Time to plan for... Martin Luther King Jr. Day

This year Gwen was finally old enough to have some of the more in depth conversations about Martin Luther King Jr and some of the struggles that he and others like him faced both during his time and even still today.  While I knew I could tell her stories that I had heard, and stories of things I had witnessed, one movie that showed what it was like in a very kid friendly way is An American Girl Story - Melody 1963 Love Has to Win (free to watch on Amazon Prime). It is rated for 7+, but Common Sense Media parents say 9+ and I agree with them, some of it can get a bit intense for littles. 

We also did this set of coloring pages and reader from Real Life at Home. 

Finally, to honor his memory we made dinner of his favorite foods that this Taste of Home article listed, fried chicken, macaroni & cheese and peach cobbler for dessert. 

Peach Belini Jam

Ingredients 

• 4 pounds frozen peaches, defrosted
• 1 cup champagne 
• 1 pound white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon butter

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse the peaches until they are chopped well, about five or six 1-second pulses. 

2. Pour the fruit into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Toss with champagne and 1/4 cup of white sugar. Cover and allow to sit for 1 hour.

3. Add remaining sugar, salt, lemon juice, and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit begins to bubble and spit. Use a skimmer to skim off any foam that forms. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently to keep the fruit from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

4. Remove pot from heat and use a spoon to skim any foam from the surface of the fruit. Ladle jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headroom, and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Unopened jars will keep at room temperature for up to 6 months. Opened jam should be refrigerated.

Thanksgiving Keepsake Activity

A Thanksgiving Keepsake Activity for kids of all ages, all you need is a printer, some construction paper, a file folder and tape to have this all ready for your young Thanksgiving guests this Thursday. 

Super quick to put together but lots of fun and a great keepsake. 


Download Thanksgiving Keepsake Activity

Just remember, with planning and organization, you CAN do it all.

Working Supermom Secret... My Nightly Cleaning Routine

My house isn't always spotless, in reality whose is? However I do my best to keep it clean and tidy and I've found my new nightly routine is helping wonders. 

After my daughter is off in bed (8:30 PM) I begin my "Power Hour" rather than hitting the couch. This also helps me get in my steps each day, because working a desk job, doing college work and blogging, I spend a lot of time sitting on my butt.

With my routine I have found that I clean minimally on the weekends which means more time to enjoy my family. I only do what I can get done in 1 hour, and now that I've been doing this consistently it barely takes me 30 minutes to complete it all. 

M/W/F - 1st floor
T/R - 2nd floor
F - Basement
Every night - Dishes & vacuum hard floors.

My first floor consists of 5 rooms:

1. Kitchen
2. Living room
3. Dining room
4. Bonus room (and hallway)
5. Half bathroom

My second floor has 7 rooms

1. Master Bedroom
2. Master Bathroom/Closet
3. Adam's Office
4. Gwen's Playroom
5. Gwen's Bedroom
6. Gwen's Bathroom
7. Laundry room/closet

My basement has 5 rooms

1. Living room
2. My craft room/office
3. Bathroom
4. Bulk Storage
5. Holiday Storage

M/W/F Plan - #1, 2 & 14 are done every night

1. Load the dishwasher (should have been unloaded in your Morning Routine)
2. Wash by hand anything that doesn't fit in the dishwasher and set aside to dry while you finish the rest of your routine
3. Wipe down the stove, including the bottom of the inside if you baked anything tonight
4. Wipe down all counters
5. Wipe down the outside of the refrigerator and dishwasher
6. Do a quick scan of the cabinets and wipe down any visible mess
7. Go through the living room and pick up any dishes/clothes/things that don't belong
8. If it goes upstairs drop it in the transportation basket on your stairs (if you don't have one you need one, check out my post on it here)
9. Clean off & wipe down the dining room table putting everything back where it goes (this is quick for me because we don't eat in our dining room)
10. Bonus room is just yard sale storage right now so I just ignore it
11. Check the half bath for any needs (i.e. toilet paper) and do a quick wipe down of the toilet, sink and mirror. 
12. Off to grab my Ryobi cordless vacuum, this thing is amazing and so much better than a Dyson or Shark (in my opinion) because we have all Ryobi cordless tools so there is always a battery fully charged waiting for me (we have 8 total batteries)
13. Also grab the small spray bottle of rubbing alcohol and a microfiber cloth... you'll see why in a minute
14. Vacuum the entire downstairs which is all hardwood floors. 
15. I'll usually do a quick sweep of the couch as well for any crumbs
16. Use the rubbing alcohol and microfiber cloth to clean any spots on the couch, just spray it on and scrub softly with the cloth and your couch is like new (test in a small inconspicuous spot before doing in an obvious location to ensure you have true microfiber)
17. Using my wonderful O-Cedar Spin Mop I add super hot water and just a small cap full of Spic & Span and quickly mop my entire first floor. With the spin mop the mop becomes just barely damp so I don't have to worry about it ruining my hardwood floors. 

