• Motivated Moms list for the week
• Daily Schedule
• Monthly Menu
• Ten Ways to Test Your Obedience
• Extra Chores List
• Free Time Activities
• The Brother-Offended Checklist (this is a laminated 8 1/2 x 11 page, perfect for the clipboard)
• Go-to-the-Ant Chart

Thank you for a simple way to keep the paper under control. How do you do toys and clothes? If you have already posted on this, I've forgotten and you can just direct me to that post :)

All right, you stuff-tossers, how do you do it? I have five children; the oldest is 5. We are very much a thrift-store family, so their toys/clothes are either 1) something we paid very little for or 2) a gift from someone else. They have SO MANY clothes but I think, "the next one can wear it, too, etc." but it's just ridiculous.

The problem with the tossing stuff is ... ME! I know it must be a form of materialism rearing its ugly head, but I'll go through to "purge" and end up saying, "But this was from his grandmother ... but this was such a deal ..." Do you just bite the bullet and do it?

Their room is kept clean, but I know they have an overabundance of things. I usually end up rotating toys (putting some in boxes and then putting the boxes out of sight). But I realize I'm not helping their understanding of materialism any by justifying a thrift store purchase or holding on to something that is not earning its real estate space on our shelves!

What is your "criteria," if you have any? Do you have a set number of outfits that you keep, or just what will fit in a set number of boxes, or just what you know you couldn't buy easily next time, or...

Any Scripture you remind yourself of while you're working?

Sorry so long. Thank you!
Rachel


Dear Rachel-

I am certainly no expert in this, but because I hate visual clutter, I find it feels really, really good to purge our home of stuff.  Kind of like that clear feeling after a really good nose blow

The easiest way for me to address your questions is to go point by point:

1. How do you do toys and clothes?

First of all, we don't have a lot of toys.  We have tried to keep things to a manageable and realistic amount, and what we do have is stored as neatly as possible.  Legos seem to breed on their own, but still we keep them in boxes in the boys' room, which brings me to the next management technique we have implemented: very, very few toys are stored in kids' black holes bedrooms.  The boys have Legos in their room and the girls have dolls in theirs, but those are the only toys they have in their bedrooms.  The rest are stored either in Rubbermaid containers in the schoolroom or in larger Rubbermaid containers in the garage.  Large sets such as Brio trains and Hot Wheels are kept on shelves in the garage because our boys have outgrown them and the girls seldom want to play with them.  We've kept them because we often have young visitors and now we have another little guy coming up in the ranks who will doubtless enjoy them in a few short years.  And Brios are an investment.

Clothes are the bain of my existance.  A necessary evil.  Someone is always growing out of something and the seasons now change faster than I can keep up.  I have had to be judicious; when we learned that this baby (our seventh) was a boy, I decided that it was time to pass along all of the outgrown girl clothes.  I've kept a very few things I loved in case there's another little girl to join our family, but the rest has been passed on to a little friend.

I also pass along anything the nine-year-old boy is done with because I'll be darned if I'm going to keep his stuff for the next nine years for the baby to grow into.  How silly when my best friend has six sons and she can be using his stuff.  And the baby's outgrown clothing is going back to her to be stored for either her next boy or ours, or for someone else who can use them.

So, what is kept are those things that the older boys pass down to the immediate boy beneath them and same with the girls.  I have large Rubbermaid containers clearly marked by size and stored in the linen closet (it's large).

2. The problem with the tossing stuff is ... ME! I know it must be a form of materialism rearing its ugly head, but I'll go through to "purge" and end up saying, "But this was from his grandmother ... but this was such a deal ..." Do you just bite the bullet and do it?

Oh, I so get this.  My mother was raised by a hardworking father who didn't make an overabundance of money.  Things were treasured and waste was anathema.  Because of her upbringing, my mom passed along a sensibility to us even though my upbringing was quite privileged.  I learned a combination of a disdain for wastefulness and the reality that having stuff (and we had plenty) wasn't ever a worthwhile goal in and of itself.  It can be difficult for me to want to toss something that was paid for with good money or given as a gift. 

I try to communicate this to grandparents, and we often suggest they give the children experiences over material goods. That helps, but there are still items cluttering their closet shelves that I hope the children will eventually realize are just clutter, even if they are from their grandparents.  But maybe not, and that's ok. 

