Easter Eggs Decorated without Vinegar!

I love this fun way of decorating Easter eggs that I found last year. I'm not sure where I found this but it made my life better because I didn't have to have a house smelling like vinegar when we decorated eggs!

To get these cool colors you need:

cool whip

food coloring

skewer or a knife

Spread cool whip in a baking dish. Add a few drops of food coloring. If you do two colors then you can use the skewer or knife to spiral them around in the cool whip. Roll the eggs in the colorful cool whip and then place them on a paper towel on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Rinse the eggs and dry them. 

The only problem with doing the eggs like this is that they were so awesome our youngest son didn't want to let us eat them!

Like so many other families we like to have egg hunts with plastic eggs filled with treats. We started a tradition many years ago to have one empty egg. This is the most special egg and all the boys want to be the one to find it. They know that this represents the empty tomb. We believe Jesus died and was resurrected for everyone so we could all live again. This little tradition helps our family remember the reason why Easter is so special to our family.

Family Organizing

Three years ago I posted about our Family Bank Account system here. Since then we have simplified this system. This new system fits our family better in our current stage. I share these thoughts with you in the hopes that you will find ideas for making your family life a little easier and more organized.

1. We now give the children money each week based on their age. They age out of this at 18! They get a $1 per year of life each week. For example, our son who is 10 gets $10/week. This money is used for saving, charitable giving and for spending on items they need or want like clothing, tickets to movies or outings with friends and birthday or Christmas gifts for friends or family. They have chances to earn more money with extra jobs at home. Our teenagers have found jobs outside the home as well.

As part of learning to save money the boys are required to have an emergency fund. This is an amount they have to keep in the account for emergencies. Little children don't have many emergencies but once they are teenagers it seems like these happen more often! Also, we have taught them to plan for the future. One son is going to college. We've looked up the cost of the school he wants to go to. He knows what he needs to save for college and has been working on a plan to reach that goal.

The boys have their own bank accounts. This has made my life easier. We have a set amount that comes out of our bank account each week that goes into the account for each son. Then if a child needs new shoes he can see if he has enough money and he can pay for them. It's nice that it's not a hit to our account each time this comes up. Plus, as I mentioned in the first post about family organizing, that child has a real sense of ownership and understanding of what things cost. This is such a valuable lesson.

2. Each week a son has a chore he is in charge of. It's either taking out the trash/recycling, picking up the floors, folding laundry or getting the mail and dusting. You could work this for whatever jobs you want your kids to get good at. I know one family who divides up meal time with setting the table, clearing it, wiping it down after a meal, etc. The job/chore rotates each week so the boys get to help with everything at some point. They have to make sure to get their job done before screen time. (And we have a limited amount of screen time each day but that is a can of worms for another post!) One reason we had the day divided up was to help the children have motivation to get to bed on time. They were able to earn money if they did this. Instead, we now have a routine. About 30 minutes before bed we have a family prayer. Then the boys do what they need to do to get ready for bed. If they are all ready and in bed on time I read with the youngest or let the older ones read to themselves for anywhere from 15-30 minutes. Our bedtime problems have mostly gone away. We don't have to keep track of who stayed in bed or not. The boys seem to like the routine. To be read to and then tucked into bed seems calming for our youngest son who struggles at night. This is often a good time for questions and one on one time with a parent. I used to be so tired at the end of the day that I didn't want bedtime to take a while. But, by structuring what we do, it probably takes less time than it did before when we had kids coming out after they'd been tucked in. You may do different bedtime things, but whatever you do, it helps a child to have a routine to let him or her know it's time to wind down.

3. Speaking of routines, I've found it very helpful to have a weekly schedule on the refrigerator. It's in the middle of the kitchen so everyone sees it. It's on a magnetic whiteboard so it's easy to change each week. It includes the jobs the boys need to do. I see the boys checking it often. And now that we have kids working, piano lessons, basketball practice, play practice, tennis lessons, and on and on, we need a way to stay organized!!! And by writing it all out we can see just how busy we are. We've started not doing things that don't bring us joy or add value to our lives. By saying no to activities we are saying yes to family time and down time that we all desperately need. Our days start around 5am every day and it's been healthier for us to say no and have time for things like walks, relaxing by watching a show together or playing games. With one son graduated from high school and another who is a senior I feel the days are going too quickly. They are going to be living away from us too soon. We are trying to savor every moment with our sons.