T/R Plan - this routine is done half while my daughter takes a bath and half after she's in bed, and during my Morning Routine I start laundry on a delay so it's ready to go in the dryer as soon as I get home from work so that it's ready to put away during my Power Hour.

1. Quickly go around picking everything up off the floors that would be in the way of vacuuming, since I do this regularly there is very little to pick up. 
2. Vacuum the entire upstairs (which is all carpet)
3. Gwen is responsible for keeping her room & playroom clean but I still do a quick walk thru just to ensure that things are picked up and nothing is in there that she forgot about. After she is in bed I will continue on with step 4.
4. Wipe down her tub, counters and toilet
5. Use my Ryobi cordless vacuum on her floors (it's so quiet it can't be heard in her bedroom)
6. In the master bathroom wipe down the tub, counters and toilet. I clean the inside of the shower every other time I shower with a handled scrub sponge filled with half vinegar and half blue dawn, keeps the soap scum at bay.
7. Vacuum the master bath floors. 
8. Quick pick-up in the master closet and put away any of my make-up or other items I've left out on my make-up table
9. Put away any laundry that needs put away

F Plan

1. Clean the living room, gathering dishes, folding blankets, fluffing pillows. 
2. Check the mini-fridge to see what needs restocked or what has gone bad
3. Check the snack drawer for what needs restocked
4. Clean off my desk including scanning in all papers that need processed from the week
5. Vacuum the living room & craft room floors
6. Wipe down the bathroom sink & toilet
7. Vacuum bathroom floors
8. The shower only gets cleaned once a month, no one uses it, but cleaning it keeps the spiders out
9. Vacuum the storage room
10. Take inventory of what needs to be purchased on my next shopping trip
11. Put back anything that wasn't properly put away throughout the week
12. Vacuum the holiday storage room
13. Some weeks I'll also prep for the next holiday decor change out by pulling out the proper totes and setting them aside. 

I hope this helps you get a quick simple nightly routine down to help keep your house as clean as can be. 

What is your favorite cleaning tip that has ever been shared with you or that you figured out on your own? 

Just remember, with planning and organization, you CAN do it all.

Time to plan for ... April Fool's Day

My daughter loves pulling pranks and she's now old enough to understand and enjoy April Fool's Day so this year I have a few fun pranks planned out for her. 

1. Toilet Paper in her shoes, and since I'm not sure which ones she will wear I'll have to stuff them all. 
2. Frozen cereal, the night before I'm going to pour a bowl of cereal and freeze it with the spoon in it to serve it to her for breakfast the next morning. 
3. A little food coloring on her faucet spout so when she turns on the water it will come out bright purple.
4. Taping a plastic spider (from Halloween, remember the multi-purpose items we talked about) to the toilet paper roll in her bathroom.
5. I also picked up a couple old fashioned funny prank items from Five Below for use throughout the day, i.e. whoopie cushion and fake poop

I tried to plan for harmless pranks that in no way could cause her injury as she is a bit clumsy as is (she has SPD) so the slightest chance she could get hurt makes it an almost certainty. 

I will add pics to this post once April Fool's has come and gone. 

Stay Tuned!

Working Supermom Secret... My Morning Routine

If you're anything like I was, mornings feel insane, no matter how much I planned or how early I tried to get up, I felt like I never had enough time in the mornings, or at least I didn't until I put together a solid morning routine. 

Hopefully seeing mine will help you to plan your morning and make your day a productive one.

