Planning Playtime

I have always been a promoter of routine, routine, routine when it comes to kids and without scheduling in physical play activities I find managing the three of them so much harder.

Monday to Friday our routine is pick up from school and have a physical hour.  I plan this as religiously as I meal plan and it sometimes be planned for weeks ahead, regardless of the weather.

I prep tea for each night during the youngest's naptime and its either cooked and ready to warm up when we get in or it's slow cooking and will be waiting for us when we return to the fold.

Here's an idea of what we do

Go to the park

Go for a bike ride

Walk the dog

Do outdoor or indoor exercise challenges (kids love being timed!)

Play a physical game such as Cranium Hullaballo or party games like musical bumps

Go beach combing

Play Crazy Golf

Play football

Have a trampolining session

Do a nature trail

Do a scavenger hunt (again indoor or outdoor)

and alternately each week we...

Have a friend round for tea

Visit friends with Kids


My middle child has real problems with sleep.  Not that he struggles getting to sleep, he just doesn't want to.  If we miss an activity after school, I can guarantee rattiness and tempers.  Not because he hasn't done anything, he doesn't realize the connection.  He is just out of sorts and the smallest thing will send him over the edge into a drama.

Do you believe in planning playtimes?

What activities work for your family?

Please share your experiences in the comments box :)

Have Fun!

Claire

5 Instant Organisation Tasks

Getting organized can be a big task but thankfully small changes have massive effect.

Here's 5 ways I got instantly more organized and now I have more time to relax (or get more organized!!)

They're really small changes that take no longer than 5 or ten minutes but save loads of time if done daily rather than weekly.

1. Fill the washing machine before you go to bed. Bang it on when you get up and it could be done before you leave the house!

2. Sort out the mail each and every day. Cut the coupons, Recyle the junk and action the rest.

3. Prepare the night before.  Packed lunches, clothes, bags.  Have it all ready to grab and good to go

4.  Tidy floors and wipe counters.  If you have kids, put clearing the floor on their evening chore lists. I promise, in time they will make less mess!

5. Bathroom wipe down.  Bathroom Foam is my best friend.  Spray the sink, shower and bath then wipe down and rinse. Tidy the toothbrushes and pastes and the bathroom stays tidy.  I do this in a morning.

What is your daily routine?  What makes your life easier?  I'd love to hear, leave a comment!

Meal Plan Monday - Finger Food Revolt

Meal Planning Monday - Finger Food Revolt!!

I'm at the stage with the youngest where he wants to feed himself with cutlery. He wants the same as us and wants to do it himself.  Oh Joy!  Now moving the dining room to the carpeted room does not seem a good idea.  I'm wondering if a buffet in the kitchen is a daily possibility for the next six months?

So, I shall bite the bullet and cease arguing with a 15 month old because I can't win.  Not only can he out ERRRRR me but he can now sign his requirements thanks to hisbaby sign class.

Here's my plan for the week.

Monday:  Hot Dog Pasta Bake

Tuesday: Chicken Dinner (maybe without gravy!)

Wednesday:  Fish and Chips

Thursday:  Not So Chilli and Nachos

Friday: Sausage and .... (cringe) Mash with lots of rolling peas and sweetcorn

Saturday: Takeaway (Home made chicken strips and wedges for Mr Independence)

Sunday: The Big 3 Courser - (not decided exactly what yet!)

I know I've jibbed out somewhat and decided on food that can be finger food, but break me in gently, its 5 years since I did this!! (and we had a laminated floor)

How did you get through this phase of the toddler war for independence?

Advice please!!!

-- 

This post is linked up with Meal Plan Monday on I'm an Organizing Junkie - go and have a look, there's bags of inspiration.

Not So Chilli - BBQ Chilli

Or Not So Chilli and I have named it.  Kids love it, it's gentle enough for toddlers and this intro to chilli will ramp up over the years until the kids are all at full strength!

(Unfortunately we ate it before a photo, so a photo will follow soon!)

Ingredients:

1 pack of minced beef

10 sun dried tomatoes

2 tbsp worcester sauce

1 tin of BBQ Baked Beans

1 carton of Passatta


Method:

Cook the mince 

Blend the sun dried tomatoes and worcester sauce and add to pan

Cook for a minute or two

Add the baked beans and heat through

Add the passatta

When it's all hot, it's done.

