as Jules is DIYing Archives - Page 20 of 45

Just another Tuesday in the Rothacher house…

January 30, 2013 by Jules 2 Comments

This morning Matt headed out to yet another couple meetings out of town. I thought about showering but then remember the chaos that was my day and chose to get started & trudge through with a greasy head. So, with a grungy preschooler in my bed watching Cat in the Hat, I put on a bra {sorry, TMI for some but you mamma's know this is only prep for visitors 😉 } and hustled downstairs. You see, we've been non-stop traveling and I failed to do any of my child's preschool work last week...our "HIPPY lady" was coming today...10 O'Clock to be precise...it was 7:30.

I grabbed our new favorite cereal, Berry Berry Kix {thank you WIC}, a handful of bowls, and our HIPPY backpack full of supplies and work. I know, know. My class factor here is on the rise! I dealt the bowls like a deck of cards, chucking piles of cereal in each one Knowing at least one child would decide they didn't like this kind of cereal today. Next, I quickly reading through the entire weeks worth of school work, highlighted directions for quick labor, ready the necessary supplies, and decide what really has to be fill out/done. Don't judge... HIPPY parents, you know you've done this at least once- determine the possible pull sheets and do those first!

I ran back upstairs just in time to her The Cat and his lil friends say they'd see us next time and I click off the TV. Thank you PBS for entertaining my 4 {and now in the bed 3} year old! Like the fancy people we are, I march my kids downstairs still in their PJs after grabbing lil brother out of his crib. Going straight to the table, the excitement and grouching begins. Mags is ecstatic about finally getting to "do school" and guess who complains about the Berry Berry Kix? Iz the Biz! Two of the 3 eat their cereal dry while the particular one selects multigrain Cheerios and asks for milk. Settled now, I began swiftly moving through each day's lesson, markers marking, crayon's coloring, scissors...scissoring. Even with reading silly detailed directions in a couple of places we owned that homework in like 30 minutes! For Real! New personal record 😉 {Sorry Heather...I promise we do the lessons more vigorously ~~every other week~~ I mean... ~~on weeks we're not traveling~~ naw, just some times. We get bored with repetition}

Now that breakfast and school were done, the kids marched happily to the playroom and I began checking email and texts {yeah...I'm bad about keeping up with my phone}. All while doing this my kids started playing a new game they created all by themselves! It was called: How many bad choices can we make in less than 2 hours {bonus points for including as many screaming siblings as possible}. Sounds fun huh! This included but was definitely not limited to slapping, pushing, stealing, running someone else's extremities over with a power wheel scooter, drawing on the table with marker right next to the paper provided, using glue as chapstick, screaming {both fun and out of anger or pain}, as well as getting everyone naked {"suPize" -says Jamin} for pretend "mud" play. I probably missed something fun. I'll find evidence of it somewhere near the pile of hair I ripped out of my head later.

This day only got better with a little

rushed lunch of leftovers in order to be ready for HIPPY & baby-watching
bribery with stickers for napping {mainly for the 4-year-old}
finally did the postponed HIPPY meeting I panicked to get ready for about 2 hours later
babysitting an adorable 9-month-old {its been a while...} who was so snuggly but I felt awful because he
- was overstimulated by my abundance of littles
- needed to poop
- is teething
- was wicked sleepy {but that just made for more snuggles 😉 }
- and didn't like my mistaken combination of his juice cup & formula {told ya its been a while...}
amped up kids who apparently need to
- get out more OR
- stay home more... that's a tough one
hubs who's meeting went longer than I thought
amped even more with energy when daddy got home
make-shift of THIS using leftovers
more playing their new-found game
10 minute time out with a tantrum throwing 3-year-old
waiting out the tornado in a pantry
- after pulling kids from their bath
- staying up past their bed time
- while enjoying a last night snack & extra movie
aaaaand now I'm ~~talking~~ typing to you about to head to bed {9:45} because the crazy of this week hasn't even begun.

See ya lay-ta! What did your Tuesday look like?

Filed Under: Homemaker, Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

3 Cheese Bow Ties {recipe}

January 28, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

Some days I just am plain tired of picking what to make for meals. I don't really mind cooking. I just hate coming up with what to cook. During one of these many nights as I stared at the fridge, then at the pantry shelves with utter disappointment. I decided to get a little creative. I had grown weary of the same ole menu so I kinda combined a few recipes that are staples at our house to come up with a not so fancy meal but it was a winner with the entire family!

Find the recipe where I shared it on the Successful Homemakers!

Filed Under: Baking and Cooking, Homemaker, The Ones about Homemaker's Challenge

How-to Consignment Shop withOUT Kids {Thoughtful Thursday}

January 24, 2013 by Jules 1 Comment

I have to remind myself, "It is coming. It Is coming. Spring time is coming!"

I am so ready for some color sprinkled all over the ground, warmer {not hot} days, and the general cheeriness of the spring season. Another thing I love about season change is consignment shopping. Eek! My fave? Duck Duck Goose, the "BIG Sale" in Little Rock, AR!

Don't get me wrong, I don't really like spending money on clothes I just LOVE a great deal. We haven't had to spend much over the past few years due to God's blessing of hand-me-downs from friends and family as well as within our own closely born babes! This year though...this year, the year of limbo and growth, has brought us to the place where Every child needs nearly an entire spring/summer wardrobe. My kids are eating like there's a famine coming and sleeping like its going out of style- that's coming, too. The Growth Spurts! This year I plan to be proactive in this inevitable circumstance.

I need to be able to shop in a reasonable amount of time, thinking through purchases, as well as get all the things I need for the season without duplicates. Soooo, I'm fixing all of that. How am I going to get the right sizes without taking the kids, you ask? THAT is what I want to share with you today. I think this could work for consignment shopping or clothes shopping in general.

