Show Me Your Kitchen and a Special Anniversary Sale!

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Getting Organized:
In your Home and Homeschool 

    

Dear Friends,
How did you do with the Zone Missions this week? I want to see your progress in your kitchen. Email a picture to me at Tami@TamiFox.com.
Happy Friday! It’s the last day of your Zone 2 missions. This week’s missions were short and sweet. This summer, I want you to be able to find a place in your daily routines for these missions. Once your homeschool year is off and running, I want your Zone Missions to continue.
Eighteen years ago, I embarked on my homeschool journey. I learned a lot through trial and error. I started out homeschooling two children, and eventually I added four more children to my homeschool. I love homeschooling and spending time with my children. This school year, I will have a senior, sophomore, and 7th grader.
As a homeschool mom, I know you are sacrificing time, money, and energy to homeschool your children. You have a lot of things that compete for your time and attention. Having your basic daily routines and weekly routines in place will help you balance your responsibilities.
Thirteen years ago, I started selling homeschool books. I sold books online, in a store, and at homeschool conferences. As I progressed in my journey as a home educator, I wrote my own books. I changed my storefront, and now I sell my own books.
To celebrate my thirteen year anniversary, I am doing a special 48-hour sale on all of my book titles. My prices are the lowest I have offered my books. By doing this, I am praying I bless those of you who are budgeting their homeschool purchases.
My Homeschool Planner is a spiral-bound book with all of the forms I have developed over the past 18 years of homeschooling. This book contains all the forms I think you need to organize your home and homeschool. For 48 hours, you can purchase the print version for $13.00. This is a savings of $9.95.
Giving Your Children Wings is my first book, and I share with you how I taught my children routines based on The FlyLady’s system and life skills that prepared them for adulthood. It retails for $14.95, and I am offering it for $9.00 this weekend only. That is a savings of $5.95.
Finding Joy in Brokenness is a devotional with 31 chapters. I share personal situations where joy was not my first response. I have included Scripture references and discussion questions in each chapter. It will also be $9.00 this weekend.
For those of you who wish to purchase all three books, I am offering them as a package for an even greater savings. The package price is $29.00. The retail total for all three books is $52.85. This is a savings of $23.85.
The Digital Download of my Planner will also be on sale this weekend for $7.00. It is a great resource for any homeschool family.
Send me some pictures of the area you decluttered this week!
Today’s Zone Mission is to check your kitchen cleaning supplies.
Your Home Blessing for today is to empty the trash, sweep, and mop.
My menu plan for Friday is take out.
Have a wonderful weekend!
PS – If you have not purchased your FlyLady Calendar for this year, I highly recommend it, too!

How do you handle play dates in your home?

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In your Home and Homeschool 

    

Dear Friends,
Recently a friend asked me how I motivate my children to do their routines when we have company. This can be a tricky situation when you have children with a 15 year age gap like I have.
When one of the children is having a friend over, I encourage everyone to get up early to do their morning routine. While a guest is here, I only ask them to do minimal things around the house.
What I find is that they are usually agreeable to doing what I ask them to do when we have company, but that is something that is easier to do now that they are older. When they were little, it was hard to motivate them to do things when we had a guest.
One area that I do remain firm is in cleaning up after a guest leaves. If one child has a guest, they are responsible for picking up the area they played in, but usually I notice that everyone pitches in to help since they are mostly in the living room area of the house.
I can remember some play dates where all of their toys were dumped out in their rooms. I learned to box toys up prior to a play date and only allow them access to a certain amount of toys at one time.
When we have a friend over, I like to have a specific activity or two in mind for the visit. That helps maintain the house a little better. Yesterday, we had a friend over. The boys played a video game in the living room for a bit. Then they played basketball in the driveway. Finally, we all went for a short fishing trip to the lake.
My house and routines stayed intact. We had dinner and cleaned up afterwards. It went really well. But it has taken years of practice on my part and learning things the hard way.
How do you handle play dates at your house?
Your Zone Mission today is to declutter items from the plastic wrap drawer.
Your Home Blessing for today is to toss papers and magazines.
My menu plan for Thursday is chicken and salad.

