My Goals: Week of 1/7

These are my goals for the week of 1/7 that fit in line with my top 6 priorities for 2013:

God

• Read daily passage from One Year Bible plan (ongoing)
• Weekly couple devotional time with Derek (ongoing)

Marriage

• Weekly couple devotional time with Derek (ongoing)
• Schedule and have 30 minutes of quality spouse time daily

Children

• Spend 30 minutes one-on-one time each day with each child (ongoing)
• Create treasure hunt for Friday's preschool time
• Read to each child for 15 minutes per day

Others

• I don't want to create a "goal" for this area. I will be open to opportunities to minister to others in need at any time that God calls me to do so.

Self Development

• Finish reading The Heart of Simplicity: Foundations for Christian Homemaking and start reading In the Shadow of the Banyan: A Novel (book club book) *See the other books that I am reading this month here
• Work out for 30 minutes each day (even if it is just a walk around the neighborhood with the kids)
• Drink 8 glasses of water a day (I just can't seem to ever do this one)

Household Management

• Keep up with my new daily cleaning schedule
• Complete this week's Home Challenge task

Some of the links on this website are "affiliate links." This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a commission.

Reorganized Home Challenge Week #2: Freezer

This is week two of the Reorganized Home Challenge! I hope that your year has started off great.

Our family received some great news this week. My husband has been working around 60 hours per week for the past few years. It has been difficult for me since we have three young children. My husband and I have both been praying for God to open up new doors for him so he would be able to spend more time with our family. For the last year or so, there have been numerous opportunities that have arisen, but one by one they haven't come to fruition. It has been discouraging for us both, but we persevered and continued praying. Last week, we received news that my husband is going to be starting a new position the beginning of February. The best part about this? It is a 40 hour a week job! I feel so blessed that God has granted this opportunity for our family.

A burden has been lifted. The thing that I am most looking forward to, is the fact that we will now be able to have dinner together as a family. Every night right now I dread dinnertime. I try and keep my children occupied while I throw dinner together. I then feed my two and three year old. Sometimes I eat with them, but sometimes I wait to eat until my husband gets home. I am so happy that he will now be home at this time so we can spend the time as a family.

I hope that if you are struggling with something in your life, that you will give it up to Christ. It doesn't mean your life will be perfect, but if you really let go and give it up to him, he will give you an inner peace about the situation. I love this verse from Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

If I would not have struggled with the stress of managing a household with three young children, I would not have as much appreciation for the time that we are going to have as a family.

Back to the challenge...this week's task is the freezer. And yes, if you have an extra freezer in the garage, it is included!

Challenge Steps:

1. Start by pulling all of the food out of your freezer. Toss anything that is past the expiration date or has freezer burn. You will want to place your foods into a cooler so that they don't spoil while you clean.
2. Pull out the drawer(s). Rinse with soapy water and dry.
3. Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of water. Moisten towel with solution and wipe down the inside.
4. Finish scrubbing shelves and drawers and dry on large towel.
5. Replace shelves and drawers.
6. Reorganize your food by type as you put it back into the freezer. I like to have a shelf for breakfast food, one for baby food, one for desserts, one for vegetables, etc
7. If you have an additional freezer in the garage complete the same steps.

Optional Steps:

1. If you have a freezer in the garage and there is frost build up, you may want to defrost it. See instructions here.
2. Purchase bins and label according to food type to make it easier to find what you need.

*Follow me on Pinterest for more great Organizing and Household Ideas

If you are looking for more ideas about how to Simplify your life. Check out the ebook Simple Living - 30 days to less stuff and more life by Lorilee Lippincott.

What tips do you have for cleaning your freezer? Please share in the comments section.

Some of the links on this website are "affiliate links." This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a commission.

Preschool Plans: Pirate Week (Week of 1/7)

 

Two Year Old Ongoing Focus: Letter Recognition, Word Recognition, Shapes, Colors

Three Year Old Ongoing Focus: Pre-Reading (Sight Words, Word Families), Days of the Week, Months of the Year, Geography, Beginning Math

Two Year Old Lesson Plans

Monday

1. Letter Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
2. Color Letter P for Pirate Coloring Sheet
3. Color/Construct Customizable Pirate Treasure Map 

Wednesday

1. Letter Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
2. Number Flashcards 1-5 (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
3. Make Pirate Hook 

Friday

1. Letter Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
2. Treasure Hunt

Three Year Old Lesson Plans

This week's theme: Pirates and Treasure Map (for "ap" word family week)

Monday

1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Days of the Week and Month Review
3. Sight Word Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
4. "ap" Family Word Week
   • Flashcards "ap" Family Words Introduction
   • "ap" Family Matching Worksheet
   • Color/Construct Customizable Pirate Treasure Map 
5. 1-2-3-1-2-3 Pattern Worksheet
6. Map Time (using $1 U.S. Map purchased at Dollar Tree)

Wednesday

1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Days of the Week and Month Review
3. Sight Word Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
4. "ap" Family Word Week
• "Memory" played with 2 sets of "at" Family Flashcards
• Make Pirate Hook
5. Pirate Coins Activity
6. Map Time (using $1 U.S. Map purchased at Dollar Tree)

Friday

1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Days of the Week and Month Review
3. Sight Word Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
4. "ap" Family Word Week
• Flashcards Review
• Pirate Rhyming Words Activity
• Treasure Hunt
5. Map Time (using $1 U.S. Map purchased at Dollar Tree)

My 2013 Goals

I must admit that I am not good at keeping resolutions. I do, however, like working toward my goals. Instead of making a resolution this year, I am going to set specific, measurable goals that fit in with my top 6 priorities.

