Goodbye Mr. Monday.....

I decided while on our RV trip that when I got back home I wouldn't be doing anymore Mondays.  I mean honestly who Likes Mondays?  So, I have decided that Mondays are going to be kind of like "warm up" days.  So, that I can gear up for the other 4 days and following weekend.  

My weekends look like this:  big family breakfasts, movie marathons, game fests and a mad dash around the house picking up messes.  So, on Mondays I used to drag around and beat myself up for not being productive enough.  Not, anymore!  I make sure that the important things are accomplished like feeding my Family and my Soul.  Then I make sure the kids Read, complete some sort of project or chore like Mahala just finished cleaning her bathroom from top to bottom.  And I make sure I'm organized and ready to go for the next 4 days of school and complete any phone calls, emails or assignments I'm working on.  

 

This change has given our Home a more relaxed atmosphere and I have found that we are so productive the rest of the week.  I enjoy lighting candles, listening to music and slowly move into full force by Tuesday.  Tomorrow I plan to prep my Nature Journal for September, make some phone calls, work on a review that includes Pirates and Grammar, double check my school supplies needed for Mahala this coming week and read books with Kaden along with his sensory time.   Anything else that happens is just gravy....mmmmm gravy, speaking of that I have my recipe for my country sausage gravy coming up in a few days. :) 

The cool thing is, that other things do happen, they happen naturally.  And I love that, so by taking the pressure off of our Mondays we tend to accomplish a whole lot and still feel less stress and more satisfied at the end of the day.  How do you handle Monday Mornings???

Gearing Up For Christmas

Here is a few pages I've got started for Christmas.  We always make a ton of treats for Friends, Family and our Neighbors.  So, I have a several sweet treats that make their appearance every single year.  But, we also like to introduce some new treasures each year too.  This year I'm going to do some bread making, both sweet and savory varieties.
The little house over on the right is just my way of being able to have a visual of what will be on our Christmas Chain.  We link together little slips of paper with activities to do as a Family.  Each morning one of the kids tear one off and we find time during the day to do whatever was written on the link.  This tradition has been going on since my oldest was tiny....along with the 12 days of Christmas.  
 
The last 12 days till Christmas each of the Kiddos get to open up a gift.  The gifts range from underwear/socks and handmade certificates to art supplies and small travel size products.  Each year they get an ornament, a book and a set of new PJs for sure.  All the other gifts are random.   I started this honestly when my oldest was tiny and I was a single Mom, 20 years old with very little money.  I loved finding inexpensive items or necessities like socks that I could wrap up pretty and see my little guy's face light up.  As they have gotten older I have assigned them a siblings number to make a gift for them with their own hands.  I think their favorites are the ornaments, Pjs and handmade certificates.  I usually put in a day out one on one with Parents or You pick dinner....the possibilities are endless!!!

What are some of your Favorite traditions to do with your Family during Christmas?  I'm getting together supplies now for Cinnamon Ornaments and Salt Dough Ornaments...we do these right after Thanksgiving.  And that will be here before you know it.....where does the time go??????