Summer Plans

Here are some of the things I'd like to do this summer. We are pretty relaxed around here so we may or may not do all or some. I wanted to find some community party type things but haven't had much luck so far. Last year our town participated in National Night Out and it was nice getting to know our community workers. I'd like to find out if they will be doing it again so I can maybe plan a Community Workers Lapbook or something to coincide. So far no luck.

Our county used to be one of the richest in the nation but this year our county library will be the only one in the state to NOT have a reading program for the kids. Truth be told, I hate this town. I hate this state. It is sooooo pretentious. When we hit lotto we are so outta here. I say that but I don't think we would go very far. To many family members here.

It has been a good place to ride out this economic mess though. That's why we came here and that's why we stay. Might as well make the best of it.

1. Attend Church (I have a couple of links to some local churches)
2. Go to the pool a lot. (Have passes, will get wet)
3. Spend a lot of time at the neighborhood park. (name the gnats, oh joy)
4. Visit Adventure Land park once a week.
5. Discovery Room at one of the county libraries at least once a week. (library hop)
6. Attend an Orioles baseball game (June 12)
7. Take a tour of the brand new firehouse (get with Fireman neighbor to schedule)
8. 2010 Summerfest Family Theatre in the Baker Park Bandshell, Frederick on Thursdays at 10:30 am. Celebrate Frederick - Getting to Baker Park
9. Go to the free movies being offered at least once a week. Free Family Film Festival Regal Theaters
10. Watch the fireworks at the Soccer Plex with a picnic. July 4
11. Go to at least one Frederick Keyes baseball game. Team Schedule Frederick Keys Schedule
12. Spend a couple of days at the beach. (reservations made)
13. Farm Animals @Germantown Library 7/17 @ 10AM & Poolsville 7/29 @ 2 PM Damascus 8/4 @ 1:30
14. Snakes Alive @ Poolsville Library 8/5 @ 2 PM
15. Rainforest Alive @ Germantown Library 8/7 @11 AM
16. American Musical Road @ Damasscus Library 8/11 @ 2 PM
17. Folk Artists perform music @ Germantown Library 8/12 @ 10:30 AM
18. Picnic at an outdoor concert. Saturdays
19. Grow some great vegies.
20. Visit West Virginia Flea Market
21. Visit Harper's Ferry Flea Market
22. Spend a day at Harper's Fairy.
23. Visit Rio/the ducks a couple/few times
24. MC county fair. August 13- 21 Montgomery County Agricultural Fair
25. MD State Fair August 27- September 6 Maryland State Fair
26. Come up with a weekly schedule to manage my time better.
27. Dig up prickly bushes out front
28. Expand circle under cherry tree out front
29. Continue with relaxed Preschool
30. Prepare Preschool Curriculum for fall.
31. Finish Charles Stanley book
32. Finish Childwise
33. Read PreSchool Wise
34. Read Honey for a Child's Heart
35. Put in a fall garden
36. Sew a Harvest/Garden Apron
37. Clean the house really well. Lather, Rinse, and repeat, repeat, repeat.

I like taking some time now checking out what's available and filling in the calendar. I'll keep an eye on the local paper for more activities and community gatherings.

Does your town offer anything over the summer? How do you find events/activities? Do you have a list made up?

Philosophy of Ambiguity

Philosophy of Ambiguity

1. Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

2. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor....

3. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

4. If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?

5. I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if
she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

6. What if there were no hypothetical questions?

7. If a deaf person swears, does his mother wash his hands with soap?

8. Is there another word for synonym?

9. Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"

10. What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

11. If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?

12. Would a fly without wings be called a walk?

13 Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?

14. If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

15. Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?

16. If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?

17. Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?

18. How do they get deer to cross the road only at those yellow road signs?

19. What was the best thing before sliced bread?

20. One nice thing about egotists: They don`t talk about other people.

22. How is it possible to have a civil war?

23. If you ate both pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?

24. If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

25. Whose cruel idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have "S" in it?

26. Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them?

27. Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?

