Laundry for 5!

       If you have a big family like I do, then you NEED to read this post. For a while, I was doing everyone's laundry. There are five of us, plus the towels, plus everyone's sheets. I started to feel like my only purpose was to wash laundry. As my kids started getting older (and their clothes bigger), I decided it was time they learned how to use the washer and dryer. My kids were 9 and 7 when they learned how to wash their own clothes, because let's face it, it's super easy to do and they are plenty old enough. Firstly, I want to suggest teaching them with detergent pods (unless you don't mind buying more detergent every week).

       These are seriously one of the greatest things ever invented. They clean like a charm, they smell amazing, and they make laundry super easy! The kids don't have to measure anything, just toss one in with their load of clothes and done.
       Usually my kids run around outside playing until it's time to transfer over to the dryer and then eventually pull them out, fold and put away. Teaching the kids how to do their own laundry is one of the best things I've ever done. It has freed up so much time for me to do other things around the house and it gives them a great sense of responsibility in the household. Giving your children more responsibility is a good way of letting them feel like they are really a part of the home. Children love helping out. We, as parents, need to be more open to letting them help out more. {Just make sure they check their pockets!}



3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

       Yes, you read that right!! Peanut Butter cookies with only three ingredients. I found this recipe when I was pregnant with Landon and I was addicted. I made a batch almost every night for the last 3 months of my pregnancy. It's very easy and super quick!
       Here's what you'll need:
1 Cup of Peanut Butter
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Egg

      

       Preheat your oven to 350 and then let's get started!
       First, mix all of your ingredients together (yes, all whopping 3 of them!). I like to use and electric mixer to get it a little bit smoother, but you can definitely use a spoon too. Either way works out just fine in the end.
       Next, you want to scoop out small round balls of your mix onto a greased cookie sheet. I always line mine with aluminum foil first and then grease, because seriously who actually washes their cookie sheet? Less clean up the better!
       These will spread out flat all on their own, but there is a simple way to make them look a little more elegant if you like them to look professional. I use this trick if I'm taking these to a party or special occasion. Once you place the balls onto the cookie sheet, press a fork flat down on the tops and then do the same in the opposite direction, perpendicular. This will give them that laced, pie topping appearance and you'll be surprised at how many compliments you will get.
       Now that all of your mix is balled up on your cookie sheet, pop them in the oven for 9 minutes and enjoy!! This recipe makes about 12 to 15 cookies depending on size and how much dough you eat along the way. ;)

You will have tons of people asking for your recipe for these cookies. My advice, keep it to yourself. Don't ever tell anyone how super simple these are and how little effort you actually had to put in for them. :) Enjoy!

Do as I Say, Not as I Do

       We have all said something in front of our children that has then been repeated or acted out by them. It is mortifying, especially when you think of the fact that you taught them that. We are our children's heroes. They look up to us for everything we do and say whether it is good, bad, or ugly. Children are NOT going to do as you say, period.
       You're walking through the supermarket, and you see a woman who is overweight and she is buying a bucket of ice cream. You look at her and laugh as you say 'she doesn't need that'. Then, you turn to your oldest child and scold them for calling their younger sibling stupid.
       On your way home, you see a teenage girl arguing with her boyfriend as their baby is in the backseat crying. You scoff at them and say 'wow, where were her parents when that happened?'. Your daughter is in the backseat scared to ask you to take her to the doctor to get on birth control.
       Your husband is driving you crazy with his driving. Now, you're at the gas station and you are being a good parent by stepping away from the vehicle to smoke your cigarette as you scroll through your news feed. Five minutes later, you step back into the vehicle relieved and feeling better. You turn to your children and tell them how bad cigarettes are and that you plan on quitting this year.....just like you've told them the past 3 years running.
       You have now molded your child's mindset and views on how people should look and behave. Believe it or not, children do not care what we say or how we say it to them. If we are doing the opposite, they see it and they react to it. Your child now thinks overweight people should only be eating salads and anything other than that is just gross and they should be ashamed of it. Skinny is the only shape that is acceptable. Your child is now scared of getting fat themselves, because they don't want you to think they are gross. Your daughter in the backseat, is so scared to ask you to put her on birth control because of how you reacted to the young mother on the way home. She is in love with her boyfriend and thinks they are going to last forever, but being afraid to tell you that, she could end up pregnant herself. She doesn't think she can come to you now, because you will judge her and ask where you went wrong. You smoke cigarettes to relieve your stress and your children see that. You may be telling them that smoking is bad for you and that you are trying to quit......again, but they see otherwise. They see how calm you are after your cigarette. And they are invincible, which means they will never get cancer from smoking cigarettes themselves.

