Library Book Basket

My girls are big readers, and big mess makers, and big on losing things. Not a good combination for taking advantage of a "free" library...I believe I'm paying my way in fees.
So when I take a moment to write about buying a library book basket, you'll have a better idea of why.... when you have kids even the smallest organizing detail can make a huge difference.  

This beautiful basket cost just $8 at 50% off via TJ Max. It was a bit scratched up, which sadly makes it perfect for my girls to store their library books... Then I don't have to stress that they will destroy a beautiful or expensive basket over time. 

The girls sprawl out nearby this basket, warming themselves atop the living room vents as they read. Making this one spot their reading nook means they put the book back into the basket as soon as they are finished, which means no lost books, and less overdue fees! 

We also keep our library book bag in this basket, and book marks nearby. 

It is amazing what a simple basket and a plan can do. It is one less stressor for me as I try to teach my girls responsibility...after all, nothing is more frustrating than lecturing over a misplaced book. Now we are all smiles and good books.

Speaking of good books, here are a few of my favorite library reads! *Big smile*

10 Ways To Tame Your Inner Hoarder

Spring is here! That means throwing open our windows, cleaning with renewed vigor, and hopeful plans to clear the clutter. Sometimes hope is as far as it goes... if you have ever had difficulty letting go, then this is the perfect time to read the latest article I've written for SheKnows, Ten Ways To Tame Your Inner Hoarder.

From time to time we all need a little encouragement and a few clever solutions to keep our memories but let go of what we don't need. 

Photo Credit: KidStock/Blend Images/Getty Images

After you read these 10 tips here, come back and share your own tips and tricks to streamline. I'd love to hear them! 

Happy Spring Cleaning!

5 Detailed Tips To Make Your Home Comfortable for Guests

Or 5 Ways To Be A Serial Hostess...
I love having guests over, it is the best part of the holidays! Well, my husband would tell you otherwise, but don't listen to him. It's just that he sees what none of my guests see... a crazy lady flying about the house for a good two weeks in advance preparing the little guest niceties, starching linens, and rearranging the house (yet again). But nothing compares to that feeling you get watching the smiling faces of your guests enjoying their stay, knowing that you caused someone else to feel rested and happy over their vacation.  
Here are 5 detailed touches to make your home guest friendly!

1. Create a Welcome Basket to put on the bed of overnight guests:If you really want your guests to know just how special they are to you, this little touch will leave them all warm and fuzzy inside and out!

Welcome Basket Ideas:

•  Fluffy robe 
• Towel & washrag
• Comfy slippers
• Tea cup with a variety of hot drink options: Herbal tea, hot cocoa, coffee or substitute.
• Bottled water 
• Wrapped sweet treat: Mints, biscotti, chocolates, etc.
• Newspaper, sudoku or crossword puzzle activity book

Child Welcome Basket Ideas:
Remember when filling baskets for children that the purpose is different from that of an adults. You want to give a child something age appropriate to occupy themselves, giving mom and dad a little break to chat with you! Whatever you put in this basket needs to be something they can take with them when they leave, and something that won't destroy your house! Inform the parents of the contents before the kids see it, just to ensure that what you are providing is allowed.

• Fruit snacks, or other healthy treat such as a granola bar, crackers or other snack to hold them over between meals. (Avoid items with nuts or common allergy food items).
• Age appropriate magazine, or activity booklet for reading, and to occupy them while the parents are visiting or relaxing.
• Stickers
• Pad of paper & crayons for children way past the "draw on walls" phase. *wink*
• Toy for toddlers (something they can keep and will occupy them on their drive home).

2. Stock Help Yourself Trays in an accessible corner: These are the little indulgences your guest can feel free to grab anytime. While we often say "help yourself" or "make yourself at home", not all personality types are comfortable going through someone else's cupboard to find what tickles their fancy, this allows the most timid to grab without a hint of guilt or discomfort!

Tray/Basket Ideas & What To Fill It With:

• Beverage Tray: Herbal teas, hot cocoa, coffee or substitute, flavoring syrup, sweetener (honey, honey sticks, sugar packets, sugar substitutes), emergen-C packets (in case someone feels a cold coming on), stir sticks or spoons, mugs, water flavoring drink packs.

• Dessert Tray: Cookie jars, candy jars, savory snacks, mixed nuts, etc. Include a "help yourself" tag to this corner.

• Breakfast Basket: Instant oatmeal packets, cranberries or dried fruit, and toaster strudels. Bring breakfast tray out with other items such as cereal options, a basket of fruit, etc.

3. Put together a Forgotten Items basket, just in case! Keep toiletries commonly forgotten for overnight guest, as well as day visitor items. These are the items you buy in small individual packages or in the travel aisle. Here are a detailed list of ideas so that you can have everything covered...you may not need every item on the list, consider the types of items your particular family and friends commonly use. 

