Sixth Zone

For the sixth and final zone, we will be in our garages and yards. This is my LEAST FAVORITE area to clean and organize, so keep your fingers crossed for me that I'll actually be able to get something done!

Yard/Garage
CLEAN
• Dust front entryway
• Sweep front porch
• Shake out/sweep front and back mats
• Sweep back patio
• Sweep garage
• Pull weeds
• Trim hedges/bushes/trees
• Mow lawn
• Clean out car
• Clean kids’ toys
• Clean patio furniture

DECLUTTER
• Organize shed
• Put away stuff on garage floor
• List things on Craigslist
• Take stuff to Goodwill
• Go through boxes and shelves in garage

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

I wanted to share an awesome recipe I came across and tried tonight. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are delicious! Also, they are super easy, require no baking, and can be pulled together with ingredients you always have on hand. You just need butter, peanut butter, chocolate chips, graham crackers, and powdered sugar! I took these to a baby shower tonight and they were a big hit. They taste basically like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Yum!

The only change I made (taken from the comments on Allrecipes) was to add a heaping spoonful of both shortening and peanut butter while melting the chocolate, so that the chocolate doesn't crack so much when you're cutting and serving it. It worked well, so I would definitely recommend making that change.

Link: CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BARS

PS: This ain't health food. But enjoy. :)

And one more thing: Why didn't anyone tell me I still had a Happy New Year background on here? That's like letting me walk around with baby spit-up in my hair!

Sandwich Skewers

I wanted to post a meal idea that has worked really well for my picky 2-year-old. I put out a platter with chunks of cheese, bread, and deli meat, and give my kids skewers (carefully supervised, LOL). Then they can build their own sandwich skewers for lunch! It doesn't sound real sneaky, but for some reason my 2-year-old will eat TONS of deli meat this way, whereas if I put it on a sandwich he wouldn't touch it. Sometimes changing it up a little might just be the way to go!

Cushion Cleaning

I've happened upon a strategy that's working great for getting my kids to pick up their stuff at the end of the day. We try to clean as we go, but invariably, the day ends with odds and ends scattered around the front room. A simple, "Clean up your stuff in here!" has not worked as well as I would like.

What I've been doing is assigning each person a couch cushion, and taking a few minutes to put everything on their cushion. Then my kids (ages 4 and 2) come in and I just tell them to clear off their cushion. I know that for every thing I've put on that cusion, they know where it goes and can reach its spot. Things that go up high, or are theirs but they may not know where to put it, go on my cushion.

This is a little more work up-front, since I technically have to pick up everything in the room first, but the cleaning part goes WAY more smoothly than having them find what's theirs in the room and put it away. I think the important part is for them to learn to take responsibility for their stuff and put it away. Also, embarrassingly, I often realize that way more of the mess is mine! Oops!

But overall, it has been working great! They know where to find their stuff, and they know where to put it away. We're definitely going to keep going with this system.

Also, just wanted to note that posts are going to be pretty scarce the next few weeks. I'm finishing up a huge portfolio for my credential, completing my Master's, and planning a move with my three young kids. So, put me on a blog roll so you don't miss anything, and I'll try to pop in here and there to post the good ideas rattling around in my head!

Fifth Zone!

This week and next week we are cleaning our bathrooms and laundry rooms!

Bathrooms/Laundry Room
CLEAN
• Wash rugs
• Scrub floor
• Clean tub toys
• Scrub out shower
• Scrub in and around toilets
• Wipe down scale, plunger, toilet bowl cleaner
• Wash walls, doors, doorframes, and baseboards
• Clean air vents
• Wipe down washer and dryer
• Clean out lint trap in dryer
• Wash/replace shower curtain
• Wipe down washer and dryer
• Dust around sides and back of washer and dryer
• Clean inside of washer

DECLUTTER
• Organize drawers
• Organize under sinks
• Organize medicine cabinet
• Throw out old makeup
• Throw out any empty bottles by sinks or showers
• Go through shelves in laundry room
• Throw out any trash in laundry room
• Check detergent, fabric softener, stain remover