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I was one of those weird kids who absolutely LOVED school — and I honestly did love everything about school!

So even though I was always excited for summer vacation, I was already “bored” and ready to go back after a week or two {I think my mom was ready for that too}.

I did play sports during the summer and we usually went on at least one family vacation, but for the rest of the time, my mom was “forced” to entertain my sister’s and me all summer long. Fortunately, we were pretty content to swim and play in the woods most of the time, but for those of you with super busy-body kids, keep reading…

22 Fun and FREE Summer Activities for Kids:

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1. Go swimming — a lake or pool will do

2. Run through the sprinklers, slide down a slip-n’-slide, and/or throw water balloons.

3. Go on a picnic {here are a few tips to help you plan your picnic}

4. Camp in your back yard — all the fun, plus clean bathrooms!

5. Make your own ice cream {here are a bunch of simple recipes}

6. Plant a garden {here’s a quick way to build a raised garden in one weekend}

7. Watch the sunset — or sunrise

8. Track the moon and stars {the next full moon is June 15, 2011}

9. Go hiking, biking, rollerblading, walking, etc.

10. Go to the zoo — there are always free family days

11. Visit a local museum — again, they often have free family days

12. Have a fun “muffin tin” lunch

13. Do crafts together — no you don’t have to be crafty! {here are a bunch of simple craft ideas}

14. Have your kids prepare a skit and then video tape them — this is always SO fun.

15. Scarf up free candy at a local parade

16. Go to the local library, they often have free kid’s programs all summer long

17. Watch home movies and flip through old photos

18. Sleep in late and stay in your PJ’s all day long

19. Play outdoor games like bocce ball, croquette, jump rope, hide and seek, badminton, etc.

20. “Decorate” your driveway with sidewalk chalk

21. Build a fort in the woods — or in the living room

22. Create a scavenger hunt or obstacle course in your back yard and let them invite their friends over.

 

These are just a few of the things I remember doing as a kid — and I know your kids will love them too. Plus they’re all free {or nearly free} so why not give them a try? Of course, you could always tackle a few organizing projects and even try to get your kids involved – but that might not be as much fun!

Oh, and I’m not sure if you noticed, but none of these activities involve computers, Nintendo, Wii, iPods, or most other forms of technology!

What did I miss? What are YOUR favorite frugal Summer activities?

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They’ve started for us…have they started for you?

Are your weekends turning into crazy busy carpooling sessions from one sporting event to another, and then on to graduation open houses, wedding showers, baby showers, school plays, community functions, etc. etc. etc. etc.???

From now until the end of June, all our weekends will be FILLED with multiple high school open houses {Dave is a high school teacher}, all kinds of sporting events, prom, graduation, Mother’s Day / Father’s Day parties, wedding showers, baby showers, church functions, a handful of weddings, end of the year parties, oh and yard work — lots of yard work!

And while these are all fun things to participate in, they can start to wear me out… especially since I still have to do all my “normal” day-to-day tasks, continue working on all our various house projects, and now I have to buy gifts, sign cards, and make food for all these additional parties.

Whew, {insert deep breath here}!

Do you feel the same way?

If so, here are a few things we’re doing to save time and make this busy season just a little more manageable.

1. We’re relying on our freezer.

I’ve been pulling LOTS of meals, baked goods, and snacks from our freezer for all the nights when I don’t have the time or energy to cook.

2. We’re eating out more.

Yes, I know — we almost NEVER go out to eat, but we have a bunch of gift cards that have been piling up and it’s about time we start using them up!

3. I’ve been planning a week ahead.

I have started looking at our calendar on Monday to see everything we have going on for that weekend {5 days away}. I make sure I have all the gifts and cards I need, and I check to see what food I have to make. That way, I can add anything I need to my grocery list and I won’t have to go back to the store multiple times.

4. I stocked up on blank cards.

I enjoy writing and making my own cards…and with the huge variety of events we have coming up, blank cards seemed like the perfect idea. I found really nice, thick, square cards and matching envelops and have had fun making my own cards for each event. Not only has this saved me a bunch of time, it also saved a bunch of money since I found a 20 pack of cards for only $4.99!

