I love the green grass, flowers, and sunshine that come with spring; the hillsides look like green velvet, and it makes me so thankful for where God is allowing me to live.
Springtime is an excellent opportunity to teach our children thankfulness for the beauty that God brings to us. Take time to go for a walk together, and smell the flowers and watch and listen to the birds. You can share how God makes all things different, and it takes all these things to make up the wonderful world God created.
Spring always means an increase in activity in our homes. Is it the same for you?
Here are some household tips.
Courtesy of Crew
SPRING CLEANING TIPS
- The task of sorting clothes for the new season won’t seem so big if you do it, one child, at a time. Each week clean out one child’s drawers and closet when you’re putting away the clean laundry.
- Give the kids tasks to help with the cleaning out, even if it’s just holding a bag for you while you put outgrown clothes in it. You can talk with them about giving them clothes to a cousin or someone in need.
- Sort the toys. You may be able to put away some of the indoor toys and focus more on outdoor toys at this time of the year. Again, do one child at a time, enlisting their help and using the opportunity to thank God for what He has given them and to ask God to show them who might need the things they have outgrown or no longer use.
Courtesy of Leonie Wise
ONCE -A –MONTH COOKING PLAN
When my daughter was in dance classes, it seemed the only night we were free was Sunday. On other nights, finding time to fix dinner was always a challenge. After my daughter had graduated high school, I found the book “ Once-a-Month Cooking.” by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth
Lagerborg. I wish I would have found it sooner! The plan involves making a shopping list for either a two-week or a four-week menu plan, and then shopping one day and preparing your meals the next. You may think that you don’t have enough freezer space to do this, but the meals are frozen in resealable plastic bags and don’t take up much space. You write the name of the dish and baking instructions on the bag, so when mealtime comes you simply take the food out of the freezer, thaw it, and bake according to the directions. This is such a brilliant idea! With busy family schedules… not having to think about what to cook each night and do all of the preparation really saves time. And you will have so few dishes to do! I’ve always hated doing the dishes!
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Plan your dinners by writing down a menu for the entire week.
- Fix meals ahead of time and put them in the freezer.
- Barbecue extra pieces of chicken or steak to use in the main dish the next night.
- Cook rice or pasta for more than one meal at a time, and reheat in the microwave when you need it (both rice and
pasta freeze well after being cooked).
- Use a slow cooker and a rice cooker.
- Keep basic food in your cupboards, such as canned beans, rice, and pasta, for quick meals.
Something fun to consider is getting three or four moms together to have a weekly or monthly cooking date. One mom babysits for all the kids while the others make up the meals, including meals for the one caring for the children. The next week or month a different mom babysits. It can be a fun time!
Happy Spring Cleaning!
XOXO,
Sandra Maddox