28. Can an atheist get insurance against acts of God?

ZONE 5 RecRoom/Bathroom/Food Storage

ZONE 5
5th Mon thru-last day of month
RecRoom/Bathroom/Food Storage Area

RecRoom

Scrub Cat Box Area
Wash Windows
Wash Curtains

Dust and Polish Furniture
Polish Electronics
Straighten Games
Dust and Polish Machines

Purge Books

Purge Storage Items

Dust and Polish Bookcases
Baseboards
Vacuum Floor & Steps
Clean Carpet
Brush Pooltable & Parifanilia
Dust & Polish Chairs
Polish Light Fixture
Spot Clean Walls
Clean Switch Plates
Dust Pictures

Bathroom

Sink

Toilet

Tub

Tiles

Wash Shower Curtain

Wash Rugs

Baseboards

Clean out Trash can

Clean Mirror

Spot Clean the Walls

Sweep & Mop Floor Straighten

Purge

Food Storage

Purge Expired Food

Straighten and Organize

Change Filter

Pruge Storage Items

Vac

ZONE 4 PJ'S Room & Bathroom/Guest Bedroom

ZONE 4
4th Monday thru Sun
PJ'S Bedroom & Bathroom/Guest Bedroom

Bathroom
Sink
Toilet
Tub, Tiles and Doors
Wash Rugs
Baseboards
Clean out Trash can
Clean Mirror
Spot Clean the Walls
Sweep & Mop Floor
Straighten and Purge the Cabinets
Purge Medicine Cabinet


PJ's Room

Purge Toys
Dust and Polish furniture
Wash Linens
Wash Curtains

Straighten and Purge Drawers
Clean Under the Bed
Straighten and Purge Closet
Dust & Straighten shelves including closet and Above Window
Wipe Baseboards
Vaccum and Clean Carpet
Trash
Dust Electronics

Guest Room

Wash Linnens

Wash Curtains

Dust & Polish Furniture & Electronics

Clean out Under the Bed

Clean Desk

Trash

Straighten & Purge Closet

Straighten & Purge Drawers

ZONE 3 Master Bed/Bath & Laundry

ZONE 3
3rd Monday thru Sunday
Master Bedroom/Bath & Laundry

Master Bath
Sinks
Toilet
Inside Windows
Tub Surround
Scrub Shower
Floor
Baseboards
Clean Trashcan
Clean Mirror
Walls
Wash Rugs

Purge Uner the Cabinets
Vac and Scrub Floor




Master Bedroom
Wash Sheets and Blankets
Dust and Polish
Put Away Laundry
Clean off Hope Chest
Patricks Dresser
Wipe out Refrigerator
Straighten and Purge Drawers
Dust and Windex Entertainment Stand
Rugs
Vaccum Lampshades
Under Bed
Polish Electronics


Laundryroom
Wash all Laundry
Wipe off Washer
Wipe off Dryer
Clean Vent

Purge Shelf
Straighten and Purge Linen Closet
Baseboards
Vaccum and Mop Floor

ZONE 2 Kitchen & Familyroom

ZONE 2
2nd Monday of the month thru Sun

Kitchen & Familyroom

Kitchen
Water Plants
Clean Refrigerator
Purge Counters
Purge Drawers
Purge Cabinets
Scrub and Polish Stove
Stove Filters
Microwave
Vac Vents
Dish Drainer
Spot clean Walls & Doors
Purge Pantry
Under the Sink
Coffee Pot (vinager)
Clean Trash Can
Cat Dishes
Wash switchplates
Polish Appliances
Table & Chairs
Wash Rugs
Wash Floor
Wash Inside Windows/frames
Clean light fixture above table
Wipe down cabinets (trashcan)

FamilyRoom
Vaccum Fireplace
Wash Blankets
Wash Pillows
Water Plants
Dust and Polish all Furniture
Clean Furniture
Dust Ceiling Fan
Vaccum Under furniture
Spot clean walls & Door
Wash Inside Windows
Vacum Curtains

Purge Toys

Purge Books

Clean and Purge Computer Area

ZONE 1 Foyer, L/R & D/R & P/R

ZONE 1
1st Mon in the month thru Sun
Foyer, L/R & D/R & P/R

Foyer
Wash Mirror
Wash Windows & Frames
Clean Banister with Murphy's Oil
Dust
Dust Basebords
Dust Air Vents
Vacuum Floor
Wash Floor
Spot Clean Walls
Shake & Wash Rugs
Wipe thermostat
Wash switchplates

Dust what-nots including the landing


Livingroom/Dinningroom
Dust Table & Chairs
Straighten DVD's
Water Plants
Vacuum Furniture & Lampshades & Pictures
Dust China Cabinet & Bookcases
Clean out Dresser

Vacuum Floor & Baseboards
Wash Floors

Organize craft supplies & Learning materials
Scrub Cat Box

Powderoom
Wash Rugs
Toilet
Sink
Spot clean walls
Floor
Trash
Baseboards
Dust Shelf
Clean Mirror

For more information on breaking your home into Zones visit FlyLady.net: The Flightplan - this week’s activities. Use it as a guide. Make it your own. Play with it and change it up until it works for you. Just remember to not wear yourself out deciding and planning. It's no good to you if you don't use it.

