Lazy Days of Summer...come back to bite me every time

I love to sleep in.  I'm not going to lie.

Staying up late is one of my favorite guilty pleasures, so morning often comes too early for me. During the school year I'm mostly out of luck, but during the summer Duane doesn't mind fixing breakfast for the kids and supervising morning tv watching. However, eventually around 8:30 or so the house fills with cries for mommy and I can't ignore the new day or the sudden emotional neediness of my youngest 3 kids.

For the rest of the day, I feel like I'm playing catch-up and realize -- once again -- it's just not worth it.

Staying up late only serves to borrow energy and productivity from the next day.

This week I read a blog post called 10 reasons NOT to get up early.  The title caught my attention because normally these bloggy moms are all about efficiency and productivity.  I thought, "See?  Someone thinks I deserve to get a little me time and extra rest."  Funny, I was well into the list before I got the tongue in cheek tone.  ; )

Here are a few of my own reasons not to get up early, ripped from the pages of my actual life story:
1 - I love it when my children bound onto the bed (and me) before I've had time to pee.
2 - I get warm fuzzies from the weird dreams (aka nightmares) as I drift in and out of sleep.
3 - Showers are always more fun with an audience.
4 - It's awkward eating breakfast while the hubby is having his mid-morning snack.
5 - When it comes to good habits, I think the mantra "Do as I say and not as I do" is always the best policy.

Needless to say, I have signed up for the free eBook Maximize Your Mornings and am now allowing God to school me on this subject.  I know the early bedtime, early morning routine maximizes my potential.  I've experienced it.  I'm ready to make it a life goal this time because frankly, my 10 reasons for not getting up early aren't all that funny.

Blessings,
Steph

Fun Friday - Easy Dressing/Marinade

This yummy balsamic vinegar dressing and marinade is extremely versatile and good for you too! I make it in small batches and we enjoy it fresh. It's the favorite go-to dressing around our house.  : )

Ingredients:
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t minced garlic (I use the jarred kind)
pepper to taste

Stir ingredients together and pour over:
cucumbers and tomatoes
pasta salad
green salad
cous cous salad

Or, use to marinate chicken or beef. Just substitute the extra virgin olive oil with a higher flash point, like olive oil, extra light olive oil, or canola.

Note:
This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or more.  The rule of thumb is to use twice as much vinegar as oil.  Increase the garlic accordingly, or to taste.

Enjoy!

Thar She Blows!

Are you on overload, about to blow?  Join the club, sister!  Sometimes I feel that if someone just looks at me wrong, it'll all come spilling out in a flow that could drown us all.

So how does one contain all that stuff boiling over the edges of our heads -- great ideas (yet realized), prayer needs, tasks undone, things we need to write on the calendar?  We don't!  Dump it!  One of the best techniques I've learned recently is the "brain dump" from HeatherO.  You can read about it in her blog. The idea is that you spend a few moments writing down all the stuff you have swirling around in your head, then take a few more moments organizing it into tasks that are easy to accomplish.

I've even started using this concept to help with my overflowing heart.  When I'm feeling overwhelmed emotionally, I can deal with it much more easily if I pour it out onto paper and look at.  Name it. Pray over it. Release it. It's a great tool.  I encourage you to try it.  Heavy minds and heavy hearts are hard to carry around.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (New Living Translation)

Blessings,
Steph

Wordless Wednesday - Zoo Trip

the artist and her protoge 

mischief

My brother Chis and Annie <3

adventuring!

a beauty, even in 104 degree heat

I see you, Chris!

my pride and joy

precious, both of them

How to get your kids to help tidy the house…and have fun doing it! (Part 2)

Here's the second half from last week's post.  The results can be worth the effort!

Make each child successful - 

-Little ones can do lots of basics, like putting all of one type of item in a container.  Building blocks, playing cards, puzzle pieces, and even game pieces can be sorted individually into a pile by you or an older child, then put into a large box or tub by the younger child. After that, you can transfer the toys to the proper container, which may be harder to manipulate.

-Young elementary children can put away specific types of items (all of the stuffed animals, plastic toys, clothing, etc.) with prompting.  For some kids, it's especially important to allow them to focus only on one kind of item, as they can be overwhelmed by the disorganization of messiness.

-Older elementary kids and teens can take care of miscellaneous items and things which require decision making, like whether a piece of clothing is clean or dirty.  They can also be asked to vacuum or dust after the team cleaning is over.

General Things to Remember:
-It's best to give the kids a heads-up before starting clean-up:  "After snacks, we're going to do some pick-up and earn some quarters, okay?"  Then, at snack time:  "When we're done, we'll do our clean-up and make some money...very exciting!"

-Choose a time when everyone is fresh and no one is hungry or out of sorts. 

-Stop when you feel the momentum slowing down, especially the first couple of times you try it.  If the memory of "fun tidying" is actually fun, it'll be easier to convince everyone (including yourself) that working as a team is the way to go.

Reality Check.  

The day I was originally supposed to post this blog, I had plans for the kids and myself to tackle the house and "have fun doing it."  It was a disaster!  The kids were tired, I was irritated, and we only picked up one room of the house...begrudgingly...instead of the several I had planned. Life works to keep me humble, that's for sure!  But, I'm happy to say we tried again a couple of days later and we were back in our groove. 

I'd love to hear how it works for you...keep your chin up, give grace, and remember...it doesn't have to be perfect!!

Blessings,
Stephanie

Wordless Wednesday - Pear Flower

This is probably the best picture they've ever taken
together!  And all for a pretty pear flower.

Brother is not to be left out!! Grab while the getting is good.

Act fast now.

This is her favorite funny face.

My cute boy!!

Happiness = food, lol!

How to get your kids to help tidy the house…and have fun doing it! (Part 1)

Prevailing upon the children to help with tidying the house can be a chore in itself.  How many times have we moms resorted to doing all the clean-up alone because frankly, it's not worth the hassle?  With a few new ideas in the mommy supply closet, however, it might not be as sweat-inducing as feared.

Here are some ideas that have met with some success around our house: 

Quick bursts - I set the timer for 5 - 15 minutes (depending on the size of the task) and we focus on a particular room or project.  We all work as quickly as possible to see how much we can get done.  I try to keep the tone light, but urgent.  "Hurry, what else can we pick up?"

Reward at each break - When the timer goes off, we assess our progress.  There may be a couple more things to pick up or do, but I try to stop as quickly as possible.  Then we do something fun -  like the chicken dance - or I pass out dimes or quarters.  Stickers or M&M's are also fun and easy.

Work as a team - When everyone is working at the same time, no one feels especially put out.  It's been a learning process for my kids to help clean up each other's rooms and closets.  It feels great to give and receive help...no matter whose mess it is.

Make a game out of it - If there's more than one area to be tidied, we sometimes write them down on strips of paper and the kids take turns picking them out of a hat.  Rewards for the breaks can also be drawn, adding a sense of suspense.

Look for more ideas on Friday's blog about how to tailor the clean-up process to meet the needs of your child's age range.  Also, tips for success and my humbling "get real" moment...

Until then, let me know if you try any of these ideas and how it goes...I'd love your feedback!

Blessings,
Steph