Now that we're back into the swing of school, our new organization tactics have begun to become habit, and we are handling it all pretty well. I'm substitute teaching now, so that does sometimes throw a wrench into our plans, but we've seemed to organized so well that even early sub days are going on without a hitch!

The first thing we do is lay out our clothes. Every day. I always have an outfit ironed and ready to go at a moment's notice. And that has happened a few times; I've gotten a call to be there in half an hour. And I've made it every time. I've gotten a haircut that I can either let air dry, or I can style it for a different look. I have a bag packed with sub essentials (binder, notepad, pens and change) and I have two areas on my shelves with resources I can just grab and run, depending on my assignment. I have stocked up on frozen microwave meals, and we always have fruit and yogurt and granola bars, so I can grab lunch in just a few minutes.

Emily is typically out the door around the same time I have an early morning call. She's pretty self sufficient, so she fixes a sausage or eggs and toast every morning. Each night, she packs her bag with her books, a nylon sling with her cross country clothes and shoes, her flute, and gym clothes if needed. These wait for her by the front door, and she just grabs them and runs out the door. We live about 6 blocks from school, so she walks, meeting up with friends along the way. She always texts us when she gets to school.

The boys are doing well. I was really concerned about them, because they have never really had to do it all themselves. They seem to handle it well. Again, they lay out their clothes, socks and shoes the night before. When they finish homework, they pack their backpacks and put it next to "their" clothes area on the couch. We have a rule that if Mom isn't home in the morning, Mikey is not allowed upstairs once we leave. They fix toast or pop tarts or cereal and fruit for breakfast. They have a checklist to remind them to brush their teeth, wet and comb their hair, and Matt to clean his glasses while Mikey feeds the dog. They have an alarm set on Matt's cell phone that tells them when they need to walk out the door for walking club or regular class time. They've done this twice now, and have been on time and looking good. They do have 2 neighbors' phone numbers in case there is an issue. They text when they make it to school.

Tuesday afternoons throw a bit of a wrench into the schedule. Matt has piano right after school. He gets off the bus, and he and Mikey walk to the end of the street. Matt then goes right to his lessons, and Mikey goes left to our house. Matt also has dance at 5:30, so it's a particularly busy day for Matt. He has to rush home from piano, change for dance, and grab a quick snack.

It all seems to be going smoothly right now. I know schedules will change throughout the school year, but this works great for where we are right now!

What's working for you?

        

This is a family favorite that came out of visiting a local restaurant, where they have a daily lunch pasta bar. You choose your pasta, sauce, and ingredients, and the chef fixes it for you right there. While they have a large selection of choices, we limit ours to one type of pasta, two or three types of veggies, one type of meat, and one type of sauce. We pick and choose what we want, and no two dinners are ever the same.  This is actually a very quick dinner to make, once the pasta's finished, and is especially good on these cold fall nights!

Ingredients:

Olive oil

Pasta (good ones we've used include wheat, tri colored rotini, bow tie, and egg noodle. Linguini and spaghetti are typically too thin)

Vegetables (we always have broccoli. We also  have diced tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, black olives, peas, etc)

Meat (browned chicken, pepperoni)

Sauce (we typically use the jarred alfredo sauce, but we've also used regular spaghetti sauce. The restaurant has a garlic butter sauce they also use)

Shredded mozzarella cheese


Preparation:

Boil the pasta

Dice the vegetables

Cook the chicken if needed

For ease, I put all ingredients in separate bowls kind of in a line. Then people can just tell me what they want and I just dig in.

To Cook:

I usually have two small saute pans with lids going at once. It seems that you get into a rhythm and start one as the other one is finishing. It's pretty easy that way!

Cook on medium heat on the stovetop (I usually put it at the 7 on my dial)

Heat oil

Once heated, add pasta, meats, and veggies.

Top with sauce

Mix together with a wooden spoon and put the lid on to sort of steam it

Lower the heat (I usually put it on 4 at this point)

When finished, you can top with mozzarella cheese.  This is really good with crusty garlic bread!

Bon appetit!

        

I ask for your input on this site, because one thing I've learned in my pursuit of domestic greatness, is that just because it works for me, that doesn't mean it will work for everybody.

With that in mind, one of my constant readers/commenters, Pattie, shared a scheduling trick that she uses, on her website. I think it's brilliant! I'm not sure it would work for my family, but it works well for hers. The entire post is a link, so feel free to visit it!

