Monday, January 31, 2011

Making a BIG mess or just stretching their collaborative muscles?




How is it that our kids can get into the biggest messes when they are together? My husband and I were just talking recently about how different our boys can be when they are together than when they are apart. They are so much less devious, when they are playing on their own. I'm no saint here, either. If you talk to my mother, she can quickly recount the top-five greatest disasters in our home — at the hands of me and my older brother.

You know what I'm talking about... There are those days when they make those really BIG messes — when things were just a little too quiet. At first, you are mildly pleased that they are playing so nicely together. 

No fighting. No yelling. Ah, life is good. 

Then, your optimism turns to skepticism, as you begin to suspect that they're probably making one of those big disasters. So, you take those brisk steps to the room, say a little prayer, take a deep breath, and open the door. Either you'll laugh or cry at the discovery. Hopefully, you can get to the laughing before crying; but you get the idea.

A few weeks ago, I had an epiphany about these crazy times. Yes, they seem to get in bigger messes, when they work together. In reality, they are beginning to learn how to collaborate. This is not a bad thing. This is a very important life skill. Being able to work well with others is crucial for group projects in school or college, and many companies are looking for people that can work well on their own and in a group. We've all seen the job postings. They include phrasing, such as: must work well in team environment or work well in a group.

I can now see how this has applied to my own childhood. There were definitely times, as I was growing up with three brothers, that I didn't think I could get along with all of them. However, those struggles helped to lay the foundation of dealing with different personalities in a group setting. 

Now, don't get me wrong... I am NOT encouraging my kids to make huge messes in the name of collaboration. This insight just gave me a little more patience in cleaning up their masterpieces. I also want to find ways activities for them to work together — constructively. 

Most of us have heard the old adage, "Many hands make much work light." There are several variations of this, but our kids seem to pick this up naturally, albeit it can be pretty frustrating at times. I just have to remember that they are developing life-long skills, and it is my job as a parent to harness and steer it in the right direction. What an honor!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Foodie Friday: Rolled Oats

Welcome to the first-ever "Foodie Friday" at Almost on Purpose!

My goal for "Foodie Friday" is to share an ingredient or recipe tip that can be used in more than one way. Today, we are exploring the wide world of... rolled oats. This isn't anything new... just away to cut down on buying multiple types of oats.




I'm sure many of you know that there are a several ways to buy oats in the grocery store. Here are the two most common: rolled/old fashioned oats or quick oats. Quick oats are just lightly ground rolled oats. The easiest way I know how to make quick oats is to use a food processor.
  1. Put the desired about of rolled oats into your food processor.
  2. Pulse a few times until oats begin to break up.
  3. Measure out the amount of home-processed quick oats.
It seems that my rolled oats take up more volume than the quick oats, so I have to put in a little more oats in the food processor than I think I need.

Reminder... to get the most out of your oats, store them in an airtight container. My tupperware lady, Grace, has her modular mates on sale for 40% off. That was a shameless plug for her. (I'm not being compensated in any way... just wanted to pass along the info).

Next time you have a recipe that calls for quick oats, just use your rolled oats.


Favorite recipes with rolled oats

Mock Great Harvest Bread Company Chocolate Chip Cookies (no white sugar)

Peanut butter chocolate baked oatmeal. This freezes well. You'll want to put the leftovers away right away because it is so tasty.

Plus, I like to put 2 Tbsp of rolled oats into one batch of any baked goods' recipes or pancakes. It just gives them a little more substance.

Do you have a favorite recipe or tip for oats? Please share.



Reference material: Here's a great post all about oats from one of my fav food bloggers. Those of you that want a more whole-foods option, steel-cut oats are the way to go. We're still on our journey to cooking with whole foods and haven't taken this plunge yet.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Keeping it together

I've always had a passion for office and school supplies. When I was in school, my palms would get sweaty at the thought of school supply shopping — all the binders, pens, calendars, and page protectors. I still get giddy over school-supply season, mainly because of the great deals. My kids don't go through a ton of supplies yet, but you can't beat the prices: name brand products at a huge discount. My local Target store had Crayola crayons for $0.25. I bought several packs, and they've worked great as an addition to a birthday gift or just a fresh supply to our crayon box. My favorite office/school supply is the 3-ring binder. Couple a binder with a few page protectors and dividers with pockets, and you get an amazing resource!



