Tonight for our family devotions we were talking about how short our life here on earth is and what are we doing with it. I was thinking about that and decided our life is like a cry uttered at the bottom of a deep valley, all those on the mountains may not hear my cry while it is uttered but they may hear the echo for quite some time after. I suppose if your cry was forceful enough you could even cause an avalanche.
It's very easy as a stay at home mom to not feel like I'm really doing anything in the world, or will my voice be heard, can I really make a difference? I can, you can through the lives of our children and those that they come in contact with and so on. A while ago we had to make a mission statement for our lives for a Bible study I am in. At first I thought it was kind of dumb but I did it and it has made a huge impact on me. I realize that even in the mundane daily tasks (as they so often seem), I can be making a huge impact for Christ. He may not call us all to be Billy Graham's but we all have a unique call on our lives.
So if you haven't done so, make a mission statement for your life. What are you here for? What are your goals? What does God have in store for you? You never know how far your echo can reach.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Ahh the Terrible Twos
Hurrican Kacee has hit in full force in the Perrizo household. It seems to have stalled out and seems to be growing. I think if Hurrican Katrina was a 4 this is at about a 7 or 8. In place of wind we have screaming, in place of rain we have hitting, stomping, kicking, throwing, etc. It is definitely leaving a wake of destruction everywhere it turns. Just like a real hurricane there seems to be no way to get it to move or die out. I guess I will just have to try my best to hurrican proof my house and wait this storm out.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Getting Organized-Home Office
I love organizing, really I do. I have taken several different pieces along with some of my own creations in creating an organized home office system. So I will let you in on some of my secrets.
I have everything I need at my small desk area.
Inbox/Filing
Mail- We all get it and sometimes lots of it but what to do with it all.
I have 3 bins on my desk one is an inbox, one is a to do box and one is outgoing mail
The inbox is where all the mail goes and waits to be filed. Sometimes I have things like insurance claims or medical paperwork to fill out and those would be found in my to do box, the outgoing should have a spot for envelopes, stamps and letters and bills waiting for their due date to be mailed.
Now eventually you need to do something with all that inbox stuff right? Well I have one file drawer to hold it all. That's right and I'm not talking about the garbage can (though that is also effective.)
In my file drawer I have several files Bills to Pay (obviously the bills you need to pay that month wait there until they are paid), upcoming events (for party invites, etc.), misc. info. to keep, coupons, Kids School information papers, Sunday School/Awana Papers (these files hold schedules, teacher information, phone #'s etc.), paycheck stubs, Utlitiles, House payment, Credit cards, School loans, Vehical Loans, etc., Then there is a Tax information file, a bank file, Insurance file.
This way all the inbox mail can be sorted directly down into the proper category. It's quick and easy, no more lost bills, no more paper clutter all over the house.
Household Binder
Now to keep track of paying those bills I have one Household Binder.
I have a calender (printed from Outlook in the front) with a To Do List, this keeps track of all the events, bills, everything we are responsible for or need to do each month.
Next we have a monthly budget, this how I track how much money we make and how it should break down each month for our budget. After that is the Bill Payment Schedule and Envelopes Funding tracker. This is where I have broken down all the bills we have to pay each month by their due dates and then I divide them into which paycheck they will come out of and after you subtract your bills the leftover money is spilt out into your budget Or envelopes for each thing like gas, food, etc. (this will come off the monthly budget sheet with some minor changes as sometimes their are unique expenses for different months). The Next Tab is the Expenditure tracking and Debt Snapshot/Paydown. Here I track my monthly expenses for things like utlities, insurance, etc. . Then I also have a sheet for each bill or debt and track the monthly payment and amount left, it helps to see it getting paid down. Next I have a space to keep track of all my accounts, logins and passwords. Then I have a menu and grocery list, Then a Shopping list for Household items and a wish list for items I am waiting to purchase because they are wants or more expensive like a new ceiling fan. Then I have a system I use with the kids a Strike chart and Reward zone list. Finally I have a cleaning list for me and the kids, plus it tracks when they do extra jobs and earn spending money.
It sounds complicated but it really isn't. I have taken several years to adjust to all of it. Each year I would add in a new part of organizing and soon enough Voila, you got it together , well kind of anyway:)
I have all of this available in Excel Format if you want it let me know, I can send you a copy and you can tweak it to make it work for your family.
Sorry I wanted to put some pics of some of the different sheets up but it's not letting me do that right now.
I have everything I need at my small desk area.
Inbox/Filing
Mail- We all get it and sometimes lots of it but what to do with it all.
I have 3 bins on my desk one is an inbox, one is a to do box and one is outgoing mail
The inbox is where all the mail goes and waits to be filed. Sometimes I have things like insurance claims or medical paperwork to fill out and those would be found in my to do box, the outgoing should have a spot for envelopes, stamps and letters and bills waiting for their due date to be mailed.
Now eventually you need to do something with all that inbox stuff right? Well I have one file drawer to hold it all. That's right and I'm not talking about the garbage can (though that is also effective.)
