Summer Schedules!!!!

Okay who is not ready for the summer??? Or who is ready but in a month will change there tune??? Well last Monday night we had a family night and I went over our SUMMER SCHEDULE!!

You know how I feel about having a schedule and sticking to it...well that is no different in the summer with your kids. Of course I want to sleep in til 9:00am but should I???? It is important that children have a set schedule and know what is expected of them on a daily basis. When I presented my SUMMER SCHEDULE to my kids, they were a little unhappy as you can see up in the picture. My sweet boy did have some tears shed...BUT OH WELL, THIS IS LIFE!!!! Better he learns it now than when he is 19 and on his mission!!!!

Here is a sample of my summer schedule...

***Every morning my kids will read 35 minutes. Then wright in a journal about what they just read. Following there favorite book they will say their prayers and read there scriptures.

Daily Chores...

Bailey...clean bathroom, practice guitar and piano, make beds and clean rooms.

Hayden...make bed, clean room, check weeds sweep all porches, flashcards.

Avery...make bed, make my bed, clean room, practice piano, flashcards.

Finley...make bed, put blankets away, practice letters.

***Then on June 1st, 22ND, and July 20Th and August 3rd they will do SUMMER CLEANING (oh this is what got the tears started!!!)

Bailey...clean all blind (I have 26 of them)

Hayden...clean all doors and floor boards

Avery...clean cabinets, table, chairs and stools

Finley...clean couch

I hope this gives you a place to start, and I hope your kids don't hate me!!!

Homework...make a SUMMER SCHEDULE, and have a great and organized week!!!

Don't forget to check out my new blog and website... http://www.fuzzystreasures.com/

and http://www.fuzzystreasures.blogspot.com/

Tip of the Week #3

I hope everyone had a great week!! Mine was very busy, but great!! I got my new blog Fuzzy's Treasures up and running...I hope you drop by and see all my favorite treasures.

So this week's tip is one I use all the time...READY!!!

***Ten minutes before you leave your house tell your kids and husbands to find "HOMES" for everything they have out. (I always say you have 5 minutes so clean up!!) I always take 5 minutes and put everything in it's 'HOME." For example: if there is a dish in the sink, I put it in the dishwasher. My make up is always put away, the kids toys are always put away, I even try and make sure the kitchen counter is clean before I leave.

Some of you might think I am CRAZY! But when I get home, I can relax, get dinner ready, read to the kids, or give the kids and husband my full attention when they get home!!!

I have done this since Bailey was born, and it works GREAT!!!

Homework: Find a home for everything in a room in your house this week!!!

Tip of the week #2

CHANGE IS OKAY!!!

It is okay to change!!! I know some of you think that I am so on schedule I hate change!!! Well that is not true...I know that sometimes it is a must. As your little ducklings grow, they need different chores and YES...MORE CHORES!!! For example, my 15 year old has made my bed every morning since she was 8 years old. it has been one of her morning chores. My 7 year old asked me a week ago if she could take on that chore?? I was a little hesitant, but of course I said...SURE!! Come to find out she makes it as well as I do if not better!!! So now she has an extra chore, she is HAPPY, and her older sister is EXTREMELY HAPPY!!!

Homework: Find something in your schedule that could use a little change, and do it!!! Have a great and organized week!!

HEY!!! I started a new blog at www.fuzzystreasures.blogspot.com I am going to start posting all of my treasures and why they are my treasures!!! CHECK IT OUT!!!

TIP OF THE WEEK #1

For the next few weeks I am going to post a TIP OF THE WEEK!!! These will be some ideas that will help you get through your day and week.
This will be a change from what I have been doing in the past, but hopefully still help give you some ideas on how to be more organized and efficient.

TIP OF THE WEEK #1

Schedule your day
Either at the beginning of each day or the night before, plan out each day. You are only one person and you probably won't be able to do everything. Use a schedule to organize your day. Write out a daily to-do list (I put mine on my phone) then make sure you check it at the end of each day to make sure you didn't miss anything.

