Archive | August, 2012

How much, in TIME, could be saved?

By on August 29, 2012 in Family Focus - Wizehouse, Home Plan, Wife at Wizehouse

What would life look like if everyone had a part in your day? What if a ‘team-player’ mentality lived in your home? Now we all know that home should be a safe haven for everyone. A place to UN-whind, relax, receive unconditional love & acceptance. However, sharing the load & working toward a common goals are characteristics that we all strive to nurture & grow….why not in the home? How would this affect your world, your stress, your energy, your time? Would this create a common bond & a since of family accomplishment? How much, in TIME, could possibly be saved per day?

I thought it would be fun to do a little tally based on my personal daily To-Do’s. Here’s an estimated projection of Daily Time savings:
* reading, on rotation, with younger siblings…(20min)
* kitchen helper…(15min)
* bathroom helper (10-15min per bathroom)…(20min)
* cooking schedule, on rotation, breakfast – lunch & dinner…(1hrs)
* nightly lunch prep…(10min)
* pet care (5 min per animal)…(10min)
* laundry helpers…(30min)
* house-hold chores & maintenance…(30min)

My estimated daily time savings would be huge, 3hrs & 15min per day; that’s big in my world particularly if it creates family bonds, unity & a feeling of accomplishment! As well as UN-seen parental rewards, such as, future college training, responsibility, and positive re-enforcement of self-esteem.

Wizehouse, version 3.0, is coming soon! The ability to have system generated chores, which can be delegated to anyone in your contact circle, is beneficial and makes a large impact! Also, through the system, the ability to provide tangible reward for positive re-enforcement, is handy! A traceable system that will bring ease to home & family life, by design. Stay tuned for product release information!

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Un-plugging before the Big Day!

By on August 15, 2012 in Back to School, Wife at Wizehouse

Summer is coming to a rapid end! Squeezing out every bit of the last drop of summer, up until school-doors open on Monday, is the goal! I figured, with a middle school-er, two in elementary, extra curricular activities coming out of our ears, dinner-time, HOUSEWORK…(the list just goes on-&-on), a ‘get a-way’ is in order to gear-up for the year!!

We decided to Un-Plug in the hills of North Carolina. At the time of signing the ‘renter’s agreement’, we had no idea what to expect. We stepped out in faith, with our simple expectations in mind: get away with family, rest, fish, swim…all before school-year business hits! So we picked-up the grand-parents and headed to the beautiful hills of Murphy, NC.

As we reached our destination, we saw a cabin, strategically placed in a setting that provided a blanket of God’s beauty and simplicity! This sweet cabin was isolated on a wooded lot w/ a beautiful stream in the back yard and had all the elements of gorgeous inside. We appreciated the smell of fresh pine, exposed beams, plenty of beds that would accommodate up to 10, fully stocked kitchen, and ‘themed’ decor throughout this cabin. Kind of made you feel like you were in ‘The Ingall’s family, from Little House on the Prairie’s, dream house! One of my girls said, “yep, I could live here…” :)

Little did we know, there was no internet connection or cell service in this affordable cabin, which was exactly what we needed. If we would have had those amenities, we probably would have never un-Plugged! We were able to settle way down and enjoy each others company. For example: In the evenings, we observed shooting stars while rocking on the front porch. During the day, we were entertained, creek-side, by the happy children playing in the water & in the lush backyard!

We had a great time and will definitely consider going back! The amenities were simple & allowed us to appreciate God’s handy work and goodness!

If your interested in more information about this place, leave a comment and I will be more than happy to share. ~Enjoy!

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5 tips to improve your After-School Routine

By on August 10, 2012 in Back to School, Preparation

Back to school! Doors open in two weeks for our kids! It’s an exciting time for moms and children alike. I personally have mixed feelings; as challenging as it’s been to juggle work, home maintenance & chores, errands, summer entertaining, etc…this summer has been a splash!!

Forecasting for the school year is a job within itself, especially when schedules have not been well defined. However, somethings can be pre-planned to boost Sanity for the school year. I realize that supporting my children in their academic endeavors is more than buying school supplies, picking-out that ‘special’ back pack, and trending with clothes & shoes…I’m reminded of the daily systems that support a happy “family-flow” in our home. Lately, the thought of fine-tuning our After-School Routine has been on the fore-front of my mind. Here are FIVE thoughts to help avoid ‘After-School Crazies’:

1 Time to Transition (20-30minutes) – We all appreciate having a moment to transition from one activity to another, such as changing out of uncomfortable ‘work’ clothes into comfy ‘home’ clothes. Giving children the opportunity to set their minds from one environment-to-another is beneficial and reduces their stress level. Take time to listen & connect over an after-school snack. Or, if time allows, make an editable snack together to get a non-talking child to open up in conversation. For simple & time efficient snack options, consider these: Ant’s on a Log, Trail mix, or rice crispy treats creatively cut-out in fun shapes. A friend of mine shared a snack that’s become a staple in their home…she calls it ‘Banana Burrito’. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:
Tortilla
Banana
Nutella or Peanut Butter

Directions:
Take a tortilla. Spread your choice of Nutella, Peanut Butter, or both. Roll the banana inside and slice. Healthy, quick & yummy!

