Kid Cleaning Tips

I need to get some cleaning done this weekend which made me think of my cleaning tip for today.

Cleaning a room can sometimes be an overwhelming task to young children and often frustrating for parents. Working with children for many years and also having my own, I have learned to be creative and keep it simple. Even children as young as two can help with the clean up process.

Make it a game. We always start with a game of "find the color." I start by telling them to go find something of a certain color and pick up everything that color and put it away. Then choose another color until everything is picked up. You might have to help the first couple times, but soon they will be shouting from their rooms, "what's the next color?!"

Another helpful hint is to have some type of container, shoebox, or bin with a picture of the items that go in it. Then all they have to do is match the items to the picture.

I think the most important tip is not to have too many toys and things available at all times. Being a daycare provider, I have several toys but rotate them so I only have a few out at a time. Then every week or two, I remove some of them and put out something else. It's like getting something new every week or two without actually buying anything! Which saves me money and keeps them busy.

De-clutter! Before you go out and buy new containers make sure you get rid of the things that are missing pieces, broken or are no longer played with. This needs to be done every few weeks If you aren't sure what your kids really play with, put it away for a week or two, if they don't know it's gone, they probably aren't going to miss it. Toys in good condition can always be donated, there are several charities that would be glad to have them.

Remember you are teaching them "life skills" so they can go out and live on their own someday!

Happy cleaning!

~Simply Angie

Grandma's Bread Pudding and Caramel Sauce

I was trying to think of something for dessert last night and homemade bread pudding was my choice. Our Dad was not a dessert lover but bread pudding was one of his favorites. Our grandma made the best bread pudding, hope you like it! Ingredients : 5 cups slightly dried out bread, any kind. I used Italian bread. 1/4 cup raisins (optional) 2 cups milk 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 T vanilla 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cinnamon Caramel Sauce Ingredients 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla Directions : Cut the bread in cubes. I cut some of the crust off (on about half of the bread). Place bread into a greased casserole dish or an 11x9 inch pan. Add raisins. Microwave milk and butter about 4 minutes on 60% power or heat in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Slowly add the mixture to the egg and milk and butter

Homemade Goulash

Last weekend I made meals for the freezer. It takes a few hours but this will save you time during the week (in case you have nights like I do when you don't feel like cooking) and your family will love it! I adapted this recipe from Paula Deen (it's called Bobby's Goulash). I used organic ingredients but use the products of your choice. I would have liked to use fresh tomatoes from the garden but my tomatoes weren't quite ready. You can also make it gluten-free by using gluten-free elbow macaroni. It's so tasty - my family loved it! Ingredients : 1 pound ground turkey 1 pound lean ground beef 1 -2 small onions, diced ( I used red onions) 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice 3 cups water 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 T Italian seasoning 3 bay leaves 3 T soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce 1 T seasoning salt course ground pepper to taste 2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked) Putting it together: Brown meat and onions in a lar

Dad's Homemade Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler fresh from the oven! One of our favorite desserts is Dad's peach cobbler. This is a recipe that I use when I need a quick dessert. I always have the ingredients and it only takes a few minutes to mix it up. I modified it for gluten-free by making a change to the flour type, just in case you're looking for gluten-free. You can use fresh or frozen peaches, or even canned peaches work. I usually freeze enough Colorado peaches to take me through the seasons so I use those. This recipe makes about 6 servings. Ingredients : 1/3 c butter, melted 1-2 cups peaches, peeled and sliced 1 c sugar (white or organic cane) 1 c all-purpose flour ( or white rice flour for gluten-free ) 1 tsp cinnamon (this is optional, my family loves cinnamon!) 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 c milk (I use organic 2%) Directions : Melt butter and pour it into a baking pan, a 9x9 square glass pan works great. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and sa

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