Back To School Routines
How was your first week Back to School? One of the great things about summer vacation is the fact that as a kid, you get to sleep in, and families don’t seem to rush around as much. Now that it’s back to school time, daily routines need to be re-established. Kids aren’t the only ones who struggle with the back to school transition; adjusting to a child’s back to school routine and related events can be stressful for parents as well.
Routines during the first part of the school year can be a challenge for many families. Our family started a school routine early, so we are ready for a regular routine. Over the past few school years, I can tell you having a regular school routine can make it not only easier on you but on the kids too. So today, I thought I’d start off with some tips on easing back into those school routines.
Back To School Routines
Breakfasts that boosts ENERGY! is always a great way to start off the day. You can make some delicious breakfast meals for your kids; not only are they fast, easy, and nutritious, but my kids say they taste great too! Good choices would be cereal topped with fresh fruit (instead of sugar); eggs, toast and fruit; yogurt with granola; fruit smoothies; french toast and muffins.
Plan and pack a healthy lunch As a family go shopping and teach your kids how to pack a healthy lunch. It’s great to involve the kids about making the right food choices. This will also establish healthier habits and lifestyles for the whole family.
Plan your kids schedules This will allow the kids day to be smoother and they won’t forget things. Plan a way for them to remember homework, lunch and backpacks each day. Allow half an hour break after school for a quick healthy snack, unwind, than help them get started on their homework before dinner time.
After dinner, the kids can relax, have play time, shower and read a book before bedtime. Rember, during dinner is a great time to re-connect as a family and ask how your kids day went.
Being aware of what is on the school calendar can also help you plan and organize your schedule accordingly–without any last minute hassles.
So what kind of things do you do to ease your family back into the school year? I would love to hear them! I am always open to new ideas.
Busy Mom’s Back To School Tips
Back To School Tips
| Buying School Supplies |
- Take inventory on what leftover school supplies your kids have from the previous school year prior to shopping.
- Stock up on paper, pens, pencils, markers, crayons, glue sticks, ruler, rubber bands, scissors, index cards, etc. (browse through store ads and make a list of what’s on sale.)
- Most stores set up displaying school supplies a month and a half before school starts. Shop ahead for the best selection.
- If paper or notepads are on sale, stock up and save the extras for later in the year.
- Store Named Brands tend to cost less. Cut your cost on school supplies by buying store brand.
- As with buying groceries, also shop with a list so that you don’t overspend and only buy what is needed.
| Cleaning Out The Closets |
- Children grow throughout the year. Go through their closets and donate clothes or school that no longer fit.
- Spend at least one day helping your children organize their closets, select where their school clothes will go and separate out the “play” clothes.
Contact The School Office - For younger children ages Preschool-Kindergarten, find out what immunizations are needed prior to school starting and contact your pediatrician to make the necessary well-child checkups.
- If your children are attending a new school, find out what registration requirements are needed. Or if they are continuing with the same school, are there any new registration requirements.
- Most schools will make it a point to have classroom schedules and teachers names up on the gym bulletin board. Make it a point to walk with your children to their classrooms prior to the start of school. This helps the younger children tremendously.
- Review all school paperwork sent home the first day of school. Contact your designated emergency contact people and make sure numbers haven’t changed.
- Make sure to go over school policies and procedures with your children.
Getting Ready Ahead Of Time - Plan your week’s menu in advance. Make school lunches the night before.
- Help your children lay out their school clothes the night before.
- Set up a spot in the kitchen, dining room or entry way for back pack, shoes, jackets or any other items that may need to go with your children to school. This will save you time in the morning and your children won’t be hunting around for missed items.
Bedtime Rituals - Keep to a regular schedule for dinner, homework, bath time and play time. If your schedule was off during the summer, adjust it back to “school time” schedule 3-4 weeks before school starts.
- Help children get up in time by getting them to bed on time. Children need at least 8 hours of restful sleep.
