Works-for-me-Wed. - two great books (one is free)

I LOVE to read! I read mostly for entertainment's sake but love to find good books that are riveting (real "pageturners") but also enlightening and challenging. I have found two that fit in this category for me lately.

The first one:







The second one:



The One Factor

I don't think you could regret the time you took to read either of them.

Great books! Enlighten your mind - change the world! It works for me!

Head on back over to ROCKS IN MY DRYER for oodles of ideas!

Works-for-me-Wed. - clutter control/guilt control

This is a very simple solution that has made a very big difference in the clutter around our house. I love my children dearly but I don't love all of the stuff they bring in the house. I hate to see their sweet little faces frowning when they find their treasures in Mommy's trashcan (how did THAT get in THERE?). Enter the solution - "The pre-trash". It is a dishtub (ours is green and lives in the family hub - the laundry room). In it goes anything I find laying around that isn't obviously trash (if in question, it goes in the bucket). If one of the precious children are looking for their precious belonging or creation the next morning, I know exactly where to find it. Every few days I can clean it out and trash anything lingering free of Mommy guilt (best to do it after kiddos are in bed and then take it to the curb - out of site - out of mind).

Works for me! Head on back over to ROCKS IN MY DRYER for oodles of ideas!

Works-for-me-Wed. - feedin' a gaggle of young'uns

My motto for myself has become "write it down". This works well when we have friends over for lunch. With my 4, just adding 2 extras adds a lot to my overtaxed brain. There's no way I'll remember all the orders in the midst of my pleasant reminders to not abuse the furnishings or the younger children. So, I just grab a sharpie and a stack of paper plates and a stack of disposable cups. I write everyone's name and lunch order (I provide an extensive gourmet menu of ham or PB &J - grape or strawberry) on the plate and name and drink order (the caffeine is ONLY for me) on the cup. Then I can spend my "free time" making sandwiches at a sane pace. Way better than having the advancing horde lined up at the kitchen island shouting out their "requests".

Works for me! Head on back over to ROCKS IN MY DRYER for oodles of ideas!

Check this out! You'll like it!



You can also go here and leave your link for a chance to win some great music!

Works-for-me-Wed. - "part of the solution"

Happy Summer!
What works for me is a mindset. Last summer I did tons of things just to keep everyone busy. We had a lot of fun but it just added to the number of things in my day. This summer we're still going to have fun but I'm going to focus on seeing my kids as part of the solution (to managing our family) and not part of the problem (making my busy days even busier). Hopefully, we can have a lot of quality time together this way and help them gain some new skills. My big kids (6 and 8 year olds) are going to do(and are excited about helping me with - some things more than others):
- couponing
- menu planning (weekly and "party")
- grocery shopping (produce picking, price comparison, etc.)
- freezer cooking
- meal serving (table arrangement, centerpieces, "presentation")
- gardening (planting, weeding, watering)
- painting an outdoor shed
- organizing cabinets and drawers
- little kid supervision
- preschool skills for little ones
- home speech program for 3 year old (they are amazing at this)

I'm planning to give choices and lots of rewards. I haven't fully implemented it yet but already it's made a huge difference in my attitude. I'm excited about what we can accomplish as a team AND the fun we're going to have!

Works for me! Head on back over to ROCKS IN MY DRYER for oodles of ideas!