Dealing With Kid Paper Clutter

Despite schools adopting more technology and digital instruction, there was still quite the avalanche of papers that came home daily with my kindergartners this school year.  As someone who doesn't like a lot of clutter, I made it my mission to stay on top of all the school papers this year.  I wanted to get some systems and routines in place that I can stick to throughout the rest of their school careers.  Having those routines and systems in place will cut down on some of the daily decision-making that can overwhelm me.

The first thing I have my kids do when they come home is to hang up their backpacks.  Adam added this set of hooks before the kids started preschool and they are still just as pretty and functional as the day he installed them.  After I get the kids settled with a snack, I go through their backpacks.  As they get older, they can do this step themselves.  But as kindergartners, I just do this for them.  I immediately put their lunch trays in the dishwasher and their lunch bags in the cabinet.  Then I take care of allllll the papers.  Lyla neatly placed all her papers in her folder each day, whereas Archer just wadded up his papers and shoved them in his bag.

 

From there, I put the papers in one of four places.  For papers that I needed to reference at a later date (like class newsletters, flyers about upcoming school events, or papers with login information) I clipped on the side of the refrigerator.  I just got two heavy duty metal magnetic clips and wrote each kid's name on one in Sharpie.  This way, I always knew where to find the important papers.  

Any schoolwork or artwork, I clipped onto our metal clothesline that lives in our kitchen.  I put this up when the kids were just babies and kept ripping their artwork off of the fridge.  It continues to be a great way to showcase all their creativity.  Since we can see it from our kitchen table, it serves as great talking points during dinner.  Adam and I can ask about their pieces and it helps jog the kids' memories about what they did in school each day.   

The other two places I put their daily papers in is the trash can or the recycle bin.  Sometimes we wound up with other kids' work or flyers that didn't really apply to us.  So those items immediately went into the recycle bin (paper, cardboard) or trash (things with stickers,tape or glitter can't be recycled.)

Eventually, our clothesline would get pretty full so I would pull everything down and sort through it.  I kept only the most precious items and threw away or recycled the rest.  Those few precious items went into a file box I keep in each of the kids' closets.  I put a file folder for each grade to keep just a few items for me to look through in the future and for the kids to have when they are older if they want them.  My mom asked me awhile back if I wanted several boxes of schoolwork of mine she saved and I just didn't.  I am not a sentimental person and just didn't want more stuff.  So keeping a small file box per kid seems manageable for me.  As I added more items to the file box, I would often get rid of items I had previously saved.  There is probably about 7-10 pieces I saved per kid from their kindergarten career.  One other thing I did was make up a sheet for each kid where I could include their picture and record their school, teacher, friends, favorite subject, favorite part of school, what job they want when they grow up and a place for their signature.  

Those simple steps really helped to combat all the school clutter this year.  It worked well, so I plan to continue when they move into first grade in the fall.  I'm sure this summer they will be creating far more artwork.  To manage all the artwork they create here at home, we have two places for them to keep their creations.  They each have an "art box" in their closet which is just a plastic lidded bin.  If it gets full, they have to go though it to make space for new creations. 

They also each have some wood strips with clips that Adam whipped up for them in their rooms.  They can display anything they want on here.  If definitely helps the kids to have some physical boundaries for places they can put their creations.  I'm sure as they get older and want to add posters to their walls, we'll revisit what we're doing now.  But as kids who can easily end up with twenty pages of artwork each day, this helps us to keep from drowning in paper.  And at this stage, their artwork is more about the process than the finished product.  I certainly encourage their creativity and provide lots of opportunities to make lots of different types of artwork.  

Hopefully these ideas can help out others who might be drowning in stacks of paper on their kitchen counters.  Best of luck to you in this never-ending battle against paper clutter!  

The LEGO Invasion

Archer has a newfound love for LEGOs.  And they are quickly taking over my floors.  There's nothing quite like a LEGO being shoved into your foot as you take an innocent walk across your living room.  Those pesky clear pieces blend right in!  And even if you think you are thorough in picking up all the pieces, there's always a rogue one that gets left out and manages to end up right in your walking path.    

The invasion started slowly, but has ramped up rather quickly.  A couple years ago, Adam gave the kids a small box of LEGOs that were from his childhood.  There weren't that many and he picked some of the larger pieces.  It was easy enough to pick up all the pieces and put them away when the kids were finished playing with them.  Since Archer really seemed to get into putting the LEGOs together, he ended up getting a few smaller sets for birthdays and Christmas.  I kept those sets separated into small bags and would let him get out one at a time.  Well, then the sets he got started getting bigger and more complicated and with more pieces.  And the sets would connect to other sets so he didn't want to put one set away before getting out a new one.  But then he'd inevitably take apart the sets and the pieces would get all mixed up and then he'd get upset when he tried to rebuild them but couldn't find all the pieces.  I even spent several hours one weekend painstakingly separating out all the sets and putting them in labeled bags.  But then they somehow got all mixed up again!  

My kids typically play either in the living room or their bedrooms.  We don't have a dedicated playroom, so I rotate out toys in our living room and keep some in their bedrooms.  I started by having Archer keep the LEGOs in his room, but then I'd find him with his light on tinkering with his LEGOs well after he was supposed to have gone to sleep.  So then I moved them down to the living room.  I would let him keep his creations on the fireplace, but have him pick up all the unused pieces off the floor each evening.  But each morning he would dump all those pieces out again.  Many of those tiny pieces would trickle into the hallway and kitchen.  Finally, I got sick of stepping on LEGOs all day long.  I gathered them all up and stuck them all in the family room.  Since that space is a work in progress, it is essentially a large open area.  Archer did like having a larger area to spread everything out and not have to pick up all the pieces each evening.  

