#Fridayfly: 15 Minutes at a Time!

 

Hello Flybabies and friends! Did you miss me last week? It was my birthday so I took the weekend off! J  This post will be an example of today’s topic: The Power of 15 Minutes! My timer is running! Time management is a big problem for most of this and the timer is our best friend! Tomorrow I want you to set aside some blocks of time to work on any household items or projects that need to be finished. First thing jot down a list of things you want to get accomplished before dinner. As you go through your list set your timer for 15 minutes and tackle an item. You will be amazed at what you get done! Your assignment will be to write up a post listing the things you accomplished 15 minutes at a time. If you want to see my live progress I will using the hashtag #15minutes to track my day. When your post is ready come back and link up!

In 15 Minutes You Can:

• Fold a load of laundry
• Flip the laundry
• Read a chapter in your book
• Dust the furniture
• Clean out a junk drawer
• Organize part of your closet
• Make a grocery list
• Organize the pantry
• Carve a pumpkin
• Start dough for a loaf of bread
• Write a blog post

Catch ya on the flip side!

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#FridayFly: Paper Clutter

 

Paper Clutter. It’s like a dirty word. Er, words. How to we end up with so many papers? Mail, bills, notes, school papers, warranties, the list goes on and on and on! So, how do you conquer your paper clutter?

Here’s my system:

1. I have a dumping bin. I am not at the level to immediately file things as they come in the door. I’d be lying if I said I was! SO, I have this large, clear Tupperware bin (NO lid) that fits perfectly in this little cubbie hole in my desk. I make it a point to check this bin often, through the day and week. I completely sort it out on Saturdays.

2. The Important Stuff (aka Office in a Bag): I keep papers like bills due, insurance information, and paperwork for appointments in an accordian style organizer. This organizer can be grabbed and stuck right into one of my big bags and I’m ready for anything!

3. The Files: I have a hanging file system for the long term stuff; tax papers, medical records and such. I purge these files monthly or so.

4. School Papers: Field trip forms and what not stay in the bin  to be signed and returned. Art and stellar work goes into a LARGE (like 5 feet long) Tupperware bin that I have been using since my oldest started preschool. Every now and then one of these are even bumped to “scrap book” status and get placed accordingly. Report Cards, Certificates, IEPs, and test scores go into the school notebooks.  Each one of my kids has a 3-ring binder, divided by school year. All important school docs go into page protectors and are placed in the notebook.

5. Go digital: To cut down on the paper that comes into the house I bank online (no paper statements for me), email teachers instead of hand written notes, track medications on a spead sheet, etc.

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Meal Plan #FridayFly

Oh, I am so bad! Between the stress of basically a life style change and (to be honest) the complete joy of being home with my daughter,  I have yet to post my meal plan for this week! So, here you go!

 

I like to print the week's meal plan on my big dry earase board!

Sunday: Kalbasa, Red Beans and Rice, and Corn Bread Muffins

Monday: Steaks (grilled on my George Foreman), Baked Potatoes, Bake Beans, Crossaints

Tuesday: Spaghetti, Salad, Fresh Bread

Wednesday: Crock Pot Chili, (left over) Salad, Corn Bread

Thursday: Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Candied Yams, White Rice, CocoNutty Bread (home made)

Friday: Friend Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, White Corn, Biscuits

Saturday: Apple Spice Pork Chops, Yellow Rice, Pink Beans, Puerto Rican Bread

I do like to plan meals weekly to allow for current favorites and seasonal stuff. However, I keep on file a set of 5 menus that are all spelled out and include complete shopping lists.

Related Articles

• Meal Plan Monday: GF Dinners (momblognetwork.com)
• Menu Plan Monday – 4/5 (livingrichwithcoupons.com)
• Menu Plan 9/14 (frugalupstate.com)

#FridayFly Number 2

“What’s for dinner?” used to be a dreaded question for me. And it’s sad really because I love to cook and I’m actually quite good at it! But with a solid plan I lose enthusiasm and end up serving guilt for dinner.

“Fail to plan and plan to fail.”

So here is the challenge:

1. Sit down and write out your meal plan for one week. Be realistic, you don’t have to impress anyone.( I only meal plan dinners during the week and add breakfast and lunch on the weekends. I may need to rethink this appraoch now that LeBella will be home schooled).

