“School’s out, school’s out, let’s all shout that school’s out! “
Summer is here and we are ready for it! Dave’s exams are graded, our outbuilding is stocked with summertime snacks, and we officially swapped out our gloves and hats for swimsuits in the mudroom over-the-door shoe organizer.
p.s. those shoe organizers are some of my favorite things! 🙃
FAVORITE MOMENT = Last Day of School!
We made it to the end of another school year — our first year with all 4 kids in school full time!
I got a quick “last-day-of-school” photo — however, we almost missed the bus as a result (she didn’t see us as we weren’t at the end of the driveway).
Simon was cold (I told him to wear a sweatshirt), and the others were “panicking” because they heard the bus coming… but we officially have this day/moment captured for our photo books!
FAVORITE ROUTINE = Weekly Reset
As I’ve mentioned several times before, I spend Monday mornings doing laundry, cleaning our home, and running errands (groceries, gas, post office, bank, etc.)
I call it my “weekly reset” and it’s honestly my favorite way to start the week.
However, it can be tricky in the summer when the kids are home and want me to do fun stuff with them… PLUS, the house gets dirtier because the kids (and neighbors) are around all day.
Now that the kids are all old enough to actually be helpful, I decided to include them on my weekly resets (and then do something fun together afterward).
Of course, I clean throughout the week too — but it’s nice to do a once-over each week, and this is a fun and easy”ish” way to get the housework done quickly right at the beginning of the week.
Right now our Monday Morning routine is as follows:
7:00 = Dave and I wake up before the kids to start the laundry, make breakfast, and do a few preliminary tidying things to make cleaning easier.
8:00 = Breakfast together
9:00 = Cleaning starts after people have had time to get ready, brush teeth, etc.
- Nora = 3 bathrooms + walk the dog
- Simon = vacuum the house and outbuilding
- James = sort, fold, and put away laundry (he’s my “details” boy!)
- Clara = dust, mirrors, trash, and play with the dog
- Dave = vacuum the pool, add chemicals, and do yardwork
- Me = kitchen, laundry room, rotate laundry, rugs, stairs, floors and anything else
RELATED READING: 60+ Simple Chores for Kids
11:00 = run a few errands and do something fun
(Sometimes we go as a family, sometimes I just take one or two kids and the others do something fun with Dave ).
- Costco + lunch and samples!
- Groceries + candy from the checkout lane
- Get gas + slushies
- Run errands + pick up a pizza on the way home
- Do returns + use free coupons for Biggby and Bath and Body
- Pick up cousins for a playdate on our way home
- Stop at the library, a park, or a thrift store in between errands
- Try on football helmets before running a few errands 😉
PAST FAVORITE = Hose Splitter
I shared this one a few years ago and it’s still one of our most favorite “yard tools” — if you can call it a tool.
Although we have underground irrigation for all our grass and planting beds, there are still SO many times when we need to use hoses around our lawn, pool, and driveway.
This hose splitter is super heavy-duty and allows us to have 4 different hoses/sprinklers attached to one spigot.
We’ve had it for years and it never ever leaks.
RELATED READING: Our favorite perennials for sun and shade.
FAVORITE CLOTHING = Birkenstocks
For the last 6+ summers, I’ve worn a pair of Birkenstocks EVERY day. I literally got rid of all my other sandals (except a pair I wear to church) because the Birkenstocks are so comfortable and practical for my lifestyle.
I found my first pair (Arizona style) from a garage sale for $5 and loved them. After a couple of years, I found a pair on Marketplace (the Mayari style) and those quickly became a new favorite.
I have since found a pair of the Boston clogs at another thrift store — and I wear those all fall, until the snow hits.
I have slightly wider feet with high arches, so Birkenstocks are extremely comfortable. I also really like their casual style (and now Nora “steals” them from me!)
FAVORITE BOOK = A Case for Christ (kids)
Back in the 1970s, Lee Strobel was an atheist journalist who set out to prove Christianity was a cult. Ironically, after all his investigation and research, he ended up becoming a Christian himself around the age of 30.
Since then, he has written dozens of books in an effort to “create a case” for Christ, a Creator, Faith, Grace, Miracles, The Real Jesus, Christmas, Easter, etc.
More recently (2018) he wrote a set of 5 books for kids — based on his best-selling adult books.
I eagerly snatched them up at a thrift store last month, and have thoroughly enjoyed them MYSELF!
CHECK OUT THE “Case for” (Kids) BOOKS
Both Nora and Simon are at an appropriate age to read and understand these books, however they are fantastic for adults too. The wording is simpler, the examples are easier to grasp, and the books are shorter (straight to the point — totally my style!)
I’m thrilled with this thrift store find and highly encourage anyone with 10-18-year-olds to check out these books from your library (or splurge and buy the set on Amazon!)