But then, as LEGOs tend to do, they started slowing creeping into more areas.  He liked to use the hard flooring by the door to our garage as a base.  But this, being the entrance to our home we use most often, became problematic.  We all got tired of stepping over Archer's creations anytime we wanted to leave the house.  Adam and I tossed some ideas around and we decided to make him a LEGO base/storage unit.       

Adam whipped up a plan to use some of the plywood we had used when our family room floor was being replaced.  He cut up a base that would fit underneath our couch in the family room.  Then he added some wood along the edges to serve as a fence for keeping all of the LEGOs within the unit.  Adam made sure to sand everything smooth and even routed the edges of the fence so it would be safe for little hands.   

We also decided to put a divider inside the unit.  Our thinking was that one section would be the building area and place where he could keep his completed pieces.  The other section could house all the loose, unused pieces.  We ran this idea by Archer and he enthusiastically approved.  Adam also added a handle on the front of the unit to make it easy to pull the unit out from under the couch.  He made it nice and big so it can be easily grabbed and is super sturdy.  

The final step was to paint it all.  Since it wasn't made from the highest quality plywood, Adam decided painting it would result in the smoothest, splinter-free finish.  We showed Archer all the random paint we have in the basement and he settled on a gray, blue and green color scheme.  Before the paint, Adam and Archer put down a coat of primer.  Archer was pretty pumped to participate in this step.  He very enthusiastically slapped on the primer.  Notice that Lyla decided goggles were in order to keep any paint splatters from getting in her eyes.  

Waiting for the paint to dry was quite the challenge for Archer.  The night after he helped Adam put on the final coats of paint, he came down from his room (when he was supposed to be asleep) to check on how it was drying.  The next day he got to try out his new LEGO unit!  He was thrilled to get to add all his pieces to it and start building!  

Archer adores his new LEGO playing station!  The divided sections definitely help give Archer some visual cues about where to keep the creations he's built and also the pieces that aren't being used at the moment.  It's super sturdy, so it's no problem when Archer decides he needs to get up close to one of his builds.  

I adore the fact that there's now a physical boundary for all the LEGO pieces.  I don't find them scattered all around the house like I used to.  We keep the unit out for the most part so Archer can keep his creations up.  But if we need some more floor space or are taking a break from building, it tucks right under the couch.  Hooray for hidden storage! 

The large handle makes it easy for Archer to get it out all by himself.  This has been such a fantastic solution for corralling all those LEGO pieces.  My feet are most appreciative.    

As much as we all love the final product, watching Archer and Adam work together on this project was the true highlight.  Watching Archer chose paint colors and help out allowed him to grow his confidence.  Seeing Adam let go of some of his perfectionism to allow Archer to take the reigns was fun to see too.  Much like all DIY projects, you get just as much out of the process as you do the final product.    

A Little Preschool Preparation

Somehow my children are old enough to go to preschool!  It is baffling to me because just yesterday they were unable to hold their own heads up.  Now they are ready to go to preschool without me.  I know that I will have a harder time adjusting than they will, so I am throwing myself into getting all the details sorted out.

One little detail I wanted to sort out was creating a place for Archer and Lyla to hang their backpacks.  I am all about every item in our home having a place to live.  You know, a place for everything and everything in its place.  I wanted it to be somewhere visible and somewhere Archer and Lyla can easily access.  That way they can be in charge of keeping track of their backpacks.  

I found the perfect spot for their backpacks right by our front door.  It was practically begging for some hooks!  I threw around the idea of just hanging some hooks directly into the drywall using some drywall anchors.  But my kids tend to be a little rough and I had visions of them tearing the hooks out of the wall the first time they picked up their backpacks.  So I decided a wood board behind the hooks was in order.  That way, the board could be directly screwed into the studs and the hooks could be directly screwed into the board.  

Lucky for me, I knew the perfect guy for the job.  Just look at how excited he is to have one more task added to his already lengthy to do list. 

Adam has lots of scrap wood lying around, so he found a piece of poplar that would do the trick.  I told him I just needed it cut down to size and stained, but he wouldn't stand for just that.  He had to add his woodworking skills to the job and decided to route the edges to give it some more character.  

Once the edges of the board were routed, he stained it using some old stain we already had on hand.  It's the same stain (General Finishes Gel Stain in Nutmeg) we used on our DIY growth ruler that we made several years ago.  Then he finished off the wood with a satin topcoat.  Once the board the was dry, he added the hooks and screwed the board right into the wall.  Two sets of screws went directly into the studs.  The far set of screws just went into the drywall, so Adam made sure to add some drywall anchors into the drywall before securing it to the wall.  To hide the screws, he added some wooden button plugs.  It turned out beautifully!   

The new set of hooks fits in nicely with the rest of our little makeshift command center.  The brass hooks tie in nicely with my thrifted brass mail center.  And I'll be sure to take a "First Day of Preschool" picture with the kids holding our letter board sign.  