In my file drawer I have several files Bills to Pay (obviously the bills you need to pay that month wait there until they are paid), upcoming events (for party invites, etc.), misc. info. to keep, coupons, Kids School information papers, Sunday School/Awana Papers (these files hold schedules, teacher information, phone #'s etc.), paycheck stubs, Utlitiles, House payment, Credit cards, School loans, Vehical Loans, etc., Then there is a Tax information file, a bank file, Insurance file.
This way all the inbox mail can be sorted directly down into the proper category. It's quick and easy, no more lost bills, no more paper clutter all over the house.
Household Binder
Now to keep track of paying those bills I have one Household Binder.
I have a calender (printed from Outlook in the front) with a To Do List, this keeps track of all the events, bills, everything we are responsible for or need to do each month.
Next we have a monthly budget, this how I track how much money we make and how it should break down each month for our budget. After that is the Bill Payment Schedule and Envelopes Funding tracker. This is where I have broken down all the bills we have to pay each month by their due dates and then I divide them into which paycheck they will come out of and after you subtract your bills the leftover money is spilt out into your budget Or envelopes for each thing like gas, food, etc. (this will come off the monthly budget sheet with some minor changes as sometimes their are unique expenses for different months). The Next Tab is the Expenditure tracking and Debt Snapshot/Paydown. Here I track my monthly expenses for things like utlities, insurance, etc. . Then I also have a sheet for each bill or debt and track the monthly payment and amount left, it helps to see it getting paid down. Next I have a space to keep track of all my accounts, logins and passwords. Then I have a menu and grocery list, Then a Shopping list for Household items and a wish list for items I am waiting to purchase because they are wants or more expensive like a new ceiling fan. Then I have a system I use with the kids a Strike chart and Reward zone list. Finally I have a cleaning list for me and the kids, plus it tracks when they do extra jobs and earn spending money.
It sounds complicated but it really isn't. I have taken several years to adjust to all of it. Each year I would add in a new part of organizing and soon enough Voila, you got it together , well kind of anyway:)
I have all of this available in Excel Format if you want it let me know, I can send you a copy and you can tweak it to make it work for your family.
Sorry I wanted to put some pics of some of the different sheets up but it's not letting me do that right now.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Freezer Meals
Today I got together with a friend and we made up 4 meals for each of us for Sundays for the next month. It was a lot of fun and really didn't take that much time at all. Besides cooking with a friend is always more fun. (Thanks Kim!)
So we made Tater Tot Hotdish, Creamy Chicken Casserole, Enchilada Casserole, and Cheeseburger Lasagna. Next time I will make 5 meals as we finished at supper time and after making all those yummy meals we had cereal. Anyway I am excited for the next 4 Sundays as all I need to do on Saturday is pull out a meal and pop it in the oven on Sunday.
So we made Tater Tot Hotdish, Creamy Chicken Casserole, Enchilada Casserole, and Cheeseburger Lasagna. Next time I will make 5 meals as we finished at supper time and after making all those yummy meals we had cereal. Anyway I am excited for the next 4 Sundays as all I need to do on Saturday is pull out a meal and pop it in the oven on Sunday.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Grocery List
A tip to making it easier for grocery Shopping. Make up a list with all the groceries that you normally keep on hand. Divide them up into the categories of Produce, Dry/Canned, Dairy, etc. and put them in the order you would find them in the grocery store. Leave a few blanks at the end of each category for menu specific groceries you will buy on your next trip. Then hang the list up on your fridge and when you run out of something say Ketchup, you just circle it, check it, mark it in some way. Then when it's time to get groceries, half of your work is done already.
It also helps to have a column on the list to mark whether you have a coupon or not. I sometimes forget the coupon when it comes to pay but having it on my list I remember to pull out those coupons.
It also helps to have a column on the list to mark whether you have a coupon or not. I sometimes forget the coupon when it comes to pay but having it on my list I remember to pull out those coupons.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Meals
Do you hate planning out meals? Sometimes I wish we could just eat once in a day, wouldn't that make life easier? I don't mind planning meals but to think of all those ideas and all that prep work for each meal. You just finish one and on to the next.
Well instead of always doing all that work here are some other ideas to eliminate some of the meal planning.
1) Make one meal you can use for both lunch and supper.
I am home during the day so I do this at lunch time sometimes. I will make up a big batch of taco meat and do all the prep at lunch time. So I can have the same tacos or use the meat in a taco salad at lunch and hard shells at supper. Or Softshells at lunch and taco salad at supper, etc. All the prep work and thought are done at once and you have at least 2 meals out of it.
2) Cook up meat ahead of time
Example: I made a chicken casserole the other night and I knew that 2 days later I would be making Chicken Noodle soup so I cooked up twice the amount of chicken and then when I made the Chicken Noodle soup my prep time was cut in half and less cleanup.
3) Add sides to leftovers
When Making my Chicken Noodle soup I made a big batch so I would have leftovers. Then if you don't have quite as much or want a little something different add some sides like biscuits or a salad and your meal feels more intentional instead of just leftovers.
