Chore Charts

I am classically a disorganized woman who yearns to be organized! I can make a plan with my eyes closed, sticking to the plan though is a completely different story! In my efforts to be a better manager of my home, I am printing out my daily plans so I have a visual reminder of the things that need to be done.

After printing out my sheets (usually for the month) I stick them in page protectors and use dry-erase markers to check off the list. By doing this I save paper and don't have the excuse that I couldn't get to printing out my plans. One of the items I always make sure I have ready at hand is our daughter's chore chart.

DLTK's website provides a step-by-step creation of chore charts to print out for your child to follow. These help my daughter and myself know what chores are expected to be completed each day. We print out one and place it in a page protector, using mini dry-erase markers to check off each chore as they are done. As soon as she is done with her task, I inspect her work - which makes her accountable for a job well done - and I initial it. We don't give allowance - we feel work is part of being a family - but at the end of the week it shows what was done with diligence and what was forgotten.

DLTK also has other goodies to print out such as calendars, gift certificates, coupons, and memory cards. It is definitely a site worth exploring!

Crock Pot - Italian Pork Chops

As you will soon come to find out, I LOVE my slow cooker! It allows me to spend my day focusing on completing projects, teaching our daughter, and tending to my household chores.

Wednesdays are usually one of our busier days of the week, so I depend on my crock pot to do the cooking all day so we can have dinner on time with little clean up afterward. Today I am making Italian Pork Chops. YUM!!

Slow Cooker Italian Pork Chops

16 oz. bottle of Italian Salad dressing

4 boneless pork chops (we will be using 6 purchased on sale!)

(1) Coat your slow cooker with non-stick spray - I cannot tell you how much this helps in the cleaning process!

(2) Place pork chops into slow cooker. Pour Italian dressing over the meat.

(3) Cover and cook on HIGH 6-8 hours.

*To make stew - add cubed potatoes, sliced carrots, and onions to meat before coating with Italian dressing. The potatoes will come out tasting exactly like the Italian dressing - which was quite over powering*

10 Household uses of Baking Soda

I love finding little things you can do to make life easier and more efficient... and less expensive! Here are 10 ways you can use (inexpensive!) baking soda for your household chores.

1. To lessen the odor of your litter box, sprinkle a layer of baking soda on the bottom of the tray and cover with cat litter. Great if you have multiple cats!
2. Clean your veggies and fruit with a mixture of water and a small amount of baking soda.
3. For cleaner clothes, add about a 1/2 of a cup to your washing machine with loads.
4. To clean out your coffee maker run a mixture of baking soda and water through. After first cycle is complete, run through again with just water to cleanse the rest of the baking soda from the machine. To clean out your coffee pot take the water from the second cycle and add baking soda to the pot and let it sit for a few minutes. Gently clean with a sponge and rinse and it's as good as new!
5. Place a few open boxes in your fridge and freezer to control the smell. Stir the soda weekly and replace every few months.
6. To make your dishwasher sparkly again, run it through a cycle using baking soda instead of soap.
7. To help bug bite itches - make a paste of baking soda and water and apply a liberal amount directly to the bite. I personally LOVE this - it really works wonders!
8. To clean burned on food off of a pan - let the pan sit in a mixture of hot water and baking soda.
9. Add 3 Tbsp of baking soda to drains weekly and flush with hot water to keep them working freely.
10. Clean out lunch thermoses with a mixture of water and baking soda to remove food particles and odors.

Welcome!

Welcome!

My name is Juliet and I am enjoying my journey of becoming a better keeper of the home. It might be a slow walk - somedays it seems to be up hill both ways - but it's a heart filling journey none the less! I am a child of God, wife to my wonderful husband, and mama to our little girl, a dog, and two cats. At times it might seem crazy, but I'm learning to find peace in the chaos.

So, go and get yourself a cup of coffee or tea, take three deep breaths, and sit back and relax!