God

1. Have a 30 minute quiet time each day to read Bible and pray
2. Read through the Bible in a year
3. Attend church every Sunday
4. Start a prayer group with other stay-at-home moms (meet once a month)

Spouse

1. Spend at least 30 minutes one-on-one time with Derek each day
2. One date night per month
3. Weekly in home date nights
4. One getaway this year (after I stop nursing my son)
5. Finish working through Closer: Devotions to Draw Couples Together

Children

1. 30 minutes daily one-on-one time with each child
2. Weekly preschool time on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (see my plans here)
3. Monthly one-on-one outing with each child
4. Nightly reading and bedtime

Others

1. Weekly planned activity focus on others (i.e. deliver meals, make homemade gift, etc)
2. One monthly activity focused on community outreach (blessing bags, delivering meals to homeless etc)

Self Development

1. Read 1 book each week or 4 books per month (see the books I am planning to read here)
2. Daily time to rest
3. Daily time to work on blogging, craft project, etc

Home Management

1. Create a menu plan each week (see my weekly menu plans here)
2. Complete Home Challenge task each week
3. Stick to daily/weekly cleaning plan

What are your goals for 2013?

Reorganized Home Challenge Week One: Refrigerator

Starting today and continuing through the end of 2013, I will be posting a weekly Reorganized Home Challenge on Mondays. One of my top 6 priorities in 2013 is Home Management. A big part of that is making sure that I simplify my life by purging and reorganizing.

I would like to begin the challenge in the kitchen. For the next few weeks, the challenge will revolve around tasks to get your kitchen in tip top shape. I have a small kitchen with minimal counter and cabinet space, so it is essential that I keep it as neat and tidy as possible. Let's begin with the refrigerator. I must admit that I hate cleaning the refrigerator, but when preparing snacks and meals, it is great to have a clean refrigerator with fresh food.

Challenge Steps:

1. Start by pulling all of the food out of your refrigerator. Toss anything that is past the expiration date. You may want to place your foods into a cooler so that they don't spoil while you clean.
2. Pull out the shelves and drawers. Fill the bathtub with soapy water and throw all of the shelves and drawers in (make sure that the water isn't too warm, you don't want the glass to crack). I have found this is much easier than washing them one by one in the sink.
3. Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of water. Moisten towel with solution and wipe down the inside.
4. Finish scrubbing shelves and drawers and dry on large towel.
5. Replace shelves and drawers.
6. Reorganize food as you put it back into the fridge

Optional Steps:

1. Create fridge mats like these found on U Create to make cleaning spills easier.
2. Organize your food in labeled bins, like these Interdesign Fridge Binz Deep Bin, 8 x 4, Clear (or take a trip to the dollar store and purchase bins to use)
3. Start off the New Year by creating a healthy snack station for you and your family members. Fit Sugar has some great healthy snack ideas.

*Follow me on Pinterest for more great Organizing and Household Ideas

Next Monday, I will share with you my own completed refrigerator challenge with pictures.

If you are looking for more ideas about how to Simplify your life. Check out the ebook Simple Living - 30 days to less stuff and more life by Lorilee Lippincott. 

What other tips do you have for cleaning your refrigerator?

Preschool Plan: Week of 12/31

One of my top 6 priorities for 2013, is my relationship with my children. One of my roles as their mother is educator. As an educator, it is important to set aside time each week to teach my children. I made the decision to not send my daughters to preschool at this time, but I still understand the importance of scheduled learning time. This will be beneficial in preparing them for Kindergarten.

I have a two year old daughter and a three year old daughter. Each week I am going to share with you my "lesson plans" for our preschool time. When I created my 2013 daily schedule, I set aside an hour on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for preschool. During this time, I will have planned activities to accomplish. I found a planner from Homeschool Creations, that I think is very helpful in creating a weekly preschool schedule. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I will have a planned outing. I believe that it is important for my children to not only have structured learning time inside the home, but to also have learning experiences outside of the home. For our outings, we may make a trip to the zoo, the Children's Museum or we may have a play date with a friend.

I found a great Calendar at the Dollar Tree. The Calendar, Dates, and Months each cost a $1 so my total cost was $3.00. I also found a U.S. Map and Pledge of Allegiance poster for $1. Most of my other resources I find online for free.

