Category Archives: Family

The Ultimate Organizational Tip

This one organizational tip literally saves me hours of work. When it comes to being efficient and organized, I try to spend the extra effort planning a task or event the first time, so that I can use the template or outline when planning similar events in the future. I find that so much of what we do in life is repetitive, so it makes no sense to reinvent the wheel or continually redo a similar task over and over again. It is for this reason that I am a bit of a template queen. I try to consider every detail in planning an event or preparing for a situation and then save the template, so that I can use it time and time again. Of course, I am often making modifications or changes to my outlines, but the framework is there and thus the time spent planning and thinking through what is needed is down to a minimum. The possibilities are endless, but here are a few ways that I apply this concept:

  • General Packing Lists – I have standard lists for each family member that include all of the basic things you would need for a sleepover or vacation. Of course, it needs to be tweaked depending on the season and the type of activities that will occur while away. My packing lists are made in a table format, so that I can change the “quantity” of the items needed and there is a box to check-off items as they are packed.
  • Summer Camp Packing List – The kids basically take the exact same things every year, so I use the same list each and every year. I simply print it off when we are ready to pack.
  • Christmas Shopping – again, my basic list rarely changes. You are typically buying for the same family and friends each and every year. I also include general terms like: coaches, teachers, volunteers, teaching assistants, etc. Again, this is made on a table with columns for the names, budgeted costs, actual amount spent and a check off box.
  • Birthday Parties – I’ve already shared my template for planning a birthday party. Regardless of whether I’m planning for Eden or Shay, there are some basic planning guidelines I always follow. By using a template, I don’t have to worry about forgetting anything.
  • Gardening – My mom loved to garden and had a real knack for tending to plants. I do not. Maybe some day when I’m retired and don’t have a million and one things to do, I could actually enjoy the process instead of just feeling like it something else on my “to do” list. Our front yard is very shady and over the years we have learned what works well and what doesn’t. We now have many perennials, but I always like to do a couple of pots and add a few annuals to my flower beds. I decided to make a list of what I need and how many of each. It just seems like every year, I am trying to figure it out all over again….why? Now I just write it down and use the same basic list from year to year.
  • Camping – I love camping, but hate packing. Over the years, I have learned a few tricks to that help make our camping trips easier to plan. One is having a pre-set camping list that includes all of the gear we’ll need.
  • Camping Menu Plan – I know this seems a bit extreme, but one of the things that has made my job way easier when planning a camping trip is to follow the same menu every time. We generally only go away once or twice per season, so repeating the menu is not an issue. This not only saves me having to figure out a menu, but also allows me to use the same packing list for the food and utensils we’ll need, as well as the shopping list that coincides with the menu.

Of course, the ideas for using this type of system are endless, but some others might include: Back to School Shopping and Medical Appointments, Dinner Parties (for planning and keeping track of who you served what to), Block Parties, Committee Work, Calendars, To Do Lists, Weekly Planning Templates, etc.

I am pretty good on the computer, so for me to whip up a document with a table embedded is pretty easy, but even if your skills aren’t that polished, it is really worth the initial effort. I find that this system really helps to relieve that “bogged” down feeling simply because I have less things to think about. I can spend the time actually going through the list and doing what needs to get done without spending the time thinking about it and planning from scratch. The other great thing about he computer is that you don’t have to have a bunch of notes or file folders with your documents stored around the house. Simply create files on your computer to store all of your templates and the various versions you create. I like to date or name each file I create, so that I don’t use my original template and so I have a record of how/what I did differently each time. Of course, this wouldn’t pertain to a packing list or Christmas shopping list, but more to the planning of events or different variations of my garden plans.

Hope this helps!

 

Happy Father’s Day

When most of us are trying to figure out what gifts to buy or where to go for dinner to celebrate Father’s Day, this father gets a very special Father’s Day surprise. What he wouldn’t give to have a normal day at home with his family.  Although that wasn’t possible, the gift he received through West Jet was the next best thing. This video really makes me think about how we often go through life taking things for granted. A close friend just lost her dad on Friday and this will be a terribly difficult Father’s Day for her family.

