by Christina Renee | Children, Home, Meals, Saving Money
We all have busy weeknights. Work, school, activities, appointments, etc. There are ways to make busy weeknights easier, yo make it go smoother and with less stress. Here are some of those ways.
Routines
When my children get home from school they know a snack and then homework come first. Then they get to play, have dinner and after dinner chores. We have a routine. They know what comes next so they’re not always asking. You know what comes next so you don’t need to think about it. Plan once and follow through makes evening easier. It becomes a habit and builds good habits in your children too.
Dinner
Always know what you’re having dinner by breakfast time at the latest. This is one of the biggest ways to make busy weeknights easier. I really try to menu plan and pull it out the night before. I start everything I can by breakfast that morning. Put supper in the crockpot and when your husband or children get home the house smells wonderful. If it’s a quick meal put it all together in the fridge so you don’t spend time looking for ingredients. I loved this Youtube video from At Home with Nikki where she shared her fridge tour and had a container in her fridge she prepped each night for the next night. If you do forget keep list of very quick meals you can make in a hurry. Our standby is a breakfast meal with eggs and potatoes. I keep a short list on the inside of my cupboard.
Activities, Appointments, Etc
With children in school, most of us have days of running. Sports, after-school clubs or just dr. appointments, there seems like too many days in the car and instead of at home. You can still plan ahead. Most of these are recurring so you know these need to be crockpot or sandwich night. I always have a book with me. If I have to wait and it’s near any errands I need for the week, I do it then. I’ve also listened to reading or helped with homework in the car. Make your time do double duty when it can.
Prep Ahead for the Next Day
After dinner and chores, we get ready for the next day. Check all backpacks. Look at eh calender for the next day including what is happening at school. Lay out clothes, anything that needs to be brought gets set out. I put anything I have to bring in my purse so I don’t forget it, if it’s big it goes in the car early. The children put theirs in their backpacks. Go through showers, if we tried to get ours all at once someone would have cold water. Then we finally get time to relax.
by Christina Renee | Christmas, Family, Organization
I found this out quite by accident, I didn’t know how much getting ready for Christmas early would change my life. Pregnant with a baby due in November and I knew I wouldn’t want to take time from snuggling and my other children to finish up all the many things to do with Christmas. So my plan was to be done by November 1st. I think it took a little longer but by the time baby was there and then December rolled around and I had nothing extra to do! The presents were wrapped, the baking was done and in the freezer, even the turkey was ready. One of the best things I ever did was to get ready for Christmas early and enjoy December. Let me tell you how to make this happen in your life.
Gifts
Make a list of people in your life that you’re buying gifts for and what they like and their sizes. I carry this around with me. Now, every time I go shopping I look around, especially the clearance section. You can buy something that fits in with their likes and your budget that way. I don’t think you should buy something just to have something to give. I think it needs to fit that person. Wrap when you get home and put it up. Now I have a basket in my closet for gifts and then I write it down. Who I bought for and what I bought. That way I don’t forget. So, I also keep a few extra in there just in case I need a last minute gift or someone extra shows up. Even a few kid gifts, just in case.
Baking
Now is the time to start baking. In October and November, baking supplies are on sale. Start stocking up and start baking favorites. Wrap them well for the freezer and you’ll have less to do in December. Some doughs I just make and freeze so that the children can help cut out sugar cookies or gingerbread men. But then this is a fun planned project and not the last minute have to that you’re falling behind on. I make extra for gifts too.
Srock up on snack food
Now is the time crackers are on sale and cheese and summer sausage. Do you have special foods planned that you only make this time of year? I know we do. And I know I have run to the store at the last minute for something I forgot. Make a list of these special foods and buy early and on sale.
Make ahead for busy days
I try and do this all year long but it seems more important this time of year. We have programs and recitals and places to go. Having dinner ready to put in the oven or crockpot can feel like a lifesaver. It’s definitely a budget saver. So either plan for a cooking day to put some meals in the freezer or double when you cook. This is what I like to do. It doesn’t feel like a huge increase in the food bill to do a couple extra each week and it doesn’t take a lot more time either.
Holiday Meals
This is a biggie. I make as much of our holiday meal ahead of time as I can. Because I want to spend time with my family, not spend it in the kitchen. I make my turkey ahead of time. For one thing, it doesn’t take up as much room in the freezer. But it tastes good too. Make your turkey as you normally do. THen debone it, cover with broth and melted butter and freeze. When you reheat it, it’s moist and then you use the broth for gravy. You can make and freeze most of your sides. I freeze my green bean casserole and candy carrots. You already have your desserts made and froze. Now it’s easy.
