Fall Cleaning the Coat Closet!

I thought I would start out with one of the easier seasonal cleaning tasks. This will get us into the groove of getting the rest of the house up to snuff for the winter months and holiday season that is so close by!

It is that time of year when we need to get the heavier coats, sweaters and hats and gloves together. A place for the boots and scarves and mismatched mittens! Its also a great time to go through and donate all the warm coats you can. Times are tough for many families. And its getting colder and colder for the many homeless. Help out by donating those warm coats. Even if they have broken zippers or a split in a seam, many agencies will still take them and fix them before giving them away.

To begin with, start by completely emptying the closet of all its contents. Get in there with the vacuum cleaner and clean the walls, corners, floor and shelves. Then use a solution of water and mild soap or white vinegar to wipe the entire area down. Don’t forget to wipe down the pole, and then wash or vacuum the floor.
Before putting anything back into the closet, decide what you are going to keep.

If your Childs winter coat was getting a little snug, its not going to fit next year, get rid of it. If you have coats and jackets that need repaired zippers, or buttons sewed on, decide if you’re going to do this or if it will still be needing repair next year. If you don’t have time to repair them yourself, take it to the dry cleaner, most do simple zipper repairs. What else did you have stashed in that closet? Is it the best place to store it? Does it have a different home and somehow found its way there? Put things back where they belong. Throw out things that haven’t been used in the last year. Chances are its either junk or something someone else could use. Store the spring jackets and accessories somewhere else. If you lack a lot of storage space, try the vacuum sealed packs, there are special made ones just for coats. Then store away. Keep in the closet, winter coats, and umbrellas. Hang a plastic shoe rack that you can store a pair of slippers in to put on when you take your shoes off. You can also store more than just shoes in the pockets of these, such as flip flops, garden gloves, keys, camera, flashlights, etc. Have basket that hold mittens, gloves, hats and scarves for each family member. Invest in heavy wooden hangers. Throw out any wire hangers, and plastic broken hangers. The wooden ones will last forever, keep the closet looking neater, and hold up to heavier coats. A small shoe rack on the floor is perfect for the family to keep their shoes nice and neat. Put it on top of a small rubber mat to catch the dirt and water. It will be easier to remove the mat to clean then have to clean the whole floor. On the shelves if you have them, is a good place to store extra large appliances you don’t use daily, like the mixer or blender. If you have a large closet, you can store TV trays, your vacuum cleaner, board games, envelopes and stationary, phone books, blankets for picnics or fireworks, etc. Use your imagination and use the space wisely. Keep it clean and tidy by keeping on schedule and keeping good habits!

FALL CLEANING ANYONE???

I am a spring cleaner AND a Fall cleaner!! I love to batten down the hatches for the upcoming cold months. Get the home spic and span and extra cozy and homey for the holidays. Time to get the summer dust cleaned up, put away the patio furniture and get our homes all clean and warm! We'll start our Fall Cleaning Schedule in September. So for the next couple of weeks, go out and enjoy the last warm days of summer. So who is going to be with me in Fall Cleaning this year??

OFF TO SCHOOL

ITS OK TO CRY MAMA!!

With school starting and us crying mommies sending our children off, I thought I would share some great poems with you, to remind yourself your not alone, you’re a great mommy, and they grow up so fast! So go ahead, print these out, make a cup of coffee and have yourself a good cry after you send the little ones off to school the first day! Get it out of your system and then next week we are back to work on Fall cleaning our homes! So you have a couple of things to cry about!!

Mom, do I start school today?
Everything will be strange and new,
Are you supposed to drop me off ?
But I’m not sure what to do.

I want to be a big boy
And not cry in front of you
Mom, why do your eyes look wet?
Are you sure you’re not crying too?

Aww, I’ll be a brave man, Mom
You have taught me what to do
You said do what the teacher says
And soon I’ll be back home with you.

I’ll learn to read and write and draw,
There’ll be new friends and games to play,
It’ll be ok, Mom, you can go
I think I’d like to stay.

I’m home, Mom! Where are you?
Come see what I have done!
I made a picture just for you!
Boy! School’s gonna be so much fun!
Nyoka Smith 2008

Preschool Survival Kit
The penny is to remind you that you are valuable
The star is to remind you to always try your best
The eraser is to remind you that it’s okay to make mistakes
The life saver is to let you know that you can always talk to me
The tissue is for drying your tears and those of others
The band-aid is to let you know that together we can make things better
The chocolate hug is to remind you that you are cared for
The sticker is to remind you that we always stick together
Author Unknown