I am so thankful for a healthy family and want to pay special tribute to my hubby this Father’s Day. Tim is an awesome dad and a great husband. I so appreciate all he does to help out around the house. I feel so lucky that he is so involved with the kids and I don’t need to leave him a list of directions for raising his own children. Tim has always been very hands on. He stayed home with Eden for a year when I went back to work and it so set the stage for his hands-on parenting. I never had to explain what needed to go in the diaper bag or how to manage all of the kids school notes and forms. He is the one that is usually there when they leave in the morning and home for them at the end of the day. He ensures lunches are packed, notes are signed and notices are read. Of course, I do some of this too, but I have never felt like I have to work and manage everything at home as well. He is a great listener and always takes time for the kids. With Eden, they will often spend time chatting at “tuck” time, just catching-up on her day and helping to talk her through whatever is on her mind. With Shay, its all about tickle fights and hockey. I love that he spends such quality time with each of them. There are so many things about Tim that I love and I always feel like his strengths are my weaknesses and visa versa, so we make a pretty good team. So many times, I hear others complain about their husbands and I’m often left thinking how lucky I am. So this Father’s Day, I just want to acknowledge my husband publicly and let him know what a great dad he is and how much he is loved.

Happy Father’s Day, Tim!

As you can see, he has always been engaged and involved in all that we do as a family. I put together a collage of memories that basically date back to 2008. Prior to that, most photos were either removed from my hard drive or taken on my old 35mm. Too bad, as there are lots of great pictures from when the kids were younger.

 

Got Stress?

got stressAs a teacher, June is the busiest month of the year. You are busy doing final report cards and tidying up all of the loose ends from the current school year and at the same time, having to prepare letters, class lists, supply orders, etc for the following year. On top of the work load, family life continues. Shay has a June birthday, so that always entails two parties to plan and prepare for. Soccer is in full swing for both kids, piano is wrapping up, dance recitals are happening, there are end of the year gifts to buy, people to thank and chores to be done. For me, the first two weeks of June are by far the toughest. Once I submit my reports, everything seems to be more manageable. I am by no means a master at managing stress and work load, but I am often asked how I juggle work, blogging, kid’s activities, etc., so here are a few things that I’ve learned over the years:

  1. Plan ahead to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
  2. Use a master calendar to schedule all of your events and commitments.
  3. Break the master calendar down into a weekly schedule.
  4. Take your weekly schedule and slot in your “to do’s” for that week.
  5. Multi-task and make use of spare minutes. I love to watch my kids activities, but I will often take marking or the laptop to work during warm-up or between drop-off and puck-drop or kick-off. Use your time wisely. I am a master at using every spare moment when I’m out and about. I will often run an errand in the 10 extra minutes between dropping off one kid and picking up another. I can get a lot done during a half hour piano lesson.
  6. Never procrastinate. Try to knock the small tasks off your list as quickly as possible. Once they’re off your list, they’re also out of your mind and you can let them go completely. Do not put off the big jobs as these are the “to do’s” that seriously weigh on your shoulders and bog you down. Get started immediately and I promise you’ll feel better.
  7. Know your limits. When I have a stressful time coming up, I try to keep myself as “non-committed” as possible. Predict those times and be wise with what you take on.
  8. Say “no”. Don’t be a martyr. Do not say “yes” to something you don’t feel you can handle. I have learned that even fun social engagements can be too much for me when I am extremely busy. I will often decline, just knowing how adding one more thing to my calendar will make me feel.
  9. Make a menu. If you don’t have to worry about meals and what you’re having for dinner, it will be less to think about.
  10. Make sure you get enough sleep.  The absolute last thing you need is to be sick on top of the stress you are already feeling.
  11. Write everything down. Make lists and use your calendar. Transfer your thoughts, ideas and “things to do” to paper, so you won’t worry about forgetting something. Organization is key.
  12. Assign chores. Make sure everyone is helping out around the house.
  13. Take one day at a time. Try to get through only what is most pressing today and don’t waste time thinking about what is on your list for tomorrow. Tomorrow will come soon enough.

Over the years, I have found that what often makes me feel the most overwhelmed is one particular task. I know myself well enough to know that when I have something big weighing on me, all of the other smaller things feel huge. For me, it’s writing June report cards. It doesn’t matter how many other things are on my list, until those reports are written, edited and submitted, I carry a heavy weight. It’s a huge job and constantly on my mind until they are completed. Although it feels like the stress is being caused by the overwhelming number deadlines and little things that need to get done within a short period of time, it often all comes down to the one big job on the list. Once my report cards are done, all the other items on the list seem much more manageable. The keys to managing really busy stretches in life are simple: plan ahead, be prepared, know your limits and get started right away ~ do not procrastinate.

