October Was Anything But Dead...

This year is just screeching by... I am still in disbelief that it is already November but I am glad October is over. And I am so glad we are finally at the point of Daylight Savings Time (it felt so good waking up this morning and feeling refreshed even though I was still up "early"). I am hoping this refreshed feeling stays and the rest of this month (despite the fact that the holiday season is creeping up on us) can go at a little slower pace.

Of course, it was fun to decorate the house for the Halloween festivities. (See how "redneck" we are- the christmas lights from last year still hanging from the roof...)

And it was so nice to get out as a family and go on a long drive to Ione and take the train ride.

And carving pumpkins is always a blast- this year we ALL did our own- it's usually me just carving the kids' with their "help" :).

And then there's the dress up play that comes with the end of the month:

(My daughter as a young lady from the 80's for her school party... For Halloween night she opted to be a "dead bride" as you can see from the photo above.)

(My son as dracula -without blood for his school party...)

(And mom as a cat... Dad doesn't dress up. :))

 

And the candy after trick or treating... so much junk food I don't know how I, er, the kids are going to eat it all! :)

 

But now that all of that is over (along with school meetings, food and harvest preservation, a date night with my husband, and the birth of my brand new nephew) I want a few weekends before the holiday rush to just relax. I don't know if that is possible though. I am now looking over my list of what needs to be accomplished before 2013- doesn't seem like there will be any "dead" space in November or December either... Oh well.

 

An Idea for the "App"less

So- is it true that not everyone has one of those cool phones or tablets with all the apps on them? I am one of those people. But I do like having access to technology- especially when there are so many neat things you can find on the internet as inspirational ideas! So I have my handy laptop to use. BUT... my laptop is not always accessible to me: sometimes I let my husband use it, sometimes I'm letting my children watch cartoons or play learning games on it, and sometimes I just can't use it to access a good idea because I'm in the kitchen and I don't want it getting all "floured and greased" on the counter!

So- this is my idea for keeping some seasonal inspirational ideas together. Some of those ideas I have printed off from those amazing sites with boards of ideas, and some I have just ripped out of good old fashioned print magazines (which I still find very relaxing to look through without a piece of hardware on my lap!) This way, when I'm working in the kitchen, or on the living room floor with my children, I can just open up this folder and be inspired for creative gifts, foods, or fun!

1. Get a 3-ring binder with insertable cover area. Quickly put together a cute cover that says the season!

2. Make sure you have some tabbed folders or dividers to use so you can organize your ideas into different types (mine are "Food" and "Fun").

 

3. Place your "ripped out" or "printed off" ideas in folder inserts and place in your folder.

Viola! A "mobile" app- safe in the kitchen and save in some kids' hands so they can browse too!

Reassessing a calendar- How it's helping me...

See this "blank" page from my 3-Ring-Binder calendar? This is the scheduling sheet I came up with to help myself feel organized yet not so pressured to accomplish items during certain periods of the day.

What I was doing before was putting my "garden water, study, exercise, and craft" items in the morning time, and then putting my "husband's business, homework, kids' time, and garden weeding" stuff in the afternoon when I got home. Well, if the evening stuff ended up taking longer- what with cooking dinner, the kids' behavior, personal errands I had to run, special husband time, etc- then I'd be up so much later at night and not have the energy to get up and spend 3 hours doing other stuff before going to work in the morning. Then I'd feel depressed and sad because I didn't have the motivation to get the stuff done that I really wanted to and I felt like I couldn't put priority on those things either.

AND I was writing everything in pen. So if I didnt complete something I had to squiggle it out and find another day to write it on. Those squiggles were depressing too!

I also filled in EVERY thing with something to do... I had to stop that because there's only so much I can do in a day!

So- I fixed the calendar page to include things I wanted to accomplish at home in one area- except the little bit of chore catch up or tiny personal things that I need to do too... (example, finishing up the laundry, paying a bill, etc). I also write things in pencil- so if I end up not having the time to complete something then I can erase it and pencil it in somewhere else. I also only fill in the very important items I need to do a week ahead of time- then I go on a day by day basis on filling in other things I'd like to accomplish.

You notice that "Craft" is the last thing on the calendar. This does not mean it has lowest priority in my "wants" to accomplish. I can already see the effects of this "new" calendar of mine working when it comes to getting what I WANT done too. I actually accomplished some art listing, blogging, and pinterest viewing in the past couple of days since I've done this calendar- and I feel so much more relaxed about it too!

Yes- think I'm crazy or totally OCD. But my point is: All I had to do was reassess my calendar and move it around a bit so I didn't feel so stressed out. Then I feel like I accomplish so much more- and so much more of what I ENJOY doing instead of just the droning day to day things I have to do.

Have you done this? What strategies help you sort your week out? I'd love to hear your stories!

Not Bored with this Board!- Summer Chore, Learning, and Allowance Board

Summer sure is flying by. Only a few short weeks before it's time for getting up earlier, hours of homework, and cramming any fun or relaxation for the kids onto the weekends. Of course- the summer months at our household haven't exactly been just laziness in the sunshine. No- I made sure my kiddos had some daily to do things to keep them busy, to exercise their brains, and to allow them opportunity to enhance their summertime experiences with some of their own spending money. Hence- our Summer Stars Whiteboard above.