4. We are also savoring the moments together as a couple. A friend recently passed away from cancer. It shouldn't take something as heart breaking as that to remind us that life is short. Now his wife is a young widow. I'm sure she wishes each day she could talk to her husband again, hug him, do something sweet for him or go get dinner together at a favorite place. When we have someone we love in our lives it makes life sweeter to make time for this person and to appreciate the gift of this relationship. I guess that's what's been driving the changes in our family system. We are simplifying and being very intentional about what we spend our time and money on. We are trying to focus on what matters most.

Christmas Ideas

Hookey

BulziBucket

Family games are a great Christmas gift idea. Here are two that we've enjoyed playing this year:

1. Hookey. With six soft rings for each player to throw at the board you don't have to worry about damage to your walls. There are several different ways to play this game. It's fun for the whole family. 

2. BulziBucket. With three buckets to get your three soft hacky sack type balls into, hopefully you will connect with one of them! The smaller the bucket the more points you score. The buckets slide into each other to pack up and take with you in a bag. The concept is simple but that doesn't mean it gets old quickly! The only con is the price. It sells for around $60 on Amazon right now.

3. For card or table top games you might consider: 

Monopoly Deal. It's a quick card game. I know, that's hard to believe since the regular Monopoly game is anything but quick! Try it-I bet you'll enjoy it! 

Bananagrams. This game is like Scrabble but instead of taking turns everyone makes words with the tiles in front of them. You have to keep taking tiles every time someone uses all his or her tiles. Once the draw pile is gone the first person to use all his or her tiles by making (legitimate) connected words wins! 

Dragonwood

Our family loves Dragonwood. There is strategy, luck and all kinds of fun creatures to capture in this game. The age recommendation is 8 and up but our son played it without any problems at 6. You even get a bonus of practicing addition and figuring out risk by thinking about percentages as you play!

Sleeping Queens

Christmas will be here soon so here is a great gift idea. Our family loves this simple, fast, inexpensive card game. In Sleeping Queens you try to capture enough queens to win the game but with dragons, knights and sleeping potions involved it can get tricky!

The age recommendation is 8 and up but our six-year-old had no problem catching on to how to play this game.

Mad Cow Tacos

If you live near Austin you probably know the restaurant Torchy's Tacos. But did you know they have a secret menu? I learned about this recently and ordered the Mad Cow Taco from the secret menu. I really liked it. When I took my husband and boys to try it they all liked it too. 

But not all of you are lucky enough to live in Austin! So, here is my version of the Mad Cow Taco for you to enjoy at home.

1.5 lbs skirt steak

2 limes, juiced

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the steak in a large ziplock bag. In a bowl mix the rest of the ingredients. Pour this mixture into the bag with the meat. Let marinade in the refrigerator for two hours. After two hours take the bag out of the refrigerator and let sit on counter for 20 minutes. Heat grill. Remove steak from bag, discarding bag and remaining marinade. Cook steak to your taste. Let the meat sit for five minutes before cutting into thin slices.

small flour tortillas, warmed

shredded colby jack cheese

1.5 c corn, warmed

1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed then warmed 

avocado, sliced

cilantro, chopped

your favorite cilantro ranch type dressing

To assemble tacos place the meat on the tortilla and then add desired amount of the rest of the ingredients (corn, beans, etc). It's best to have warmed tortillas but it's tricky to do that for a family of six! I use this tortilla holder my wonderful friend Anna gave me to keep the tortillas warm after I warm them on the stove. Then when we all sit down to eat everyone gets a warm tortilla at the same time.

While visiting my aunt this summer I was able to do a little cooking with her. For one recipe she pulled out these herb scissors. I'd never seen these before! These are so great! I found them at my local grocery store and have been using them regularly. They are helpful in this recipe to cut up the cilantro quickly and easily.

Switch out the flour tortillas for corn ones and you have a gluten free meal you can smile about!

Husband rating: 4 stars

Boys say: thumbs up 

Better Lunches

By this time of year you might be getting sick of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for your kids to take for lunch! You check the lunch menu at school and decide that you'd rather make lunch than have them buy nachos (really? how is that a lunch?) or hamburgers or pizza, yet again. You want your children to have healthy eating habits and, unfortunately, that school lunch just isn't cutting it. But what can you and your children pack for lunches each day? Here are a few tip to mix it up and keep it healthy.

