Tuesdays Tip: Summer Jobs

I thought with summer coming I should share with you what we do for jobs over the summer. I've used these for the past two years. 

I have a separate system during the school year here.

I start with a standard sheet of white card stock and print each child's name at the top with two columns...

One for: To Do 

One for: Finished 

I have a small plastic bag that zips at the top with all these little job cards inside. 

I laminate the cards and the kids individual sheets. 

NOTE: If you live in Utah Valley... I LOVE the laminating over at Utah Idaho Supply. I have gone to many a place in Orem and Lehi. Laminating is too thick, too thin, sticky or bubbles... but nothing holds a candle to Utah Idaho Supply!

Here is a little smattering of the types of jobs... just things that need to be done around the house. One day they may wipe sinks and counters in a bathroom, another day they may dust the living room, the next vacuum bedrooms, standard things and not so standard.

Some are the same each day...

Morning 5 consists of...

Make bed

Get dressed & put away pajamas

Brush teeth

Morning prayers

Scriptures

Another item every day...

Usually we do homework Monday through Thursday and on Fridays we do an art project or science experiment or something more creative...

...but sometimes I throw them in during the week too.

It's not all jobs and homework...

 

My girls love their Yoga for Kids DVD!

And these two get begged for...

 The girls jump up and down when they have the Mom time and sometimes that involves baking.
That is considered a winner-winner!

Now some may say, you really shouldn't have to have a card to spend time with your kids. 

Please...judge me not!

This is just one-on-one time together and that is what seems to get over looked.

I mean think about it.

When I read a book I usually have three of the four fighting for my lap or to be next to me.

When I paint one pair of toes three other sets are waiting with mouths yapping, hands picking colors and bodies filling the bathroom.

When I ask for one child to help me water plants, or do some other project to help me, the other three are puppy-eyed and following me around wanting to be part of the action.

If I ask one child to help make cookies, all of them are on stools waiting for their turn to dump in a cup of flour or a teaspoon of vanilla.

It is actually very surprising anything I bake turns out at all as all my recipes are split up... 

MOM: "Did Stella just dump the second or third cup of flour?"

Humm... we have to count back as to who put in what because I got focused on who's turn is next rather then counting cups or spoonfuls of ingredients.

Or...

MOM: "Okay lets see, who gets the next item?"

STELLA: "Me, Me, Me!"

The next round...

STELLA: "Me, Me, Me!"

The very next round...

STELLA: Me, Me, Me!"

Oh and...

Every day for morning, dinner or family prayer...

MOM or DAD: "Who's turn is it to say prayer?"

STELLA: "Me, Me, Me!" 

She also points to herself...

Just in case we missed one of the Me's!

Right.

 So back to the card, this is non-guilt, individual, scheduled time for 20 minutes, which the other kids can't complain about... as much... because the hope is that tomorrow will be their day. 

 I use that tacky poster stuff to hold the tags up. 

 

I thought about Velcro but I have a lot of tags.

You could use a generic card with 20-30 minutes cleaning, which I do have one for those really odd jobs that are not covered in my printed up cards. Then you wouldn't have to have so many individual ones, but my kids are young enough that I like for them to look at a picture of what they should be doing. 

Plus this is a good way for me to remember things that I would miss cleaning until they are a total mess. 

When I go through cards and think, oh, I haven't put up the clean light switches in awhile. Up it goes the next day. OR shake out bathroom rugs, wipe doors, or clean hair stuff (with 4 girls, 6 dolls with hair and 30 or more barbies, the hair stuff gets messy, fast!)

 

Over the summer, I stick these on my fridge or pantry door and by noon (for the most part), I expect everything to be moved over to the finished side.

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Just a tip that makes our summers a little smoother, so I thought I'd share. There are so many cute ideas out there, I just found this works great for us!

Happy Summer!

Tuesday Tip: Over spray

I saw this on Americas Test Kitchen and thought, why didn't I think of that? It was a great idea so I thought I'd share.

Do you use Pam or Cooking Spray?

Don't you hate when the over spray gets on you counter, stove, floor, or child sitting at the bar? 