I have found that having a system that combines rewards with consequences works very well with my children. So- for the positive part- my children can earn stars for completion of work through the week. The more stars they earn the better the reward. 6 stars = Special Treat (ice cream, cupcakes, their own candy snack mix, etc) with a late night movie on Friday or Saturday. 7 stars = Same thing AND the privilage of being able to play computer and video games over the weekend. 9 stars = Treat, Movie, Games, AND camping out in the living room one weekend night or camping outside in a tent. They only earned ALL stars once this summer and we actually went on a camping trip.

The consequences for bad attitudes, lying, tattling, arguing, slacking on chores, etc are 3 strikes. Because children aren't perfect (they are only human) I have to remember to give a few "chances" before taking away any privelages. There are some days when more than just "3 strikes" occur and other disciplinary action is needed (naps, corner time, etc) but this system seems to work pretty well. Here's how it works- each time my children act out of line to what they are expected to act like or when they do something wrong and they know better- they are given a strike for their negative behavior. If they get 3 strikes in a day- then they need to go to bed at 8:30pm (which is about 45 minutes early on a weekday and can be up to 2 hours early on a weekend). They also lose one of their "tallys" which I will explain next...

 My children earn tallies when they complete their daily chores, weekend chores, and learning activities I have come up with to keep their brains fresh "in the know" on reading, writing, and math. Tallies then add up to stars. Weekday chores include: dishes, feeding the chickens, feeding the dogs and cats, taking out the compost, taking out the garbage, wiping down bathroom counters, and setting the table for dinner. There are 6 days of opportunity- Sunday through Friday. Each day of completed chores equals a tally. 6 tallies equals a star.  Then there are weekend chores- bedroom, laundry, and superclean bathroom tub and floor. Each completed weekend chore is just one tally and a star automatically when completed. Then there are reading, journaling, and math activities that I've prepared for the kids to do each evening. When completed they get tallies. As you can see- they did need to read 7 times during the week, do 6 journal activities, and complete 4 math activities. I've eased up on them for August and brought the journaling down to 5 and reading down to 6 times- it can just be too difficult to accomplish so much. :) Anyway- each time equals a tally and when all tallies are earned it equals a star. Again- the more stars earned the more fun can be had!

 

Now, I am a parent who doesn't believe in allowance for chores that should be done as a "help" to the family anyway.  But I still believe in giving my children extra opportunity to earn some allowance for their own personal spending and to learn the value of money and saving too. So I came up with a few "extra chores" that can be done by choice to earn money for summer spending. Things such as weeding the garden, helping clean the kitchen stove, counters, fridge, putting away groceries, wiping down doors and cupboards, etc. When my children complete, and I review, one of these "Extra $ Chores" they move the magnet to their "bank" area so at the end of a week I can total it up and give them half for spending and half for their bank accounts. My kids have worked extra hard this last week to earn money for a skating field trip they are taking with the Boys and Girls Club tomorrow. My son likes to buy himself water bottles and treats in the vending machines. And my daughter is striving to save so she can buy fake nails and glue to use. I'll humor her on that one until school starts. :)


So- that's my board for keeping my kiddos from being bored. Did you implement any reward systems over the summer? Do you have your children earn allowance? I'd love to hear your input! Please share your delightful perception!

Cats and Dogs are Like Kids...

I am not much of an "animal lover"  per the definition of some people. But it seems to me that our pooches and felines in the household develop a personality that is just too much to ignore or brush off as not lovable. They are in as much need of adoration, attention, and discipline as our children are! Whenever my husband and I get the rare opportunity to have the house "to ourselves" and have a family member watch our children- we joke that we wish we had a babysitter for the dogs and cats too.

That being said- the cats and dogs under our roof are just other members of our family. Hence- they are just as much of an inspiration to our lives and creative beings as any other living and breathing human we care about. I do enjoy trying to capture the essence of what our puppies and kitties do with some of my crafty work. The image above is of a fun project I took on to test my drawing skills. I'm definitely an amateur- but I was happy with the results.

I also enjoy creating items that the dogs and cats will benefit from themselves- toys, beds, etc. I have listed a couple of items in my shop for others to consider purchasing (dog toy and cat toy). I have also done some searching around for other fun feling and pooch items and created a great collection of family oriented cat/dog items that would make great gifts.

Do you create cat/dog inspired items? What would you find to be a better gift for a pet lover- something for the pet or something for the lover that reminds them of the pet? What do you think of my drawing/painting? I'd love your input, feedback, and comments. Share your perceptions!

Visit my shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/PerceptiveDesigns

Visit the cat/dog gift treasury here: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTc5MzIxMnwyNzIzMTM1MTUy/dogs-and-cats-are-like-kids?index=0

I Love Garden Gifts!

