Bible study for kids: It worked!

With only about six weeks left in the school year, lots of people have been asking me how things went during our first year of home school. I decided to write a series of posts on what worked for us!

This first post is about a Bible study we did this year. Even if you don't do school at home, this is a great resource. I actually wrote this post back in November, but didn't publish it.

**

Since I woke up this morning, I have been wanting to write a blog post about a great resource I have been using this school year to work on character issues with the boys.

Instead of getting a few minutes of downtime, I've been fighting an unusual amount of stubbornness, disrespect and bad attitudes all day. You know, character issues.

Isn't that the way it always goes?

It's so tempting to blame the flaws of our children on outside factors. Why are they so ungrateful? Why do they complain so much? Why do they argue with their siblings?

It must be the kids at school. It must be the neighbors. It must be something they watched on television.

The ugly truth is that we, as parents, are responsible for molding the behavior of our children. And if you are like me, you might fall into the trap of focusing on "behavior modification" rather than the real heart issues that are leading to poor behavior.

For example, it's great when children use good manners. But do they say "please" and "thank you" because we have practiced it 100 times, or does it also spring out of a heart full of love and respect for others?

I have been trying to do a better job of teaching my kids the "why" behind their behavior. And these Bible studies have been a huge help.



They are written for kids in elementary school and focus on traits like kindness, obedience, self-control, thankfulness, responsibility, etc. We just finished "Choosing Kindness" and decided that November would be a great time to work on "Choosing Thankfulness". The author of the book is Kaye Freeman.

Each lesson includes a short Bible passage, questions for the kids to answer and sometimes an activity, like a coloring sheet, word search or secret code to solve.

When we started our first study, I would read all of the Bible passages to my first- and third-grader and ask them the questions. I realized a few weeks ago that I was skipping one of the most important aspects of doing a Bible study — teaching THEM to study the Bible on their own.

Now, I let them look up the scriptures, take turns reading and also read the questions. It takes longer, but that's OK. They get really excited about trying to find the verses and they are learning more than just character traits. They also are learning a life-long skill.

I'm linking this post to Works For Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.

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How we use the computer

Because this was our first year of doing school at home, I wasn't sure how much we would use the computer in our day-to-day school work.

But by Christmastime, I discovered the computer was a great tool to help with some of our subjects. In fact, we were using it so much that we purchased a new computer to use exclusively for home school.

It helps break up the day and motivate the kids because they love computer time. I also try to organize our day so that one child can do an activity on the computer while I am helping another child with one of his subjects.

Here are some of the ways we use the computer. These are great for kids whether they do school at home or not.

SPELLING

The kids love using Spelling City, which is a free web site, to review their spelling words. I let them practice their words on the computer several times a week, and then I ask them to write their words on paper the other days.

Spelling City saves me a lot of time because I don't have to give the boys their spelling words. I can type them in, and then the computer reads them and gives them a sentence for each word. They also can click to ask the computer to review only the words they missed.

The web site includes games they can play with their spelling words. Since we do other activities as part of our curriculum, we don't use the games.

GEOGRAPHY

We use Sheppard Software Geography games to supplement our map work during school. The free web site has mapping games by continent, as well as games to review the United States and capitals.

The games start out with a tutorial level and then get gradually more difficult working up to "cartographer". The kids love playing the mapping games, and so do I! We usually do these one to two times a week.

TYPING

We use Mavis Beacon for our typing software. I guess typing is actually called "keyboarding" these days, but you know what I mean.

We love this software. It teaches the keystrokes gradually and then rewards the user after a few lessons by allowing them to play a game. It scores the user by the number of errors and typing speed. The games are really fun and a great reward for completing assignments.

The boys do typing twice a week and often ask to do it after school. I'm impressed with how much their typing skills have improved.

SPANISH

The kids also use the computer twice a week to work on Spanish. We use Rosetta Stone for Spanish. It's an expensive program, but we really like how it is set up.