A note about Flylady. The woman gets on my last nerve. However, there is no denying that this system has worked for me. I don't get her emails or visit her site often. I also don't clean the toilets first thing in the morning. Just a swish or not I'm waking up to a fresh pot of coffee not the Tidy Bowl Man.

I don't do well with encouragement in laziness. In other words, I don't need to be told it's ok to leave the laundry in the basket for another time or the dinner dishes until morning. The day seems so much brighter when I start it with a clean slate instead of yesterdays baggage.

Where is our work ethic? Why are we women not holding ourselves and each other to a higher standard? Why are we insisting instead on bringing others down to our standards instead of encouraging them to press on and get the job done?

Meltup

Wrinkled Ladies

Daily & Weekly Zones

I assign a zone a day and a zone a week. I do NOT, I repeat I DO NOT always follow my own plans and I certainly do not clean all the time or even most of the time.

The following is the plan I'd like use until Summer at which time I'll be spending more time in the backyard, gardening, at the park and at our local pool and I don't plan to be babysitting.

Sunday~ Daddy Day

Babysit on Monday- Zone 1 Foyer/Living Room/Dinning Room/Powder Room ~Preschool

Market & Errands on Tuesday~ Zone 2, Kitchen & Family Room

Babysit & Garden on Wednesday~ Zone 3, Master Bedroom/Master Bath and Laundry Room~Preschool

Babysit on Thursday~ Zone 4, PJ's Bedroom/Bathroom & Guest Bedroom

Fun on Friday~ Zone 5, Rec Room/Bathroom/Food Storage~Preschool

Electric on Saturday~ Weekly Zone/Vacuum entire house & Heavy Laundry (we are on a plan where the electricity is cheapest from midnight to 8am daily and from 8pm Friday til Monday at 8am) Our laundryroom is upstairs so clothing gets washed as needed in the evening (moderate rates apply from 8-12 am/pm). I like to do sheets, blankets, rugs, etc. on the weekend.

I try to do zone work daily but it doesn't always get done, for whatever reason (3yo wants to spend the day outside, visitors, not feeling good, sometimes the room just needs to be tidied not zoned).

I like to have a list of things because sometimes I just get sidetracked or caught up in something else. Sometimes I have a pocket of time and my mind blanks as to what to do (unexpected nap for instance). If I am feeling overwhelmed it's easy to look at what should be done and take one step at a time towards a big picture.

Having every single detail written down allows me to choose what I want to tackle and I don't have to remember what else I wanted to do in that room. Sometimes just looking over the list motivates me to get crackalackin'. It works for me.

In the coming days I'll try to post my individual zone areas. They need to be redone since I haven't updated them since my son was an infant. They won't be perfect as I don't want to get caught up in putting everything down at once and postponing implementing the plan. I can easily spend a lot of time putting it all down just so and not get around to digging in.

The New Demography of American Motherhood

The New Demography of American Motherhood
by Gretchen Livingston and D’Vera Cohn, Pew Research CenterMay 6, 2010

This report examines the changing demographic characteristics of U.S. mothers by comparing women who gave birth in 2008 with those who gave birth in 1990. It is based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the Census Bureau. It also presents results of a nationwide Pew Research Center survey that asked a range of questions about parenthood.

Among the key findings of this report:

• Age: Mothers of newborns are older now than their counterparts were two decades ago. In 1990, teens had a higher share of all births (13%) than did women ages 35 and older (9%). In 2008, the reverse was true -- 10% of births were to teens, compared with 14% to women ages 35 and older. Each race and ethnic group had a higher share of mothers of newborns in 2008 who are ages 35 and older, and a lower share who are teens, than in 1990.
• Marital Status: A record four-in-ten births (41%) were to unmarried women in 2008, including most births to women in their early 20s. In 1990, 28% of births were to unmarried women. The unmarried-mother share of births has increased most sharply for whites and Hispanics, although the highest share is for black women.
• Race and Ethnicity: White women made up 53% of mothers of newborns in 2008, down from 65% in 1990. The share of births to Hispanic women has grown dramatically, to one-in-four.
• Education: Most mothers of newborns (54%) had at least some college education in 2006, an increase from 41% in 1990. Among mothers of newborns who were ages 35 and older, 71% had at least some college education.
• Explaining the Trends: All the trends cited above reflect a complex mix of demographic and behavioral factors. For example, the higher share of college-educated mothers stems both from their rising birth rates and from women's increasing educational attainment. The rise in births to unmarried women reflects both their rising birth rates and the shrinking share of adults who are married.
• Attitudes about Parenthood: When asked why they decided to have their first (or only) child, the overwhelming majority of parents (87%) answer, "The joy of having children." But nearly half (47%) also say, "There wasn't a reason; it just happened."

To read more of this article visit The New Demography of American Motherhood - Pew Research Center

Baby's Bottoms

Baby Wipes

2 Tablespoons Baby Shampoo
1 Tablespoon Baby Oil
2 Cups water
Mix liquid ingredients in container.

Cut the roll of paper towels in half with a knife and remove the inner cardboard core.
Place the paper towels in the container with the cut side facing downward.
You can also use about 25 Bounty towels, cut in half and folded.
For maximum savings use washcloths set aside especially for this purpose, in which case do not let the cloth rags sit in the mixture due to the possibility of mold developing.
Secure lid tightly and allow to sit until all liquid is absorbed into the paper towels.
Turn the container upside-down and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Open container and 'start' the roll by pulling a towel from the inside of the roll.
Wipes are now ready to use

HOMEMADE BABY WIPES
Get a Rubbermaid container, with a tight fitting lid, and fill it with dry cotton squares (or rounds), the kind you use for removing your make-up. Then add a few squirts of baby oil, and fill the container with warm water, close the container until you need a fresh wipe.

Baby Wash Recipe 1

2 TBSP Baby Wash (choose a natural wash!)
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 Cups water
Mix well in a spray bottle or your wipes box. Spritz on wipe before using if in spray bottle. Swish solution around over wipes if using a wipes box.

Baby Wash Recipe 2

2 TBSP Baby Wash
2 TBSP Olive Oil or 1 TBSP Calendula Oil
2 Drops Tea Tree Oil
2 Cups Water
Mix well in a spray bottle or your wipes box. Spritz on wipe before using if in spray bottle. Swish solution around over wipes if using a wipes box. Tea Tree Oil has lovely disinfectant properties along with its wonderful, clean smell.

Aloe Vera Recipe

1/4 Cup Aloe Vera Gel
2 Drops Tea Tree Oil
2 Cups Hot Water

Stir or shake until this recipe is well mixed. Don't use until the mixture cools. Spritz on wipe before using if in spray bottle. Swish solution around over wipes if using a wipes box.

Vitamin E and Essential Oils Recipe
2 Drops Tea Tree Oil
2 Drops Lavender Oil (Please be sure to use only pure essential oils - don't use synthetic oils.)
2 Drops Chamomile Oil
2 Cups Water
1 Vitamin E Cap

Cut open vitamin E caplet and squeeze into the water, and add essential oil drops. Mix well in a spray bottle or your wipes box. Spritz on wipe before using if in spray bottle. Swish solution around over wipes if using a wipes box.

Cloth wipes are truly easy to use. Or you can simply use warm water on your baby's bottom unless you're changing a particularly messy diaper.

You can premix your wipes solution and moisten a few wipes when you're out and about. Simply place them into a re-sealable plastic bag, or into a travel wipes container and you're ready to go. Throw them into the dirty duds bag or a plastic shopping bag along with your diapers when you use them.

DIAPER RASH CURES:
Coat your baby's bottom with a solid vegetable shortening; it's a lot cheaper than brand name diaper creams and usually works just as well. If baby's bottom is particularly sore, spread on diaper instead of on baby's bottom. Then fasten diaper as usual, and shortening or cream will be applied painlessly. The peditrition also suggested Crisco this for exema.

Try aloe vera either the fresh plant or the extract bought at the pharmacy or health food store.

Breast milk applied to the affected area will clear up diaper rash


HOMEMADE BABY WIPES:
Get a Rubbermaid container, with a tight fitting lid, and fill it with dry cotton squares (or rounds), the kind you use for removing your make-up. Then add a few squirts of baby oil, and fill the container with warm water, close the container until you need a fresh wipe.