5. I’ve let my house go… kind of!

Everything has been so dusty and dirty around our house these last few weeks {the drywall is being installed} so there’s really no point in cleaning anyway — at least that’s what I’m telling myself! Of course, I keep the kitchen and our bedroom clean, but other than that, I’ve been pretty relaxed about our cleaning routine…or lack there of!

 

One wonderful thing about Spring, however, is all the pretty flowers. And right now I get to look at this gorgeous flowering tree right outside our dinning room window! Does anyone know what type of tree it is?

While we might drive through a few extra fast food restaurants and sleep a few less hours, we will most definitely try to enjoy all the fun activities coming up over the next few weekends. Then, when July rolls around, we’ll sit back to relaxing a bit more!

Happy Spring!

Happy Weekend!

Happy Mother’s Day!

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If only you could add a few more hours to your day — think how much you could accomplish!

Unfortunately, many of us will actually LOSE an hour tonight, as we push our clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Savings. And even though we can’t create more hours, there are a few things we CAN do to better utilize the hours we have.

1. Play to your strengths – If you hate cleaning but love to cook, trade services with a friend who would rather clean than cook. You are more efficient when you work at tasks you enjoy.

2. Learn to prioritize — When you know what you are not willing to spend time on; you will then have more time to accomplish the tasks that are most important for you.

3. Write it Down – Make a list of everything you have to do each day {I use this free document}. Keep your list visible to stay focused and remind yourself of tasks you might otherwise forget.

4. Learn to say no — Set boundaries and say no to anything that doesn’t align with your goals. When you stop saying yes to other people’s agendas and you’ll free up time for your own.

5. Work smarter — Run all your errands at the same time or make double batches of food and freeze the extras.

Implement one of these time-saving tips today, and when it becomes a habit, add another.

Oh, and remember to push your clocks ahead tonight!

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{top image credit}

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If you’re a living, breathing, human being, I guarantee that at some point in your life you’ve felt too busy. Maybe you’re feeling too busy right now, maybe you felt too busy this morning, or maybe you’ll feel too busy later today.

We’ve all been there before — even me, and I preach “time management”!!

And because I preach time-management, I receive lots of questions on the subject…but these are my two favorites!

1. “How do you manage everything you do on a daily and weekly basis?”

2. “Is there a secret to getting more done?”

Luck for you, I can answer both these questions with one answer…

Answer: Do one thing at a time!

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I know this answer sounds simple {maybe too simple} but if you think about it, one of the main reasons we fail to “get things done” is because we procrastinate — which causes stress — which then encourages procrastination – which causes more stress…you get the picture, right?

With my business, website, home renovations, side jobs, various day-to-day activities, and all the volunteer work I do — I most definitely stay busy…sometimes even I feel overwhelmed by everything I have to do!

However, my time-management philosophy has always been: work ahead, do it now, do something rather than nothing, and aim for progress not perfection. So I guess I’ve always just pushed myself to do one thing, even if I don’t want to.

One thing leads to two things:

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Amazingly, by doing just one thing, I build up a bit of momentum and a sense of accomplishment; which then encourages me to keep going and finish everything on my list!

The “Do One Thing” method is how I accomplish all my daily responsibilities…and I think it just might work for you too!

What are your secrets to getting more done?

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Today I’m sharing goal #8 of my “11-in-2011″ challenge — it’s a good one!

I’ve talked A LOT about time management since I started this blog back in July…and one of MY major time management goals for 2011 is to get more sleep. Who’s with me?

Goal #8: Get More Sleep

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Growing up, I ALWAY got at least 8 hours of sleep…even all through college! If I had to wake up early, I was in bed by 9:30 or 10:00pm, no questions asked. I didn’t even have a curfew!

{Dave thought it would be fun to  put a picture of me right after I woke up…I opted for our bed instead!}

However, as I get older and acquire more responsibilities, commitments, and a job I can literally work 24/7; my bedtime continues to move later and later into the night!

Can you relate?