Here are some links to related posts on being organized.

 

 

My Thoughts on the “New Zoo”

Polar Playground

Polar Playground

I have to admit I have not been a big supporter of the Assiniboine Park Zoo. I haven’t taken my own children since Shay was 4 (6 years ago) and haven’t been on a field trip to the zoo in well over ten years. As a family, we have had the opportunity to visit a few really great zoos when on vacation. We’ve been to the Calgary Zoo, San Diego Zoo, San Diego’s Wild Animal Park, Animal Kingdom in Disney and one of our favourites, the Columbus Zoo in Ohio.  When you go to a really incredible zoo, it is a whole day adventure. You expect to pay more, but its a full day trip. For me, packing up the kids to travel across the city for an hour or so, just never seemed worth it to me. The animals were usually sleeping or so camouflaged in their enclosure that you couldn’t even sneak a peek at them. Despite my bad attitude towards our zoo, I got really excited about all of the press regarding the changes and plans for the zoo. When I was choosing my field trips for this year, I decided it was time to check out the zoo and give it another chance.

Last Thursday, I took 46 kindergarten students to the zoo for the day. We did a program in the morning and then had time to explore on our own. I wasn’t totally impressed by what we saw, as there was still lots of construction going on and many paths were being re-routed. However, those areas that had been upgraded since my last visit 6 years ago were vast improvements over the old facilities. I am actually really excited about the Journey to Churchill exhibit that is scheduled to open July 3rd and I will absolutely be paying the big ticket price to take my kids.

  • The Polar Playground is really cool ~ literally, it is an indoor play structure that provides a great escape from the hot sun. The large room has very low lighting and the play structure has many interactive features for the kids to explore. I had never seen this before and was very impressed.
  • I’m not going to talk about the Journey to Churchill exhibit as this video gives an awesome description of it.

Until visiting, I must admit that I had a bit of “let’s just wait and see” attitude. I really wasn’t all that impressed with the snip-its I saw on the news, but when you see the size and grandeur of the construction, it is quite impressive. I think what I like the most is that I can see that there is a “big plan”. I am such a believer in thinking big, having a big goal and then taking the necessary steps to get there. This is only the beginning of their “big plan”, but I think Winnipeg is finally on the right track. To me, this kind of exhibit is similar to those you might expect to see at other world class zoos. I know it will be years in the making, but I really think this will help put Winnipeg on the map and bring tourists from all over. If you are/were skeptical like me, check-out this video and I think you too will be impressed with the design and forward thinking of those behind the scenes.

I for one am excited about the new exhibit and will no longer be “pooh poohing” the zoo. If you do plan to take your family to the zoo, don’t forget to check-out the Nature Playground and Duck Pond in the park. They really have done a beautiful job of taking the park to a whole new level as well. The upgrades are wonderful and you could easily pack up the family and make a day of it. So exciting!

Happy 10th Birthday Shay!

Happy 10th Shay!I can’t believe Shay turns 10 today and is now in double digits! I always feels like he gets the short end of the stick with a June birthday. As a teacher, I am smack dab in the middle of the busiest time of the year and my mind is totally consumed with the 46 report cards I have to write. On top of that, I have a staff meeting after school and both kids have soccer games tonight. We are trying to squeeze in a quick dinner out between my meeting and the first soccer game. Not a great day to celebrate, but I thought I could at least try to get his day off to a great start.  I decided to sneak upstairs after he was asleep (which meant I had to stay up late, so that was a great feat in and of itself) and decorate his door, so he’ll wake up to a surprise in the morning. I’m just hoping it doesn’t backfire, as he is obsessive about his door being left wide open and often wakes up in the night with a nose bleed. So, I am hoping he sleeps through the night and isn’t too put off by the closed door when he wakes up in the morning. Who could be upset once they get showered with balloons on their birthday?

Happy birthday Shay…I hope you have an awesome day!

Birthday Morning Surprise!