• This time of year I start making soups again. Last night I made Chicken Wild Rice Soup and had enough left to pack in a thermos. This thermos is the perfect size for a lunch box. And it's nice that the boys can have a warm lunch some days. If you don't have time to make soup buy the canned kind. Maybe you could get a Mexican chicken soup and add apple slices, tortilla chips and guacamole. You can also send left over pasta, stew or chili. There are ways to make it fun and give the kids something to look forward to.
• When you need to keep a lunch cold these ice packs are very handy. They give you more options when you're making a lunch. You can find these in the grocery store or even online at sites like Amazon.com.

• Try ham and cheese on a bagel. I don't know why but anything on a bagel seems more fun to my boys. 
• Make a turkey wrap. Inside a tortilla put honey mustard, turkey, provolone cheese and spinach leaves and wrap it up. 
• Club sandwich-If you've made bacon that morning save some for a sandwich. Bacon, turkey, cheese, lettuce and a tomato will make a sandwich that is filling. Don't forget the whole grain bread.
• Peanut butter banana tortilla. Yes, you read that right. I know, I think it's weird too, but my kids like to have a tortilla with peanut butter on one half. Then we slice a half a banana and put those slices on the peanut butter. We fold the tortilla over and you have something my 6 yr old will eat! 
• Peanut butter and honey sandwich. On whole wheat bread this sandwich will give the kids some energy but leave them with some protein that will keep them going for a while. We like the thick honey that comes in tubs.
• For little ones you can get away with finger foods for a lunch. Put turkey, ham slices or even jerky, cheese slices or string cheese, crackers, and veggies or fruits all in little baggies. It's a fun way to have something different for lunch.
• For sides try to avoid the chips. It's easy and quick but there isn't anything good in them for your kids. Always reach for the fruits and veggies first. Kids don't always like veggies, but they do like to dip their food. I have bought compartment tupperware where one part is smaller for the ranch and one part is bigger for the baby carrots, sugar snap peas or cherub tomatoes. I find my boys will eat their apples if I cut them up at home instead of putting a whole apple in their lunch box. Grapes, chopped melons, strawberries, bananas are all good options. Also, yogurts and string cheeses are good side options. This is where those ice packs will come in handy! And don't forget the plastic spoon so your little one can eat the yogurt.
• I would recommend not putting a treat in the lunch box every day. It creates a habit of always having something sweet after a meal. That's not a good habit! Every now and then makes it a treat. Every day makes it a habit.
• Don't forget to add a note! Once in a while I'll put a note on the napkin or on a sticky note and toss it in with the lunch. It's a fun way for my children to know I'm thinking about them while they are away from home. My mother used to do this for me and it made me feel special. Draw a funny face, tell them something you appreciate about them, tell them you love them. These little acts create positive moments that strengthen a relationship. 

Better Days Tips-Think of Your Favorite Things

A week ago I didn't write a new quote on the chalkboard. I left space for everyone to write what some of their favorite things are. It was fun to see what all my guys added. And good to spend time thinking about what and who we love.

Better Days-Travel Light

We can all tell a tale or two about a terrible traveling experience. But very few people can top my friend Amy's* story. Amy was on the plane with her children. Enough said, right?! She took one son to the bathroom. She helped him, which was tricky in such a tight space for two people, and then needed to use the toilet too. Amy turned around, sat down and, to her horror, started to feel warm liquid running down the back of her legs and onto her pants. The toilet seat lid had closed and she didn't realize it! She had to wrap a sweater around her bum to cover her wet pants and sit in it the rest of the flight.

But that could never happen to you, right? What about your checked bag showing up in a different country than you arrived in? Or maybe the bag does arrive in the country with you but you can't get through customs fast enough and someone else mistakes your bag for theirs and takes it. That happened to me in Spain.

To avoid these scenarios and so many others, help yourself out and pack light when you travel! Pack light enough that you don't have to check your bag and can keep it with you at all times.

When my husband was unexpectedly sent to Europe right around his birthday we decided to make a couples trip out of it. After his work I met him in Munich for a trip we'd been dreaming about for 17 years. I was there for 12 days. If you can believe it, all I had with me is pictured above!

And if that doesn't shock you, then the fact that I took this same luggage and large handbag with me two weeks later on a trip that lasted 24 days should impress you! How did I do it? I consulted ricksteves.com for travel advice. Rick Steves has travelled Europe for decades. He knows the best ways to pack.

