Give a kid a box

Does anyone remember when a box was the greatest thing to play with? I would make all kinds of things out of boxes--from Barbie condos and cars to homes for critters found in the wild! Do kids even do that stuff anymore? Not for long once the growth sprouts in their hands.

I see kids younger and younger playing on devices--I cringe or shake my head every time. I hate seeing the world deteriorate into mindless, addicted zombies. Where has all the real life interaction gone? I really love my school for outlawing phones during the school day and sticking to it! The kids seem much more engaged than at most other schools.

I continue to promote creativity and imagination without technology (as you read this on a screen, ugh). And I still love boxes and use them for all sorts of things. So, here are some non-screen activity ideas for kids with just a box!

• Large boxes
• Pretend Vehicles and TVs are good old standards for large boxes.
• Puppet shows are great fun and imagination stirrers.
• Forts are always a big hit--and if you don't have enough boxes, use sheets and chairs!
  
• We made a Fun House Tunnel once and it was hilarious!
• Open them up and cut them up for armor or props or sliding down a grassy hill!
• Paint on them or use them under art projects
• Large boxes are also great for keeping bigger toys organized

• Smaller boxes
• Tissue and shoe boxes are a perfect size for vehicles or furniture for stuffed friends and action figures
• boxes are great for making up games, like tossing stuff into them or stacking them...
• Even toy-makers know the value of a box, selling brick-painted boxes for kids to build with. How nice of them--but I say, collect your tissue boxes and you're all set!

  

  not what I had in mind
  but this is cool!

• Plant herbs or flowers and watch them grow
• Make a photo box for grandma
• I used to make robots with my little guys out of the cardboard and duct tape
• These boxes are also great for storing the small stuff--from art supplies to happy meal toys

These are just a few suggestions. And though you know you can find tons of ideas and instructional videos online, sometimes sitting down with the kids and brainstorming creativity yourselves is part of the fun. We have to keep trying to balance tech with hands-on. Make those brains work instead of vegging out looking at a screen all day!

I'd love to hear your suggestions, too. Old or new, boxes are fantastic imagination kick-starters!

At Home Entertainment

With summer coming to a tragic, way-to-soon close, it's time to start thinking about bringing the entertainment inside. My niece, Stacey, came up with a great way to enjoy movie time sans theater.

She hosted a movie night! There was popcorn with every seasoning Wal Mart had to offer, movie-sized treats from the dollar store, and drinks.

And to keep it handy, she had bath caddies as snack carriers. She got them at the everything-for-a-dollar store. Everyone had their own personal caddies! They worked perfectly. The caddies are separated for use with toiletries, but we used the separations to hold the drink, popcorn, and the candy.

I was so enthralled by the carriers, I couldn't help but think of all the other uses these caddies could have, such as...

*To-go meal carriers. Forget eating out of the flimsy bags or boxes. With the caddy, you can separate food and drink in a sturdy, easy to carry unit.

*Art supplies. Use the shower caddy to keep craft items, paints, brushes, or even crayons sorted and separated.

*Cleaning supplies. Load up a caddy and you're ready to clean, carrying supplies easily from room to room.

*Manicure/pedicure time. Toss your nail polishes, remover, emery boards, and clippers all together in one easy to grab and go spot.

*Make-up caddy. Same as the manicure and pedicure idea, a caddy is a great way to keep make-up organized.

*Picnic helper. Place the utensils, napkins, and condiments in a caddy and you're ready to go.

*Car washing. Stock a caddy with the cleaners, waxes, and cleaning rags and you're ready in an instant to give your car a quick clean.

Can you think of some genius uses for these caddies?

Dining Out with Kids

I went out to eat with my guys on Saturday. My kids are mostly all adults, so going to a sit-down meal is way easier now that they all know better than to lick the salt shaker or try make a great escape from a high chair to forage for crumbs under the table.

It wasn't always easy! Over the years, I learned plenty-- some lessons the hard way-- like don't let them run around in stocking feet. Boy #3, Cole, was two when he was running back and forth from the play space at a fast food restaurant to the chicken nuggets at the table when he slipped, fell, and smashed his face into the table edge. Plenty of tears, blood, and money (medical and dental bills!) later, I realized that things happen fast-- it's best to pay attention and be proactive!

Here are a few tips for keeping kids safely entertained while dining out. 

