by admin | Dec 13, 2013 | Grown Up
By Maria White
While this time of year can be one of the most enjoyable, it also ends up being one of the most stressful! Between holiday decorating, shopping, parties, cards to be sent, school performances, and traveling, it becomes quite a hectic time in our family. I know I am not alone. It seems all around me everyone is hassled and trying to figure out how they are going to get everything done in time. Doesn’t this seem to be the wrong message to be sent during this time of year, when really we should be slowing down and celebrating friends, family and another year?
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by admin | Nov 27, 2013 | Grown Up
This Thanksgiving, we thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite Thanksgiving traditions!
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by admin | Oct 4, 2013 | Grown Up
By Maria White
During this time of year, time seems to accelerate as we head towards the holidays. In fact, just today I was in a store where I saw a complete display of Christmas decorations! I couldn’t help but think to myself that it seemed awfully early to be thinking about Christmas, when in my brain school has just started and we are only beginning to discuss what we are going to be dressing up as for Halloween!
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by admin | Sep 13, 2013 | Grown Up
By Julie Green
Friday Night Lights conjures up visions of football players, cheerleaders, crowds of high school students and the marching band. Believe it or not, the kids that play in the band at half time of the football game are some of the hardest working, most committed athletes in the country. Yes, athletes. I know first hand as my son, Taylor, is a high school senior and has been captain for the percussion section for the past 3 years.
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by admin | Aug 23, 2013 | Grown Up
If you are anything like me, you are ready to get back into a routine. Summertime is great, but there is something about having a daily routine that seems to keep everything in order. While I am amazed at how fast the summer flew by, it sure didn’t take long for my house to become full of chaos, and not just because of the kids! I like to make the excuse that when we moved into our house two years ago, I was 7 months pregnant in the dead heat of a Houston summer and so all of our stuff literally got thrown into closets and cabinets and hasn’t moved since. So, the last few weeks I have been on Mission Organization. I am determined to tackle the “mess” of my house one room, one closet, one drawer and cabinet, at a time! Anyone else in? Here are a few things that I have already done that have seemed to bring a sense of structure to my life:
- Set up a command center – A new shelving unit with a cubby space for each family member and a large dry erase calendar on my kitchen wall now makes this Grand Central Station. The calendar is helpful so that my husband and I know the daily schedule (his contribution is the football game schedule for both our teams pinned up there). This is also a great place for keeping up with the kids’ many school papers, bills, etc. You will LOVE having everything together in one place!
- Clean out the closets – Get rid of all of the clothes that no longer fit (or the ones you just don’t wear anymore!) Take them to goodwill or try and get some extra spending money by holding a garage sale. I tell you, this can be a very liberating experience!
- Create a system for the kids’ masterpieces – There are endless amounts of school papers, artwork, and report cards that the kiddos will bring home that they (and you for the most part) will be proud of. The question is, what do you do with it all? Create a rotation system where the kids can select a few of their favorites and hang them up. We have a “Master Piece” wall that gets the favorite art pieces and then after awhile switch them out and file away the old ones in a file box that you can create for each child.
- Implement a meal planning system – I have previously written about the importance of meal planning for my family. Planning ahead allows for us to be prepared for the busy nights and ensures that we save money AND eat healthier. I recently purchased an adhesive weekly calendar to showcase all of our meals for the week. This hangs on our refrigerator and keeps us even more accountable!
We would love to hear some more ideas! So tell us, what are your best organization methods!?
by Maria White