“Why are you crying?” a young boy asked his Mom.
“Because I’m a woman” she told him.
“I don’t understand,” he said.
His Mom just hugged him and said, “And you never will, but that’s okay.”
Later the little boy asked his father, “Why does Mom seem to cry for no reason?”
“All women cry for no reason” was all his dad could say.
The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.
Finally, he put in a call to God. When God got back to him, he asked, “God, why do women cry so easily?”
God answered, “When I made woman, I decided she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet her arms gentle enough to give comfort. I gave her the inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times will come, even from her own children.
I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going and take care of her family and friends, even when everyone else gives up, through sickness and fatigue, without complaining. I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her badly. She has the very special power to make a child’s boo-boo feel better and to quell a teenager’s anxieties and fears. I gave her strength to care for her husband, despite faults, and I fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart. I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.
For all of this hard work, I also gave her a tear to shed. It is hers to use whenever needed and is her only weakness. When you see her cry, tell her how much you love her and all she does for everyone. And even though she may still cry, you will have made her heart feel good.

good habits for your children

Are your children organized and efficient? Are you? Do they possess good study skills that will benefit them through school and through life? Do not wait to teach good habits. Be an example to your children in organization and efficiency. Lead by example. Here are some tips to help your child succeed in their education.

Have a place that they can call their own. Be it a desk, a small TV table with baskets set up underneath it, somewhere that they can keep all that is important pertaining to school. Some place they do not have to share with others.

1. Let them set up the “work station” to their liking. Help them to pick out baskets, folders, pencils, paper; a calendar to write down assignment due dates etc.
2. Make it a quiet place in the house. Do not have the TV or music on during homework/study time. Try to keep younger siblings occupied while your child is studying and doing homework. Keep distractions at a minimum to allow your child to focus.
3. Have your child on a schedule of when they do their homework. Keep it consistent. I have always found that the kids do well if they come home, have a snack and get right to it. For one thing, it teaches them not to procrastinate. Secondly, they are still in that school mode, and it is easier for them to just get at it, and get it done.
4. Get your children into the habit giving you papers that you need to see without you asking for them. It will teach them responsibility, and give them accountability.
5. Help your child to keep their backpacks, folders, binders, and desk organized. Teach them to purge once a week anything that they do not need.
6. Do not wait until Sunday night to do weekend homework. Get kids into the habit of getting it done on Friday after school. They will learn that it is smarter to do your work rather than have it hanging over your head all weekend. They will learn that work comes before play, and if it is a bigger assignment than they bargained for, they will not be trying to finish it at the last minute, and handing in poor quality work.

teaching fire safety to your children

Teaching our children about fire safety and protecting our homes.

• Get your family involved.
• Teach your children evacuation techniques, in case of a fire.
• Have a plan and practice it.
• Have a fire drill this week and see how everyone does.
• Use a stopwatch and time everyone.
• Set the meeting place at the end of the driveway.
• Teach the children what to do if they hear the smoke detector in the middle of the night.

We may not be able to get to our children, and they need to know what to do. There are ways of explaining and teaching them without scaring them. Here are 10 tips on teaching fire safety to children from about.com

1. Escape Route Planning
   Designate two ways out of every room, if possible. Today’s media rooms (rooms created without windows) can create a particular fire entrapment issue, and parents should evaluate their home and establish a plan in those instances.
2. Windows Are For More Than Fresh Air
   Make sure that windows are not stuck closed, that screens can be removed quickly, and that security bars can be opened. For parents in particular, if a child’s bedroom is upstairs, they should be able to complete these tasks in the event of an emergency.
3. Second Floor Safety
   Escape ladders should be placed near second floor windows, and children should practice using them. For extremely young kids, a “mini-exercise” from a first-floor window can at least educate the child as to expectations.
4. Feeling Way to Safety
   Children should practice feeling their way out of the home in the dark or with their eyes closed. Parents and providers can turn this into a game by blindfolding a child and placing in a room and asking them to feel their way to a designated area. Daycares and childcare providers can set it up as an obstacle course, and then provide cues and help so that when they reach a designated end point, a special treat awaits! (It could be as simple as lunch served outside!)
5. 9-1-1 Is A Critical Teaching Skill
   Children show know how to call 911. Consider teaching a 911 song to reinforce the numbers (one option is sung to “Frere Jacques”): There’s a fire! There’s a fire! 9-1-1! 9-1-1! Call the fire department! Call the fire department! 9-1-1! 9-1-1! Reinforce this by letting them practice on an unplugged phone. Or, have them create telephones with large keypads they can practice on. (One crafty childcare provider uses the small sticky notes taped on a cardboard phone cutout.)
6. Smoke Detectors 101
   Teach children about smoke detectors, why they are installed, how they work, and the sound that they make. Children need to be able to associate the sound going off with a fire as part of fire safety for kids. Adults should change batteries regularly to avoid having the alarm go off because batteries are running low, and risk frightening a child.
7. Out Means Stay Out
   Teach children that once they are out of a burning house or building, they must go to the designated place and never, ever venture back in. If someone or a family pet is missing, they should inform a fire fighter or adult. There are too many tragedies that could have been avoided in the cases where an individual who has gotten out safely to venture back in the home or building, only to perish.
8. It’s In The Touch
   Instruct kids how to check doors to see if they are hot, and if so, how to find another way out. Fire safety for kids includes having them find a towel to use for handling, touching or grabbing items to avoid burns, and to also use the towel or cover to protect their faces and cover their mouths.
9. Stop, Drop and Roll
   Teach kids what to do in the event that their clothes catch fire. Make sure they understand “stop, drop and roll.” Many a fire-related injury could have been avoided or greatly minimized if a child heeded this advice instead of the natural instinct of running.
10. Practice Monthly
    Practice your escape plan at least twice a year with children as part of fire safety for kids, preferably monthly. Families and providers should also practice fire drills and alter areas affected by fire.

