Hamburger Helpers!

Several weeks ago I decided to do a little revamping of our chore system. The previous plan had actually become non-existent and I had just resorted to having temper tantrums to get them to get things done. Not working so well.
I googled chore charts and found a few on Pinterest, but none of them were "new" to me. I wanted something to make them excited about helping and earning a commission.

We are big Dave Ramsey fans. I have mentioned him several times (here, here, and here). Dave suggests paying your children a "commission" rather than an "allowance". Here's his theory: An allowance is kind of a given...not earned. A commission is earned. Then there are responsibilities...you don't get paid for those. It makes perfect sense to me.

Our new system covers commissions and responsibilities. There are no handouts in the real world. So why should there be in our home? We have a "PAYDAY" and they are paid only for the work that has been done. We are also teaching them about tithing (Malachi 3:10), so 10% is immediately taken off the top and put in their envelope for church. They're not so fond of that part, but it will make it less painful when they are adults.

Any who...
I took a combo of concepts online (from this blog) and made up my own. I like to call it Hamburger Helpers.

I made it with Popsicle sticks, mod-podge, and magnets. Super easy!

Each burger has a bun; top bun= A.M. Responsibilities and bottom bun= P.M. Responsibilities.
Sam and Fulton each have six sticks making up the burger and condiments. Each stick has a chore (or chores depending on the complexity) and a value of the commission to be paid. There is an A list and B list of chores to be rotated between the 2 big boys. Yes! Ollie has his very own baby burger, since he is only 3, with age-appropriate chores.

So far, so good. There hasn't been any yelling or complaining involved and they really look forward to payday. Who knew Hamburger Helpers could be so good?

If you'd like a copy of the printable Hamburger Helpers to make your own, just leave me a comment below or contact me. I will email it to you! It will have our chores on it, but they are very basic and common household tasks. If the chores don't suit your family contact me through my SHOP and I'll customize one for you.

Bring it 2011!

I am not usually one to look back on a year and think "Wow! I sure am glad to see that one go." But I must admit that the year 2010 has not been a personal fave of mine. However, it sometimes takes the not-so-fab moments in life to bring out your personal best. We are determined to find the good in all these rather common yet difficult experiences.

We (Shan & I) felt many personal strains this year...emotionally, physically, and financially. We weathered an almost-layoff, but by the grace of God, Shannon found a great job in just the nick of time. With a job change and this DREADFUL economy we have learned to manage our money differently and "Dave Ramsey says" is the most frequently spoken phrase in our home. I suffered from (still am) some very annoying and sometimes debilitating health issues. I am hopeful that we can resolve those or at least get some relief in the new year. I have also had some personal struggles that I shared with all of you through my blog(s).

I was on a quest to get organized (still am) and even devoted an entire blog to it. That was WAY too much for me to keep up with. So I am learning that for me, organization is a state of mind. It's little steps everyday that keep me organized, not a few weekends or late nights of major tasks.

I have struggled with returning to work to not only help financially, but to use my $$education$$. We decided to continue making sacrifices to allow me to be at home with my boys. We also decided to focus on my home-based business for extra income and for a creative outlet. i have gained many new clients and loved serving my returning clients who continue to support me.

I had many worries about family members who were dealing with life changing issues. I am in the process of handing those worries to the only one who can truly handle them. I realized that sometimes problems are much bigger than we are and that's all we CAN do.

Don't get me wrong, there was lots of good in 2010, but the not-so-good was extremely prevalent and seemed to be the headliner of this year. Having to deal with all of these pesky issues has caused a great deal of frustration and anxiety in our house. BUT we are learning to trust God more than ever and listen to our hearts. Through fighting all this anxiety, we are praying more and counting all our blessings. We have leaned on our amazing families, realized who our true friends are, and have grown closer as a family. Also, in blogging about all this over the year I have met some fantastic "blog friends" who have also been super supportive. I just love this community!

We are going into the new year with positive attitudes and hope for a better year. We pray that all of you have a happy and safe new year's eve and that 2011 brings you much joy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

from What's Bakin'?

Time Budget

Love this! I really need to think about my time budget. I tend to over-commit myself, as I'm sure most mothers do!
Are You Budgeting Your Time Effectively? - Budgeting - daveramsey.com

Practically Yours,

It's Suppah Time!

Happy September, y'all!! It's almost fall, school is back in full swing for most of us, and obligations to ball games, after-school activities, volunteerism, and various other "things" to keep us crazy and busy are at hand. Along with all of this comes the daily dreaded 5:00 question..."what should I fix for supper"?  Sometimes planning dinner for my family of 5 feels so overwhelming! It can also be very costly. Even though I "coupon", it seems that all the stuff I need for new creative recipes are never on sale, nor do they have coupons!!! And I truly love sitting around the table with "all my men". I feel it is of vital importance to every family, but I get so sick and tired of dreaming up healthy inexpensive meals. I needed help.

We are Dave Ramsey freaks! He dictates everything we do with our $. One night, while searching his site a few months ago, we found this awesome site. I didn't try it at first, but after asking around, a good friend said she had been using it with her family and she convinced me to give it a try. It's the greatest concept ever and worth the $1.25 a week! I don't have to think about supper...YAY!!!

Y'all check it out...you can choose regular menu plans, low-fat menus, or WW POINTS menus!
E-MEALZ Easy Meals for Busy and Frugal Families

In a typical week, I use my little BLD menu schedule that I created. Now, I don't have to dream up dinners...they're done for me on E-Mealz and all I have to do it plug it into my schedule. If you'd like a copy...just let me know.

Practical Tip- Planning regular meals can be a pain in the be-haunkus, but it is so important for the health and well-being of our families. It is also a huge challenge for most people. So, even if you don't want to do the E-mealz, you could plug in dinner ideas of your own to my BLD schedule or make your own. It makes feeding the masses a little easier!

Practically Put- Luke 9:12-17
12Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here."

13He replied, "You give them something to eat."
They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." 14(About five thousand men were there.)

But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." 15The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. 16Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. 17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Practically Yours,