Christmas is Coming
I’m in danger of appearing fastidiously organised but it’s true: I’m thinking about Christmas. Many of my precious childhood memories are bound up with the magic of Christmas: the lights; the music; the joy; the tree; the decorations; the presents; the nativity story; family; friends; the pure excitement of Christmas Morn. No “Bah Humbug” here; I love Christmas.
I’m blessed to be part of a large family. Now, when I say large, I mean really BIG. When I count, just family, I have 40 presents to buy so if I’m not somewhat organised, well, I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. {Hint: Kelly running around with a fist full of hair.}
Below are six of my Christmas-thinkings.
1. Christmas Presents Box
I have a present box at the end of my bed (or as Tina writes, keep a gift closet – which sounds much more romantic). During the respective year, I buy presents, mostly on a drastic special, and place them in the box. I don’t necessarily know who each present is for, I have a vauge idea of what gifts I’m looking for. Close to Christmas I go through the gifts and find that my shopping is almost done.
My Present Box
2. Christmas Cards
I’ve given up on traditional Christmas cards in favour of personalised photo cards. Monique from Your Cheeky Monkey writes about being on the lookout for the best Christmas photo of her boys so she is prepared early. I think this a great idea.
InkPink Designs did my gorgeous photo Christmas cards in 2009.
Christmas Card Ideas: Made by Meeya & InkPink Designs
3. A Special Outfit
The festive season is party season, from playgroup break-ups to work functions. If you are looking for an outfit, think causal elegance so you have the best of both worlds: a little bit of glamour plus a lot of comfort. Here’s some ideas:
Sara Ruffle Dress $69.95 Emerge Ruffle Dress $79.95 Capture Shift Dress $59.95
Watch my Elegant Christmas Hair-do video tutorial
4. Craft
Do you need ideas for your Playgroup, Mother’s group or Sunday School? Below are some of my Christmas Crafts. My favourite is the Christmas Wreath Tree Decoration craft. This would be a fun gift pack to make up for nieces and nephews too.
Christmas Wreath Tree Decoration
5. Santa Claus
Our family doesn’t focus on Santa at Christmas-time and the children don’t receive presents ‘From Santa’. Firstly, when my children were very young, they were afraid of him, and fair enough I say; what could be worse than being handed over to a strange man with a long white beard for a photo? Secondly, Santa Claus is not the main reason for Christmas, and so I strive for balance on this issue. I’m certainly not taboo Santa: Santa can be fun in moderation, and my husband has been known to dress up for the children; however, our family focuses on the Birth of Jesus and the spirit of giving.
I’d be interested in reader’s opinion about ‘believing in Santa Claus’. My children don’t ’believe’ in Santa; however, I respect other families decision to play the game and I teach my children to be considerate and not to spoil the surprise for them. Colin from SuperParents has a clever solution to this predicament in the Santa Claus Club.
My husband playing Santa, minus the beard
6. Life-Changing Gift
There are opportunities to purchase a life-changing gift for those living in extreme poverty instead of buying a present. For more information visit Gift Opportunity. I love this way of giving.
Do you have any Christmas-thinkings? Tell me! Or maybe don’t or I might just get carried away.
Not into Christmas? I appreciated these posts:
Not into Santa? Read these posts:
Christmas Ideas
I Didn’t Clean The Kitchen Last Night
Are you sufficiently horrified? This is the sight I woke to this morning.
The Husband (I like calling him that) had been on-call for 60 hours and he stumbled home last night, absolutely exhausted. He fell into the chair, and I could tell, he just couldn’t move, let alone talk. I felt like dropping myself; however, seeing him in such a state gave me a little extra energy to put his needs above mine. (I know that sounds sickeningly like the perfect wife, and I’m far from that, but I felt so much compassion for him and he’s usually helpful around dinner). I placed food in-front of the children and then gave a plate to my husband, still in the chair, with a glass of milk. A glass of milk? I don’t know why I gave him a glass of milk; I rarely do that, but it felt like the nurturing thing to do — go figure.
The children took their plates to the kitchen sink. I don’t remember telling them a story. Did I? I certainly had no energy left to clean the kitchen. So there it was, sitting patiently for me this morning. Today, I feel fresher, and I can tackle the mess. I don’t like leaving the kitchen a mess but in a way, I feel good about it. I feel good about it because I was able to prioritise what was important for our family in the moment, and — stuff the rest. It was important, for the moment that has now past, to invest in my husband — I know it.
Sometimes, when my husband comes home I say this:
“I didn’t do very well in the house today, but I loved the children.”
He smiles. And then I smile.
Other Be A Fun Mum Links
Family Holiday: Go and Make Memories
I fondly remember my childhood family holidays. My Dad asked a grown-up-me this question recently: “Do you remember us taking you to ________?” I couldn’t remember, and I could tell my Dad was a little disappointed. Then I said, “Dad, it doesn’t matter that I can’t remember every single place we visited, what matters is you and Mum created memories of an overwhelmingly happy childhood.”