Check list for prepping to go
Children's Clothes Shopping:

{note: I'm not a genius, these tips come from years of watching the experts 😛 }

Purge
- Set aside all clothes for that current season {for me right now Winter}. The kids will still need these a bit longer.
- Then pull out all clothes that are the next season that will not fit {spring/summer for me}. I'm talking, if you have to, do a fashion show, try on all clothes that may be on the line of not fitting {if and When they have that next growth spurt}.
- Next, identify all clothes that you haven't been putting on your child due to them being stained, shrunk, stretched out, holey, whatever.
- Finally, depending on if it just doesn't fit or if it's really used: Consign, pass down to the next child, or pass along all those clothes to a friend, family member, clothes closet, etc. Don't allow them back in the closet or dresser. It will only be misguiding when you go to dress you child.
Take inventory of each child's closets and dressers.
- For real, write down exactly how many of each item they have, their size, and even the color.
- When you go shopping you will know you don't need a pair of pink shorts, black tennis shoes in size 6, or 2 more green sun dresses.
Make a shopping list
Measure each child. They will think this is fun.
- Feet
  1. Use a piece of paper {card stock or constructions paper holds up the best} and trace one foot of each child.
  2. If your kids have feet that are different sized, fit differently in shoes, etc you might want to do both.
  3. I just did one foot for each child because I have three kids I'm shopping for at once and the things you have to carry around add up quickly.
  4. I also cut out each foot for more convenience.
- Body
  Bottom {largest circumference around toosh}

{I punched a hole in each foot as well as the ribbon so I could hook them on a big ring for easier carrying.}

That sounds like a lot of stuff to think through but it's really not. I just tried to be very detailed for anyone who had never done this AND this is helping me think through what I need for next week's undertaking. If you're like me, you don't get too many chances to go shopping. And on top of that, these consignment sales don't come around but maybe twice a year. 😉

Next Thursday, I'll be back with a check list for taking with you to a Consignment Event! {link live next Thursday}

Share your tips & tricks for consignment shopping! We love to hear your favorite finds as well 🙂

UPDATE:

I know I shared my favorite consignment event above but just in case you don't have one in your area, here is an online consignment shop: "ThredUp". And you can get $10 off your first order using the code: GIMME10! Have fun!!! {valid thru 2-22-13 midnight}

contains affiliate links

Filed Under: Being a Help-Meet, Organizing, Parenting, The Ones about Link-Ups, The ones about the Rothacher Home, Thoughtful Thursdays

Beef & Veggie Stew

January 17, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

So our Arkansas winter went from 60'+ to snowing overnight. I'm constantly amazed my family isn't sick more often! When the weather turned frigged and there was not stank'n way I was heading out in it for groceries I was forced to hunt in the pantry, fridge, and deep freeze for what kind of heartiness I was going to feed my family. I know, 1st world problems, right!?

All of a sudden I had a hankering for some stew! I'd never made stew before and always thought you had to have fancy {expensive} stew meet to make it...then I realized that was crazy talk. That had never stopped me before. I then Googled {like every pro does} in search of a beef stew recipe I could tweek. I looked at several and realized I had the building blocks for a good stew already. SCORE! Here's what I came up with.

Beef and Vegetable Stew

I love recipes 😉

I started by browning my lean ground beef in my pampered chef steamer {best way EVER to brown meat!}.
I peeled, diced, and boiled my potatoes for about 30 minutes. I just waited until they were soft(er) not necessarily mashable.
In a big pot I mixed the browned meat, tomato sauce, {already dissolved bouillon cute} beef broth, onion powder, pepper, and salt all together.
I went in search of what other veggies I had and came up with a steamable bag of corn and a can of mixed peas and carrots. Yep, chunked all those veggies into the pot.
After bringing it to a bowl and stirring consistently, I removed it from the heat and ate it up! 😉

I'm thinking you could easily make this in a crockpot recipe. Put it all in to sit all day and simmer even more. That way you wouldn't have to hover over your potatoes either.

Yay for yet another made up recipe. If I can do it and have my family eat it, You can!

Filed Under: Baking and Cooking, Homemaker, The Ones about Post Series, The ones about the Rothacher Home, Thoughtful Thursdays

Get it Together Already!

January 16, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

I'm such a slacker! I found out about my sweet friends awesome book a while back and have failed to share it.
SORRY!

I've tried to make a notebook similar to this before. I used a scanky old falling apart tiny notebook left over from something. The entire thing was black and white. I had minimal importance to me...because it was ugly. Right? Lets face it, who wants to pull out something daily/weekly that's hideous. This notebook kinda represents...you. Then there's the whole, it was just Matt and I and now we've added a few more to the mix, I'm thinking I need to rework the ole "Family Notebook" rather than having 8 different places to keep this stuff.

This is Kayse: Isn't she just adorable! She writes over at KaysePratt.com. Easy enough to remember right? She has fixed my woes about my nasty, skank-tastic notebook and put it all in an eBook for me (and YOU).

Getting It Together is an eBook designed to help you set up your own Home Management System that works! It includes a step-by-step tutorial, and over 30 printables that you can use to start getting organized today!

Getting It Together includes…

Top 5 reasons you need a home management system. She's sell ya!
Step-by-step on how to creating your own HM binder.
30 printables! All the pretties and none of the hard work!!!
Kayse's great sense of humor. She's so normal, love it!

Here’s how you can do just that…

Purchase Getting It Together as a PDF! For just $3.99, you can immediately download the book and start using the printables. Easy peasy! Click here to buy now.
Purchase Getting It Together for your Kindle! Also just $3.99, you can get this wirelessly delivered immediately. This version includes a link to the printables, so that you can download the PDFs onto your computer and print them off. Click here to buy now.