We made sure to hang it at the perfect height for our kids.  They can easily hang up and take off their backpacks from the hooks.  I asked Adam to include four hooks so they would also have a place to hang a jacket or coat.  Having these hooks will help us keep track of the items they'll need to take to preschool and also foster some independence for Archer and Lyla.  They'll be in charge of hanging up their backpacks when they get home.  

We've got all the supplies we need and are ready to start preschool!  We even made sure to get their teacher a little something to let her know how much we appreciate her.  Our preschool made it easy for us by including a list of each teacher's favorites on their website.  So Archer and Lyla will be bringing their teacher a Target gift card and Snickers bars when they head to preschool.  They also each made a little card.  Having been a teacher before staying home with Archer and Lyla, I remember how much those small kindnesses are appreciated.  

Now we're all set for the start of preschool!  And I'll try my very best not to cry as I drop them off.  

Making Over My Living Room For Free!

Spending more time at home during this pandemic has made me a little stir-crazy!  It's been trickier to try to find things to do to keep myself entertained.  While I was sitting on our couch the other day watching Cocomelon for the thousandth time, it dawned on me that I should rearrange my living room!  I realized that as soon as you walk into our living room, the first thing that stands out is the TV.  While it lives on a very cute cabinet, it's still not the prettiest thing to look at upon walking into my living room.  So the gears started turning in my head and I considered what it might look like if I swapped where the couch and the TV cabinet were situated.  I decided a nice view of the couch would be more welcoming than the TV.  

So I whipped out my measuring tape and measured our sofa table and couch to make sure it would fit beside the fireplace.  According to my measurements, it would just fit.  Now, I'm a very visual person.  I typically need to see something in person before I make a decision about it.  So it was a little bit risky to swap around my whole living room on a whim.  Switching things up meant I'd also have to move artwork, fill in nail holes and repaint.  Plus, I'd have to deal with all those cords behind the TV cabinet.  After hemming and hawing about it for a few days, I decided to just go for it.  What else did I have to do?   

So while Adam gave the kids a bath, I got to work.  I decided our couch cushion covers could use a good cleaning while I was at it.  Luckily they are removable, so I took all those off (along with Archer and Lyla's chair covers) and started the laundry.  Then I got to work doing the heavy lifting. 

While moving around the couch and TV cabinet, I took the opportunity to give the carpets a good vacuuming and I dusted all the baseboards.  I thought my house was clean, but my baseboards behind the couch told a different story!    

It was at this point in the evening, when I started to regret my decision to rearrange.  But I continued on!  

As I got the sofa table and couch in their new home, things started to fall into place.  I knew it was the right call and was glad to have made the switch!  Even without all the cushions on the couch, it seemed so much more welcoming!  (You know, for all the guests we have these days.)

Once the couch cushion covers were dry, I wrangled those back on the cushions.  Boy, was that a job!  I was sweating by the end of that task.  I also plan to never remove those covers from Lyla and Archer's chairs ever again.  I think I burned 1,000 calories trying to get them back on!  

But let's take a look at some before and afters so you can see what I'm talking about: 

So much better, right? 

I took advantage of some more space in the corner next to the TV cabinet to make a little reading nook for Archer and Lyla.  I tucked in their chairs and toy basket to make them a space all their own.  While Lyla and Archer have free reign of the living room, it is nice to have their chairs and toys tucked into the corner.  Plus, it gives them more room to spin around and dance and build train tracks.  Archer and Lyla have certainly taken full advantage of all the new space! 

Adam and the kids were happy with the changes, but poor Jazzy took some time getting used to the new setup!  She had a designated spot on the couch where she would look out the window.  I moved her blanket over to the other window, but she wasn't too excited about her new perch.  The day after I rearranged, I would find Jazzy in a different spot on the couch each time I walked into the living room.  She couldn't quite figure out where she was supposed to sit! 

But some treats helped her get it all sorted out.  I'm sure she'll have a Jazzy-sized dent in this new couch cushion in no time at all. 

So there you have it!  I completely transformed our living room without spending a dime!  So if you're bored like me, wander around your house and try to find a room to tackle.  Even sitting on the couch now makes me feel like I have a whole new point of view.  Happy rearranging! 

I've Fallen Down A Rabbit Hole

It all started with this book.  I took Archer and Lyla to the library for story time (remember when we got to get out and do those sorts of things?) and had just finished reading a book so I needed a new one.  Archer and Lyla were running low on patience, so I grabbed one that looked interesting from a display area.  So whoever happened to add this book to the display is responsible for kick-starting this new passion of mine.

I selected this book thinking I would get new ideas to help save the sea turtles and our environment.  What I didn't expect to get from it, was a new knowledge of just how harmful plastic can be to our health.  Not all plastic is created equal and some types are worse than others.  But reading this book gave me a basic understanding of how some plastics can leach into the foods and health items that they are stored in.  It was enough to make me think twice about heating up plastic in the microwave, storing food in plastic and buying food wrapped in plastic.  It also made me start to look for plastic-free alternatives to health and beauty items.

I was a little irked after reading this book.  I was mad at companies and corporations for leading me to buy, buy, buy lots of plastic crap I didn't really need.  But I realized who I really should be mad at was myself.  I was the one making all those decisions.  No one was holding me at gunpoint making me buy that stuff.  This book taught me to be a smarter, more responsible consumer.