There is no written job description or performance plan for being a mom and homemaker. No one told me that being a mom requires a broad skill set: Arbitration, project management, time management, sanitation expert, supply-chain management, entrepreneur, event planner, educator, and the list goes on. At times, I can feel disorganized; and the binders help me wrangle all my projects, shopping lists, tasks, budgets, and ideas.

Keep in mind that my home isn't perfect. The process isn't perfect.

And I'm OK with that.

It is always a work in progress, and I love that! There is always room for reflection and improvement.

I've never considered myself to be a scrapbooker. In a way, my binders are like scrapbooks. Instead of capturing past memories, they are organizing current events in my life. When a project is completed, it becomes a reference document for future projects. I can see what worked and, most importantly, what did not work.

When I'm not interested in preparing for a new project or packing up my family for a trip, my friends and family ask, "Have you started your binder yet?" I know most of them are teasing me. Ultimately, it makes me realize that I'm not motivated because I have not started a binder for the task. Even a folder with prongs will do... just something to get the creative juices flowing.

Here are just a few of my favorite uses:

Recipes. Instead of keeping all those magazines of recipe ideas, just cut them out and slip them into the pocket of the binder. If it's a "keeper" recipe, put it in a page protector and store it in the rings. Plus, the page protector keeps the recipe clean from the inevitable spill. Maybe I'm just a really messy cook, but I've saved so many papers from the meeting its doom — a sauce.

Vacation Planning. Yes, I am a crazy vacation planner. I still blame this on my Dad. I was the annoying "Are we there yet?" child, so he gave me a map and made me his navigator. The rest is history. Since marrying my husband 9 years ago, I am beginning to let go of all my crazy schedules for vacation. Admitting you have a problem is a first step to recover, right? My older brother nearly passed out recently, when I told that I'd just "wing it" on the dinner plans for a beach trip. Albeit, I didn't completely "wing" the dinner plans, but I was able to enjoy the little moments better.

Since my parents have moved away, we frequently make trips to see them. The travel plans are typically the same, so I just reuse the same binder for each trip. I make notes from each trip about what rest stop was better or what gas station NEVER to visit again. It makes each trip that much easier the next time because I have the same packing list from the last trip. Plus, I like to collect coupons from the local restaurants and can keep them all in one place.

Big purchases (car or home). When car shopping, I've found that if I bring a small 3-ring binder, the sales people tend to not give me a sales pitch. Some will try. But I just show them their own online ad, and then they comply. I make a separate divider for each model and then include printouts or notes of each. I'm showing them that I've done my price shopping, and I don't need the "run around." This is, of course, because I have gone in unprepared and bought a car that I should not have (we're still paying for it). Alas, I digress.

For buying a home, you know there are many different tasks, inspections, plot drawings, and deliveries to be scheduled. The binder just keeps me focused and sane. I still keep the binder and contents for our home purchase over 6 years ago. I can't tell you how many times I have had to refer back to it.

Coupons. I've found that everyone has a unique way to organize their coupons. I use a combination of sheet protectors (for my current shopping list, store flyers, and restaurant coupons), dividers (for categories), and baseball card protectors (for the individual coupons).

Home improvement projects. Keeping up with ideas, colors, finishes, phone numbers, and estimates can be pretty crazy. When I've put them all into a binder, it gives me a sense of control over a few things and prevents me from overbuying when we visit the home-improvement store.

Lesson plans. This is an area I am still trying to improve. I've been jotting down notes, ideas, and plans for our first "official" homeschool year next year — kindergarten. However, I feel like I've been waffling. I think I just need to compile a list of the various ideas and cirriculum, so I can get a better handle on it.