The Morning Of School - Set your alarm clock to ensure everyone is up on time and you have time to get yourself ready. Make sure you are ready before your children are.
- Simplify your morning routine. If you have everything organized the night before, your morning should run smoothly.
- Make your mornings fun by interacting with your children. Ask them what will be going on that day in school. How will they be spending their time after school? One important thing I have learned when getting children ready is the TV is a HUGE distraction. Keep the TV OFF.
These are just simple tips to help you get started and prepared for the school year. In my next few posts, I’ll share with you breakfast ideas that BOOSTS Energy, so stay tuned……
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
- If your children are attending a new school, find out what registration requirements are needed. Or if they are continuing with the same school, are there any new registration requirements.
Teen Icon Inspires Healthy Cooking For Kids
Teen Icon Inspires Healthy Cooking For Kids
There are dozen or more teen icons each of our kids could name off within seconds. Our kids happen to love watching the iCarly show on Nickelodeon. With as much controversy as there is with kids watching a lot of television, they can learn from watching their favorite tv icon. The Today Show, featured Actor Reed Alexander, who plays Nevel Papperman on Nickelodeons hit show iCarly. Reed Alexander shares some of his favorite healthy recipes for kids just like him. Your kids can find more inspiration in cooking healthy meals by visiting www.Kewl Bites.com.
Backyard Camping Fun With The Kids
Just open your back door and enjoy the great outdoors right in your own yard.
Camping out in your backyard can be a wonderful experience for kids of all ages. When the weather is nice, our family spends a lot of time outdoors.
Backyard Camping Fun With The Kids
Yesterday with a little help from the kids, we set up a tent in the backyard, tossed in some sleeping bags, a few pillows, a flashlight and the kids were all set for a backyard campout. From the moment we set up the tent, the kids were excited! The kids ran around, playing tag, jumping in and out of the pool, screaming, yelling and laughing it up!
For dinner, I made something simple: BBQ Chicken Chili with the leftovers from the Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches. I tossed in a can of red kidney beans, one can of pinto beans and a can of pork and beans. Slowly cooked ingredients with the BBQ Chicken and served with cheesy Cornmeal Mush. To continue with the campout theme, you could serve this meal in paper bowls or your metal camping bowls.
Around eight o’clock, we all settled in the tent and our nine year old read a few ghost stories….scarey-y-y-y-y-y.
This morning everyone woke up to pancakes and juice for breakfast.
What are some of your fun things to do camping in your backyard?
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
My Weekend Of Kitchen Treasures
My Weekend of Kitchen Treasures
We had the most low key weekend. Saturday we spent shopping for new swim suits, a few things for the pool and a few items from the grocery store. We stopped by a thrift shop so I could take a peek and see if they had any aprons, cookbooks or fun kitchen items. I found this cute and simple waste apron that is red with white polka dots. It was $.50, but everything in the thrift store was half off so I was able to purchase it for $.25! We visited another local thrift shop and I found a cookbook to add to my collection on How To Cook Everything. It’s just amazing what little treasures you can find in your local thrift shops. We ended our beautiful weekend with a friend and her two children coming over to visit, swim and hang out by the pool. It was fun!
Here’s my Red Polka Dot Apron
It’s a simple waste apron that I thought was cute. It’s a perfect size for our daughter to wear too while she’s working in the kitchen with a little adjustment.
My A Busy Mom’s Kitchen E-Newsletter went out today, it features some of my favorite aprons from Flirty Aprons. Aprons bring color and style not just to the kitchen. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can do so HERE.
Kitchen Express By Mark Bittman
This cookbook features 404 inspired seasonal dishes that you can make in 20 minutes or less? (Perfect for a Busy Mom!)
I love the simplicity of this cookbook. The style of cooking is about three things: speed, flexibility, and relaxation. Delicious meal time recipes such as Linguine with Butter, Parmesan, and Sage; Spicy Chicken with Lemongrass and Lime; to delicious desserts such as Apricot Cream Upside-Down Pie; Macerated Strawberries with Mascarpone and Bittersweet Chocolate Crepes with Smashed Fruit. I’m looking forward to trying out some of these intriguing recipes and sharing them with you.
