Works for Me Wednesday-The Snark Edition

I know that I haven't participated in WFMW in a sweet forever. Sorry about that. However, maybe you'll understand after you read this.

Laziness: definitely working for me. Since I love a messy house and all.
Sleepiness: working because I love to fall asleep repeatedly, every afternoon, during homework sessions. See also: can't seem to drag my a@@ to bed before 11pm.
Lack of Personal Hygiene: works when you stay in your jammies all day, there is less laundry. And really? Why put on your good clothes when there is the possibility of cleaning a toilet?
No Mojo: works because writing for two sites besides my own was such a good idea, right? Who wants to update their own blog when you can work, for free, for other people? Win/win, I think.
Multiple Projects: certainly works when you have the attention span of a gnat and the decision making skills of a toddler. Bathroom doesn't have a light? No problem! It's more important to choose a trim color for the house. Can't choose a color for the trim? No problem! There is some tax paperwork that needs to be found. Can't find paperwork? ......

Uh, yeah. Welcome back to Works for Me Wednesday, Headless Mom. You've obviously been missed.

5 Things to do in 5 minutes

I am constantly finding my self with 5 or 10 minutes before I have to do something. 5 minutes until I have to pick up the kids from school. 5 minutes until bedtime (for the kids, not me!), or until a television show comes on, or until the oven goes off, or whatever. Here is my-

Top 5 Things to do when I have 5 Minutes to Spare:

1. Put that load of laundry in the dryer, or start one in the washer.
2. Dust and polish that vase that you've been eyeing on the mantle. Yes, the one with the fingerprints from Christmas!
3. Throw away 5 pieces of paper off of your desk that you don't need.
4. Pick up the family room, (blankets folded, pillows off of the floor, shoes and other miscellaneous stuff grabbed and moved out of the floor.)
5. Check email/facebook/twitter/reader one more time. (Hey! I'm a blogger! Do you really think I would leave that one out?)

Check out other Works for Me Wednesday tips over at We Are That Family. Hey! This is my first entry over there! Can't wait to check out other tips, and next week is the ever-popular "Mom, I'm Bored" summer extravaganza. Don't forget!

5 Tips for Homework

I have made no secret of my big, giant FAIL at homework time. These are the 5 things that help me to get through the afternoon. Well, when I remember to do them all!

1. Have a talk with the kids-about their day, what is coming up that evening, what they had for lunch, anything! to reconnect.
2. Remember to send them to the potty!
3. Snacks. Headless Boy#1's second grade teacher had a session called "Chew and Do" and it helps for them to be able to munch while they get to work. I keep goldfish crackers around for this.
4. Quiet voices. (Stop laughing!) If you know anything about me or my household IRL you're sure to find this one funny. I am loud. My kids can be pretty loud. I have found that if I keep my voice-volume and tone-lower than normal that they respond to me more calmly.
5. Let them choose the order of the papers that they do. The boys bring home a weeks' worth of homework at a time. HB#1 has to turn things in on certain days: I let him choose if he wants to do worksheet A first or read. HB#2 turns in the whole packet at once so I tell him that he has to do 2 (or 3, or 4) pages per day but he can choose any of the worksheets in the packet. If he does all of the math on the first day, great, but he still has to do the rest of the work at some point.

And actually I have a bonus tip:

Don't forget to breathe!

Do you have any other tips? I'll gladly take suggestions!

Oh, and don't forget to go back to Shannon's place for more Works For Me Wednesday tips!

5 To Lose 5

Over the last 2 years I have lost and kept off 15 pounds. I know that it is not a huge weight loss, and I could probably stand to lose another 5, maybe 10. That said, there are some things that have really made the difference for me.

5 to be exact.

My top 5 tips to lose 5 pounds (or keep them off!):

1. Stop drinking soda-even diet!- every day. I am a Coca~Cola freak. I love the stuff, especially out of the fountain with that little pellet ice. I don't drink it. Well, let me clarify: I now drink it only as an occasional treat. Really. Maybe one per month, in place of a dessert or other snack. I actually keep caffeine-free Coke around since I usually will indulge during a favorite tv show and the caffeine would keep me up.
2. Add veggies! We routinely have salads for dinner at least once or twice a week. There are tons of varieties out there-just go look for your favorite flavor. We actually love taco salads around here-yes, the kids do too! Start with lots of dark greens mixed with iceberg, brown ground turkey add taco seasoning, chop your favorite veggies, (we add red or orange bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, jicama, celery, shredded carrots, cilantro, the works! or whatever we have on hand,) and mix up this dressing: Lite Sour cream and salsa. About 50/50, to taste. Crumble tortilla chips on top, if you wish. Yummmmmm.
3. Cut down on your coffee habit. I know! I used to finish the pot (a 12 cupper) after Headless Dad would leave for work. I totally pollute my coffee-sugar and half and half. I looove my coffee. Stopping at 2 cups has saved me hundreds of calories a month. I still pollute it, but stop before I pollute my arteries and waist line, too.
4. Eat breakfast. I know, everyone says it, but it is true. Find something that you like. For me, it's low-fat granola with vanilla yogurt and fruit, preferably berries. I don't love to eat early so I usually will eat after my walk, or at least after the kids leave for school. I really feel like crap if I don't eat breakfast now, could that be why you don't feel so good? Other ideas could be an egg sandwich, protein shake, bowl of cheerios with a banana. Just do it!
5. No list like this would be complete without EXERCISE. Find something that you love and do it every day, or almost every day. For me it is walking. I live in an equestrian neighborhood, nestled next to National Forest land, so there are great trails all over. I love to walk and check out peoples' landscaping, house paint color, additions, and day dream about what to do to my own house. Of course we can't do it right now, but by the time I've added a bedroom and an office, painted the joint, put a deck on the back, and added a pool, I'm unlocking the door to my own house. The time flies even without an ipod. I also try to get in floor work-sit-ups and push-ups, but don't always. Other ideas could include bike riding, running, swimming-just move. Make it a part of your day. Start small if you have to. You'll be glad you did.