I usually spray over the kitchen sink so the over spray gets there and can be washed down. But it still makes you kitchen sink messy, and you still need to wipe it out of the sink. OR not.

So the brilliant and forever forward thinking people at America's Test Kitchen, pulled out all their resources and brains and decided if you open your dishwasher, like this...

And place your pan on the open door, you can spray away to your hearts content and when you close the door and start the dishwasher the next time... all that messy, slick, oily residue will just wash away.

Great idea huh?

Use it the next time you spray and tell me if it doesn't feel smart.

Tuesday Tip: Cleaning Schedule

I think I mentioned this when I posted my kids weekly jobs and responsibilities here. I have a schedule which I try to use for my weekly cleaning.

Let me just clarify the word TRY.

Best effort. Yes.

Do it every/always/never miss a day. No.

Life is busy and by no means do I always complete this each day of the week. But the way this is set up that's okay, cause you can just get it the next week, so no sweat.

And some weeks I have to do a bigger cleaning on one day in the week and then do my quick touch-ups in the morning. I guess I could give you that run down. Later.

This schedule just helps me know what to start in the morning rather than running around like my head is cut off.

Which I do sometimes.

Occasionally... Erik comes home to every room torn apart throughout the house. He asks what happened and then I stop and realize what a mess every room is in because I didn't finish one thing I started. Erik then quietly opens the fridge and pulls out something to make for dinner.

THAT is why I try to stick with this schedule.

It's better on a marriage.

Right.

Let me also clarify that I am a big fan of cleaning wipes. They are a bit pricier than a spray bottle and rag but man, I just tug one out and bam... counter and sink are clean, one more tug? Toilet and seat are clean.

Let me interject here.

You could have just pictured me cleaning the toilet and then smearing all those yucky germs across the seat. NO NO NO... let me clarify, I always start my toilet by wiping the handle, then the cover, then the top of the seat, then under and last the actual porcelain throne rim and front. The innards get the usual cleaning with cleanser and toilet brush.

Didn't want anyone worrying next time they come over and have to use the loo.

Right. Again.

Wipes, Swiffer dusters, merry maids, whatever makes cleaning easier I say do it.

Rather than annoy the pants of you anymore with my ramblings, why don't I just give you the link to see the schedule and print it if you are so inclined, or use the info to spur your own dreams of sparkling toilet bowls and glistening floors.

Ashley's Cleaning Schedule

My schedule sits on the side of my fridge, until we re-did the kitchen and now it's just tucked in with my recipe books and I pull it out.  But this would be great taped in a cabinet door in the kitchen/pantry or laundry or your cleaning closet door, anywhere you can open it up to view easily.

And if it's unclear, which is pretty likely coming from me, when you see the 1st and 2nd etc. it's a rotation. I use it for the week in the month. Jobs like blinds and windows or washing duvets don't have to be done each week. So I rotate those jobs and do as needed.

Happy Cleaning!

TUESDAY TIP: Saturday Jobs

Each Saturday morning my girls are expected to jump in and help out around the house. If we don't get things done on Saturday then our week gets messy and complicated so we try to be consistent in what has to happen before fun time can start.

In our house we have to be specific, so that the girls know what we expect. If we say bedroom and bathroom it just isn't enough, so the girls have things broken down for them somewhat. I got inspired from Shawni.

Bedroom:

Beds are pretty much a given every day of the week, so I don't even have them on the list. You make your bed or you don't play! The older two are great, the younger ones I have to remind often. Stella still gets some help making hers!

1. Dust bed, dresser, nightstand.

(Includes wiping finger prints off of these items too.)

2. Put away everything on furniture.

(All those papers, notes, trinkets, jewelry, books out of place on the bookshelf, toys not put back, ALL OF IT has to be off the dressers, bookcases and nightstands and be put away.)

I knew I could go down and get a good example from McCall. Man I love that girl!

Here is what I expect. This is Elizabeth.

3. Organize clothing.

(This means clothes off floor or that missed the dirty clothes basket. Drawers need to be cleaned and everything folded. Closets organized all clothes hung up in order and shoes in boxes.)

This is what I check for.

4. Pick out clothes for next week.

(see this post.)