Overnight Guest Item Ideas:

• Mouth care: toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, or floss picks, mouth wash 
• Personal: deodorant, tampons & pads, personal wipe packs 
• Body care: soap, body wash, lotion, vaseline, cocobutter 
• Hair care: shampoo, conditioner, gel, hair spray, comb & brush, hair bands, shower cap
• Hair removal: razors, shave cream
• Small tissue pack, Q-tips, cotton balls, makeup removal wipes
• Stain removal stick
• Ear plugs (especially if you have kids that stay up late, or rise early!)
• Contact solution
• Wrinkle release spray
• Baby & Child: baby powder, baby oil

Frequent Use Bathroom Items:

• Small tissue pack
• Floss picks & breath freshening strips
• Extra toilet paper roll
• Optional: extra pads or tampons (keep it classy)

4. Provide for Comfort Quirks: Some of these tips are very near to my heart... for example, nothing is worst than being too hot or too cold while visiting a friend, it can really make or break the visit.

• Throws & quilts: over living room chairs for people who are always cold.
• Living room floor pillows or throw pillows: for sprawlers who like to sit on the floor
• Small fans in bedrooms: for overnight guests who are always too hot. 
• Layered bedding: Provide at least two different pillow types, some like them fluffy and big, others prefer less fluff. Layer bedding types for those who like to sleep under a sheet, those who prefer a fluffy comforter, and a flannel throw over the foot of the bed for the constantly cold sleeper. 

• Reading materials: books, magazines, puzzles, etc. for downtime and lulls in conversation.
• Conversation starters: guest book, photo albums, signed corks, interesting art pieces, etc. 
• Keep TV remotes in one labeled basket by TV: some overnight guests like to watch TV to wind down before bed.
• Refrigerator stocking: Stock individual bottled water and juice in the door of your refrigerator where easily seen when opened.

5. Label Things Your Guests May Look For And Can't Find : When I am a guest, I hate having to interrupt conversation and festivities to ask where the trash can is, whether they recycle, or where the cups are located. If these (and other frequent use items) are not in obvious sight, it makes it easier on everyone by labeling these things. Welcoming labels such as "Help Yourself!" are also fantastic! They clear up any confusion as to whether these items are on display, to be used at a certain time, or for anyone anytime! 

Here are a few items worth putting a temporary label on:

• The Trash Cabinet
• The Recycling Bin
• The Main Bathroom (if the door is usually kept closed)
• The Medicine Cabinet
• The basket you keep the TV controllers in, with instructions for TV use. 
• All the Trays & Baskets you have put together especially for guests

Guests will appreciate all the thoughtful touches! Of course, if we don't want them to stay forever we might need to consider dialing it back a bit. *grin*

Organized School at Home

That scary bathroom cabinet can wait to get organized, you know what can't wait? My kids education. Some of you already know my kids are schooled at home, and I'm eager to introduce you to my secret weapon for staying on task with schooling...a few carefully executed techniques, and virtual school.

What is Virtual School?

Ok, I'm going to rave a little, please bear with me, I'm a huge fan of our chosen virtual school! I have a child in Kindergarten, one in 2nd grade, and another in 3rd. We have been enrolled in the Ohio Connections Academy virtual public school for 2 years, and have absolutely loved everything about it! 
Virtual school allows your children to attend school at home while providing the necessary support system...that means teachers, field trips, online lessons, and more. Every virtual school is different, so you'll have to look up the perks of your local virtual school. The Ohio Connections Academy is a part of the public education system, which also means they are tuition free. Our virtual school provides us curriculum, Ohio certified teachers and tutors, materials and loaner computers free, and they even help subsidize our internet expenses! The beginning of each school year is like Christmas morning as the girls excitedly dive into boxes filled with educational goodies that appear on our doorstep. While the kids love the materials and classes, I love the teachers! Having teachers to grade, and teach a weekly or bi-weekly class online provides me extra time to hone in on each child's specific educational and personal needs. I homeschooled prior to virtual schooling and have discovered that virtual schooling aids with diligent and adds the structure I previously struggled to attain. Nothing keeps us on task quite like our online profile pages. Each child has their own page to sign into each day, and I can track their progress from my own home page! Daily classes populate their online schedule, and a simple click of a button walks them through each lesson. While virtual schooling gave me the structure I needed, it also provides the flexibility I love in schooling from home. Click here for more information about Connections Academy nationwide. 

There are many virtual schools out there, and each different from the next, so I recommend doing your research to ensure you choose one that suits your family's needs.

Organizing For An Effective School Day
Organizing for the school day really means organizing the entire day. Nothing is worst than waking up late, scrambling to get everything accomplished, then school spilling over into the evening hours...it usually ends with you feeling frazzled, and kids whose attention has been long since lost finding clever ways to escape their work! Blegh...don't you hate those days? Well, here are a few tips to never having them!

