60 Minutes
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Tuesday, August 30, 2011
My least favorite part of the day is that stressful time when people in my home are tired and cranky and hungry and the house is sometimes a wreck and all in all we’re not doing so hot.
This time is of day generally lasts about an hour, and around here it’s from around 5 to 6 p.m. I know because I am acutely aware of its imminence and always glad when it’s gone.
What is it that makes these sixty minutes... READ MORE
Getting It Clean?
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Thursday, February 24, 2011
Since my husband and I became parents, our evening routine has gone like this: put the kid(s) to bed, tackle tidying the house, then finally - when things are back in order - relax until it’s time for bed.
There have been a handful of nights when we’ve skipped the tidying, but we’ve always regretted it. It helps immensely to start the next day with a living room that is cleared of toys, with a kitchen... READ MORE
Christmas by the Numbers
Posted by Danielle Bean in Family on Monday, December 20, 2010
I can’t believe it’s been five years since I first posted this original “Christmas by the Numbers” post on my own blog.
Now I feel like an old old blogger.
Anyway, since a friend emailed me looking for the link to this last week, I figured I would share it here as well. I hope you’ll share your stats in the comments!
My Morning in Numbers
Complaints about school work: 46
Threats about coal in Christmas... READ MORE
Wisdom of the Child
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, September 09, 2010
This afternoon I was having a momentary freak-out, end-of-day flash of melt that wasn’t pretty. Not at all. It was just one of those split-second flashes where the reality of the situation was greatly overshadowed by my annoyance and also the number of discarded shoes left on the front-room floor. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of life but actually yes totally a very big deal.
Because everyone... READ MORE
Who's the Messiest of Them All?
Posted by Danielle Bean in Homemaking on Tuesday, July 13, 2010
“I don’t know what is on the mirror or who did it,” I said as I reached for my camera, “But I am at least going to get a blog post out of this.”
What kinds of surprise messes have you been finding around the house this summer?
Tackling Toy Turmoil
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Homemaking on Tuesday, June 29, 2010
I feel blessed because in our current house with our current sleeping situation, we’re able to have a play room.
It’s great having a room that’s completely dedicated to housing the toys. It makes tidying up easy, as I can just toss toys in there as I find them.
But I’m telling you, that room is a pit. Most of the time, it’s nearly impossible to walk across it without maiming yourself on a small piece... READ MORE
How Do I Clean This Thing?
Posted by Danielle Bean in Homemaking on Monday, May 24, 2010
Back when I wrote that swoony post about my how much I have been enjoying my new waffler maker, I think I was still in the honeymoon phase of that particular appliance relationship.
I still use my waffler maker a few times a week, but I am getting just a little bit annoyed. At the mess.
How on earth can I keep this thing clean?
Here’s the trouble: When I make waffles, I am careful about measuring... READ MORE
Sweet Vindication
Posted by Danielle Bean in Just me on Monday, June 15, 2009
Me to Boy Who Never Brushes His Teeth Without Being Told: Did you brush your teeth yet?
Him: Yes.
Me: Really? Are you sure you are telling the truth?
Him: Yes.
I remained skeptical until I entered the bathroom.
Oh yes. Now I believe him.
The Shiniest Floors Ever
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Friday, April 24, 2009
This afternoon, I heard an odd sound, a kind of trickle coming from the kitchen. I walked in to find Henry standing in the pantry; he had somehow slightly twisted the top of my gigantic, insanely huge bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and had tipped the bottle forward. There he stood, watching the fine yellow line that flowed from the bottle onto the floor.
By the time I came upon the scene, Henry was standing and staring and also drenched. His shoes were covered in oil. So were a lot of other things.
For the past few hours, I have been mopping the floors, first with PineSol and then with dish soap. The oil managed to seep out from the pantry and into the kitchen and I am hoping that maybe a few more hours of scrubbing might actually help. Tomorrow night, my home will be filled with my mom and dad’s friends here to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary and I am just praying that none of those dear friends falls and breaks a hip. That would really put a damper on the evening.
Fun with Toddlers
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Thursday, February 26, 2009
Henry is 19-months-old! His next oldest brother is about to be seven. It’s been a while since I’ve had a toddler so I was thinking we could discuss fun activities for this age. It’s a tricky age because a 19-month-old is now too big for a lot of activities but still too small for many others.
So! What works for you? This morning we tried water colors, which was fun (turned into gigantic mess, but that’s cool) and there is also block sorting and hmmm, climbing on the dining room table and also getting into my make-up.
Any other ideas for good activities that can occupy a toddler while mommy leaves the room for a second or two?