Decorate
We used to have a tradition of putting the tree up the Friday after Thanksgiving. I’ve been trying to move it up more and more. I love Christmas decorations. The light, the sparkles, the smells. I would put it up as much of the other decorations in November as possible and be all done by Thanksgiving weekend. A lot of neutral decorations that can be put up in November before Thanksgiving.
Enjoy
Now it’s December and the calendar fills up quicker than you think is possible and you have all this done. You’re not stressed. If you have a last minute potluck you have something ready to take. If someone shows up with a gift you don’t need to feel bad, you have extras ready to give. You have time to give your children since you’re not in a big hurry. Plus, I know in my case I was kinder and didn’t yell since I didn’t always feel behind. You have time to spend with your husband or friends and can really enjoy it. I know the best thing I ever did was get ready for Christmas early and enjoy December. How about you? What things do you do early to enjoy December?
by Christina Renee | Decor, DIY/Ect., Home, Saving Money
I recently did a mini redo on our master bathroom and reorganized it. I found a Paris theme shower curtain and wanted to make it a feel similar to a hotel. Nice fluffy towels, yummy smelling candles, even Parisian music on Pandora. So step into my organized master bathroom and enjoy.
Sink Area
Our bathroom has the sink area separate from the rest of the bath. When you walk into our room to the right is the bedroom area (which I am working on now) and straight ahead is the closet area and sinks. We have a double sink and we live in a rental so I can’t replace anything that’s not cosmetic. Opposite the sink area are our 3 closets; his, hers and extra stuff. Under the left sink, I have tubs for allergies, first aid, cold and flu, sunny- which is sunscreen, bug spray- what you need for sunny days. Also, I have a bag of elastic bandages, another tub of bandages from wound care and teeth supplies. Almost all of the containers are from the Dollar Tree or from other places in the house. Under the right sink is toilet paper and a box of extra shampoos, conditioners, body wash, etc. We buy it by the case so my stockpile of tp goes up and down. We have our electric toothbrushes and water pic stays out on the counter and shelf. I don’t really like it but they need to be plugged in. I have very few things in the medicine cabinet since most things are stored in tubs. Extra razor heads, open toothpaste. I decanted the mouth wash in a pretty bottle, the same with q tips and cotton balls. A little picture and a pretty hand towel complete this area in our organized master bathroom. I also put some pretty wrapping paper in the cabinets and medicine cabinet. I love to open closets and cabinets and see pretty paper looking back.
Main Bath Area
This area has the shower/bathtub and toilet area. We put a small rack in the toilet and I set it up like a hotel bath. Pretty stacked towels, candles, bath salts, and body brush for dry skin brushing. I found a few cute pictures on clearance, the 2 small ones I for 29 cents each!! I love his and her towels, along with the thick fluffy ones from Kohls. We did switch out the apartment shower head for this double shower head. We just saved it and will put it back on when we move. I also have a shower curtain hanger that holds shampoos, etc. And a hanger over the shower heads. The mat I also got on clearance for under a dollar. I love all the sparkle and the muted colors. We have a small Paris them basket for dirty clothes that sits on the shower stool when it’s not needed. Which I hope is more and more.
I hope you enjoyed this tour and it gave you some ideas. Do you have an area hard to organize?
by Christina Renee | Cleaning, Home, Saving Money
I love seeing piles of clean laundry. But I don’t love the high cost of soaps, or the way some of them make me itch or sneeze. I made my own for a while, but if I ran out we had to buy them. Then I was back to itching and sneezing. And that doesn’t even include the cost. I do 2-4 loads every day. It adds up. So I learned 4 ways to do laundry cheaply without soaps or chemicals.
Washer Balls
Washer balls are great! They are way cheaper than soaps.All you have to do is charge them in the sun a few hours every month, or in our case about a week. I use 2 for extra large loads. This saves me so much money doing laundry for a large family. We also have several people that have allergies to a lot of laundry soaps so this works great for us.
Wool Dryer Balls
Wool dryer balls work by fluffing your laundry as it dries. No static cling, no odors. I know, I know some of you like the odors. Just put a wash cloth in the dryer with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. You can make your own wool dryer ball but trust me, it takes a loooonnngg time. And while not hard to make it is time consuming and doesn’t save you very much money at all.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda
My secret weapons for getting out stains and smells are hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Sprinkle baking soda in stinky laundry. I also use a spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide. Now test on fabric first. But really good for fluid stains. Best thing around for baby clothes.
