Two Tried and True

I have two 5-star tips that I ran across this weekend. Both get rave reviews from me.

The first is not my own idea. My friend, Kyle, shared this idea a few months ago at our church's women's group (Enrichment in LDS speak). This weekend I finally put it to use, and I'm so excited about it: It's a child's memory box.

What you do is you get one of those plastic, portable file holders for each child. Add hanging file folders marked: Babyhood, Toddlerhood, Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st grade, and so on. Then as my kiddos participate in activities or complete projects that are worth saving, I'll just pop them in the corresponding file folder. When they leave home, "Wa-lah!" They take their "life in a box" with them.

Here's a sample of what I've included in almost every year in addition to a few chosen photos:

That year's Christmas letter and Christmas card. (A great summary of the year, as it turns out.)
Their birthday letter (every year on their birthday, I try to write each child a letter)
Copies of Primary talks
Letters to Santa
School photo
A couple of art projects
School assignment from the beginning of the year
School assignment from the end of the year
Birthday cards from Grandparents
Team photos
Certificates of achievement
etc.

It's organized, ordered, and super easy to do. Thank you Kyle for a great idea!

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On Sunday I was pressed for time and trying to whip up a salad to take to a potluck dinner. As anyone knows the quickest salad is the Caesar since there are only 4 ingredients, one of the most important being Caesar dressing, which I quickly realized I was out of. Argh! Now what?? Thankfully my friend Shilo had shared this quick and easy recipe for Caesar dressing with me. It was a fast fix, and I was shocked at how many people raved about it. I may never buy Caesar dressing again!

Caesar Dressing
yield: 1 cup

1/2 C. Mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. milk
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
2 T. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk it all together and enjoy! It's delicious.

Dinnerswap: A Housewife's Best Friend

Holy Labor Day, everyone! Did anybody else's house take it on the chin? Man, I have been trying to catch up all day. I guess that's what I get for really vacationing over the three-day weekend. Well, it was good while it lasted.

Today's post will be about my next favorite housekeeping trick--next to laundry-load-a-day. If you missed that one the first time round go here. Anyway, my next favorite trick is the dinner swap. My friend and I have been at it for just over a year now, and we're still going strong, despite my mother's doubts in the beginning.

Here's how it works. My friend cooks on Mondays and Wednesdays, and I cook on Tuesdays and Thursdays for both of our families. Friday through Sunday we are on our own. I think both of us finagle a meal out over the weekend, and most of the time I have so many leftovers we have a leftover night as well. Add that all up and most of the time, I only have to cook 3-4 dinners a week.

Now, I'm a girl who even likes to cook, but let's be honest; anything you have to do everyday gets a little old. The gift of giving me two days off and still getting a terrific homemade meal...Well, it is just AWESOME! And it's really no big deal to make a little extra if I'm already cooking anyway. The other side benefit is that we are both saving grocery money because we don't have to buy so many ingredients. Maybe now you see why it has become one of my very favorite homemaking tricks. It's a win/win all the way around.

Some things that make it work:
1. Ideally the partners should be within easy walking distance. If I had to pack my kids in the car and haul her meal across town while mine got cold, it wouldn't last long. As it is, I just put her servings in those nifty disposable tupperware things, load them in our shared wicker basket and walk the two doors down. Easy.

2. The families should eat similarly. I could no way share meals with a vegetarian. I need my meat. My friend and I also agree in parenting style in this area. No special or extra meals for kids. They've got to eat what is prepared. And there is usually enough variety so there is something they like. We also don't get nuts with the gourmet ingredients. I mean it's good food, but we both have kids. Enough said.

3. Flexibility and communication are a must. Sometimes schedules need to be adjusted. Thursday soccor practice means that we eat earlier on that day. We just make it work.

4. Another great help in the beginning was signing up for recipes at Dinner Planner. Every week we'd get 7 recipes with, and--this is the best part--a color-coded shopping list. It was like dinner by numbers it was so easy. Plus it helped get us out of the "food rut" we had found ourselves in. You know--you make the same things over and over again. New ideas really help, especially when it comes right to your email in-box.

Like I said, my mother thought it would never last, but so far I can't imagine going back. Maybe someday it won't work for us, but for now it is just dreamy! If you can find a buddy, I encourage you to give it a try. I'm so glad I did. Gotta go. Tonight I'm making Chicken Picatta. Yum!

Large and In Charge

My new favorite trick: One load of laundry a day. Big or small doesn't matter. Just one load to wash, dry, fold, and put away, and I am laundry free. No huge piles waiting to be done and causing me guilt like back in the day when I trudged through "laundry day." I hated that torturous day. Now my closet stays more organized, I have tons (okay, not tons, but ample) clothes ready to wear at a moments notice, and my laundry room is not an embarrassment. It makes me happy. And I have always despised the laundry beast. Who's in charge now, huh?!