Tips & Tricks to Share, Part 2

No More Messes...

This is about using Mugs & Aprons for children to prevent messes! ;)

We have some friends that had came over for dinner. They wanted to know if we had any ideas on how to keep kids from spilling their drinks at the table every night.

We just told them that we either use cups w/ lids & straws, or a good, sturdy, WIDE-based mug. It doesn't tip over! ;)

They loved that idea & started using it themselves! I was happy that made a difference to somebody's life, and so I'd like to share that idea w/ more people.

We also use aprons for the kids at the dining table. They're a bit old to be using bibs, but not old enough to keep their shirts clean! ;)

So they simply wear my old aprons! :) I cut the neck in 1/2 so that it can be tied up better around their smaller necks, and cut the apron strings so that it doesn't have so much extra to around their smaller bodies.

They leave the apron in their seat until the next meal.

Again.... Whala! :) It makes us happy! It works for us! :)

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Templates -Making & Using Templates for those regularly used "forms" we use:

How many times do you make up a new grocery list? Or how many of you even bother making a grocery list at all?

I have what I call "My Grocery List Template". I love the idea of templates for the same reason I love efficiency! ;)

I generally go to the same stores regularly, each month. Rather than making a running, UN-organized list, and going all over the place, running in circles, and still not coming home w/ what you needed... this works.

There's a column for your dept. store shopping, warehouse shopping (I used to use Costco, but now stick w/ Smart N Final).... Columns for the Office store, Bread store, Health Store (or Co-op), Hardware Store.... and there is a new column I just added: "Errands". This is where you can list the order of errands you'll be doing for the day.

I designed my template, and keep copies made up so I can grab one and get to making my list. When one list starts to get pretty sloppy looking from page curls or items marked off, I copy the items still needed to the new list, and off I go again....

Also, I have in each column, the general layout of the store in mind, so that you can easily go after what you're getting, w/out backtracking, going in circles aimlessly, etc...

I know this scanned image turned out lousy, but you can get an idea this way. Also, if you email a request to me, I'll send you an attachment in an email for you. Either way, you can change this to suit YOUR needs, YOUR stores, YOUR plans & desires.... for YOUR family.

* Once you make YOUR own personalized Grocery Template, be sure and mark the original copy in yellow highlighter pen "original". Then use "black copy". Why?? -The yellow marker doesn't show up on a black copy, and you'll want to use the original each time you make copies, or the copies get worse worse, each time (for those of you that didn't know that already).

I also keep my list on a clipboard that goes in the front seat of the grocery cart, as I go around the store. I can easily see my list this way. (If the seat is taken, of course you'd just have an older child hold the clipboard for you.) ;)

I hope that helps!

I have had SEVERAL, several fellow-customers or baggers, or cashiers stop and check out my grocery list & ask questions, in amazement. So I'm sure you'll find something helpful about this! ;)

To GOD be the GLORY, honor, and praise! ;)


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Another template of mine is the plain ol', blank, columned template.

I had gotten to where I finding myself making and re-making columned forms, I figured I may as well have a template for that too! ;)

(Although, it would be really nice if I could ever get the spreadsheets/ charts on the PC ever figured out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't... for ME, that is!) So... I make them the old fashioned way... by hand!) ;)

Again, not a great image to look at, but you get the point. It's an idea to gleam from anyway...


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Next, there's my newest & now my favorite template: My To-Do List Template:

I'd gotten a similar idea from someone else years ago. I had purchased a packet of household forms to use (I call them templates, myself). Although, I wound up getting frustrated w/ many of those forms, because I needed something a bit different. So eventually I would up changing them quite a bit.

The trouble I find w/ to-do lists that I'd always keep making up, is priority level. How do you figure out which to do 1st, with out going up & down through the list- looking, all the time??

I have 4 columns of Priority Level:

There's the 1st column, which reminds me to pray, get in God's Word, and exercise, BEFORE I go trying to tend to my to do list.

Then there's column 2, 3, & 4, according to priority level.

Each column has sections for:

To do, Email/ Online, Phone-calls, & Errands.

Those are all things that I may do on a regular, daily basis, as do most of you, I'd imagine. Again, use the idea, and change it to suit YOUR needs. May you benefit from it! ;)

Again, you can email me a request to send you the form in an attachment, for clearer reference.

Years ago, I thought one day, I too could make $ off my ideas & templates, and sell my forms like other moms did.... but I'm not ready for that.... in the mean time.... I'd just like for others to benefit from my work.

To God be the Glory, Honor & Praise! ;)

-Katie ("Kt")