2 Homework before Play - Homework, into evening hours, just seems like a really L-O-N-G day for everyone. In this day and time night-time homework, sometimes, simply can’t be avoided. No matter what time your day ends, consider establishing a homework, before play, rule! Time will be saved, stress reduced, and an entrance to a peaceful evening established.

3 Paper work during Homework! – Often times moms & dads have homework too! During the children’s homework time, consider focusing on reducing the paper-trail! Sort & file household mail, update the calendar from teachers’ notes, sort & file school papers, while being available to help with homework when needed. Take the opportunity, during this established daily time, to reduce paper clutter & organize/ update the master calendar.

4 Create a Homework-Friendly Space - Creating a homework-friendly space & environment is vital! Typically we do homework at the kitchen table, however, my children are getting old enough to do homework in their room(s) or in another location of the house. The goal is to have a space that’s well lite, comfortable, and is stocked with school supplies to get the job done! Also, create a homework stimulated environment with No TV; the goal is to keep overall distractions to a minimum.

5 Join a Car-Pool- Establish or join a car-pool to help with transportation to & from school, extra curricular activities, and for emergencies. This saves time, money & stress; the less your on the road, the more you have time to get things done!

What are some of your sanity booster After-School tips?

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Back to School Preparation

By on August 3, 2012 in Wife at Wizehouse

Well, it’s that time of year; preparing to return to school! For many regions, summer is nearing a rapid end; it’s time for the school doors to re-open! To help curve ‘return jitters’, for parents & children alike, Preparation is often the solution for ‘ease of return’.

I appreciate our teachers; how they’ve carefully taken the time to prepare the children for the next grade. My children’s teachers went as far as allowing 4th graders, for example, to meet their prospective 5th grade teachers. Giving the opportunity to capture a mental snap-shot of the class-room, and clarifying what’s expected of them, is great strategy to prepare for the next level.

There are multiple ways we can prepare our children for the first days of school. Consider these simple Back to School Preparation reminders before the big day!

Prepare Physically….
1. Immunizations – Verify blue card is up-to-date!
2. Vision – Schedule an eye appointment. Nothing worse then not being able to see the board the first week of school! Also, for contact wearers, replenish supply.
3. Healthy lunch menu – Begin collecting healthy lunch ideas for school days. Make them ahead of time to establish a few favorites.
4. Proper Rest – About a week before school begins, establish an early bedtime routine. Transition out of summer, bedtime hours, into school hours. The proper amount of sleep is essential. How many hours should your child be getting? Consider this sleep-guide developed by www.webmd.com:

6 Years Old: 10 – 12 hours per day

7-12 Years Old: 10 – 11 hours per day

12-18 Years Old: 8 – 9 hours per day

Prepare Academically….
1. Summer Reading- Check to see if your child has completed his/her summer reading selection.
2. Math Ready- Verify the facts! Particularity for upper grades; brush-up on time tables & division before returning.
3. School Supplies- This is one of my favorite preparation activities! I love seeing the excited faces as the choices of new pens & pencils, back-packs, folders, graph paper, etc. overshadows the faces of everyone involved. We typically go early & get great pictures for the scrap-book.

Prepare Mentally…..
1. Transportation Plan- Talk about your family’s plan for the school year so that children know what to expect. Safety Tip: Let your child know who has your permission to transport them in case of an emergency.
2. Routines – Talk about your morning, after-school, chores, extra curricular activity routines for the school year. Allow the children to give input before it’s enforced; consider their solutions. Once the routine is developed, established and agreed upon, implementing will be much smoother.
3. Goal setting – Have everyone write down their goals for the upcoming school year. It may be anything from increased reading level to wake-up with a good attitude. Have each person put his or her paper in their file or box and bring it out, midyear and towards the end of the school year, for review and self-evaluation.

With a little time and planning, everyone can feel prepared with these Back to School Preparation reminders.

Happy Preparing!

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