It uses a unique approach to teaching a language. It starts with the words and phrases one would use most often if the user suddenly landed in another country. The program doesn't say the word in English, then in Spanish. Instead, it asks the user to match the word spoken to a picture.

For each level, a user must master word recognition, grammar, speaking and writing the words. I like the fact that even my 5-year-old, who can't read the words, can still use the program for many of the sections because it only requires her to listen and match the pictures.

ITUNES

We also use the computer each day to review songs we use for certain parts of our curriculum. Some of the things we sing include the books of the Bible, states and capitals and lots and lots of grammar songs. In fact, we sing more than a dozen grammar jingles each day to remind us of how to use nouns, verbs, prepositions, pronouns and more.

We often sing the songs together, but we also have a microphone and headset on the computer. This has helped tremendously to allow the kids to do their computer work without disturbing others in the family.

I would love to hear from you! Do you use your computer for any educational games? Do you have any web sites or software to recommend?

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Following the Olympics

What combines history, geography, action, adventure and great stories of human triumph? The winter Olympics, of course!

We have found a fun way to study the Olympics as part of our home school curriculum, but this also is a great way for any child to follow along with the winter games, which begin Friday.

I printed out the material to make these lapbooks. It was our first time making a lapbook, which is basically a book the kids make out of colored file folders. It took us about three hours to cut out all of the pieces and paste the books together.

The first two sections cover the history of the Olympic games, facts about ancient Greece and information about this year's Olympics.

We followed the trail of the Oympic torch on its 28,000-mile journey across Canada. We learned that the torch relay will take 106 days to make its way around the country, starting in Victoria, British Columbia, and ending in Vancouver.

We learned about this year's Olympic logo, Ilanaaq the Innunguaq, which means friend.

We also found out the Olympic games have two mascots, Miga, a mythical sea bear, and Quatchi, a sasquatch.

The third folder in our lapbook is full of mini books where we can track the winners in each sport. We are especially excited about the "skeleton", which is like skiing on your stomach without skis. Racers lie on their stomach on a fiberglass metal sled that looks like the outline of a skeleton.

The boys also can't wait to see the biathlon, since it combines skiing and rifle shooting.

We have been studying a few new facts about the Oympics each day, and the excitement in our house is building.

Let the games begin!

I'm linking this post to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family. Check it out for more great tips!






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Be part of the community

The theme today at Works for Me Wednesday is "blogging tips". I love reading web sites with blogging tips, so I definitely will be checking out all of the links on this one.

I still have a lot to learn about blogging, but I do have a tip to share.

Back in my previous life, I was a newspaper reporter, so I wrote words for a living. That was back in the dark ages, when people preferred to have a newspaper dropped off on their front porch so they could read it while drinking their morning coffee.

It was a simple process: I wrote words. My editor read them. They were published in the paper. People read them. Once in a while, people would write a letter to the newspaper about something I had written.

I developed relationships with lots of sources. But I didn't really develop relationships with my readers, unless they were enthusiastic enough about something I had written to call or write to me.

And that is how blogging is completely different from the way the written word was published in the past. Blogging is a two-way relationship. It is so much more than just writing and expecting the world to read because you have the most interesting and thought-provoking words on the planet. Sending words out into cyberspace without interacting with readers is kind of like dominating the conversation at a dinner party without listening to what anyone else has to say.

When people comment on my blog, I try my best to interact with them. (And I KNOW I'm not perfect, but I do try!) If they have a blog, I pay a visit to their blog to read what they have to say. For those who don't have a blog, I try to respond to comments either through my comments section or by sending a personal e-mail, especially if the person asks a question.

If you do comment on blogs, I highly recommend that you enable readers to click on your profile, so they can read your blog. Also, set the preferences on your comments to include your e-mail address for the blogger so she can respond to your comment. If you don't want to do that, then subscribe to the comments. These are the only three ways the blogger is able to interact with a commenter.