-Have fun. They grow up-- fast! Enjoy the time you get to spend with them. Fast forward a few years and you'll get to have all the quiet dinners you want. 

-Order ahead, if you're venturing out of the fast food arena. Most places will allow you to place your eat-in order online or over the phone, so your food is ready to eat when you get there. Most menus are online if you need to decide what to order. 

-Distract them. Kids get bored easily. I see plenty on iPads and phones, but there are old school, low tech ways to entertain kids. A notebook and a pack of crayons are not only entertaining, but never run out of batteries or break if tossed on the floor. 

-Interact with them. The habits you make now will last a lifetime. Talk to them when they're two and they will talk to you when they're teens. I hate to see parents totally focused on their cell phones while their kids are doing a Houdini level escape from a high chair. 

-Play with them. Eye Spy and What Animal Am I...great ways to interact in crowded spaces. In Eye Spy, the spotter picks something in eyesight and tells the group the color of the item and everyone guesses until they spot the item. What Animal Am I? One person in the group thinks of an animal and then the group gets to ask questions until they narrow it down to identify the animal. 

-Move around. Take a walk to the bathroom for hand washing. Washing hands before dinner not only uses up some of the wait time, it's a great way to cut down on illness. 

-Reward them. Let kids know when they are doing the right thing. Table manners don't happen by instinct. When they sit in their seats and aren't screaming or throwing food, tell them what good boys or girls they are being. 

-Finally...know their limits. Don't wait until they are starved or fatigued to head out for a leisurely dinner. They're little. Imagine a night out to eat is the equivalent to you going for a jog. Imagine how excited and lovely you'd act if someone made you go for a jog after a long day-- I bet you'd be a crab too. 

When people are divided...

I am a HS teacher
I am a HS mom
I hate guns and violence
I am pro 2nd amendment

These things seem to contradict one another when each one should place me on one side or the other of a highly controversial debate.

When people are divided by a fence, I look for a gate.

I'm not going to say any more about this issue. We don't like to get political on this blog. What I want to talk about is COMPROMISE. It's time to start mending fences...

I've heard many outrageous theories and knee-jerk "solutions." I've also heard many thoughtful comments and sane conclusions from both sides - because I'm willing to LISTEN.

As a teacher, I have the privilege of observing every kind of person thrown together in one place. My number one goal is to help teens succeed through school and become better adults: able to deal with real problems when they enter the harsh world of reality.

That should be EVERYONE'S GOAL! The sad truth is, not enough adults are willing to become parents who need to teach children that life isn't always going to go their way and discipline them when they break the rules. Give kids perspective and life lessons and friends from every walk of life -- these things are so much more valuable than useless, dust-collecting trophies.

We need to LET THEM FAIL sometimes and show them how to LEARN FROM IT! They need to be taught how to listen to someone with a different opinion and have a civil discussion rather than fight or resort to violence!

I could go on, but like I said, I don't want to incite a controversial war... My final thoughts: Every problem of this world has to start somewhere and the solution can usually be found in the same place - IN THE HOME.

Thanks for listening. Hope you have a positive week!

10 #Tips for a #HappyLife - Be Thankful

This is what I'm most thankful for...

We all have problems to deal with, no matter where we come from. Concentrating on the things we have to fix, we often forget and take for granted the parts of our lives that are working properly! If we could refocus away from the negative once in a while to be thankful--for what we have, for the positive things, for the things going right--the world would be a brighter place.

Negative nags at our attention. Negative needs us to figure out a solution. Negative needles us to complain and criticize. There's too much negative out there these days.

Stop! Don't let negative consume you. Take a break and think about what you're thankful for. Remember what's good about your life.

It won't make the problems go away, but they will be more manageable with a new, positive outlook.

10 Tips for a Happy Life:

1. Breathe
2. Smile
3. Be Thankful
4. ...

Thanks for listening! Hope you moms had a marvelous Mother's Day!

Tara Tyler - The Lazy Housewife

#MondayMusings - Living in the Moments

Today we welcome Kristen Kehoe to the House - she's got some common sense tips for happier living!

Hello ladies of The REALLY Real Housewives and everyone else! Thank you for having me.

Before with worry

Yes, captain. I suffer from what I’m starting to understand as the mom illness, AKA I have to do it all, be it all, know it all, and I better be efficient while I’m at it.