I suppose if I work towards Goal #5 and get better at managing my time, then I’ll be able to achieve Goal #8 of getting more sleep, only to wake up and practice Goal #1 of making my bed — and I’ll be so refreshed after a full night’s sleep that I’ll probably get all the rest of my goals accomplished too! Ah, it’s all such a vicious cycle

Anyway, here are five things I’ve been doing to help me get a few more minutes of shut-eye.

1. I get ready for the next day after dinner.

After we’re done eating, I usually spend a few minutes cleaning up the kitchen, loading the dishwasher, wiping down the table, etc. I also use this time to pack my lunch, pick my clothes out, and make sure I’m “ready to go” for the next day. This only takes me a few minutes and it allows me to sleep longer in the morning

2. I turn off the computer.

Ok, I haven’t been doing a great job of this lately, but my goal is to have the computer turned off by 11:00pm {or earlier}. This give me a chance to wind down and turn my brain off from work mode…which is really hard to do!

3. I put a heating blanket on our bed.

And who wouldn’t want to crawl into a toasty warm bed on a cold winter night?

4. I limited my evening commitments.

As of January 1, I official quit 3 different comities I was part of. One met every Wednesday night, one met every Thursday night, and the other one met a few times per month. I now have TONS more time to get things done in the evenings…which helps me get to bed that much earlier.

5.  I wear ear plugs!

Well, actually I only wear ONE ear plug because I sleep on my side! Seriously though, I’m a really light sleeper and nearly any noise wakes me up, so sleeping with my earplug in prevents lots of lost sleep!

What are your secrets for getting more sleep?

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Linked to Whatever Works for me Wednesday

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Ah…day #5 of my “11-in-2011″ challenge and you HAD to know we were going to discuss time management at some point!!

Better time management always seems to make my list of New Year’s goals each year. It’s not that I don’t follow through; in fact, I can honestly say that I manage my time better today than I ever have. But “Time Management” is still on my goals this year because I know there’s always lots of room to improve!

For example: we moved 5 days before Christmas, which made the holidays THAT much busier. So this past week, I decided not to do any work on Tuesday morning, with the intention of catching up on many much-needed household chores, a bunch of errands, and a handful of miscellaneous activities — all of which needed to be done.

However, we got a big snowfall Monday night so I decided to plow our very long driveway. And then one thing led to another and I hardly got anything accomplished…I was SO frustrated. {See, lots of room for improvement!}

Goal #5: Better Time Management:

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If one of your New Year’s goals is to better manage your time, make more time for the important stuff, reduce your commitments, increase your productivity, or simply be more efficient — I think I can help!

Since we’re all very different and our time management goals are equally different, I really can’t give a “one-size-fits-all” approach to better time management {sorry}. However, I can give you a really simple 3-step approach to better time management!

1. Determine what you want from your time.

• Do you want to grow your business?
• Do you want to make more time for your family?
• Do you want more time to travel or pursue a passion?
• Do you want to make time for a specific hobby?
• Do you want to… __________________?

2. Write it down!

I always need a visual “reminder”

Photo Credit: Crafty Pod

3. Do one small thing every day.

Once you have it written down, put that paper somewhere you’ll see it every day. And every time you look at it, ask yourself if you’ve done anything that day to help make your time-management goal a reality.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Check your email less
2. Limit the time you spend on the Internet
3. Use a planner
4. Create balance {especially for busy moms}
5. Determine the value of your time
6. Develop daily and weekly routines
7. Practice little ways to save time
8. Add hours to your day
9. Create a Top-5 List
10. Take time to “Unplug and Recharge”

Another great time management resource that I’ve used is the “Tell Your Time” eBook by Amy Lynn Andrews. I have personally purchased and read this eBook — and gleaned so many helpful time management tips.

If you’re looking for a VERY inexpensive tool to help you better mange your time so you can reach your goals and make more time for what you want to do; I would highly recommend this eBook.

Also, Amy is offering Tell Your Time at a special sale price of $7 — but the sale ends today! Simply use the code “CLEANSLATE” when you check out to get the discounted price.