After reading this book, I needed and wanted to know even more about making healthier choices for my family and the environment.  Doing some more research led me to the idea of zero waste lifestyles.  Zero Waste can have different definitions depending on who you ask, but basically it means reusing products and preventing waste from being sent to landfills or ending up in oceans.  I've since read several more books about the topic and the following are two I would highly recommend.

Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson
101 Ways To Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg

Like any new information, I took it all with a grain of salt.  I know I won't be able to take every bit of their advice and our family's yearly waste will not fit in a single mason jar (like Bea Johnson and Lauren Singer).  But I can definitely take some of their ideas.  As Anne Marie Bonneau (a zero waste chef) has said, "We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly.  We need millions of people doing it imperfectly."

It can seem overwhelming once you have all this information.  When you realize all the stuff you are doing to harm our planet and our health.  And there are lots of different perspectives out there surrounding zero waste.  Some people are only focused on the issues relating to health.  Others may solely be focused on eliminating plastic.  Yet others want to make sure the items they buy are produced sustainably, meaning the resources companies use to produce products are procured in a responsible way and they treat their workers well.  Then there are folks focused on reducing their carbon footprint, which means they pay attention to the emissions companies put out while making and shipping products.  I don't know about you, but my brain starts swirling when I try to consider all of this when trying to figure out the best kind of floss to buy!  But there are a few guiding principles I now use that I've taken from different people to help move my family closer to being zero waste. 

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot and only in that order.
Bea Johnson bases her zero waste lifestyle around this principle and I have tried to adopt this principle too.  I've tried to refuse what I don't need, reduce the things I do need, reuse items, recycle what I can and rot (or compost) what I can.  I've tried to ask myself if I truly need something before I buy it.  I've tried to reduce the things I do have to only what's essential.  Giving the things I no longer need to friends and family or donating to charities is a good way to accomplish this.  This also helps me simplify all the stuff in my home.  I try to reuse what I have.  For instance, I reuse salsa and marinara jars to store leftovers.  I've learned exactly what my local recycling facility will accept and how to prepare the items so they will actually get recycled.  I've also researched other ways to recycle items that aren't accepted in curbside recycling.  And I have been composting our food scraps and some cardboard items in our backyard compost bin.   

Personal sustainability matters.
Kathryn Kellogg talks about this in her book and it really resonated with me.  She says, "Personal sustainability is so important, and it will look different for everyone- only you know your schedule, level of determination, and laziness factor."  It can be time-consuming if you are making your own toothpaste and pasta sauce and bread all the time.  So you have to decide what makes the most sense for you and go with that.  And you don't have to do it all- especially not all at once.

Start small.
Pretty much any book or blog you read about taking steps towards going zero waste recommends starting small.  So when you run out of an item, first, ask yourself if you really need it.  If you do, then look for a plastic-free alternative.  I think the first swap I made was with dental floss.  I ran out of what I typically buy and decided that I did need to get more.  So I opted to buy silk floss that can be composted.  It comes in a little refillable glass and metal container.  Then I ran out of sponges.  I realized I didn't need sponges, but I did need something to scrub my dishes clean.  I did some research and ended up buying a wooden dish-washing brush.  So it's been helpful to just focus one swap at a time.

A few easy swaps: reusable paper towels, using a kitchen towel instead of plastic wrap while bread dough is rising, bar soap instead of hand soap in plastic bottles and a dish-washing brush instead of a sponge. 

Not every swap will make sense for you.
Sometimes you'll try something and it won't work out and that's okay!  For example, I tried out solid dishwashing soap.  I gave it a good couple weeks, but it left my dishes greasy, my sink covered in slime and I wondered what was building up in the drains.  So I switched back to Dawn dish soap, which comes in a plastic bottle.  I was bummed, but then I reminded myself of all the other changes I've made.  It's not helpful to focus on your failures.  Just try to think of another swap you could make to offset what didn't work out.

Not everyone will be on board with your decisions. 
I'm very lucky that my husband Adam is happy to try new, more sustainable options.  He's been generally on board with the swaps I've made, though I've made it clear that he's still welcome to make his own decisions.  I've recently started using reusable tissues that I made out of leftover fabric.  He's still not willing to give up his Kleenex, which is just fine.  Archer and Lyla are still young enough that I get to make the decisions for them.  Things will likely change when they get older, but we'll deal with that when the time comes.  My family has been supportive too, which is nice.  After I made the swap to reusable paper towels (one of Adam's old t-shirts all cut up), my dad sent me a picture of a dish of cut up towels that my mom set next to the sink.  I can't tell you how happy a cut up old towel made me.  That's the beauty of the ripple effect.  You never know just how much influence you might have to make a positive change.  But not everyone agrees with my crazy ideas.  I know some people might roll their eyes at me or think I'm being too extreme.  But that's okay.  I get to decide what happens in my home and they get to decide what happens in their homes.

Stop buying crap. 
This is perhaps the most simple concept, yet the most difficult one for me.  I was buying so much stuff that I just didn't need.  Shopping was my hobby.  I would wander the aisles at Target and buy a vase I liked or sheets just because they were on sale.  I bought clothes because they were a good deal, would wear them once, and then decide I didn't really like them so I'd get rid of them.  When I first started on my plastic-reducing journey, I started buying non-plastic replacements for everything.  It wasn't really in the spirit of zero waste.  For instance, I used to use those disposable swifter dusters.  So I decided to buy a wooden-handled, fleece duster that is washable.  It worked fine, but I realized later that I could have just used old rags I already had at home.  So I've since tried to come up with solutions that I already have in my home before buying something else new.  For example, I was going to buy some new Mason jars to house items I buy from the bulk section.  But then it dawned on me that I had already been saving empty salsa and marinara jars that could do the trick.  It was the perfect example of reusing.  Buying stuff has been a hard habit to break, but I've been doing a much better job.  I ask myself if I truly need something and make myself sleep on it before I commit.  I've also saved a lot of money!