Have a great day!

Times of Transition in Your Family

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Getting Organized:
In your Home and Homeschool 

    

Dear Friends,
Are any of you preparing to send a child off to college, or do you have one getting married or moving out? These are big transitions in your family. How do you prepare for it?
The good news is that you have been preparing for this time for their whole lives. Sometimes things do not go the way you want them to go, but your goal as a parent is to raise children to be responsible adults.
This spring we had a lot of transitions. One child got engaged and moved home for a few months prior to the wedding. Before the wedding another child, moved back in for a short time. I traveled this spring to two conferences.
As I reflect back on these events, I am proud of my children. Each one of them has special gifts and abilities. I have enjoyed the past 27 years of parenting, and I realize with my young adults that parenting does not end at age 18. It continues on as they grow and mature. They seek advice and prayers.
Homeschooling allowed me more time with my children to teach them and enjoy them. I am grateful for homeschooling the last 18 years. As I am approaching a new school year, I do so with a thankful heart.
There are a few visible reminders of the busy spring I had. One child has moved most of his stuff out, but I still find things here and there. So I have a place I put those things. Another child is settling his stuff into his room, and we have moved furniture and made his room feel like his place.
If you have a child who has a big transition coming up, remember to make time to just talk. Sometimes you get so busy in the “getting ready” part that you neglect just spending time together. If you have little ones now, this stage passes quickly. Enjoy playing and making memories with them.
As we do our kitchen zone mission for the day, make it quick and don’t overthink it. Start with the top shelf of your refrigerator and toss the leftovers.
Your Zone Mission today is to toss the leftovers from the fridge.
Your Home Blessing for today is to wipe windows and mirrors.
My menu plan for Wednesday is lasagna with a salad.
Have a great day!

Small Steps of Success Will Bring Big Changes

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Getting Organized:
In your Home and Homeschool 

    

Dear Friends,
How does your stove top look this morning? I know that sounds like such a simple task that won’t make a difference in your home, but if you keep doing this daily zone missions, you will see a difference.
Some of you may have even been tempted to skip this mission. Trust in the process The FlyLady gives you. I see messages daily from ladies asking her for help. She is helping you through the daily missions and home blessings. I am a part of how she helps you through these emails. You have it inside of you to get organized in your home. I believe in you and so does The FlyLady!

The simple, daily missions add up to making a big difference in your home. You can compare it to snowflakes that fall down in the winter. Individually they don’t add up to a lot, but as you get more and more coming down, you start to see it add up.

You need to keep your focus on your routines, and I don’t want you to lose heart that you aren’t making a dent in the things you need to do around your house. Step by step. Day by day. You can do it. You can change how your home looks a little at a time.

First, get dressed to the shoes, swish and swipe the bathroom, and make your bed.
Then, I want you to check your calendar for the day, start a load of laundry, and check to see what’s for dinner.
After you do these 6 steps, you have started your day off successfully. Don’t let yourself get derailed. Do these 6 things first. Then, you can make a priority list for the day.
If your children are old enough to help around the house, here are a few ideas for them to help you after they finish their morning routine.
  • Load the dishwasher
  • Shine the sink
  • Sweep the kitchen
  • Pick up in their bedroom
Your zone mission can be done quickly as well. Clean the holder that organizes your silverware. Make this a fun little game with your children. Turn on some music and do this quickly.
This morning, I sat down and made a list of things I need to do around the house for maintenance this summer. The boys and I will work on it one thing at a time over the next several weeks.
What’s on your summer wish list?

Keep doing your zone missions. You can make a difference one small thing at a time.

Your Home Blessing for today is to dust and vacuum.
Your Zone Mission for today is to clean the holder that organizes your silverware.
My menu plan for Tuesday is chicken and veggies.
Have a blessed day!

