My Awesome Grocery List

Problem: You go to the grocery store with list in hand and the feeling that you have got to be forgetting something.  Oh well, the store will be open tomorrow as well!

Solution: Create an your own "awesome grocery list."  Staple your list to a piece of cardboard and glue a magnet on the back or use a magnetic clipboard to hang it on the fridge.  It's easy to make your own with Excel, and I can even email you mine if you are interested!  Include all of your frequently-used items and take a quick peak in the cupboards before you go to the store to check off items you are almost out of! 

It has made my life MUCH EASIER!  Got this idea from a store-bought grocery list pad we got for our wedding.  Fine-tuning it according to our personal needs makes it even better.  Oh, and did I mention that my awesome hubby made this for me with Excel?

Kids in the Kitchen

Problem: Your husband is late coming home from work, the kids are hungry and running around like crazy, and you're trying to get dinner on the table!

Solution #1: Get the kids involved!  This takes a little bit of preparation on your part, but they will get into a routine of helping out before you know it.  First, figure out what kinds of age-appropriate things your kids can do to help you.  Then, put the things they will need to help within reach in a drawer or cabinet that is on their level.  You may have to reorganize your kitchen to do this, but it's worth it!

Here are some suggestions for age-appropriate chores:

1.5 yrs. and up (or whenever they can reach up to put something on the table)

• put the trivets on the table
• use a hand-held dust buster to vacuum crumbs under kids' seats
• throw away empty containers to avoid clutter while you are cooking
• put muffin cups in the muffin tin
• put cans away (after a shopping trip)

2.5 yrs. and up

• set plastic bowls or plates, cups, napkins and kids' utensils at their places
• pull a stool up to the silverware drawer and sort the clean silverware
• put clean bowls and plates away in the kids' drawer
• help "dump" ingredients into the bowl or pan after you have measured them in a measuring spoon or cup (you can also have them count the number of cups or spoons you add)
• stir the ingredients with your hand to guide them

I'll let you know when my kids are older what age appropriate chores I will be teaching them then!  This is not just a way to save your sanity, it also helps you to teach them responsibility.  You can spend quality time with your kids in the kitchen as a family working together to "get 'er done"!  

My husband and I also built this mini-kitchen so that our kids can work alongside us in their kitchen when we don't have other things for them to do.

Solution #2: Play the tasting game while you are preparing dinner (if you are doing things that don't get your hands too messy).  My mom use to do this with me and I loved it.  My kids do too!  First, have the kids sit down on chairs close to where you are making dinner. Have them close their eyes while you grab a couple small pieces or spoonfuls of a food they like.  Put a piece/spoonful in their mouth and have them guess what it is.  

Here are my suggestions for foods to use:

• raisins
• cheerios
• bread
• cheese
• chips
• crackers
• applesauce
• peanut butter

You get the idea!  This game is also a good way to establish trust between you and your child, so don't try anything yucky...

Photo Prayer Box

Problem #1: The kids have memorized their prayers and sometimes spout them out so fast that you can't understand a single word.
Problem #2: Your fridge is still cluttered with everyone's photo Christmas cards, but you don't want to throw them away.

Solution:  Create a "Photo Prayer Box."  First, either re-purpose or purchase a recipe file box.  Then, cut all of your photo Christmas cards down to fit into the individual file folders.  Put one picture in each folder.  If you want to add in a family who didn't send you a Christmas card (how could they!?), just print off a picture from Facebook or have them email you one.

Every night, one child can pick a folder out, and everyone prays for that family.  Before your prayers, you can mention to your children specific requests from that family that you know of, i.e. "Uncle Ben is getting married in April, so let's pray that Jesus blesses his marriage."  Your children may not always understand the requests, but it's still good practice to pray specifically.  My 21 mo. old usually says, "Dear Jesus, thank you for ______," and he is getting the idea that it's good to pray for our friends and family.  We also let the children take turns picking a picture.  They love it and look forward to it every night!

       Extra tip: If you want to be sure that each family gets prayed for equally, turn one of your folders upside-down and put the pictures you have picked behind that folder.  Then, only pick pictures from the front section.