Super Hero Chore Chart & Reward System

I recently started working a little harder to make sure my boys are learning about responsibility. I wanted to have them track their chores and come up with a reward system other than the standard allowance. I saw several ideas regarding a "Chore Store" and I really liked the idea but I wanted to have something cute that I could theme all together with the chore charts. My kids love super heroes so I decided to use that as a theme. 

I created a chore board where I could keep track of everything. Both of my boys chore charts are on the board along with a pocket for extra chores (Super Jobs) and hooks to hang bags for their tickets. I decided to give my kids tickets as rewards instead of money because I felt it would be easier for me and the learning  concept is the same for them. 

They have their standard daily chores that they each complete and earn one ticket per day for these. Then I have the extra chores (Super Jobs) in a pocket that they can choose to complete if they want. There are extra chores like dust, mop, wipe down the baseboards, etc... each chore is printed with the reward associated with it and laminated and kept in a pouch on the board. You wouldn't believe how often my kids are asking to do extra chores!

One of my sons is only 3 so his "chores" are really more about him taking responsibility for himself and his daily routine. Getting himself dressed, brushing his teeth, making his bed, etc... I designed his chore chart to be very simple for him. I created pictures of some of his favorite super heroes demonstrating what he should be working on and then there are just flaps to close as he completes the chore "BAM" he's done! 

 On Friday nights I open the chore store "Super Store" and the boys are able to shop and trade in their tickets for various prizes. I shop at thrift stores, garage sales, ebay, Dollar Tree, etc... to find all kinds of stuff for a good deal. I like that I am able to offer a big variety and I'm not roped in to a set dollar amount like I would be if I had agreed to an allowance. I can buy items at my own leisure and decide the value of them. I have all sorts of items from puzzles, art supplies, craft stuff, books, games, and toys of all types. I also include coupons I create for things like Ice Cream Sundae night, Trip to the Movies, Stay Up an Extra 30 Minutes, etc... I have things for higher amounts to encourage saving and things that would be fun for both boys which would encourage them to work together to earn the tickets to get it.

Chores are a "Super" time in our house now!

Before I had baby number 3 I decided to make some quiet time activities for my toddler. My idea was that I could pull these items out when I needed to feed the baby so he would be occupied, quiet, and hopefully distracted long enough for me to get through a feeding. He really enjoys playing with the things I created. Today I'm going to share with you 2 projects that I made using magnets.

DIY: Spongebob Party

When my son turned 5 he was crazy about Spongebob so we decided to throw a themed party. I think I was more excited than he was, I love to make my own decorations for parties! I was able to throw together this super cute party for very little money, you won't believe what I used...

Revamp your Grocery List: Part 2

A while ago I posted about the way I make my grocery list. Feel free to read the whole post here. To sum it up: I create a weekly menu at the top of my list, then the list of ingredients I will need to accomplish the menu, then next to each item I write the price of the item (my best assumption of the price if I don't know the exact amount, rounding up/down as necessary). I have been doing my shopping like this for years and I have to say that 99% of the time I know how much I'm going to spend on my groceries within $10.00. I'm never surprised at check out, which is nice when you want to stick to a budget. Also, due to rounding up/down on the prices, I always have some wiggle room so even if I break down and grab a pack of Oreos that weren't on my list I still don't go over my estimated amount. I recommend giving it a try, what have you got to lose?

To make it easier, I created a free grocery list printable with space for your menu at the top and an organized list of your items with a column for your price estimates. All I ask is that if you use it and enjoy this new method of shopping you share it with your friends!

Grocery List Printable

Do you know everything about your sweetie?

I posted the other day about the family conversation starters that we use at our family meal times. It got me thinking... why not have some separate questions just for couples? My husband and I have been together for 9 years, it's natural that we could use some interesting topics to discuss!

Here is another free printable - Fun Conversation Starters for Couples

Conversation Starters for Couples

Make it cute with these labels

Wondering what you would do with them? Here are some ideas:

1. Plan a date night (technology free) and take turns going through the questions together.
2. Decorate an old Altoid tin, put your questions inside, and throw it in your purse. Use them when you are in the car together.
3. Put them in a cute jar or box on your nightstand, answer one question together each night before you go to bed. 

Enjoy!

