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A White Board For Chores

I made a chore chart with “the power of 3” in mind, and loved how it worked!  The one thing I didn’t love about it is that it wasted post it notes!  

I’m all about simple and buying as little as possible, so a chore chart that would need a trip to the store every few months did not quite fit.  Enter, the white board!

I’ve been wanting a white board hung in our home in a prominent place for awhile now. My great friend, Sharon, visited and told me that she has one.  She uses it for chores and said it worked wonderfully, and that is when I knew I needed one, too!

{My oldest checking off her chores, (she was horrified that
I was going to post this pic b/c of her messy ponytail:)
I keep the markers in a bowl on the bookshelf.}  

I am a bit too moody for a super structured, pre-printed chore chart, never knowing until that day what I want the girls to help with.  I love that I can quickly jot down what I would like them to do so when they come home from school, they can glance at the board and know exactly what they have to do before they can play.

{I don’t have a Leah, but wanted you to see how cute a name looks 
when these two stickers are combined, and as you know, I like to keep my girls names private}

Because the white board is in my dining room for all to see, it was important to me that it looked nice.  I liked the black frame on this one!  I wanted to do something fun with their names, so I bought these letter stickers at Micheal’s.  I wanted to back them with something, and was happy to find these round silver tag stickers in the next aisle, knowing they would work well as a “frame” for the letters. (The  white board is from Micheal’s, but I’ve seen them a bit cheaper at Target.)

The board has room for me to write a note of encouragement or a scripture verse for my girls.  Love that!
It’s just all around one of my favorite things!

*stay tuned for a post on “Routine Charts”  I just finished them up today, and combined with our chore board, things are gonna be flowin’ and easy goin’ around here!

26
ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ HOME

“Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays” #3

Wow, where did this week go??  I FEEL LIKE I GOT NOTHING CROSSED OFF THE LIST, yet, I hardly stopped all week. {Sigh.}  Lots of appointments this week-dentist, doctor, hair cuts, etc.

3 things crossed off my list:
plan lil’ ones bday party (it was today!)
sign up/pay for garden plot with community gardens
make “power of 3” chart
Hopefully I will get more accomplished next week, I really want to see that list shrink!
~~~
Here are a couple featured posts from last week:

Carolyn @ Backyard Eden

My Backyard Eden

I had to feature this post.  I loved her willingness to just get real and give what she calls “full disclosure” of her spare bedroom aka “black hole.”  I can’t wait to see what she is going to do with it!  She also shared a link to The Red Chair Blog that has a de-cluttering tool and asks the following questions:

How great is that?
You must go check out this lovely blog.  She hosts a lively link party called “Make It Yours” day on Wednesdays, which I for sure plan on participating in!  While you are there, check out the Bathroom Cabinet Facelift, I could not believe black paint and a bit of distressing could result in such beauty.  LOVE it.

Make it Yours @ My Backyard Eden