What does this mean? Well, it means I like to worry about anything. Everything. All of it. Why? Please see above for the aforementioned illness.

Honestly? I want to know that what I’m doing is enough—for my family, myself, my career…I also like to make lists ;) I’m organized in my crazy.

But, lovely people, in my thirty-two young years (seriously, I adore my thirties), through the people around me, experiences I have had and those I’ve observed, I’ve learned that worry is not the key to a good life. Living is.

What’s that, you say? What is this thing called living, and who has time for it? Trust me, I hear you.

We all have bills to pay, work to stress over and complete, housework to contend with, a spouse to communicate with, maybe even spend alone time with, and children to feed, scold, praise, feed, cuddle, nurture, educate, love, etc. We all have those things, whatever they are, that we do every day to make sure we can keep our lives functioning. But living isn’t just about those necessary things that keep us going, however much they consume us; it includes stopping, looking around, and being in this moment (even if this moment includes going insane from cabin fever while the school dares to cancel for ice and snow again. Don’t they know we just had winter break? Another game of Candy Land or Connect Four or, sweet baby jeebus, BARBIES, will kill me).

For me, living in these moments means turning my phone onto airplane mode, or Do Not Disturb, and resisting the urge to check my steps for the day, or my book rankings, or sales dashboard, or reading the latest blog post about finding more readers and greater success. It means resisting the urge to scroll through my Instagram feed and compare myself to every other crafting-DIY-CrossFit mom who has five times the number of children and projects as me, and ten percent less body-fat and wrinkles.

• Living means putting on rain boots and taking my puppy and daughter for a walk, even when she’s whining and the dog is chewing on her leash trying to walk herself, and I’m half-crazy by the end of those two miles.
• Living means accepting that my body is thirty-two, not seventeen, not twenty-five, and the marks and curves (fine, lumps) it bears are those of life, not just age.
• And living means looking at myself in the mirror instead of the Instagram filter, and knowing that happiness is mine for the taking—if I’m willing—and it is not dependent on flawless skin, great lashes, or smooth hair (read: everything I would have to purchase in order to have).

After letting go of worry

It’s not ground breaking, but if there is any advice that I might be qualified to give (and trust me, the jury is still out on that) it is that for a few moments a day, we have to stop, look away from the never-ending stack of “to-do” and “worry-about” and “status update,” and embrace the moment.

Kiss your cat, your kids, your dog, your partner, your spouse…heck, kiss your kindle and the book boyfriends that live in it and just live. We often look for happiness in those big moments—but life is made up of small moments, insignificant moments, that all paint that one chaotic and brilliant picture. So live today, right now, over your first or fifth cup of coffee. We can go back to worrying in just a minute.

Until next time.
xoxo

Kristen Kehoe is a wife, mother to a four-year-old girl and four-month-old puppy, teacher, romance author, and captain of the crazy train. Nice to meet you ;-)

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Holidays = Travel = Photo Ops

For Friday Fun today, I'm going to share some of my pics from my latest travels... It was great to see my sis and her family in Disney and Universal Studios over Thanksgiving. Had a blast!

But first, I want to share my favorite road sign...

Kids grow up fast, so I try to take as many pics as I can - here are just a few memorable moments!

Where's your favorite place to vacay? Ever go to a fun getaway during the Holidays? Do tell!

Happy Friday!

Make Monday More Fun

We'd are excited to have Stephanie Faris with us at the House today! She's a fabulous friend, mom, and children's author!


Books Make Everything More Fun

I first discovered audiobooks in my 20s. Back then, you had to pay full price for audiobooks on CD or cassette, unless you could find them in the used bookstore. When I realized my local library had them, I was so excited.

I read Stephen King’s The Green Mile while cleaning the house. I read Nicholas Spark’s Message in a Bottle while making food for a New Year’s Eve party. I read countless books during my work commute or while doing mundane duties at work. Now, thanks to apps like Audible, you don’t even have to leave the house to pick up the latest bestseller.

Yes, audiobooks make everything a little easier to bear. Last year when we packed to move to a new house, Harlan Coben books helped take my mind off of the grueling work. That same author got me through deep-cleaning the house so we could sell it. I actually look forward to my three-mile walk at the gym every day because I know I’ll get to enjoy the next chapter in whatever great book I’m reading.