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OK, so I just listed a ton of resources to help you better manage your time…but don’t get overwhelmed. And certainly don’t “waste” the next 4 hours reading through all of them!

Just sit back and think {really think} about what your time management goals might be. Then write it/them down, and decide on ONE small thing you can do today to move you just a little bit closer to your goal. Maybe you can set your alarm15 minutes early so your mornings aren’t so rushed. Maybe you can assign each of your kids one extra chore to free up some of your time. Maybe you can research a hobby or make plans for an trip you’ve always wanted to take.

Determine what activities are important to YOU; then figure out how you’ll make time for those activities this year.

In what areas would you like to have better time management??

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I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are ready for another busy week preparing for New Year’s Festivities!

Dave and I were SO excited to be in our new home for the holidays and are still busy unpacking the last of our boxes in the effort to create a little more organization around here!

So…the following is a guest post from Kelly Morris of TheMorrisTribe.com. She is one of my favorite bloggers; partially because she blogs about “Creating Balance for Busy Moms” but also because she’s an amazing mom to NINE children! Somehow she manages to run her family, her home, and her blog all without breaking a sweat…or going crazy! She is one amazing lady!

AND, if that wasn’t enough, she also just published a FREE eBook entitled, ”Just Get ‘em Fed“. This eBook is a great resource for any home and I would highly recommend reading it…and forwarding it to anyone you know!

Thanks Kelly!

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People often ask me how I manage to accomplish what I do each day with such a large family to take care of. As a mother to nine great kids, life definitely presents its share of challenges on a daily basis!

With children ranging from age 4-24 years old, the span of issues my husband and I deal with vary greatly. Whether it’s my college-aged and newly engaged daughter dealing with grown-up problems, or one of my 3 teenagers dealing with high school issues and peer pressure, our days are filled with middle school homework and decision-making skills, elementary reading/writing skills, pre-school training along with faith and character development for all.

Tangible needs for all nine children can be breathtaking as well, in terms of scheduling, housing, food, and clothing. Yet, we consider it an honor and privilege to raise this family of ours. Balance and simplicity are the keys to not just surviving, but thriving with what God has given us to do.

Simplicity is the Mother of Balance

Everything I do in my role as mother and wife is filtered through a mind that insists on simplicity as much as possible.  I crave simplicity, especially since I realize how it sets me free. Yet, our culture thrives on busy, over-committed, and chaotic. How can our home life be reconciled with the culture we live in? It many ways, it cannot.  Counter-cultural thinking must accompany any mom who desires balance in her home. Let me show you a few of the ways I strive to create simplicity and balance in our home.

The Schedule:

I have discussed this at length on my blog, because it’s an area of life that so many moms struggle with.  Women tend to struggle with the word “no” and easily get caught up in “people pleasing”.  Much of this is due to how God naturally wired us; we are nurturing and loving creatures.  However, this wonderful quality can easily lead us to over-commitment if we aren’t mindful of our tendency toward it.

Moms tend to set the pace for the family, in terms of scheduling things like school activities, sports, outings with friends, etc. At the Morris Tribe, all activities must be approved through Mom or Dad.  The kids know to give us something on paper, whether it’s a birthday party invitation or an upcoming sporting event schedule, everything must be considered through eyes of “what’s best for all”.  There are times, many times, when the answer is “no”.  Popularity as a parent isn’t my goal necessarily, I must guard the pace and sanity of the family by counting the cost of each activity. Obviously, a birthday party brings less commitment than playing football.  Then again, playing football has been a tremendous tool for developing character and discipline in our sons.  We aren’t against long-term commitments, by any means.  My point is that you can only have so many at any one given time.

The Home:

Creating a home that speaks of simplicity, yet incorporates a sense of style is a priority for me.  Lest you think I have white walls with tile floors, think again.  I love color and style!  My walls are rich with varying coordination’s of color that reflect my personality and desire for warmth.  Leather and botanicals would describe my décor, which is fairly free of knick-knacks.  I organize toys and books with richly colored baskets that I find at garage sales, which add another dimension of style to a very busy household full of kids.  Bringing color into your home is so simple and inexpensive to do with paint!  Blinds and inexpensive fabric can bring life to your windows.  Meaningful art can also portray your beliefs and priorities on your walls.