Well, those are my best tips. What are yours?

After you answer, you can head back to Shannon's for other WFMW tips!

Schedule (Or If I Don't Have One Soon I May Loose My Mind!)

In attempting to wrangle the headlessness, I'm trying to come up with a workable schedule for myself. Putting out fires is just not working. (Hello, worst strategy in the world.)

In the very near future I will have 2 boys in 4 sports total. (Disclaimer: I have never allowed this to happen before, and don't necessarily agree with it, but that is a post for another day, and I was the one that let it happen.) This is in addition to all of the other stuff that we do on a weekly basis. I'm thinking that if I don't plan ahead I will drown in the first week.

I need your help. Please comment with your schedule, your best hints for time management, your blog posts on the subject, links to ideas that might help. Do you use a spreadsheet? The list method? Do you schedule everything? Or just the Must-Do stuff? Do you schedule things by the minute? Hour? Morning/afternoon/evening? Week?

How often do you meal plan/grocery shop? And on what day? What do you prepare ahead?

How much time do you allow/give yourself for blogging (reading and writing)/other social media? Do you schedule it or do you fit it in between other things? How do you stay away from it when it's not 'on the schedule'? (This has become a major issue for me. I admit it. I own it.)

How much do you require out of your family/spouse/kids? Do they have daily/weekly/monthly responsibilities? Do you ask for help or do they just do their thing?

I know that this is a lot of questions but if I'm going to make this work for the long haul (or at least until June!) I need to gather all of the information that I can.

In the coming weeks, in addition to implementing them here at home, I'll be sharing the best ideas and giving credit where credit is due. I've already found a couple of links that I'll be sharing when I begin.

Let me have it!

So, can I count on your help?

PS- Don't forget to enter my giveaway-you can enter once a day between now and Friday!

PPS-Head back to Shannons for more WFMW posts!

WFMW- Preparing for Surgery

The last couple of times that my husband has gone in to the hospital we have had no time to prepare. This time is different. Let me take you back...

Seven years ago, right around Septeember 11th, Headless Dad had gone golfing with some friends. While looking for a ball, he slipped and fell, putting his arm down to break the fall. Bad idea. He severed his rotator cuff (tendon in his shoulder.) I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with Headless Boy 2 and had a toddler and a 10 year old at home. Really not the best scenario to be ushering your husband into surgery. After an unexpected overnight stay at the hospital (due to an emergency surgery that went ahead of him,) he was in a sling for a month (more?) and couldn't pick up our infant son when he was born. (Granted, he was a huge baby at 11 lb., but I've told that story before here.)

This time is different from my point of view. I am not caring for 2 small children. My parents have come into town to help with the kids. I know what to expect in caring for my husband-it is the exact same surgery except that he only has a tear this time, (different shoulder.) And I have had time to prepare. Headless Dad goes into surgery today and here are some of the things that I have tried to take care of before hand:

• I have told all of the teachers/bible study leaders/etc. that I volunteer with that I will not be helping for the remainder of the week.
• I planned ahead and chose to donate juice to a class party instead of volunteering time.
• I planned a menu and shopped on Sunday.
• I did laundry over the weekend.
• I've been ironing button-up shirts for HD so he will actually have clothes to wear. No putting his arm over his head for a while.
• I've been cleaning so that I don't have to worry about it for a few days. Mostly just the stuff that drives me crazy so I won't be psycho while trying to keep HD comfortable. He really won't care-he'll have too many good drugs to care about anything.
• I arranged with the neighbor that I share driving with for her to take the kids to and from school tomorrow. We'll play the rest of the week by ear.

While I'm sure there will be things that come up that I'm not expecting this will greatly reduce my stress for the next few days. Wish us luck!

Oh, and if you think of anything that I've forgotten let me know in the comments so everyone else here for Works for Me Wednesday can reap the benefits, too. Then go over to Shannon's and get more great ideas!