Another great website for you children to play on and learn with games, coloring, puzzles, quizzes and more and they can even become a Jr Fire Marshal and download a certificate they can proudly display!

gift ideas

Can’t decide what to get your cousin Betty for a shower present? Don’t want to give the same old thing? Check out the article on AOL for some great gift giving ideas.

Men's Diaper Bag …a diaper bag for Dads! Believe me hubby does not want to use the same one you do; he will feel like he’s carrying your purse. I had a couple of laughs reading the top ten wedding gift mistakes. I can relate to that one, as we received some atrocious gifts for our wedding too! Do not make that mistake, read the article for some great ideas.

Anniversary coming up? Do you know what the traditional and modern gifts are for the anniversary you will be celebrating? Great gift giving guide for every year! Print the article and slip it somewhere your husband is sure to notice!

Have a party to go to? Need an idea for a hostess gift and you don’t want to bring flowers…again? Try a basket with wine and dark chocolate! Don’t forget the men. They are the hosts too. How about a beer basket with some great salted pistachios and other yummy snacks.

Keep this article handy so you won’t be without ideas this summer. But be warned, that when word spread of your fabulous gift giving ideas, your mailbox will be filled with invitations!

organizing those busy schedules

I know you all think I’m organized and have it all together, right? HA. Not so. If I don’t write things down, it’s gone forever. Lost into the vast wasteland that is my brain! I have post it notes everywhere, and calendars for everyone in the family and a master calendar. With school coming up so fast, its time to get it together and get all those appointments written down, birthdays written down and other important dates. Get yourself a big white board calendar. You can use different colors for each child. With sports practices, and games, and fund raising events, and dr. and dentist appointments…good gracious, it’s too much to keep inside my frazzled brain! Don’t wait to mark things down till later, believe me you will forget! Keep it simple. Don’t go into a frenzy of spread sheets and graphs. All you need is a simple calendar.

A White board is great, different color markers for different people in the house, and a smaller calendar to put future dates on. Each month just take the smaller calendar and add them to the white board. You can use the white board for strictly the kids and their events, and use a smaller calendar for you and your husband, and for birthdays of friends, relatives etc. If you can find a white dry erase board with a corkboard attachment or magnet attachment, grab it. It’s perfect for the forms and permission slips your kids will be bringing home. Do not try and magnet all these things to your refrigerator. It will just end up lost and looks messy and overwhelming. So let’s get organized now, before we get unorganized!

Folders can be useful too if that’s what works for you. Have a binder for each child with their friends phone numbers, their sports schedule, homework or project schedule, pemission slips etc. You can go through it each night to review and get ready for the next day. Remember to keep your childrens papers separate from your papers and from the bills. Each member of your family should have their own space for these things. Don’t forget there are many websites that can be used to set up reminders. One cute site that’s free right now for the first 3 months is BigDates.com. You’ll get your own personal assistant Dottie, who will text message your phone with reminders of Dr. appts, anniversaries, birthdays and other important dates. Stay on top of things, write down appointments, and keep things organized and you will have a smooth school year. And your children will have a successful school year!

cleaning the grill

Dear Dawn,
How should I prepare for summer cooking on the grill? How do I clean the grill racks or get the grill ready? Any tips?
Yucky grill and clueless

Dear clueless,
Before or after each grilling session, you should burn off any residue on the cooking grates by turning the grill on high and running it until the smoke stops. Then brush the grates with a brass wire grill brush. To keep your grill looking new, always clean up grease drippings on warming racks, control panels and all exterior surfaces after cooking. Use mild, soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Stay away from any harsh cleaners as they can ruin the finish. Do not forget to change the drip pan occasionally. They sell replacement pans for grills in most hardware stores. Clean the bottom tray too. Remove the bottom tray from under the grill and place it over a trash can. Carefully scrape the inside with a one-inch putty knife, then was the tray in warm, soapy water. You can also use oven cleaner for the grill racks, but if you scrape them after each use, it should not be necessary. Happy Grilling!! What time should I be there for the bbq???

