Works for Me: Not Saving Steps

By now you may have read or heard the recommendation that you should take at least 10,000 steps per day. I first heard of that while we were on a trip to China back in 2007. Our friends were wearing pedometers and keeping track of their steps. Over there where we walked everywhere that was absolutely an attainable goal! Once I got home, I bought a reeallly cheap pedometer by the register at Walmart, and I was amazed to see that I, too, took close to 10,000 steps per day, even though I was at home all day or driving around town! Then I realized that it was SO cheap that it counted 3 steps each time I sat down in a chair. It registered 4 steps when I was, um, in the restroom. Well. Hmph.

Anyway, I've never invested in a better pedometer, but I have started the habit of taking as many steps as I can during the day. Just now I was hanging some clothes in our master closet and laid them all on my bed. I would walk to where the clothes were, pick up one article of clothing, walk through the bathroom into the closet and hang it up, and go back for the next one, rather than take the whole pile into the closet. It didn't take that much more time and gave me a few extra steps.

So, that's what works for me... a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom who doesn't have that many steps built into my day. I do work out and have a treadmill, but I like to build more steps into my daily routine to reach that 10,000 goal. Every step counts!

To read more "works for me Wednesdays" or to share something that works for you, visit We Are That Family. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Works For Me: Don't Wake Mommy

This morning I was sipping my coffee and browsing blogs (AKA "procrastinating") when I realized it was Wednesday. (Wow, this week is really flying by!) Of course then I realized that in blogland it's "Works-for-me-Wednesday," the day when many of us share what makes our lives easier. I sat for a moment, looked at the chaos in my schoolroom (due to the aforementioned procrastination), thought through my kitchen routine, chore charts, etc. and came to the realization that I must have already posted every single thing that works for me. Of course, the disorder in my immediate vicinity reminds me that I've yet to find some things that work for me, so that wouldn't be post-worthy for today! "Hm. Oh well," I thought. "Nothing new to post."

Until just now, as I walked in my bedroom and saw something that has worked for me for years and I've yet to post about.

Sleeping bags.

My kids are 15-almost-16, 13, and 10- our 10 yo having just joined our family just under a year ago, adopted from Ethiopia. What I saw in my bedroom this morning were two sleeping bags in the floor where my two boys (13 and 10) had valiantly slept last night because their Dad is traveling on business this week and they wanted to sleep downstairs with Mom. As I folded up those sleeping bags and returned them to their positions under the foot and side of my bed, I thought about how many times those sleeping bags have been used since the older two were very young.

Years ago, I had two little ones who didn't like to stay in their rooms at night. Sometimes it was bad dreams, sometimes a noise outside woke them in the night, sometimes a thunderstorm was frightening... so they ended up where many little ones end up- in Mommy and Daddy's bed. At first I really didn't mind because I love the snuggles, but after about oh, say 90 seconds of that I was ready to go back to sleep. Finally, we got out the big fluffy camping sleeping bags and let them sleep on the floor of our room and we were all back to sleep faster- the kids felt secure and cozy being in our room and we had our bed back to ourselves. One morning all those years ago, instead of rolling the sleeping bags back up and storing them in the top of the closet again, I simply folded each one in half, one length-wise and stored under the side of the bed, and one width-wise and slid under the end of the bed.

Over the years, if anyone has needed to come crash in our room for whatever reason- a tummy ache, sleeplessness, fear, or just for security, they can simply come in with their pillow, slide out the sleeping bag, crash and not wake Mom. (Dad has the gift of being able to drift immediately back to sleep... not me.) Sometimes I have woken up in the pre-dawn hours when I love to get up, only to almost step on someone's head who I had no idea came in during the night. I love it! They found the security they needed and it didn't involve me waking up. Yesss! :)

I don't know what the books say. I'm sure there are plenty that suggest they should go right back to their own rooms. I'm sure there are loads of techniques to teach them how to do that and research to back up why that is optimal. I don't know, and since it's not "What the Experts Say Wednesday" I don't really care, LOL. This is what has worked for me. I do know I have a 16 year old who stays in her own room, never crashes on a sleeping bag in my room, and hasn't in years. She grew up sleeping many, many nights (sometimes weeks on end) on the floor in my room but when she was 12 she stayed for 6 weeks in China without her parents. I have three very independent kids who, now that they are older, readily fall asleep in their own rooms and stay there. I also know that in many parts of the world, entire families (even multiple generations) sleep in the same room due to tradition as well as space limitations. I also know that these years are fleeting. Soon they will be out of my house, and having those little feet pad into my room, slip a sleeping bag out from under the bed and sigh themselves back to sleep will be a distant memory. It's already a fading memory as it is! I also know that I function WAY better the next day when I've slept a-l-l night, and this system has helped me do just that. Additionally, I think this has let them know that they are always welcome in our room, that our door is always open to them no matter what, and I think that fosters security in other areas, bonding with our new son, and may even explain why my older two are so independent.

So sleeping bags and "don't wake Mommy" works for me!