4 Ways to do Laundry Cheaply without Soaps or Chemicals
So this is why I love doing laundry this way. No chemicals, no more buying soaps or fabric softeners. No itching, or sneezing. And it saves a lot of money. I hope this have helped you with different ways to do laundry.
by Christina Renee | Health, Organization
Here is the cabinet I use for essential oil storage. I was able to find it at a garage sale for $10! I used to use it in my old kitchen for tea storage but now it’s for oil storage. Essential oils should be stored out of direct light and this is tinted so it keeps the bright light out. I use these all the time.
Some Essential Oil Uses
My favorite oils are from DoTerra and Young Living. They make great therapeutic grade oils and I even use some for cooking.
We use Thieves oil when anyone is sick, rub on the bottoms on their feet and in the diffuser. Ot if you have been exposed to someone else sick. It doesn’t always work but it definitely helps.
I use lemon for cleaning the air. Run it in the diffuser or of ou don’t have one put water in a spray bottle and a few drops of lemon oil and spray the air. I’ve also used it when I’ve made my own cleaning supplies for that fresh lemon scent.
Lavender is great for helping you sleep and wonderful for burns. I had a friend who when canning had a jar explode when she opened up her pressure canner. Using lavender oil not only kept her from blistered but healed her in just a few days. I keep a bottel in the kitchen just for that purpose.
Eucalyptus helps breathing difficulty’s and colds. I use it for bronchitis too.. It gets rubbed on chests, back and feet. It also gets ran in the diffuser.
Peppermint is a great pick me up. It can also help when you are hungry, just take a whiff and it helps suppress your appetite. My children use it when studying for tests too to help stay alert and focus.
Orange, I love orange! Mostly to cook with. A few drops in my chocolate muffins are amazing! Enhances recipes with orange juice and love chocolate protein shakes with a hint of orange. You can also use it with cleaning supply recipes.
Essential Oil Storage
Since these oils can be costly it is important to store them correctly. Keep them out of direct sun. Rotate new stock and old. Make sure they are for therapeutic use if you use them on your skin or take them internally. I have bought some less expensive oils when I have run out or to use whren making cleaning supplies. How do you use your essential oils and how do you store them?
by Christina Renee | Decor, Home, Organization, Simplify
This entryway closet makeover was needed for a long time. But now it’s pretty and functional. We can’t add to much because we live in a rental apartment but this works well.
Storage
I added baskets on the shelves for storage. Two hold all the tools we need around the house. The black bag that has all my organizing things in it I use to keep thing neat and easy to use. I love all the pockets. I even have an empty basket that I’m sure to fill up later. Probably stuff for the pool this summer. And an organizer box with different hangers for pictures, etc. On the top shelf is a basket that has fishing equipment in it. Yes, it’s necessary. At least right now the worm farm isn’t in it. We live on a pond that is near a river and fishing several times a week is an for my son. There’s also a tackle box up there. Another one holds fasteners-tape, glues, staple gun and staples.
Pretty
A pink ribbon through the shelf makes it pretty. It makes me smile too. As does the black and white wrapping paper I taped there for some pizzazz. And the cute little chalkboard labels.
Shoes
We have a shoe rack that we keep all the shoes in. We have a no shoe rule for in the house. This helps with tracking in so much dirt through the house but doesn’t seem to help with the leaves.
Just In Case
When I was doing the entryway closet makeover I wanted an area for emergencies-just in case. We live in an all electric apartment so I wanted to have heat and water in case we lost electricity. We just put a rack on the wall in the closet. I bought it for another area and it didn’t work so I have been looking for place to put it. The tops shelf has lights. Flashlights and candles in case the electricity goes out. The next shelf has bottled water. These we use and replace them. We also have a small heater that fits on the tops of a LP tank in there for emergencies. We also have a Coleman camping stove in there. The tanks are on our back patio. The heater and camping stove will go to the garage when winter is over to make room for summer things. We also have gallons of water in there for washing.
Entryway Closet Makeover Finishing Touches
We have a bench in our entryway that we keep all hats, gloves, scarves in but I’ll show that later. I’m still working on that project.
I have only wooden hangers in here as winter coats tend to be heavy. But I did take them all down so you can see the cute wrapping paper. I love using wrapping paper in closets as there is a lot of selections and it’s easy to put up and down.
I’m really pleased with the entryway closet makeover. I love opening it and seeing everything organized and pretty.