This interaction goes both ways. I read lots of blogs and if something strikes me, I take a minute to leave a comment. That is the only way another blogger knows that you were there. Leaving comments or following other bloggers is a good way to encourage someone else. But it's also a way to leave a little "calling card" that can generate traffic back to your blog.

I'm not trying to say you should leave millions of comments just to serve yourself, but if you don't leave comments, it's impossible for other bloggers to even know you exist!

For more tips on blogging, visit Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.

What do you think? What is your #1 blogging tip?

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WFMW: Backward meal plan

I don't know about you, but the hardest part for me about cooking dinner has nothing to do with cooking.

It's simply coming up with the ideas for what to cook.

I go through spurts with my meal-planning efforts. Sometimes I plan out meals for a month. Other times, I do Sunday planning sessions for the next week. And then there are many, many days when I'm just hoping to come up with an idea by 5 p.m.

When Jan. 1 rolled around, we were still adjusting to our new life with four children and getting into a routine with a newborn. I definitely wasn't in the mood to think of meals for the month. But the pressure was on. Our string of wonderful meals that had been showing up at our door in the hands of smiling, caring friends was about to run dry.

So, I decided to plan my meals in reverse. In other words, when Feb. 1 rolled around, I wanted to be able to look back at the meals we had in January to use as my foundation for the month.

Each night, I would try my best to come up with a decent dinner idea for my family and write it in my planner. I wanted to make something different each night. By the end of the month, I should have at least 20 dinner ideas I could use in February.

I used lots of family favorites. I tried some new recipes. I mixed in some super simple ideas. And usually on Friday or Saturday night, we ordered pizza.

If you are in need of meal-planning ideas, here's what we have been eating for the last month:

• Pork roast with carrots and potatoes
• Italian beef (made in crock pot)
• Vegetable soup, made with leftover meat from the pork roast. I simply put the meat in the crock pot and added one can of each of the following: beef broth, diced tomatoes, green beans, corn, as well as some chopped carrots and a potato.
• Manicotti (when I made the manicotti, I doubled the recipe, then divided it into four small pans. I froze the other three pans for a quick meal another day.)
• Kluski noodles cooked in chicken broth with diced chicken and carrots
• Chicken enchiladas
• Biscuits and gravy
• Potato soup with sausage (a friend brought this one)
• Frito tacos (this is taco meat and toppings served with Fritos instead of taco shells)
• Homemade waffles
• Lunch meat sandwiches with chips and dip and pasta salad
• Chicken patties (from the frozen aisle) with sides of corn and fruit
• Cornbread chili
• Shepherd's pie
• BBQ chicken thighs (I buy a big package of chicken thighs and cook them in the crock pot on low all day with a bottle of BBQ sauce.)
• Hot dogs, baked beans, chips
• Crepes with cream cheese filling
• Spaghetti with homemade meatballs
• Pasta with bacon and chicken

I have a few new recipes that I want to try later this week. And I'm hoping to look for some healthier meals next month.

Will you help me come up with some new ideas for February? What is your family's absolute favorite meal?

My backward meal plan worked for me! For more great ideas, head on over to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.

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WFMW: Spelling for right-brained learners

My son has a hard time with spelling words. So, in the past I did what any good mom would do. I would make him practice writing troublesome words over and over again.

And over.

And over.

But this year, we are trying something new. Instead of writing the words, I let him do what he loves best. I ask him to draw the words.

Before I explain, I have to say that this idea isn't mine. In fact, it's the farthest thing from my left-brained way of thinking.

I went to a seminar this summer by this woman who gave me lots of great ideas for teaching my right-brained learner.

I've always loved the subjects my son dreads: math facts, spelling words and grammar. Left-brained learners like me excel at memorizing data, lists and rules.

But my son sees the world in pictures. His favorite subjects are history, science and Bible. While I struggle with these subjects, he can visualize the stories we read and re-tell them in great detail.