Here are a few tips that helped me:
1. Bring the smallest size toiletries possible. I packed all my liquids in one airport security approved bag. That also made getting ready in the morning easier because I just had one little bag to grab. On the first trip I learned how long the hairsprays, the shampoos, the contact cleaners and other things would last me. It was easy to restock on the 24 day trip. There was no reason to bring all that I needed for more than three weeks from the beginning.
2. Do laundry! I didn't need 12 different outfits for Europe! I brought versatile outfits and I did laundry when they were dirty. I did the best I could to limit the shoes I brought. Shoes take up a lot of space!
3. Don't take a hairdryer. I never needed one anyways. All the hotels had one. Or I threw my hair back in a pony tail and spent time exploring amazing places instead of being in a bathroom doing my hair! I did take a hairdryer on the 24 day trip but I didn't take as many shoes on that trip. You have to be strict with yourself on your load. It's so easy to come and go with only a small roller bag and a big purse.
4. Check the size requirements for carry on bags on international flights. These rules have changed recently. You don't want to go to all the work of packing light only to have your bag checked because it's too big.

Give it a try! You can do it! Once you do you will never go back to lugging around huge bags on your trips! And if you happen to have an accident between your house and your destination you'll have clothes to change in to!

*name changed to protect the identity of my embarrassed friend!

Better Books-The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

When someone asks me, "How do you keep your house clean?" I'm pretty sure we are both adding the same thing to the rest of that question-"How do you keep your house clean with four boys?!" It's no small feat keeping the Legos, Bakugans, Skylanders, Beyblades, Pokemon cards and basketballs off the carpet and in their homes! 

I used to think that keeping the house clean meant throwing all that "random, don't know what to do with this" stuff in the unfinished basement space. But I don't have a basement anymore now that I live in Texas! And, the "throw it all in the basement and close the door" mentality was a problem too. When I needed documents I had to sift through bags of it on the floor. When I went in that room to organize it I usually walked back out because I was overwhelmed by the task. No room in our homes should be overwhelmingly awful! Our spaces should contribute to us feeling happy. 

Once I moved to Texas and had to open every box and find a home for it's contents a major change occurred in my life. I found the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and in it found tools for how to make good decisions about what stayed in my home and what didn't. I no longer looked at a gift and felt I had to keep it. The gift had served its purpose. It was a symbol of friendship and love. I still cherished the friend and the kindness shown me. But I didn't have to store the Christmas decoration year after year and never use it, or dust it or look at it. Too many things are just too many things! 

I looked at my books. I LOVE books. But in about an hour my husband and I went through all our boxes of books and kept about 1/3 of them. Those "I really should read this" books were given away. I had never read them and didn't have any idea when I would so I released them into the world to benefit someone else!

All my clothes were looked at with the thought "Does this bring me joy?" If the answer was yes I kept it. If the answer was no I gave it away or tossed it. And I still do this. When I notice I haven't worn a shirt in a while I ask myself why. I recently took 10 items out of my closet that I never wore. I have now made room for cute new things that I will wear. And, as a side note, this was a great thing to do at the end of summer. All the summer clothes were on clearance so I found good deals on the new items! 

Now all the boxes are gone. Everything has a place where it lives in our home. When I need to get something out for a craft project I know just where to find what I need. When we need to replace batteries or lights I know where they are. When I bring food home from the grocery store everything has a place to go. It's a life-changing, freeing, happy way to live! Having an organized home full of items that bring me joy (like the reading chair I purchased when I considered what type of life-style I wanted in my home) is a wonderful way to live.

And back to that question of how we keep it clean with all these boys-we have worked with them to have a home for each of their toys. The hot wheels have a bucket. The Legos have a bucket. When it's time to clean the playroom everything has a place to go. And if it's not put in its place we have another motivator-the Marmalade Monster! 

One day I found a tote bag I wasn't using anymore. I gave it to the boys, along with some permanent markers, and told them to decorate it and come up with a name for it. Thus, the Marmalade Monster was born! This monster comes out without warning. Usually it comes out after bedtime or after the boys have gone to school and left their toys all over. The toys eaten by the Marmalade Monster are not returned until the weekend. And sometimes we forget to bring it out for weeks since no one actually misses what has been eaten! But when the monster gives back what has been taken the boys have a set amount of time to put the toys away, throw them away or if they are left again I get to decide what to do with them!

Favorite Toys and Games

With Christmas right around the corner I've been thinking about the toys and games that are winners. These are the toys that are still loved weeks and months after Christmas Day. Hopefully this gives you ideas for your family's wish list!