For more ideas or to share your own, visit We Are That Family. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Works-For-Me Wednesday: Guarding My Mind

Maybe you don't struggle with fear or worry like I do. Maybe you get to the end of each day, lay your head on your pillow and drift quickly to sleep without taking any of the worries of the day with you. I hope that's the case, I really do! But that's not how it is for me. As much as I try to pray, give it all to God and not worry, things creep into my mind especially as I'm laying in bed trying to go to sleep. Or even worse, when I wake up in the middle of the night.

Being a mom is hard. There is so much to grapple with, coordinate and think about! We are dealing with every aspect of our family's health and well-being, running a home, and as is the case for homeschooling moms like me, we are are also coordinating their educations. I rely on many well-chosen books that I am regularly reading to help me. God has been so faithful to guide me to some good authors and sound advice. But, the truth is, as great as it is to snuggle in with a good book before I go to sleep, I don't always need to read that advice right before bed. Because, if I do, then I'm wrestling with the "issue du jour" when what I need to be doing is... resting. So, I've begun saving my "informative reading" for the morning or daytime hours. I've got a few minutes here or there, while I'm waiting outside of lessons or (as is the case in the summers) by the pool. It's so much easier to take in and assimilate information regarding stressful situations raising teenagers or my own health concerns in the mornings after I've read my Bible, while the sunlight is streaming through the windows, the birds are chirping, I'm enjoying coffee or on a summer afternoon sipping iced tea by the pool or maybe for an afternoon break by a sunny window or on the porch. The information may be heavy but the environment is not. At night it is dark. Sometimes for me it can even seem oppressive. Things seem more final. More worrisome. That is the time to read Scriptures, uplifting books, stories of hope, (especially books like 31 Days of Praise) or any book that declares God's sovereignty and power. That is what I need in the forefront of my mind as I drift off to sleep, not a bunch of "what-ifs," either from fictional scenarios in books or TV shows, or even well-meaning child-rearing advice.

So, what "works for me" is being more deliberate about when I read certain information. Knowing when I can best read it without fear taking root. Knowing when I need to bathe my mind with hope and power, reminding myself of Who's in control.

To read more of what works for others, or to share something that works for you, visit Kristin at We Are That Family. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Works-for-me Wednesday: My Beloved Laundry Schedule

For years it had been taking over. For far too long, it was an ever-visible reminder of a never-ending chore. For much of my life as a wife and mother, it taunted me: the laundry.

I read enough blogs and have been around the WFMW block enough to know that chore and laundry schedules are nothing new and have been shared repeatedly. But, this is Works for Me Wednesday... and I haven't shared mine yet! Besides, I was thinking just yesterday how this really. works. for. me.

Scheduling my laundry has become a sanity saver for me, ranking right up there with planning meals. It has freed my mind (and my hands which used to fold laundry at all types of odd times, or dig through mounds of clean clothes trying to find something someone needed). I decided a couple of years ago to do laundry according to people, not loads. The following schedule is currently posted in our laundry room:

I have found it best to do laundry, for the most part, according to the owner (each member of the family), rather than category (combining everyone's lights, darks, etc.) With the exception of cleaning rags, which I do on Mondays because of weekend cleaning, car washing, home projects etc. And towels and bed linens which I do on Fridays, each person gets a day. When Minte came home, I put him on Kyle's day, since their dirty clothes live in the same hamper.

I love how there is a sense of completion each day. Yesterday, all of mine and my husband's clothes were done. Today is my daughter's day. Tomorrow will be the boys. Each day, ALL of someone's clothes are completely washed, folded and put away. It is so much more manageable for me. I have found it's easier to sort socks, since it's just one or two people's. (I can handle a small basket of one or two people's clean underwear to fold, but not a couch full of everyones!) I can more easily keep track of uniforms, too (which still go in their designated spot). I like to hang some things to dry, which takes up a lot of room if it's everyone's, but much less space if it's just one person. I found that when I was doing lights one day, darks another, etc. parts or pieces of outfits a particular person needed were always missing or at some other stage of the laundry continuum... but now, everything that person wears is clean at one time.

I love this schedule because I don't do any laundry or folding on the weekend, when we're either really busy or need the clothes. My kids are old enough to fold their own clothes now, so the chore schedule on their particular laundry day is lighter to afford them more time to fold and put theirs away. On their laundry day they only have one other chore in addition to taking care of their laundry, so that's been a big help. By scheduling it this way, there's a light at the end of the laundry tunnel each day. And I need that!

Laundry is never ending. By God's grace, we are an active family generating lots of dirty clothes. This is a huge blessing! Lots of laundry indicates an adequate amount of clothes. Having plenty of clothing is truly a gift. Managing our laundry this way has helped me to see it more as the blessing it is, than the burden it used to feel like . Works for me!

For more WFMW ideas, or to share your own tip, visit We Are That Family. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Works for me: Kitchen Scissors

I thought of this WFMW yesterday morning when I was cutting up ham for an omelette. And by "cutting" I literally mean, cutting with scissors. As in, whip the sliced ham out of the package and start cutting it into strips like it's paper.