So what's the point of this blog post?  It's not to toot my own horn or tell people how they should live their lives.  It's merely to share some information I have found helpful.  I hope you might find a swap or two you could try out that will benefit you or the environment.  Ultimately, I'm doing this for Archer and Lyla.  I want my kids to be healthy and have a beautiful planet to call home for years after I'm gone.  The actions I take now will dictate what happens to their future.  That's a big responsibility and I want to do what I can to make a difference.  If you would have told me I'd be collecting used floss and clumps of hair from the shower drain in a jar to put in my compost bin, I'd have told you that firstly, you are disgusting.  And secondly, I will not be doing that.  But that's exactly what I do.  And I have no shame about it!  (However, I'll spare you photographic evidence.)

Let me be clear, I'm far from perfect.  My kids still use disposable diapers.  Some of the food I buy still comes in plastic packaging.  Occasionally I will slip up and order something online that I don't really need.  But that's okay because I'm only human.  There will always be room for improvement, so I will just keep on trying to improve.

The pandemic has thrown a bit of a wrench in some of my efforts.  Grocery stores aren't allowing customers to bring in their own containers or reusable bags. (I still forgo the plastic produce bags and just have the baggers put my food back in the cart without any bags.)  They've also closed up their bulk bins, which made me really bummed.  My favorite coffee shop won't allow customers to bring their own cup. (I've since nailed down a delicious recipe for hot chocolate to make at home.)  But I know the pandemic won't last forever, even though it seems like it might right now!  I'll just do what I can to cut down on waste, but also cut myself some slack if I do rack up more waste than I'm used to. 

My next goal is to tend to my new little garden.  I planted cherry tomatoes, broccoli and cucumbers.  There's also mint in there that comes back every year despite how much I uproot it.  Lyla and Archer have been helping me water it and I can't wait until we get to pick some of our very own produce!

Welcome to the rabbit hole! 

Making Small Changes

Having Archer and Lyla has continued to change me in ways I never dreamed possible.  They constantly make me consider every move I make.  After finding out TIME Magazine named 16-year-old Greta Thunberg as their person of the year, I realized I could be doing more to help combat climate change and reduce my carbon footprint.  Even though climate change is a global issue and it seems like I have little control over it, there are some small changes I can make that will ultimately impact Archer and Lyla's future.

I wanted to share some of these small changes I've been making to help inspire others and to also hopefully get some new ideas on other ways I can help.  Please give me new ideas!!  I am far from perfect, but change doesn't always have to be something monumental.  It can start small.   

Here are a few of my small changes:

I use a reusable water bottle.  I ditched using plastic water bottles long ago and have used some form of a reusable water bottle for years.  My current favorite is stainless steel and the perfect size.  I bring it everywhere and love that the lid stays on tight even when my kids chuck it across the room.  I have to have ice water and this keeps my water cold all day long!

I use reusable bags when shopping.  I always bring reusable bags when I go grocery shopping.  Recently, I even invested in some heavy-duty canvas ones that I hope to have for years to come.  I've also tried to make sure I bring along reusable bags when I go to other stores.  If I do forget to bring them in (does anyone have any ideas for remembering to bring bags inside the store??), I tell the cashier I don't need a bag and just carry the items to my car or stick them back in my cart.

I say "no, thank you" to plastic straws and lids.  Whenever I go out to eat, I decline a plastic straw.  If servers put one on the table for me, I always hand it back to them and say that I don't need it (as politely as possible).  I should probably take it a step further and mention I don't need the straw when I order my drink since some restaurants automatically stick a straw in the drink.  I did get some reusable silicone straws and keep them with me in the diaper bag.  Archer and Lyla aren't quite skilled enough yet to drink from a cup without a lid without the entire drink ending up in their laps, so these straws come in handy.  I actually like that they are softer than plastic and I don't have to worry about them accidentally poking a straw down their throat or in their eye.  (One of the reusable silicone straws is featured in the photo below.)

I bring my own cup to coffee shops. I don't actually drink coffee, but I sure do enjoy hot chocolate.  One of my guilty pleasures is going through the drive-thru of Caribou Coffee (which is a coffee shop attached to the HyVee gas station, classy right?) and getting a hot chocolate when I go out and about with Lyla and Archer.  Recently, I started bringing my own ceramic mug with me.  When I give my order, I just mention that I brought my own cup.  Then when I pull up to the window, I hand it over and they fill it up with delicious hot chocolate.  I even get a discount for bringing my own cup!  (The one I have is ceramic and has a silicone lid.  It was a gift, but I'm sure you can find one similar on Amazon.)

I stopped buying individually packaged food items.  Oh man, this was a hard one to give up.  Those little pouches of applesauce and yogurt were so convenient and mess-free for Archer and Lyla!  But I felt a horrible sense of guilt every time I threw one in the trash.  I also bought tons of pre-packaged snacks for Archer and Lyla.  Since then, I've purchased some reusable snack pouches and just keep those filled with snacks in the diaper bag. They actually seem to keep the snacks from getting as smushed so I don't have to hand over a package of Cheez-It dust to the kids when they want a snack.  I've tried these (which you can put in the dishwasher) and these (which you can put in the washing machine) and like them both.  I think it's nice to have a variety of different materials and sizes. 

