What's Been Happening

Man, it's been a bit since I've blogged. Here's a peek at what's happened in the last couple of weeks. 

There was this. (J's birthday.)

Lots of cleaning since I live with a bunch of males.

Lots of cooking and eating since it was Thanksgiving.

Then right after Thanksgiving, this.

And cold meds for 3 guys.

Then I became diseased and I'm pretty sure one of these came out of my forehead Sunday night.

Sheldon, why did you and Lysol let me down?!

Then I was like

and this

Suddenly I had time for this to happen!

Which lead to this


via GIPHY

After I partially processed all the feels, I took more cold meds and decided to make a list.

Pros and cons of being sick. Yep, I'm channelling my inner Rory now.

Pros: 

* Naps!! You're going to take them whether you want them or not. 

* Putting my hot tea collection to good use. 

* No complaints about me watching Gilmore Girls in the bedroom. 

* Mystery Science Theater 3000 is even better when you're cracked out on cold meds. 

* It's a great way to play hide and seek with the dog. I wind up being a million degrees on the couch because of said dog. I sneak to the bedroom, dog heater follows in 5 minutes. 

Cons:

* Much needed deep cleaning and holiday prep and decorating is put on hold. 

* Kids finally share without an issue, only it's germs. Thanks, kids. 

* I can only hold half a thought in my brain. This is not conducive to reading or thinking. Even a Nora Roberts book is too much for my addled brain. It turns into some super deep philosophical tome. 

* Inner dialogue sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher. I hope nobody tells me anything important. 

* I had to postpone adulting yesterday because I really needed to make sense and be able to think before I dealt with adult things like bills and phone calls. 

Thankfully I'm feeling better today. No forehead alien births or feeling like I was diving off the deck of my ship after Moby Dick. I'm hoping to rid the house of pestilence ASAP because we're going to have a homeschool holiday party next week. As much as my friends love me, I'm sure they won't want me to share the cooties with them. I feel the same way about them.

Much love and Lysol to you all!! 

Operation DIY Planner Wallet

It's that time of year!! The holidays are coming up and it's time to make sure you have your budget under control. The way that works the best for me is using cash as much as possible. Thanks, Dave Ramsey, for the envelope system!!

**Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Dave Ramsey in any way. This is just my own personal opinion.**

So what do you do if you're on a budget and you don't really want to spend any of your dollars on something to hold said dollars? You whip up a DIY project!! Behold, my version of the planner wallet. Also, behold proof that I am not a professional photographer.

I like planners (Duh!!) and occasionally I buy multiples because, planners. I had a cobalt blue Michael's Recollection binder that I decided to put to work for this and I had already stocked up on personal sized business card holders and a had a personal sized zipper pocket a while back. Now to put it all together.

This is what my workspace looks like when I'm working on Christmas cards, lettering practice, DIY gifts, and swapping planners over. Now you can feel great about your workspace clutter. I'm thoughtful like that. You're welcome. #keepinitreal

If you're using envelopes for cash, you have options.

*You can buy the plastic zipper pockets to hold your money. Depending on the brand, you can get them from $4-$10.

*You can use regular letter sized paper envelopes. I tried this a while back and they just didn't hold up well enough for my personal preference. *sticks nose in the air*

*You can make your own envelopes with cardstock or scrapbook paper. (This was suggested to me by a close friend.)

I chose the 3rd route.

1) For the cuteness factor. I need color.

2) I can make sure it will hold up to a lot of use.

I used "The Google" to find a free printable template. I did make a boo-boo first. I got too excited and didn't measure how the cash would fit after the holes were punched. Womp, womp. Live and learn, bro, live and learn. (The boo-boo envelopes are in the right corner of the messy desk picture. Yep. I made 4 of them before I realized they were the wrong size. Go big or go home, right?)

Then I found this awesome printable and it was poifect. "The Google" is a wonderland.

I'll also be adding more envelopes as I go. These were the ones that I could think of right off the bat. You don't want to know how many of those white labels I went through to get them to look just right. Thank goodness they come in a 100 pack for $1.00 from Dollar General.

Tip of the day: You can't do fancy lettering and give your project the finger at the same time. It's not conducive to a steady hand.
 
Random thought: "Receipt" is a weird looking word.

Now, I didn't use the boxes to track the spending because I have The Creative Year Budget booklet from Michael's.

