Spring Cleaning (With Child Labor)

So, it's no secret that I'm pretty exhausted most of the time.  Between my two VERY active boys with an ever growing social calendar, my husband who also needs attention, my full time job as an elementary teacher, blogging, grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, and my need to have "me" time, I am pretty booked up.  

I have always been one of those people who subscribed to the belief of "if you want something done right, do it yourself," therefore I was always doing things on my own for fear of things not getting done right.  And by "right" I mean "my way."  

In the past few years I have learned to let go of this crazy notion.  I was tired of being tired.  I was tired of being the only one doing things.  So I started "letting" other people help me....especially around the house.  

My husband is really good about helping when he's home.  He will do the laundry; things may not get put away in the right place, but at least he does the cleaning.  He will also help with the grocery shopping.  He may not buy the brands that I want, but at least he goes there.  

Now I'm starting to let go of some of the cleaning chores.  I'm giving them to my kids.  They are 6 & 8 years old, I think it's time to start earning their keep around here!

Here are some ways I enlisted their help for our "spring cleaning" this year:

• Emptying the dryer
• Folding the laundry-This took a little time from me.  The socks were easy.  Folding shirts was more of an art.
• Putting away laundry-I like to lay out all of the clean and folded clothes on my bed and make piles for each family member.  Then everyone puts away their own piles.
• Putting away clean dishes-I have plastic tableware for the kids and it is kept at an easily accessible level for them.  
• Vacuuming-I made this one sound fun to "Little Ricky." (hee, hee!)
• Cleaning the shower-"The Nag" always wants to wear yellow gloves and spray a bottle.  I mixed vinegar and water in an empty spray bottle.  Then I sprinkled baking soda in each shower for him and set him to work with a scrubber.  
• Making beds-It never comes out perfect, but at least it's straight.
• Picking up toys

Again, the "cleaning" may not be how I want it, but at least it's taking some of the load off of my shoulders.  And it's teaching my kids the value of responsibility.  (and I didn't even have to pay them for it!)
  
How do you get your kids to help out around the house? 


Alexis

Operation Organization ~ My Hall Closet/Pantry

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm a "closet" disaster!!!  There are parts of my house that stay hidden from the outside world.  And for good reason; they are a MESS!  These are the places, that as time goes by, become the "catch all" places where we put things. 

That's why I have initiated Operation Organization in my house this summer!!

I know....I'm ashamed!

My hall closet is one such place.  There isn't enough closet space in my house.  Each room has one and we have the hall closet.  That's it.  It's very frustrating.  That's why the hall closet is our "hiding place" for things without a home.


I use this space for my extra pantry items (ex. "buy one get one" items, or pantry items we get at BJs, etc.), family games, my plastic plates for outdoor dining, candles, party supplies, and the kids' crafts.  Then as days go by, things just get placed there and they never leave.   

I started at the top and worked my way down.  I made piles of the items:

• Things to keep
• Things to donate
• Things to sell 
• Things to toss

I felt like I was in my own episode of a "redecorating" show.  

I made bins and clearly labeled them with the items inside.  For example, "Homework Bin," "Crafts," and "Cards & Card Games."  This will make finding those things easier. 

I thought of buying hooks to hang the backpacks and lunchboxes.  I was too lazy and cheap to go to the store, so instead I just hammered in a couple of long nails into the wall and hung up the bags on the inside of the closet.

Now check out our new and improved hall closet!! 
Let's just hope it stays this way!!

Next up on Operation Organization: the garage!

What are your organizing ideas? Do you ever let your life get this "messy?"  How do you stop the madness before it starts?



Alexis

My 1 Year Anniversary ~ Giveaway

I can't believe it's been a year!  Time REALLY flies when you're having fun!


I look back to my very first post and how much my little blog has evolved and I am amazed.


I began this little space as a place to vent out my frustrations of being a full time mom of two VERY ACTIVE boys, a full time teacher to 20+ talkative and interesting first graders, and full time wife to an ever traveling husband.  Mix in my need to manage it all and my own personal needs, and you have The Exhausted Mom. 










Throughout this year of blogging, I have attended many events geared toward bloggers and 2 wonderful conferences.  I have managed to meet so many interesting people who also blog and who are parents....needless to say they are also EXHAUSTED.  I have had so much fun doing this!


I must thank my two friends who "pressured" me into this world.  Caroline at Smarty Pants Mama and Leticia at Tech Savvy Mama.  They were already in the world of blogging and told me how fun it was.  I was skeptical and thought "how can I do one more thing?"

Then on June 1, 2011, I sat down and wrote.  It was more like a diary then, but then I found more of a voice and learned a lot.  And here we are one year later. 


I love this space and hope you do too.


In honor of this momentous occasion, I would like to give YOU a present!  Enter to win a $25 Target Visa Gift Card. 
(My favorite store: Tar-jay!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway





Alexis

Busier Than Ever!