5. Vacuum Bedroom

Bathroom:

This one applies to McCall and Elizabeth in their bathrooms. Claire does the basement bathroom but I do the toilet and help oversee the wiping of sink, counter and mirror.

6. Clean your bathroom

(Scrub counter, sink, mirror, toilet, (shower/bath), shake rug, sweep floor and empty trash)

Other:

McCall and Elizabeth have different spots they clean each week.

McCall cleans the coats and shoes at the front door.

Lizzie cleans the bookcases in her room ^ and the 2 girls' room. (McCall's bookcase is under the furniture section of room cleaning. She isn't pulling books out each day like the little ones do, albeit the pencils, erasers and notes from school clutter her shelves to catch up to the little ones messes easily.)

They have a couple other jobs they are responsible for and they check them off with the other jobs. You can see what I use here!

FOR MOM:

I try to get my room and bathroom, kitchen, living room and family rooms cleaned before Saturday so that I can help the kids move along with theirs, but if not, then I'm catching up doing those on Saturday with the girls. I do have a weekly cleaning chart which I do most of the time and I'll share that tip sometime too.

In addendum:

We started this at the beginning of the school year. We have a different way for jobs over the summer. On the first Saturday it took us a while to get the girls drawers cleaned and I heard McCall mumbling in her room ... "I am going to keep my drawers so clean that next Saturday I won't even have to clean them!" 

My point EXACTLY Calla! 

At first I thought it might be too much work but you know, it isn't. I am raising future wives and mothers and they need to have these skills and they need to know how to work - because life is not a shopping trip, a vacation to see pretty places, or a sporting event.

Just last Saturday McCall had to get the vacuum out THREE times (NO JOKE: re-winding the cord up and all) to vacuum and re-vacuum the family room because I kept finding popcorn and other stuff from Friday night.

Erik thought I was being too hard but you know, if you say it nicely then I don't see the problem and I promise you this week she will remember to do it right the first go round!

I think it's preparing the girls for life in the real world. What happens in college or in the workplace when they don't give it their best or do it right. They need to learn these lessons now from a loving parent.

A Tip for Tuesday

So I have a set of four of these. They have been reinforced at the hole punch and laminated if you can't see from the photo.

(Look at that nice wrinkled duvet cover from targets Rachel Ashwell line. Should have paid more attention to the lack of wrinkle-free on the package. I hate that thing.)

I made the tags large so they are noticeable. It's strange I know, but in our house things need to be noticeable to be noticed -- or they aren't. ???

So part of the girls school year Saturday jobs are to pick out clothes for the week and hang one of these tags on the clothes for that day. Saturday and Sunday labels don't get used as often as the other ones...

1. I don't care about Saturday mornings usually. But if we do have something to get out the door for then it helps to pick it out before. 

2.Sunday is done as a group usually. 

(I'll tip on Saturday jobs and Sunday groups soon.)

To do this on Saturday it means laundry needs to be done on Friday.

Or Thursday when I know it's a crazy Friday.

Or Wednesday...

Okay... at some point laundry should be done.

So..... if you don't have laundry done then they end up pulling out the ratted and torn jeans. It is ironic for the above photo to fall here, this is not an example of ratted and torn. I paid good money for these to be "distressed".

My dad once offered to wear out my jeans for me when he heard what I paid for some "distressed" jeans.

He's a really nice dad.





Wow, look at the glare on Wednesday's photo. Yuck!

The girls know I have ultimate say on outfits and obviously the two little ones assist me as we pick out items.

Ultimate say = a mean mom. 

Dear Elizabeth seems to think if you have a brown top you should wear brown pants. Poor thing doesn't understand when I say it doesn't match, "But they are the same color, Mom!" It really doesn't make sense does it?

And then you have McCall. She would wear jeans and t-shirts every day even though at the store she loves and wants to buy the skirt, the blouse, the chic sweater - so mom has to remind her I paid good money cause she LOVED this sweater and she's going to wear it!

So do you want to make these for your kids? You can use my template here.

1. Print on card stock.
2. Hole punch before you laminate.
3. Laminate if you didn't figure that out from step 2.
4. Re hole punch laminate if you didn't figure that out.
5. Put a little ribbon to hang them by.