What works for me is having a drawer full o' scissors next to my stove in my kitchen. I would say "kitchen shears" but, as you can see from the photo, not all of them are classified as such. But, they are in this house! I simply keep them in the kitchen and use them as I would any other cooking utensil, and then toss them in the dishwasher as I do everything else. They have proven invaluable in cutting just about everything as I cook: cutting the fat off of chicken, cutting raw meat into strips for stir-fry, slicing strips of bacon into cubes for recipes, cutting the cheese (sorry kids, I just had to put that in there), dicing and destemming vegetables, trimming dough... you name it. Many times it's so much easier than using a knife, at least for me. I have a couple of dedicated "kitchen shears" but since those are more expensive, I've found that some good ole less-than-$2 cheapy scissors do the trick, and keeping several pair on hand ensures that there are always some clean and sharp enough. When they become dull I simply buy another pair (or two) at the dollar store or wherever I'm shopping. If these happen to be used for giftwrap or other projects, I just wash them in the sink or dishwasher so they're ready for cooking.

Works for me!

For other ideas, or to share something that works for you, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Works For Me: Christmas Delivery

Like my new look for the holidays? Bethany took some pictures of Minte decorating the tree in the boys' room, and I "beeg-loved" it so much I wanted to use it for a blog header this month. Now it feels more "Christmas-y!"

This week I have a quick, simple, WFMW (which may even fit into the "duh" category.) Everyone but me has probably always been doing this, but I just started a few years ago.

The advent of online shopping was very timely for me, because it was just around the time I became a stay-at-home mom of young children. I couldn't spend my days shopping because I was, well, with them. I didn't want to spend my evenings shopping because that was family time, there were other activities. And it is cold and dark. The weekends are outrageously crowded. SO... I began ordering gifts online. It was a great solution, except (1) the UPS man would always ring the doorbell during naptime and (2) there would be a chorus of "Mom, what'd we get? "What's in the box? What's that? Is it for Christmas? Who's it for? Look, this one says "LEGO on it! Well, let's see, it wasn't big enough to be the bike I asked for, so maybe it's a....."

You get my point. It was a ruckus everytime a delivery was made to our house.

SO, over the years as I online shop (still my major way of accomplishing Christmas shopping) I simply have everything delivered to my husband's office. (Of course, over the years he's gotten on every mailing list there is, and I'm sure American Girl Doll catalogs still arrive at his former workplace!) They are older now, but we are in the thick of homeschooling and it's not best for me to leave them for days on end while I shop. Another benefit, besides the sneakiness factor, is that there is always someone at the office to sign for it, so nothing has to sit outside on the porch or be redelivered/delayed. For now, ordering online and having them delivered to the office works for me!

And little do they know, when Dad pulls up into the driveway some days after work, he might as well be driving a sleigh...

For more great "works-for-me" ideas, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Sent encoulat tehfalligalli?

For a translation, and this week's adoption-related "Works for Me Wednesday," visit my homeschool blog where I've posted what's working for me in communicating with Minte.

It's about so much more than language.

Works for Me: Netflix

Minte's daily question: "Mommy? Eez e-mail box movie? Today?"

Translation: "Will there be a movie in the mail today?"

(Note: he doesn't get the difference in the words for mail and e-mail, so he just always puts the "e" in front of "mail." I just always have to figure out if it's a mail-related comment, which type of mail he's referring to. The other day he said he almost ran his bike into an e-mail box. I totally knew what he meant, LOL.)

We are about 8 weeks into our adjustment at home with our awesome 10-year-old son from Ethiopia, so I'm posting during November (National Adoption Month) about things that are currently "working for us" during his transition. So far I've written about establishing a routine and labeling the house. Today I'll share another thing that is definitely working for us: movies.

Before we traveled to bring him home, we joined Netflix. That was new for us, as we haven't really watched or rented many movies, but I thought it would be nice to have some on hand each week after we returned home with Minte. I had no idea. They have been a daily life-saver for us these past few weeks!

I'm sure there is research somewhere that will suggest that this is no way to properly bond with your child, or which would cite the effects of too much screen time or media, so by all means, don't necessarily go with my opinion on this. However, around here each afternoon after we have finished our schoolwork, had some time at the park or outside, and are ready for some "down time" before dinner, it has been fun to see what movie the mailman brought and have an afternoon movie time. We've watched a movie just about every day (or every other day). I have found it beneficial for many reasons, some of which are:

• He spends all day, every day talking to us, trying to understand what we're saying, trying to assimilate new information. This is an exercise for us as well, trying to properly communicate, talk slowly, repeat ourselves, act out things in a charades-type way. SO, during the afternoon movie, none of us have to do that! It's relaxing.
  
• We have some new "shared" experiences. We haven't experienced the past 10 years with him, but now we have experienced stories together, laughed at some of the same things, rooted for the heroes, been mad at the villains, etc.
  
• It has fostered many conversations where he/we remember funny scenes and laugh about them again.
• He has learned a few new phrases... I can't remember all of the ones he's asked about lately but recently he asked, "What eez zees: 'ab-so-lute-ly-not' ? What eez zees?" So I explained that it means "no way."
  
