When I used to teach preschool, my favorite holiday gifts were ones that were useful (i.e. Starbucks gift cards), and ones that were sentimental (i.e. a homemade craft from the child). Now that I’m on the giver end of teacher gifts, I like to combine both of these types of gifts. This … Read more
Best interactive christmas websites for kidsI’ve got to hand it to some people – they are more creative than I will ever be. Some very inventive (and tech-savvy!) people have created some awesome interactive Christmas websites that kids love. Here are my favorite ones (and of course, these are all free) so … Read more
Here are ideas for keeping kids busy while you need to get things done around the house. None of them will make a mess, and most can be done with items you have around the house already. Magnets: make magnets for kids so that they can play with them while you are … Read more
Date nights are one of my favorite things in life. I actually think that I like date nights now more than I did in my single days. Here are some of my favorite date night ideas – please note that some of them are at-home date nights, so you’ll have to make arrangements … Read more
Some of my best childhood memories are of our family traditions, especially the ones we made up on our own. I always knew that when I had my own family, traditions would be a big part of our life. Not only do traditions provide a sense of family unity, but they’re usually … Read more
As the old saying goes, “it is better to give than to receive.” As it turns out, there’s a reason that is an old saying; today, gift giving is stressful. It’s almost impossible to buy a gift without a million questions running through your head: “will she like it?”, “does he already … Read more
Ahhh the holidays. When did the most wonderful time of the year turn into the most stressful time of the year? I try to plan ahead as much as possible and do holiday tasks around the year so that I can actually enjoy the special time. Here are some ways to make … Read more
Creating a Finance System for Your Home The key to staying in control of your finances in your home is a plan. The plan doesn’t have to be elaborate or time-consuming – in fact, the simpler, the better. The first thing to do is determine how much discretionary funding you have each … Read more
Organized packing for vacations As a minimalist, I hate “stuff.” By “stuff” I mean items that are unneeded, unloved, cause stress, take up space, and require maintenance. Also, I don’t know about you, but I want to spend my vacation time on the beach, not digging through my suitcase. Using minimalist thinking, I believe … Read more
Well, those drifter’s days are past me now, I’ve got so much more to think about: Deadlines and commitments, What to leave in, what to leave out. -Bob Seger That lyric is for my mom, but it perfectly sums up time management as a new mother. That’s probably not the situation for … Read more
There are a handful of must haves in an organized house: the family notebook, family file, family calendar, and house message board. Everyone in the house should know where these are and how they work. In this post Ill talk about the Family Notebook because its the first organization tool I used … Read more
One of the best ways to save time in your day is to simplify your cooking and meal routine. В Here are the best time-saving cooking tricks to make your life easier. Plan Meals Ahead of Time Planning ahead makes cooking much less stressful and chaotic. The trick is to find a meal … Read more