I use waxed fabric instead of Saran wrap.  This was an easy swap to make because I hate using Saran wrap.  It just sticks to itself and makes me angry.  So when Adam brought home some waxed fabric from Trader Joe's, I was excited to give it a try.  Now when I have to cover a bowl of pizza dough so it can rise or cover up some leftovers, I use some waxed fabric.  I will say it's hard to get a completely air-tight seal, so if that's what I need, I just store it in a glass container with a lid.  I think there is thinner waxed fabric out there that can give you a completely air-tight seal, so I'll have to look into finding some different options.  (You can see the waxed fabric in the bottom left corner of the above photo.)    

I use a menstrual cup.  This might fall under the TMI category, but I'll share about it just in case anyone out there is interested.  A menstrual cup is a small, flexible cup that is worn inside your vagina (like a tampon) to collect your monthly flow.  It's pretty amazing because you can't feel it once it's in place and you can wear it for up to 12 hours at a time.  I will say there was a bit of a learning curve for me and it took awhile before I got the hang of it.  But I've been using it for a couple years now and haven't bought any pads or tampons!  So I'm saving money and preventing waste from going in the landfill.  The Put A Cup In It website is an excellent resource if you want more information or feel free to ask me any questions.

I recycle everything that can possibly be recycled.  Sometimes this makes me seem like a weirdo when I put "trash" in the diaper bag to take home to recycle or gather all the wrapping paper at Adam's family Christmas get-together to take home to recycle.  But it makes me feel better knowing I am keeping excess stuff out of landfills. 

I hit up thrift stores when possible.  Lately I've been looking at thrift stores before I buy something elsewhere.  For example, Lyla needed a few long-sleeve shirts and I decided to go to a secondhand children's clothing store.  I found just what I needed, spent less than I would at other stores, and gave old items a second life.  I also needed another pie dish this Thanksgiving.  So instead of getting a new one from Amazon like I was going to, I stopped by one of our local thrift stores and got one for a couple bucks! 

I use reusable cleaning cloths.  I used to use a ridiculous amount of paper towels and wipes when I cleaned my house.  I realized how wasteful this was, so I picked these reusable cloths at Target about a year ago.  I've used them ever since and have been very happy!  The green cloths are great for cleaning glass, and don't leave lint behind like paper towels did.  I dampen the blue ones to dust with and use the gray ones to scrub the counters.  I also cut up one of Adam's old white undershirts that got a hole in it and use the little squares to clean things like the toilets.  I also found some super soft cloths that I use to wipe the kids' faces with after they finish eating their meals. 

I use wool dryer balls instead of fabric softener.  I ran out of fabric softener a few years ago and did a few loads of laundry before I had a chance to make it to the store.  I realized I couldn't tell a difference, so I just never bought any more.  A few months back, I got some wool dryer balls with the promise of cutting down drying time.  And I definitely agree that I don't have to dry our clothes as long if I have the balls in the dryer.  I just found some random ones at TJ Maxx, but I see them everywhere now. 

I've stopped buying stuff just to be buying stuff.  In addition to trying to make changes to better our planet, I've also been on a bit of a minimalism kick.  While I'm a long ways away from considering myself a minimalist, I have adopted some minimalist qualities that have made my life simpler.  I've donated tons of random housewares and clothes and just stuff that wasn't serving me a purpose other than taking up space.  Since getting rid of so much stuff, I've also been more conscious of the things that I do buy and bring into my home.  I used to be a sucker for a good bargain, so now I have to ask myself if I truly need and want each item or if I'm just getting it because it's a good deal.  And I've done a much better job of saying "no" lately.  By not buying as much, (in my tiny way) I'm creating less of a demand for products to be manufactured.   

I am far from perfect and nowhere near living a zero-waste lifestyle.  But I am trying to do what I can and am looking for ways to improve.  My next goals are to shop thrift stores for my own clothes, look into using more eco-friendly personal care items (think wooden toothbrushes, plastic-free beauty products) and look for ways to reduce food packaging waste.  So give me all your ideas!!  And hopefully my small changes gave you a few ideas too. 

DIY Reusable Grocery Bags

I've been using reusable bags for our groceries for years now.  When I remember to get them out of the trunk, that is.  I've been wanting to get some bags that could be washed (hello, leaking chicken!) and would last a long, long time. 

So I hunted down some canvas bags on Amazon.  I picked some that had a bottom gusset, which means they expand a bit on the bottom and were machine washable.  The main reason I wanted to get new bags was so I wouldn't be putting produce in the same bag I used for chicken last time.  I also wanted to get some that were heavy duty and just the right size.  I was previously using some that were huge, but I would overload them and the heavy load caused the straps to start to rip.  Luckily, those old bags were 100% recyclable, so I chucked them in my recycle bin as soon as the new ones arrived. 

I didn't want to have to wash my bags every time I used them.  I just wanted the option in case one got dirty.  So that meant I needed to figure out a way to identify which type of groceries to put in each bag.  Enter, the trusty paint pen.  I had this paint pen leftover from a previous project.  You can find paint pens at craft stores or Amazon.  Just make sure you look for one that says "permanent" if you plan to wash them.   