Organizing Your Kitchen Can Help You Save Money

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In your Home and Homeschool 

    

Dear Friends,
The kitchen is an important part of our homes. It’s used a lot for most of us. It’s an area where we can spend a lot of money or save a lot of money. Keeping your pantry organized and knowing what is in your refrigerator and freezer will help you to not purchase things you already have. That will save you money.
If you need a fresh start in your kitchen, this is your week to get things organized.
Here are you missions for the week:
Zone 2 Missions: The Kitchen
Monday – Scrub your stovetop
Tuesday – Clean the holder in your silverware drawer
Wednesday – Declutter leftovers from the Refrigerator
Thursday – Declutter empty boxes from the plastic wrap drawer
Friday – Check your kitchen cleaning supplies
Set your timers and then take a break when it goes off!
One are that you may also want to do some training with your children is in teaching them how to hand-wash dishes. Last summer, I realized that I have not taught all of the boys the steps to washing dishes. When we did our kitchen renovation, we did not have access to the dishwasher, so we worked together to wash the dishes as needed.
On Monday, you are going to spend a few minutes cleaning the top of your stove. This is an easy task if you have a flat top stove. It is more complicated with electric ranges with the plug in “eyes.” Gas ranges have several parts to clean as well. No matter what type of stove top you have, wipe it down.
On Tuesday, your mission is to clean the plastic tray that holds your silverware. As you have the items out of the drawer, declutter anything that you have not used in the past year or more.
On Wednesday, you are going to declutter the leftovers from your refrigerator. Spend no more than 15 minutes on this mission. Start at the top and work your way down. Wipe the shelves if you have time.
On Thursday, you are going to declutter any empty boxes from the drawer where you keep plastic wraps and such. Write down any items that you need to replace.
On Friday, your mission is to check your kitchen cleaning supplies. Have you run out of anything?
Your Home Blessing for today is to wash the sheets.
Your Zone Mission for today is to clean your stove top.
My menu plan for Monday is hamburgers for the boys and a mixed green salad for me.
Have a blessed day!

Show me your progress with your entryway

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Dear Friends,
How did you do with the Zone Missions this week? I want to see your progress in your entryway (or dining room or porch). Email a picture to me at homeschool@flylady.net.
Happy Friday! It’s the last day of your Zone 1 missions. Did you make your entryway look less cluttered? The entryway of your home is likely a Hot Spot area that will need a few minutes of attention each day to maintain it.
If you struggle with the entryway, decide what you can do to make it work better for your purposes. If this is also your launch pad area, then set it up in a way that makes it functional and not a cluttered area.
Did you declutter in your Dining Room? If not, purpose to spend some time in it during our time in Zone 3 this month. Have a goal to set your dining room up for a family meal this summer, if you have not used it in a while. Plan a family favorite menu and use your good dishes. Some of you are holding onto your nice dishes for a “special” event. Your family is the special event.
How does your front porch look this week? I observed many beautiful front porches this week, and I enjoyed seeing many of them decorated to celebrate Independence Day. I saw lots of shady porches with rocking chairs or porch swings. That might be a Southern thing, but I love it. It reminds me of a time when people sat on their front porches and visited with one another in the evenings.
What memories did you make this week with your family? We played games this week. We went swimming and fishing. We took walks, and we enjoyed tasty evening meals. These are the times that bind us as a family. They are the things that draw our hearts together.
Don’t let the summer get away from you! You don’t have to plan elaborate activities. You can be as simple as packing a picnic or cooking hot dogs over a campfire. You can build a small fire and roast marshmallows.
Send me some pictures of the area or areas you decluttered this week!
Today’s Zone Mission is to dust the ceiling edges, fixtures, windows, and window sills of the Dining Room and Entryway.
Your Home Blessing for today is to empty the trash, sweep, and mop.
My menu plan for Friday is take out.
Have a wonderful weekend!

