Photograph Credit: Flickr (Patti Jo Rak)

Christmas Eve is here! Some of the baking has been done, the house is decorated, the toys put together, and gifts wrapped. With family in town, we have been enjoying time playing, giggling, singing, shopping, and enjoying each other.

As you enjoy your family traditions and make new memories together, our Top 10 countdown continues. If you have missed any of the Top Ten posts, you can catch up: #10, #9, #8, and #7.

After playing the Lady Bug Game, Sorry!, and CandyLand with my older two children today, Paul and I were amazed at our daughter’s counting and attention-span improvement.

Playing games has benefited our children in their cognitive, physical, and problem-solving development. With these benefits, it is no wonder that the #6 most-viewed post on Using Time Wisely in 2011 is My Top 5 Preschool Board Games, originally posted on February 25. (Hey, a Top 5 list made our Top 10 list. :-))

My Top 5 Preschool Board Games

By Tracy on February 25, 2011

My husband and I were raised by families who loved to play games. My family’s game nights included our immediate family. We had our favorite games, but we did not seek to invite others. Our family spent the time playing together.

On the other hand, my husband’s family hosted games nights at their home regularly. In fact, I attended a number of game nights at my in-laws’ house before and after our marriage. Holiday celebrations evolve around game playing at their home. So, our kids have learned to appreciate and enjoy games.

Since our children are young, we play preschool games since they do not require reading. At this time, my top 5 preschool games are:

5.            Chutes and Ladders
4.            CandyLand
3.            Parcheesi
2.            The Lady Bug Game
1.            SORRY!

During sessions of play, my son has learned to count, take turns, consider his options, and recently, strategize. Game playing is a tool to teach while giving that child individual attention. My daughter is learning to take turns and to finish the game she starts.

Do you enjoy spending time playing games at your house? What are your favorite preschool games? I’m always interested in new, fun games to play.

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Northland Furniture)

Spent our Christmas celebrating with our family and enjoyed some time outside when the rain ceased. All six kids needed the space to run and burn the pent-up energy. What a joy to be using time wisely with my family!

Though Christmas Day has come to an end, our family celebrations continue throughout this week while relatives are still in town. Besides making more cookies, I hope we get to drive through more neighborhoods viewing the beautiful Christmas displays.

After taking a moment yesterday to consider the journeys traveled by Joseph and Mary, the shepherds, and the Wise Men, our Top 10 list countdown continues today through Friday, December 30.

In case you missed one of the previous five posts, here is a recap:

#10: Fuelperks!: Lowering Gas Prices at the Pump – Part 2 of 2

#9: My Alarm Clock Mission

#8: Junk Facebook Account

#7: Pork Chops: Experimenting with Pork Loin Assorted Chops

#6: My Top 5 Preschool Board Games

In the coming days, our family will be purging and organizing our home to make room for the new items received. I look forward to cleaning out, trashing, and donating our unused items. In preparing to organize more spaces, I am excited giddy to reveal the #5 most-visited post of Using Time Wisely in 2011. Enjoy! 🙂

My Organized Nightstand Drawer

By Tracy on February 28, 2011

As I went to put away some prescription samples, I found there was no more room in my nightstand drawer. When this happens, I must clean it out. I cannot just stuff the extra items in a drawer and close it. Leaving an area unorganized bothers me until I take the time to clean it out and make room for the needed items.  In this case, I cleaned out the drawer immediately.

To organize my nightstand drawer, I followed these steps:

• I made three piles: (1) items to keep, (2) items to toss, and (3) items to give away.
• Then I placed the items to keep back in the drawer and had plenty of room.
• The items to toss included expired medication, which I disposed of, and empty boxes from used medications, which I threw away.
• The items to be given away were placed in a bag to be distributed later.

Now there was plenty of room for the prescription samples. I placed these in the nightstand drawer and surveyed my clean, neat, and organized drawer.

Does disorder bother you, too? Like me, do you organize as you put items away, or do you need to set a schedule to organize?

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Chang Min Park)

The countdown continues:

#10: Fuelperks!: Lowering Gas Prices at the Pump – Part 2 of 2

#9: My Alarm Clock Mission

#8: Junk Facebook Account

#7: Pork Chops: Experimenting with Pork Loin Assorted Chops

#6: My Top 5 Preschool Board Games

#5: My Organized Nightstand Drawer

Coming in at #4 is the Rock Bottom Pricing series. All the links are included in this third post in the series. Enjoy!

Rock Bottom Pricing: Maximum Savings Version

By Tracy on May 5, 2011

Have you started your pricing list? We have looked at the term “rock bottom pricing,” considered two ways to discover those prices, and considered the simple version. If you are just starting, then continue working on the simple version. Once you have mastered the simple version, let’s kick up your savings with the maximum savings version.

MAXIMUM SAVINGS VERSION:

Transfer your Rock Bottom Price List to a Price Book

By tracking each item, you will get to know the cycle of the sales your stores run.  You can organize your pricing book in a number of ways. Yes, I said pricing BOOK. To get those awesome deals, you will be tracking the stores as well as the items. I would recommend a binder or notebook with moveable pages. As you run out of room, you will want to add pages to your book.

Here are some ways to organize your pricing book:

• By store,
• By department,
• By categories that correspond to your coupon file, or
• Combination of the above.

You can be as specific as you need to be. This is your book. These ideas are meant to help you get started. Your creativity is the limit.

Continue updating your Rock Bottom Price List

Be willing to adjust. If you start organizing your book by store and then find it is not working, be willing to change to another option. The goal is to make this system work for you. What works for me may not work for you.

Using your Rock Bottom Price List

Making choices will become easier as you see the cycles of savings. When the prices are low, you will be able to stock up to last you until the next big sale. As you buy ahead at rock bottom prices, you will see a significant savings to your grocery budget.

Whether you choose the simple version or the maximum saving version, you will be spending your time. As you evaluate how to spend your time wisely, I wish you lots of savings while you feed your family!

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Tinely)

Timesaver: Veggie Cups

By Tracy on June 14, 2011

Do you get inspired from magazine articles? Though I do not read many magazines, I scan pages for ideas. One magazine I enjoy skimming is “Martha Stewart Living.”

Now, I do not have my own garden, bake from scratch, make my own spices, entertain each week, sew, or make my own centerpieces and décor.

However, I am a homemaker, event planner, and organizer, so I love picking out tips and tricks that will save me time, money, and energy.

THE INSPIRATION

While browsing the latest issue of “Martha Stewart Living,” I was inspired by a party trick I can adapt for my style. The author suggested:

1. Placing vegetable dip into the bottom of clear shot glasses or votive candle holders,
2. Adding sliced veggies (carrot sticks, cucumber spears, celery sticks, etc.) to the containers, and
3. Serving the glasses or candle holders on a serving tray among a layer of ice.

MY ADAPTATION

I loved this idea. I often serve colorful, accessible vegetable trays at small parties. With a little adaption to my style and my budget, this event trick can be useful. I am thinking of events where many attendees need to be served in a limited amount of time. For this type of event, a buffet line works well. With about ½” ranch dressing poured into the bottom of each clear plastic cup and a handful of veggies placed upright, event attendees can quickly pass through the buffet line, pick up a veggie cup, and  continue to the next station.

For a sit-down event, having the veggie cups prepared on the serving trays would make the delivery to the table quick and efficient. For more formal events, the container would be upgraded to fit the occasion. Click here to view Snack Girl’s detailed instructions with a photograph showcasing her Veggie Shots.

Just taking a few minutes to glance through a magazine has inspired me to use a new tip at my next party. What tip or trick have you discovered that can be adapted to your style?