H.I.T List--Tackling that Clutter

I hate having cluttered closets, drawers or cabinets. I make my kids clean out their dresser drawers about every month and I go through them monthly and sometimes more than that myself. It just drives me nuts when things are shoved in all those nooks and crannies (it's amazing what they can actually fit inside those tiny drawers...they should be packing experts), especially to where you can't close the drawers!

Another place where clutter can bug the heck outta me is the bathroom! My hubby and I haven't always had a huge bathroom and the one we have is the biggest we've ever had and probably ever want (I hate cleaning bathrooms)! So we are limited on cabinet space and my stuff tends to take over! :) So awhile back I decided to get a nice big tackle/craft box and put all my make-up and everyday use things in there. It's great because when we go on trips I just throw my meds in there and its all done and I just have to throw it back under the sink when we come back from our trip! I loved it so much that I bought one for my girl's hair stuff! It saves drawer space and they can grab it quickly to have me do their hair before school and the clips are with the clips, barrettes with barrettes and so on! So go tackle that bathroom with a tackle box and I am sure there are several other things you can do with a tackle/craft box so let me know what you have done! I am always open to more organization ideas! Now I just have to organize my time and chore days better! :)

H.I.T List--Mama's Sanity

Kids = $6000.00 (lucky we have Insurance)

Gently Loved Trampoline = $50

Happy kids and sane time for mom = PRICELESS!


The kids have been begging to jump on this everyday after school and it gives me time to do my afternoon chores without anyone under foot! Even the dog loves to be out there with the kids (just not on the trampoline).

H.I.T List--Bribery

I wish there was some magical way to get your kids to do what you want them to, kind of like Ella Enchanted (they just have to obey no matter what). Obviously that is not the case and the one thing that I found that works and I am not afraid to use is Bribery!

They have to make their beds, put all their school stuff away when they come home, finish homework, practice piano, feed the animals and do the dinner dishes every day for one entire week in order to earn one of these chocolaty yummilicious goodies (all that for 1 candy bar? shhh, don't let them know that they could get paid minimum wage for all that). Really and truly these don't sound too great to me right now, but when I am not pregnant I LOVE chocolate. Poor Bria lost hers the first week, for telling a fib, but quickly recovered the next week. So, I am going to continue doing this for a little while longer until I have to find something else to dangle before the horse's mouth! So, yes I would highly recommend finding your child's Achilles Heel and exploiting it!

H.I.T List-- Good Reads

Growing up I didn't read a whole lot because I was a major outdoorsy person and got bored too easily with reading. I was always outside exploring and climbing trees, playing soccer and baseball with the neighborhood boys, or writing. Not that I didn't read at all. I read Jurassic Park, Misery, Cujo, The Color Purple, and many more that I am just not remembering at the moment. It just wasn't my forte.

I decided that when I had my kids I would read more to them and encourage that side to them because it was never my first instinct to read a good book. I think if a parent reads to his/her children that usually guarantees a kid that will read on his/her own. So, I have been scouting for new books that the kids and I can read either together or I read first then allow them to read it(my son started reading Ender's Game and quickly put it down because of the swear words--Yay for him! So now I read first).

I found these books that I love! Chad has started them and really likes them too. We have to threaten him to put the book down when it is time for chores or dinner because he is so into them! So pick one up and read and let me know what you think! The author is really good at only putting things in that need to be in the story and evenly developing characters, plot and setting. I really enjoyed his writing style! Though I have to admit that I love the 2nd book the best so far! Can't wait to crack open the 3rd book!

H.I.T List--Communication is Key to a Relationship

I haven't done one of these posts in a very long time and decided that I would start it up again! This is my Home Improvement Thursday Post..H.I.T List~things that are a hit in my family.

My son Heath, has had lots more physical problems than my other kids. He ended up in the hospital and being diagnosed with asthma and had so many ear infections, even after tubes that he had problems communicating with us. He could understand everything that we were saying(just not the right pronunciation), but could not say things to us without it sounding Swahili (Bria was our interpreter)! He eventually had to get speech therapy which he finished this last spring! YAY! But in the meantime we had to communicate and I was tired of both of us getting frustrated because he knew exactly what he was saying and got mad that I wasn't quick enough to catch on to his language!

So, what was our saving grace? Teaching him sign language starting when he was 10 months old! We had no clue he'd have speech problems at that time, so we are glad we did! One of the best things we purchased was a video set called Baby Signs. Of course you could probably just learn the signs yourself and teach, but these add visuals (you may get bored, but they'll be entertained)! They will learn milk, more, eat, cereal, bath, different animals, share and the list goes on. Heath even started signing sentences on his own! Let me tell you it saved many hair strands from being pulled out in frustration! :)

Another thing we ended up getting was Baby Babble and it helped Heath learn to pronounce sounds more. It is probably geared more towards a 2 year old(the other kids and I got some good laughs out of some of the sounds the lady would make) where as the other videos you can start at about 9-10 months! He still loves to watch these movies and the other kids like learning from them too.

Today's H.I.T List---KIDS EAT FREE!!!

I absolutely LOVE going out to eat with my entire family and found some great Restaurants that have KIDS EAT FREE nights and I have to say that makes my wallet very HAPPY! FYI--This is only for the huntsville area!