Did you know that half of all children learn best with their right brain? I also learned that if your first born is a right-brained learner, your second born probably will learn best with his left brain. Kids who have a learning glitch often are right-brained learners, making it even more difficult to thrive in a traditional classroom if it emphasizes memorizing data.

I learned that the right brain is where we store long-term memories. So, I'm trying to help my son visualize his spelling words and math facts so he can plant them in his right brain -- the more creative side of the brain -- and store them long term.

The first step we use is to separate troublesome words into colors, so that the part of the word that he tends to misspell stands out from the rest of the word.

In this example, he kept forgetting the "p" in empty, the "e" in pretty (he substituted an "i"), and the "a" in heavy.


If he continues to misspell a word, I ask him to draw a picture of it. I don't set any limitations on his drawing. I want him to feel the freedom to use his creativity, so that hopefully, it will help him remember what he wrote.

This is his picture of "pretty":



We also purchased these cards that we use for familiar words. They each come with a story on the back that explains the drawing. On the cards pictured below, the top one is a story about a boy who threw the ball over "there". The bottom one is about a family with a dog. "Their" dog is very big.




We use the same concept for math facts that he misses repeatedly. Each of these cards has an elaborate story to explain the picture. On the one below, an 8-year-old boy was afraid of a 7-year-old bully. Even though the 8-year-old was older, the 7-year-old was much bigger in size. To protect himself, the 8-year-old got a big dog, named "56", who scared the 7-year-old away.



To help him memorize this way, I ask him to look at the card for a few minutes. I then put it down and ask him to tell me the whole story on the card. When he comes across that math fact later, I ask him to tell me about the picture that he memorized, which helps him recall the answer.

We still have a long way to go, but I have seen progress using this method. I'm hoping it will Work For Me!

For more great tips, check out Works For Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.

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WFMW: Having fun with photos

Hey, this week is the Works for Me Wednesday backward edition, so not only do I have some ideas today, but a question, as well.

If you want advice on how to take great photos, I'm sure you already read one of the many blogs by expert photographers.

But if you are looking for a couple of tips from someone who usually takes mediocre photos and is shocked when her photos actually turn out well, then you have come to the right place.

I've been taking lots of photos the past month. And I have to say no one was more surprised than I was when a lot of them turned out really well!

Here are my completely amateur tips for taking better-than-blah photos:

1. Candy.

If your photos involve children, do not hesitate to bribe them with candy if they cooperate. Feel free to up the ante if they continue to smile for additional poses.

NOT ENOUGH CANDY:

2. Natural light.

Rearrange the furniture. Take down the curtains. Go outside. Do whatever is necessary to get as much natural light behind you as possible.



3. Turn off the flash.

You will need lots of light so the camera shutter won't stay open super long, which causes the photos to be blurry. (I'm sure I could use some technical term like aperture or ISO at this point, but I can't remember what those mean.)

4. Keep shooting.

We took lots of posed photos, but some of the best ones were taken without any preparation, "smile" warning or countdown.

5. Get close.

OK, closer.



Now, closer.


A little closer.

6. Have fun.

Sometimes the best photos are the ones where we aren't in a traditional pose.

7. Crop.

Crop like crazy. I use either iPhoto for simple editing or Photoshop if I want to try a tiny bit more editing.
BEFORE:


AFTER:

8. Increase the color.

You can do this using the "effects" button in iPhoto. Or switch to black and white for a cool effect.

BEFORE:


AFTER:

9. Remove any unwanted blemishes.

The "retouch" button in iPhoto can work miracles. It not only removes unwanted shelf-hanging brackets on the wall (see below), but can work magic with blemishes on the face. (IF you have any. NO ONE in our family would possibly have any blemishes though. Ahem.)

BEFORE:


AFTER:

I have been taking my photos with a very simple Canon point-and-shoot camera, which has been working for me.

