September Monthly Newsletter
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I
absolutely love this time of the year. You cannot find me in a bad mood from
September to December 26th.
It’s the crispy air, the pumpkin…everything, the apple and cinnamon
scents, the scarves and the best of all…I get my schedule back! I love having
my daughter home. I love to spend time with her, go to the beach, the warm
summer nights, and everything about summer - except the lack of routine. So my
life has gone full swing into being organized, efficient, and I got my groove
back. So I have had a hard time deciding what to put in this month’s
newsletter, because I could have written a book. I hope you enjoy this as much
as I do!
Organization
Idea of the Month
Do you remember the old
commercial when the owl answered the lifelong question, “How many licks does it
take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?” That is exactly how I feel when I
have to look through my daughter’s folder every day after school. “How many
papers does it take to get to the inside of the folder?” If it’s not
yesterday’s homework, it’s her class work. If it’s not her class work, it’s her
art. If it’s not her art, it’s a reminder of upcoming events…and the list can
go on and on. So you need to have a system, a system that works for you and
that will save some of their memories. Keep this in mind, procrastinated
decisions = clutter. So don’t wait! Here are some staples to staying on top of
it; also, I will leave you with 3 options for your child’s art work.
·
Have
a place for your monthly school calendar and your lunch menu on the fridge or
your calendar.
·
Look
at teacher notes immediately and deal with them that minute.
·
Keep
a pin up board or a folder of all the projects that are ongoing and spelling
lists.
·
Join
the school’s PTA. You may be asking, “How does that help me stay organized?”
Well, going to a monthly meeting for an hour can enlighten you of papers your
child “forgot” to bring home. A meeting can also help you prepare for the upcoming
events that you don’t get notified of, and what to expect the next year when
your child is in the next grade up. Without those meetings I would have had NO
IDEA what was going on in the school.
What can you do
with the constant flow of art? I have touched on this subject many times.
However I see many times it’s a problem still in homes. So, I will give more
options.
1. A portable
filer. Purchase a portable boxed filer at staples. Add in dividers and have
each grade level be a divider. Add in only enough to fill one. You can allow
your child to pick out their own art they want to keep! However you need to
train them to pick one a week or skip a week and pick out 2 another week.
2. A scrapbook.
Purchase a scrapbook and insert the beautiful art your child has made thru the
year into a page, by the end of the year you will have a scrapbook with no
effort! Label the front with the child’s name and grade level.
3. A frame.
Purchase a large frame next time they go on sale. And rotate the art in it,
seasonally, weekly, or yearly with a favorite picture you think they put the
extra hard work into. Your child will be so proud to not see it up on the
fridge, but in a frame on the wall for all to see.
Cleaning
Idea of the Month
Our
company does a great job at cleaning. And a constant conversation we have at the
company meetings is that our staff wants to go above and beyond. They want to
clean the closets, or move the furniture, or any random thing your home needs
that day. It is difficult for them to just do what they need to do and not
everything else. For that I am proud of them. However this being a constant
discussion I have asked what is one of the things you wish you had time to
clean. And one of the responses was the shower heads. They would love to clean them
however they need special attention. So next time you shower take a glance. Is
it a straight stream? Is it weak? Is there rust or build up? If so take 1/3 cup
of baking soda, 1 cup of vinegar and put in it a zip lock bag and let it do its
small explosion. When it has calmed take the bag and wrap it around the shower
head and get a bread bag tie and tie the bag on the shower head. And leave it
there overnight. The next morning remove it and turn on the hot water and let
it run for about 5 minutes.
Craft of the Month
Simple craft if
you have a sewing machine! To make a reusable sandwich bag!
1. I cut two 12" squares
of fabric. I then took a large zip-lock bag I had been using in the kitchen,
and cut it open down one side and along the bottom. I opened it out and cut a
12" square out of it also.
2. With the right sides of the fabric facing, and the plastic pinned in between them, I sewed around three sides of the squares, and along 2/3 of the fourth side. Using that gap, I turned the fabric inside out, so that now the plastic was on the outside. I folded the edges of the open seam inwards and sewed up the gap on the machine, and then sewed just inside the seam on all four sides so that it all sits flat.
3. Then I sewed small pieces of the Velcro onto the opposite corners of the wrap, two on the inside and two on the outside.
2. With the right sides of the fabric facing, and the plastic pinned in between them, I sewed around three sides of the squares, and along 2/3 of the fourth side. Using that gap, I turned the fabric inside out, so that now the plastic was on the outside. I folded the edges of the open seam inwards and sewed up the gap on the machine, and then sewed just inside the seam on all four sides so that it all sits flat.
3. Then I sewed small pieces of the Velcro onto the opposite corners of the wrap, two on the inside and two on the outside.
Perfect! 1 reusable sandwich bag that you will love!
Healthy Idea of the Month
With so much produce to eat, do you know how to
store it? I mean not the way you were taught, but what is the actual healthy
way to store?
Apples: Store in the refrigerator to keep crisp for
three to four weeks or store outside of the refrigerator in a cool, dry place
to keep crisp for about one week. Tip: You want to store apples in the
refrigerator in a plastic bag.
Citrus (grapefruits, oranges, etc.): Store in
the refrigerator to keep fresh for two weeks, or store at room temperature to
keep fresh for seven to 10 days. Because citrus fruits have a tougher skin,
they will last longer than most other fruits. Tip: Lemons and limes have
a shorter shelf life, only two weeks in the refrigerator.
Grapes: Store grapes in a plastic bag in the
refrigerator for up to two weeks. Grapes also have a bloom, so it’s best not to
wash them until you’re ready to eat them.
Pears: Store unripe pears at room temperature for
approximately five days. Once ripe, refrigerate for up to a week. Tip:
To check for ripeness, check the “neck” right next to the stem for a slight
softness. If you want to speed up ripening, put pears in a paper bag.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes should be stored in a cool, dry place
and enjoyed within a week once they’re fragrant and soft to the touch. You want
to avoid refrigerating tomatoes because it puts the fruit into cold shock and
inhibits the taste. Tip: Avoid storing them in plastic, because the
trapped ethylene will cause them to ripen more quickly.
Root Vegetables (onions, potatoes, etc.): Store in a
cool, dry place—ideally in an open basket away from the oven. While most last
approximately a month, baby potatoes have a shorter shelf life of about 10
days. Tip: Keep these items away from light, which causes them to sprout
and turn green.
Mushrooms: They should be stored in
their packaging in the refrigerator and used within five to seven days. Like
other produce, mushrooms will perish faster if they’re pre-sliced.
Bell Peppers: Refrigerate peppers for up to
two weeks or store them at room temperature to keep fresh for about a week.
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