Listening to books isn’t for everyone. I actually found that celebrity biographies and nonfiction books were better if you were doing something that might distract you. The popularity of the Serial podcast a couple of years ago prompted me to figure out how to work the podcast app on my phone. It’s surprisingly easy, by the way. I’m a true crime addict, and there are a billion true crime podcasts out there—all 100 percent free!

If you can’t afford audiobooks or an Audible membership, podcasts aren’t your only free option. Many local libraries now offer digital lending. You can use your library card to reserve audiobooks and load them onto your phone. It isn’t for everyone, but if I have to scrub the toilets or try to match up socks from the laundry, listening to something interesting can make it so much more bearable.

Stephanie Faris is the Simon & Schuster author of the middle grade books 25 Roses and 30 Days of No Gossip, as well as the Piper Morgan chapter book series. Her freelance work has appeared on NYPost.com, Mental Floss, The Week, and Your Teen magazine.

BLING YOUR THING: Falling in Love, AGAIN

Are there any book addicts in the house? *raises hand*

Yay! You're in good company. (The cheesy kind.) *breaks out the popcorn and kindle* 

When did you fall in love with books? It happened to me when I was in third grade. A classmate read a story to the whole class that won my heart and imagination. The reader became my hero. The book became my FAVORITE. 

From that day on, the scholastic order form was my best friend, the library was my happy place, and book fairs left me drooling. I'd stockpile books all year so that when summer hit, I had a stack of 8 to 10 to start. As soon as those were done, I'd beg for a trip to the library.

Here's where the story gets sad. Somewhere in high school I lost the drive to read independently. (About the same time I hit the pause button on writing.) Maybe it was the amount of school work. Maybe the number of required reading books. Don't know, but I missed my books.

It wasn't until I'd been a mom for about eight years that I gave myself permission to pick up anything other than a picture book. Going to the library almost made me feel guilty. All those pretties. Was it really okay to pick one up and *gasp* open it? What about the time I should be devoting to my kids, my house, other responsibilities?

All it took was one book. The love had never disappeared, it had just been suppressed. The written page swallowed me whole and I began reading one book a month, then two, then five, then eight or nine. They fit in cracks of time--waiting in the car, while exercising, while brushing teeth, while sitting a stoplights.

We have the power to fall in or out of love with anything in our lives. It's all a question of which appetite we choose to fill. Let us be wise--both to ourselves and life--with which addictions we decide to feed.

When did your love of books start?


Crystal Collier is a cheese-loving blogger & author who pens out funnies, deep thoughts, and book giveaways. She's the author of the Maiden of Time series, a 2012 winner of PitchWars, and a 2016 IWSG writing contest winner. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.

The third book in her Maiden of Time series releases November 1, 2016. Find her and her books online.

BLING YOUR THING: Being You and Proud

This week we are Proud as Provolone & Parmesan as we welcome the Cheesy Queen CRYSTAL COLLIER to the House!

It's National Wear Something Gaudy day! (Do it!) 

What will I be wearing? Something like this:

Source

Cheese makes me happy. It's my THING. 

You have a thing too, so what is it? What makes you happy just thinking about it? What brings you fulfillment or sets you apart?

In the marketing world, we're told to brand ourselves so we stand out. (That was never my intention, btw, I just love cheese.) I think in life we do the same thing. When we're young, we search for what it is we love. Sometimes that shuffles us into categories or cliques. The older we get, the more that thing begins to define us, to shape us--not because we relinquish control, but because we build our lives to encompass it. (I'm not talking about sociopolitical issues.)

My other thing looks something like this:

I haul 4 kids around with me everywhere. Each individual personality teaches me so much, and they've completely changed my outlook on life. They also challenge me well beyond where I thought my sanity line stood. Each one provides me the opportunity to be fulfilled through service to them, AND each is growing my capacity. (That shaping thing really comes into play.)

However, it seems like the predominant mentality these days is for people to look down their noses at large families--like the parents couldn't figure out birth control or are single handedly trying to bankrupt the country. (Because those kids will have to end up in poverty due to neglect or something, right?)

I have news for those people. SOME OF US LIKE BIG FAMILIES--and man do they keep things interesting.

But they're not for everyone. Obviously. ; )

So here's your permission today. Love your thing. Let it define you. Don't apologize for it or diminish it because your neighbor feels differently. Bling proudly.

