very quickly. I also get my little cordless sweeper and sweep any major crumbs or granola and the hardwood floors. It takes 30 minutes but it keeps the house looking nice all week long which helps me stay relaxed.

And that works for everyone that lives in this house!

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday: Using happy meal toys for some good!

I will be the first to confess that many a happy meal has crossed this thresh hold. I will also tell you that many happy meal toys don't see the light of day due to lack of interest or I simply don't want to add to the toy pile. (I am the meanest mama God ever made :) )

We keep the toys, packaged so nicely in their little plastic bags, and save them. We then gather them all up around Thanksgiving time and take them to our neighbors church who packs Christmas boxes for children overseas.

The toys fit perfectly and it may be the only toy they receive this Christmas. I also hope it teaches the kids to think of others rather than themselves.

And that totally works for everyone!

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday: Sauce tip

We recently had a family dinner with my in-laws. My sister in law ,who is the hostess with the mostess, also got a part time job at a fancy restaurant doing food prep. She loves cooking and she thought it might be an opportunity to learn some new tricks of the trade.

She shared one of these tricks with us the other day as we indulged in the best pasta sauce I have ever laid my taste buds on!!!

When making a tomato sauce of any kind you can actually reduce the acid content and taste!

Place a peeled, halved carrot in any sauce while making it and it will soak up the acid. Your left with a smooth tasting sauce that your family (and guests) will love!

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday: Using Nature to decorate for fall!

We are trying our best to be good stewards of money these days. I will confess right now, that I have a TON of fall decorations that I have collected over the years! That doesn't stop me from seeing new decorations and wanting to add to my collection!

In this last year, however, I have found that my very favorite decorations are the ones that God himself created :)

I have been going out with the kidlets to collect gorgeous leaves. (Which leads to lots of talks about trees, squirrels and other random stuff :) ) We also have been on the lookout for long branches that we can tie some orange ribbons to. Anything that doesn't carry bugs and won't rot is fair game for some cheap and beautiful decorations!

Here are some leaves that we collected and let dry. (They curl so pretty!) I placed them in a glass cylinder and even put a candle on top. And guess what?! They are from 2 years ago!!

They keep beautifully and are free.....and that works for this mama!

For more great WFMW ideas, visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday: Making leftovers easy!

I love this style of kids trays.

They are so convenient when your kids don't like their foods touching. (Good times)I have recently found another use for them that saves me time...and that is a good thing! I can use the extra time to you know....use the bathroom or read a page in my book. :)

When putting away leftovers, I have been putting a little of the leftovers in these sectioned trays then covering it with cling wrap. I then place it in the fridge and have a complete meal, ready to eat for my kiddos. Thus, creating a meal to go! It works perfect when they have a sitter or even home with dad. I feel better than getting them junk or one of those frozen kids meals. Just pop it in the microwave and you are done!

And that totally works for this mama!!!

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday- Most excellent

I am from the camp of thinking that you don't get rewarded for doing whats expected. If you are a part of this family, you contribute in your own way. There is no reward for doing your daily chores, helping mom out or being kind to others. That is just what a family does...because we love each other.

I am. however, all about acknowledging behavior that really goes above and beyond by making good choices. My number 1 is four and it can be a fun and tough age. Teaching him that he is not the only one in the universe is a challenge indeed. I have caught glimpses of him lately putting others before himself and it made me want to recognize this type of behavior!

So my son and I (and his bigger cousin who made the chart) came up with an excellence chart. Every time he does something really excellent he gets a sticker on his chart. When one row is completed he gets a prize. (I usually have a stockpile in my gift closet or several trinkets on hand from the dollar store.)

These stickers are not easy to earn, so when one goes on the chart it is a big deal! Number 1 doesn't get one for taking his plate to sink, putting his shoes away or helping dad in the yard. He does get one for cleaning his whole room without being asked. Or if he chooses to help a neighbor on his own.

Good stuff!

For more WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday- Making fall placemats!

I posted this last year but its one of my favorites and the leaves are starting to drop so I thought it was worth a re-post!

Take the littles and collect leaves.

You will need:

2 sheets of wax paper per place mat

leaves of choice

Stickers, crayon shavings, scrap booking embellishments, decorations of choice

iron

Lay out 1 sheet of wax paper and place leaves and decorations of choice on the wax paper.

Then place 2nd sheet of wax paper and place medium heated iron on top and iron until wax paper bonds with each other.

Wahlah!! Beautiful place mats!!

I can tell you that I packed ours away last year and just got them out of the fall decorations with low hopes of them looking good. I can tell you that they looked just the way they did the day we made them...so this is a lasting decoration!!!

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Works for me Wednesday: Cool Back-to-School Snack!

When my little gets home from school, he is hungry. And like the little man in training he is, that means he tends to get a smidge grumpy when hungry :)

I love to have a snack waiting for him when he gets out of school and the first couple of weeks I try to make it special!

I stumbled along these great cookie ideas a couple years back and he loves them.

You can use any simple sugar / butter cookie recipe. (I won't even tell if you use a mix!) Divide into as many bowls as you want colors, add food coloring and mix. Then roll into little logs and make one end pointy. Bake as directed.

When completely cooled melt some semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave and spoon into a Ziploc baggie. Twist bag until all the chocolate is smooched (that's a technical term) into a corner. Snip the corner and decorate like crayon.

It makes after school snacks fun and that works for this mama!

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!