Games

Whenever we tell someone about Qwirkle they have usually not heard of it. I love the square wooden pieces of this game. You match the color or the shape and make new lines. You score points for using your pieces. You earn a Qwirkle-12 points-when you finish a line of a color or shape. The person with the most points at the end of the game wins. It's easy to see why this is an award winning game.

We play Rummikub with a speedy twist. We allow everyone to pick their tiles and then we say Go! Everyone plays as fast as they can! There are no turns or waiting for someone to strategize. We've played this way with two people on a team and arms are flying all over the place to grab a needed tile! It's fast, fun and everyone 5 and up can play it.

Hoot Owl Hoot is a unique game. The players work together to get all the owls back to the nest before the sun comes up. It's a great way to play as a team where you win or lose as a team. This game is appropriate for ages 3 and up.

King of Tokyo is a really interesting game. You pick a monster and try to be the King of Tokyo by earning 20 victory points or being the last monster standing. This game is different every time. Several different strategies can be tried. We bought it for our six-year-old, who can play it if we read the cards to him, but our 9-13 year-olds want to play it as often, if not more. 

Big Picture Apples to Apples is a great game for everyone. I love the concept of choosing a picture to match a word. The younger players learn new vocabulary. It's funny to see what pictures are chosen. It's also funny to see what the judge chooses each round. One word of caution: I did remove about 20 of the cards that I didn't think were family friendly. I'm probably overly cautious but it's a good idea to go through the cards and make sure you feel good about all of them before you start game play.

Spot It! is a fast-paced game of matching that only takes a couple of minutes to play. And once the round is over the kids will be asking to play again! I still don't know how they make every card have one match with every other card. It's amazing!

We forgot to bring Word on the Street to a family reunion once and we were in big trouble! My husband's competitive siblings enjoy this game. There are two teams. Each team is given a topic and has to come up with a word that will pull letters to their side of the street (the game board) before the time runs out. Once a team captures six letters that team wins. It's a fast-paced fun game.

Toys

Legos! You can't go wrong with Legos. Our boys play longest with the castle sets. We have one castle set and one dragon set and they have battles. They love the mini figures that come with the sets. The imaginative play with the figures is great. Once the boys take apart a set they keep the pieces all in a large bucket and go to that on rainy afternoons to make new creations. My nieces like the sets with the cityscapes such as a fair ground with rides.

Every remote control anything we've bought has broken! I had decided to never buy a remote control toy again until we went to visit family and saw our nephew's helicopter. It crashed over and over (he was still learning how to fly it) and kept flying! Three of our boys used their money to buy this Syma S107G 3.5 Channel RC Helicopter with Gyro and all three still work. For about $20 you can't go wrong with this toy.

For the little ones these non-toxic foam Wonder Blocks are the perfect gift. I know they will leave you with blocks all over your floor, but at least they are soft! They can go in the bath, they can go in the mouth (doesn't everything a one-year-old touches?!), they can become a castle for your favorite animals or a garage for your Hot Wheels. 

I did not buy this for our boys! What parent wants to bring sand in the house?! This was a gift and it was a hit! As long as we kept the sand on a cookie sheet we were able to contain most of it. And it really is fun to play with.

Of all the indoor hoops we've tried this is the best one. We attached this SKLZ Pro Mini Hoop X-Large to my sons wall. He and his father, his brothers, his friends and even I have played basketball in his room. This hoop has held up to all that play. This hoop has provided hours of enjoyment.

Magformers are expensive! But they are fun. We've had ours for years and none have broken. We've made everything from crowns to balls to rockets. Magformers are great for girls or boys.

What little boy doesn't love nerf guns? But then you have nerf darts all over your house! And the darts break. We bought two of these Lazer Tag packs. This way we can have teams of two playing against each other. When friends come over they love this active game. 

Note: I have not been paid by anyone or been given these games or toys for a review. I'm sharing what our family likes. If you have a family favorite game or toy please share it in the comments!

Entryway Ideas

I don't know where the idea for this coat rack came from, but I had it in my head that I wanted to buy a cabinet door and turn it into a coat rack with a collection of fun drawer pulls. I found this cabinet door being sold on craigslist. I bought the five different knobs from Hobby Lobby. I love that store! I also bought a hanging system from Lowe's for about $12. It has a strip of metal that goes on the cabinet door and one that goes on the wall. Then the two slide into each other. It was really simple to hang. The metal from the knobs stuck out too far in the back of the cabinet door so I used a dremel tool to cut off the excess metal. That was exciting! Sparks were flying everywhere! 