Work. As a ballet teacher and children's church volunteer, I have to keep a binder for each. My lesson plans for all my ballet classes can get crazy unless I make a concerted effort to create a development plan for each class. When my mind is swimming with ideas for a class that week, I just refer back to my binder and look at my plan to narrow down my options. For children's church, we are always working on the next play or production. The binder helps me keep track of the details.

Home Journal. This has to be my new favorite use. I can't take credit for it. It's another one of those common-sense tips I've gleaned from The Fly Lady. It's a central location for my daily tasks, menu plans, important dates (birthdays, anniversaries, car inspection dates, renewals, bill due dates, etc), and important numbers.

What tips do you have for staying organized in your home or job?

Monday, January 24, 2011

Broken crayons. We all have them.



I was cleaning up the school room-office-dining room yesterday and ran across another handful of broken crayons.

My response? Oh, goody, more broken crayons!! No sarcasm. Honest!

About three years ago, I met an occupational therapist that gave me some great ideas for helping toddlers and preschoolers. She said that broken crayons are a true treasure, seriously.

Here's the scoop. Contrary to my intuition, little hands really do need little crayons. If you ever watch a toddler or preschooler try to use the jumbo crayons, the only way they can hold it is to make a fist around it. They even struggle with a regular size crayon, until you give them a broken crayon. The only way they can hold a broken crayon is to put it between their index finger and thumb.... like holding a pencil. This occupational therapist said that she uses crayons for elementary students that struggle with properly holding a pencil. So smart!

Here's a picture of my youngest son. I gave him the full crayon, and this is how he grabbed it and began coloring.



At first, I didn't really believe her; so I tried it on my oldest son, who was two at the time. Whadayaknow... it actually worked! Until then, he never really enjoyed coloring. Now, this skill has helped him as we are now transitioning to writing with a pencil. He doesn't even try to hold it with his fist. So cool!

The next picture is my younger son, again. This is at the same coloring session. This is how he holds a broken crayon.



For my younger son (who likes things "just so") used to get quite upset with having broken crayons. So, we just take the wrappers off and turn those into a sorting game. How so? Most of us have muffin/cupcake tins, right? Well, I gave him a pile of broken crayons and helped him sort the crayons by color or by size. He loved taking the crayons in and out and in and out of the tins.

This game has been a favorite of my boys because it's not a typical toy. You know how it goes: kids would rather play with a pot and spoon rather than the billions of toys piled up in their room. One bit of advice, I would put a few pieces of paper under or nearby, in case they get the urge to start coloring.

So, broken crayons don't really have to go in the trash. Just unwrap them (this can be fun for little fingers and is a great fine motor-skill developer) and have fun!

I've also seen other bloggers suggest melting down the crayons to make into new ones. Just put broken, unwrapped crayons into a lined muffin tin and melt at a low temperature (lowest oven setting). When they are melted, don't stir! Let them cool and pop them out of the paper liner. The circle shape is fun to hold, too.  

Happy coloring!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Chicken. No really, the whole chicken

As you know, I look am always look for ways to be thrifty and purposeful with my purchases. So far, I've found that purchasing a whole chicken is — by far — the most thrifty and useful. Obviously, I am not turning over any new, culinary rocks or documenting some new amazing use for the chicken. Instead, I just want to share the bounty that I see available to us in the cheaply-priced meat of the "whole chicken." Don't get me wrong, I often like the convenience of the boneless, skinless chicken breast. However, we are clearly paying a high price for this convenience.

While I am not yet able to consistently cook with free-range chickens, I am taking baby steps to cook more wholesome meals from stratch without the added preservatives from canned or boxed items.

Here's what I typically get out of a whole chicken (for 2 adults and two small children):
  • 2 dinners with chicken as the star (includes two vegetable sides)
  • 1 dinner with chicken in the casserole
  • Chicken stock for 1 pot of soup
  • About 3 cups of chicken stock to use for other purposes
I've also recently started saving the rendered chicken fat. Some call this a traditional, healthy fat. I have used it to saute veggies. I'm still doing more research on this, but it's exciting to find an inexpensive way to saute (olive oil can get pretty expensive).

