SUMMER CHORE CHART

Since I have been doing a summer chore chart with my kids since they were little, they were actually looking forward to see what their summer chore chart was going to look like. I love putting their photos on the chart each year so before I made the chart I snuck up on them and snapped some fun new pics with my phone’s camera.

• Download the Summer Chore Chart as a PDF – ready to print and hang on your fridge!
• Download the Summer Chore Chart as a MS Word document - ready to customize first, then print and hang on the fridge.

Just to keep things fresh, I usually reassign the chores every few weeks. When they were younger I had to customize the chores a lot more because there was no way my youngest could vacuum or sweep, but now they are all old enough to do just about any chore needed.

If you are looking for another creative method – check out this “anti-boredom device” crafted with a cookie sheet and tiles.

SUMMER HOUSE RULES

I am a true believer in setting expectations for kids. During the school year the expectations are pretty clear and are directed by schoolwork and sports. Summer time is a bit different – there is much more social time, home time and yes, opportunities to say “I’m bored.”  I have printed these up on colorful paper and keep them posted on the refrigerator – feel free to do the same – adapting them as you need for your family.

1. Pick up after yourself
2. No name calling, mean words or foul language
3. Be respectful of your sibling’s need for space
4. Chores must be done before friends come over, TV goes on or you go play
5. The kitchen is NOT open 24 hours a day
6. Be positive and supportive of your siblings efforts
7. Don’t forget your manners! Please & Thank You will take you a long way.
8. Mom is not made of money & we are not going out to eat, stopping to pick up a snack or shopping everyday – so don’t even ask!
9. If you tell me you are BORED – I will find a job for you to do.

I’d love to hear about your summer house rules or how you keep structure in tact while still having fun in the summer with your kids.

I went to the dollar store and purchased three small stacking organizer bins with open tops. I labeled them Childrens, Adult and First Aid. I pulled everything out of the cabinet and sorted it into one of these three categories.

The childrens’ bin contains what I consider to be essentials – Childrens Motrin, Mucinex cough medicine, Childrens Sudafed, Similasan Childrens ear ache drops, Little Noses Saline Spray/Drops for Dry for Stuffy Noses, the kids vitamins, and any of their current prescriptions.

The adult bin has Motrin, Aspirin, Alavert, Benadryl, Nyquil, Similasan Allergy Eye Relief Eye Drops and our adult vitamins.

We keep the first aid bin well stocked with Neosporin (love the new Neosporin and Pain Relief formula), Arnica Gel (great for muscle pain), Traumeel Ointment (also for muscle pain), Dermoplast Pain Relieving Spray (takes the sting out of scrapes fast), bandaids in all shapes and sizes, cortizone cream, tweezers, antiseptic wipes, gauze and tape.

This system has worked weel for us for the past few years. My kids are now old enough that they can get their own bandaids and little items. Having the medicines clearly marked in bins makes it much easier for the entire family to find what they need and stay healthy.

Laura, my friend at OrgJunkie.com, who hosts Menu Plan Monday, would be so proud of me! New Year’s Day I finally couldn’t take looking at my bowing cabinet shelf anymore and decided to do something about it. I took before photos, emptied EVERYTHING out of three sets of cabinets/storage areas, tossed the old and the expired, then reorganized it all. Take a look:

Like the bowing shelf??? Can you find anything in there? I couldn’t.

Look at all that extra space I have now!  By adding a few inexpensive shelf organizers (Undershelf Mesh Basket – Small (Silver) (6.25″H x 11.25″W x 10.4″D) and 2 Space Stretcher – Large (White) (9″ D x 19.5″ W x 8.5″ H)), I gave myself even more room to work with. You can find more great Kitchen Essentials at Organize.com

My “overflow” cabinet before.

After it is so well organized that the entire top shelf is now empty and I have it for later use.

This green set of shelves holds small appliances, seasonal dishes, and has organizer baskets on the side for cans – but what a mess.

Not perfect but so much better!

After seeing the huge difference in those three cabinets, I was so motivated, I even tackled my refrigerator! Complete with washing down the shelves. Wow.

Now that my kitchen space is more organized, it makes it so much easier to know what I have on hand so I can plan my menu for the week. One of the reasons I find menu planning to be so important for our family is that we are always on the go. A few minutes of planning on Sunday/Monday will save me so much money (by not going to drive thrus) and will give my family better fuel for their healthy bodies – and mine (have you read the simple math of losing weight?)

This week’s plan:

• Monday: The boys wil make Chili, garlic bread and tossed salad (they love making it and it is better than mine)
• Tuesday: Ultra crazy sports night, so we will plan for Subway sandwiches in between sports.
• Wednesday: Saucy Stir Fried Pork and Rice
• Thursday: Bacon Tomato Bagel Melts (on Laura’s menu this week and looks perfect)
• Friday: Hamburgers on grill, lettuce, tomato, sweet potato fries, steamed veggies

What’s on your menu this week? If you need ideas, feel free to check out my Menu Plan Monday archives or head over to Laura’s at Organizing Junkie for links to hundreds of menus this week.