Right now I have the "Hey Y'all" sign (from Hobby Lobby-I wanted a little Texas in this space!) but I plan to change it out with something for Christmas in another month or so. 

The bench I bought on Etsy. It's a great collection spot for all the shoes that people take off as they come in the house.

I suggest checking places like houzz.com, home decor magazines or your favorite HGTV show for ideas for your home. It's a great way to take what you like and copy that for your space.

More Home Improving Tips!

I love our shower, but outside the shower there is not a good place for a towel rack. We tried a three tier towel rack over a nearby door but that was inconvenient. These Command hooks were the perfect solution. They have never fallen off our shower door. I also put chalkboard stickers above the hooks with "his" and "hers" on them to help us remember where to put our towel! And because they are cute. 

Home Improvement

Our little toilet room in our master bathroom had nothing but a toilet and a toilet paper holder. We needed a space for extra toilet paper. I wanted a space for reading material (other than the back of the toilet because that's a dangerous spot to put anything!). I also found that I frequently pulled my cell phone out of my pocket before using this room and ended up putting it on the floor. All these problems for one little room!

Target and Hobby Lobby to the rescue! As much fun as it would, or would not, have been to build custom shelves in the space above the toilet I knew I needed something faster than that. I found this decorative shelf at Target. All I had to do was hang it on the wall and place my toilet paper in it. Score!

I also found the little shelf there and installed that above a wall basket that I bought at Hobby Lobby. I put my cell phone on this shelf where it is safely off the floor and away from the toilet. 

I may not actually spend a lot of time in this room, but it sure makes a difference, even for the short visits, to have it be more functional and decorated.

Use Vertical Space

Do you have laundry baskets all over the place?! We used to. Then we decided to use the vertical space in our master closet to hold all those baskets. We bought these hooks at Lowe's. We put them into a stud and hung the baskets on them. EASY! 

I used a permanent marker to mark which basket was for which person or type of laundry. With six of us in the house it seemed like I was always wondering which room or person the bucket belonged to. It's simple and probably something I should have figured out long ago! 

Permanent markers and hooks from Lowe's-it doesn't get much easier than that! I wish all my problems were that easy to solve!

The Family Bank

My husband I have struggled over the years to figure out a family money system that works for us. We didn’t want to pay children to do their chores. They should just do them, right?! We didn’t want to give them money without any work involved because that didn’t teach them a major benefit of working hard. But we did want them to have experiences managing money, understanding what their wants cost, have a sense of ownership and learn to save for the future. After asking friends what they had done we still didn’t have a solution. I then turned to experts! Our system comes from the ideas and practical solutions presented in Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze’s book Smart Money Smart Kids and The Entitlement Trap by Richard and Linda Eyre. These are must-reads for any happy home!

First, we divided the day into four parts.

1.The first part is the morning routine. Everything the boys have to do to get ready for the day (brushing teeth, dressing, breakfast, grabbing their backpacks, etc) has to be done and they have to be ready to go at the appointed time to leave for school.

2.The next part of the day is when the boys get home from school. They have 30 minutes of a learning activity such as homework, piano practicing or reading books with mom (for the 5 yr old).

3.The next thing to be done is checking his assigned zone for the week. We divided our home into four parts (one for each boy). Each son is assigned one of these zones to check. He has to make sure things are put away in that room.  He also does something to make that zone clean like vacuuming one day and then next day he could dust. We rotate the zones each week.

4.The last part of the day is the bedtime routine. The boys must do everything they need to do (get a drink, shower, brush teeth, pj’s, etc) and be in bed on time to earn money for this part of the day.

We keep the chart for each week on the refrigerator. There is a spot to mark off having done the work for each of the four parts of the day. On Sunday we go through the chart. If a son has done all his work (four check marks for each week day) he will earn 100% of the money he can earn that week. If David can earn $25 a week and he does all his work he receives $25. If he did only 50% of the work required he will receive $12.50.

To decide what each son can earn in a week we looked at our monthly budget for items like clothing and entertainment and roughly guessed what we were spending on each son. We decided to make the boys responsible for buying their own clothes and shoes, paying for entertainment like going to the movies or a football game with friends, presents for others and buying their own wants, like gum or toys. The older boys can earn more money because they have to buy all new clothes; whereas the younger boys get their clothes from the big brothers (one benefit of having all sons!). For example, our older boys can earn up to $25/week. This has worked for us, but you may need to adjust for your situation. Start small and give them “raises” if you see they really need more.