        

Whenever Darren travels, I struggle with keeping my schedule. It's tough, and many times, I run around in a whirlpool because I don't have my schedule right. It's almost like I'm so overwhelmed that I can't see the road in front of me.

When Grandma was alive, she always preached the gospel of having a Plan B. This is something that would work if the first plan doesn't work. It's the Plan behind the Plan in your life.

Yesterday, I fell victim to when both of these beliefs came crashing together.

Darren was on a business trip, and I was running amok trying to figure out how to finish laundry, clean the kitchen, get kids to where they needed to be on time, fixing dinner, checking homework, laying out clothes. Oh, and I got a paper from the boys' school saying that it was back to school, or curriculum, night from 6-6:20 for Mikey and 7-7:20 for Matt. Due to some phone and email conversations with my Grandma's health, I hadn't even showered by the time the kids got home from school.  Did I mention it was Cub Scout Pack Meeting, with the go kart race?  You know...the race the boys look forward to for years?  But since that was the same time of the back to school events, I just didn't mention that to the boys.

So I rush to get my shower and to get somewhat presentable. I'm on the board of the PTA, so I guess I need to arrive at school with some decorum. I hop in the car with 4 minutes to spare to get to the school. We live just a few blocks away, so that's altogether doable.  I pull up to the stoplight, though, and guess what?  There are NO cars in the parking lot?  I got a sick feeling in my stomach. I called home, and Emily grabbed the paper and said, "Oh, Mom, it's next week."  So I rushed home.

And totally forgot that the kids could still have gone to Pack Meeting.  You know...my Plan B.  I didn't even remember it until some members from Darren's den came by to drop off the karts. Oh, trust me...I've heard ALL ABOUT that failure today.

Lesson learned: ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR PLAN B IN WRITING!

        

I am the consummate list maker. Over the summer, I usually free wheel my schedule. But come school year, if I don't have my lists, I'm lost. I'm a visual check it off when it's finished girl. Publishing my lists gives me accountability. So, here's this week's list, for my first full week to myself since school started.

1. Fully catch up on the laundry that went out of control when my sister in law and her twins visited.
2. Dishwasher every day
3. Finish transferring names to email account for a client
4. Finish writing a newsletter for a client
5. Work on a web page for a client
6. Work on another web page for a client
7. Get my "substitute teacher" files togeher 
1. Elementary
2. Middle School
3. High School
4. Per subject
8. Back to school night at the elementary school (Tuesday) WHOOPS!  My boo boo.  It's NEXT Tuesday!
   
9. Back to school night at the junior high (Thursday)
10. Hear my neighbor's farewell concert at my friend's cabaret bar (Monday)
11. Thoroughly clean the kitchen
12. Remember to put out the trash when Darren is out of town
13. Thoroughly clean the downstairs bath
14. Return books to the library

        

I'm often amazed at how we stretch dollars in our household. Since I never have a steady income with my work schedule, we do our budget based on Darren's paycheck. Mine pays for savings and extras. Sometimes we have lots of extras, sometimes it's lean. Here are some tips on how we make our paychecks stretch:

Food:

1. Other than neccessities like milk and bread, if it isn't on sale, we don't get it.  I peruse the sales on the online flyers for the local stores, and go from there. Our stores are about 4 blocks from each other, so we drive a straight line to get from one to another. We start our week by going to Aldis on Sunday after church, and using Price Chopper and Hy Vee to fill in the missing pieces.
2. We do Angel Food Ministries. If you're not familiar with this program, I highly reccomend it. It's a ministry based food co-op that doesn't adhere to income guidelines. You get lots of high quality food, and the option to purchase special boxes. We have a freezer full of steaks, chicken, vegetables, etc. It's great!
3. After my workout on Wednesdays, I head across the street to the Farmer's Market. I never know what I'm going to find there, but I always have great choices for everything from vegetable soup to vegetable stir fry. I can usually get 2 meals for under $8 there.  I toss in peppers and tomatoes from our family garden so the kids can take ownership.
4. Gardening will give you vegetables that you love, and the kids enjoy eating the fruits of their efforts. We typically have several tomato vines and pepper plants. We also plant strawberries and mint for yummy additions to tea.  We have a huge blackberry patch in our backyard, perfect for fruit smoothies and cobbler. I hope to plant both an apple and a cherry tree this fall. I see the apples falling from my neighbor's trees, and it just makes me hungry for baked apples, apple pie, and more.

