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Posts Tagged ‘simple solutions’

  1. Sick Day

    October 29, 2014 by admin

    The TR Family makes efforts to limit screen time and maximize activity, especially outdoor activity.  There is hardly a day when we aren’t out for a walk or a bike ride, or reading books rather than sitting in front of one more TV show.boy_33_sm

    But when a TR family member is down for the count with an illness, we are much more flexible with the house rules.

    When a kiddo (or adult) is sick that may mean we enjoy a movie at home.  We usually curtail or eliminate our walks around the neighborhood with the dog or biking off to the local grocery for a fun treat.  Instead we focus on restful activities and certain sick day indulgences, like extra popsicles to soothe a sore throat.

    It’s okay to make exceptions to your family routine for unique times like holidays and illnesses.  We don’t normally spend long periods watching television, but sometimes that sort of ‘spoiling’ is just what the doctor ordered.   We’re not afraid to let the rules shift for a day or so, as long as we know we can get back on track when the atypical event passes.

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  2. Storage Solutions

    October 26, 2014 by admin

    Today we decorated our house and yard for Halloween.  What fun!  Mini tombstones, leaf bags colored like pumpkins, ghosts and pumpkin candles- we had a great time with it.  Decorating for the holidays is one of the highlights for this enthusiastic family.

    IMG_2170We make events easier by having a storage tote or two dedicated to each holiday.  The cry goes out: let’s bring up the decorations! And thanks to our simple system, in a just a few minutes every one is finding decorations to set up all about the house and yard.  No agonizing over crushed or broken cardboard boxes and damaged holiday treasures.  No worries that some decorations will be lost in the basement/attic/closet.  Everything is in one easy to find space.

    We use large 18 gallon bins for our storage system.  We looked for bins that were:

    1.  Sturdy:  We want our system to last for years, so we sought out heavy duty totes that wouldn’t need to be constantly replaced.

    2.  Stackable:  In a world of limited space, we wanted our system to be able to go vertical.  Originally, our items were stored in a hall closet, so full use of vertical space is essential.

    3. Big, but not too big:  We needed our totes to be large enough to hold a fair amount, but small enough to be easily carried up and down the stairs.

    We have a separate tote (or totes) for each holiday.  Keeping each event in a separate space lets you keep better track of what you have on hand and maintains order of your decorations.

    So as you swing into the holiday season, use this as a chance to reorganize your decorations.  You’ll love it next year when everything is safe and easy to find.

     

    Category Rambler Ramblings | Tags: , | Comments Off on Storage Solutions

  3. Talking To Strangers: We Encourage It

    October 8, 2014 by admin

     

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    Perhaps against majority’s opinion or advice, we love talking to strangers. On our TR journeys large and small, some of our best take away moments are the conversations with the few people we have met along the way.  We do talk to strangers regularly and we encourage our kids to do it, too!

    We recently stopped for a quick lunch at a favorite local chain. As we were leaving, TRMom was suggesting to the kids that they make a stop in the bathroom. An elderly gentleman was sitting nearby and he interjected, “That’s some good advice!”

    Rather than ignoring this unfamiliar man or giving a dismissive smile, we struck up conversation with him. We shook hands, introduced our family, and chatted for a few minutes. As we were leaving, he declared, “You should have my card.”

    Priceless!

    Tip: There is a huge difference between talking to strangers and heeding the whims or demands of strangers. We would encourage you to teach your kids how to IMG_8104recognize this subtlety and judge for your own family what works best.

    Allowing ourselves to engage with others only enhances our experiences and our connections to the world. We are all so isolated already thanks to Facebook, Snapchat, Texting, etc. These apps only give the illusion of connection. We don’t want our children to miss out on in-person, every day interaction with another human being.

    Humans are social animals.  We talk to each other and hopefully, we make connections.  If you only speak to people in your immediate circle, you severely limit your life experience.  So we chat people up when in stores or walking down the street- everywhere.  We encourage our young ones to introduce themselves and to share their thoughts with others.

    We meet so many interesting folks this way: the Korean War vet, the self-taught artist, the long time resident of town.  We’ve heard many stories from many people.  We encourage you to give it a try.  Talk to people and listen to what they have to say.  Who knows who you’ll meet next?

    They might just make your day.  Or you just might make theirs.

    Category Parenting | Tags: ,,,,, | Comments Off on Talking To Strangers: We Encourage It

  4. Costumes

    October 5, 2014 by admin

    IMG_0996This TR Family adores Halloween. Our kids love dressing up and trick or treating. We all enjoy decorating the house and feeling spooooooky for a bit.