Holidays are about creating memories of an overwhelmingly happy childhood.
Holiday Bag
On our big annual family holiday, I pack a special holiday bag of goodies for each of my children. This doesn’t have to be expensive. Typically I include these things:
* Colouring/activity book
* Small toy
* Lollies
* New Book
* Green Shopping Bag
Don’t forget to take a family treat too, like a board game. The Book Chook put it this way: “I can’t resist activities that give kids opportunities for learning and socializing, wrapped up in a package of fun.”
Holiday Box
My sister Sharron, who is the most organised person I know, suggested a dedicated holiday box. The idea of the box is it’s already packed and ready to take with you on holidays. From matches to paper towel and BBQ utensils to paper plates, it’s all there.
Notes: When you come home from holidays, replenish the box so it’s ready for next time. I used a take-away container to hold the pegs.
Printable Packing Lists
Note: Consider organising The Car Box too, and you’ll be all set to enjoy the holiday.
Go and make memories.
For more free downloads visit here.
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Be A Fun Mum Link:
External Links:
Planning with Kids: Preparing for the school holidays and 10 Essential Items For The Family Car Trip
Parenting Australia: Happy Holiday Plan
Hear Mum Roar: School Holiday Fun – Slime
Childhood 101: Creating Memories: Holidays
Packing Nappies
I was with my sister this morning. Her child had a dirty nappy so she proceeded to pull a nappy from her bag and inside, was a nappy sack ready to go! I was so impressed! What a great way to organise nappies when you are out.
There was no trying to pull out a bag with one hand while holding a dirty nappy in the other. And would someone tell me why nappy sacks never come out from the packet one at a time? Ah, but no more. LOOK!
Now while we are talking about nappies, I want to tell you about my recent discovery. Nappy Wallets! Have you heard about them? Nappy Wallets hold nappies (with nappy sacks inside) and wipes. The wallet can be tossed in the bottom of the stroller, left in the boot of the car and is small enough to fit in most handbags and nappy bags. All this is awesome but what I love most about Nappy Wallets is the little bit of happiness I get when I pull it out. Another ‘Love the Moment’ moment. Look at these gorgeous handcrafted designs by ZeeBee Creations. Don’t they just make you happy?
Thanks to Little Yon Yon, Be A Fun Mum readers have the chance to buy a wallet at 10% off by using this special code at checkout: BFUNMUM. Just head over to the website by clicking on the above picture. Valid until 7th May 2010.
I love my nappy wallet and you will too. Trust me 
Hurry! Finding the Play Button
I tend to run in Fast Forward or Stop (and nowhere in-between). This means, I’m either running around madly or unable to move. I’m missing the play button. The consequence of this is I often run into furniture and trip over things. I drop boxes on my feet and cut myself in the kitchen. Being in fast forward means I’m always in a hurry.
This is something I’ve been working on: finding the play button in my life. Because, when I’m constantly in a hurry, I stress my family out. You see, I like it when I’m in hurry mode (ie Fast Forward) so I often leave things to the last minute so I HAVE to run around madly. I’ve been slow to learn this lesson: Hurry + Children = Stress.
Friday Morning: print flossie’s assignment.make four lunches.change two nappies.back four bags.brush four heads of hair.four mouths to feed.don’t forget to get your shoes on.in car.forgot phone.run back inside.drive to school.late.walk children up.son crying.sun in his eyes.cossie can’t move quickly enough.back in car. drive to kindy.son and cossie are stressed.stayed to settle.hurry.hurry.hurry.sat in the car.stop.
Admittedly, not every morning is quite as bad as the Friday gone; however, it made me think. When I’m in a hurry, it’s rarely a good thing for my family. Looking back over my Friday morning, I can see a lot of the fast forwardness (is that even a word?) was due to lack of organisation.
I can be organised, I like being organised but I choose not to be sometimes because I also like to hurry. I’m choosing to bring more organisation into my life because my family’s needs are important to me and I seek to create an environment of harmony in my home. Here’s to me finding my play button.
Planning with Kids is a great blog about, wait for it, planning with kids!
Workhouse or Housework
No one wants to live in a workhouse, where people are tense because of the list of rules. A home is a place to be comfortable and relaxed. In saying that, to achieve a comfortable atmosphere, housework needs to be done. It’s about finding the balance between making your ’house work’ without it becoming a ‘work house’.
I was chatting to the lovely Amanda from Bodelicious about encouraging children to do housework. If you haven’t already read The B Team post, start there, as it’s a good foundation. Once you’ve established the fact that housecleaning is every one’s responsibility, it needs be practical.
These are the main principals I can see in relation to encouraging housework:
* Create a team spirit in your family.
* Establish the fact that housecleaning is every one’s responsibility.
* Show your child/ren how to do the job; don’t just expect them to know.
* Increased responsibility = Increased privileges (appropriate to age).
* Be firm and consistent.
