At Home Inspiration for Grown Ups

My boys pick out their clothes the night before, and always check what the weather will be like to plan for it, as well as if they have gym or not. It makes getting dressed in the morning much easier!

The kids are responsible for getting their backpacks ready before going to bed, and making sure they have all their homework, books, permission slips, etc in there, and that it is zipped up and ready to just grab and go in the morning. We sometimes need to remind them to do this, but as it becomes part of the nighttime routine it gets easier and easier!

My kids also charge up their chromebooks after school/after homework so they are packed up fully charged for the next day.

Prepare lunches the night before. I have a fruit bowl and baskets with healthy snacks, so the kids can help prepare their lunches, too. If they help with preparation, they're more likely to eat it, too.

Knock Knock. Who's there? I eat mop. I eat mop who?

Knock, knock. Who’s there? Doris. Doris who? Doris locked. Open up, please!

Knock, knock. Who’s there? Hatch. Hatch who? Bless you!

Knock, knock. Who's there? Banana. Banana who? Knock, knock. Who's there? Banana. Banana who? Knock, knock. Who's there? Banana. Banana who? Knock, knock. Who's there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad I didn't say banana?!

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~Maya Angelou

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. ~ Dalai Lama

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. ~Wayne Gretzky

You've always had the power, my dear. You just had to learn it for yourself. ~Glinda the Good Witch, The Wizard of Oz

I have loved seeing neighbors out walking (at a safe distance!) so much more than I ever have before.

The beautiful silver lining I have noticed in my home is the beautiful STRONGER bond between my 8 yr old daughter and 6 yr old son.. watching them play together and discuss things together just melts my heart.. and I’m thankful for the slower pace to notice all the little things in life..

Given that school, activities, playdates, etc., are currently closed, it's been nice to slow everything down and not feel the added weight behind watching your kids "grow up too fast." It's almost as if we're freezing their ages for a brief moment.

More quality time together. There is no rush because there is no where to go.

I have a full set of cleaning supplies (sponges/cloths, gloves, cleaning solutions/products) - in each bathroom and the kitchen, so whenever I have five minutes I can quickly wipe down a sink, toilet, counter, etc without needing to hunt anything down.

Robot vacuum! We have a Coredy robot and it gets plopped in various rooms almost daily. I’ll section off an area periodically and let it do all of the work for me. Our kids love picking up for it so they don’t have to sweep so it’s almost effortless for me and even has a mop option for our model. It’s not amazing but helps tremendously!

I like colorful caddies, pencil cases, magazine holders (for coloring and sticker books) for kids arts and crafts and markers. On a rolling caddy. Labeled folders for stickers and papers. Baskets for toys. We are in a Lego phase so that is challenging, using a basket and sealable container at the moment. One more tip is baking soda to clean pots and pans.

For sorting mail and other papers, I follow the OHIO method - Only Handle It Once. It either gets filed, recycled, shredded or if it is something I need to deal with (a bill or a follow up), it goes in the file folder on my desk so I don't forget.

Dumb and Dumber, for when you just need a good laugh!

Apollo 13

Shawshank Redemption. Every single time I see it on TV, i watch it.

Top Gun