Are you blinging your thing? What bling would you be wearing today if you could express yourself on your sleeve?

Crystal Collier is a cheese-loving blogger & author who pens out funnies, deep thoughts, and book giveaways. She's the author of the Maiden of Time series, a 2012 winner of PitchWars, and a 2016 IWSG writing contest winner. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.

The third book in her Maiden of Time series releases November 1, 2016. Find her and her books online.

Charts - Put them to work! #mondaymotivation

Have you noticed a decline of work ethic in the service industry lately? The last few times we've been out to eat or shop, there seems to be this unfriendly, put-upon attitude pervading the experience. Maybe it's just me.

Don't get me wrong, some of the younger generation are completely gung-ho workers and innovators, but others obviously don't want to be there or don't know what they're doing, so they give up trying. It makes me wonder if maybe some parents are so busy that they aren't making their kids do chores around the house which instill a sense of responsibility and a value and pride for getting work done. I know sometimes it's easier to do the chores yourself rather than monitor the kids to make sure it gets done right, buh-lieve me! But the time and aggravation are worth it in the long run. Here are a couple of my Lazy Housewife-isms...

Do a kid's chore, you get a lazy adult. Teach a kid a chore, you get a productive adult.

A little whining now equals a lot of thanks later.

So, to make assigning and keeping track of chores easier (which is what the Lazy Housewife does) I have a chart (I <3 charts!)

This first one is what I use. The top three chores rotate monthly. I mark a tally when they do a chore or enter an amount of money for specialty chores.

In the bottom section, I subtract any purchases they make from their allowance. At the end of a quarter, I add everything up and deposit most of what they make into savings, but also give them some spending money. It's visual and shows them the value of working and saving money if they want something big like cool new shoes. Sometimes they pool together for a new video game. I've been using this system for years with only minor adjustments.

For an added amount of responsibility, you could have them tally their chores themselves and even total up the money.

Here's a blank that's more versatile. You can let me know if you'd like the Excel file (makes totaling that much easier, if you know Excel) I know there are other templates out there online, too.

I know helping contribute to my family as a kid made me a better person - though I sure didn't know it at the time and hated my chores. But as I got older, I didn't mind so much and now I miss those times setting the table or doing dishes in the kitchen with my mom.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on chores & allowance. There's plenty of ways to work it!
Have a great week!

Back to School Blues

It’s that time of year again. Social media will be flooded with back to school pictures of kids holding intricate chalkboard signs declaring their grade. Their hair is gelled and bejeweled, their clothes new and some kind of brand name. Moms everywhere load those sparkling kids up in their cars and drive them to school, singing We Are Family.

Probably.

And then there’s me. My kids will eat cereal. Because it’s too early to cook. My daughter and I will fight over her mismatched outfit. One of my children will not be able to find their shoes. The oldest child will need to be woken up at least three times. He will certainly insult me and probably swing blindly at me. Someone will probably spill something. And they will all leave their food out on the table, along with a generous scattering of crumbs on the floor.

There will be lectures. I may or may not forget to take pictures (it totally counts if you take the picture AFTER school. Or the next day. Really, sometime in the first month totally works). There will be strange sounds from upstairs—something that can only be described as a mixture of the intricate mating dance of a male ostrich and the death howls of a pack of hyenas. I decide not to investigate unless there’s smoke or blood.

My oldest child will probably miss the bus, and some way or another, it will be my fault. But they will all get to school. On time. With their teeth brushed, hair combed, and matching shoes on their feet.

Probably.

Amber Argyle graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in English and physical education, a husband and a two-year-old. Since then, she and her husband have added two more children, which they are actively trying to transform from crazy small people into less crazy larger people. Amber is the bestselling author of the Witch Song Series and the Fairy Queen Series. She currently has completed two series and is working on a third. You can receive four of her books for free. Simply tell her where to send them, here's her website.



It was great getting to know Amber better this week! She put several things into perspective and showed us how to figure out what's most important and take care of it. My favorite quote from Amber this week:

"There are three things that are worth our constant efforts: working hard, being happy, and serving others. Everything else is just clutter." - Amber Argyle

Family Council - Advice from the heart

This week we welcome the steadfast SHELLY BROWN to the House. And today she is giving it to us TRUE. Listen up!