Mondays
Atlanta Bread Co. --1 kid eats free with purchase of adult meal

Green Hills Grille--1 kid eats fee with purchase of adult meal

Mama Fu's Asian House--2 kids eat free with purchase of adult meal

Tuesdays
Backyard Burgers--1 kid eats free with purchase of adult meal

Denny's--2 kids eat free with purchase of adult meal

Chik-Fil-A--Free kids 4 pk. (60 cents for 6 pk.) with purchase of adult combo

Lone Star Steakhouse--1 kid eats free with purchase of adult meal

Moe's Southwest Grill--kids eat free with purchase of adult meal

Swamp John's--1 kid eats free with purchase of adult meal

Wednesdays
Applebee's--2 kids eat for.99cents each w/purchase of adult entree. Kids 12 & under, includes beverage and sundae

Roosters--1 kid eats free with purchase of adult meal

Thursdays
Backyard Burgers--1 kid eats free with purchase of adult meal

Fridays
Jersey Mike's Subs--free kids mini with purchase of regular Sub and drink

Saturday
Bellacino's Pizza & Grinders--free kids meal with $6 adult purchase and kids drink

Denny's--2 kids eat free with purchase of adult meal

Lone Star Steakhouse kid eats free with purchase of adult meal

Salsaritas Fresh Cantina--1 kid eats free with purchase of adult meal

Tellini's--kids eat for $1 with purchase of adult meal

I have to say that I am excited about Lonestar Steakhouse...of course I LOVE the "Texan" atmosphere, but they do have some GREAT food! There's a couple of restaurants that I had never heard of, but we just might get adventurous and try it out! :)

Sharon's H.I.T List

For all who may want to know...you should never...EVER wet mop your wood. Water and wood don't mesh well! :) Most wood floors are not made with a wax finish anymore and most cleaners sold at stores will leave waxy residue behind after you have cleaned because they are for waxed surfaces.

There is a product that is AWESOME to use called Bona and you use it with a micro fiber cloth which is great at picking things up that the broom may not have gotten! You can also buy this at Haley's Flooring and Interiors off of Bob Wallace Ave. So this is my tip to y'all this week! Hope it helps someone out!

You can also use ZEP which is sold at Home Depot, but should still use micro fiber cloths. Not sure what the price is so you may want to shop around for that :)

Sharon's H.I.T List

Okay, I haven't had a lot of time to really think about what I should put down on my HIT list and I am posting this a night early because I will be really busy tomorrow so here goes...

There is one thing that I think all women need in their lives to help them through their woes and/or daily CRAZY schedules! :) CHOCOLATE!!! Here is what you have to do before you start the recipe...pick a day or rather a night time where your hubby can take the kiddos then invite some close buddy's over. Prepare the recipe the morning of and put in freezer when done. Then that night PIG OUT and don't forget to talk, talk, talk! :)

So here is one of my fave recipes that even has some good ol' ice cream, but not just ANY ice cream...ice cream sandwiches!!! :) So, this week I will join the ranks of many others and give you a recipe. :)

Now I usually take a recipe like this and add variations so I won't be exactly accurate on the amounts and it'll be up to you to put in what you'd like :)

Layered Ice cream Cake

Ingredients
2 boxes ice cream sandwiches
cool whip, thawed
chocolate syrup/hot fudge
caramel syrup
chocolate shavings for top, optional

Layer bottom of 9 by 13 pan with ice cream sandwiches (you'll probably use 7-8). Then spread half of cool whip over layer, spread hot fudge/chocolate syrup over that layer--as much as you looove--this is the best part!. Repeat the layers and then add your caramel to the top with chocolate shavings. Put in freezer when done!
Warning: This is VERY rich, but GREAT!!!

Home Improvement Thursdays

Awww! I just have to say that my dear hubby has brought me home some powdered doughnuts! The running joke amongst my close friends from High school is that if I am mad at ya just go buy some powdered doughnuts and chocolate milk and I will quickly forgive--don't worry he hasn't done anything wrong...yet! :)
Okay now for the real point of my blog today. Every Thursday from now on will be my Home Improvement Thursday where I will post all types of tips and ideas of how to manage and run the home as well as other ideas and tips that I have used or plan to implement in the home :)!

I was thinking about what could be my first pet project and then yesterday I walked past my fridge (okay you caught me! I was getting a beloved treat! :)) and saw this! My kids chore charts! This has GOT to be the best thing that I have done for them(aaaannndd for me--no more playing drill Sargent to get them to do anything--ok, well most of the time :))! Even Bria (who has been known to lie on the floor screaming and flailing every limb she has in protest to the very mention of chores) enjoys doing them now (weeellll--she hasn't completely earned her little halo back yet-LOL, it DEFINITELY depends on the chore)--she doesn't mind feeding the cats and cleaning glass, but we do have to push her for the bed making and cleaning the room:)! Sooo here is how it works. I found a house pic that I liked, blew it up (not literally--for my hubby who loves to pun around and joke when I leave myself WIDE open :)) on the computer and printed it on an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper in black and white and then I found a bunch of images on microsoft word that I loved and represented a chore and made sure they were colorful so they would pop on the house pic . I grouped them together and typed over them with the chore name and how many points they are. Then lamenated, cut them to size and glued them to magnets. Each kid has there everyday chores and weekly chores and extra chores. Before we start we have them state what they are working towards---Chad is a computer game (go figure :))! They have to get 500 points before they get it (it's been 2 1/2 months since we started and they already are more than half way there). They can then choose if they still want what they originally wanted or if they'd prefer get some of the money, pay their tithing and 10% in their savings too. This is completely separate from their allowance (which is not tied in anyway to house work--they get it mostly to help them learn the value of a buck). Hopefully someone else will find it as helpful as I have for my kiddos :)! Enjoy!