UPDATED: Does Your Family Regularly Eat Dinner Together?
Studies have repeatedly shown that family dinners have a positive impact on children, from eating healthier foods to decreasing the odds that they'll participate in dangerous activities as teens.
Robin Fox, an anthropologist at Rutgers University told Time Magazine, "A meal is about civilizing children. It's about teaching them to be a member of their culture."
But with increasingly busy schedules for both parents and kids, are families able to sit down together for supper? According to a 2010 study, The Importance of Family Dinners VI, the answer is yes. Sixty percent of teenagers surveyed in the report said that they had dinner with their families at least five times a week. Pretty impressive, especially for teens.
So how to do parents do it? How do they manage to juggle work, taking the kids to their various activities at the end of the day, and pulling together a family dinner? It's a mix of advanced meal planning and quick thinking (because no how matter how good you are at meal planning, some days it just doesn't work out).
Does your family regularly eat dinner together? How do you make it happen?
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April 1, 2012
We're evaluating if we want to rebuild our home and as part of the process, my husband and I are taking a hard look at where we spend the most time.
Turns out it's the kitchen.
I love to cook. My kids like to be in the kitchen when I'm making a meal, whether they're helping out or sitting at the central desk/workstation doing their homework. If we have company, we usually spend a chunk of time hanging out in the kitchen sipping wine while whipping up dinner. And our dog can usually be found asleep on the hardwood floor, waiting for the sound of food hitting the ground so she can steal it.
Big conversations happen in our kitchen. Bills get paid at the workstation. Stories get written. Schedules are coordinated. And music is always, always playing (or we're listening to sports talk radio, especially during baseball season).
The kitchen is definitely the heart of our home.
How about you?
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March 1, 2012
While March 20th marks the official first day of spring, I'm not waiting around to kick-start the big clean. The whole family gets involved because, well, why not? We all enjoy our home, we should all be a part of keeping it clean and organized.
Here's the thing: since we tend to tidy up every day, spring cleaning is more of a speed clean. We take a weekend morning and wipe down baseboards, doors, windows and walls -- they tend to be slightly neglected when it comes to daily cleaning. But the rest of the house, especially the kitchen, stays in shape with daily clean-up moments before bedtime. We spend the most time cleaning out closets, book shelves and toy chests as we look for items to donate to charity.
What about you? Is your spring cleaning effort a speed clean or a deep dive?
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February 1, 2012
The image of someone dusting the inside of his or her refrigerator makes me laugh because who uses a dust feather in a refrigerator? Wipes, sponges, towels, yes. A dust feather is...highly questionable at best.
Putting that aside, I am a stickler about keeping the inside of our refrigerator clean. It gets the full clean out and wipe down every weekend, right before it gets loaded with new groceries. My reason is twofold. First, it's important to keep your refrigerator free from janky germs. Two, I once was a guest at a home and opened a refrigerator that look liked it hadn't been cleaned in years. It was gross, plain and simple. And I vowed that I would never allow any guests to have that experience in my home.
Now that we're at that time of year where we're having parties for the Super Bowl and the slew of awards shows, keeping a tidy kitchen -- and home, in general -- is top of mind. Besides keeping my refrigerator clean, I try to do little things every day to keep our kitchen area organized. It makes cleaning up for parties that much easier.
What about you? What are your tips on keeping the kitchen -- and house -- tidy as you prep for party season?
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January 6, 2012
Back in November, I was on a cleaning frenzy as holiday season quickly approached. Now, I'm a few days into 2012 and ready to tackle some serious household organization projects. I have a hall closet that needs to be purged of things that fit in the category "I'll keep this and I'm not sure why, but I can't get rid of it...yet." My kids' closets are like bottomless pits of clothes and old toys that need to be donated to charity.
And then there's my kitchen: it's in good shape but in need of a refresher. I'm looking at everything...from the artwork (photography and kids' drawings) on the walls down to how I store our food and cookware in the kitchen cabinets.
My biggest challenge? How to keep the refrigerator tidy. I've added smaller storage containers to the shelves to hold small jars of jam and condiments. Larger storage bins hold items like yogurt and other regularly used products.
Your turn: Are you getting organized and cleaning house for the New Year? What are you doing? What are your favorite tips?
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November 14, 2011
Shine Users: What are your favorite cleaning tips?
I'm in the midst of a fall cleaning frenzy, sparked by the fact that holiday planning and activities are in full motion. (Side note: How is it the middle of November already?!) I always start with the kitchen because when my kitchen counters are bare and sparkly, the whole house always feels 100 percent more organized.
When I clean the kitchen, I start by freeing up the counters from clutter. All dishes are put away, random bits of "stuff" are put pack in place throughout the house, and I always find things I can donate. And suddenly? My kitchen seems so much larger.
Your turn: What are your favorite cleaning tips?