Clothing:

1. I never pay full price for any item of clothing. NEVER. I sign up for every email club, coupon club, perks club, etc that I can find. I buy online, where you can get unbelievable deals in any clearance or outlet section of most stores, and most of the time, I can find free shipping codes on the internet. I start Christmas shopping in January, and thanks to websites like The Bargain Shopper Lady, I find tons of amazing CHEAP offers from places like Children's Store, ShoeBuy, Victoria's Secret and more.  She has helped me learn how to combine codes for what people really want.
2. We buy basic pieces for the most part, and dazzle them up with a few stylish pieces. I've had the same black slacks and black tee for years. I add necklaces, belts, jackets, boots, shoes, cover shirts, etc. and have a stylish, classic outfit perfect for any occasion. Darren buys Dockers (on sale, of course) and can use them with a shirt and tie and jacket for mediation, or a golf shirt for office work. Emily's main staples are good jeans (we splurged $13 on 2 pairs of Aeropostales and $15 for a pair of American Eagles last year, and they're still stylish and good), a black skirt, and leggings. She loves the clearance aisle at Aeropostale and Kohl's, and always BOGOs at Payless. She is one of the best dressed teens out there. People always comment on how she's always so well put together. Matt has a couple of Hollister and American Eagle tees, that make him look fashionable, but were $5 each. He wears them long, so who cares that he's wearing Target jeans?  Mikey gets lots of Matthew's hand me downs, lot of basics like tees and golf shirts and sweat pants.
3. We love Old Navy and Forever 21. For quick doses of inexpensive but stylish clothes, they are the best.

Entertainment:

1. We love to do family things, but I don't like spending lots of money. We sometimes buy offers in bulk, which usually gives us a couple of outings. For example, at the beginning of the year, our bowling alley had a card where you can bowl 10 times for $5. Take that there on Tuesdays, which is Ladies' Night, and I'm free.
2. Our movie theater has a special email club. We get half off tickets, free snack bar food and drinks, and more.
3. Our skating rink, which is where I was a competitor for many years, always has BOGO coupons in the newspapers, through the schools, and on the back of grocery receipts.
4. All of our local restaurants have coupons in those flyers they send in the mail. We take full advantage of those after church on Sunday.
5. We splurged and purchased season tickets to Worlds and Oceans of Fun. The initial output was spendy, but we never had the "I'm bored" over the summer. We rode and sunbathed to our heart's content. We live 15 minutes from the park, and were there at least once a week; often more. Inside the park, we could either choose to bring our lunch (we often picnicked in the parking lot, using our camp chairs to sit, and our cooler as a table) or with our pass, we got enough of a discount at certain places to eat lunch for the same price as at Perkins.
6. Tuesday Night is Kids Eat Free night at many of our restaurants. We go to Perkins or Ponderosa and for $15, our family of 5 can enjoy chatting, bonding, and laughing. Added benefit is more time together, because there is no time spent cooking and cleaning.
7. Use a points program. I use My Points. I earn entertainment, shopping and dining gift cards through reading emails and using their website to link to popular merchants to shop. I earn at least 5 points per email read. I have earned as many as 2.000 points through shopping online. I often use these gift cards as presents, incentives (a prize offered for my annual chili cookoff), and for my own leisure time, such as a Mom Only lunch at Olive Garden.
8. We are lucky to live in a wonderful community with lots of family bonding. We live about 4 blocks from "The Square." This is an historic area of town, that's seeing new growth. There are weekly concerts, a huge fountain where kids are encouraged to splash, sidewalk activities, the Jesse James Bank Museum, the Clay County Historical Society, a little theater, and lots of family friendly events. Sometimes it's just fun to walk up there, walk around, and window shop.
9. Nothing beats Family Game Night. Grab the cards and M&Ms and play poker or Go Fish. Fun, bonding, and silly.
10. Blockbuster often has email offers for rental deals. Many times, we rent a movie for $1.99, pop some corn, grab blankets and pillows, and cuddle in the front room in front of the TV.

        

It's Saturnday morning, and the family wants muffins for breakfast. The mix is nearly mixed when you look in your cupboard and realize you don't have oil. Again. So you send your daughter out through the neighborhood on a scavenger hunt for 1/4 cup of oil. Again.  And she comes back with a gallon jug from your neighbor who ALWAYS has oil. Because, "We bought too much. You may as well have this."

Sometimes, you just have to laugh!

        

We're a week into the school year, and it's been pretty organized so far.  There are a few things I'm struggling with, though.

