5 Strategies for Summer Survival

Friday is the last day of school for the boys and MAN am I ready!!!  I am so sick of packing lunch and unpacking piles of paper that the prospect of even one more week makes me want to go into a fetal position.  The person who starts a business packing school lunches is gonna be a bazillionaire. Spoiler alert: it won't be me.

I'm so looking forward to lazy days of playing in the pool and wondering aloud at like 2:30, "hey did I feed you lunch yet?  Or even breakfast?"  But of course there is a certain amount of dread when it comes to changing schedules and tons of togetherness, too.  All that time can be intimidating, so today I wanted to share my top strategies for summer survival.

1. Run Your Own Summer Camp

I mean, just for your kids.  Or even invite friends over, what the heck.  This was my top method for summer survival when the kids were small.  I'd choose a different theme each week and organize our activities around it.

The cover of my Summer Camp Binder

Working with a theme was super fun for the boys and really helped keep me motivated and organized. Some examples of themes: Our Country, Water Week, Camping, Pirates, Speed Week (race cars), Farming, you get the idea.

Here's a peek inside--it was very handy to get organized like this!

For tips to get you started, read more here and here.

2. Create (at least some) Structure

Going from a very structured routine to none at all is hard on everyone.  I like to have a general idea of how our days will go and share it with the children.  Especially if you have young children it is helpful to make the routine visible, even if you just list your daily activities on a chalkboard or whiteboard. If your kids are older, you could simply write out a weekly routine and create daily expectations for things they will do.  I made laminated Summer Checklist for my kids. They have to check off every category before they get screen time.

Want to print out your own Summer Checklist for free?  Click on the picture or right here.

3. Make a Summer Bucket List

This summer will be the first that I am using a "bucket list" to motivate and inspire us.  I am making my own filled with specific activities we have locally and things my kids have requested (having a pie fight in the driveway, for example).  But there are tons our there you can use to get you started, too.  I really like the free printables at Yellow Bliss Road and the kids' version at The Teacher Bag (requires signing up with your email).

4. Make Time for Yourself

Look, we all love our little darlings but we also all need time to scream into a pillow, um, hear ourselves think, see to our own needs.  The reason I didn't blog at all last week was because I took some preemptive time for myself in expectation of not having much this summer.  My plan for this summer is to make sure I hit the gym twice a week while my generous mother entertains the boys.  Another option is to hire a mother's helper, which is wonderful even if you don't leave the house.  But if you don't have the budget for that, don't fret!  There are still ways to carve out time for yourself!

An absolute must for me is Quiet Time. We've had Quiet Time in our house ever since Biggest stopped napping, and this summer will be no different.  Everyone retreating to their own space for an hour of reading or quiet play is a life saver.  I will start off our summer with Quiet Time built right in, it will just be part of our daily routine. If your babies are young and have trouble playing on their own, my advice is to gently and firmly enforce your expectation, escorting them right back to their rooms if they interrupt your time.  Having a few of their favorite activities available during that time helps, as does giving them a specified time limit (set a timer for little ones who can't read time yet).  A few tears and tantrums during the transition are worth the sanity-saving effect of Quiet Time and the lessons for them on how to entertain oneself.

Oh! Also, if you have an Ikea near you you can score an hour of free supervised child care for anybody who is potty trained while you shop!  If you don't have an Ikea near you, maybe it's worth the road trip?

5. Have Fun!

In summers past I have been known to start fretting about all the learning that's bein' wasted.  Brain cells deteriorating in the hot sun, handwriting reduced to a scrawl and number sense disappearing.  I've broken out workbooks and math games.  And the really thoughtful, responsible part of me thinks those are legitimate concerns and maybe we will do some math worksheets this summer.  But, if not, that's okay too because my fun-loving side has already declared 2016 as the ULTIMATE SUMMER OF FUN.  And obviously that's not something my kids will forget.  They've taken it as a formal contract and I am sure when we aren't having fun I will be reminded.

My Baby Who is Now Nine Years Old

My baby turned 9 years old in January and I guess I'm feeling like the years are slipping by.  I want to enjoy these little people while they still enjoy hanging out with me.  So we are going to be flinging water balloons and whipped cream at each other, slipping on plastic sheets in the backyard, staying up late to watch fireflies, and eating LOTS of popsicles.  We are going to have fun, darn it, even me.  And whenever I get cranky with the constant bickering I am going to try and remember that my summers with my boys are limited.  I plan on enjoying every minute.

So what about you?  What are your top strategies for summer survival?

New Baby Monograms and a Coupon Code!