Works For Me Wednesday-Quick Clean

Headless Dad and I are notorious for sloshing our coffee out of our cups in the morning when we are barely awake. That means a lot of sticky spots on our tile floor. Uck! When I want need to to get those drips up, or just make it look like I've done something ;-) I pull out the microfiber mop. These things are the greatest. You can wash the pad-and who doesn't do a load of towels about 49 times a week? Anyway, all you have to do is keep a spray bottle of water handy, and VOILA! you have a reasonably clean floor. I also keep a bottle with water mixed with a little bit of bleach to get the yucky, germy bathroom floors (I have boys, remember?). Although this can't replace a regular mopping every time it is perfect for coffee spills, water spots, and quick "company's coming!" tidy-ups.


(image from the Clean Floor Store)

Microfiber mops really work for me. What works for you? Go on over to Shannon's place for more Works for Me Wednesday tips!

Works For Me Wednesday-School's IN!

On the first week back to school I've reflected on what works for me regarding being organized for school. I've learned that I need to do a few things to have a smooth first week, like:

• Menu plan and grocery shop for all dinners through at least Thursday. This makes afternoons go sooooo much easier. With all of the forms, new homework methods, etc. having to think about dinner is the last thing I want to do.
• Get up EARLY. I am now getting up at 6am to have my coffee then start breakfast, lunches, etc. before I get the kids up at 6:30.
• Try not to plan too much. (Yeah, right.) If I don't have other plans then I can focus on the kids, random cleaning up projects that haven't been done, and sometimes a nap. (Getting up early usually kills me-especially after the Olympics!) I have done this so far this year and I feel great-I have not put any outside stress on myself and it shows.
• Start the new routine THE FIRST DAY. Sounds easy, right? In the past I would say things like "Oh I'll start exercising later-I deserve a day off." WRONG. Get going on whatever routine you want to have so it will all feel like one big transition, rather than drawing it out. (On this note, I have been walking the kids to school and plan on keeping it up every day. I pick them up because of the heat at 2:30.)

This plan of attack really Works for Me-head on over to Shannon's place for more tips!

Another Quickie

Hey! Just a few thoughts that I need to dump:

• Today is my biggest hit day ever- over 125 and counting. Thanks, Shannon! Your WFMW really works for me!
• I did my pushups today after laying off since the 4th. I did a total of 91 but it was HARD! Remind me not to lay off for more than a day, mmmmmk? I may have to repeat this week- my form was terrible for most of them, but at least I got through.
• Steph from A Year of CrockPotting was on Rachel Ray today. I'm so bummed that I missed it! If you haven't checked her out yet, do. She's got tons of great recipes that you should be trying. (She's had over 30,000 hits-TODAY! WOW!)
• Carmen was featured in an article here. There is some pretty good explanations of 'mommyblogging' there, plus some of the answers as to why there are omissions of information in our writing.
• The fasting and praying is going well. I'm hearing from God, and in the future you will too, if you continue to read what I write!

Well, I think that's all for now. We're going to church tonight and I seriously need a shower!

5 Ingredient Dinner

1 package of Aidells Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs
3 bell peppers, cut in chunks (I use yellow and orange)
1 can chunk pineapple, drained
1 red onion
Your favorite teriyaki sauce
Bamboo skewers
Rice

Skewer meatballs, peppers, pineapple, and onion. Brush lightly with sauce. Grill on medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until desired temp./doneness.

Serve with rice and extra sauce.

Head on over to Shannon's Place for Works For Me Wednesday ideas!

Works for me Wednesday- Summer Dessert

This is the best summer dessert ever. Really. This is my go-to when I need to take dessert for a party, over to a friend's house, any time. It is very light and no fat!

You need:
One angel food cake, sliced
Berries (Here I used blueberries- you can use whatever berries look best at the store- mix them, or not.)
For the sauce: plain or vanilla yogurt, one regular size cup is enough for about 4 people.
Brown sugar- Add 2 tablespoons of or so, more if you want it to be sweeter. You can taste it as you go. It is better if it sits for an hour or so, just mix well.

Just layer all yummies on the plate and enjoy.

And don't feel guilty if you go back for seconds.

That is all. I now return you to your regular WFMW blog reading!

WFMW- Kids' Bathtime

Hey y'all! This is my first 'Works for me Wednesday" post. Thanks for having me in!

When my kids were little I was paranoid about bath time. One of us was always within reach of the boys-like all parents should be. However, as the boys got a little older and just being in the room would work, I got bored. Really! How many nights can you play bubbles? Once they were washed, I was done. But, of course, they were not. My boys LOVED to play in their bath. This is where the tips come in...

It really worked for me to:

• clean out the cabinets and drawers- refold towels, throw away old whatever that was shoved way behind everything else.
• pluck my eyebrows.
• sort laundry.
• give myself a mini-facial.
• scrub the toilet or shower.

What else can you come up with?

Head on over to Rocks in my Dryer and find solutions to your questions- or maybe some answers to questions you didn't even know you had!

*PLEASE REMEMBER! These tips worked when my kids were older, I never left the bathroom, and I was always able to see them and monitor their play and safety. Just sayin'.