Washing Our Hands

Here comes another reminder. My little ones need to be reminded to wash their hands after using the bathroom. I hereby launch Operation Hand Wash.


And while we're at it...Operation Flush as well!


My little secret to preserving these tags made of paper? I slip them down in a sheet saver and then trim off the three holes, leaving the stitching to keep the pocket in tact. I trim off the excess at the top, starting just a little bit above my tag. Voila!

Shredded Cheese: Round Two

We shredded some more cheese and froze it. I am determined that Benjamin will not repeat his cheese bandit escapade. It was nice of dad to let them help. They thought it was so cool and none of them lost any fingers. :)

Designs by {M}

Emma was bugging me for a craft to do and decided that using my beads would be the best thing for me to let her do. She made this one and calls it her Sunday necklace since it's all white. It's her favorite one. I told her I was going to steal it and wear it to church myself. She made several other necklaces and a bracelet while she was in her studio. I told her she could use Designs by Em or {M} as her label.

My Little Helper

What? Benjamin still awake after the others have long since drifted off? Benjamin venturing out of his room to find me and/or put his mischievousness into action? Well, tonight I put him to work. He helped me put away all the Winco groceries. (Yes, I do love a good Winco run.) Then he helped me restock the toilet paper. We do not want to be running out of that. No sir!

Reminders

Ok...I'm done customizing. Here's my post.

Lately, I have really noticed how hard it is for me to remember what it is I'm doing throughout the day. I make breakfast for the kids and then I remember that I need to send an e-mail. To the computer room I go. On the way, I pick up the piles of yesterday's discarded clothes and head back the way I came to the laundry room. I put the clothes in their appropriate baskets and then I start a load of laundry...I might even stay to fold a little. And then, it hits me, I didn't send that e-mail. Back to the computer room I go. When I get there, I remember that I needed to cut some vinyl for a set of blocks, and..."Oh yeah! I need to cut that vinyl for xxxx. They need it right away." So I cut the vinyl and take it to the kitchen table to weed and tape. Then I see the dishes from breakfast and start to load the dishwasher. As I'm placing the dishes in the rack, I remember that I need to send an e-mail...

I know some of you may be laughing. I hope that a few of you have felt like this and I'm not the only one. It seems that lately this is how I spend my day, going back and forth from one end of my house to the other. It's a wonder I get anything done, I know! In an effort to help me remember things, I've made some little tags.

The first is for the Laundry Room. I hate it when I dry clothing that I want to hang dry. Absolutely hate it. Good shirts have been ruined because I have forgotten to take them out of the load as I transferred the clothes to the dryer. Or someone else will come along and change the clothes over, thinking to help me out, and unintentionally dry my non-dry-able shirt.

My solution: A magnetic tag for my washer. I store the tag on the side of the washer and whenever I start a load with non-dry-able articles included, I place the tag on the top of the washer. That way whoever changes the laundry, mostly me, will remember not to dry all the clothes in that load. Cool, I know!


Next, forgetting to brush teeth (I know you're thinking "who forgets to brush their teeth?) Well, I have the hardest time remembering to brush my kids' teeth in the morning, aside from Emma who goes to school. It's probably because I get started in this back and forth game I play all day and brushing teeth is something I start, but never finish.

My solution: A tag for the bathroom door. This way I will have a visible reminder to brush their teeth. And, they have a visible reminder to remind me. I showed them the sign tonight before they went to bed. Claire even read it back to me. :)


I know that I really need to reduce the rush in my life as President Uchtdorf talked about in conference (look for that on a tag or in vinyl soon hehe!). And...I need to make some visible reminders.

I can't wait to go to bed and wake up to my reminders.

The Best Mom Award

At our Relief Society Meeting last month, Elaine Risenmay showed us how she made all sorts of cool shapes with the pancake batter for her kids. So we tried it out this morning. The kids were beside themselves with excitement. Emma gave me a great big hug and said, "You're the best, Mom." I know that all mom's earn this award at some point in their mothering. It just made my day to have Emma dub me the best mom this morning.

Relegated to the Garage

Jason gladly gave up his parking spot this time...I have been banished to the garage for the set up of my craft central. I guess he didn't like me working on the kitchen table or on the card table I set up while my console table is in the shop. Oh well, now all my craft chaos is hidden and I can leave everything out. Love it! Imagine having a place to cut wood and paint blocks/signs other than our front room. We were routing boards in our front room and painting signs in our kitchen in our Ellensburg apartment. Aaaahhh! Those were the days.

Our Family Tree

Our living family tree! The kids thought they were so smart for thinking of that.

Nothing like a Conference Weekend

We've had so much fun at my mom's watching General Conference and making chex mix and toffee chocolate chip cookies.

A Perfect Autumn Day

We've been having just the best of days that Autumn has to offer lately. I love this time of year. The temperature drops and the breezes start...love, love, love it!