• He is now well-versed in some of the movies that all of his friends and most of the culture around him have seen. The "High School Musical" movies (he "beeg-loves" these!), the Disney animated ones, Toy Story, etc. have been big favorites. He sees those characters all over the place and he now knows where they come from.
• We've been able to discuss emotions. "This part made mommy sad (happy, scared, etc.) Was Minte sad (happy, scared, etc.)?

I don't want to risk over-psychologizing it, but watching movies (carefully chosen ones, of course) has been something we have enjoyed these past few weeks, and for those who might be considering adopting older children, I thought I would pass along something that has "worked for us."

To read more about our adoption journey, click on the link in my sidebar. For more tips, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Works for Us: Labeling the House

Since November is Adoption month, and we are currently about 7 weeks into our adjustment at home with our new 10 year old son from Ethiopia, I've decided to post a few WFMW's about some things that are currently "working for us" in his transition. Two weeks ago I posted about how establishing a routine and having a visual representation of our week has really helped him. This week I'll share something else we've done that has seemed to be effective.

It's helpful for anyone trying to learn a new language to label their surroundings with words in that new language. It even fosters literacy in one's first language. When my other two were little, there were words everywhere! I just decided that literacy would be a higher priority than decor, and slapped labels all over the house. God designed our human brain to automatically try to decode text.

Before we left for Ethiopia I ordered the Talk Now- Learn Amharic software. We found that to be a very useful (and inexpensive) program for learning some basic vocabulary (and hearing pronunciation by a native speaker) before we traveled. One thing I loved about it was that it had printable picture dictionaries for each category of words (greetings, food, household, etc.) with a picture of the item, the English character, the phonetic pronunciation, and the Amharic Fidel characters. Very, very helpful.
Before we left I printed out the picture dictionary pages and cut out each word and laminated them into cards. It has helped him (and us) because it's got the word for us to say in his language, as well as for him to read and learn in English. (You can click the photos to make them larger so you can see the print... sorry the glare of the flash made them hard to read.) Not only is this helping him learn the words for "spoon," "shirt," etc. it is helping him to know where those things are kept. I wanted him to know where to find a bowl in the kitchen, or where his socks are. This helped him to begin to feel "at home" even faster.


At a local teacher/office supply store, I also found pads of Post-it Notes that have English vocabulary words on them. I took some pads of those notes with me to Ethiopia and asked our orphanage director and translator to write on in Amharic. She was SO sweet to do this for us! I brought those home and laminated those as well, and they are all over the house. On lamps, inside the refrigerator, etc. The one that says "coat" is on the door of the coat closet, the one that says "towel" is taped under the hook where he is to hang his towel. These have been very, very helpful.

He is making great strides each week in learning English, but it is definitely step-by-step (sometimes very small steps) every day. I know from international travel that being surrounded by a language that is not your first language and letters that you can't make sense of can make your mind tired. I believe that seeing words in his language sprinkled throughout the house not only rests his mind, but teaches him where things are and begins to show him what the word looks like in English. "Signs" directing him to an item's location, with a picture and in words he can read, have helped him to feel more control. He not only hears spoken English throughout the day, his brain is storing them by seeing them as he looks around the house. I am far from being an expert on language acquisition or adoption, but this is one thing that is working for us!

For more tips, or to share something that works for you, visit Rocks In My Dryer. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Works For Me: Establishing a Routine

I haven't done a "Works For Me Wednesday" in awhile, but now that we've been home from Ethiopia with our new son for a little over a month I've decided to post some WFMW's about what has been working for us so far during his transition.

If you are visiting my blog for the first time, welcome! In the way of background, I will share that he is 10 years old. For more background you can click on the "Our Adoption" link in my sidebar.

One of the things I took away from much of my reading on adopting older children was that it is valuable to establish a routine. It really helps the child feel secure to know what's coming, what to expect. In recent years during the school year I developed a schedule for our days, which really helped all of us stay on track and make the most of our days. We are not quite to the schedule stage (it takes me weeks to get over traveling and get back to normal) but keeping a routine is the next best thing! Adopted children have, understandably, been through many changes in their lives. Depending on the circumstances which led to them being in an orphanage/ foster home, some of those events have been devastating and have happened in rapid succession. Once they get used to one situation, everything changes again. Keeping things "the same" can be important, especially at first. Even when things can't be the same, knowing what to expect can help them feel "in control."