I think you have hit the heart of it- not wanting to get rid of unused items can be a sort of materialism that we don't even realize we're struggling with.  Ask God to give you the wisdom to know what you should and should not keep.  I've learned that He's very practical that way and will always give me direction and peace.

3. But I realize I'm not helping their understanding of materialism any by justifying a thrift store purchase or holding on to something that is not earning its real estate space on our shelves!

True.

4. What is your "criteria," if you have any? Do you have a set number of outfits that you keep, or just what will fit in a set number of boxes, or just what you know you couldn't buy easily next time, or...

Like you, I shop secondhand and off-season sales for our kids' clothing.  I make lists of what they have for each season coming up so that I don't over-purchase.  There was one year when our oldest daughter had eight church dresses because I didn't realize I'd bought so many off ebay   They were each such good deals that I just kept buying.  Ugh.  Now I make sure I know what we have so that I only buy what they need.  Anything that needs to be replaced mid-year (woo, those teenage boys can grow out of pants overnight, I tell ya)  can be purchased inexpensively at Target or Kohls.  Just bought new undies and socks for the girls...

5. Any Scripture you remind yourself of while you're working?

Not really, but I think it's a good idea to keep fleshing out the idea you had about this being materialism at it's root. 

"He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. "  Ecclesiastes 5:10

Peace,

I live by master lists.  Back to the old concept of getting things out of my brain and onto paper, thus simplifying my life once the initial work is done.  I'll share my master lists with you, and you share yours with us!

Costco

binders: 1", 2"

batteries

page protectors

printer paper

fish

roast

tri tip

ground beef

bagels

pizza

wine

fruit

avocados

grated cheese

cheddar

jack cheese

red cups

Anti-Bacterial wipes

paper plates

TP

water bottles

dog food

cat food

frozen chicken breasts

butter

string cheese

tortillas

sour cream

cream cheese

chips

pasta

spices

sugar (brown and white)

peanut butter

trail mix

popcorn

syrup

yeast

mayo

ketchup

oils

Simplify, simplify, simplify.  What might take ten minutes to type into a Word document will save hours of thinking and rethinking.  Plus, once I have the basics on the list, my brain is free to add seasonal items like gift wrap or swimsuits.

So much of the work of managing a household and educating the children at home is mental.  Much like overseeing a large project in the workplace, managing the details of a well-organized home and the lives therein entails a well-thought-out and flexible battle plan.

It might seem like a lot of unnecessary work to write down a month’s worth of meals, particularly if your plans tend to change on a whim.  But I have found that just having the thinking done and over with frees me to make spontaneous choices on the days I need to while at the same time not having to think through three meals a day every. single. day.

I begin with a blank calendar page.  Organized Home has them free to download, but be forewarned that if you go to their site you might get lost in it for hours

First, I write in the meals that are the same each week- we always have bagels on Sunday mornings and cereal on Wednesdays because we have to get out the door early for lessons.  Other breakfast and lunch meals tend to remain pretty unchanging and basic just to keep things simplified.  And there are seasonal considerations- in the summer we eat a lot of yogurt and smoothies and in the winter we eat quite a bit of oatmeal and hot breakfasts.

Next I check our calendar and write in special events such as birthdays, guests, and meals away from home.  After those considerations, I can begin to think through meals.  What’s in the freezer?  Is anyone trying to eat lighter?  Are we tired of something in particular or craving something else?  I also like to ask each child what they would like to see served for dinner this month, and of course my husband gets first pick.

As I finish a week’s menu plan, I then make a corresponding grocery list.  The list isn’t comprehensive; it includes only the items necessary to make what I’ve planned for that week.  Before actually doing the week’s shopping, I add to the list any other items we might need such as fruit, milk, etc.  I number each week to the left and then make the lists on the back of the calendar page under “Week One”, “Week Two”, etc.

 The whole process from start to finish might take an hour.  More if I am trying to be creative, less if I am simply following the menu from another month, or even year.  I like to file the menus away because often I forget about a meal we liked or I can see that we haven’t had something in awhile.  And then I move on to the business of feeding my family without the hassle of wondering what’s for dinner.