I absolutely love receiving live plants as gifts from family and friends during my gardening season. I have many people think of me when going through their garden starts and it just makes me feel so good inside to know I am thought of. This year I have been blessed with some gorgeous dahlias (as you can see above), some tomato plants, some sunflower seeds, some sweet pepper starts, and a dill stalk. These sorts of gifts are amazing items that can be enjoyed throughout the growing season and, if taken care to "harvest" correctly, for many years to come.

I also love when I receive other, not so live, garden associated gifts. This year I have been given some hanging flower pots, some tomato cages, a few pots for planting, canning jars for my preservation and harvest, and for my birthday I received a lovely set of garden gloves and a kneeler. These items have come in so handy for everything I've been trying to accomplish in the dirt.

Receiving all of these items is so inspiring on wanting to give back with the fruits of what I accomplish in the garden. As my produce begins to bloom and provide it's nutrient rich foods, I have to remember how blessed I am and share the bounty that comes from the tilled soil. I am looking forward to "gifting back" to each person who has shown me kindness towards my gardening aspirations by bundling up my fresh lettuces, canning my fruitful tomatoes, and drying my delightful herbs. This will be my "thank you" for remembering me in their thoughts as well as for keeping my inpsiration on wanting to go on with the great task of gardening.

If you're thinking of gifting some garden inspired items to someone you care about- here's a great list of handmade items I have found on Etsy that are so adorable and perfect to spruce up any garden area with love!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTc5MzIxMnwyNzIwNTU1MDc1/gorgeous-garden-goodies

Life Goes Too Fast- Make A Priority To Make and Keep Summer Memories

Life goes too fast... I am reminded of this every time I browse through photos of my children when they were smaller, or see images of my husband and I when we were younger too. Sometimes we just let life go by while we sulk in the day to day wondering where it went and feel down about how there's never enough time or money to do anything. I don't like feeling like this. I don't like looking back on the past years as a family and only having a few memories of really taking advantage of time together.

Don't get me wrong- just being a family and being together is an amazing experience. I love morning to night ins and outs of being a wife and mother. But I also want to ensure that we all get to spend times experiencing things that leave us with loving memories to look back on and to share with future generations. Feeling down about not getting out much as a family was a motivator for me to encourage, facilitate, and budget for fun times this summer as well as come up with the idea of having my children keep a "Summer Journal" to keep those memories.

First step- I made sure to budget a bit for each month towards a "family activity" or "special event". I also made sure to include a little more in the budget for certain months that I knew would have larger events to take place (a birthday, graduation party, our anniversary, etc). This meant cutting out a bit on a little grocery money, not paying for a TV service, and being conservative with our energy usage so we can have the extra funds. Then, using some of our tax return, we made sure to have some "at home" facilitators of fun for the days we can't get out- putting up a Walmart above ground pool, setting up a trampoline, making sure the board games were all out in the living room bookshelves, stocking the craft cupboards, and making sure the electronic entertainers were all set up for use (movies, Wii, computer games, etc).

For out of the house activity- I made sure to sign my children up for a few summer activities that they could participate in and build memories as siblings even though Mom and Dad were at work. For example: Vacation Bible School with the help of our neighbors, at least 1 field trip per month while attending the Boys and Girl's Club in our area, and a "sleepover" time for them to stay with their aunt and step cousins. 

Then it was planning for certain activities that we could ALL take part in and making sure we made it a priority to set time aside in our schedule to do these things: Family reunion parties, Barbecuing with friends, camping, attending a Theme Park, and going to the movies. I also wanted to plan on a special activity that I could do with just my daughter and with just my son to give them some one on one memories too.

It doesnt seem like we're doing a LOT- but the summer is nearly half over already and it is going so fast! We aren't even near finished having a good time! In hopes that my children will be able to look back on specific details of these simple things we've done and are doing as a family- I came up with a "daily" journal for my children to input entries of their summer into:

Both of them will be able to keep little bits of memorabilia their decorated Summer 2012 folders.

Each will get to write their own thoughts, feelings, and point of view on their summer experiences by filling in notebook paper with the following tabbed subject lines: Fun Times, God Made Me GREAT, Things To Work On, and I Learned Something. The "God Made Me GREAT" and "Things To Work On" are two of my favorite 'tabs' because they give my children the opportunity to see the wonderful parts of who they are as well as see the elements of who they are that could use some improvement. I then comment on what they write so they are encouraged to continue thinking about growing as an individual.

 

These are some of the "God Made Me GREAT" things that my son wrote- 8 year old spelling interpret: 1. God made me smart. 2. God made me good at riding my bike. 3. God made me a good boy at reading. 4. I am good at making friends...

And these are some things that my daughter knows she needs to work on (again, spelling interpreted): 1. Listening better and not fight or argue. 2. I can work on doing my chores better. 3. Math.

I am really looking forward to looking back on these journals with my kids as they get older and going through the memories we've built as a family and seeing the lessons they've learned and grown from. I am hoping to continue this "Summer Journal" tradition as well as continue to make spending time doing some fun things as a family our priority.  Life just goes too fast not to.