Since Minte has come to be with us, he has watched the same show every morning when he wakes up. (DVR'd episodes of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody"... Disney Channel is helpful because there are no commercials for "stuff." And he LOVES that show.) Then, he eats the same thing for breakfast every morning. Eggs (either boiled or scrambled) and dabo (bread), either toasted or plain. Some mornings he asks for a waffle. During breakfast, he checks the weekly calendar that I have posted and we talk about what we are doing that day. Here is a picture of it a couple of weeks ago (you can click on it to make it bigger.) I color-code my kids for school, so when I circle an event in colors it indicates who it's for. This particular week, my husband had a business dinner, so I indicated that Daddy would be "out for dinner." It seemed to really effect him that Daddy wasn't coming home to eat with us, so it was good that he knew that ahead of time. When I can, I draw a little picture beside it so he can more easily understand what it means.
I have had this weekly dry-erase board calendar by our back door for a couple of years, and I write our week on it for the kids to see. It has helped all of us to know what's coming each day. So, I continued this when Minte came home. The only thing I added was writing the word "today" on one of the magnets so he would know which day it is. I cannot tell you how helpful this has been for him. I had no idea this would be something he would love so much! He not only refers to it in the morning, he looks at it throughout each day... to remind himself of what's coming, to ask about something, to learn the days of the week, to talk about something fun we did yesterday that he doesn't remember the word for, etc. Yesterday he pointed to our current calendar which shows that we are going to a wedding on Saturday (I had drawn a bride and groom) and we discussed what a wedding is, who the family is, etc. Very helpful! Now he knows that it is coming and has seen it represented visually, so now he can ask questions and feel secure about it days before it occurs.

Another benefit has been that the things on the calendar that he has seen posted, which we have discussed, and for which we have prepared him, have actually happened. It said "karate class" and we went to karate class. It said "High School Musical 3" and we went to the movie. Not only are these positive experiences for him, he has seen that when I say we're going to do something, we do it, which builds trust.

I've learned that as an adoptive family, much of what we do looks routine and is nothing earth shattering (after all, many families write out their weekly calendars... so what's the big deal?) but for a child who's world has literally changed in recent years, and for a family who has been newly formed, these "little things" aren't so little.

To read more WFMW's and get some fabulous ideas from other bloggers, or to share something that works for you, visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Works-For-Me Wednesday

Has there ever been a time when you were in your home, perhaps enjoying a quiet afternoon with your children or an evening with your husband, and somewhere in the distance, from an undetermined direction, you began to hear a clattering... a clanging?

Sorry. That was me. That was the sound of me trying to wrestle my stock pot or frying pan out of the cabinet under my stove. I'm sorry to have disturbed your peace. :) I love, love, love my kitchen, but it doesn't have a lot of cabinet space. For the past 7 years whenever I have needed a pot or pan, there has arisen such a clatter everyone knew what was the matter! And I've needed to wear protective footwear.


I don't know what took me so long to do this! I decided a few weeks ago to begin searching for a pot rack to hang over our island. There is no shortage of them out there. And for the price of some of them, I could have simply added on to the kitchen! But I found a relatively inexpensive one. Here's the one I found at allpotracks.com.

Love. It. All of that used to be in a cabinet! And now it's not! Hallelujah!


And since I was in the mood to get things out of the cabinets and clear up valuable drawer and counter space, I decided to purchase a utensil rack. Not only does it help storage-wise, things are much more handy now!

I know this storage solution may or may not work for everyone based on the architecture of your kitchen (though I saw some low ceiling pot racks, wall pot racks, as well as freestanding ones). But, I have been loving this solution for our kitchen. And finding this one for WAY less than $100 with free shipping definitely worked for me!

For more tips, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

WFMW: "Mom, I'm Bored!"

"Only boring people get bored!"

That's what my mom used to say, anyway. So, of course, that's what I hear myself saying to my kids when I hear, "Mom, I'm bored!" Although that's not something I've heard them say much over the years, because by the time they finish that sentence a math book, toilet brush, Swiffer duster or Bible has been thrust into their hand.

This is "Mom, I'm Bored!" week at WFMW. It didn't take me long to think of something (besides the toilet brush and the Swiffer) that keeps boredom at bay at our house.

A few years ago I bought a book called "The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions." I thought it looked like something we might enjoy. I had no idea. One day, I asked the to look through it and mark some of the concoctions they thought looked fun. Here's what our book looks like now... Do you see all of the post-it markers sticking out all over? We have enjoyed this book to death!




We have made the spray sidewalk chalk (pictured), used the salt dough recipe for our salt maps, made numerous batches of silly putty, volcanoes, coffee play dough, flavored lip gloss, and so many others I can't remember them all. I just picked up the book to thumb through it to remind myself, and the cover fell right off! It has been well-loved! Recently I ordered Super Science Concoctions, but there is also an Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions 2 . While I was searching for the title on Amazon just now, I came across Kid Concoctions of Biblical Proportions which ties in Bible themes. (That one is currently residing in my Amazon shopping cart.) Apparently there is a whole series of these books. There's even a Kid Concoctions website. Fun!

One thing I like about the book is that it uses common, inexpensive ingredients and household objects. When the kids decided which ones they wanted to do, I made a list and went to Walmart and the Dollar store and stocked up on what they would need, and then kept it all together so it wouldn't be a big deal when we decided to make something.

So, for some relatively cheap, somewhat educational, boredom-busting fun this summer... try "Kid Concoctions." It works for us!

For more ideas, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Works-for-me Wednesday: Daily "To-do's"

I haven't done a WFMW in awhile... I used to do them weekly, but it's so hard to think of something to post. I feel like it's all been thought of!

Well, maybe this idea's been thought of, too, but I decided to post it anyway.