Side Note: So when I was laminating the lady at the counter started raving about the idea and as I tried to explain I was sick of picking things out the night before or morning of (for my girls), she cut me off and started going off about how nice that would be to make sure you didn't wear the same thing in the next week, yada yada yada. I left wide eyed and slightly embarrassed, for me or her, I am not sure which. She thought all those sets were for me in my closet I guess!

Household Items

You'll want to click on this to really read it, I didn't have time to figure out how to bring in my excel spreadsheet so it was print out and scan, then upload the photo! Lame I know!

Since conference last October, Erik and I have been wondering about our year supply. So at the beginning of this year we started tracking what we use. We listed common items on a list and then wrote the open date in the first column and when it was used up in the second column. We were then able to see what we needed... we were pretty close in our years supply but somethings were a little under and a couple things I had been storing way too much of. I thought I'd make my list available in case it might help any of you.

This said, let me just say that this is based on our families needs and uses (family of 5 - now 6). Some people may wash clothes more often, or less (I'm a fanatic about washing sheets once a week). And you would need to gear some items for what you use (we use JUMBO rolls of Charmin so you'd need to adjust your amount if you use a normal size roll).

Also, I store one more than what I need, so if I need 8 jugs of laundry soap I have 9 so that when I finish #9, I purchase a new one and thus always have 8 always in storage... or if I need 2 packages of Dove soap for the year, I have a third that is open and in use. Again when I get close to using that package I purchase a new one so I always have two unopened packages for our years supply.

Comprehend??? You could get quite O.C. about it but the idea is to just do your best to store approximately a years surplus.

Our church lists a lot of what to store per person for a year (like water, flour, sugar, salt, etc.), so we are relying on those figures for now, and a lot of the food storage changes from week to week based on what we are using for the meal, we have tracked some of our basics, like peanut butter, pancake mix, etc. and I'll be listing those amounts in the future.

For now this is what we use... it's pretty complete on the basic household & personal items we want to have. I always keep one extra case of diapers and wipes on top of one that's being used.

I haven't listed medicines, band aids, q-tips etc. cause it's too hard... I just store way more than I should because I'd rather be safe than sorry... right now I have 5 plus 1 opened bottles of children's Tylenol... More than I probably need but I never want to run out and make my kids suffer through a fever or something. I usually don't have this much but it's the beginning of flu season so I always stock up so by the end of the season I still have a years supply... and hey who wants to go the the store sick and contaminate everyone else to pick up medication. Oh and you have to stock up on Sudafed (behind the counter kind) 2pkgs over a distance of time or they will think you are making drugs or something!!!

Hope this might be helpful to some of you... we just totally revamped out 72hr kits too so I'll post about that soon too.

Oh and just to get this out in the air before I get the question ... YES my food storage room is VERY full.

Kids Summer Jobs

I've been sharing some things which are helpful in my life -- hopefully others may benefit or have ideas for me! For the past couple of years I have used these cards for my little ones. I just wrote out the task, found clip art, printed them on white card stock, cut and then laminated. Each morning during the summer I deal out cards for each child. They have a little envelope thing that is magnetized to the fridge which they place completed cards in.

The best thing is you can totally make them specific to your needs. Some are easy and basic - ones they'd do anyway like make bed/brush teeth -- they get those cards every morning but they feel good when placing them in the completed envelope. We've got dust, clean up toys, (help) empty dishwasher, sweep kitchen, homework and reading. Not everyone might need one that consists of picking up wood chips from the lawn, but every two weeks or so, my girls get a card and they go out back with small pails and pick up the wood chips from the lawn along the play set area. OR a yoga card, but I purchased a children's yoga set and some summer mornings they get that one. We've got practice violin, practice dance... etc. I also put in things like write in journal, write a letter, stitch, draw a picture for someone (more to help remind me to have them do some different activities and mix things up).

My children get money put in accounts for them automatically each paycheck, we aren't really great at giving an allowance -- and I certainly don't pay them for each card completed. Work is part of being a family -- they don't need to be rewarded for doing basic tasks... but I do sometimes have extra jobs they can do for a little money - but that is the exception not the norm.