Two Year Old Ongoing Focus: Letter Recognition, Word Recognition, Shapes, Colors

Three Year Old Ongoing Focus: Pre-Reading (Sight Words, Word Families), Days of the Week, Months of the Year, Geography, Beginning Math

Two Year Old Lesson Plans

Monday

1. Letter Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
2. Letter C Magazine Activity (find pictures in magazines of things that start with letter C and paste onto Construction paper)
3. Read Cat in the Hat

Wednesday

1. Letter Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
2. Cat in the Hat Coloring Page (we practice colors as she picks crayons to color with)
3. Number Flashcards 1-5 (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)

Friday

1. Letter Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
2. Shapes worksheet (color shapes different colors)
3. Create Hat for Cat in the Hat

Three Year Old Lesson Plans

This week's theme: Cat in the Hat

Monday

1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Days of the Week and Month Review
3. Sight Word Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
4. "at" Family Word Week
• Flashcards "at" Family Words Introduction
• "at" Family Matching Worksheet
• Read Cat in the Hat
5. 1-2-1-2 Pattern Worksheet
6. Map Time (using $1 U.S. Map purchased at Dollar Tree)

Wednesday

1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Days of the Week and Month Review
3. Sight Word Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
4. "at" Family Word Week
• "Memory" played with 2 sets of "at" Family Flashcards
• Cat in the Hat Doorknob Hangers
5. Circle the Matching Number Worksheet
6. Map Time (using $1 U.S. Map purchased at Dollar Tree)

Friday

1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Days of the Week and Month Review
3. Sight Word Flashcards (purchased from the $1 Spot at Target)
4. "at" Family Word Week
• Flashcards Review
• Create Hat for Cat in the Hat
5. Trace and Match Numbers Worksheet
6. Map Time (using $1 U.S. Map purchased at Dollar Tree)

My 2013 Schedule and Activities

As I discussed yesterday, I am in the process of establishing my Household Management Binder and schedule so that I can focus on my top 6 priorities for 2013. I just finished reading Tell Your Time: How to Manage Your Schedule So You Can Live Free by Amy Andrews, which proved to be an invaluable resource for my basic day to day schedule. In the book, Amy discusses developing a schedule based on activities that help your to reach your goals. If you are in the process of making a schedule for 2013 or if you too need to reevaluate your priorities, I would highly recommend reading this book (and at this very moment the ebook is FREE). Amy also provides several printable resources to assist you in making your schedule at TellYourTime.com.

Based on the principles in the book and the priorities that I established, I put the following activities into my schedule:

1. Relationship with God:

• Church
• Daily Bible Reading/Prayer Time

2. Relationship with Husband:

• Daily One-on-one Time
• Monthly Date Night or Weekly in Home Date Night

3. Relationship with Children:

• Daily One-on-one Time (30 min per child)
• Family Time
• Family Outings
• "Preschool" Time

4. Relationship with Others:

• Bi-weekly Friend/Ministry Time (will include catching up with friends, delivering meals, volunteering, etc)

5. Self Development:

• Rest/Nap Time
• Exercise Time
• TV/Reading Time
• Work (Blogging) Time

6. Household Management:

• Morning Routine (Make Bed, Eat Breakfast, Load of Laundry, etc)
• Chores
• Meal Planning
• Grocery Shopping
• After Dinner Clean-up

Here is what my completed schedule looks like:

Although I love a good schedule, it is important to remember that you need to leave some white space or "cushion" as Amy Andrews calls it. This allows you to insert any other activities in that you need to complete. I also believe that you need to still have some flexibility when it comes to your schedule.

Do you have a daily schedule? If so, how do you schedule activities that keep your priorities in order?

Household Management Binder and Creating a Schedule

To accomplish my 6 Top Priorities, I am creating a new schedule and Household Management Binder for 2013. By creating a schedule, I will be able to make sure that I accomplish the things that I need to do first to keep my priorities in order. For those of you that haven't ever used a Household Management Binder, it is a great tool to organize all of your day to day information. I have used a Household Management Binder in the past, but I have to admit that I haven't used it as consistently as I should.

There are some great free printables available to help you create your own Household Management Binder. I like to pick and choose the printables that best suit my needs.

Organizing Home Life has a great set of free Home Management Printables to get your binder started.

 

 

Life Your Way also has a fantastic set of free printables that includes Menu Planners, Emergency Information, Babysitter Notes and more.

Amy Bayliss offers free printables for your Home Management Binder that include planning sections for church, Bible study, and ministry.

To begin with, I am keeping my binder very simple and I will add on to it as the year goes on. I printed a cover sheet, daily and weekly chore sheet,  monthly calendar, Birthdays and Anniversaries tracker, and Read Through the Bible in One Year printable.

I am excited to use the Read Through the Bible in One Year printable to keep me in line with my number one priority to focus on my relationship with God. The Birthdays and Anniversaries tracker is perfect to focus on my priority to serve others, the chore sheet will help me to work on my priority of household management, and planning out my weeks will allow me to focus on ALL of my priorities more effectively.

Do you use a Household Management Binder? If so, how does it help you to keep your priorities in line?