Your Entryway Does Not Have to be a Clutter Magnet

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In your Home and Homeschool 

    

Dear Friends,
Take a look at your around your entryway. Is there where your launch pad is located? With some gentle reminders and training, this does not have to be a dumping ground for your family.
Some entryway areas do not have a good place for a launch pad. That is the case for my entryway. The closest place to our main door is a table. When we walk in the door, the natural tendency is to drop stuff on this table and walk away.
When we bring things into the house, it is okay to put things here, but the key is to not leave them there. You have to take a few minutes to put things away. You have to teach your family this habit as well.
If this area is a big struggle for you, start with yourself. Begin putting your things away. Then you can narrow it down to the other members of your family. When you see items laying near the entryway that does not belong, ask the owner of the items to put them away.
If you have room in your entryway for a shelf and baskets, that may help you give a “place” to some of these items. I have a coat rack near our main entryway way. It holds light jackets and several hats.
I do not have a place for coat hooks near that door, and I don’t have room for a bench. I am working with the space I have to make it usable and to not have a cluttered feel to it.
Some of you have a mud run or area that your family stops in to take of coats and shoes. Set this area up to make it easy to store these items, so you don’t end up with a pile of shoes and socks.
If you have outdoor shoes and indoor shoes, set up an area near the entryway for an easy switch of the shoes. If your family enters and exits through a garage, you can build some shelves to aid in this process.
What are some ways you have organized your main entryway and launch pad?
Your Zone Mission today is to declutter in the entryway of your home.
Your Home Blessing for today is to toss papers and magazines.
My menu plan for Thursday is low country boil and salad.
Have a great day!

Being Thankful in All Things

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Getting Organized:
In your Home and Homeschool 

    

Dear Friends,
Happy Independence Day! Today we celebrate the birth of the United States of America.
What are you thankful for today?
I am thankful for my independence, for my family and friends, and for the freedom to homeschool my children.
On the days when life is hard, I make a conscious effort to write down my blessings. It helps me to refocus and look for the positive things in my life. I do not want to dwell on the difficult things. I need to pray and give the hard things over to God.
This morning, I read something a friend of mine wrote about loss. It touched my heart. She shared how difficult it is to walk through the valley of grief. She wrote about the good memories, and she wrote about the hard memories.
Some of you are grieving now. I want to encourage you to write down the good memories. Go through pictures. You may find that your eyes leak a bit as you remember, but you will also find memories that make you smile.
Make memories with your family daily. Don’t let yourself get so caught up in checking off a To Do List that you forget to stop and play with your children. They are only little for a short season. I see this in my life as my children have grown up right before my eyes.
The days of packing diaper bags, snack bags, and lugging around car seats and strollers are behind me. The days of constant supervision of a toddler are behind me. Presently, my children enjoy different activities than when they were little, and I have embraced the days of fishing, hiking, and kayaking.
I am grateful for the time I have with my family. I love talking to them and listening to what’s on their mind. I enjoy hearing them share their favorite childhood memories with me. It warms my heart to know that they have many of the same fond memories as I have.
If you are going through a tough time right now, stop and breathe for a minute. Pray. Write down your blessings. If you feel alone, reach out to someone and ask for help. You are not alone in this. God is with you.
What are you thankful for this Independence Day?
Your Zone Mission today is to wipe the walls and windows in the Dining Room.
Your Home Blessing for today is to wipe windows and mirrors.
My menu plan for Wednesday is grilled shrimp with a salad.
Have a great day!

Summer Fun with Little Ones

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In your Home and Homeschool 

    