Hello fellow housewives!
I’m about to get real.
Really real.

Conforto Family: Jason Conforto

Families are awesome. And tough. And worth it. And complicated.
Families are a team, right? Then how is it that we don’t always act like one?

Unity.
We can totally do this. We’ve watched Remember the Titans. How hard can this be?
Answer: Really, really hard.

Fortunately we do have some tools to help us. Like the family mission statement. It is a beautiful thing to help people realize that they are on the same page, working towards the same goals. But not everybody has one of these…yet.

So let me back up to the first tool that I would recommend: Family Council.

Family councils are just like they sound, councils for the family. They are time that has been set aside to allow each member of the family to be heard. Parents can’t govern their children without first understanding their children. Children will find it hard to obey parents that they hardly know. Each person, big and small, has a desire to be heard and understood. And love and compassion grow when we take the time to get to know one another better.

These councils shouldn’t just appear when there is a problem (though they are excellent at pulling everyone together). They should be a normal part of life in a family. They don’t have to be super formal either (though they can be.) You can council over dinner or on a car ride as long as rules about being respectful are being obeyed.

Some Do’s

• If possible set a time and place so that it isn’t sprung on family members like a ill-devised intervention
• Remember to focus on a lot of positives. You want them to come away feeling good about the experience. You don’t need to air every grievance in the first meeting. (That’s what Festivus is for!) Praise them for their attendance. Praise them for the things that they are doing to create a good family. Encourage them to praise one another.
• Some people use the pattern of starting with the best parts of the week, then the hard parts, then anything that they feel should be addressed.
• Start young. If you’ve already missed this boat then start at wherever you are. But there is a value in starting young that might be missed when parents think that small children can’t contribute to a council. Kids are smart!
• Consider taking the time in one of these councils to create a mission statement. It will guide subsequent meetings and guide your every day interactions.

Some Pitfalls to Avoid

• letting councils turn into heated debates
• allowing any form of disrespect, from interrupting to unkind words.
• allowing or becoming the Family Council Dictator. Everyone must feel free to express their concerns without the All-Powerful-Bossy-One coming in and deciding how to fix/rule/conquer everything. It’s a team of equals, not the Smart One cleverly disguising a lecture to the Stupid Ones.
• decisions should be made by consensus not voting. Each member of the group should feel comfortable enough to move forward. This is very tricky but it encourages unification in a way that voting does not.

In the busy world that we live in it means a lot for us to show each other that we believe our families are worth the time to hold family councils. That we believe that each person is an important member of our team. To show each other that we believe that our team will be successful and we are willing to put in the effort to make it happen. In a world of mind numbing television and app games, and distracting entertainment it would be much easier for us to let our families just kind of drift and become whatever they become but we teach our kids how much we value families when we put forth the effort to create a thriving family environment.

1950's family: Seattle Municipal Archives

You can SO do this!

Shelly Brown is a mother to five crazy kids, caretaker of five crazy chickens, and wears the hat of children’s book writer at least 5 days a week. Her debut children’s book Ghostsitter comes out October 1st  but you can preorder today on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local independent bookseller.

How to keep kids from whining this summer!

The resourceful Lyndsay Johnson is back today to offer us a creative way to keep kids from telling us how bored they are!

Summer is here! But the whining was just too much. Something had to be done. I bought some tickets, and made a plan!

After a little creative brainstorming, I decided we needed a rewards system. We've done marbles in a jar, monetary rewards for chores, and other promises of greatness. But this summer I need something motivating and simple. I had been thinking about the fair coming up in August, and it dawned on me: RED TICKETS. I ran to Walmart and came home with a gigantic roll of red tickets. The kids were speechless for the first time in a week. "How do we earn them?" they implored. "I will share with you all of my secrets," I promised, and set about making this system work for us.

First, I gave them each an envelope for ticket storage, and found a big jar for "payments." Then we came up with a mutually agreed-upon system. You want to watch TV? Pay the jar 1 ticket per show. You want to go to a friend's house? 5 tickets. Family movie night or snow cones on mom? 10 tickets. Go to a movie? 50 tickets. Trip to the museum? 100 tickets...and so on.

And they have to work for these rewards! 1 ticket for every 10 minutes of reading. Picking up toys, 5 tickets, etc. Some rewards and payments are set in stone (they HAVE to read at least 20 minutes a day, but my 9 year old is now averaging about 70 minutes in order to earn an many tickets as are humanly possible).