       Bottom line, teach your children through your own actions. Before you criticize someone at the supermarket, think about how you would feel if you heard that coming out of their mouth. We were not put here to judge each other. We have to coexist with one another and learn that everyone is different. Instead of criticizing everyone for their differences and the path they have chosen for their lives, embrace them and support them. Show your children a good role model that they can aspire to be. Act exactly the way you expect your own children to act. They are your mirror and they reflect YOU. Do you like what you see?
      

How to KEEP that Youthful Glow

       Ok, moms, as a mother it isn't always about the kids. Sometimes we have to do things for ourselves. A lot of moms tend to let themselves go after they have children. And I don't mean weight wise. I'm talking about your daily beauty regimens....make up, facial cleansers, shaving, etc. Today, I'm going to share with you my go to favorite product to keep my skin looking youthful, clear, and radiant!
       Firstly, I use the Clean and Clear nighttime face wash. This stuff is wonderful. It cleans off every speck of make up, dust, and grime of your daily activities. The scent of this is so relaxing and soothing right before bed. (Hint: I also use their morning burst wash every morning). After I wash my face and pat dry (patting dry is better than rubbing because it doesn't pull on the skin) I follow up with my moisturizer. I use this moisturizer every morning before make up and every night before bed. This moisturizer has completely transformed my skin and my confidence. Yes, it's that great!! This miracle moisturizer is made by Olay and it's only about $8 a bottle. I purchased mine about 7 months ago and it is just now below the halfway mark. You only need a pea sized amount to cover your whole face, but I also like to blend it down my chin and neck as well.



I know this is a crazy photo. This was my no make up photo challenge for Facebook. I received tons of compliments on my smooth complexion even without foundation on. I owe it all to this amazing moisturizer!

 

       So, moms, I know with a busy schedule it can sometimes seem impossible to do anything for yourself. Just take the 5 minutes before bed to do this and you'll see a world of difference. I have the morning burst already in my shower so it's just there and waiting for me every morning. Your skin will thank you, your future unwrinkled self will thank you, and your husband will love it too. ;) Good luck, beautiful ladies.  

A day at the Zoo!

       Some days the weather is just too perfect to sit at home. The sun comes out and the weather is just so nice that you get hit with that instant craving for some outdoor time. We took our trip out to the zoo on a beautiful day. I had taken my son once before, but he was too little to really know what was going on. This time, he was 2 and he had such an amazing time. Of course we threw in some learning exercises. He told me when he saw an animal going 'night night' and he would say 'uh-oh!' if he saw one that fell over. LOL. He is so precious and I just cannot get enough of him. (I may be partially biased though). Here is a short run down of our day. I couldn't get too many pictures since I was so busy chasing him around.
       Whenever you get a beautiful day to get outside, then DO IT. It's so worth it to get outside and spend some good quality time with the little ones and make memories that will last their entire lifetime. You don't have to spend a ton of money to have fun with them. As a matter of fact, this zoo trip was on Mother's Day (so I was free) and Landon was 2 and under (also FREE). Look around for some good deals in your area, or just go to the park and explore with a magnifying glass. There's always something to do. Have fun with it!

"Duckie!!"

 

When they slow down is a good opportunity for a photo!

 

And being outside is a great way to tire them out for a good night's sleep. ;) 

Arts & Crafts

       It's summer break now, which means summer showers and being stuck inside on occasion. One of our favorite things to do on a rainy day is arts and crafts. It's a fun way to keep the kids busy with their hands AND decorate your house at the same time. My word of advice is kid-friendly paint! I purchased some Crayola washable paint at Target in 10 different colors for ONLY $4.99!! This paint is ah-mazing! My toddler wanted to paint himself more than the canvas and I was a little worried about how washable this paint would really be. Let me tell you, it literally dissolved right off of him as soon as I put him in the bath!
       I'm going to show you two different projects I did with him (he's only 2) and they are super simple. The first one I did was a nautical themed 'love' canvas for the living room. This would also be great in a nursery.

       I started out by taping off my stripes on a blank canvas and painting on the blue. I used acrylic paint for the stripes, just because it's a little thicker and I wouldn't need as many coats. I let that completely dry overnight before starting with the yellow. I painted the L and the E by hand and then came the fun part! As you can see, the O is his hand print. I just painted his hand and pressed it on. I did the same for his feet, doing one at a time in the shape of a V. Of course he giggled as I painted the bottoms of his feet and he gave me some pretty crazy looks.....as usually I am cleaning him and not making him dirty. And since the yellow paint was the washable kids' paint, it came off super easy with just one baby wipe.
       The other project we did was his initial for his room. This one I let him do all on his own. He absolutely loved it. We used all washable crayola paint for this one, because I knew it would get messy. No paintbrushes needed on this project, just an excited toddler!





