I'M OBSESSED.

I'm obsessed. With this little doodle (and Kraft paper).

I'm obviously a novice, but I've started drawing her little stick figure on everything. It all started with me making a bit of stationery for the munchkin to write to her friends and out of town family over the summer and now - Birthday Cards, Thank You cards…  and now this To Do List. I went back and forth a bit on whether or not I was scarring my almost six year old by burdening her with such organizational aspirations… But I just couldn't help me self.. 

Kind of a "first draft" - Next go around I'll put these in order. Munchkin is obsessed with knowing what the date is. Probably due to her impending birthday in a few weeks. 

Somebunny's turning six - WOOT. 

So I help her spell the month and she get's to it (after breakfast in our pajama's). I'm hoping this will help keep some sanity (for both of us), especially once the hustle and bustle of school starts. 

My favorite item is "Play with Avery. They are about 3 1/2 years apart in age and I really want them to be close so I try really hard to make sure to encourage them to spend time together (If she reads to him she get's to cross off two items at once) playing and such. He's only two so his attention span can be quite maddening to her and me, but she's learning patience and compassion (and teaching me a thing or two)...

I'm thinking of having these serve triple duty:

1. 5 completed slips at the end of the week gets $5 allowance.

2. Coloring Sheet/Tool to teach responsiblility, and foster a sense of accomplishment.

3. One completed slip gets an hour and a half of "screen time".

** I'm also hoping she'll be so busy reading and playing that we won't have much time (or desire) for screen time.. I'll let you know how that turns out:-)

I realize that most of these things she should be doing anyway (without some 'award' tied to it), and I'm sure the list will evolve over time. 

 Some other doodles:

a birthday card for grand mommy, a thank you card for invitation to lunch.

Anyway, just wanted to share.

Are you doing an allowance? Are routine's helpful for you and your littles or does being a bit more laid back work for you? 

Just being nosy:-)

xxB

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BACK TO SCHOOL | DINNER MEAL PLANNING

I've been meaning to do this post for a while, but was inspired recently as I've had a few rounds of guests over who really liked the menu board hanging in the kitchen. I thought it would be right on time as we are gearing up to try and get (OUR LIVES) organized for the hustle and bustle of back to school!

Menu planning has proved to be a real life and annoyance time saver; one less thing to worry about.  Here are a few tips that I have found helpful.

Weekend Menu Planning 
I try and take some time on the weekend to come up with ideas on what I'd like to cook for the week. Nothing super formal, just an excuse to peruse, my favorite magazines..  I really like the little inserts from  Martha Stewart  or any other 30 minutes or less cookbooks/mags. I also "like" a few cooking resources on Facebook which is really helpful. Some of my favorites are Saveur and Cooking Light.  And lets not forget Pinterest. I save things that I'd like to try in my Bunnie's Recipe Box folder.

Shopping List
Currently using this "All Out Of" magnetic pad I found on Amazon. I also like this one from Target. Goes on the fridge and we add/check off items as we run out during the week, and add any additional items needed for the meals we (and by we I mean me) plan to make. We usually do the big grocery run on Mondays.

Menu Board
I LOVE this menu board. Nothing is as annoying as trying to figure out at the last minute - whats for dinner? I literally look up at this in the morning and pull out whatever I need from the freezer to thaw.

P.S. I took an IKEA frame, removed the glass an painted the wood backing with chalkboard paint. Drew the lines and pics on with a fine white chalkboard marker , it wipes off easily with water and a damp sponge. I will probably need to apply an "fresh" coat of paint for the new school year.

I'm not ashamed to say that I don't prefer to make dinner every night.  Sometimes its spaghetti and (turkey) meatballs, some times its more elaborate, and sometimes we throw all plans out the window and eat PANCAKES FOR DINNER - YESS!!

But here's a good rough plan for the week:
On the left is whats for breakfast every day and that stays the same. The middle is dinner.

Big dinner on  Sunday so there are
leftovers on Monday.
Prepare a new meal on Tuesday with enough for
leftovers on Wednesday.
A sandwich night on Thursdays makes things easy breezy.
And Friday is always PIZZA NIGHT.  Sometimes its homemade (a frozen cheese pizza, or pizza dough from the bakery, where we add our own toppings.). Occassionally we order delivery or go out.
On Saturday, I don't care what we eat we get take out at whatever yummy kid friendly patio or burger joint we can find a seat!

Please note: We eat leftovers twice a week if at all possible.

The point is to make it easy on yourself, save a little at the grocery store with a list and a plan, and find time to read magazines on the weekend  have the time and energy to make healthy meals for your family.

Do you menu plan? Any tips/tricks you'd like to share?

xxB
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SOME RULES FOR ORGANIZING YOUR DAY

hey - happy monday!!

Over the holiday break I really dove into trying to get organized for the new year. New vision boards, cleaning clutter from drawers, cleaning out email boxes.

Managing these people, and house stuff, school stuff, and still trying to find time to feel like "me" can leave me feeling super scattered. Finding a rhythm to the day-to-day madness can prove to be trying at the very least. So in an effort to keep some sense of sanity and organization,  I've come up with some rules that bring some semblance of order to the day.

A compilation of tips I've come up with through trial and error and some I adopted recently after scouring my favorite magazines and blogs.

Start the day Alone.
It puts me in a real funk to have the kids startle me into conciousness and then go full speed ahead until I get them out the door. I've been setting my alarm clock  an hour earlier than the kiddos generally get up (it was excruciating at first). I do a little devotional/meditation. Take a look at the calendar so that nothing sneaks up on me. And make a To Do List for the day.

Consolidated To Do List
One place for everything. blog ideas, menu for the week, My Top 3. - All in one place. Writing things down (no electronic lists!) works best for me. I LOVE to cross things off my list. With a brand spanking new hard backed notebook from Greenroom I'm dropping all of the things I need to get done. And tackling them one step at a time.

Two Minute Rule
If it takes less than two minutes - DO IT RIGHT THEN. A quick call, email, or text. Sweep up that popcorn we had for snack time. This helps tremendously with those little things piling up into a mountain of things you'll need a week to catch up on.

Finish What You Start
Instead of jumping from mess to mess, project to project. DO ONE THING AT A TIME - FROM START TO FINISH. Then move on. Then cross it off your list. YES!!

Thou Shalt Not Transfer Clutter
This is going to be a hard one for me - cluttered spaces drive me nuts. But for me that can mean shoving everything into the guest room (where I won't have to see it).  At least until I have time to get to it. I've set up shop (my work space) in there now and am vowing to keep it a clean and cheery space.

Calendar Share
Filling iCalendar and Google Calendar with our doctors appointments, recitals, teachers planning days, Girls Night Out, and even hair appointments and sharing/syncing calendars keeps us both in the loop and keeps us from  double booking or over extending ourselves.

Roll With It
With small people you HAVE to have be SUPER flexible.  If someone throws up or has a blow out right before you walk out the door. No need to explode. You know what you have to do.  Someone wakes up way too early from that nap. Oh well… diaper change, lets get a snack.. What's next. Be ready to roll with it. Have a drink Make adjustments and move on to the next thing.

p.s. I get all my planning gear from Target. Is it me or do they have EVERYTHING you need in life? If they start holding church services there, I should never have to leave:-)

please let me know if you have any tips to share. i'm always looking for good ways to manage it all.

OH I ALMOST FORGOT! This app has literally changed my life. To get rid of the hundreds of emails that pop into your box day and night from various places you HAVE to do this. Unroll.me captures just the emails you want to see and rolls them into one email. And allows you to unsubscribe to everything else in just a few clicks. I mean it. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR WORLD.

xx,
Bunnie

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