    We view Halloween as a chance to put our creative juices to good use. We ask the kiddoes for their costume ideas and brainstorm on methods to create their vision.  Over the years our kids have been giraffes, zombies, tigers, astronauts, housecats, witches, devils, vampires and more. It’s always great fun to bring their ideas to life.

    The process of choosing and making a costume helps make Halloween into a season, rather than a single night’s adventure.IMG_7219

    Most of our costumes are fairly simple (we are effective, but not extremely accomplished tailors). We start at the base: what articles of clothing do we need to make this work?

    A well chosen second-hand sweatshirt or pair of pants can become a great beginning to a costume. A yellow shirt fabric-painted with tiger stripes and the addition of an attached tail, and you are halfway to being a tiger. A different pattern and you could be a giraffe.

    Tip: We live where it is usually quite cold on Halloween, so we buy the base a few sizes too big to make sure we can fit some warm layers underneath.

    Once you have the basic framework, try to find a few small bits that clearly identify the character.  It’s little details, like the right tail for a giraffe, that are easy to construct and make all the difference for a successful costume. We use an inexpensive hair band as the mount for ears, antennae, or horns that we sew on ourselves. We just get small pieces of cloth in the right color from a craft store- easy cheesy!

    Tip#2: For little kids especially, but true as well for older ones, there’s not much need to worry about the design from the waist down. We just go with a pair of pants that match the general color scheme.

    Likewise, a small amount of make-up can be applied at home without needing a degree in special effects. Whiskers, vampire blood and zombie paleness are simply achieved.   A creative older kiddo might enjoy trying to make a scar or bleeding wound by sing some of the theater make up sold at a pharmacy or specialty store.

    IMG_2175So skip the store-bought costumes and put your creativity into gear for the month of October.  You’ll emerge with a fun costume that you and your kiddo made together, along with memories to last a lifetime.

    Category Get Crafty! | Tags: ,,,,, | Comments Off on Costumes

  5. No Food Zone

    July 30, 2014 by admin

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    We came up with one step towards bringing a higher level of order to our house:

    No food in the bedrooms.  Ever.

    We’d been experiencing increasing problems having the kiddoes keep their bedrooms clean.  Our efforts at cajoling, convincing and threatening had come to naught.  We didn’t know what to do.  We found we had to step back and look at some of the causes of the clutter and the main reasons it bothered us.

    This resulted in a major rule change.  Eating snacks and such in bedrooms was no longer permitted.

    We got some resistance at first, but it quickly diminished.

    It’s early on in the new program, so we don’t have long-term results.  But the early returns are good.   Not only are we seeing no dishes and food waste in the bedrooms, but the absence of the foodstuffs seems to have helped foster a higher level of neatness and order in the bedrooms.

    We hope this is permanent.

    What else might be a good move for keeping a bit of order in your messiest rooms?  Let us know if you have further ideas for us to try.

    Category Parenting | Tags: ,,, | Comments Off on No Food Zone

  6. Pack The Car

    May 25, 2014 by admin

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    Rather than worrying on every outing if we have all of our ‘go to’ items and emergency bits in the car, we like to save time and energy by packing the car in advance- keeping the many little necessities tucked in the car to be at the ready when called upon.

    This makes spontaneous trips so much more do-able, since we can literally grab our coats and wallets and head out the door.

    What sorts of things do we keep in the car?

    • Cleaning Supplies: Wipes, napkins, trash bags.
    • Travel Supplies: Maps, pens and paper, a mini tool kit, flashlight.
    • Stuff for Kids: Toys, games, books, flash cards, crayons, paper, our family trip log.
    • Stuff for the Pup: Treats, water dish, half gallon of H2O, emergency dog leash.
    • Other Extras: Spare gloves and mittens, ibuprofen, small first aid kit, small packable blanket.

     

    Of course, you should modify this list to include the items that are essentials for you.

    By keeping the car pretty well stocked, we don’t have to grab all these things every time we head out on an adventure. We just gather a few snacks and some fresh water, along with books and toys of current interest- and we are ready to go!

    Category Jaunts | Tags: ,, | 3 Comments

  7. Who Wants Nachos?!?!

    May 16, 2014 by admin

    IMG_1822You can make awesome plates of nachos in your home, in about half an hour. It’s totally worth it!  We love this dish as a delicious evening snack.