Shannon posted today about her chore chart, and even has one to download. So helpful! We have a similar chart of rotating chores that we've used for years, and one of my first WFMW posts was about the signs in each room on the back of the doors that tell each of them "this room is clean when you have..." Those have helped as well.

Well, this is a list of "chores" of a different kind that I developed this year, for all of us, daily. This school year these became part of their daily "assignments" (and mine, too!)

Each day at our house you must do:

• Something musical (practicing an instrument, listening to something *good*)
  
• Something physical (treadmill, any form of exercise, dancing around to music, etc)
  
• Something outdoors (Yes, even if it's freezing, raining, or 110 degrees. Even just going to get the mail.)
  
• Something that serves/blesses someone else (for no other reason other than... it blesses them. Chores don't count.)
  

Although they have studied various instruments in the past in the past, neither of my kids are currently taking any type of formal music lessons, but I feel that a daily encounter with music is important... so they can noodle around on a recorder, guitar, piano or drums, or listen to something classical. On days when there is no sports practice, they still need to do some sort of physical exercise. Since we homeschool, if we don't have an outside activity that day, we might not go outside at all, and that's not healthy! So, even if it's just sitting on the porch breathing fresh air or throwing the tennis ball with the dog, get outside for awhile. And we should all try to bless someone else daily, multiple times per day. Of course, these can be combined... weeding the flower bed is outside and it blesses mom. Riding a bike is exercise and outside. Dancing around to fun music is musical and physical.

All four of those things sound simple, and perhaps are activities that are already part of family life, but I have found especially with older kids (and moms!) and a busy schedule, things get overlooked. And all four of these are a key part of proper physical, mental, and spiritual health. No charts or allowances are tied to this "list" but it has helped us all to not forget these key areas of life, and to build them in as daily habits. And that works for us!

For more great tips, visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

WFMW: Reading Aloud and A Book Recommendation

This post originally started as a post about a book we are reading that we are really enjoying... but I'll get to that in a minute. I'll start by saying that reading aloud to our children has always worked for us. We have read aloud to them on a regular basis since they were little bitty, and now at 14 and 11 they still enjoy it. We all do! We have so many shared experiences through the books we've enjoyed together. When they were little, it was hard for them to sit still for a book sometimes (especially a chapter book) so I had things for their little fingers to do while little ears listened. Some of those things were:

• Magna Doodle
• Build with Legos (already spread out... no "raking" through the tub!)
• Moon Sand
• Etch-a-Sketch
• Draw quietly
• Mold things out of clay/ play-doh that go along with what we're reading (history or whatever)
• Wikki Sticks on a cookie sheet
• Make things out of pipe cleaners

When they were little and were doing those semi-quiet activities while their Dad or I read to them, it was hard to tell they were listening, but that's okay. We were spending time as a family, they were hearing their parents read, and those words were going somewhere. We would find out later as they would recount parts of the stories they loved, or even now when they remember funny parts of past books we've read... they were listening. And it built in the habit of sitting and enjoying literature. My husband is on his second time of reading the Little House On The Prairie series to them. That's become a special memory for the three of them. (He reads it to them at night while I'm "regrouping" or preparing for the next day!)

Now, on to the book I wanted to share with you... We are loving Grandpa's Box. Meade and Van Patter masterfully weave the entire Biblical story of redemption into the storyline of a Grandfather telling his grandchildren stories using figures he's carved and stored in a fishing tackle box. He tells each story in the context of war-- which fascinates my son. (There is a wonderful review of it here.) It's recommended for ages 9-12, and I am so glad to find a book like this which is not only theologically sound and extrememly well-written, but holds their interests as this book does. We started making each of the figures that Grandpa carved, but instead of wood (obviously!) we are using Model Magic. By the end of the book each of the kids will have a set of figures to remind them of the basic storyline of the entire Bible, that they can use to remind themselves or perhaps even share with their own kids someday. Here's what they've made so far: (You can click on the photo to make it bigger.)

I just wanted to share this book today. Reading aloud continues to work for us!

For more tips, visit Rocks In My Dryer. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

WFMW: Favorite Childhood Books

A few years ago a friend of mine gave me a precious gift. It was a copy of a Little Golden Book from the early 1970's entitled Buffy and the New Girl. (No it wasn't about a vam*pire slayer, it was based on the show Family Affair!) As I began to thumb through the pages of that book my eyes filled with tears as I was instantly transported back to my early childhood, remembering the hours I spend in my Nana's lap as she read me that book over. and over. and over. No, it wasn't a classic work of children's literature, but I loved it, especially the pictures. I remember one illustration that I would stare at as a tiny girl. I liked the way the girls smiled at each other. I liked Buffy's smile. I loved her friend's pretty, long red ponytail.

It had been hard for my friend to find that book, but I mentioned it in passing one day and she remembered it. Our copy of it was long gone (I'm not sure my grandmother even realized how much I loved it. But I guess it wasn't the book I loved, but what it represented... being loved and read to.) My sweet friend scoured E*bay for it and gave it to me for my birthday, more than 30 years after it had gone out of print, just to give me that memory! Today would've been Nana's 100th birthday. I'm not sure what my friend paid for that little book, but the memories it brings back are priceless to me, especially on days like today.