But I also can use these tickets to keep them in line while, oh, say, having to shop for summer clothes with all three kids in tow. "You keep playing hide and seek in the racks, and that's going to cost you 10 tickets!" Boom. Angels. And if they are extra helpful and go above and beyond, they earn bonus tickets! Helping with little Lena (2) has earned Finn (9) and Maya (7) quite a few tickets to pad their envelopes. We even have a Friday Toy Chest where they can choose a 5 Ticket Toy from a treasure bin (thank you Dollar Store). It's the perfect motivation to keep everyone on track this summer!

What's working for YOU?

Lyndsay Johnson is a stay/work/play-at-home-mom to three littles. She is a graphic designer, author, and beauty maven who helps women gain confidence and grow their business through social media. She loves secret naps, watching movies in the dark, and admiring the mountains out her window. She lives in Heber City, UT with her children and filmmaker husband.

Lyndsay’s Blog: www.lyndsayjohnson.com

Lyndsay’s Beauty Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1615220915368450/

Q: Queen

Are you the Queen of your castle? You should be. The answer is, Yes you are!

It's Q day, and I want to celebrate all the housewives out there - women married to their families, no matter the status, even single women who take care of their homes. This blog is for us all! And here is my salutatory poem for you!



The Queen of the House

The caregiver, the meal maker, the mess cleaner,
The grime gouger, the organizer, the bill payer,
The homework helper, the etiquette exampler, the punishment doler,
The primary diaper changer, the boo-boo kisser,
The frantic worrier, the tough-love sufferer, the chore distributor,
The praise extoller, the great embarrasser, the proud crower,
The never-enough-hugger, the number one encourager, the safety-net holder,
The best face-(speaks-louder-than-words)-maker,
The last resort picker-upper, the insect warrior, the menace protector,
The dog walker, the main driver, the overtime-practice waiter,
The healthy talker, the outside sender, the video-time monitor,
The school lunch preparer, the deal no-taker, the excuse disclaimer,
The dress code enforcer, the problem fixer, the wrong-done denouncer,
The tear wiper, the silent bystander, the when-necessary blame taker,
The self-sacrificer, the last-in-line taker, the first defender,
The love bestower, the kind-but-firm discipliner, the reassurer,
The nest nudger, the advice distributor, the final decider,
The go-to, smartest-in-the-land, all-knowing, all-seeing, making-magic-happen
QUEEN OF THE HOUSE!

Every woman out there is the Queen of the House - and we deserve the utmost respect! Here at the RRHA, our goal is to help each other be the best Queens of the House we can be!

I bet you could add something to the list and I'd love to hear it!

You can visit other blogs from the A to Z challenge HERE.

Versatile Kid-friendly Fish Tacos

Too many cooks spoil the soup is accurate, though if I had girls, I might feel differently about it.

My dinner strategy...
I try to make dinner at least 4 times a week (sports schedules are too crazy so we eat out sometimes...) At least 2 nights I try to make a nice big meal and the other 2 are less fancy, easy favorites - but all include fruit, veg, protein, and filler (carbs) - with 3 teenage boys + the hub, they need filler (I usually don't eat it and they don't know why... oh, boys)

Here's one of my easy day recipes...

FISH TACOS!
Ingredients:
Fish - frozen, grilled or breaded, depends on the kids
Tortillas - soft taco flour is what we use
CHIPOTLE MAYO - love this condiment!
Add-ons - lettuce, tomato, cheese?

Cook fish, spread mayo and fill the tortillas. Quick & easy yum!

Suggested Sides - can go inside or outside tacos - spanish rice, refried beans, sour cream, guac, salsa, also good as nachos - we love Mexican night!

VARIATIONS (instead of fish):
Chicken Strips
Popcorn Shrimp
Boneless Wings
etc

Then there's also...
FISH DOGS or BURGERS, et al - use hot dog/hamburger buns instead of tortillas and change up the condiments and sides

Hold on! What about Italian?
Put protein of choice on rolls or garlic bread, spread with marinara, sprinkle with parmesan or mozzarella - BAM! Italian Sliders!

So I really gave you, like 25 recipes! I'm the Mistress of Improv when it comes to dinner! Enjoy!