We have a “family bank” spreadsheet where each son has his own page. We have a column for the date, the amount added or withdrawn, the amount to savings and the amount to charitable donations. There is a running total and our sons can see at anytime how much they have. We require the amount to savings and donations to be 10% each.

When a son makes a purchase we subtract that amount from his “spending” column in the spreadsheet so he can see the money he has left. We’ve even had a son ask for another column so he can save for a big toy he wants and he wants us to automatically take that money out from his earnings each week! The good habits are forming now!

The most remarkable things have happened in our home since we instituted this system. Our bedtime routine used to make us crazy every night! It felt like it took hours to get the boys into bed. We don’t have that problem anymore! The boys are pushing themselves to get everything done so they can be in bed on time. The responsibility has shifted from us to them and that’s a huge difference.

We love seeing the sense of ownership our sons have now that they have their own money. When Ryan spent $60 of his own money on his new shoes he cared about them! When they got dirty he almost cried and he quickly washing them off. He felt ownership of his shoes which is invaluable in fighting the feelings of entitlement.

When David needed a new bike we told him we would match what he had saved for his new bike. He was so grateful! (We’ve also told them we would do this with a car) David set a budget for his new bike and shopped around. He was shocked to see how much bikes cost. Instead of “Mom, can I pleeeeeaaaase get this bike?” David had the responsibility of the choice. These are great decision-making experiences.

At the beginning of the school year David and I went shopping for new clothes. It was really hard when he saw how much things he liked cost and he realized he couldn’t afford them. Or if he did buy one he wouldn’t be able to get anymore. It was hard for me to watch this because, as a parent, I wanted him to have what he wanted. I’m glad I didn’t jump in and say “I’ll get that for you.” David and I went to different stores. We looked for coupons. We found sales. David ended up with many great items and, even better, a lesson learned in money management.

I love going to stores and having the children want something. They now look at the price tag and weigh how much they really want it. There is no longer the begging or constant “Can I have that or that or that?”

We believe saving money is important. To encourage our boys to save we give them interest on any money in their family bank account each quarter. We’ve decided to be more generous than a regular bank by giving them 10% interest. A family bank account has its perks!

We also believe it is important to do good things with the resources we have. Now that the boys have their own money they can experience the joy that comes from giving.

We also have jobs for helping around the house that the boys are just expected to do. For instance, two people are assigned to work together to clean up the kitchen. With six of us in the family each pair has two days a week to be responsible for. On Sunday we all pitch in! It’s nice to have a regular schedule for this. Everyone has a garbage he is assigned to take out the night before the garbage truck comes. The boys have to make sure their rooms are clean before they can have “screen time” (playing on electronic devices) or with friends after school. When you have a routine the home runs more smoothly.

We also have a list of extra jobs our boys can do to earn extra money. I do not enjoy cleaning the baseboards! That job comes with a big paycheck! David also mows the lawn during the summer and edges. He is helping around the house, earning extra money and improving a skill he can use to earn money from other people.

This works well for our family. We have young boys still. No one is driving or working outside the home yet. We hope this is giving them a chance to work hard and learn to wisely manage money. It is hard when Andrew, who is five, wants to spend all his money on toys. We do talk to him about it. We do make him wait a day to make sure he still wants it. And if he does we let him buy it. He is learning that when the money it is gone it’s gone! There is no line of credit in the family bank account system!

Curried Pork and Sweet Potatoes

adapted from Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

1.5 lbs pork boneless loin, cut into thin strips

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into thin strips (about 2 cups)

1.5 c apple juice

1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips (about 1 cup)

2 tbsp apple jelly

Mix flour, curry powder and salt in medium bowl. Add pork; toss to coat.

Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook pork in skillet 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown. Remove pork from skillet to a plate and cover with foil.

Stir sweet potatoes and apple juice in skillet; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper. Cover and simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Stir in pork and jelly  and heat until jelly is melted. 

We had this with an apple walnut salad and naan. The kids think garlic naan is the best!

We moved recently. All my cookbooks were in boxes for months. When I was able to go through the boxes I saw them with fresh eyes. Instead of books that sat in a cupboard they were books in my hands that I had to decide what I should do about them. I didn't want books that just sat in cupboards.  So I went through this Betty Crocker's Cookbook and marked all the recipes I wanted to try. This recipe caught my eye because I love sweet potatoes. 

