Using Time Wisely

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Archives for 2011

Family Activities: 2011 Halloween Weekend Adventures

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Photograph Credit: Lowe's

Besides December and May, I think October is the next busiest month for my family. With field trips, fall festivals, family birthdays, and Halloween events, we stay very busy.

Though we do not participate in every activity offered through the month, we have lots of choices to keep us busy. Here are some of the local and national activities going on this weekend:

Friday, October 21, 2011

6:30 p.m. – Free Movie Night at our local minor league baseball field (entrance on Field Street only).  Bring blankets to sit on to watch Toy Story 3 in the outfield.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  –  Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinic: Monster Truck

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Michaels’ Halloween T-shirt Event

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Simon Kidgits’ Halloween Event

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – A.C. Moore’s Halloween Costume Event

There are lots more Halloween events being offered. Be sure to stay updated on continuing family outing opportunities by checking Using Time Wisely’s Facebook Event page. As I hear of different events, I will post them with details on Facebook. If you find other activities, please be sure to add the information in a comment or on a post. Hope you enjoy using time wisely with your family this weekend.

Question: What activities do you plan to attend this weekend?

Grocery Shopping: Gathering your Savings – Part 2b of 3

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Leonard McAlpine)

As I went grocery shopping with my daughters yesterday, I followed these steps. Though I had to backtrack once, due to the seasonal items being rearranged, I shopped both stores in under an hour. Finding a system that works for me has increased my efficiency while shopping to help me in using time wisely.

In Part 2a, I shared about knowing your store and including your children. This week I will continue with the next two steps in my grocery shopping adventures:

STEP THREE: Considering the Price per Unit

When I need to purchase an item that is not Buy One Get One Free (BOGOF) or on sale, I will seek to purchase items with a coupon. By considering the price per unit on these items, purchasing the largest bottle is not always the better deal. For example, 48 tea bags are $5.98. However, the 24 tea bag box of the same brand is $2.55. Purchasing 2 boxes of 24 tea bags for $5.10 is less expensive than the one box of 48 bags.

Finding the price per unit for each size will determine the best deal. By using time wisely to consider the options, I have snagged some very inexpensive items by using coupons without a sale price.

STEP FOUR: Reinforcing Math Skills

On the shopping trips where my son is with me, I ask him to help me determine the prices of items when we use a coupon. Through these lessons, he is learning to divide the price in half for BOGOF deals and subtract the coupon amount. If the coupon is doubled, then he subtracts the coupon amount again. Depending on his mood, he may perform 2-3 math problems throughout our shopping trip.

I love interacting with my children, teaching them life skills, and running an errand all at the same time. Besides using time wisely, I am spending time with my children and giving them the attention they need.

Entering the store with a plan to execute keeps me using time wisely. Though I might take a little time to consider the price per unit and reinforce math skills, I am spending time with my children and gathering savings for our family. As you shop and gather your savings, I hope you are discovering a plan that works for you. Happy savings!

Question: Do you use a calculator as you grocery shop? I am curious to know how this helps you. Please let me know.

Using Time Wisely: Giving Mommy-Time

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Andrew @ cubagallery)

On this rainy day, our temperatures are dropping here in South Carolina. I am enjoying the cooler weather snuggled in my blanket with my socks warming my feet.

This week has been a bustle of activity having finished a large fundraising event on Saturday and getting my household back to running smoothly. My To-Do list is far from complete, but I am doing the next thing and making progress.

My kids have gotten a little more Mommy-time this week which has greatly improved their behavior. We have spent time at the playground, taking family walks, reading together, and going to the library.

As you complete your responsibilities and time gets short, remember to spend time with those you love. In using time wisely, you will not regret investing in the lives of your family and friends. Happy fall!

Question: How do you handle the busy seasons of life? I would love to hear your tips.

Inspiration: More Halloween Party Ideas – Part 2

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Kimberly Cadena)

Pumpkins are purchased, our fall festival is complete (more details coming in later posts), and life is returning to normal busyness. As I look at the calendar, the Halloween events for our family begin this weekend. If you are planning a Halloween celebration and need some more inspiration, try these great party menu ideas:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Pumpkin Pie Dip, Popcorn Witches, Ghost Pretzels, Cheese Fingers, and Ghost Poop (My kids will love this last one.)

Halloween dinner with spaghetti, sauce, meatballs, and green peppers for spiders

Spook-tacular Yogurt Cups

Beverage service from a pumpkin – love this idea!

Are your creative juices flowing? Lots of great ideas for making your next Halloween party a great success. If you need tags for your menu or decorating, check out these free printable labels. My kids will love to cut and decorate with these labels with or without a party.

I think I might be making the Halloween dinner with spaghetti, sauce, meatballs, and green peppers before Trick-or-Treating. In fact, I could see this dinner becoming a new family tradition. However you celebrate, enjoy making your Halloween adventure special!

Question: What are your Halloween traditions? If you feel comfortable doing so, leave your answer in the comments.

Organizing: Children’s Clothing – Part 3 of 5

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Though this process is definitely taking longer than I would like, I am making progress. After completing Step 1 – preparing to upgrade my daughter’s clothing from the 12-month through 18-month clothing to 2T items, I purged the closet, dresser, coat closet, diaper bag, and car as I finished Step 2 last week. With piles of clothing organized by size, I then proceeded to Step 3.

STEP THREE: Pack

12-month Clothing

After locating the tote with the label “Girls – 12-months – summer clothing,” I added all the short-sleeved and light weight clothing from the 12-month clothing pile. I neatly folded and packed these items to fit as many as possible in one tote.

Any winter clothing for this size was packed in the tote marked “Girls – 12-months – winter clothing.” When the tote was full or all the items packed, I placed the lid back on the tote and return it to the hallway for storage.

18-month Clothing

When the tote holding the 12-month winter clothing still had room for more items, I added the 18-month winter items and changed the label. Now the girls’ winter clothing includes 12-18-month sizes.

All the 18-month summer clothing was packed into totes labeled “Girls – 18-months – summer clothing.”

Shoes

All her shoes are kept in the drawer of her changing table. While I was packing away the clothing items, I placed her size 4 shoes in plastic bags, labeled them “size 4,” and placed them in the tote labeled “Girls shoes sizes 1-5.”

Donations

The pile of clothing that had not been worn was packed into plastic bags to be given to a little girl younger than my daughter to use. With a mound of clothing bags, I rid our home of excess clutter while blessing another family.

Having packed the 12-month and 18-month summer clothing, the 12-month winter clothing, shoes, and donation items, I now have a bare closet, dresser, and room in which to work as I continue to Step 4. The steps help me break the project into manageable sections.

I may not have 2 hours to hide in her room to work, but I can usually find 15-20-minute increments to get a step or two complete. By doing the next thing and following the sequential steps, I can complete the project while using time wisely.

Question: How do you label your children’s clothing? I would love to hear how your system differs from mine. Please share your ideas in the comments.