But this week is a reverse edition of Works For Me Wednesday where I get to ask YOU for advice. I have been thinking about buying a better camera and I would love to get your input.

What higher end, but not super expensive camera would you recommend that I could use to improve my photography? I also would love to hear your tips for taking better photos.

Go ahead and give me some advice! Then head on over to We are THAT Family for more Works For Me Wednesday tips.

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I'm making a list

In most areas of my life, I prefer the digital. Digital photos. Digital scrapbooks. Electronic communication. I love it all.

But to get me through the day, I can't function without my lists.

I start each morning by unloading my brain in list form of everything I need to do. And I mean everything. If I have to make a few phone calls, I break it down and list every person, place or thing I need to call that day.

If it's my goal to do "some laundry", I write down exactly how many loads I plan to wash, dry, fold and put away.

Why? Well, because of the joy of crossing off each item when I'm done, of course!

I am so glad that I have discovered MANY of my mom friends are like me! We love lists to keep our day on course. And we even write down items that have already been completed just so we can cross them off (or use our pretty highlighters, in some cases).

So, for all of my like-minded friends, you will be happy to know I have FINALLY completed my 2010 everydayMOM planner! I have a bunch in stock right now, which I am selling at a reduced price of $15 (no tax or shipping charges if you are local). Click here for ALL the details on how to order and to see a preview at my online store.

If you haven't used my planner before, put it on your Christmas list!

Each month starts with a two-page layout so you can see your whole month at a glance and write down your big -picture goals.



Then it becomes a weekly format with space each day to list:

• where you need to be,
• your priorities for the day,
• your housecleaning chores,
• your plan for dinner and
• your plan for your personal growth (maybe it's reading, Bible study or excercise).

Even my kids have their own planners this year. It is amazing each day to hear them call out, "Has anyone seen my planner?" They get us all through the day with a little more sanity.

When I can't find mine, I'm a mess. I need my lists. They work for me, which is why I'm linking this post to Works For Me Wednesday this week.

What works for you to keep your life organized?

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WFMW: Little things mean a lot

All three of my children celebrate their birthdays within two months of each other, so I have been a little overwhelmed the past few weeks trying to plan parties, find the perfect gifts (on sale), and come up with ways to make them feel special.

Last week, my oldest son reminded me of some birthday traditions around here that had totally slipped my mind.

"I know we haven't had any birthdays for a long time..." he began. (Um. Yes... it's been a whole year since your last birthday!) "But do you think you could do that thing with the ribbons and the paper on the door?"

Ohhhhh.... He meant the streamers. I had forgotten a few of the simple things I always do on their birthdays (and my husband's birthday). And I didn't realize how much they meant to them.

Here are a few simple traditions around our house:

After the birthday person is sound asleep, I tape a big piece of wrapping paper to the outside of his or her door frame. The decorative part of the paper is facing the hallway. On the white side, I write a big birthday message with markers. When the child opens the door, he or she is excited to see the paper covering the door. She can either run through the paper or leave it up all day and crawl under it to get in and out.

I also try to hang streamers around the house, whether or not we are having a birthday at home.

I like to decorate that child's chair with streamers, or in this case, with pink feather boas!


On each child's birthday, it is his or her "day" to make all of the choices for the day. They get to decide what we will eat for lunch, where we will go for dinner and any other fun activities.

We also have a tradition of letting the birthday child open his gifts first thing in the morning. No waiting until after school or dinnertime around here!

These are simple things we do around here that make our children feel special on their birthday. It Works for Me!

So, what are your birthday traditions?

For more great tips, check out Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

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My services here are no longer required (aka the Chuck E. Cheese Chore system)

Last week, a sweet friend of mine invited me and my kids to every stay-at-home mom's most dreaded destination.

You know: A rock star rat. Hordes of children running frantically from one video game to another. A counter with all the plastic junk your child can afford with the tickets he has earned.

Chuck E. Cheese.