Tip #1. Create a Schedule: Remember the Chore System I created for my kids? It contains so much more than their daily chores, it includes their daily schedule, as well as goals and tasks. My girls know exactly what is expected of them each day, and they know that accomplishing everything comes with certain natural rewards! It motivates, and keeps them on task both in school and daily to-do's! You can read details and download a free customizable Chore Chart & Schedule system for your family here.

Tip #2. Diligently Store School Items: I can't tell you the number of hours spent looking for a single missing textbook, until I wised up! Worst, my youngest will spend half an hour looking for a pencil to write with, forget what she is doing and start playing. Then busy me won't notice until another hour after that! Designate a place for school books and each specific supply, and keep your supplies well stocked. Label things so there is no mistaking where to find them or where to put them back. Oh, and whatever you do, DON'T allow your kids leave their things scattered about the houes...train them to put each item back after use. You'll save lots of little "searching" minutes that tend add up! Phew, this is still a work in progress for us, it takes patient effort and gentle but continuous reminders!

Tip #3. Create a Space For Educating: Whether you have a school room, a desk, or just the kitchen table, allocate an area for school and school items. Some kids require a dedicated space otherwise things pose as a distraction. They often need an area to mentally associate with school work to help keep focus. Not every child has the same needs, however it is important for them to have school materials close at hand, and for us to easily keep tabs on them!

Tip #4. Reward Best Effort: Were you the type of kid who got rewarded for everything you did? Did you think your work was remarkable? Was it actually? Or perhaps you were that kid whose parents never said anything until you got less than an A+ because excellence was an expectation. How about we take a balanced middle ground with our kids. Young children are especially in need of encouragement and respond well to earned reward. Reward shouldn't always be about the results, sometimes it should be about the enormous effort it took to improve. Watch how each child's individual personality responds, and see what they need in order to go above and beyond. The beauty of reward is that it can start as small as a comment and a smile, or be as large as a gift, or a special trip. Either way, don't neglect to make school a positive experience by rewarding hard work and effort! 

Making the Most of School from Home
No matter what form of home study you employ, all those who school at home know that success depends on us as parents. We have the power to make our kids educational experience exceptional! Not everyone has the opportunity, so if you are fortunate enough to be home with your kids, be sure to take advantage of it's greatest benefits! My experience growing up as a homeschooler, and now electing to school my own kids from home has given me a glimpse into it's many attributes and what makes it work.

Create Structure: We often opt for this type of schooling because it allows the benefit of flexibility...however flexibility does not exclude structure. Rather, it is the careful marriage of the two that can give us the greatest benefit.This is the time to start structuring our kids approach to the day, as well as how they view and accomplish duties. This doesn't mean we take away the freeing joys of childhood. It means we find fun inventive ways to begin the process, making it second nature to practice positive industrious habits.

Take Advantage of Flexible Schooling: Home based schooling is an opportunity to go above and beyond!
Specialize in a field: Most child athletes, musicians, or other star types, opt to school-from-home so they have flexibility for practice and training. This is your opportunity to help your child truly specialize in something they love. Do more than enroll them in a music class, art, a sport, whatever their area of talent...make it an important part of education. You are molding their future opportunities, take the time and be creative about it. 
Give your kids real life work experience: Just because you school from home doesn't mean you can't get your upper grades an internship, or your lower grades volunteer positions. As a teen, my dad took me into work with him once a week for several months as a volunteer. I was given a real life glimpse into a field I held interest. What an invaluable experience! I hope to one day give my children the same opportunity. Before seeking an internship or early volunteer position, coach your child to be polite, professional, diligent, and to seek knowledge. They will learn to function in business rather than just among peers, they will learn to take instruction, and they can gain real world experience under their belt. Take it from me, it will stretch them!

Personalize Education: As early as possible, seek to understand your child's learning style. I find this a bit of a challenge, as my kids are still young and it takes time to recognizing strengths and weaknesses. Don't be discouraged, I am discovering that some things take a lot of experimenting, and many months of dedicated effort. Once you begin to recognize how they learn, things will begin to come easier...those long hours of struggle will pay off! As they get older, remember that it is also greatly beneficial to help them learn to function within the educational norms... this means strengthening their learning weaknesses and disabilities. Teach them how to test well, how to take good notes, how to listen to lectures, to work well with others, methods to achieve success no matter what obstacles they encounter. You have the benefit of giving one-on-one attention to your child's strengths and their weaknesses, don't ignore one over the other. 