That's at least 4 meals! If I find a super deal on whole chickens, like $$0.88/lb, a 6-pound chicken only costs $5.28. Now, picture that against buying separate packages of chicken for each meal or several cartons of chicken stock.

Obviously, as my boys get bigger (and we add more babies to our family), we'll have to purchase more chickens; but you get the idea.

How it's done
First, you'll need to decide how you want to use your chicken first. If you just want the breasts for grilling, you can carve them off the raw chicken. Please be patient and kind to yourself, as it does take quite a bit of practice to get all the meat off the bone. Yes, I speak from experience! Haha!!

Typically, I'll roast the chicken for the first meal, saving the drippings to make gravy. Remember to save the inards to add to your stock.

While carving the cooked chicken, I'll also put the next batches of chicken into the fridge (if I'll use it in a day or two) or the freezer (for a meal later in the month). It's nice to have cooked chicken ready to go.

My next tip, save the bones and carcass!! This is how you make chicken stock. Rather than go into a lot of detail about making stock (from bones) or broth (from fresh meat), I'll point you to some of my favorite places:
Storage options for stock
I like to store my broth in canning jars and screw-top lids and store in the freezer. I also put 3 cups of stock into ice cube trays. Once they are frozen, I pop them out of the freezer trays and into a labeled ziptop freezer bag. This way, they are exactly 1 ounce each, making it easy to put just a little broth into a sauce.

Do you have a favorite trick or way to prepare a whole chicken?

Friday, January 14, 2011

The kitchen timer: not just for cooking

The kitchen timer—typically a kitchen tool—has the potential for many uses in everyday life.


Here's my list of obvious and not-so obvious uses for the timer:
  • It keeps me from forgetting about dinner in the oven.
  • When cleaning, it keeps me focused on one task at a time... thanks, Fly Lady!
  • It's also a great mediator... for two little boys that don't want to share a toy. Mommy can say, "When the timer goes off, it's your turn to play with the truck." See... Mommy isn't always the bad guy.
  • It's a personal trainer... it makes me continue those crunches just.a.little.longer!
  • It's a time-out referee. Yes, we've all been there.
  • Now, it's also a give-all-my-attention-to-my-kids timer. 

Like most moms, I can feel like I am being pulled in every direction: clean dishes, fold laundry, read stories, plan meals, go to the store, make breakfast/lunch/dinner, take a shower (maybe not always in that order), and the list goes on. With all these tasks, I also need to let my kids know that they are important to me, as well. Just being at home with them does not express my love. Yes, preschoolers are not as dependent as a newborn. However, they still need that "face time"—the eye-to-eye contact and constant conversation that we give newborns and babies. There is just something so special about looking my kids in the eyes and talking and playing with them. Here, I use the timer to set aside time in my day just to focus on them — just for 15 minutes or so.

I've heard some people equate kids' emotional needs to a tank that needs to be filled. By giving them undivided attention, we are filling up that tank with love. Let me give you some background, when my youngest son was almost two, he was becoming very clingy. I love that he loves to snuggle and cherish every second of it. The problem came when I could not get anything done. It wasn't that I didn't spend anytime with him because I DID! When I first heard about "filling their tank with love," I was a bit insulted. I thought to myself, "Don't you see me attending to his every whimper?!" Then, I tried it, and I began to see a difference in his level of clinginess... it was working. We still have our snuggle time early in the morning. Plus, my older son, who plays well on his own, is not getting less time with me because of his brother's clinginess.

What does this face-time look like? For me, it changes a little with their age. Keep in mind that I have two very active boys. At 1 and 2 years, it was kisses and tickles, singing silly songs (looking in their eyes), and rolling on the floor. At 3, they still need the kisses but more pretend play and flipping. At 4 and 5, making up silly sounds and songs together, creating imaginary worlds, and giving piggy-back rides. This is more than just reading a story or creating a craft project, which should be done throughout the day. I'm talking about looking into your kids' eyes and saying, "I love you!" And then playing with them. 