Email any questions you may have!! You never know, it might just get featured!

TEACHING CHILDREN MANNERS

This week , we are going to get our kids prepared to enter into the world with manners. Maybe they have just slacked off a bit , or maybe they are little and still learning. Whatever the case, manners are very important, as they reflect on us as parents. Manners will carry your child a long way. It shows respect, character, and a good upbringing. Its common courtesy. Thank you, please, your welcome, should be said by all in the household.

Telephone manners are also important. Nothing is worse than calling a friend and their child answers, “Yeah, who is this?” The proper etiquette is “May I tell her who’s calling?” not “who’s calling?” In addition, they shouldn’t be yelling “MA…PHONE”. Common courtesy should also be taught that when someone is on the phone, it is rude to interrupt. Give them a consequence for interrupting, and be sure to let them know you feel disrespected that they did not allow you time on the phone uninterrupted. Another suggestion for kids a bit older who like to interrupt. Do not stop your conversation, usher them out the door and lock it. Or usher them to their room and shut the door. Or go to the bathroom and lock the door and continue your conversation. If the kids are used to you stopping what you’re doing and listening to them, they will continue to pester you. If you basically ignore them…they will get it, trust me. It sounds harsh, but it is a lesson that they will learn and need to learn.

When you are done on the phone, then go get them and explain why you did what you did, and what you expect in the future.

Table manners are crucial. Your children should know to put the napkin in their lap, how to properly hold a fork and knife, not to talk with their mouths full, not to put their elbows on the table, the basics. Give it a shot this week; watch your kids while they are at the table. Would you be embarrassed to have them go to a friend’s house with their table manners?

Sending thank you cards is starting to become a lost manner. Teach your child the importance of recognizing someone when they do something for them or give them something.

Being helpful! Does your child help to pick up toys when they are at a friends home? Do they hold the door open for people? How about the simple greeting of "hello"? Does your child know the proper response when someone asks "how are you?", do they reply "I'm good, thank you, how are you?" Or do they look down at their feet and mumble something that resembles "good."?

Teach them, gently correct them, and gently remind them. Manners become habit, but there should still be feeling and actual sincerity behind the "thank yous" and "Please".

Be mindful of your manners this week and of your child’s. Remember we lead by example! Give gentle reminders to get them back into the swing of things. Remember that manners never go out of style.

IRONING HINTS AND TIPS

DEAR DAWN!

Dear Houswife Dawn,
I need help with ironing. Is there a right and wrong way? I’m sure there is, but I was never taught how to iron. Sometimes the clothes look worse than before I ironed them.
HELP!

Dear HELP,
There most definitely is a right and wrong way to iron. Let us just cover the basics for today.

• Cotton fabrics require a high heat setting. If the fabric is heavily wrinkled, iron it first on the back, then on the front.
• Rayon can be ironed on the wrong or the right side, but for best results, iron on the right side. Iron using low heat: high heat can burn the fabric.
• For heavily wrinkled clothes, dampen a towel, lay the wrinkled fabric on the towel, and iron. The steam from both sides of the fabric will remove the wrinkles faster. This technique works well on cotton shirts and denim.
• Remove clothes from the dryer and iron while they are still slightly damp to eliminate excess wrinkling. Iron delicate fabrics like polyester on the wrong side. Then if the iron should scorch or leave shiny spots on the fabric, it won’t show through to the front.
• Use pressing cloths for delicate fabrics or fabrics with ornamentation. Lightweight towels or muslin cloth are perfect to use as pressing cloths.
• Iron seams on the wrong side first, and when ironing a shirt, iron seams first to flatten them down nicely.
• When ironing hems, stop ironing just short of the hem to avoid creating a line over it
• Collars are difficult to iron. They should be ironed first on the wrong side, starting at the collar points. Work the iron in to the center point, leading with the point of the iron. Then flip over to the right side of the fabric and repeat the process. Don’t press down; instead, use the heat of the iron to glide over the fabric.
• Line up sleeves and press the inside of the sleeve cuff first, letting the heat of the iron do the work. Stop the iron short of seam edges to prevent unwanted creases.
• For large items such as tablecloths, don’t use the small end of the ironing board. Instead, lay the fabric (folded, if needed) across the big end of the board and press. Keep the fabric moving forward until it is ironed, then flip it over and press the other side.