Treasured Memories

I want to do more than just raise my children.  I want to instill in them a true sense of belonging, feeling appreciated  and understanding thier heritage.  I guess that's why I love scrapbooking and photography as much as I do.  I want to remember, and I want them to remember. 

This particular project started after my daughter's First Communion when I had her dress cleaned and asked for it to be boxed.  Apparently, the only boxes were for wedding dresses and too big for her little Size 6 dress and gloves.  I kept an eye out & found these beautiful boxes at Marshall's. 

I've since seen them at a few other stores like Home Goods and Tuesday Morning. They came in sizes which made me think of the other items I'd been saving. {baptismal outfits, precious silver gifts, baby book and hand/footprint set}  All of those things she will cherish as an adult and share with  her own children.  On a separate trip I found the coordinating journal.  I began with a note to her and have continued to journal weekly about all my special memories of her.. holding her as a newborn and the way she sucked her two middle fingers instead of her thumb.  As I remember things I sit down and document {in my own handwriting, which I think is meaningful}.  This way, she can not only have the items but the memories to go with them and to share.  I was fortunate enough that both of my grandmothers' and my great-grandmother journaled and I that I have had the chance to sit & read about thier childhood and what thier parents were like. 
What a gift!




 

I am currently on the search for boxes for the boys.

Wish Me Luck-

Have a wonderful day!

What's for Supper?

Anyone else hear this phrase in thier sleep?  Problem...planning a meal, buying the ingredients, start cooking and oops.....someone ate the last of one of the ingredients.  We tried over time different ways to "let me know when something ran out" but we're talking about teenage boys here.   That's when I happened to stumble upon a magazine with the best idea ever....pantry baskets.  They used them for baking goods, which I did also...and lunch snacks...and bags of chips and......then the light bulb went off.   Meal planning!!!  I picked these up at my favorite Tuesday Morning (We are not short of them in Richmond, so only finding two at each store just meant a few stops but I really liked the open front on these and the handles on top keep them from coming off the shelf and at $5.99 a great deal.  Each pantry will differ though so find the one's that best suits yours.  Attach days of the week~ I used cardstock and clips but you can get creative.

The key is to decide what to make before your trip to the store.  If you use Epicurious for recipies, the have an easy print off shopping list which helps decide what you have and what you need.   I stack dry ingredients and throw the recipe card right in to the basket.  GOLDEN RULE...anything in the baskets is off limits.  Of course perishables will still need to be stocked and checked.  Meats are kept frozen, so not an issue and I've never known a teenager to take the last carrot or head of lettuce.  

I've even thrown in foil for the grill or aluminum pans for casseroles if I know it's going to be a crazy night and clean-up needs to be quick.  It's not fool proof but it sure has helped keep me from making too many trips to the grocery store.   You can always trade nights too if you have a craving on a certain day, just move the basket and switch the tags. 

So, What's for supper Mom?

To Be Sorted

There should be limits to the amount of mail delivered to any one mailbox in a week.  Sometimes it's hard to tell what's junk and important and I've found myself hording mail around the house in an attempts to not repeat throwing an escrow check away...oops~  My husband "the minimalist" cannot stand stacks of paper and for me...out of sight sometimes means out of mind.  Working it into the decor was tough but this beautiful wicker tote sitting next to my favorite chair lets me reach down in the evening and grab a few things to sort while hanging out watching television.  I feel productive, the mail gets sorted easily and the kids and hubby have my presence. 

That works for all of us~ Thanks for stopping by!

Put a Lid on It!

Agree to disagree~ that's what happened when "MY" way of storing plastics {assembled and stacked according to size} did not play well in the sandbox with "HIS" way of storing plastics {total randomness}

....UNTIL.  "HE" had a great idea.  One must give credit where credit is due. It went something like this ~ 

"You know all that basket stuff you got going on around here?

..why don't you put the containers in one, and the tops in the other?" 

 Since my mother always reminds me to be thankful for having a husband that actually helps cook, clean and take care of the kids,  I had to say although not "MY" way, it certainly was a good way.  It was also much less labor intensive when putting them away.  Open the doors, throw them in the baskets and close.  Take it a step further and buy the sets where all the lids match all the containers. Agree to agree.

 Kudos to all you great husbands out there!