Lazer Tag Birthday Invitation

I have posted about making invitations before, but this is about as simple as you get. You just make a full page invitation on the computer and then duplicate the page three times, so that you have a total of 4 copies of the invitation. You then print it in colour on card stock and choose the printing option that allows you to print 4 pages on one page. Each invitation then ends up being 1/4 of a page in size, similar to that of a postcard. I originally tried making the invitation with a plain white background and then printing it onto black card stock, but the ink didn’t show up well. I ended up inserting a black rectangle and then “sending it to the background”, so that all of the text and lasers sat in front of the black rectangle. Of course, this meant that it used more ink to print the invitations, but when you are able to fit 4 per page, it really isn’t too bad.

Here is an example of the invitation and thank-you note page I made for Shay’s party.

This is an example of how to print 4 per page.
Thank you note
Lazer Tag Invitation

DIY PVC Marshmallow Gun

craft sale gun

This is one of the guns I bought at the craft sale.

I picked-up a few marshmallow guns at our church’s craft sale at Christmas time and immediately knew I could make these. It has taken me 6 months, but I finally decided to buy the materials and put together a batch of guns. Shay is having a laser tag party for his 10th birthday and I thought these would make great “loot”. I always prefer to give away one or two bigger items as opposed to a bag of candy. (Shay would probably prefer the bag of candy, but I try to steer away from it if I can.)

Materials:

  • 1/2″ white PVC pipe (15″ per gun)
  • one 1/2″ Tee fitting
  • two 1/2″ 90 degree angle fittings
  • one end cap
  • one coupling (optional)
  • acetone
  • spray paint (optional)
  • coloured tape (optional)
  • miniature marshmallows for ammunition

Instructions:

  1. Clean the printing off the PVC pipe and fittings. I ended up using acetone that I had on hand. (Some suggested using very fine grit sandpaper, but I didn’t do this.) I then washed all of the fittings and the long pipe with hot soapy water.
  2. Cut the long tube of PVC. I used our mitre saw and it was super quick and easy. You will need: one 6″ piece, one 3″ piece and three 2″ pieces for each gun.
  3. Assemble the gun by following the diagram. I did not glue the pieces together, but simply pushed the pieces together firmly.
  4. Spray paint the guns if you wish. You can personalize or embellish the guns with coloured tape or leave them plain.

This project was very simple to make. The cost was approximately $4.35 per gun, but I had the spray paint on hand. If we weren’t going to a Laser Tag facility and were having a home party, I might have given the pieces for the gun, put out some coloured tape and had the boys build and personalize their own gun at the party.  However, for Shay’s birthday, we are simply giving a completed gun and “ammunition” as loot.

Here are 6/10 of the guns….the rest are still drying.
Wash all of the PVC pieces.
Cut the pieces to the specified lengths.
Assemble according to this diagram.
Assembled gun
Here are the 10 guns I made.

To use the gun, place a miniature marshmallow just inside the open end of the top piece where the “coupling” goes (if you use one ~ it isn’t necessary according to other instructions I saw).  Place your mouth over the end and blow a quick hard breath into the tube. The marshmallow will shoot with a surprising amount of speed and force. Although marshmallows are soft and relatively harmless, I wouldn’t want to be responsible for an eye injury. If giving them as gifts, you might want to get some goggles to go with the gun. (These would also make great stocking stuffers at Christmas time.)

Footprints in the Sand

Our Thoughts Are With YouLast night, I received the very sad news that my Auntie Lynn passed away. Auntie Lynn always took the time to call and chat or keep me in the loop with family events and circumstances after I lost my mom. I always loved our conversations and was so thankful that she always thought to include me on her list of family to call in my mom’s absence. I enjoyed our visits on the phone and we’d often spend close to an hour “catching-up”. I was so sad to hear of her sudden passing. I lost my mom several years ago, but still have my dad and he is very healthy and a vibrant part of our life. My cousins had already lost their dad and my Aunt’s sudden passing makes the situation that much harder. My thoughts and prayers are with all who are touched by her loss. She was a strong woman with a generous heart and always put others before herself. She was loved very much and will truly be missed.

The Mom Song ~ to all the moms!

This is video captures a day in the life of a typical mom ~ it’s  hilarious! The first time I heard this was at Springs’ Church. A lady performed this song live for our Mother’s Day service a few years ago. I do believe this is the original video. This is a true tribute to all the moms out there. Enjoy!