When I set the timer, I let them know that this is just for them and no one else. I then follow it with, "When the timer goes off, Mommy needs to <fill in the blank with check on the laundry, make the beds... just something small>." When the timer does beep or ring, wind up your playtime. I find that if I keep it really busy for that whole time, they will be ready play on their own. I can now tell when they are running low and need another 15 minutes. Of course, 15 minutes is just a guideline. Every child is different. The point is to give them undivided attention.

I am a recovering perfectionist, and I am learning that not every task has to be perfectly scheduled and executed. With that said, I still have issues being spontaneous. Just being honest. With the timer, I am giving myself permission to be goofy with them. Just to put my "go with the flow" family and friends at ease, I do not schedule exactly what time each day these "face time" activities take place. That would be silly! Instead, I often do this early in the morning and several other times throughout the day, when the kids need it. See... I can be somewhat spontaneous. And, yes, I am laughing at myself right now!

So, let's give them 15 minutes of our time... just for them! No dishes, no phones, no computer, just them. When you think about it, it's not that much time. You will be astonished at the difference it makes in you and your child's behavior. My kids play independently for half an hour to an hour afterward. This is not the getting-into-trouble type of independent play. They are actually playing with their toys or coloring on their own. I have found that they don't have the need to get into a mess... just to get my attention. Disclaimer: my kids DO make messes, especially with toilet paper!! This just helps reduce some of the destruction. 


Give it a try and let me know how it works for you. If you already do this, what other tips do you have?

Disclaimer: The suggestions in this post are only my opinions, drawn from my personal experiences. I am not a professional behaviorist or counselor.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Adapting card games for preschoolers

So, I'm slowly recovering from vacation and looking forward to sharing all my thoughts and ideas.

While at Target the other day, I came across a set of UNO® cards for $1 as a celebration of their 40th anniversary in 2011. Um, how could I pass up that deal? So I didn't. This was perfect timing. While on vacation, my mom and I were thinking of a way to introduce my boys to card games. There had to be a way to use UNO cards, without buying a kids version (that they'd outgrow soon).



I have so many fond memories of playing card games with my family, laughing at our lack of luck and munching on popcorn. Plus, it's a great way to encourage good sportsmanship, of which my boys are extremely strong competitors; and I desire to teach them to be gracious winners and losers. One of the other main reasons is that boys can't sit still and learn for very long. They need to be moving and active, so I am always looking for ways to combine learning and movement, like hands-on learning.

Our Game
Here's what I came up with (my boys are 3 and 5, so you can adapt as you see fit)

(1) Remove the Skip, Draw Two, Reverse, and Wild cards.
(2) Deal out 5 cards, face up to each player.
(3) Place remaining cards in a pile and flip over one card next to the pile.
(4) Start the game.



Each player had to match the color or number on the pile. I talked through and encouraged them through each step until they got the idea. If a player didn't have a card that matched the color or number, they could draw one card and put it in their row (or use it if it matched).

There were times that none of us could play and had to draw cards. This is where a wild card would be helpful, but they were just fine drawing cards. Each game does not last very long, which is a must for preschoolers. With some prompting, they are having fun shouting, "UNO"!

This went so well, that I am looking forward to playing some classics like "Go Fish." So, in the end, I was able to give them a fun matching game at little cost. Many of you likely have the game at home already, so this could be free. I like FREE!

Other Variations
I think this could work for a little younger than 3 for just colors. They may not complely grasp the idea of taking turns, so you may need to do this one-on-one. You may have to "stack the deck" a bit to make this work.
(1) Just lay out two cards in front of your child, face up.
(2) Supply another card (that matches one of your child's card) and ask them to put the matches together. If they are recognizing numbers now, you could certainly match the numbers, as well.

What was your favorite childhood card game or board game? I'd love to hear your stories.