Serve with Nacho Chips, Sour Cream, Mashed Avacado and Savoury Rice

Can also be served over a jacket potato or with potato wedges


Cost: 

£5.l4 based on Asda Prices on 21/03/14 which includes Nacho Chips and Savoury Rice

Equates to 64p per portion


Yeild:

8 child portions suitable for freezing

Recipe: Hot Dog Pasta Bake

When it comes to food, I find boys are quite unfillable, so I've adapted several basic recipes to add more bulk, more goodness and hopefully result in a fuller tums!  More good stuff less sweet stuff I say!!

This is a quick and easy tea to put on before the school run and it will be done when you get back.  You could use real sausages rather than hotdogs, depending on how much time you have.



Ingredients:
200g Fusilli Pasta
1 can of Cream of Tomato Soup
1/2 block of Cheese
1 tbsp Dried Italian Herbs
1/2 can of sweetcorn
6 hotdogs
8 brocolli florets
Breadcrumbs
Parmesan

Method:
1. Put the dry pasta in a lasagne dish and cover with the tomato soup
2. Fill the empty soup can with water and pour over.
3. Grate half of the cheese over the pasta & soup mix
4. Sprinkle the dried herbs over and stir well
5. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 180 degrees for 30 minutes
6. Take out the bake and stir - add a little water if you think its looking a little dry
7. Grate over the remainder of the cheese
8. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes
9. Meanwhile, cook the broccolli florets and chop the hotdogs into small pieces
10. Take the bake out of the oven and add the chopped hotdogs.
11. Chop up the brocolli and add that too
12. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and parmesan
13. Bake for a further 5 minutes to heat through and toast the breadcrumbs
14. Enjoy!!

This meal feeds three hungry boys and their mum and cost £2.79 based on prices at Asda on 17th March 2014.

Meal Planing Monday - Spring Fever

I don't know about you but I feel so much better now the weather has picked up and we've got sunshine.  I've tackled the garden this weekend so hopefully we'll get a few lunches outside in the sun this week.

So with the clocks due to change I figured we're not going to want stodgy comfort food much so I'm going for everything I'll miss over the summer!!

Monday: Chicken Enchilladas (recipe from At Home With Mrs M)

Tuesday: Quinoa and Chicken Curry

Wednesday:  Cod with Cheesy Chorizo Topping, potato salad and err...more salad

Thursday: Gluten Free Spaghetti Bolognese

Friday: Gluten Free Slow Cooker One Pot Steak Dinner (there it is below)

Saturday: Take Away

Sunday:  Nigella's Cola Ham, chips and mushy peas 

Is your menu getting a fresher, less stodgy theme?

I'm ready for a crisp salad in the garden I think!

The recipe for the One Pot Steak Dinner is here if you fancy an easy to do meal 

Ingredients:

4 pieces of steak for each person

Small new potatoes

Green beans

Carrots

Onions (I use frozen – No Tears!)

2 Beef Stock Pots

1 Vegetable Stock Pot

Method

Chop the carrots and place in the base of the slow cooker with the green beans and the onions.

Wash and quarter the small potatoes, I leave the skin on, it’s up to your personal choice.

Place the steak on the vegetables.

Mix up the stock and leave to cool.  The stock needs to cool so it doesn’t start cooking the steak when you pour it in.  It’s not essential to let it cool, it will turn out ok – i’ve thrown it in boiling hot when I’ve been in a rush.

Put in enough stock to cover the ingredients.

Switch the slow cooker on 4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.

The steak should be fall apart soft when done.

Enjoy!

Have a fabulous week!

This post is linked up with Menu Plan Monday on I'm an Organising Junkie.  There's loads of ideas and menus up there so get inspired! Go and have a look.  Go on!

Christmas Tree Storage

Previously in my life, the tree has been rapidly taken down and re-boxed without much thought other than can I get it back where it was in the loft.

This year I shall be bagging and boxing it's ornaments (they're all unbreakable) and labelling boxes before throwing it into the roof space.

I'm also going to clean the ornaments that are wipeable and fix those that have been broken by little hands as some are really looking worse for wear.

Then late on tonight I will be doing a sweep of the house to find the trinkets that usually evade me and end up having to stay in place for a year for ridiculous superstition reasons!!

Finally, I'll be making a note on December the 1st in my diary of where I've put everything.

In December I hope to whip up the tree and have it fully decorated within 3 hours, not the 3 day ordeal it was in 2013!