A few years ago I began looking on Amazon, Alibris, and other book sites that have random, used, out-of-print books and buying duplicates of some of my kids' favorite childhood books while they are still available cheaply. I've recently found Dinner with Fox, and Could I Keep Him?, two of the pop-up books they used to repeatedly request and which we wore out. There is a copy for each of them on the bookshelf now, for them to read and enjoy with their own children, or just for that walk down memory lane like I had that day.

Sometimes it's not the great works of literature that build memories, and you don't know how long some of their favorite childhood books might be in print... so pick up some copies while they're still cheap.

Works for me!

For more ideas, visit Shannon. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

WFMW: An Easy Workout

Recently on my homeschool blog a friend asked me how I found time for fitness when my kids were younger. Kelly Ripa was probably in middle school when my kids were younger, so she hadn't shared this idea yet, but recently I came across this great workout that my kids and I think is fun and which I think would be a perfect way to get in a good workout with young children around. It's the "Alphabet Workout." Mom (and older kids) can use a 5-20 pound weight ball and little ones can use just a playground ball. Mom gets a great workout and the kids practice their ABC's (or spelling words!)





An easy, inexpensive (arm-flab-reducing) workout that doesn't require a gym membership and can be done with kids... works for me! For more ideas, visit Shannon.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Works-for-me Wednesday: Ironing

Ironing. Yes, the very word conjures up images of either the 50's housewife in black and white, ironing her husband's crisp, white shirts. OR, it makes me think of a big basket of wrinkled clothes, and me chained to the ironing board all afternoon... For years and year I didn't iron. Oh, we pressed things just before we put them on, but I didn't "do the ironing" in a big batch like other women I know. And for the most part, I still don't, except that I figured out what a true blessing it is for my husband to have his clothes hanging in the closet ready for work. I can't always get to it every week, but when I can it really blesses him.

The main reason I've never really "done the ironing" is that our closets are relatively small, and by the time you press something and then "mush" it in there with everything else, it's going to need a going over before you wear it anyway. But during the week, my husband's pressed for time (oh look! I'm being punny!) and the press-and-go maneuver takes too much time. What I've begun doing for my husband's work clothes is ironing them ahead of time and hanging them on a different kind of hanger in the closet.

Everything else we hang is on wire hangers because it all fits better. But when I press a week's worth (or more) of his work clothes, I hang them on these plastic, colored hangers and push the other clothes away from them, so they stay fresh, and he can quickly tell which clothes are pressed and ready to go.

He's got a double row of bars in his side of he closet, shirts on top and pants/jeans on the bottom. I'll spare you a picture of the inside of our closet, but if you walk in there right now, you can tell at a glance which shirts and pants have been ironed because they are set apart by these hangers. (Of course, if what I've ironed is not what he wants to wear, he's free to choose another shirt and iron it himself, but I'm noticing that week in, week out the shirts I've ironed and hung on the plastic hangers are the ones to be worn!)

I don't iron all of our clothes, and the rest of us "press and go" most days, but for my husband's clothes this "hanger system" works for me!

To read more of what works for others, or to share what works for you visit Shannon. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a wrinkle-free Wednesday!

Works-for-me Wednesday: Safely Killing Ants

(Safe for your kids and pets, not safe for the ants of course!)

With the recent heavy rains we've had, I've noticed the ants marching two-by-two in their little trails twice in my house in the past couple of days. With children and pets around, I don't want to go just grab a can of Raid and start spraying, but I want the ants to, well, die.

SO, what works for me is a spray bottle of dish soap (Dawn or whatever I have on hand) and water that I keep under my kitchen sink. Yesterday we had quite a few ants right outside our back door who had found an unfortunate worm that had been washed up from the rain. Ants were everywhere. I sprayed them with my trusty dishsoap water, including the threshold to our backdoor where they were beginning to come in the house, and they were gone in seconds. I didn't have to worry about my dogs tracking through ant spray on their way in or out. For an ant trail across the carpet, a light mist of the spray kills them, then I just dab it with a paper towel and it's dry.

There's no formula, I just squirt some dish soap into the spray bottle and fill it about halfway with water, swish it all together and voila. I also love this because it's safe, doesn't stink, and it's made with two things I always have on hand- dish soap and water!

Works for me! Head on over to Shannon's to read what works for other moms, and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Diving Into The Word This Summer

I haven't posted a "Works-For -Me-Wednesday" in just forever, but after I typed this post I realized it was Wednesday and I was posting something that "works for me" so I decided to link it. Last week someone commented on my WFMW: Prayer Bible post from way back in December, so that shows me that sometimes when you're prompted to post something that works for you, it can help someone months later! (I know going back over some of the great tips from others that I've missed on some busy weeks... God knows just when I need to read them!)