4) Use theme nights
When Making your menu plan for Italian Mondays, MExican Tuesdays, Soup and Sandwich Wednesdays, and so on. Then you just vary things like one Monday is Spaghetti, the next Lasagna, the next Ravioli. One Tuesday is Tacos, then Chimichangas, then enchiladas, etc.
That's it for now, hope it helps
Well instead of always doing all that work here are some other ideas to eliminate some of the meal planning.
1) Make one meal you can use for both lunch and supper.
I am home during the day so I do this at lunch time sometimes. I will make up a big batch of taco meat and do all the prep at lunch time. So I can have the same tacos or use the meat in a taco salad at lunch and hard shells at supper. Or Softshells at lunch and taco salad at supper, etc. All the prep work and thought are done at once and you have at least 2 meals out of it.
2) Cook up meat ahead of time
Example: I made a chicken casserole the other night and I knew that 2 days later I would be making Chicken Noodle soup so I cooked up twice the amount of chicken and then when I made the Chicken Noodle soup my prep time was cut in half and less cleanup.
3) Add sides to leftovers
When Making my Chicken Noodle soup I made a big batch so I would have leftovers. Then if you don't have quite as much or want a little something different add some sides like biscuits or a salad and your meal feels more intentional instead of just leftovers.
4) Use theme nights
When Making your menu plan for Italian Mondays, MExican Tuesdays, Soup and Sandwich Wednesdays, and so on. Then you just vary things like one Monday is Spaghetti, the next Lasagna, the next Ravioli. One Tuesday is Tacos, then Chimichangas, then enchiladas, etc.
That's it for now, hope it helps
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Vacation
We wanted to take the kids on a little trip, so while we were at Jamie and Adam's House we went to the Omaha Zoo, and the Iowa State Fair.
If you have not ever been to the Omaha Zoo, I highly suggest that you go. It was very nice and tons to see. We got there at 10:00 and stayed until 5:00. We only didn't go into one exhibit. We could have spent a lot more time there though, we rushed through a few exhibits because it was getting close to closing time.
They have this huge dome and on the main level it is a desert, then underground is the Kingdom of the night where they have a swamp, and a cave. The swamp is totally dark and you are walking on a little bridge with alligators swimming around in the water below, talk about freaky. I am looking at the alligator and I can't see where I am walking and I step on something strange, I jumped quite high. It was just the crack in the bridge but it gave me quite a fright. There is also a huge building that has a jungle inside with the different jungle environments from around the world. At one point we were walking through a cave and there were actual bats in there, that will make you jump when you don't realize they are so close to you.
All throughout the zoo you are so close to the animals. We were about 6 feet from the elephants. They also have a huge building with lots of Gorillas, that was a lot of fun to go through there.
We also went to the Iowa State Fair. The kids really enjoyed this exhibit called Little Hands on the Farm. They pretended to work on a farm, they planted a seed prentended to harvest it, picked an apple from the orchard, got soybeans that they turned into soy diesel. They pretended to fill up these little tractors and got to ride them around. Then they went through the sheep barn, and got some wool. Then at the dairly barn they pretended to feed the cow the corn they had, then milked the cow and collected a milk carton. Then they went to the Farmer's market turned in all their produce and got a fake dollar and went to the market where they got to actually buy a treat with their fake dollar. They got to choose from stuff like oj, twinkies, popsicles, a loaf of bread, etc.. I thought it was pretty neat myself.
Overall it was a nice little vacation.
If you have not ever been to the Omaha Zoo, I highly suggest that you go. It was very nice and tons to see. We got there at 10:00 and stayed until 5:00. We only didn't go into one exhibit. We could have spent a lot more time there though, we rushed through a few exhibits because it was getting close to closing time.
They have this huge dome and on the main level it is a desert, then underground is the Kingdom of the night where they have a swamp, and a cave. The swamp is totally dark and you are walking on a little bridge with alligators swimming around in the water below, talk about freaky. I am looking at the alligator and I can't see where I am walking and I step on something strange, I jumped quite high. It was just the crack in the bridge but it gave me quite a fright. There is also a huge building that has a jungle inside with the different jungle environments from around the world. At one point we were walking through a cave and there were actual bats in there, that will make you jump when you don't realize they are so close to you.
All throughout the zoo you are so close to the animals. We were about 6 feet from the elephants. They also have a huge building with lots of Gorillas, that was a lot of fun to go through there.
We also went to the Iowa State Fair. The kids really enjoyed this exhibit called Little Hands on the Farm. They pretended to work on a farm, they planted a seed prentended to harvest it, picked an apple from the orchard, got soybeans that they turned into soy diesel. They pretended to fill up these little tractors and got to ride them around. Then they went through the sheep barn, and got some wool. Then at the dairly barn they pretended to feed the cow the corn they had, then milked the cow and collected a milk carton. Then they went to the Farmer's market turned in all their produce and got a fake dollar and went to the market where they got to actually buy a treat with their fake dollar. They got to choose from stuff like oj, twinkies, popsicles, a loaf of bread, etc.. I thought it was pretty neat myself.
Overall it was a nice little vacation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)