I ended up getting four bags, so I thought about the four categories most of my groceries could fit in.  Produce, Dry Goods, Meat, and Dairy ended up being my categories.  While these don't cover everything, it definitely covers most of my groceries.  I also bring along this freezer bag for frozen groceries.  (I should also mention I shop at Aldi, which means I bag my own groceries.  I wouldn't expect a bagger at another grocery store to adhere to my bag labels.)

Once I had my categories nailed down, I just neatly wrote the categories down on each bag.  I thought about doing some sort of fancy cursive, but decided to stick with a simple font that can be easily read.  Usually I have Archer and Lyla with me, so I need to hustle when it comes time to bag since the snacks are running low by this point in the shopping trip.      

The paint pen claimed to be permanent, so I wanted to wash them once to test the claim.  The bags came out great and are currently stashed in my trunk!  I tried them out the other day and they worked out beautifully!  

There's nothing like making grocery shopping just a little easier and more exciting!  

Flying With Twin Toddlers

Let me begin by saying I share these tips with the full knowledge that they won't work for everyone.  Having two kids at once is perfect proof that no two kids are the same and what works one day will likely not work the next day.  However, I'm sharing these tips because you never know what might work.  Hopefully these tips will work for some poor parents who get the privilege of flying with a squirming toddler on their lap.

The idea of getting to share new experiences with Archer and Lyla is just plain exciting to me.  I absolutely love getting to go on new adventures with my kids and see those adventures through their eyes.  But getting to the location of those adventures is a whole other story!

Adam and I decided to travel to Chicago with Archer and Lyla a couple weeks ago.  We landed on Chicago because it was a short flight (only about an hour) and had tons of fun things to do as a family.  When we booked the flight months ago, we told ourselves the kids would be older and better equipped to handle a flight.  Fast forward a few months and I was in a blind panic thinking about how in the world our energetic, willful children could possibly sit in our laps for a flight.

So I set out to prepare as much as I could.  I told myself tons of people fly with toddlers all the time.  We could do this!  Here are a few tips that ended up helping us out:

Consider the Logistics

The first thing we had to think about were the logistics of handling the kids and luggage.  We planned to get around via public transportation once we made it to Chicago.  Adam felt pretty confident navigating the trains and buses.  Plus, we wouldn't have to deal with parking in a busy city or bringing car seats.  So that meant we would have both kids and luggage to contend with once we arrived in Chicago.  Most people would just bring a stroller along, since you can gate check it at the airport.  But Archer and Lyla don't like to be confined to the stroller for very long.  The last thing I wanted to deal with was a bunch of luggage and two screaming toddlers in a stroller.  Or having to push an empty stroller while we run after our children.  Plus, I wasn't sure how getting a stroller on the train from the airport would work.  After carefully considering our options and our children's temperaments, we opted not to bring a stroller to the airport.  Luckily for us, the place we stayed at in Chicago had a double stroller available for us to use once we arrived at the condo.

It turned out to be the right option for us.  Now, if I was traveling alone, I would definitely need the stroller to keep my kids from running away.  But since both Adam and I were there, we felt comfortable with one person managing the luggage, while the other handled the kids.

Pack as Lightly as Possible

Kids definitely require a lot of stuff.  But it was still my goal to pack as lightly as possible.  We ended up packing two suitcases (which we checked) and two backpacks.  I was pretty proud of myself for not going overboard with a bunch of stuff.  I tried to stick with the stuff I knew we would definitely need (diapers, sound machines, snacks) and not get caught up trying to plan for every possible unexpected event.

I did the math to calculate approximately how many diapers we would use and only packed one extra outfit for each of us.  The condo we stayed in had a washer and dryer, so I knew I could always throw in a load of laundry if necessary.

I also didn't pack a ton of toys for the kids to play with while we were in the condo.  I only brought along two small cars, a pack of flashcards, two bedtime books they are familiar with and love, and balloons.  The balloons are nice because they don't take up any room at all!  And Archer and Lyla were perfectly content the whole time!

Another thing that helped with packing was to create little rolls to keep each kids' outfits together.  I stacked shorts/skirt on top of the shirt and rolled it up with a pair of socks.  That definitely saved space in the suitcase and also made it easy to get the kids ready each morning.  

 

Run While You Can! 

Allowing the kids to do a lot of walking and running prior to getting on the airplane helped them burn off some energy.  The Kansas City airport wasn't very busy, so they had more room to run around without getting in other people's way.  We found some stairs and let them climb them a few times.  They found a little ledge that was a step off the ground and let them walk back and forth across it for awhile.  We just kinda let them take the lead and move while they could.

Our flight back from Chicago was a little bit trickier.  We flew out of Midway and it was definitely a lot busier and crowded than the Kansas City airport.  We had to do a bit more monitoring to make sure they weren't getting in other people's way.  They loved the moving walkways!  Archer particularly enjoyed running full speed across them, so I'm sure I gave a few people a good show running after him before he got to the end.

Letting them move around before each flight definitely helped!

Snacks, Snacks, and More Snacks

Lyla and Archer are highly motivated by food and need to eat at least every three hours or else they get HANGRY.  I made sure to pack a ton of snacks.  I would wager to say 25 percent of our luggage was made up of snacks.  I did not want to run out!