Actually, we were overjoyed by the invitation! We had been wanting to get together with this family for a few weeks and we were honored to get to celebrate their youngest daughter's birthday. And if a quiet little 5-year-old who has to compete with two older sisters and one older brother for attention on this planet wants to go to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday, let me tell you: I will BE THERE!

I have a special place in my heart for fourth borns. I also had two older sisters and an older brother and lived most of my childhood in complete silence because I didn't think anyone could actually hear me talking over all of the commotion in our house. But my life growing up with imaginary friends is a topic for another day!

Anyway. We were excited to take a break from the sun for the afternoon and hang out at Chuck E. Cheese.

My children ran around in a frenzy trying to play video games as quickly as possible and gather as many tickets as their little sweaty hands could hold. After what seemed like several hours, they stuffed their tickets in The Muncher so they could be presented their little "receipt" showing how many points they had earned.

When they arrived back at my table with the reward for their efforts, I could barely contain my shock.

"You earned 59 points and all you got was a twisty straw and a piece of Laffy Taffy?!?"

"Ummm. Ummm. I mean... Wow! That's great, honey! A new twisty straw!"

They didn't seem the slightest bit disappointed that their hard work playing video games had resulted in such small prizes.

So, this week when the dumb weather man said it was going to storm all day and we canceled the awesome plans we had with friends and then it didn't rain at all, I remembered Chuck and the way he had enticed my children with his tickets and the promise of fabulous rewards that turned out to be cheap plastic toys.

I told my kids we were going to have Chuck E. Cheese Cleaning Day!

I went into my office and quickly created a spreadsheet with every chore I could imagine.

With a big "Woo Hoo!" and a lot of fanfare, I produced this massive chart of all of the deep cleaning we needed to do for the day. Oh, this wasn't their normal list of chores. We're talking windows, mopping, vacuuming, putting away baskets of laundry and cleaning the basement.

For each chore, I assigned a certain number of tickets they would earn for successful completion. Most of the chores were only worth one ticket. Only the really strenuous jobs like mopping and vacuuming were worth two or three tickets.

Then, I set the value of their rewards.

I was cunning. I dangled THE MOST valued prize of all in our home: Playing one hour of Crash Bandicoot on our old X-Box. This is something that only their dad lets them do on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Mom pretty much never says yes to Crash, so this was a major reward.

They also could earn time playing the Wii, a bike ride or a trip to the park. (A-hem. Sorry to say you already know what they were working toward.)

The price for an hour of Crash was 15 tickets.

They started cleaning like crazy, and they were still going at it several hours later. My main job was to follow them around, confirming they had completed the job properly and handing out tickets.

The 8-year-old finished around lunchtime. The 6-year-old had one more chore to complete after lunch. And even the 4-year-old got a second wind around 5 p.m. and earned three more tickets after she saw her brothers playing video games late in the afternoon.

They were amazing. And they proved that they can pretty much do all of the household cleaning around here without my assistance.

You will not believe what they said at the end of the day.

"Mom, can we have Chuck E. Cheese Cleaning Day again tomorrow?!?"

I'm hoping I will be out of a job soon.

Hey, it Works for Me! For more great ideas that work for moms, check out Works For Me Wednesday!

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WFMW: Encouraging responsibility

Now that it's August, we are starting to count down the days until we start our new adventure of doing school at home.

I wish I could say I'm bursting with excitement and can't wait to start. But honestly? I'm scared.

I'm not worried about teaching my kids or organizing our day. I feel fairly confident in those areas. But I'm concerned that our whole year will be like the hottest days of August when it's too steamy to go outside and we're all cranky and getting on each other's nerves.

I don't want to spend our days frustrated with each other. One of my children, in particular, has been spiraling into a bad cycle of frustration. He gets easily upset and then he ends up being disrespectful to me and whining instead of completing the task at hand.

How will I handle this all day everyday?