 
Dear Friends,
Some of you are enjoying a Holiday week or vacation, so I wanted to share some ideas with you for summer fun for your little ones. I have such fond memories of summer vacations and making memories when my children were young.
Water Table.
Young children love playing in water. We had a small water table that the boys played with for years. I set ii up in the shade and let them play as long as they wanted. Often, I would also have a small wading pool nearby, so they went back and forth.
Water tables provide hours of fun and education. You can play float and sink games with various items. They will learn about buoyancy and also how some things sink faster than others.
Sand box.
My children also enjoyed a sandbox for playing with cars and trucks. Children love to dig holes and fill them in. At the beach, we spent hours building sand castles and making trenches and moats around the castle. They learned a lot about the properties of sand and how to use a little bit of water to form their buildings better.
If you have outdoor pets, I recommend a sand box that you can cover when it is not being used. Sandboxes are easy to maintain, but they can attract animals, and you don’t want to deal with the mess an animal can make in your sandbox.
Sidewalk Chalk.
If you have a place outside for your children to draw with sidewalk chalk, it’s a fun activity that can be washed away with a water hose. I have such fond memories of drawing outlines of my children when they were little. Then, we decorated their chalk outlines. If you do this, remember to take pictures.
Bubbles.
When I am working in the church nursery, a favorite distraction for them is blowing bubbles. Children love bubbles, and if you have the ability to set up a big vat of bubble solution outside, your children will have fun for hours. We had large wands and a large tub that I made a mixture with liquid dishwashing soap that allowed them to make large bubbles.
Park Day.
If you have a park close to you, schedule a park day each week with friends. Two of our local parks have splash pads for young children to play and cool off on a hot summer day. We have several parks that are not too far to drive, and there are moms in my homeschool group who set up play dates and send out emails to remind us about them. Park day is a lot of fun for your kids and for you, too.
What are some of your favorite summer activities with young children?
Your Home Blessing for today is to dust and vacuum.
Your Zone Mission for today is to have a Hot Spot Fire Drill in Zone 1. Spend 5 to 10 minutes putting things away that are in piles in your entryway.
My menu plan for Tuesday is homemade pizza. Veggies and salad for me.
Have a blessed day!

Finally Loving the Front of Your Home

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In your Home and Homeschool 

    

Dear Friends,
Welcome to a new month and a new Habit of the Month, Swish and Swipe. We are also decluttering and detail cleaning the front portion of our homes.
In the United States, we are also celebrating Independence Day on the 4th of July. Plan your Zone Missions accordingly, if you are having guests this week to celebrate the Holiday.
Here are you missions for the week:
Zone 1 Missions: The Front Porch, Entryway, and Dining Room
Monday – Declutter and sweep the front porch & wipe the front door
Tuesday – Hot Spot Fire Drill in all 3 Areas
Wednesday – Wipe Walls & Windows of Dining Room
Thursday – Declutter Entryway & Launch Pad Area
Friday – Wipe ceiling fixtures and window sills in the Dining Room
Set your timers and then take a break when it goes off!
The missions this week can be kept short and sweet. If you spend 5 minutes at a time doing them, you will see a big difference at the entry of your home.
On Monday, you are going to spend a few minutes decluttering and sweeping the front porch. In some cultures, the front porch or stoop is swept every morning as a part of their daily routines. In the US, I have not seen this done daily, but it is a neat reminder of how important the front of our home is to our families and guests.
On Tuesday, your mission is to have a Hot Spot drill in Zone 1. You can spend a few minutes in all three areas or concentrate on one area. The entryway is often a big clutter magnet, so you might need to focus in that area. It’s summer for those of us to the north of the equator. Do you still have winter things in the entryway?
On Wednesday, you are going to spend a few minutes wiping the walls and windows of the dining room. Include your kids in this mission. Give everyone a cloth to wipe the walls. Turn on some music and have fun!
On Thursday, you are going to focus on clutter in the entryway and dining room. If you finished with the entryway, spend 5 to 10 minutes decluttering in the dining room. In many homes, the dining room table and chairs become clutter magnets. They are often not used as often as the kitchen table, and our family members stack items on them.
On Friday, your mission is to dust the ceiling fixtures and window sills in the dining room and entryway.
You can do these missions. I know you can.
Your Home Blessing for today is to wash the sheets.
Your Zone Mission for today is to declutter and sweep the front porch.
My menu plan for Monday is paella. It’s a Spanish recipe that my brother taught us to make.
Have a blessed day!