~~~

Mum In Bloom
She “Finally Made A Successful Pie Crust & Maple Nut Pie” {oh yum!}

I was inspired to start making my own pie crust more often, thanks to her post!  Her blog is a very warm and welcoming place to visit, full of much homemade goodness.  I am eager to try her “Homemade Goldfish Crackers.”  My kids really miss goldfish crackers (we don’t buy them anymore) I have a feeling they are gonna love these!
~~~
Thanks so much to everyone who participated last week, and now on to this weeks
“AP Tuesday’s” Link Party!

Here are the guidelines:

1. On Tuesdays each week, I’ll host the link party here at New Nostalgia.  You can come over and enter the permalink to your Anti-Procrastination post in my MckLinky List.

2. Be sure to insert a link in your post that directs others back here.  It could be my button at the side bar, or something like “This post is linked to “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays” at New Nostaglia. 

3. Be sure to link your posts url, not your blog url!

4. Link as many posts as you would like, as long as they have to do with this subject

5. Visit as many other links as you can for ideas, inspiration and to offer encouragement.

6. Leave comments for the links you visit just to let them know you are there (and so we can know there really ARE people out there committed to getting things done together, support matters!)

7. Come back each tuesday, post more of your accomplishments, and see some of the links featured from the week before.  You could be one of them!


Don’t forget to grab a button (its in my sidebar with code) to place at the top or bottom of your post to show you are participating in “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays.”  Simply copy the code below in the box and paste where you can edit the html in your blog post. 

And now, onto today’s “Anti-Procrastination Tuesday’s” Link Party!  
Be inspired, be encouraged, and get something done!



8
FAMILY/ HOME/ Homemaking/ Kids/Family/ Parenting/ Simplifying

Simple Chore Chart-Power Of 3

{whoops, spelled vacuum wrong on one, but got it right on the other:)}

It’s spring break for my girls, so my posts this week will be a bit shorter than usual.  Despite a very busy week, I am determined to have a blast with my girls this week, which means less computer time for me!
I’m excited to share this simple chore system we have been using, thanks to Liz’s idea of the Power of 3. (you can read about it at her site, here.)



Power Of 3
 Hoosier Mama Liz, over at Hoosier Homemade, wrote a great post and linked it to my “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays” link party.  Her post really stood out to me, and caused me to start thinking about how I can incorporate her idea into our family. I love how simple it is!  She calls it the “Power Of 3”  Here is more from Liz:

I simply give each of the boys (18,16 & 12) and my husband 3 things each day to do. Simple…huh? Not quite sure why I didn’t think of it before.

I typed up a form that has each of their names and 3 lines, I use a different sheet for each day. And if a chore on their list doesn’t get done (gasp) it gets added to the next day, if they have a chore listed more than…you guessed it…3 days, they are grounded for…you guessed it…3 days!

I have taken her idea of 3’s and made a simple post-it note chart. It has been working beautifully! (I will be hanging a white board to replace this chart in the near future, there are many reasons for wanting a white board, but in this case it will replace post-it notes, one less thing to buy!)

My girls have really responded to the chart.  No one has been grounded yet:) My approach is not as relaxed as Liz’s approach, because I skip this part of her plan–“if it doesn’t get done in 3 days, it gets added to the next day.”  I want my girls to get used to the the idea that we all contribute daily as a family.  It is non-negotiable. They need to have responsibilities everyday as it teaches them to be hard workers, and it communicates to them that we are a team and work together as a family.  If my girls were grown like her kids, I would probably feel different.

It has been super easy for them, they like knowing they won’t have more than 3 chores a day (except for Saturdays), and they are surprised at how quickly it gets done.  There has been very little complaining, which quite frankly, has surprised me.  They seem to like the number 3 and the simplicity of our new rule– “3 chores a day, if not accomplished = 3 days of grounding.”  The “3 days of grounding” part widened their little eyes, but they took me seriously when I laid out the rules. I can’t believe how easy it has been, I love it!

{if you are wondering, “dr” means “dining room.” Oh, and the one that says “pick up mom’s room” is because they made a mess in there, not because I make them clean MY mess:)}

As you can see from the above picture, Saturdays are an exception to the rule.  We have always done chores on Saturday mornings, so they are used to a list and doing a bit more on the weekend.  It really only takes them 30 minutes or so each Saturday.

I will continue the idea of 3’s, even after our white board is hung.

I am also working on what I call “Daily Routine Charts” (brush teeth, get backpack ready, eat breakfast would all be part of their morning routine.)  We have done this before and it worked beautifully.  Why we stopped?  Hmmm, I have no idea, but it is time to start again.  By having these charts, mommy is not constantly nagging reminding them to get these little things done.  I’ll share those when I have the design finished.

So what works for you?  Do you have a chart system?  How many chores do your kids do?





DIY Day @ ASPTL
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16
Frugal/ HEALTH/ HOME/ Natural Products

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I have been using Homemade Laundry Detergent for at least 6 months now, and I LOVE IT!  It is easy, inexpensive, green, and it works!  When I tell people I do this, I often get “I just don’t have time to do that.”  I thought that, too, until I put it into perspective–it is like making a very inexpensive, 3 ingredient recipe that makes a huge batch, and lasts for months because you only use 2 Tbls/load!

I have tried 2 recipes, both are quite popular on the web.  This is the first one I used and it is the one I will stick with. It is easy to make (no measuring), uses a true soap with no fillers, makes a lot, and does not have an off- putting scent.

It uses:
1 box Borax (76oz)
1 box Washing Soda (55oz)
1 bar Kirks Castile Soap

If you click on this link, it will take you to a picture tutorial on Instructables of how to make it.  Be sure to read the comment section while you are there, the author answers many questions which I found very helpful.

{when I made it, I used my food processor to break up the soap, 
 in the link above, she uses a micro-plane to grate it, which would make it more fine}

The second one was a bit more pricey, used a soap that had ingredients that were not as pure, and I really didn’t see much difference.  Fels Naptha soap is pretty scented, which I didn’t care for.   I know people who really like this recipe, and it is very popular on the web, so I thought I would share it even though it is not my first pick.

It uses:
1/2 cup Borax
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Fels Naptha Soap, grated