Today I thought I'd post about something I've been doing this summer that has been refreshing to me. I have begun a new approach to Bible reading, and I just love it! In past years I've enjoyed my Daily Bible, and have loved how it helps me read the Bible through in a year. At times, due to schedules, traveling, and general craziness I get off "schedule" but usually I'm able to get caught up, and I've found that it was a marvelous way to see God's Word speaking directly to me- I would read something in August that profoundly effected me, something that was dated for June, but God knew I would need to read in August! So, the daily, through-the-year Bible was something God used for several years in my life to ground me in His Word and help me become acquainted with the whole counsel of Scripture.

A couple of years ago I read How to Get The Most From God's Word by John MacArthur. In that book, he outlined a Bible reading plan that really interested me. This spring, as I began my usual daily-Bible-reading-derailment during the weeks preceding our trip to China, I was reminded of the method MacArthur described, so I looked it up and decided to try his approach.

Old Testament: MacArthur says, "For the Old Testament, I suggest reading through all of it once a year in a narrative manner (from Genesis to Malachi, no skipping around.) ...the best way to read the Old Testament is straight through, like a story. Don't look for a presentation of systematic theology... simply read the Old Testament to see what it says, to hear the story it has to tell. You will see the unfolding of God's progressive revelation; and you will also discover foundations for New Testament truths that come later.... When you come to a passage you don't understand completely, don't let it bog you down. Put a question mark in the margin and move on. As you continue to read the Old Testament year by year, line upon line and precept upon precept, you will begin to erase the question marks." He breaks it down into about 3 chapters a day (15-20 minutes).

New Testament: MacArthur says of the New Testament, "I use a little different approach. I still keep the principle of repetition from Isaiah 28:9 (line upon line, precept upon precept) but with an important variation. Instead of reading through the entire New Testament from Matthew to Revelation, I read each book over and over for thirty days... The Bible has a flow and a context, especially the letters from Paul, James, and others. When somebody writes you a letter, you don't stop to read a nice line, then jump two pages to find another good thought. You read it through, to understand the flow of thought.... You break the longer books up and still use the same thirty-day system. For example, the Gospel of John has twenty-one chapters. Divide it into three sections of seven chapters each."

His book goes into greater depth about the benefit of such a plan and the discipline involved, and I highly recommend it. (In fact, when I originally read it I read big chunks of it to my kids, too.) This summer I began with Colossians, now I'm in 1 Peter, and I'll be going on to James in August. In my Old Testament readings I am in Ruth, and it has coincided with Nancy Leigh DeMoss's series on Ruth on Revive our Hearts. God is so faithful!

Another thing I have been doing, which has been fun, is to use the Inductive Study Approach as outlined in The New Inductive Study Bible. I first learned this method when I did a Precepts Bible study two years ago, and I love it. I get to color in my Bible! Each morning I get out my box of colored pencils and color-code and mark key words throughout the passages I'm reading. Mainly, I've been marking my New Testament readings, a new chapter as I read the entire book each day. I'm not marking the Old Testament passages, although I've begun marking Ruth as I'm lingering there listening to Revive Our Hearts. (There is a pretty good explanation of how to "mark" or observe passage in this method here.)

Here is a picture of one of my pages from 1 Peter, to show how I've marked it. (You can click on it to make it larger.)There is a list of suggested markings in the front of the Inductive Study Bible, and I have some that I've developed on my own to help me remember key concepts. Combining the methods I learned in Precepts with MacArthur's reading plan has been so beneficial for me.

Are there days I don't get to it? Sure! Are there days I don't read every single chapter in "the plan"? Absolutely! You know what? It doesn't matter! The key is, I'm in God's Word, soaking up His truths, reading them in context and prayerfully applying His profound Word to my life. It's not meant to be intimidating or rigid, but enjoyable, interesting, and relevant. There's no "wrong" way to mark passages, it's strictly what helps me to identify key words, phrases, themes, people, and lists. I'm enjoying it immensely, and since I always love hearing what Bible study methods work for other people, I thought I'd share it with you today. I'd love to know what you've found that works for you, too!

Visit Shannon to read more of what works for some of the smartest women on the web!

Works-for-me Wednesday

What do you do with all of that spare change lying around? At our house, we put it in a jar. When that jar gets full, we start another jar. Eventually, that jar gets full, too, so we start another one. All the while I'm imagining that I'll schlep those jars to the bank to get, well, money for all of it. But, practically speaking that just doesn't happen for us. Plus, I don't know if your bank does it for free, but most charge a percentage to convert coins to cash. With online banking I don't find myself running to the bank anymore, so I forget. But I DO run to the grocery store quite often...

A couple of weeks ago we took jars and jars of coins to our local grocery store where there was a Coinstar machine. Now, Coinstar charges 9% (ouch!) to convert your coinage to cash, but it's free if you get it on certain gift certificates. We got a couple of Starbucks gift cards and a couple hundred dollars in Amazon.com money. You can also get iTunes (another favorite of mine) and many others. Click here to see what gift cards are available, and here to find out where there are Coinstar machines near you.

Coffee, tunes, and books... for all the spare change I had lying around. Works for me!

For more great tips, or to leave your own, visit Rocks In My Dryer. Have a wonderful Wednesday!