(FYI: I tried to find the link for these from Michaels.com, BUUUUUT they didn't have them online. So if you want to see them in person, go to Michael's, sniff them, caress them, try not to get banned from the store, and see if they will fit your needs.)

I'm considering adding some velcro dots to the envelopes to help keep them shut. Right now I have them closed with binder clips.

I also added some lined paper in the very back for those times when you really need to jot something down, budget-related or not. Sometimes you just need to write a note telling someone you think they're awesome, you like their leggings, and you really want to be BFFs. Then when they run away, you can journal your feelings for your next therapy session. Or maybe a soulful haiku or limerick. I like limericks.

Or maybe keep track of pricing, wish lists, holiday shopping lists... anything you might need paper for.

Voila!! That's all I did! Simple, useful, and pretty much using my planner stash like a boss. The dumbfounded look I get when I pull this thing out to pay always makes my day. It's the little things, folks. Saving money and shocking people with my mad skillz. It's a win-win.

How I Do Chore Charts for my Kids

I found it very amusing how many messages and questions I got over something in the background of a picture I posted on my Instagram last week. Here's the pic. 

Everybody wanted to know about the list on my fridge. That's the daily chore list I have for my kids. It isn't fancy. It isn't pretty. It's simply a visual reminder for them to do these things daily. And yes, if you have boys, they're probably going to need a few hygiene reminders. To paraphrase JFK, "what can you do for your country?" Teeth brushing and deodorant, for the love!!

I count this a part of our homeschool routine. These are life skills. Yep. Even the smallest things need to be taught. Teaching your kids to have good habits is SO important for their growth. I don't just mean habits so they aren't channeling Pigpen from Peanuts. Teaching these small habits helps them learn how to create positive habits in their lives. Habits are something that can make or break you. Bad habits are things we always hear about, but what about good habits? 

*Going to bed at a decent time.
*Reading for a set amount of time.
*Putting things away when you're finished with them. (We're still working on this one. Even me.)
*Putting your dirty clothes in the hamper at the end of the day. (Omg, this one will be the death of me!)

*Putting your dirty dishes in the sink after a meal. And if you rinse them, you get bonus points!!

These are just a few good habits I want to instill in my kids.


"So, why are habits important?"

Habits teach self-sufficiency and independence. I don't know about you, but I don't exactly plan on doing my kids' laundry when they're 35. If there was an emergency, well, that's a horse of a different color.

Habits teach independence and responsibility.

You know those days where you feel like you are the worst mother ever because your kids just don't seem to "get" the simplest things that you do EVERY.DANG.DAY. and you're just ready to give up? Those days are completely canceled out for me when my kids do something they're supposed to without being told. I hear angels singing, the light is brighter and more glorious, and I feel like I have actually accomplished something HUGE because the person who came out of my person is turning into an actual thinking, functioning, independent person. I have actually done something RIGHT in this Mom thing!! They did something without being TOLD?! THE WORLD IS ACTUALLY ENDING! 

"Do they do things without being told every day?"

via GIPHY

Oh! Did you say something? I'm sorry I couldn't hear you over the sound of my own laughter. OMG. NO. There are days I have to remind them 50 million times. Then I have to turn into The Godfather. "Imma make you an offer you can't refuse." That offer is usually me taking away all screen time until they decide to be a contributing part of the family. Mom doesn't play that game. Mom isn't always going to follow them around and remind them. Mom cannot call them at their job and ask them if they've done what they're supposed to do when they're adults. Mom is going to teach you how to be a functioning part of the human race right now because that is her job and she gets paid in gray hair and boxed wine. 

I'm always writing down my own lists in my planners, so a checklist isn't foreign to them. Since they're very visual learners, a simple list works great. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive. In fact, I keep it cheap because we rotate chores often so everyone gets to learn how to do things.

This list is super simple. It's just a piece of plain old copy paper that I jotted their to-dos in Sharpie and laminated it. That's all. You can use Sharpie on it to check things off (Hand sanitizer and a paper towel or rag and a smidge of elbow grease takes it right off.) You can also use dry or wet erase markers. Your choice. I occasionally use things that won't just wipe off because *SOME* people like to erase their brothers' list to make them mad. Yep. We are that family. Yay brothers!

That's it! Easy DIY chore charts for your kids. Customize them for your family, make several, use them to earn allowances (if you do such a thing), use them to earn more privileges, potty training... Heck, make one for yourself if you need to! Learning new good habits is never bad.