Do you feel the urge to "nest" when you are approaching the birth of a new baby?  I thought that concept was an old wive's tale until it happened to me.  My list has had some things knocked off of it already, but here is what I started with:

1. Reorganize and put away Christmas stuff

2. Paint boys’ bathroom cabinets

3. Finish cataloging girls’ clothes

4. Clear dresses out of baby’s closet

5. Sort through birth kit

6. Plan addition and get bids

7. Boys’ curtains

8. Cook and freeze as much as possible

We have about three weeks left, and I am not seeing the remaining stuff getting done.  For one thing, the boys' bathroom is wee and I can't maneuver in there with this big belly.  So the cabinets might just have to wait a few more months.  For another, I have limited energy and cooking three meals each day is about the upper limit of standing in the kitchen.  So cooking and freezing isn't likely to happen.

But, getting sleep when I can and smiling at my children and enjoying the coming spring are all being accomplished.  And I'm quite ok with that

Christmas and birthdays consume a lot of our year.  There are eight, soon to be nine of us in our immediate family, with two grandparents living on the same property.  When six children each want to give a gift to the birthday boy or girl, we can easily spend the better part of a week transporting everyone to the store(s) to purchase the items they have in mind.

Several years ago, I created "Mom Store", an idea I gleaned from a mom on a board I can't remember. If you know to whom I should pay credit, let me know.  Anyway, I look for things that would be enjoyed by the recipient and then stash them away.  Typically the items are around five dollars, and the older children do save their money to purchase them.  The last Mom Store contained two board books, a Pez dispenser with candy, bubble bath, a box of circus animal crackers, and a CD.  I display the items on a counter and allow everyone to parade through and choose what they want to purchase, and once purchases are made, the children set to work wrapping.

The Mom Store has been very successful for us, simplifying and bringing peace to our lives in yet another area. 

On another note... some of the frustrating things about HSB's revamp in December are that I can't use the font to which I've become accustomed without importing it from Word, and when I do so I often end up without paragraph spacing.  So I apologize if this entry is difficult on the eyes...

We needed to restock a basket or box that stays in our van and equips us for when we are on the road.  We aren't on the road very often, so we call ours the Church Basket because it supplies anything we might need for church.

I emailed all the women in our church (plus a few others) and asked them what they would want to have at the ready.  The responses and lists were great:

-safety pin

-small fingernail clippers

-chapstick

-piece of wool to tie bra straps together in the back
-lozenges

-paper towels

-baby wipes

-bib

Along with zero-hour recipes, I have a few quick tricks up my sleeve in the kitchen.  Dehydrated onions are one- no chopping, no burning eyes, no work except popping open the top.  I use these in recipes like Pizza-Topped Meatloaf where a freshly cut onion wouldn't even be noticed.

Are you familiar with the Motivated Moms planner?  I used this great little 8 ½ x 11 binder-sized planner for the first time last year and really loved it.

If you scroll down the Preschoolers and Peace Resources page, you’ll find a link to Motivated Moms that gives Preschoolers and Peace a percentage (and helps pay for the site).  I know, it's a shameless plug.  I promise I won't make any more any time soon.

'Tis the season to get organized!

My seven-year-old and five-year-old wear the same size.  Gone are the days of passing clothes down, except to little sister who will receive two of everything.

This fall I decided to do something I'd never done before: color code them.  Biggest sister has the majority of her clothes in blue and middle sister is mostly pink.  The hours of laundry sorting this has saved me- I can't begin to tell you!

Speaking of laundry and socks, do you know about these Sock Cops?  Clip them on to a pair of socks about ready to enter the washer and they stay together throughout the entire washing/drying process.  Fabulous!

Laundry- ugh!  If you've been reading Preschoolers and Peace for any length of time, you'll know that back in February or so I revamped our laundry system because of my pregnancy then.  I miscarried, life was thrown into a  bit of a tailspin, and long story short, the laundry system failed.

This week I was searching for a new approach.  There were several things I liked about how I was accomplishing laundry so I decided to keep those elements:

- I love the actual washing and drying.  It's the easy part- load the machine, turn the right knobs, and voila!  It's done.  Transferring to the dryer is no biggie, either.  Plus, I can rest assured that no one is putting a red sweatshirt into the bleach load (or handling the bleach in the first place).