This is a good tip for any books you have-if they don't bring you joy to have them, you never use them, they are just there collecting dust-get them out and use them or give them away so someone else can use them. Go on-you can do it!

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say: thumbs up

Make a Photo Album Every January

This is one thing I'm so happy I've been doing for years. Every January I go through all the photos I took the previous year and I put them in an album. My deadline is always January 31st (it's nice that January is a long month!). This way I don't have years worth of digital photos on my computer that never get looked at. And I have a manageable amount of photos to work with. It also means I have a better chance of remembering people and places because I haven't waited 5 or 10 years to put the information with the photos. And I haven't given my computer as long to crash or get a virus or the house to burn down and I loose all my precious photos!

It is important to review the blessings and challenges of the year before. Take the time to do this at the beginning of the year. It may influence the decisions you make for the coming year. If you have a family, this book helps tell your "family narrative." I heard that phrase during a speech once and was intrigued by it. I think this means we show what our family is about, what is important to us, what traditions we have as part of our own "family narrative." A family album certainly does that. Do it! You won't regret it!

Great sites that make this an easy task are:

-mypublisher.com

I like the lay flat pages. Be aware they do have a 100 page maximum per book.

-iPhoto

If you have a mac and iPhoto you can make a book right there. I like their templates.  They are simple and don't distract me with a bunch of options for background colors or embellishments. They are high quality. They also have a 100 page maximum.

-mixbook.com

Mixbook is currently my favorite choice. You can have up to 399 pages in one book.  This is helpful when you have an entire year you want to fit in! I like the flexibility of the options. You can add decals, change size, rotate, do all kinds of things to make the book yours. These are high quality books. There are many size options to choose from too. I find their book making program very easy to use.

-blurb.com

If you need to make a smaller book for many people, say for gifts, this is a great option. They have some of the best pricing around for that. A color 5x8 softcover book starts at $6.99 (as of this writing). I was able to make a cute little book for all my relay friends from a race we ran together. It wasn't too fancy, but it was quick, easy, inexpensive and they all loved it! They also have regular sized books and you can add up to 400+ pages.

Of course there are others like shutterfly.com, picaboo.com (picaboo has great options for high end books like wedding albums) and picture.com. You just have to find which one suits your needs the best.

And one last tip-keep these simple. The point is to get them done! The pictures are the most important part. So if you get them all in your book and you still have a week or two left in January, add decorations all you want! But get it done!

All information here is current as of this writing. Check back with your favorite album makers for new features and options. Also, with instagram there are apps, like chatbooks, that help you put all the pictures and captures you've already posted into a book. That's another great route to go with.

Save Your Clothes-Use an Apron!

I used to cook without wearing an apron. That was a terrible idea! After ruining several shirts I decided an apron would be a good idea! I bought this apron from the 4RetroSisters shop on Etsy. It is well made, super cute and has saved my clothes from all my messy cooking! Buying an apron is cheaper than buying new clothes! 

A Better Pantry

When we moved into our new house I knew I would have to maximize every inch of my pantry. On the left you'll see what the pantry looked like when it was semi-organized by category like cereal, baking supplies, etc. It was a mess! And not a good use of space.  

I started searching for a better plan and was inspired by pictures on this blog:  http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2013/03/kitchen-organization-stackable-canned-food-organizers.html

If you scroll down to "The 411" section you can read great tips this creative lady used to get her pantry more functional. I used the idea to put a piece of wood at the back of the shelf to raise up containers making them easier to see. I bought storage containers from Target for all the cereal and buckets to sort like items together. I love the idea of taking things out of the various sized boxes and containers they are sold in. It may take an extra minute initially but then you can see what you have left and when it's time to restock. It's also been easy to keep the pantry looking this way because everything has a home. When we take it out it's easy to put it back.  

I also loved the idea of the chalkboard stickers. Labeling the containers for snacks and cereal makes them look great and makes it easier to see what goes where. These labels are sold at stores like Hobby Lobby.

Another one of my favorite items is the spices holder. Again, spices come in different sizes that take up a lot of room. When I went through my spices I realized I had about six bottles of paprika! By putting them together in this container I save myself the hassle of searching through all my spices when I'm cooking. Plus it's easy to see when I need more (I don't need paprika for a while!). I purchased this Prodyne A-845 Acrylic 20 Bottle Spice Rack from Amazon.com for about $35. It's worth every penny!