My goal for this past week was to unload the dishwasher every morning so that it was free for the dirty ones throughout the day in an attempt to control the dirty dishes in my kitchen. I am happy to report that I did this every day, and it worked wonderfully! I will definitely do my best to keep this up and try to make it a routine for myself.

Here is this week’s goal: I will fold and put away laundry on the same day that it is washed and dried. I have talked to enough other women to know that I am not the only one who ends up with clean clothes in baskets and on the couch or bed.

If you have been to my house, you know that I generally have a pile of dirty laundry somewhere. OK, I generally have multiple piles of dirty laundry throughout the house. Messy eaters, leaking diapers, and potty training accidents are just a few of the reasons that I can never catch up on the laundry.  I tend to wash often in an attempt to keep the things that we need clean, but I often don’t get the clothes put away. This habit results in clean clothes that no one can find. I, then, am digging through laundry baskets to find someone a matching pair of clean socks or some underwear. My husband is probably laughing at this point as he thinks of how many times he has seen me doing this. Obviously this method is completely inefficient. I realize that, but I have not yet had the discipline to improve consistently. So, that is what I want to work on this week. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Visit My Ice Cream Diary for more about For Just One Week!

Yes, I really did just find a toothbrush in the dryer. Yesterday at preschool story time at the library, the kids listened to stories about taking care of teeth and going to the dentist in honor of Dental Health Month. They each got a new Crayola toothbrush, as well. JonDavid has been carrying his around and playing with it still in the package. I was taking some clothes out of the dryer, and there was his packaged toothbrush right in the middle of our jeans. He was helping me push the clothes into the dryer earlier, so he must have slipped the toothbrush in at that time, and I didn’t even notice.

JonDavid is a master at carrying things all over the house. If you are missing a shoe, or a comb, or keys, or…pretty much anything, try tracing his steps to find it. The problem is, he takes a lot of little steps these days. He will stick things down inside shoes and boots, in the pantry, under the sink, in drawers, etc. However, he is not yet to the point where he can tell us where things are when we are looking for them later. So, we just have to search around until we find what we are missing. Now you may wonder how I can not be observant enough to notice him putting a toothbrush in the dryer right under my nose (if you are wondering that, you probably don’t have kids ). There are a lot of things to observe around here, and I just can’t keep up with them all. I mean, if I had eyes all the way around my head and x-ray vision, I might come closer, but I just don’t! Besides, I have to give JonDavid some credit. He is a sneaky little thing, and quiet in his work of moving things about the house.

I’ve come to expect the unexpected. A toothbrush in the dryer? Funny, but not really a shocker. Just another example that there is never a dull moment.

We have a bakery nearby where Heiner’s and Sara Lee bread is made. One great perk of having this bakery in town is the outlet store next door to it. They sell bread right there next to the bakery for half the price that it is in the grocery stores, and sometimes it is on sale for even less. I have gotten Sara Lee bread for as low as $0.25 per loaf!

Going to the bread store (as we call it) really saves a lot of money for us. Not only do I get good prices, but I get good bread. Sometimes the dates are a little close, but usually the bread is fresh. I just went on Monday, and I got ten loaves of bread for about $10.00. The only bread I can get for a dollar a loaf at the grocery store is the store brand, and often even it is more than $1.00. The Heiner’s and Sara Lee bread is a lot better, too! I put the extra loaves in our deep freezer and get them out as needed. I just set a loaf out on the table to thaw, and you would never know that it had been frozen. Since the bread freezes well, I only have to go to that store about once per month.

This is my only experience with bread outlet stores, and it has been a very positive one. If you have one near you, give it a try…you might find some good deals and save a little grocery money!

For more WW posts, visit 5 Minutes for Mom!

I have a few articles published on Associated Content that I wanted to share with you. Check out anything that interests you! Here are the links:

Fighting Obesity: Tips for Teaching Kids to Be Healthy

Teaching Days of the Week and Months of the Year

Homeschooling in West Virginia

Teaching Preschool Children About Colors

Indoor Exercise for Kids

Get Cash Back with Cashbaq!

For Just One Week was started over at My Ice Cream Diary, and I’ve decided to join in this week. The idea is to set a goal (or goals) that you want to work on for one week. Baby steps, right? My problem is there are so many things to work on! However, I have chosen one simple goal to start with: I will unload my dishwasher every morning and load dirty dishes into it throughout the day. I have got to put a stop to dishes piling up all over my kitchen, so I am hoping this will get me into a consistent routine of keeping them under control. I’ll let you know how I do!

Here are some of my favorite reads from the past week:

Have Fun with an Indoor Treasure Hunt–Amanda at kiddio has some fun suggestions for doing an indoor treasure hunt with your kids. This is a great activity for cold winter days!

Recycled Calendar Puzzle–Chrissie at Flipflops & Applesauce has another idea for indoor fun. Check out how she made puzzles from the pictures on calendars.

Me Time–I liked this post at My Ice Cream Diary. Beware, it may cause some serious introspection!

Learning from Shenanigans–Vanessa wrote a sweet post at 5 Minutes for Parenting about learning from her daughters, and recognizing her own growth through motherhood.

Candlelight–Beck, also at 5 Minutes for Parenting, wrote about almost burning her house down, and how her household mishaps occur mainly because she is tired…and I’ll let you read her thoughts for yourself!

If you have some time, check out these posts!

Cynthia

Here are some pictures of Jacob and his birthday cake:

We went to CiCi’s Pizza for supper, let the kids play a few games after they ate, then came home for the cake and ice cream!

My son Jacob is 6 years old today! I try not to brag on him too much, but I guess a little on his birthday is alright. Jacob is caring, thoughtful, smart, inquisitive, creative, and outgoing. He loves to read and play. He is developing responsibility in caring for his rabbits and our dogs (though not without much prodding). He is concerned about other people, and likes to make get well cards. Jacob likes to help, and I count on his help quite often. He also likes to learn, and just soaks up information. He is fun-loving, and brings joy to our home.

As with any child, we have things to work on and behavior to improve, but we are proud of Jacob and very pleased with the way he is learning and growing!

We did give him presents today, and he got some from other friends and family, too. We are going to have his birthday dinner and cake tomorrow, and then we are planning to take him to a special event next week. I will post some pictures later after the festivities!

Skylar (age 3) really enjoyed Bounce by Doreen Cronin and Scott Menchin. This lively book shows different animals and people bouncing in different ways. There is some good vocabulary in there for toddlers and preschoolers, and the illustrations are cute. The book is a good length for little ones who do not like to listen for very long at a time.

Jacob (age 5 until tomorrow) likes How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? written by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by G. Brian Karas. In this story, a teacher brings three pumpkins into his class–big, medium, and small. He asks the students to guess how many seeds are in them, then they actually get the seeds out and count them. The story takes the reader through the whole process of removing, drying, and counting the seeds. When the numbers are tallied, the kids are surprised by their findings. The story is entertaining, and also helps kids learn about pumpkins, skip counting, and a deeper lesson about how much can be found inside something small.

JonDavid (age 1) has been enjoying Disney Babies at the Farm. This board book includes farm animals and their babies, sounds they make, and food they eat. I bought several of the “Disney’s First Baby Books” when Jacob was a baby, and they have been well used! They are great books for babies and toddlers.

Those are my kids’ picks for this month. For more, visit 5 Minutes for Books!