Hey y'all! {Scroll to the bottom for your coupon code!}

Just wanted to check in with you today and show off the most recent monograms rolling out of my Etsy shop.  I did two last week: one for a boy and one for a girl. Ladies First!

Custom Baby Girl Monogram in Gray on Yellow Chevron

And the boy's:

Custom Baby Boy Monogram in White on Navy Dot

That one is very similar to another I gave as a gift recently...I love this combination for a little boy!

If you have a new baby in your life (or older children who would love to have this special touch in their room), please hop on over to my Etsy shop!  It's called That Mommy Designs.  Once there you can peruse different options in paper backgrounds and fonts, or you can click "Request Custom Order" and give me as much direction as you would like.

Check out these cute new papers I have in stock too!

To celebrate the gorgeous weather I am currently running a coupon: use the code SPRING20 to save 20% off any custom monogram, yay!  Hope to see you there!

When Losing Your Voice Isn't So Bad

I lost my voice four days ago and I am starting to wonder: will it ever come back?  No, not my literary voice; it's my actual voice that's shot.  I can speak just above a whisper in the early part of the day, but by dinner I'm back to almost near silence.  It's not been easy but it has made me think about my words in a new way.

via GIPHY

(If you're reading on email, click through to the blog for the full effect!)

Here's a few things I am learning from this experience:

I Talk Too Much About Everything
Man, I really am a talker.  I like to tell everyone how my boys are a "wall of sound" who "never stop with the jibber-jabber," and while that is true, I can't deny that it's definitely more peaceful around here without my chatter added to the mix.  With speech now such a huge effort, I have become much more selective about what I say and that has me realizing that the vast majority of what I say just doesn't have a point.  It's like my mouth is just a release valve for my overactive brain.  But I don't want to waste anyone's time just spewing stream-of-consciousness.  Besides, being selective about what I say makes me want to be more selective about what I think.

Fewer Words Make a Bigger Impression
Every time I speak over these last few days, I have tried to get my point across in as few words as possible.  It turns out, the same editing process I use when writing is helpful when speaking.  Helpful hint from Captain Obvious: this is also known as "thinking before you speak."  I feel like I am getting my point across to my people with (almost) zero nagging.  Maybe its partly that everyone feels sorry for me, but the kids are doing things after one request.  I can't help but think that my simple, pointed statements are making it easier for the children to focus on what needs doing.

Speaking Softly Makes People Listen
One of my pet peeves is my people yelling throughout the house to get each others' attention.  Yet, when dinner's ready or its time for school, that is exactly what I do!  With no ability to yell I am realizing that I am the worst offender on my own pet peeve!  But speaking softly demands the attention of your listener.  This morning I read a story to the boys over breakfast, just as I do every morning.  Except this morning I was speaking in a whisper.  Rather than the usual spinning around in chairs, or roaming around the kitchen for a napkin/refill/spoon/yogurt, the boys sat quietly and paid full attention to every word.  They had to, or they would miss it.  I'm definitely pulling out this trick when I need full attention in the future.

Plus I Can Hear Better Too
It's easier to be a compassionate, active listener when you already know there's literally nothing you can say in return.

I guess silence really is golden!  I'm still hoping for my voice to return soon but hopefully I'll hang on to these lessons even after it does.  Turning off the release valve, editing my speech, speaking quietly and just listening may just become my best go-to tricks in communicating with my people.  

Cute Kitchen Update and Heads Up: Today is the Last Day of a Great Sale at World Market!

Sometimes the smallest changes can bring the most satisfaction.  For over two years I have been looking for the right size bins to occupy these little cubbies in my kitchen.

They are tiny little cubbies intended for wine bottles, except I rarely drink wine and all my bottles live on a separate rack in the dining room.  So although the cubbies occasionally looked like this:

...they were mostly home to pile of receipts, bills, legos, and various other clutter.

Now, thanks to Target's Dollar Spot, I found these perfect little bins!  They were $3 each, a price well worth the visual and organizational improvement.  I gave them a wash of white tempura diluted with water, and used my Silhouette to cut number stickers out of gray vinyl.

My styling is currently in progress, but this is what this area looks like today:

So much better!  I just love Target:)  Speaking of great deals (warning: affiliate links ahead!). today is the last day of the World Market Friends and Family Event where you can get 30% off almost anything!  Plus free shipping on online orders over $200.

I was so excited about this sale because I had been eyeing the Bennett Chair for a loooong time.  It's a cute, comfortable little chair:

World Market Bennett Chair

Because of this sale it will finally find a home in my living room!  I'll be sure to show you pics ASAP:)