Happy Tiny Tuesday! I can’t believe that a week from today we will be heading to Chicago for Christmas. We can’t wait! It’s guaranteed to be a heck of a lot colder in Chicago than it is here, so I’ve already started planning out my girls’ outfits (yes, I’m very type-A), and warm, comfy clothes are a must!
We got these cute sweat suits from Little Foot Clothing Co on Black Friday. The deer print reminded us of reindeer and we thought these would make the perfect outfits for the girls to run around the house in and cuddle by the fire. It comes in a grey pattern too if you prefer that color. One of the best parts, too, is that it’s unisex! There’s also an adorable headband to match that you can get here. Abby will only keep a headband in for .5 seconds, which is why we didn’t get it.
Tips for Choring with Kiddos at Home:
- Include them in the process – one of my goals yesterday was to bake cookies for our neighbors. Baking isn’t always the fastest task, so I knew I couldn’t do it with my girls demanding my attention. So, I included them in the process. Whether we’re making cookies or pancakes, letting my girls participate in the process helps so much and keep everyone happy! Emma Grace is at the stage where she is actually learning about the process and Abby is happy just banging on pots and pans and trying to learn the words for everything.
- Multi-task – this isn’t always that simple, but I’ve learned that if my girls take a long bath on Monday evenings I can use that time wisely. I don’t like leaving them in the bathtub alone, so I’ve taken to leaving clorox wipes in the bathroom and use part of that time to wipe down the sink, counter, and toilet while they’re playing. Win-win.
- Take advantage of nap time – this is a given. Nap time is my sacred time to get things done that demand my full attention: blog emails, work reports, addressing Christmas cards, or phone calls.
- Make their chores a game – this is one tip we recently added to our daily routine. Instead of me running around like a crazy person trying to get all the morning chores finished, we’ve given a couple to Emma Grace and made them a game. For example, every day we have her make her day bed and she can arrange the pillows any way she would like. After making her pillow arrangement, she gives her masterpiece a name like “donut” or “sparkle” and then shows off her work. Again, win-win.
- 5:00 music & mass clean-up – this tip was given to me by another mommy. She told me that everyday at 5:00 she turns on the same song that signals to her kids to do a massive toy cleanup. The mom stands in one room and all the kids report to the mom and the mom dictate what each child needs to pickup. This way, all the toys and clutter is cleaned up before dinner and the mom doesn’t have to worry about picking up after her kids all day long. Genius.
sweatsuit: little foot clothing co (here in grey, here in a maxi dress)