I was interested in Amanda’s system of having a ’do to’ list in each room. I’ve adapted these lists and you can print them out below if you think the system would work in your house. The advantage of this system is it gives everyone a clear idea of things to do and is easy to find. Who does what will depend on the age of your child/ren. There are five sheets: Living Area, Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom and Toilet. The sheets could be laminated and reused with a wipe-off pen. Click on the image to print out all five sheets.
You may need to use trial and error to see what sort of system works for your family.
More Free templates.
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Here are some helpful blog posts on this subject.
SquiggleMum’s Helping Hands - See how Cath manages to do housework with two young children in the house.
Julie’s Under 30 Minutes - See how Julie manages to do only 30 minutes of housework a day.
Michelle’s Putting Kids to Work- Read how Michelle gradually introduced housework to her children in 5 stages.
Click here to see Michelle’s schedule for her son aged nine.
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If you are looking for routine reward charts I like these companies:
Little Billies - Wide range of charts. Especially good for young children.
Magnetic Moves - Wide range of charts. Especially good for school aged children.
Sunny Mummy Magnets - Family organisation made easy.
I Want A Drink!
No, I’m not having a meltdown; this post is not about the alcoholic kind of beverage. Do you hear, “I WANT A DRINK!” from your children about 1000 times a day and often at the most inconvenient moments? With four children in the house, I’ve come up with a system so everyone can get their own drinks, whenever they want, without any help from me. HALLELEUAH!
I’ve dedicated a section in the fridge to drink bottles of varying sizes. The children help themselves to a drink and when the bottle is empty, they place it in the kitchen sink for me to refill. Even my two-year-old is able to follow this simple process. I’m all for encouraging independence. Do you have a system?
Organised Chaos
Oxymoron? Yes, perhaps; running a household of four children and a husband is all about organised chaos for me. It’s about finding the balance between organising life around me without being a nag.
My husband is a laid-back, easy-going person. I am, on the other hand, a little highly strung. Where is it? Who said it? Who put it there? Any no, thank you very much, I’m not a control freak and I’m definitely not paranoid. Who wants to know? I’LL DO IT MYSELF! Ah-hem.
That being said, I’ve been blessed to have children and a husband to knock all the perfectionist control out of me; nearly. I’ve found a happy medium: organised chaos.
Here is a perfect example of organised chaos:
I have a basket for cups and drink bottles (all thrown in). A basket for cup lids and bottle teats (again all thrown in). There’s a basket full of plastic plates and bowls (chuck them in). And don’t forget the lunch boxes (just put them in there). Are you getting the drift?
This system gives the perfect balance of being organised without being pedantic. I adopt this kind of organisation throughout my house. It’s a system that works for me. My children are learning organisation in a realistic way and I don’t stress my husband out – too much.
The Car Box
My sister was showing me her Car Box. I was impressed with the concept so I’m going to share it with you.
Here is the list:
* Box: to store everything.
* Batteries: a few different sizes is a good idea.
* Trailer Tarp: a small tarp has many uses: picnic rug or a slip and slide are just a few.
* Wipes: great for – shall I say it? Vomit. And sticky fingers.
* Bin Liners/Plastic Bags
* Rain coats: so you don’t get caught out in the rain. Just buy the cheap plastic ponchos.
* Exercise book
* Pen
* Scissors
* Washers/Small Towel
* Tennis Balls: great for the park or beach.
* Tumbler cups: How many times have you needed them?
* Duct tape: I’ve always wanted to be MacGyver.
* Torch: Buy a wind up one that does not need batteries.
* Bandaids
* Sunscreen
* Tissues
* Panadol
* Fold-able Shovel: Love this but I have to wonder sister, what exactly is it for? Going bush?
* Collapseable Bucket: Awesome for fishing or washing sandy feet.
* Safety Pin
* First Aid Kit: Every car should have one.
* Frisbee: Cheap and easy to store.
I’m going to be making up my own Car Box. Any suggestions?
I’ve put everyones great suggestions on a printable list. Click the link below.
The Miracle Bag
“It’s a miracle!”
A women’s bag is full of - well - everything.
A women’s bag contains mystery.
A woman’s bag must never be trifled with.
A woman’s bag is an extension of herself.
A woman’s bag is a miracle.
My mother had a special pouch inside her bag and it was amazing what was discovered inside in a pressing situation. My sisters and I would laugh and say, “It’s a miracle!”
Sometimes a mother needs to plan a miracle – just a little.
I keep a special bag inside my handbag. A spare cosmetic bag received the very prestigious title of the ‘Miracle Bag’. These are the items I keep inside:
*Hand sanitiser
*Band-aids
*Chewing Gum
*Nail Kit
*Brush
*Hairband
*Some money (great when you need a miracle at a parking metre)
*Panadol/Nurofen
*Lip Gloss
*Tissues
Hmmm, I think I need to find a safety pin to put in as well.
Do you have a miracle bag?