Alarm goes off at 5:15 AM

1. Review my to-do list - before even getting out of bed, I review my to-do list for the day, Google Keep for the win, just to get in the mindset of productivity. After that I feel as though I have a good handle on what the day ahead holds.
2. Make the bed - I get out of bed and make it, including all my pretty pillows. My room just feel so clean having the bed made. 
3. Get dressed - clothes are always picked out for the week on Sunday's so it's quick. No matter how productive you think you can be in your PJ's, I can guarantee you're more productive in clothes. Even if it's yoga pants and a t-shirt, changing clothes will get your blood flowing and wake you up. If you don't wear outside shoes in your house, get yourself a pair of inside only sneakers, feeling like you're going somewhere will keep you going. 
4. Aesthetics - If you like to do your make-up and hair, go for it, personally I don't wear make-up except a little mascara (blonde lashes get me) and my hair is perpetually in a messy bun. 
5. Start laundry (on a delay) - I delay it for 7 hours, because then it finishes up about 20 minutes before I get home from work. Then, I will switch as soon as I get home and put away before bed. (We'll go over that more in my night time cleaning routine) 
6. Wake up the tiny human - if she's not already up and then she's off to get ready on her own. Her clothes are also set out for the week on Sunday's and she has her checklist of morning tasks to complete. 
7. Drink some water - I will grab my water bottle from the refrigerator and drink about half of it, I prefer very cold water and these bottles keep things VERY cold. I've had ice still solid after 2 days. And for only $9.99 they're a steal.
8. Make her lunch - she takes a hot lunch nearly every day, if I'm sending a cold one I will make it the night before and store it in her lunch box in the refrigerator, but that is rare. For hot lunches I love these insulated bowls because they keep things hot and are comfortable to eat out of and are leak proof. Her favorite lunchbox was a Target find, it's an Outerspace insulated one. One of our favorite things about the Cheeky® Kids brand is that for every Cheeky® Kids item you buy, a child in need will get a meal right here in the U.S. with No Kid Hungry. 
9. Make breakfast - I prefer she eat a hot breakfast and have many things prepped, but some days she wants mac-n-cheese or spaghetti and if that's what I'm making for her lunch I'm fine with that, because really, how is mac-n-cheese any less healthy than pancakes covered in syrup? 
10. Empty the dishwasher
11. Practice this weeks spelling words - while I'm emptying the dishwasher we'll practice the spelling words on her list this week, I keep them on the white board on our command station and pull them down while we're practicing
12. Reload any breakfast dishes - as soon as it's emptied I'll add any breakfast dishes, or lunch making dishes, or midnight snack dishes that are in the sink
13. Double check backpacks - I pre-pack all backpacks the night before but I will go thru both again just to double check. In her backpack I look to make sure her homework is done, all papers are signed and her lunchbox is in it. I'll also look thru mine quickly to ensure my laptop, work phone and any other items I need are in it.
14. Hugs & Kisses - Always hug & kiss your family good-bye every morning, no matter what, even if they're sleeping give them a little kiss, be a minute late if it means still getting those hugs & kisses, but with a good morning routine you'll be 20 minutes early with zero stress

And I'm off to work by 6:25 AM. 

Now, surprisingly, even if it's a weekend my morning routine varies very little. 

On the weekends:

1. Dressed to the shoes - most weekends it's just blue jeans & a t-shirt
2. Aesthetics - for me it's no different than a weekday, a little mascara and a messy bun and I'm off
3. Laundry - this time no delay
4. Breakfast - I make a hot breakfast every Saturday, and make double the amount of pancakes, waffles or french toast to freeze, if there's still a lot left over from the previous weekend I'll make eggs & toast or cinnamon rolls instead
5. Dishwasher emptied & refilled
6. Send a message - send a message to someone you haven't talked to in awhile. Just a quick "Hey! Was thinking about you and hoping all is well." It will mean a lot to the person and takes less than 30 seconds of your time. 

Then I begin my Google Keep to-do list for the weekend. If you don't use Google Keep you're missing out. Check out my post all about this "secret" weapon offered by Google.

What does your morning look like? Is there some part of it that stresses you out? Anything you could pre-plan? 

Just remember, with planning and organization, you CAN do it all.

Time to plan for... Johnny Appleseed Day

It's no secret that we LOVE apples in our house, and getting to 'celebrate' one of our favorite fruits twice every year is super exciting. We do huge things in the fall when we go apple picking, but we also have lots of fun on March 11th for Johnny Appleseed day. 

Every year we read the story of Johnny Appleseed and how he brought apple trees to areas of our country which otherwise wouldn't have had them. This is a great kids book and as they get older they can read it to you. 

We got our copy here on Amazon

I also found this super fun activity pack over on Teaching with Children's Books, that I think you will all love. 

Every year I make apple pancakes for breakfast, just use your favorite pancake mix and as soon as you pour the batter on the griddle add a very very thin slices of granny smith apples, they're super yummy. Here is my favorite pancake recipe. For pancakes, use 2 cups of the above mix and add 1 cup of milk and 2 eggs, they're delicious and quick to make. 

In her lunch every year I send apples and caramel sauce or apples and peanut butter, depending on the apples we have on hand. I pre-slice them in the morning and soak for 5 minutes in water with a tablespoon of lemon juice, it doesn't take on any of the lemon flavor, but keeps them from browning, you can also use citric acid if you have some on hand. 

For dessert I usually make my apple bread with cinnamon butter which makes for a great breakfast the next morning too. Last year I made apple cookies with cinnamon cream cheese icing. 

A fun tradition is at dinner, wear a pot on your head like Johnny Appleseed. The kids will love it. 

For Gwen's class I usually make "apple" cupcakes as a treat. 

What is your favorite apple recipe? Share in the comments below.

Just remember, with planning and organization, you CAN do it all.