-I love having a basket for each child or bedroom on the laundry room counter.  Eliminates unnecessary trips of dirty laundry from bedrooms to laundry room and clean laundry from laundry room to bedroom.  See photo below.

But I HATE to fold.  I hate to fold for a household of eight, soon to be nine, even more.

So duh!  Why was I standing there folding everyone's laundry and placing it in their baskets?  They are all perfectly capable of doing the job themselves, even the two-year-old with help I will gladly offer.

Henceforth, when I grab our current read-aloud, they will all retrieve their laundry baskets and fold, with the following guidelines clearly outlined and posted:

FLETCHER LAUNDRY

Our motto:  WE LOVE LAUNDRY! 

(OK, not really…)

1. Fold whatever is not folded in your basket

2. Put undies and jammies in the correct places in your bedrooms:

          Boys- in your drawers

          Girls- in your shelf baskets

3. Put socks away where they belong:

          Boys- in the laundry room drawer and basket

          Girls- in the laundry room drawer

4. Put items that need to be ironed neatly on the ironing board

5. Hang towels in your bathroom

6.  Put sheets away on your closet shelves or directly onto your beds

7.  What’s left in your basket?  Make sure what’s left is supposed to be there!

Lisa saw this in my kitchen and said, "You should blog about that!"  It isn't anything revolutionary, for certain, but it is another example of something that brings us peace.

I found this board last week at Wal Mart on the clearance aisle.  Five bucks.  I like that it's a clear board- something a little different than a white board.  Makes our dirt colored paint (Kelly Moore Fig Cookie) the background.

I know I've blogged before about how I need things written down because I don't think well on my feet, and this is just an example of that reality.  Wednesdays are our lessons day- piano and guitar, plus we babysit Lisa's nappers in the afternoon and we try to do some history or art projects together.  So because the daily schedule deviates on Wednesdays, I was finding it necessary to write it out so everyone knows what to expect.  Yes, you still have to get some work done even if we are gone in the morning

Thank you for your input on what you'd like to see in a Preschoolers and Peace book.  It's very helpful to me to know what is useful for you.

Now on to cleaning...

I was asked how Speed Cleaning can mesh with the Motivated Moms schedule, and the answer is rather simple.  Speed Cleaning is a method.  Once you learn how to quickly and efficiently clean a particular space in your home, you can then apply that method to the day and time you have planned on your Motivated Moms planner.  For example: if you are cleaning downstairs bathrooms today, you would simply clean them the Speed Cleaning way.  Speed Cleaning doesn't tell you when to clean, it teaches you how to clean in far less time and much more efficiently than traditional methods.  Having your all-purpose cleaner and window cleaner attached to you, with rags in your pockets and a duster in the back pocket alone will knock off minutes spent picking up, putting down, and searching for your cleaning tools.

Have you discovered The Clean Team?  Jeff Campbell is the author of the Speed Cleaning series of books and I have been a devotee of his methods for a long, long time.  I also love several of his products, including Red Juice and the Sh-Mop.

And then almost four years ago we moved into 4200 square feet.  While wonderful (we'd had five children in just over 1600 square feet before and were doing school in the garage), it was an overwhelming task to clean the place.  So my husband decided that regular housekeepers were much-needed.  We aren't paying for private school, and believe me, the cost of a housekeeper is far below what we would be paying for school.  But I digress.

This month my housekeeper let me know that she wouldn't be able to travel to our home anymore.  I haven't found a replacement, but I told my older industrious children that if they wanted to watch the Speed Cleaning DVD, I would be happy to pay them what I paid her.  Their eyes became very, very wide.  They agreed this was a grand idea.

Here they are, first day on the job:

I have never managed to teach my kiddos to pick up after themselves very well.  The 13-year-old even leaves project scraps lying around, although he's a generally tidy guy.  And I realize that I have also always had a toddler or a preschooler for the past 13 years... and they don't pick up after themselves, do they?

So if you have managed to conquer this bad habit in your home, could you share your secret?  I refuse to yell, nag, or tear my hair out over this one and I desire healthy relationships over a clean house.  But if you have hit upon something really key, would you let me know?