Help Them Acquire, Not Just Regurgitate: Remember that Spanish class you took in high school? Yeah, we all took a language, music, or some class that did us no good as adults. Don't let there be years of useless study... go the extra mile to help your kids truly acquire beyond book study. 
Go on field trips of your own making, some with large groups, some with only one other family. The benefits of a small group field trip is in hands-on experience and personal attention to important details... and we're not talking museums and factories alone, we're talking time behind the scenes in small businesses doing not only seeing. 
Do the experiments recommended in your textbooks, and other kitchen experiments! The lesson is more likely to make an impression through activity.
Let learning be your play. Younger children don't know any better, play can be educational! Allow elementary level children to enjoy educational only websites such as Starfall.com or ReadingEggs.com. Allow educational shows such as the Nest Entertainment historical series. Play games that reinforce basic skills such as counting, money, spelling, etc. You'll be spending quality family time, and educating! 
Join a group. Especially in music or language, groups also dedicated in that area will help with immersion. From library clubs, to area orchestra or choir, to neighborhood events & classes, to church groups or participating in services...these all provide opportunities to practice and hone skills with support from others.
Most of all, make education a part of everyday living. Use tasks as an opportunity for educational discussion. Encourage your kids to ask questions, and ask lots of questions of them! Learning occurs every second of every day, whether you are teaching or not...what do you want your kids to acquire? 

The Thank You Jar

I want to help my children become kind, courteous, self-less little people who put one another other first. Nobody pinch me, I know I'm dreaming!! But if there were ever a dream worthy of pursuit, this would be it.
Being courteous isn't much of a challenge when it is to those outside the home, but sometimes we take for granted those we love most, and instead of showing them our greatest efforts, courteous kindness and loving consideration, we give them less effort than we would a stranger.
Occasionally we need a little help remembering to express thanks, show kindness and sacrificial love to our family. Imagine a home where spouses put each others needs first, and children were polite to one another, that would make home the sweetest haven. That makes our character one of the most important elements of making this house a home. Not as easy as giving a room a makeover, or organizing our space or time, but even more important to "get in order"!

The Problem
Ok, I will take a moment to be vulnerable and bear my soul, to address something I believe is the most important part to accomplishing this dream for our children: our own example. 
Since children tend to be "mini-me's", the greatest obstacle I have found in cultivating these positive traits is my own selfishness. *Sigh* Don't get me wrong, I can be very sweet and I am always polite, I have done many charitable acts for others, it is when there is no perceived reciprocation, or someone appears to take my kindnesses "for granted" that I become a bit of an egomaniac. Yep, my silly brain tells me foolish things like "if you do these nice little acts for people they will expect it all the time, and worst walk all over you! You have to protect and take care of YOU since nobody else will!", and thus begins the cycle of selfishness executed with the air of martyrdom spurred on by a false justification. Of course, all this starts on the inside, but eventually these ideas seep into our actions. So no matter what others may or may not do for you, never allow it to be an excuse to repay with harsh words or selfish action.  
That being said, I admit I am a definite "work-in-progress", and must make sure my impressionable mini-me's have a good example. Kind courteous acts and words begin with us. When our children see mom and dad being sweet, tender, courteous, and kind to others as well as one another without  reserve, they will follow suit. Start early, love much!

The Plan: The "Thank You" Jar
So I had this crazy idea for a project that just might help train my kids in kindness! I know, you're saying seriously, you organize and create projects to train?? I told you I believed in the power of an organized life! *cheesy grin*
In addition to teaching, and giving correction when my child does something mean or acts selfishly to a sibling, I wanted to encourage positive responses through positive reinforcement. Thus the Thank You Jar has emerged. 
The jar is kept stocked with cards containing some nice little treat inside. Some have healthy candy, a tiny toy, or stickers, anything that would appeal to the little ones. 
When one of us notices a particularly kind and selfless act on the part of a family member, and we want to acknowledge it, we can then take from the Thank You Jar and write them a little note to show our appreciation.

 I keep the jar well stocked with exciting new goodies, some cheap cards I find from thrift stores, and a few blank cards for the girls to create their own card designs. Instead of me alone rewarding my children for selflessness, they can reward one another! In addition, they learn what I have had a hard time learning...to recognize and appreciate the little efforts of those around them. 
Think of it as a year round Valentines day. A selfless act, encourages and reciprocates another selfless act. 
Since nothing substitutes for our personal example,  I too use the "Thank You Jar". I occasionally give a card to one of the children, or I can throw a little "love letter" in the hubby's lunchbox. 

Taking It To The Next Level...

Don't stop there, take it a step farther, begin to do other acts of kindness and include your children in the process. Take the effort to make a special dish daddy will love, aid a child in volunteering to help his/her sibling clean up a mess just to be kind, show your children what it means to sacrifice your own wants and desires instead showing courteous kind deeds. 
The card giving is only a jumping off point by which we practice awareness of these virtues, and begin to encourage it in deed. 
Extend your kind deeds and gratefulness beyond the family circle. As a family brainstorm ways in which to show kindness or extend gratefulness to others you associate with.