1. The Paper Monster.  Every Friday, we get "Friday folders" from the elementary school. When you have 2 children there, you get lots of doubles in paperwork. Darren wants to look at the papers, but they're already scattered all over the living room, and it's only been 30 minutes since the boys have been home.
2. Piano lessons. The only day/time there was an opening was Tuesdays at 4:30. This isn't a problem when I'm home, but when I start subbing, it will be an issue. School is out at 4:05, and this week, the bus dropped the boys at 4:27. That leaves Matt 3 minutes to run uphill to the college, then down 2 flights of steps. We did receive a letter that beginning next week, they should be dropped at 4:15. That will be manageable if it happens.
3. I'm concerned about getting the boys to school in the mornings when I sub. If Darren's in town, he can handle it. But if he isn't, I don't know what to do. Mikey is notoriously not responsible in the morning, and Matt really isn't able to get things going, and will melt if something goes wrong. We're still trying to work out this one. I've asked, and nobody I know has room in their car to carpool my boys.

Otherwise, it's going well. Homework is getting finished. Books are being returned. Everyone's in bed on time, and clothes are out, ready for the new day.

        

I was at a wine tasting the other night, and Cathie brought this dip. I was excited when she gave me the recipe! I've adapted it to a lower calorie version, and it still tastes delicious.

Cheesy ranch dip:

Ingredients:

1 block softened fat free cream cheese
1 package powdered ranch dip
8 oz fat free sour cream
2% shredded cheese to suit your taste

Directions:

Stir sour cream and cream cheese until smooth
Add ranch dip. Stir in completely
Add cheese
Heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds
Serve with crackers or vegetables.

I actually added some shredded spinach, and microwaved it for a full minute. It was very good!

Yummmm!  Enjoy!

        

School started yesterday. It got off to a good start. Everybody was there and back in time. The only possible hitch is that my 5th grader has piano directly after school, two minutes before he gets home. We're still trying to figure that out, but for yesterday, I picked him up in the car line, and brought him home in time for a quick snack before he walked to his lesson. Temporary solution. I'm a substitute teacher, and eventually, I won't be able to pick him up.

As for organization, the kids each have a hook in the entry hall. That's where their jackets and backpacks are hung. I'm working on a solution for all those forms that need to be signed. I think I'm going to purchase a thin strip of corkboard, and attach a folder-type system to it, clearly labeled with each child's names. It will be hung in the office. That way, the children have the responsibility of putting papers to be signed in the folder. I have the responsibility to check it.

So far, we've gotten off to a good start in the mornings. Emily's up and out the door before the rest of us are barely stirring. She fixes breakfast, and comes in for a clothing check.  We have our good bye lovins, double check the after school activities, and she's out the door. That's our cue to wake up, shower, and fix coffee.  This year, we'll even have a bit of alone time before the boys wake up.

The boys are taking responsibility for their own wake up calls. Their alarms are set for 7:15. This is a big change for Mikey, my sleepyhead. Yesterday he struggled, but this morning, he got up and out of bed very quickly.  They come downstairs, where we have breakfast. They then brush their teeth and head for teeth inspection before getting dressed for the day.  A few minutes for a cartoon and chat time, and we're out the door.

Here are some tips that we've incorporated into our routines:

1. Create a before and after school routine, and stick to it.
2. Lay out clothes the night before. INCLUDING shoes, socks, underwear. This way, they can dress themselves, even if they're still sleepy, and you know they match.
3. Have kid-friendly breakfast options. We have sausages to cook in the microwave, cereal, French toast sticks for the microwave or oven, pastries, toast with butter, cinnamon and sugar or peanut butter. Grab a banana or some grapes, and you're good to go.
4. My oldest son has a late lunch, so he eats a snack in class in the mornings. We have allergy friendly and kid friendly choices for him, including rice cakes, bananas, and cheese crackers. He's in braces now, so no apples for the time being.
5. Set a routine and stick to it. We have the same morning routine, and benchmarks to make sure we're on time. For instance, clothes must be on the bodies by 8:10.  In the afternoons, you grab a snack, eat, then take your backpack to Mom to double check.  We take 15 minutes to unwind, then get any homework finished. It works well for us.
6. COLOR CODE your calendar. I do this on my Outlook, so I'm never caught by surprise. If something comes up while I'm away from home, I always say, "Let me check the schedule," then I immediately email myself a reminder from my Blackberry. I'm a techie nerd, so that works well for me.

I'd love to hear school day organization tips from you!