I only do this in the summer - so it's more of a novelty for the kids. This works for me and maybe it might help you too so I thought I'd share! I could send the document I have with all the cards I use -- if someone would like it -- but you'd probably like to customize cards yourselves if you want to do this with your children!

My Cleaning Schedule (4 Haylie)

I started this back in 2001... (click on picture to enlarge &; read schedule better)... each weekday I have a few items that I complete to maintain the household cleaning. Some weeks it doesn't work and I need to do a one day mass cleaning... sometimes I have to skip a day because of other things going on. When that happens I can usually re-arrange something that doesn't need cleaning as badly for something that needs more urgent attention. This has been helpful to know what needs to be done each morning so I don't have to write a list each day or plan cleaning each week.

I have my schedule on the side of my fridge, it could be taped inside a cupboard -- whatever! I also list out what I do in the room so I have specifics to follow -- which may seem stupid but at first it was helpful... now I know it all so well I don't really need it. On Friday's I rotate deeper cleaning jobs that need to be done once a month or less. Windows could go more than once a month so I might rotate cleaning the garage up, food storage, cleaning the kitchen catch all drawer... whatever might need to be done.

Now the kids can help with things too... McCall knows every Monday she and Elizabeth empty trash cans before our trash day on Tuesday... McCall also brings the big trash cans in on her way to school on Tuesday (We have an early route)... They also love to dust with the swifter duster things... On Wednesday's I remind the girls when they wake up not to make the bed and they strip the sheets for me and take them to the laundry room...

The only thing I might change is to throw in is some time for weeding, mowing. I'd probably be better at staying on top of my flower beds if I set aside sometime each week for weeding beds and planters... but our landscaping is pretty under control so it's usually not a big deal. (You've got to love PREEN!)

My Pack

So I thought today I would share my pack with you. Underneath a bench seat in my Yukon I have a small size backpack which I picked up on sale at Target for a couple of dollars. It is my emergency kit.

In it I have...

• 4 water bottles


• zip lock with two diapers and wipes for baby


• change of underwear for each child


• change of pants for the little ones(soft knit pants you can pick up at Target for $4)


• change of socks for the little ones


• (when I have a baby I have a knit one piece out fit)


• (when I have a baby I have bottle/2 sticks of formula - the ones you get free at the hospital and a small thing of baby food/spoon)


• 3 Hard granola bars(chewy have to be replaced more often)


• 3 Fruit snacks (they will melt sometimes in hot weather)


• Collection of Suckers and smarties (they last forever in there)


• Sippy cup for those who can't drink well from a water bottle


• Lemonade packs(the ones you dump into a water bottle)


• Couple band aids


• Small notebook with small pack of crayons


• small toy/doll


• $5-20 cash


• small blanket rolled up

All of these items are stuffed in this bag. The diapers and small thing of wipes are in a zip lock pressed tight, along with another zip lock pressed as air tight as I can with the clothes/underwear/socks in it.

I keep this bag shoved under a seat so it isn't in the way. Under the seat next to the pack, I also have a fleece blanket we picked up on one of our ER visits with Elizabeth, which is rolled up and stored.

We also carry in the back of the car a large picnic blanket which is super compact, small fire extinguisher, a full size emergency kit, which I added bug spray and sunscreen to the kit, rain poncho, along with a few other things.

In the middle console I always carry anti bacteria wipes, napkins, a few snacks/treats, flashlight and our collection of sunglasses.

When I pull something out from my pack I always try to replace it immediately and take that time to update as needed.

So this is my bag, and it has come in so handy. I try not to count on it but if I am in a total hurry to get someone to dance I know it is there. When I grab the diaper bag and it only has 1 diaper in it or it's missing a sippy cup, I know I always have backup. I don't get stuck because someone peed there pants or spilled, and I have to leave or run to a store. And if we are stuck in traffic and kids get anxious, if there is nothing else, I have the bag with water and snacks to calm them down. If I made it out the door without my purse I have backup $$ if I really need to stop at a store or get fuel.

I just thought I'd share my pack, it helps make me calm and I always feel somewhat prepared.