Family Dinner Conversation Starters

Take dinner conversation beyond "how was your day?" and expand it to fun topics that will bring your family closer and help you learn more about one another. A while ago I saw a few posts on Pinterest about dinner time questions and I thought it was a brilliant idea! I created a bunch of questions and put them in a jar on the table. My family loves it, we end up sitting at the table long after the food is gone and it didn't take us long to burn through all of our questions! As I sat down last night to come up with some more questions I decided I would share them with you and encourage you to adopt this new family tradition. I hope your family will enjoy it as much as mine has.

Lunch Box Notes

My 2nd grader is a little ham! He loves to tell jokes and make people laugh. This year we moved and he started a new school. I was a little nervous about him making new friends. He attends a very small school in a small town, there is only one class for each grade so all the of the kids advance together each year and they have all been together since Kindergarten. I thought about putting some joke notes in his lunchbox every day so that he could share them with the kids around him and hopefully break the ice and start making some friends. It worked like a charm and he really enjoys getting a new joke every day. 

Southwest Chicken Wraps

I saw this recipe a while back and thought it sounded fantastic! 
Original Recipe Source: The Larson Lingo 
I made some adjustments and turned this into one of our favorite family meals. You make it in the crock pot so it is easy and delicious:

Homemade Baby Food

I've always wanted to make my children's baby food but ended up buying store bought out of convenience. When my last son was born he was diagnosed with Galactosemia. I decided that I would make his food so I would never have to be worried about ingredients that may be potentially dangerous to him. 

As soon as I started making his food I learned that not only was it incredibly easy, it was also a huge savings, and I had confidence that my son was getting the healthiest food possible. I can't wait until my garden is full of fresh veggies again, but for now I pick up what I need in fresh produce for very little cost and it goes a long way. You don't even need a bunch of fancy equipment, more than likely you already have everything you need at home.

I'm a Happy Wife

 

My husband and I have been together for 9 years. We will be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary in March. We have 3 beautiful boys. I love to brag about him all the time to anyone who will listen so I was excited to jump in on this link up with The Happy Wives Club. 

My husband has a long list of amazing qualities but I love him for 3 simple reasons:

1. I love him because of the way he loves me. He genuinely accepts me for who I am and makes me feel loved. He never makes me feel insecure. He's loves, values, and respects me the same way that I do for him, I never had that before him. 
   
2. I love him because he makes me laugh... a lot... like every single day. I'm talking tears in the eyes laughter, it's awesome!
3. I love him because he is an amazing father. I love watching him interact with our 3 boys. I feel confident that we are raising boys that will grow to be loving, generous, respectful, loyal husbands and fathers because of the example he sets for them each day.   

Now that You have reflected on all the love you have for your hubby, plan something special for him!

Visit the Happy Wives Club to enjoy more real life love stories... There really is a Happily Ever After!

Toddlerproofing

When I thought about baby/toddler proofing I thought about things like stairs, chemicals, knives, outlets, etc. I never even considered that something I use everyday and keep right out in the open could be a danger to my kids until yesterday...

Make Your Memories into a Board Game

I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been to a zoo or a theme park and gotten a map. I always save them thinking that I will use them in some way to preserve our memories of the special day we had. They always end up in a pile collecting dust, until now. I just had a brilliant idea of what you can do with these great souvenirs from your trip… Turn them into a board game!  

Imagine the fun you and your family will have re-living your memories from your special day each time you play!

Date Nights: A Whole Year of Once a Month Themed Dates

Dating when you have 3 children isn't easy. Being in a new town and away from most of our family we have to find someone to hire to babysit. It's hard to know who you can trust and it's also expensive. We can't really afford to pay someone to watch the kids and still have money to go out and enjoy ourselves so I am always looking for fun and creative ideas of things we can do at home.  Yes, we can always rent a movie and pick up a pizza but it doesn't take much more effort to spice it up a little and make it more fun... make it feel like an actual date...

DIY Frames

I am in love with these frames!

You can purchase these at: http://store.theorganicbloom.com/

 


I have seen them used in many different ways and I just love them. Every year I create photo gifts for my family and I thought these would be perfect... except for the price (being that I needed so many) and the weight to ship. So I decided to make my own version of these frames that would be cheap and lightweight.

I was really happy with the way they turned out and everyone seemed to really like them so I thought I would share. Here are the ones I made for my sister:

I was able to make 8 frames in these styles  for less than $5 total for all! 

(The frames are 8 x 10, the photos are 4 x 6) Here's how: