CLICK HERE FOR FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATES, LINK BUTTONS AND MORE! »

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Uses for Wipes Containers

Lastnight Mr almost 4 and I were going through old receipts.  Hubby and I kept previous years receipts in old Huggies wipes containers. We had 4 containers, with receipts in there from 2009....

Seriously?? 2009?? I knew there were a lot of receipts but I thought it was 2010 onwards...

Anyways, we had a good sort through and ended up with 2 empty containers. One has 2011/2012 Financial year receipts, and the other has preschool receipts yet to be filed.

I also stored my breast pads in a wipes container, but as I've weaned my son, I no longer need the pads. I'd only just opened a box of breast pads when I started weaning him, so I'm going to give them to my cousin, as she's due to have her second baby in a week :)

So that leaves me with 3 empty wipes containers... I didn't want to throw them away as they are very useful, so I thought about using a box to store my freezer bags in, as they're all over the place in the drawer...unfortunately the drawer isn't deep enough...

Another area which was in need of some organisation is the craft cupboard. I had a lot of bags with mixed up crayons/pencils/textas etc, so I decided to put all the crayons in one container, finger paints in another and the last one housed the small chalk, glitter, glue and other little bits. I also sorted the pencils and textas and put them back where they belong.

Once I file the contents of the other 2 boxes, I can put them to good use. I'm thinking of using one to store plastic bags instead of having them shoved under the sink and the other I'm not to sure yet, but I've got some things in mind.
Here's a few ideas of what they can be used for/store:
  • Crafty bits - Pencils/paints/crayons etc
  • Grocery shopping bags
  • Money box
  • Make up
  • Lego
  • Receipts
  • Phone chargers
  • Hair accessories
  • Ribbons for craft/presents
  • Pet food
  • Baby keepsake
  • First aid kit
  • Contain objects in bag/nappy bag
  • DIY Wipes for bub or cleaning
  • Screws, nails etc
  • Batteries
  • Breast pads
  • Other pads
  • Cookie cutters
  • Tiny toys
  • Doll clothes/bits
  • Washing powder
  • Spices
There are many more ways in which they can be reused. Mr almost 4 spent most of his time pushing them around as cars and trains :)

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

21 Day Challenge - Day 17 The mail.

I don't have anywhere or anything fancy to store my incoming/outgoing mail, as cute as the mail storage centres are, I found it doesn't work for our family.

We have a simple system which works for us.

  • Bills - They're paid straight away as we put bill money aside each pay day. If a big one arrives such as Home and contents insurance that we don't quite have the money for yet, we stick it up on the hutch part of the computer desk in plain view so it isn't forgotten about.
  • Junk Mail - Is sorted before it comes in the house. We only keep what we're interested in and recycle the rest.
  • Outgoing Mail - Very rare to have outgoing, usually we just phone or email, but any and all goes straight in my handbag ready to be posted when I'm out and about.
  • Other Mail - Is sorted straight away.
The hardest part is keeping up with the filing once the bills have been paid/mail seen to, but we're in the process of setting up a better filing system, so hopefully that'll be easier for us soon.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Coping with 4 kids under 6 - A typical day

A few weeks ago, I did a post on things we do that help to cope with 4 kids under 6 which you can find here.

I promised to post about a typical day in our house, and here it is:

7.30: Everyone up and out of bed
  • Breaky
  • Dressed
  • Teeth
  • Hair, etc
  • The older 2 make their beds and tidy their rooms
Hubby works afternoon shift so he helps with the morning rush. 1 parent usually gets Missy ready for school while the other gets the boys ready.

8:45: Hubby walks Missy to school (this is their one on one time)
  • Put a load of washing on
  • Boys outside for play if a nice day
  • Feed pets
  • General tidy
  • Hang load/start another if needed, but usally stick to 1 a day
10:30: Snack time
  • Free play
  • Feed bubs
11:00: Bubs nap (depends how he slept the night before cause he's teething, but normally this is his nap time)

12:00: Lunch
  • Mr 2's nap
  • Spend time with Mr almost 4
  • Quick tidy
  • Rest
2:00: Start getting ready to pick Missy up from school.

3:20: Back home, chill with kids.
  • Homework is done on a Monday.
  • Reading every day
4:00: Washing off and folded, put away if the kids are behaving.
  • Kids play
4:30: Dinner prep
  • Kids usually play outside, or I put a movie on. Missy helps mummy
5:30-6:00: Dinner.
  • Bubs eats what we eat and often has a quick nap after dinner (again depending)
  • Spend time with kids
6:45: Baths

7:00: Mr 2's story and bed time
  • Missy and Mr almost 4 help mummy tidy up and load dishwasher (i usually unload it while making dinner)
7:30: Quiet time
  • Watch TV
  • Read
  • Start getting bubs ready for bed
8:00: Bubs bed time
  • Kids continue quiet time
8:30: Big kids stories and bed time
  • I tidy up
  • Prepare Missy's lunch for following day
  • Lay out clothes
  • Pack anything needed for the following day, such as Library bag for Library day etc
  • Catch up on my favourite show
  • Catch u on facebook, blogs etc
10:30: shower
  • Start dishwasher as it's cheaper rates
11:00: Bed - I've been naughty recently and haven't been going to bed til almost midnight, this has to change lol.


That's pretty much how a typical day goes around here :).

Today wasn't a typical day, as Hubby is doing another double shift, so Missy stayed at my sisters lastnight and my brother called and said that he'll pick Missy up from school as he is coming to our house to use the gym.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

21 Day Challenge - Completion and Revisit

Following the threat of pre term labour last year, I was unable to complete A Bowl full of Lemon's 21 Day Challenge. So I have decided to continue and complete where I left off, and to also revisit what I've previously accomplished.

I'm yet to do:

Day 17 - The Mail  done
Day 18 - Keepsakes
Day 19 - Master Closet
Day 20 - Photo's
Day 21 - You Pick!

I will post as I go :)

Friday, May 4, 2012

Finally, the weekend!!

I can start to relax a little now the weekend is here and the husband is home. I survived the night shift odeal - just! I definitely have to give thanks to my to do list that I posted the other day. It kept me in line. I did everything on the list that night apart from sweeping the loungeroom floor, which I did the following morning.

I also need to thank my sister for her help the past couple of days, she had Missy over for a sleepover Wednesday night, as hubby worked a double shift yesterday (Thursday), starting in the wee hours of the morning, making it a challenge to get 4 small kids and myself ready in time to get Missy to school. My nephew and my daughter attend the same school, so my sister took her. She also had Mr almost 4 for a few hours today which was heaven sent.

Missy has a party to go to tomorrow. Hubby wants to take her as he feels he is missing out on a lot with the hours he is working. I want to spend some quality time with the boys, so I might set up a picnic in the back yard for them and enjoy the moment.

Little Miss and Mr almost 4 are going 'camping' tomorrow night under the kitchen table. We often throw some sheets over it and they pretend it's a cave or something, but they have never spent the night in it, so they're very excited. Missy's only concern is where I'm going to put the chairs... Lol!

I'm not sure what's planned for Sunday, I don't think we'll go anywhere, cause we've got some busy weekends ahead of us, and it'll be nice to spend it at home with the family.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Under $14k

As of yesterday, 30th April 2012, we are under $14000 on our car loan. Yaaaayyy I can see the finish line :) :) I'm hoping to make it to under $13000 by the end of this month. The lower the amount owing gets, the more keen I am for the debt to be gone and for the car to be ours :D

Happy debt paying peoples :)

Today's chores

I was supposed have a Drs appointment today, but have rescheduled due to my husband working night shift. He has been covering for the night shift superviser on and off for the past month as he has been on leave.

The extra money has been great and we've been putting extra onto the car loan. The downside of the night shift is not having hubby around. I'm used to doing the afternoons on my own and have got a routine in place, but I'm not used to having hubby not here during the day.. Well he is here but he's asleep :) So I've been trying to keep in control.

I've also taken the boys out of preschool due to the constant sickness and also to save a bit of money. I'm really gonna miss my Fridays being just bubs and I, but it's not forever and once the debts are paid off it'll be worth it.

My days are spent chasing my tail when Hubby is on night shift, I drop Missy off at school, come back try and do as much as I can of what needs to be done, then it's time to pick Missy up from school again.

So today I want to set myself some To Do's which hopefully will keep me on track.

  • a load of washing  done
  • run dishwasher done
  • fold yesterdays washing done
  • put away yesterdays washing - done
  • general tidy morning done
  • wipe over bathroom done
  • check Missy's bed is made and room is clean done
  • general tidy after lunch - done
  • Get washing off line - done
  • fold washing - done
  • put away washing - done
  • get dinner ready - done
  • sweep kitchen floor done
  • sweep loungeroom floor
  • fill washing machine ready for tomorrows load done
  • make Missys lunch for tomorrow
  • lay out clothes for tomorrow - done
  • read with Missy - done
  • pay phone bill - done
  • Catch up on Missy's baby record book, 5 y/o page  done
  • have 5 glasses of water had - done
  • take time out for self
  • exercise - walk to pick up Missy - done
  • general tidy night - done
  • unload dishwasher
  • load dishwasher
  • fill out Missy's Take home reading journal - done