I like to keep my boys active.  They play baseball, do karate, and my oldest is currently in CCD.


Before this wasn't a bad thing, they were in the same karate class, and whatever other sport they chose, I would be sure to have them either in the same group or at least on the same day.  But now they are older. 


The current spread of their ages has me in a million places at once!  My oldest just moved up in age class in karate, which means that now instead of 30 minutes in my day, I'm there for an hour and a half!  And baseball is the same thing....we have t-ball for one and U7 for the other.  This means 2 different coaches, 2 different practices, 2 different games, 2 different parks and MANY days! 

View from the app on my phone.

Thank goodness for my Cozi calendar!  I can have everyone's activities with the time and places in all one place.  I have my calendar on my computer and especially on my phone.  This way when my memory fails, my Cozi doesn't!

Cozi also has a "To Do" list and a "Shopping" tab.  This way I can keep my lists in one helpful place.  My favorite part is when I mark something off of my To Do list or shopping list, it actually crosses the item out with a line.  That's the very reason why I love lists so much...the gratification of the crossing out!


Do you use Cozi calendar?  If so, what's your favorite part?




Alexis

Sane Cooking ~ Chicken, Spinach and Feta Pizza

After a long day at work, errands, and the many activities that my kids have, I'm pretty much too exhausted to make a home cooked meal.  As tempted as I am to just go through the local drive thru, my thighs aren't in the same agreement.  


Here is an idea that I had with a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken that I picked up from my local grocery store.


Chicken, Spinach and Feta Pizza


Ingredients:
Rotisserie Chicken
1 bag of pre-washed spinach
1 pizza dough (I like the one that I get in the bakery aisle...you could use the ones in the refrigerated aisle as well)
crumbled Feta cheese



Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Flatten the dough into an oval and place on a pizza stone or cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal.  Spread olive oil and salt on dough.
Place dough in oven.  As bubbles form, poke the dough with a fork.  Leave in oven for approximately 10 minutes.

 
Shred half of the rotisserie chicken (save the other half for tomorrow's dinner).  Spread evenly on dough.  Add half of the bag of spinach to top of chicken.  Sprinkle Feta cheese on top.  Spread more olive oil on top.


Place pizza in oven until the top is golden brown.  Keep in mind that Feta cheese does not melt.  

So much better than take out!


Enjoy!


Alexis

Theatre Bug

So apparently "Little Ricky" has gotten the theatre bug.  


In his class, the students are putting on a Thanksgiving play.  He was chosen as a narrator due to his extreme memory.  He has memorized his lines beautifully and is super excited for the play.  As a matter of fact, tonight as he was practicing, he was actually saying the lines of the other kids as well!


Tonight at CFF (formerly known as CCD for the Catholics out there), he volunteered himself to be a shepherd in the upcoming Christmas pageant.  He had a fitting for his little costume.  He took one look at himself and cried out, "I am a handsome little shepherd!"


So now we are committed to practice on Saturdays and his silent performance.  Which, by the way, he was not happy about.  He wanted to learn yet another line!

Oh goodness!  What's next?  Play and movie auditions?  


I'm exhausted already!!

Alexis

Losing Control

My husband found a cleaning lady on Craig's List.  Craig's List.  

Not sure why it bothers me so much.  Maybe it has something to do with the Craig's List murderer.  Or maybe I'm just nervous leaving a complete stranger in my house with the few valuables and electronics that we have.  

Why did he take it upon himself to hire a cleaning lady?  Am I an awful housekeeper?  Should I be a better wife?

Not to mention that I feel self conscious about my house and our mess.  Does she judge me?  Has she seen worse?  I will admit, when we take things out, we don't necessarily put them away.  With that, we have a lot of clutter.  It really does make me uneasy, but I'm just too exhausted to follow everyone in the house around and put it all away. 

I know I am being spoiled and having a cleaning lady is a treat, but I can't help feeling like I'm losing control of my little world.

Does anyone else feel like this when someone else cleans or does anything for you?

Alexis

Lumpy, Bumpy and Dumpy

No, they aren't the missing brothers of the Seven Dwarfs....they are the three adjectives that I currently use to describe myself.


Since the school year started, so did baseball, tennis, and guitar.  Not to mention that since I'm a teacher, so did the grading of papers, lesson plans, and report cards.  I'm just too exhausted to do one more thing in my day!


What does all of this equal?  No time for me to work out.


I was doing so well this summer while I was pretending to be a stay-at-home-mom.  I was able to work out in the mornings and since it was summer, I ate lighter because of the heat. 


I have to get back to that....I have to get back into my routine....
UGH!!!!


My first goal is to drink nothing but water.  Ok, water and my morning coffee.  Ok, water, my morning coffee, and a soda at a restaurant.  


I don't even have strong enough will power just sitting and writing about it. 


I need a cookie.

Alexis