Streamlining my décor keeps me from having to dust and clean more than I have time to deal with – it also allows me to function in a smaller home.  Clutter is quickly dealt with, mail and magazines are read and pitched within the day and a Goodwill bag is always going to collect out-grown clothing and get it out of the house. Toys are the biggest challenge with a large family.  Rather than continue to bring toys into the home, we look for ways to build upon good quality toys we already own.  Rubbermaid boxes also accompany toys we purchase so that they immediately have a place to be stored.  We also buy toys that several children would be able to enjoy and play with together.

Feeding the Tribe:

Feeding a large family is a full-time job in and of itself.  Budgeting for food, as well as storage options, cooking, baking, school lunches, and snacks are all part of the job.

Shopping takes place weekly and I patronize Aldi, Walmart, and Meijer on varying weeks.  Kroger is usually where I buy my meat.  Couponing isn’t something I obsess over; however, I do clip coupons for products I use regularly. My priorities when feeding my family are nutrition, taste and cost.  Recipes remain simple and meal-planning is “thematic” rather than specific recipes.  “Thematic” cooking (i.e. Monday – Casseroles, Tuesday – Mexican, Wednesday – Pasta, etc.) allows me to use leftovers effectively as well as take advantage of seasonal foods that are usually less expensive.

Andrea’s Note: Don’t forget, Kelly’s FREE eBook “Just Get ‘em Fed” is available here!

Clothing:

Clothing is another large part of my job description.  Simplicity is a must here as well.  Excessive clothes makes organization impossible, ever try to organize excess?  Feels like you’re raking leaves in a windstorm! My school attending children need a few more outfits than my homeschooled kids, but overall, kids seem to wear their favorite outfits over and over again.  Getting past the fear of running out of clothing gave me the confidence to only buy what I needed.  After years of keeping a grandiose storage system of children’s clothing, I am now comfortable with keeping what will be worn within the next 12 months, and pass the rest along.  With this ‘open hands’ philosophy, God always brings back to me just what I need. Being the recipient of used clothing from friends and church family is a wonderful thing, be sure to reciprocate as much as possible to continue the ‘trading’ relationship.

Time for Mom

You might be wondering how I take care of myself and my needs while raising a large family.  My definition of what I need has changed over the years.  I tend to be an introvert and need time alone to heal.  My husband is great to make sure I get some ‘alone’ time every week to re-group for an hour or two.

Exercise in my life would be best defined as “opportunistic”, from working around the house/garden and property to parking as far out as possible to allow a brisk walk into a store.  My obligations to the family just don’t allow for huge fitness commitments like working out at a gym. As a blogger and aspiring author, writing is incredibly therapeutic for me.  Large blocks of time just aren’t available, yet I can accomplish a lot in just 15-minute blocks here and there.  I read entire books just waiting at appointments and in the car, a little bit at a time. I keep a notebook with me all the time, to jot down ideas that come to my mind.  That little notebook holds some of my most innovative ideas that I would otherwise forget about just a few minutes after I thought of them, had I not written them down.

It’s so important to understand yourself, what you enjoy and what energizes you.  “No” is a word I am terribly comfortable with now.  False guilt has no place in a mom’s life.  Discovering your gifts and talents allows you to do what you’re good at and leave the rest to others.

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Kelly Morris is a wife and mother to 9 children, 6 biological and 3 adopted, living in small town Ohio.  She can often be found blogging, writing, reading, cooking, gardening, digital scrapbooking, and drinking good coffee.  Kelly authors “The Morristribe: Creating Balance for Busy Moms” and the FREE eBook ”Just Get ‘em Fed“. She loves helping other moms find balance in their lives.

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Thanks so much Kelly! What timely advice for such a busy time of year!

I know I have been guilty of saying “yes” too often, even when I don’t have time. Saying “No” is one thing I constantly work to get better at… AND, as of January 1, I’m quiting three different committees I previously said “Yes” to. I guess that’s a start!

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