Domestic Diva Corner: Bedtime

OK... its confession time.  Bedtime in my house is... an experience.  My daughter is, in her own words, "never tired".  And in her 3 years of life, she has proven that she can easily stay up until midnight if given the opportunity.  Bedtime makes me want to pull my hair out, mostly because I'm so tired, and I can't understand how or why my beautiful girl doesn't angelically float to her bed, lay down, and drift peacefully off to sleep.  I started to think it was only me.  Especially after my cousin recently disclosed that his daughter is in the bed at 7:30 every night with no exceptions.  And then I read this post over at Inspired to Action and breathed a heavy sigh of relief.  I'm not the only one.  And what was even more beautiful was that it lead me to this post from I Take Joy.  In a nutshell, the writer talks about how she prioritized bedtime with her children, made it a special time, and closed every day with a blessing.  The post is so beautiful and inspiring.  It just really moved me, and I hope it will move you too.  --Lady S.

Domestic Diva: Packing Up

My family and I are preparing for a weekend trip to Suffolk, VA.  I have been looking forward to this trip for some time.  It is an opportunity to see family and friends (Lady R. and Lady A. will be there), and to get some much needed spiritual rejuvenation.  Our flight leaves tomorrow night, which means that tonight I am taking on the all important task of packing us all up.

Now let me say this.  I hate carrying more than one bag.  (Cue Erykah Badu singing "Bag lady, you gon miss your bus.  You can't hurry up.  You got too much stuff.")  However, when travelling with a 5 month old and a 3 year old, the reality is that everything is not going to fit into one bag, and even if it did fit... its probably not the best packing strategy.  Instead, I've decided I'm going to pack smart: a place for everything and everything in its place.

Step One:  The clothes

I usually use one suitcase for myself, my daughter, and my son.  I pack our clothes in layers.  Mine on the bottom, my daughters in the middle, and my son's on the top.  Because of this packing strategy I typically unpack all the clothes as soon as we get to the hotel, so that I don't spend the entire time digging through the suitcase looking for things.  I love this packing tutorial from I am Style-ish.  The idea of using packing cubes is fantastic and I certainly will be investing in them for our next trip.

For myself, I concentrate on clothes that are versatile.  I like things that can be worn in church or on a casual walk through a mall.  That way I don't have to pack a whole bunch of outfits.  Skirts, casual dresses, and cardigans are my must-have items.  And I have recently fallen in love with flats because I can play with my kids and still look cute!

Since my daughter is potty-trained and relatively neat, I pack an outfit  for her for each day, as well as one back-up outfit in case something should go awry.  I love having sweaters for her (especially now that its fall) and I make sure that I always have some jeans, a pair a sneakers, and a hooded sweat shirt because she's a little kid and little kids must have play clothes.

And for my little man, my default rule is 3 outfits per day.  That might seem like overkill to some, but when it comes to him, I'd rather have too much than not enough.  Plus he's a baby and between spit up and blow outs and drool... he'll probably need all 3 outfits.

Step Two:  The plane

Everyone needs stuff for the plane and while my instinct is to cram it all into the baby bag, I'm gonna fight that urge and have 3 separate bags.

I scored this Baby Bjorn diaper bag from a Consignment Event last weekend for $4!  As you can see, there is space for everything!  And when the bag is all closed up it is really quite small!  So I'll will put all the necessities for the little boy in the diaper bag, including a nursing cover, bottles, a blanket, a back-up outfit, pamper, wipes, changing pad, teething toys, etc.

For myself, I will carry my purse.  This is new for me, because usually I just dump my wallet into the baby bag that I'm carrying.  But this time, I plan to carry my purse with just stuff for me, including my nook color on the off chance that everyone is asleep on the plane and I have an opportunity to read!

As for my daughter, she will carry her own book bag.  This is always a tough one.  I have to pack enough stuff to keep her entertained for the flight, but not too much stuff because then it will be too heavy for her to carry.  What I like to do is actually ask her what she'd like to bring.  I limit her to one doll or stuffed animal, 3 paperback books, and one activity book.  And when she's not looking, I usually sneak in one or two other things so that she will be pleasantly surprised when she opens her bag.

So there it is!  My domestic diva packing strategy.  I'll let you know how it all works out!  --Lady S.

Domestic Diva Corner: From the non-domestic diva

Disclaimer:  I am NOT a domestic diva.  I am not the person that you go to for help furnishing a new apartment or for the perfect dessert recipe.  Those are things to talk to Lady A and Lady R about.  Right now, on the domestic front, my needs are much more basic.  Keep the house clean.  Keep the children clean and fed.  Keep my bedroom from looking like a disaster zone.

When my son was born, it became clear that I couldn't do things the way that I used to.  Too many things had changed.  I now had an infant AND a preschooler.  (YIKES). My husband and I both had full-time jobs. I no longer had leisurely weekday afternoons to dedicate to cleaning and laundry like I did when I only worked part-time.

In order to combat the feelings of inadequacies that come from not having a Martha Stewart approved home, I have come up with the following action plan:

Step One - Acknowledge that I can't do it all and cut myself some slack.  Yes, its true that traditionally the woman is in charge of the household, but there is nothing traditional about me and I'm ok with that.  My husband is an extraordinary cook and actually enjoys cooking.  Why should I beat myself up for not being the one to prepare the family meals?  That's just silly.  Besides, my husband and I are a team.  I'm fortunate that I don't have to do it all.

Step Two - Identify the things that I can do and make a plan.  I enjoy cleaning and organizing and getting rid of (donating) things that we don't need.  Each day of the week, I aim to spend 15 uninterrupted minutes cleaning and/or organizing some part of the house.  I want to be realistic about what I can accomplish everyday, because at this point my son is just a little guy and he doesn't care about schedules or bedtime just yet.  And my daughter could care less about the importance of cleaning.  And quite frankly, by the time I get home from work... I'm tired.  Plus I like to prioritize quality time with my family over and above anything domestic.  So, if its time to watch Backyardigans Pirate Camp together for the 500th time, organizing the bookshelf will have to wait.

Step Three - Ask for help.  I have every intention of hiring a cleaning lady.  I first thought that a cleaning lady was for those who are ballin out.  But after doing some preliminary research, I've discovered that having someone come in to do a deep clean is not just for the rich and famous.  If hiring someone is out of the budget, recruit some loving family members and friends and have a cleaning party. Put on some good music, have some tasty snacks, and break out the cleaning cloves.  I know that probably sounds pretty corny, but I bet your friends and family will love it when you do it all over again at their house next month.

I'll let you guys know how my plan works out.  Who knows?  Maybe by this time next month I'll be calling myself the semi-domestic diva!  --Lady S.

Domestic Diva Corner: Add a little SPICE to your life!

Seasoning salt. Pepper. Onion powder. Garlic powder. Garlic salt.  Does this sound like your spice rack? Well, if it does, can we say boring, boring, boring! 

How can cooking be fun without various herbs and spices?  You will really get tired of cooking and eating your own food if everything tastes the same.  You will be more apt to going out to dinner (spending money you could possibly use for other things) if you don’t throw in some variety into your kitchen.  

One great way to enhance your spice rack by adding various great herbs and spices, such as basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, sage, rosemary, lemon pepper, all spice, Cajun seasoning, dill weed, and peppercorn.  Bring the restaurant food home by adding spices to your life. 

Once you learn what herbs and spices taste great together you will be on your way to cooking new, flavorful dishes every day.  This articles shows how to put certain herbs and spices together to spice things up! 


spice it up!

~ Lady A.