~~~

If you have ever seen the TV show “18 Kids And Counting,” you will know that the Duggar family work hard at being frugal.  They use a Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent which I have never tried, I like how my powder soap looks in my big jar, and I think powder is less messy.  The Duggar recipe needs some cooking and stirring, but if it works for 18 kids and is still being used even despite fame and fortune, it must work well!!

{my laundry room will be pretty like this someday…its on the doozy list. 
 I DO have that pretty jar, which makes me happy!}

~~~

*TipNut has an amazing resource for Homemade Laundry Detergent FAQ’s.

~~~

The first recipe is supposed to be GREAT as a toilet, bathtub and grout cleaner when made into a paste with some water.  I’m excited to try this, as I have been buying “Method” brand toilet cleaner from Target, which costs more than I would like to spend.

My husband and I went on a mission a few months ago, to STOP all unnecessary spending.  The first couple months we called “No Spend” months, and we really buckled down and tried our best to only spend when absolutely necessary!  We have been a bit more relaxed lately, but we are still very frugal.  We have been able to save a few thousand dollars by doing this, which is pretty amazing, as we were not big spenders in the first place.  It has been super fun…yup, I said FUN!  It really is all in the attitude.  We have so much to be thankful for, so I looked at this as a fun challenge, eager to see just how much we could save buy being purposeful about every cent.  We both have been surprised at how much we we’ve saved, and feel super blessed that we have been able to pay off debt.  I have learned that spending even a dollar here or a dollar there adds up fast!  When you make a bunch of little changes to save a bit here and a bit there, that also adds up fast!  Check this:

First Recipe Above costs about $10.00 for 137 Loads—that is only .07 cents a load!

The following are various commercial detergents in typical sizes and pricing. The numbers of loads are as per the manufacturers’ instructions.
– Seventh Generation’s Free and Clear Natural Laundry Detergent 2x Ultra: $11.99 for 50 loads. ($0.239 per load)
-BioKleen Liquid Laundry Detergent: $14.39 for 64 loads. ($0.224 per load)
– All’s Small and Mighty 3x Concentrate for HE washers: $8.49 for 32 loads. ($0.265 per load)
– ECOS Laundry Detergent, Ultra Concentrated with Soy Fabric Softener: $9.49 for 26 loads ($0.367 per load)
– Tide’s 2x Concentrated Laundry Detergent: $14.99 for 32 loads ($0.468 per load!)
– Dreft’s 2x Concentrated Baby Laundry Detergent: $31.99 for 110 loads ($0.290 per load)

Making our own detergent is a great example of how we have been able to save in small ways that add up.  Making my own cleaners, laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent has saved us A LOT of money, and I love that our home contains fewer harsh chemicals.

Off to go do a load of laundry!

This Post Is Linked To:

21
HOME/ Homemaking/ Seasonal

Decorating For Spring

It has been so dreary and cloudy here in Nebraska, so when I thought about spring decor, I knew I needed COLOR!  I scrounged up what I had, bought a few stems for half price at Hobby Lobby, and got busy putting hints of color around the house.  I chose red, yellow, orange, and green.  I’m keeping it simple, so no big spring decor projects, just happy hints of color.

Here is what I had to work with. Those baskets were filled with pine cones during fall and winter, now they are full of books for my girls to grab and read, while they are sitting on the sunroom swing, or hanging out in the living room.  The yellow picture frame is up but still does not have a picture in it, its on my list!  The box that says “Faith” is for our family prayer requests, we will periodically look in to see what prayers God has chosen to answer for us.

