Strawberry Jam

I made strawberry jam this weekend with berries that my daughter picked earlier this week. There is something so satisfying about making homemade goodies and the kids absolutely loved it!  I gave out a couple jars as gifts and wrapped them up with some twine that I found lying around the house.

I love when the kids come wandering into the kitchen watching me stir the hot jam and commenting on how good it smells!

These are the things that fill a house with love and make it a home.

     

Communication!

I am constantly coming up with new ways to keep my household functioning in somewhat of an organized fashion. As families grow and change, so do the schedules and routines and it’s important to change with along with it. Let’s face it,what worked when they were toddlers is not the same as when they turned into teenagers!

Working full-time and raising five children means that often times (more like every day) there is a communication breakdown.

Honestly, I’m to blame when that happens.

I know what everyone’s schedule is and when they are coming and going, which is fantastic, but that’s where the breakdown lies. I realized the other day that I needed to make a daily list of who was where and when they would be gone. Now that my older two kids have cars, and more freedom, it seems as though we have people coming and going constantly!

This week I am trying out a new routine of getting up early and writing out a daily list of the expectations for the day as well as everyone’s schedule. I used to do this when they were younger because I had to get up before they did just so I could a little peace and quiet! As they got older I started to sleep in more, and by that I mean no later than 8:30 on the weekends.

I lost a lot of precious time that I would have normally spent paying bills, budgeting, and creating my schedules.

Every day is a new day, every week is a new week, and there is always the opportunity to start over again!