August 15, 2006
The Monthly Organizer
September 2006
Monthly Motivation
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that's why they call it "the present."Live each day to its fullest potential!
Monthly Organization Tip
September is back to school time and it can be difficult getting back into the "morning rush" routine. Here is a tip to make getting ready for the first day of school (and every morning) run smoothly.When my brother and I were kids we would get very excited about the first day of a brand new school year. My mom decided to tap into our enthusiasm to maker her life a little easier. The night before that first big day we would carefully select the clothes that we were going to wear and make "a person."
We would lay the clothes out on our bedroom floors, tucking the shirt into the pants, putting the belt through the beltloops and buckling it, tucking the socks into the pantlegs and then into the shoes. When we were done it looked like a flat person laying on the floor. We had so much fun making our flat people that we didn't even realize that our mother was relishing in the thought that there would be no struggles to get us dressed the next morning!
You could also invite the kids into the kitchen with you (which is always a great idea) and have them help you make their lunch the night before. Pack the lunches into the lunchboxes and place them on the counter or in the refrigerator. Turn this into a nightly routine. While you are cleaning up after dinner the kids can make their lunches. Not only does this help with the morning routine, but it provides your children with much-needed responsbility and also gives you all some more quality time together in the kitchen.
Choosing what they will eat for breakfast can be fun too. Before going to bed they can each set their own place setting at the table with whatever dishes and utensils will be needed for their breakfast of choice.
Unwrapping brand new school supplies is always fun. Have your kids pack up their backpacks before going to bed and place them by the door.
Get your kids involved in the preparations. They will move like well-oiled machines when they have made all the decisions for themselves the night before!
Even if you do not have children, back to school can slow down your morning routine because of the added traffic on the roads. So be aware of back-to-school time and get going a little earlier to avoid being late.
Money Saving Tip
Produce is always less expensive when it is in season. Keep your eyes peeled at the grocery store for the Fall produce, like apples, carrots, squash and pumpkins to arrive.Begin to transition your meals to include more of these items. It will help save money at the supermarket and give you the freshest ingredients possible.
Recipe of the Month
I love to bake - especially in the Fall after a trip to the pick-your-own apple orchard, but I have yet to make a pie crust that I am happy with. This was a problem...until my new sister-in-law came along and shared her family's recipe with me.If you love pie, but find making the perfect pie crust a little tricky, here is a delicious recipe for deep dish apple pie you simply must try. You won't miss the crust at all!
Ingredients:
Fill a deep dish pie plate 3/4 of the way full with apples.
Mix the cinnamon and 1 1/2 Tblsp of sugar together and sprinkle over apples. Melt the butter, add egg, flour and nuts and pour over apples.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes
Enjoy!
September Entertaining Idea
September means Labor Day and Labor Day means the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall. So it's out with the beachballs and in with the footballs. Why not have some fun with that idea and turn your Labor Day celebration into a competition.Mix and match your dinnerware and decorations. Try the Beachball and Football designs from Birthday in a Box.
You can order all of your party supplies, including the invitations, from the comfort of your own home and they will show up on your doorstep in about a week. What could be easier?
Have your guests choose which team they would like to be on - beachballs or footballs and then play some games to see which team wins.
Have some fun with it!
You could have a football throwing contest to see who can throw a football the farthest.
You could have a beachball race where each player would place a beachball between their knees while they run. The first person to the finish line without dropping their beachball wins for their team.
Play a game of "beach volleyball" using a beachball or just have a good old fashioned game of football.
For more tips like these, visit my website at:
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