2. After your plan is done write out a shopping list to go with it. Write down everything, even if you have it in the pantry. (I reuse my lists)

3. Come back here and add your linky.

4. Visit some FlyFriends and see “What’s for dinner”. Feel free to borrow and share ideas!

5. Grab the Sunday paper and clip coupons before hitting the store(s)!

Now let’s get linky with it!

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Related Articles

• Menu Plan Monday – 4/5 (livingrichwithcoupons.com)
• 5 Simple Ways to Menu Plan (thehappyhousewife.com)
• 5 Simple Ways to Get Dinner on the Table (thehappyhousewife.com)

#FridayFly: Evening Routine

I am so excited at the response I have received for my Flying on Friday or #FridayFly meme! Flybabies are so awesome! As I learn more I hope to clean up this meme and make even more fun and easy to use! Hopefully it will become an invaluable tool! With that said here is my post for this week’s #FridayFly:

There was time when I thought routines were stupid. Who needs a “plan” to get through their day? Uh, yeah, that would be me. I always attributed my “forgetfulness” to the fact that I was a bit flaky. I was always losing important things (driver’s license…$350…), forgetting important dates (why is it so dark? Oh, right, electric bill) and running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I bragged that I was the Queen of Winging it and I was. But lordy, lordy I was so stressed! Since I’ve been a Flybaby (going on 5 years) some things have become automatic (I always put my license and bank card back in my wallet!), I usually clean out my car and purse on Fridays, etc, etc. But lately I have been slippin’ and I’m paying for it! So here are two scenarios involving my afternoon/evening routines. We’ll call them My Reality and My Dream. (And it is my goal to make my dream my reality!)

My Reality:

Even though I get out of work at 1:30, I’m not officially “home” until nearly 5:30!

This is because of driving distances, picking up children from multiple schools and going to the grocery store every. Single. Day.  (Until yesterday and for over a month I did not have a fridge hence the daily trips).

When I walk in the door I have to organize what I bought (always more than I intended)

Start dinner

Help kids with homework

Straighten up the house

Check my email (which leads to checking one more thing one more thing one more thing)

Referee 756483 sibling fights, prevent and or console 756437 meltdows

Serve dinner, serve drinks, serve seconds…

Clean the kitchen

Sweep the house

Start a load of laundry

Chase, beg, bribe 3 separate children to take a shower

Flip laundry

Chase everyone to bed

Have wishful thinking of reading, writing, getting organized

Crash into bed and watch Hoarders which makes me feel a little better J

**Since I have done thing to prepare for the morning I wake up (slowly), scramble in the dark looking for clothes, rush sleeping children awake, stress looking for matching outfits, shoes, back packs, homework…Rush out of the house with nothing to eat or drink (me, the kids eat breakfast at school).

My Dream:

Out of work @ 1:30, drive straight to the LeArtist and LeBella’s school and read my current trashy novel in parking lot or make some blog notes until dismissal @ 2:25

Bring the Little’s home give them snack, have them start homework while I start dinner, clean dishes as I dirty them, leave dinner covered

Leave the house @ 4:00 to pick up LeScholar and go straight home because all grocery shopping was done over the weekend!

Have LeScholar work on homework while the other’s read or share TV while I do a 10 minute tidy, start a load of laundry, check homework and sign planners

5:30 serve dinner

While I clean the kitchen have the kids pick out clothes for tomorrow and put backpacks and shoes in Launch Pad. Also, while I am in the kitchen I need to prep tomorrows afterschool snack and get everything I need ready for the morning (quick breakfast, instant cappachino.)

Send kids outside for a little while, while I Check planner for appointments
*Start a task list for tomorrow
*Gather up items I don’t want to forget and place them in the Launch Pad
*Makes sure kid’s backpacks are ready and clothes are laid out
*Prep coffee pot and breakfast (if needed)
*Check menu for tomorrow/defrost/prep

Bring the kids in and start showers while I?? Answer email, write posts?

Then put the kids to bed and:

Take a shower, pamper myself a bit, and enjoy some movie time with LeDaddy or read if he’s watching something boring. J

Well this looked much neater in my head. I’ll be reading through everyone else’s to get some ideas! My main goal is to have some down time at the end of the day with out feeling guilty that I didn’t finish the house work, answer every email, write 18 beautiful posts, visit and comment in 378 different online/blogger communities…This means I need to cut some things and tighten up my schedule…Here goes!