Summer 2012

The lack of schedule to my schedule was starting make me wacko.  From mid-August to the end of May life speeds by @ 100 miles/hour.  Then, come June 1st, when school is out, it all comes to a screeching halt!  It always takes me a little time to adjust.  I had another teacher tell me that she felt ADHD during the first days of summer vaca.  I could totally relate; it was nice to know that I wasn't alone.  I couldn't seem to focus on one thing at a time which left me all over the place.

Drum roll please: I have recovered!  I've accomplished a chore chart for the kids w/ everyday chores so that I'm not using up all of my time to clean!  Gross! Unfortunately, that was a mistake made far too many times. I've got something on the calendar for at least 5 days out of 7 for every week through the end of July.  Many activities are subject to change per my discretion, dependent of course, on how Mama's feeling that day.  That's because, believe it or not, the big M is the barometer of the household! Not to mention, having too much going on will make it feel just as overwhelming as the school year ~ and that is SO not what this educator is striving for!

Two of my three chillens are set up in camps for the next few weeks, which will give me time to get things organized for the summer task at hand: what healthy lifestyle changes will I be making for my family and household this time? AND, (yikes, I started a sentence with and) how can I accomplish those tasks so that I'm not hearing, "Aaaah, MOM!" all summer long?

A few things come to mind ~ First, we like to entertain a lot over the summer.  There are a ton of families we plan on having over for fellowship and food.  They go hand in hand... We are also the house on the block where the kiddies from the neighborhood tend to congregate during the dog days of Summer.  With that being said,  our grocery bill significantly increases!  I want to be able to manage that food bill without comprimising our health.  This has already taken me through several cookbooks in search of budget friendly and health conscious meals for the summer menu.  Right off the bat, I was reminded of the energy saving qualities of the  crock pot.  Do you know how many healthy meals you can make in the pot?!  It's amazing.  You'll save on your energy bill by not heating up the place w/ the oven.  And.... (oops!) you'll also be able to stow and go! STOW the food in the crock pot to cook all day, and GO play with your kids!  Man, lovin' it already.  Yeah ~ I'll be posting some super, yummy, delicious slow cooker recipes.

Second, I've come to realize over the years that there is just far too much garbage in the products we put onto skin and scalp.  Even the el naturale labels lie.  I plan on finding some beauty recipes this summer too - because I KNOW they are out there!  With that, I'll share.

It's going to be a great summer!  Tootaloo ~