Today’s the first day of our family staycation. Today’s the day where our family will relax, read a good book, just lounge around. This is not the day for doing laundry, cleaning the yard or house, cooking or doing busy work of any kind. We’ll just forget about all that and relax, let it go and enjoy the day.
Tomorrow is Day 2 of our family staycation and we decided to have a Kids Day. The kids are in charge and will get to pick and choose something fun that they want to do.
What weekend treasures did you find? What are you doing on your first day of your family staycation? Have Fun!
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
Friday Family Favorites:Spend Time With Your Family!
This week has been very busy. I am so glad it’s Friday! I’ve been very busy sharing posts everyday this week with my readers on a few Kid-Friendly recipes, and staying on track with a busy mom’s everyday life with family and househould duties. I have the whole week off next week and looking forward to spending time with the family by the pool, going to the movies, shopping and just having fun. We don’t have to go to some exoctic place that cost a fortune to have fun.
I have my Busy Mom’s Kitchen Newsletter almost finished and ready to go out on Monday. We’re talking about family staycations, they seem to be more popular now than ever. We’ll also taske a look at some fun aprons for the whole family. Of course I’ll have my featured recipe of the week, talk about family time and more highlights from the blog! Lots of fun and very informative, so you don’t want to miss it!
Have a great fun weekend with your families!
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning. For high quality kitchen tools for your kitchen, visit www. NoelsKitchen.com
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
Happy Fourth of July!
Independence Day, our great national holiday, always seems to be a turning point of summer, an extra excursion day with family and friends. My plans for today, are real simple. I am going to watch the parade with the family in Nevada City which highlights the great festivities that will be going on today. We are going to grill out by the pool, swim and have fun. Later on, we will watch the enormous fireworks display. So today’s post will be postponed until Monday as I am out having a wonderful time with my family and enjoying such a beautiful day!
But before I go, I wanted to let you know my latest newsletter that went out yesterday was all about sharing quality time during the summer with your family, how to eat healthy while on your family vacation, highlights from the blog last week and the featured recipe of the week-Adobe-Glazed Barbecue Chicken. Perfect summer meal for outdoor entertaining with family and friends. If you missed it, you can sign up for the newsletter here.
Enjoy your family!
Happy Father’s Day
Summer Brings Local Farmer’s Markets
Summer Brings Local Farmer’s Markets
Every Saturday throughout the summer in Nevada City, you can enjoy a beautiful morning at the local Farmer’s Market. The Farmer’s Market is the community’s source for LOCAL fresh produce and music, educational demonstrations, face painting, and good old fashioned fun for the entire family. Shopping at your local farmer’s market is an enjoyable activity that brings the community together for food and friendship. It is an educational opportunity for many. You can learn directly from farmers and other experts about growing practices, crop seasons, and even cooking tips.
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Amazon Kitchen Store for some of my recommeneded appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning.
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
Family Dinners:A Protective Factor For Your Kids
On the Today Show was an interview with Dr. Jennifer Harstein is discussing how important it is to reconnect with your kids. Technology can sometimes take over our lives and take us away from that important quality time. Reearch shows that a family dinner can be a protective factor for your kids. Let dinner time be the “No Tech Time” and make it “Family Time”. Reconnect with your kids. Talk about their day, activities, the news, really engage with one another.
As always, my quick and easy recipes for Busy Moms can be found on my website Noel’s Kitchen Tips.com.
Visit my new Kitchen Store for some of my recommened appliances, storage and kitchen needs along with some of my favorite cookbooks and aprons to help you with your family meal planning.
Would you like to join our growing Family Cooking Club? Share recipes and tips with others? Join the Family Meals Matter Cooking Club on Facebook.
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