I also got some "new to Archer and Lyla" snacks.  I picked up some snacks they hadn't ever had before in hopes that they would elicit some excitement.  I also brought a few tried and true ones.  It was a good thing too!  I brought some of those little bread sticks you dip in cheese.  While Lyla absolutely loved it, Archer was not at all interested.  So I would recommend bringing a mix of both. 

Cheese dip aside, I tried to pick snacks that weren't super messy.  I also brought along their snack cups to help minimize dropping an entire package of teddy grahams on the floor of the airplane.

I also brought along their sippy cups.  We made sure to empty them out before we went through security and fill them up with water before we got on the plane.  These sippy cups worked out great because you have to suck a bit to get anything out, which helped their ears acclimate to the pressure changes.  And I love them because they don't leak, even if someone happens to chuck it across the room.

Flight-Friendly Activities 

I wanted to pack flight-friendly activities that wouldn't take up a lot of space or be too messy.  I didn't want things with lots of little pieces that could be dropped and I didn't want anything too bulky.  I also didn't want to spend a fortune buying a bunch of new things.  So I settled on a good collection of things that miraculously kept Archer and Lyla entertained.

I divided up the activities and put one set in each backpack.  So Adam had a set with his backpack, while I had a set in the diaper bag backpack.  We switched sets on the flight home and it was like brand new activities for each kid!

• Highlights Magazines- We already get a subscription to Highlights magazine (the Hello version meant for ages 0-2), so I kept the latest edition as a surprise for the flight.  They always enjoy looking through the new pages.  (By the way, if you enter your email address, you can get $5 off if you are interested in purchasing a subscription.)  Plus, it's very thin and doesn't take up lots of space.
• Indestructibles Books- Lyla and Archer got a couple of these books when they were babies (Thanks, Sherry!).  They can't be ripped or torn and it doesn't matter if they get wet.  I like them because they are thin and can't get damaged.  I checked out a bunch at my local library (for free!) and kept them a surprise for the trip.  A lot of them don't have any words, but we had fun finding different objects and pointing out colors.  
• Water Wow!- These were the two things I did purchase for the trip.  These little books can be "painted" on with water and a picture shows up as you "paint."  You just fill up the included paintbrush with a little water and you are good to go.  And the when the water dries, you can re-paint the pages.  Archer and Lyla did enjoy these.  And the amount of water used is minimal, so it doesn't make a big mess.  At one point, Lyla was just sucking water out of the paintbrush.  But she was quiet and sitting still, so I just let her do it.  
• Kids' Meal Toys- The little cardboard things at the top right of the photo are actually toys that came with a kids' meal at Wendy's.  It was just a picture with flaps you can lift up.  Lyla and Archer are really into lifting and turning things, so I thought this would be high quality entertainment and it was!  I've since started saving the toys from kids' meals for future trips.  They don't understand a toy comes with the meal yet, so I'm just stashing them away.  
• Candy & A Pill Case- I brought along this activity as a last-resort sort of activity.  A friend of mine (Thanks, Lindsey!) recommended this activity.  They could use their problem-solving skills to get to the candy.  I had an old pill case lying around, so I just washed it and brought it along.  And the Smarties were leftover Easter candy...it's probably still good right?  So it didn't cost a thing.  Luckily, we didn't have to pull it out on the flight.  But I did have to pull out some of that candy at the zoo when they were both having meltdowns.  They rarely get any candy, so it's enough to pull them out of whatever craziness they are experiencing.  

These activities were more than enough entertainment for the hour flight.  And they didn't take up a lot of precious space or cost a fortune.  Adam and I planned to use our phones, if necessary.  They are big fans of looking at pictures and videos of themselves.  But they did just fine with the other activities.  

Hide Their Favorite Toy

My friend Kelsey (Thanks!!) gave me this tip and it was a good one!  She told me to hide Lyla and Archer's favorite toy a week before the flight.  I picked a stuffed Elmo for Archer and one of Lyla's baby dolls.  Then, when they got a bit restless, Adam and I pulled out their toys and you should have seen the joy on their faces!  They definitely spent some time just looking at and snuggling their toys. 

It Doesn't Hurt to Ask

We had the biggest stroke of luck on our flight to Chicago.  As we were boarding, the attendant told us there were supposed to be a few empty seats on our flight.  So that meant Archer and Lyla could have a seat to themselves!  We didn't even think to ask this question and were so thankful this kind lady told us.  So it definitely doesn't hurt to ask if there are empty seats if you happen to have a child who's going to sit on your lap.  We weren't as lucky on the return flight, so they had to sit in our laps.  There was still lots of wiggling, but we managed.  

I should also mention that we couldn't sit in the same row.  There are only 4 oxygen masks per row (3 seats, at least on Southwest flights), so Lyla and I sat in front of Adam and Archer.  I think this was actually a really good thing.  They tend to feed off of each other, so I think they would have been more rambunctious if they had been able to see each other.  I think it also worked out to sit next to the window.  They could look out the window obviously, but it also trapped them in a bit.  I don't think they realized people were walking in the aisle, so they didn't think to try to get up.  It also helped to have strangers sitting next to us.  They don't mind smiling and waving at strangers, but they didn't want to climb across their laps.  

All in all, the plane rides turned out far better than I imagined!  Adam and I tried to control what we could, but then just went with the flow for the rest of it.  More trips are definitely in our future!  Though, maybe not anytime too soon.