I bought this two- tiered basket for $4.98 the other day.  It looked much prettier with bananas and a green pepper in it, but we’ve been munching around here.  
I love the burst of color these 2 art pieces bring to my dining room shelf. My daughter made them and I wish you could see the details! She used a glue gun and liked how the strands of glue looked so she purposefully made more stands of glue going every which way on top of these, (which you can’t see in the picture).  It makes them glisten and adds another element of interest.  These bits of dried paint are peeled off the top of paint containers from art class.  
Funny story…my brother- in- law is responsible for much of the decor you see, well, at least responsible for where it is placed.  I had them over this weekend, and asked my sister for some decorating opinions.  Bro-in-law jumped in, was not shy with his opinions, and took over!  Who knew he had an artsy side?  He is usually working on cars or doing yard work, so it was quite funny to have him decorating my house!  Thanks, bro!
A touch of yellow in the kitchen, makes me feel cheery.  So does the sun that is shining through the window today- first sunny day in way too long! 
Happy Spring!

Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special


11
ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ FAMILY/ HOME

Crossing Off The Doozy List

Here is the link for My Doozy-Of-A-List.
We’ve been having much fun at “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays” link party.
Would love to have you join us by linking up or commenting!



Got This Stuff Crossed Off The List This Week!
~Dentist Appt. (going today!)
~Girls Writing Thank You Notes-made this tote, problem solved!
~Decorate For Spring-done.
~Organize Google Reader, make daily reads folder-done.
~Laundry Under Control-its truly a miracle, my laundry room is empty! (let’s see if I can keep it up!)
~Library Book-discovered it is packed away in one of 6 Christmas bins in the attic (its was a Christmas book-ugh.) Decided to pay for it.  Ugh.

Workin’ On It:
~Exercise-ran 3 times last week
~Keeping Up On Emails, Twitter, Phone Messages/Text, etc-success this week
~Girls Chore Charts-halfway done!
~Social Event At My Home For Bible Study Ladies-discussing date tonight w/ ladies
~Organizing Starred Items In Google Reader-wow, I’ve starred a lot of great stuff, its taking forever!
~Emailed Community Gardens To Reserve Spot-waiting to hear back.

Added To Doozy List This Week:
~Plan Lil’ Ones BDay Party
~“power of 3” chart

5
ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ HOME

Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays #2

Welcome to our weekly “Anti-Procrastination Tuesday” link party!  I am so excited to kick my procrastination habit to the curb with your help!  You can read about the challenge here.  You can also read an ongoing list of my personal goals here.

I’d like this to be a place where we can:
 *share and encourage one another
 *get stuff done, no matter big or small
 *feel safe to “get-real” with our junk
 *share with one another something we have accomplished, past or present
 *share conquered goals or lists of goals we would like to conquer
 *share before and after pictures of our accomplishments
 *learn tips from each other

This week has been great for me as far as getting stuff done!  I love having an ongoing list, it really has helped me focus this week!  I got several things crossed off my doozy list…it felt so goooood!
Here’s some of what kept me busy this week:

packed up winter decor

brought out spring decor (I’ll show ya more later in the week)
a built in desk heavily burdened by clothes that needed hung up
it is now free

2 bins (winter decor and winter clothes) were intruding on me and my prayer bench
they are now tucked up in the attic, and prayer time is intimate again
Can’t wait to hear what you all have been up to, I was very inspired by the posts that were linked up last week.  Click here for the featured posts  from last week. Thank you for participating!
Here are the guidelines:
1. On Tuesdays each week, I’ll host the link party here at New Nostalgia.  You can come over and enter the permalink to your Anti-Procrastination post in my MckLinky List.

2. Be sure to insert a link in your post that directs others back here.  It could be my button at the side bar, or something like “This post is linked to “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays” at New Nostaglia. 
3. Be sure to link your posts url, not your blog url!
4. Link as many posts as you would like, as long as they have to do with this subject
5. Visit as many other links as you can for ideas, inspiration and to offer encouragement.
6. Leave comments for the links you visit just to let them know you are there (and so we can know there really ARE people out there committed to getting things done together, support matters!)
7. Come back each tuesday, post more of your accomplishments, and see some of the links featured from the week before.  You could be one of them!
Don’t forget to grab a button to place at the top or bottom of your post to show you are participating in “Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays.”  Simply copy the code below in the box and paste where you can edit the html in your blog post.  

And now, onto today’s “Anti-Procrastination Tuesday’s” Link Party! Be inspired, be encouraged, and get something done!



12
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