In honor of Mother's Day this week, I want to express my love and appreciation to my mother. I am so thankful for her and for all she is in my life. My mom has always been a great example to me in my life. I remember as a young child her coming in to my room each night and sitting on the edge of my bed to talk to me, she made me feel like I was the only thing that mattered at that moment, and that meant the world to me as a young child.
Right before my mom had me she was diagnosed with a disease called rheumatoid arthritis, it was a real trial in her life, and at times she was not able to hold me or change my diapers. Imagine if you couldn't take care of your baby...it was probably so hard for her to watch others do things for her that she couldn't do, and even 37 years later I know she has a hard time watching others do things for her. I remember when I was 10 years old, a friend of the family came up to me and said...Calli you know your Mom is amazing right...of course I said, ya why??? She explained, your Mom is probably in pain a good 85 percent of her day and she hardly ever complains. I never realized that she actually hurt!!! Right then and there I knew I had a very special woman as my MOTHER!!
My Mom has always been so embarrassed over the way her hands look, because they are a little crippled. I have always loved the way her hands have looked because to me they look like hands that have always served her family and friends, and more importantly the Lord.
I want my Mom to know how much I love and appreciate her love and example that she has been for me throughout my life. I hope and pray that I can be just half the Mom she was to me to my kids. I love you Mom!! Thanks for the memories!!
I also want to add that my Mom taught me everything I know about BEING ORGANIZED!!! This blog is because of her!!

Check out my new website http://www.fuzzystreasures.com/ we have some great Mother's Day gifts for your loved ones. Have a great week!

OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION!!!! Part 2

Okay here is 8 Physical Strategies to help you overcome being a procrastinator!!!

1. Get an accountability buddy to keep you on task along the way.
2. Work out the project's steps on paper in advance to clarify your thoughts and eliminate the emotional whirlwind around why you don't want to begin the task.
3. Master the art of starting. Over and over again.
4. Do the hard parts first. Or...
5. Do the easy parts first. Whichever motivates you more is the one you should choose.
6. Keep a progress log so you don't lose sight of how much you have accomplished.
7. Break your project into small, manageable chunks and create interim deadlines for yourself along the way.
8. Build in rewards for yourself as you finish each step and when the project is completed.

Homework: Complete a project that you have been putting off!!! And have a great and ORGANIZED weekend!!!

OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION!!!!

I know I have posted about procrastination before but I never told you there are ways to overcome it!!! YES you heard me right…you can overcome it!!!
Procrastination is one of the main causes of poor time management when it comes to getting organized.

The definition of procrastination is to postpone or delay action needlessly.

Yes you read it right its says needlessly!!! Notice that it didn’t say to postpone or delay for a good reason. The defining word is "needlessly." Sometimes there is a good reason to put off an action or a decision, for example, if you don't have enough information or if something else logically has to come first.

When you're in the habit of procrastinating, you continually add to your "mental pile" of items to do later. Everything often ends up buried in more things you've put off. What you put off for later becomes a less important priority as time goes on. However in reality it may become even more urgent.

An article that was written by Monica Ricci has come up with 13 mental strategies to help you overcome being a procrastinator!!!

By using the following thirteen strategies, you'll be well on your way to getting organized in your life and home, and ultimately be a happier, more productive person.

Here are 5 mental strategies…

Mental Strategies
1. Vividly imagine the way you'll feel inside after the task or project is complete.
2. Focus on your desired result, not your fear or inaction.
3. Imagine yourself completing the task or project easily, quickly, and with no setbacks.
4. Tune into your procrastination language in your head and derail it with positive thoughts of "I want to," "I can," and "I enjoy" instead.
5. Let go of perfectionism. Many things aren't worth doing perfectly, so just start and do your best.

On Thursday I will give you 8 Physical Strategies to help you overcome being a procrastinator!!!

An Organized Grocery Shopping Trip!!! Part #2

Here are the next 3 tips to saving you time and money…

4. Clean out the Refrigerator — Take the time to clean your refrigerator the day before you go shopping. This will eliminate purchasing things you already have on hand and you will also be able to know what exactly what condiment or dairy product is about to run out.

5. Plan Meals — Take a few minutes to plan your meals for the week. This very important strategy lessens the likelihood of making impulse purchases and buying unnecessary items at the grocery store, or picking up fast food on the way home from work. Planning your meals also gives you the opportunity to enhance the nutritional value of each meal by considering healthier choices for you and your family. Keep it simple, you know what you and your family like and dislikes. Research indicates that simply by planning meals, it is possible to save as much as fifty percent on grocery expenses.

6. Take Inventory — after planning out your meals, take inventory before writing out your grocery list. Go through the pantry and match the items you have on hand to your recipes, and then create the grocery list.

Save time and money by having all of the items that you need on hand for completing each meal will eliminate multiple trips to the grocery store.

We all have to eat so anything that you can do that will take the stress off and save money is worth devoting a few minutes of time to each week. These simple strategies will work to keep you organized, while eliminating loads of stress — all the while saving quite a bit of money on your monthly grocery expenses. ***Do you ever have to take the kids with you?? If you do I have a little trick I always use…I give my kids a sucker and they have to ask to bite it. That way it lasts usually the whole shopping trip. However Finley usually asks me 15 times to bite it before we are done. But oh well whatever works!!!

Homework: Make a shopping list this week!! Hope you have a great and ORGANIZED weekend!!