Little Helpers
Make it a Good Morning
A manageable routine starts the day off right
Do you struggle to get yourself and your family out the door every
morning? Wouldn’t it be nice if your mornings could be more relaxed and
more organized? If you establish a routine, and set up expectations
with family members about following that routine, morning needn’t be
the chaotic, rushed affair you may be used to.
- Time it out. Take a careful
assessment of everything that needs to happen in the morning, from
feeding the pet to dressing the kids to walking out the door. Then
determine a realistic amount of time each of those tasks takes to
accomplish. Add those times together to see how much time you really
need to get everything done.
- Make a list. If you have kids,
make a list of everything they need to remember before leaving for
school. This might include getting dressed, combing hair, eating
breakfast, taking dishes to the sink or dishwasher, brushing teeth,
putting on shoes, etc.
- Let kids be responsible. If you
can teach your kids to be responsible for checking off all the items on
the morning list, you save yourself the agony of nagging and
reminding. You also instill in them valuable lessons in responsibility,
commitment, follow-through, organization, and self-reliance. Try to
avoid hurrying them along or simply taking over in an effort to get
things done “right.” That just defeats the whole idea.
- Offer incentives and rewards. Be
encouraging, and be generous with praise when your kids successfully
accomplish their morning tasks. Motivate them by letting them know that
when they get ready ahead of schedule, they can have some time to do
something they enjoy—reading, playing with the dog, working on that
jigsaw puzzle, etc.
- Start getting ready the night
before. This really is a fantastic time-saver! Make sure
completed homework, permission slips, lunch money, etc., is put into
backpacks before bedtime. Put backpacks right by the door, ready to be
grabbed on the way out. If you pack a lunch, prepare those the night
before, too. Have kids choose their outfit for the next day, and lay
out the clothes. When possible, take care of baths or showers at night,
too.
- Check the weather report. Try to
anticipate tomorrow’s weather. Rain in the forecast? Find the raincoats
and umbrellas and have them ready. Six inches of snow coming overnight?
Make sure you’ve got the boots, hats, and mittens handy—and you might
also set the alarm earlier in case you need to shovel the
walk!
It may take some time and adjustment to adapt to a new routine.
Ultimately, though, you and your family will most likely find that
routine is comforting and stabilizing. When your mornings run like a
well-oiled machine, you help set the tone for a more relaxed, focused,
and productive day ahead!
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Quick Kitchen Tips and Tricks
Little Helpers You’ll Love
It’s the little things that count! And these “little things” will go a long way in helping you navigate through your kitchen chores.
- For a recipe calling for cracker crumbs, place crackers in a resealable plastic bag and crush them up in the bag. Easy cleanup…instant storage for any leftover crumbs!
- Easily remove the last stubborn bits of melted candle wax from the bottom of a votive by placing in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This shrinks the melted wax so it pops right out!
- Always keep club soda handy—pouring some onto spills such as red wine or tomato sauce really helps keep the stain from setting.
- Got a bunch of kids relegated to the “kids’ table” at a gathering? A “tablecloth” of paper, plus plenty of crayons, will keep them busy and entertained!
- How old is your baking powder? Put a teaspoon into a third of a cup of water. If there’s no fizz, your baking powder is old and won’t do what it’s supposed to do.
- Extra limes or lemons? Squeeze the juice and freeze it in plastic bags or ice-cube trays to use later in recipes!
- Place lemons in the microwave for 15 seconds before squeezing. You’ll get lots more juice.
- A piece of bread placed into a bag of brown sugar will keep the sugar from hardening.
- Add a teaspoon of salt to the water when hard-boiling eggs, and they’ll be easier to peel when cooked.
- If raw eggs get mixed up with hard-boiled eggs, spin each egg. If the egg spins, it’s hard boiled; if it wobbles, it’s raw.
- Coat your measuring cup or spoon with oil before measuring sticky liquids such as honey or molasses. The liquid will glide out easily.
- Store unripe bananas along with an apple in a brown paper bag. The bananas will ripen in two days.
- Chili peppers stay fresh longer when stored with stems removed.
- To keep potatoes from sprouting, place an apple in the bag.
- Potatoes bake more quickly if they’re soaked in salted water beforehand.
- Cookies are more likely to burn on a dark-colored cookie sheet than on a lighter silver-colored one.
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