Well, I have an idea! So, for today's Works for Me Wednesday post, I want to ask your advice on whether you think this WILL work or if you have any suggestions to improve it.

First off, I've been busily working to create a kid's version of the everydayMOM planner for my children. My boys love knowing our schedule and what to expect each day. So, I am going to create sections each day for them to write down where we need to be, as well as all of the school work they need to complete for the day.

Here's where my idea comes in. I have learned that my gut reaction as a parent is to try to come up with ways to punish bad behavior. But what works far better in our family is to encourage GOOD behavior.

So, I was thinking that each day I would include a section in their planners where I can give them a check mark or a sticker when they do a great job in the following areas:

• Responsiveness to instruction
• Respect for mom and siblings
• Responsibility in finishing work on time
• Reactions to others
• Kindness and helpfulness

Each day, they could get up to five checks or stickers if they do a great job in these areas. At the end of the week, if they have maybe 20 points (or should I expect perfection and go with 25?) they could earn a privilege, such as playing Wii, watching a video or going somewhere special.

Due to MY nap schedule lately, my kids have gotten in the habit of having about an hour of "screen time" each afternoon while I take a break. I don't want them to assume this will continue once school starts. I just don't think we will have time between household chores, school work and extracurricular activities. I thought about keeping a basket of small toys as their rewards, but then I decided this might be a good way to get them to work toward earning some "screen time".

So, that's my idea. I hope it WILL Work for Me! Let me know what you think of the overall idea, as well as the categories I have created.

And for more great Works for Me Wednesday tips check out We Are THAT Family!

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WFMW: my shopping list

I've been having fun submitting posts lately to Works For Me Wednesday, sponsored by We are THAT Family! I also get great ideas from the other posts over on Kristen's blog.

Today, the tip that works for me is sooooo simple! It's my printable grocery shopping list.

I made up a list of everything I buy at the grocery store on a regular basis. I organized it by section of the store in the order that I walk through the store. I keep several of these printed out and I hang them with a magnet on the side of my fridge.

Each week, I can go through the list and highlight or circle whatever I need that week. It also helps my husband if he ends up being the grocery shopper because the list is organized so he can find things.

The shopping list is part of my everydayMOM planner. And, by the way, I will be seeking your input on the colors and format of my 2010 planner very soon!

If you would like me to e-mail you a free copy of my shopping list along with a blank copy you can fill in with your own list, just leave me a comment with your e-mail... or leave me a comment and then send me your e-mail: emilyneal at comcast dot net.

Do you have a tip that makes grocery shopping easier?? I would love to hear about any system that works for you!

Check out my past WFMW posts:
making laundry less of a chore
creating chore charts for kids

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WFMW: making laundry less of a chore

With five people in our family, it seems like laundry is pretty much the story of my life.

We have been using this system at our house the past few years so everyone can help make the process easier.

1. We have six BROWN laundry baskets, one for each person in the family and one for towels. Everyone in the family puts his or her laundry in his or her brown basket each day.



2. When a basket is full, I throw it in the washing machine. Shhhh.... Sometimes I don't even sort out the whites. Or, if I do sort, I wash that person's colors, then the whites in a row.

3. That way, all of that person's clean clothes can go together in his or her WHITE laundry basket. This way, I don't have to sort laundry on either end.



4. I try to wash, dry, fold and put away one basket of laundry each day. But, let's face it. It usually doesn't happen that way. At least each person in the family can find clean clothes -- in his or her WHITE basket!

5. This system also makes it easier for the kids to help put away the laundry. They can take their baskets and sort the underwear, socks, shorts, t-shirts and PJs. Even really young children can make a pile of underwear and at least put those away.

6. If all of my white baskets are all full of clean clothes, it forces me to catch up on folding the laundry. Otherwise, I won't have anywhere to put the next batch of clean clothes!

Hey, it's an easy system. But it Works for Me! Check out more great tips at Works for Me Wednesday.

Do you have any suggestions for making laundry easier at your house?



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