    We always worry that we’ve made too big a pile of nachos, but there are never any leftovers…

    First, figure out what you want on your nachos, because you’ll want to gather all your ingredients together before you start cooking.

    Some ideas:

    Cheese (Cheddar is awesome, but you might like Monterrey Jack or a pepper jack- really almost any cheese you like will work.  Some vegan cheeses work really well too!), olives (black, green, or kalamata), diced onions, scallions, diced tomatoes, salsa, refritos or black beans, sliced jalapenos… the list can go on and on.  Anything you like can go on your nachos!

    Prep all your ingredients: chop you onions, grate your cheese, slice your olives- get everything ready.

    Take about half the chips you will be using and lay them out on a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Top with half of each of your other ingredients, saving the cheese for last. Bake this layer for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees to melt up the cheese.

    Add the rest of your chips and the rest of your toppings, saving the cheese for last.  Bake for another 8 minutes or so – more if you like your cheese crispy.

    Slide your big heap of nachos onto a plate, break out the sour cream and/or guacamole and dig in!

     

    Category Recipes | Tags: ,, | Comments Off on Who Wants Nachos?!?!

  8. Spring Has Sprung!

    April 20, 2014 by admin

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    Oh!  We are so very, very grateful for sunshine.  Springtime is such a celebration of being able to once again play outside with little effort.  Throw on your shoes and out the door you go!

    IMG_5582This TR Family loves to find ways to bring typical inside activity to the outside.  Recently, we enjoyed sidewalk painting.  This particular medium is created by IMG_5570mixing up ridiculously simple and cheap household ingredients- corn starch (1/4 cup), food coloring (your choice), and cold water (1/4 cup).  We like to dump the paint into an old muffin tin to organize the colors and to ease transportation to the backyard.

    Then let your kids paint anything they desire.  And you can allow them to create their masterpieces on just about any surface.  The paint colors will deepen as they dry.  And clean up is provided by mother nature.  One good rain and the paint washes away.

    Category Get Outside! | Tags: ,,,, | Comments Off on Spring Has Sprung!

  9. The Rule of Threes

    April 18, 2014 by admin

    Our house gets a little disorganized. Sometimes we go hard all day and the place gets trashed. Or it’s just little things that pile up over time.   And finally, the place needs to be neatened up.

    Cleaning and organizing is easy enough to do when the kids are well occupied.  Frequently they are- Bluey’s busy inventing something, or making a superhero outfit. Plum’s reading or drawing. Or they are playing together happily, and we TRParents are able to swing into action and take care of a few home tasks.

    IMG_5530Occasionally we can even ask that the kiddoes play together for a minute, while we run a vacuum or sweep a room. It’s great when that happens.

    But more often than not, our kids want our attention more than they want us to clean. Or what they need is to snuddle on the couch with us and read. Or sit on the floor and build a Lego something-or-other together.

    How are you supposed to get your place really clean?

    In this situation we try to follow our “Rule of Three.”  Each time we get up to do something quick- get a fresh cup of coffee, take a potty break, fetch a snack- we take a few seconds to put 3 things away. We take some dishes to the kitchen. Or bring a handful of laundry to the hamper. Or we quickly shift some junk mail to the recyclable bin.

    These are little things, each one isn’t much of an accomplishment.  But over the course of the day they make a huge difference in the clutter levels in our home. All done without any little one noticing that we’ve been cleaning. The kiddoes think we’ve been with them the whole time.

    And really, we have been.

    It doesn’t make up for the deep clean that every house needs at some point.  Hopefully on that blissful day when the kiddoes are playing happily for hours. But the “Rule of Three” helps us feel like we are on top of the mess, three things at a time.

    Category Rambler Ramblings | Tags: ,,,, | Comments Off on The Rule of Threes

  10. Swing Out Sister

    April 13, 2014 by admin

    The greatest joy can come from the simplest things.

    Our backyard has no play equipment.  And the kids really wanted something traditional to play on for those days that a walk to the park just didn’t work IMG_4987out.  A quick survey of our outdoor space revealed that we had two spots that would support swings.  Avery liked a shady spot under a tree limb.  And Jack preferred a spot hanging from a metal structure.

    So we did some quick research on very strong rope.  And TRDad found some long pieces of wood.  After purchasing our Polypropylene rope, we constructed and hung our swings.  Voila!  For about $5, our kids had their very own swings and they have thoroughly enjoyed years of play thus far, no matter sunshine or snow.

    Category Get Outside! | Tags: ,,, | Comments Off on Swing Out Sister

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