FAVORITE HAIR TOOL = Straightening Brush
We gave an Ionic Hair Straightening Brush to Nora for her birthday back in November, and it quickly became a favorite hair tool for her, me, and Clara.
It works wonderfully on Nora’s thick frizzy hair, my short wavy hair, and Clara’s long fine hair… getting all 3 of our hair straight and sleek with very little time or effort.
The best part is that it won’t burn you — which means it’s great for tweens who want to do their own hair and for younger kiddos who move a lot while getting their hair done.
It also heats up in just a few seconds and has a swivel cord, which doesn’t get tangled!
FAVORITE HOBBY = Watching Baseball
The boys got their wish as we finally signed them up for Little League baseball this spring.
So, for the last couple of months, we’ve been watching 2 games per week at a local park.
I thought I would dread the commitment, but it has turned out to be pretty darn fun!
The boys love it, they have a great team with fun coaches and nice parents, the girls enjoy playing with other siblings at the ballpark, and we’ve really enjoyed this new springtime “hobby”.
They have one more tournament game next week (if they win, they are the league champs) and then we’re done for the year — although I foresee LOTS of wiffelball over the summer months!
FAVORITE RECIPE = 7 Layer Dip
Summers are made for snacking and munching and eating small meals throughout the day — bonus points if the eating happens outside!
This EASY 7-layer dip is one of our favorites for summer snacks or a quick side dish. It’s great with any type of chip, raw veggies, or pretzels.
It’s a great take-along side dish for picnics or Backyard BBQs, it’s easy to make ahead if you’re short on time, and it tastes great as leftovers (win-win-win!)
TRY THE RECIPE: Easy 7-Layer Dip.
FAVORITE ARCHIVED POST =
Get ready for summer pool season by whipping up a batch of kids’ detangling spray — perfect for frizzy, snarly, difficult-to-control hair.
It’s ready in minutes using simple household ingredients you almost certainly have on hand!
We keep a container in the kids’ bathroom and out by the pool — it’s so great for long hair!
Read the full posts here.
That’s all for this month. 😆
If you’re interested, you may scroll through all my Favorite Things posts HERE!
Donna Marie says
Did you leave your kids home alone when you went to the hospital to have your baby???
Andrea says
of course not — they were 1 and 3
JJ says
We had gotten the hose splitter you recommended and love it. We also bought a timer, so when we were out of town our vegetable and fruit plants were watered.
Buster is too cute! J
Andrea says
yay — glad you love the hose splitter too. It’s been SO nice to have all these years — and NO leaking at all!
Rebecca G says
Ahhhh the Blackstone… While it is GREAT for cooking a lot at once, you already have a super large griddle that will essentially do the same thing. You’d probably love it, but it’s just not the same as a grill. They also rust *really* quick, so invest in a cover if it is not in a place that is protected from the rain. Good luck!!
Andrea says
Ok thanks — I did wonder about the rust issue. I know our cast iron pans aren’t supposed to get wet at all, so I’m wondering — even with a cover, if the surface could get damp from humidity, dew, or condensation. I would be super bummed if it got rusty!
Appreciate your feedback, Rebecca!
Cathy says
HAPPY SUMMER!! GET THE BLACKSTONE!!! We love ours. I worked for a catering company and worked on a flat top grill for 20 years. I cooked everything on it from Breakfast Sandwiches,( including toasting the bread on the grill), quesadillas, hamburgers(Toasted Buns), melted cheese using a little water under a lid for steam to melt the cheese YUM! I use two grill scrapers to flip eggs, scramble eggs, stir fajita mix, flip hamburgers, transport food, basically they are my go to tool. A flat metal spatula works good too. Love to cook outside and not heat up the house. Stay outside cooking while everyone is enjoying the pool! Easy cleanup too!
Andrea says
haha — I love your enthusiasm, Cathy!
We both agree that we would love the Blackstone, but we’re just not sure if it could completely replace a grill or if we’d miss the grill and then want to buy a new grill too!
I’ll keep watching Marketplace to see if I can find a good deal on a used grill and/or Blackstone and then maybe we CAN get both!
Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Cathy says
We have both for the big family parties. So we are all happy ☺
Chris says
Happy summer! Do you know there is also a movie, Case for Christ. I can’t remember where we watched it (at home), – it may have been Pureflix.
Andrea says
yes, I knew about the movie but we haven’t seen it. I don’t think we get the streaming service it’s played under — but I’m sure I could probably pay a bit to rent it somewhere. Do you know if it’s appropriate / interesting enough for our kids (ages 6-12) or more for adults?
Chris says
I honestly don’t remember – it has been awhile. I’m sorry. It’s possible it could be listed on kids-in-mind.com ?
Andrea says
ok no worries at all!