       I taped off his letter L and put a small glob of each color of paint (except white) onto a plate for him. He started by painting himself first.....I had to guide him back to the project. LOL. Finally, the whole canvas was covered and we were done. I stuck him in the bathtub and then proceeded to pull the tape off of his canvas. Here is our finished masterpiece: 

Covered in paint!

Totally WASHABLE!! 

 

A Chore Chart that WORKS!

 

       Finally, a chore chart that actually works! I have tried so many different chore charts and I have finally found one that works. I am here to share that with you TODAY! All you need is a little paint, round wooden disks and an equal amount of small round magnets, a paint pen (or Sharpie), some paper, and markers. I got ALL of these things at Michael's craft store for less than $15.00. It's very inexpensive and durable. I chose lime green and pink just because I am in love with that color combo, but you can definitely choose whatever colors you'd like. I've also thought about throwing in some extra 'bonus' chores (maybe painted black with metallic letters) for extra cotton ball rewards as well.

     To get started, you simply paint all of your wooden disks whatever color you choose. I used an acrylic paint, mainly because I am impatient and it dries VERY quickly! Next, I used a black paint pen and wrote in various chores. I tried to make it a little more fun, by adding in some chores that weren't so tedious. I have a couple that say 'read for 20 minutes', a 'create something', as well as 'mom's choice'. Moms choice can be something like mopping, coloring a picture, or we have even implemented it as a 'free pass' on occasion (the kids really like that one). I colored each of their names as well as a 'chores' group for the top and stuck a magnet strip on the back of each of these. You could also simply tape them to the fridge. I used magnets just so I could move them around to clean. Finally, you add your magnets to the backs of your new chore disks.

      Every morning I wake up and assign various chores to each child. I think the reason this chore chart has worked so well for my children is because it breaks up the monotony of doing the same thing everyday. Every child has until bedtime that night to complete everything. Once they have finished the designated chore, they move that disk above their name. When they place it above their name, they are telling me that they have completed that item to the best of their ability and they are ready for it to be checked. If I check it and it is done well, then it goes back into the chore group. If all of their chores are completed by bedtime, they get a cotton ball for the day! I hope this chore chart system can work for your family as well. If you try it, please send me some photos and your feedback. I would love to know how it worked in your household!

Praise is Better than Punishment

       Now, don't get me wrong, I firmly believe in a good disciplining system. Consistent discipline is key to a well behaved child. Key word there is 'consistent'! Children want attention and consistency more than anything in this world. They really do not care whether it is good attention or bad attention as long as the spotlight is on them and consistency just lets them know what to expect in almost every situation.
      Which brings me to my next point....PRAISE is better than punishment. What I mean by that is, praise them for the things they do RIGHT. It's just like potty training your toddler. When he finally pees on the big boy potty.....you go crazy, jumping for joy, singing, dancing, treats, etc. Well, my friends, it's the same thing for everything else. If you want your child to be polite to others or be well behaved in public places, you have to praise them when they DO. Don't wait until they mess up before you give them that attention.
      I've tested this theory out on my bonus children (I call them 'bonus' because 'step' has been made evil by society). My bonus children have always been raised to just get straight discipline, no praise, and babying (that's a whole different story....needs a post all to itself). What this has taught them is they have to mess up to get the attention they so desperately crave, and that if they cry long enough they'll get what they want. When they came to live with us permanently, this lack of discipline and structure drove my OCD bonkers. It was time for some things to change. We implemented new disciplining systems, chore charts, praise systems, etc. You name it, I tried it.
      The praise system that worked for us was the cotton ball system. Each child got their own jar. For everything they did right or well, they earned a cotton ball. I assigned them each their own color. Come on, you were a kid once, and you know they would steal the other's while bonus mom isn't looking! At the end of the week (Friday at bedtime is our cutoff), whoever has 13 cotton balls, gets a Zaxby's milkshake on our Saturday trip to the grocery. We've been using this system for about a month now, and I can honestly see a HUGE improvement. They also get an extra one if they finish all their daily chores. Not only are the chores getting done now, they are playing nicer together, sharing, not pushing or shoving, and even using their manners. But just as they can earn a cotton ball for GOOD behavior, they can very easily lose one for BAD behavior. Whatever praise system you choose, just stick to it. It will work miracles in your home, trust me!

Our cotton ball system at work. :)

Tyler with his first milkshake reward!