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What Not to Do at a Home and Garden Show

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Spring is almost here, which means Home and Garden Show time! Over the weekend, I attended my first Home and Garden Show and I learned a lot.

I saw some innovative home products, took a look at some cool home services, took home some cool tote bags, and best of all ran into an old friend.

 

However, I am the absolute worst at trade shows. I have a guilt complex. I feel horrible for these people standing there at their little constructed booths waiting or asking kindly for someone to talk to them. I hate that they are constantly getting rejected. Their products are getting rejected. They came all this way after all. Who could stand all that drive by rejection?

As a writer who has suffered more rejection than I care to admit, I feel for these booth people. I know that rejection. So, I will talk to them for a little while. (We have no intention of getting a hot tub, bathroom renovation, pergola, etc.)

I know, I’m the worst.

However, I always say, you can never be overdressed or overeducated. I did learn a great deal about some of the products and services I don’t need such as bathroom remodels so there’s that. Let’s pretend I did this in the name of education.

I also say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. In other words there is a cost to all of this education: I will be deleting emails from people providing products and services I don’t need for the foreseeable future.

When going to a Home and Garden Show or any trade show for that matter, here is a list of DON’TS (you don’t want to be getting emails for the next month because you couldn’t say no at a trade show.)

1. Don’t go in without a plan: if you are going to just look around, want to see bathrooms, kitchens, gutters, pools. Make a mental note of what you are there to see.

2. Don’t forget what household projects are coming up: many vendors offer coupons, discounts, and even raffles for prizes for patrons attending the trade show. Make sure you visit the booths of any current or impending home projects. For example, new countertops, and a basement remodel are in our future. I made sure to hit up any booth I could that might have discounts or promotions to help us with these projects.

3. Don’t talk to anyone you don’t want to: people at trade shows are there to try and gain your business, but they also want to talk to people who are seriously considering their products or services. If you live in a condo, don’t get sucked into talking to a landscaper for an hour. A polite “no thanks” will do the trick and move on.

4. Don’t go in clueless: get a map of the convention center area or talk to someone running the trade show and get a lay of the land. This will help you find where specific booths are so that you can plan your time accordingly.

5. Don’t give out your information unless your’e ok with people contacting you: this is a no brainer, but unless you want to set up an appointment for an estimate for new gutters go ahead and take their card or pamphlet and tell them you’ll give them a call when you’re ready to do business.

6. Don’t go to a trade show without having a little fun and getting a little swag: When going to a trade show, I always leave some time at the end for visiting a few booths that look interesting or have cool demonstrations or let’s face it neat swag. I usually will hit up those booths last if I have time.

7. Don’t wear heels: Just don’t, unless they are the most comfortable shoes you own. Trade shows are for walking and gathering information and collecting tote bags, save the good shoes for date night.

Now, that you know what not to do at your next Home and Garden or trade show you should go online and see when the next one in your area is. Spring is almost here after all!

If you like this post and would like to read more about all things domestic with a touch of humor, become a Home Everyday follower! For blog updates or to see other places I write such as ChicagoNow or Chicago Parent follow Home Everyday on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

I Would Not, Could Not Skip Thanksgiving: A Holiday Planning Guide

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I was just barely getting over a Halloween hangover when I was smacked in the face with a midterm election. Now, everywhere I turn there seems to be Christmas in the air.

All of my favorite stores are betraying with me holiday stuff, discounts, and I swear I smelled peppermint in Starbucks the other day. Some of the blogs I read are sharing gift guides, and things to do to get ready for “the season.”

Some people are Holiday Crazy, that is great. I applaud you. I used to be like them. In the past, I would be playing holiday music already, putting autumn decor away, buying gifts, hiding them, begging my husband to let me put out just a few holiday decorations before Thanksgiving, and coming up with schemes for that damn elf.

However, considering my Autumn Decor has not been up that long, I don’t think I should be getting out any more decorations just yet. Also, I am still getting used to the homework routine this school year, so I doubt I can add a little bit of Christmas to anything just yet. Also, I realized I seemed to be skipping over Thanksgiving. It was like a gateway holiday getting lost in the shuffle of other holiday preparations.

This was breaking my heart as I used to claim Thanksgiving was one of my favorite holidays. In the past, I would spend days preparing a Friendsgiving Meal, and making a spare turkey for leftover sandwiches. I would take the time to meet people for brunch, and go to church. I Would Not, Could Not Skip Thanksgiving. Nope. This year is going to be different.

I am going to plan ahead so that no longer happens. I can hopefully use my time wisely and knock some of those smaller things off the TO DO LIST now so that I can enjoy myself the week of Thanksgiving. I am sick of spending that week, running errands, buying gifts, and starting Christmas cards. This Thanksgiving, I will be eating turkey sandwiches and enjoying my family.

First Week of November

  • Create Holiday Card List
  • Update Addresses
  • Make Appointment for Family Photos
  • Create a gift list (family, friends, teachers, neighbors, coworkers, hostess gifts)
  • Send holiday party invites
  • Do online shopping
Second Week of November
  • Purchase smaller gifts like gift cards, bottles of wine, or other non food gifts.
  • Plan family photo outfits
  • Do a gift wrap inventory and purchase anything needed (tape, ribbon, etc)
  • Plan which cookies and treats to bake
  • Pick out Holiday Cards
Third Week of November
  • Have family photo taken
  • Purchase baking ingredients sugar, flour, vanilla, (freeze butter), etc.
  • Wrap any gifts already purchased.
  • Start addressing envelopes
  • Do a thorough clean of house to be ready for holiday decor
THANKSGIVING WEEK
  • Be Thankful!
Don’t get me wrong, I will still have things to do, but everything will be ready to go. I won’t be wasting time running to Target for more tape, stopping at the grocery store for more vanilla, trying to put together teacher gifts the night before the last day of school, or addressing envelopes at 2  in the morning. Best of all, I will be enjoying my time with my family.

If you like this post and would like to read more about all things domestic with a touch of humor, become a Home Everyday follower! For blog updates or to see other places I write such as ChicagoNow or Chicago Parent follow Home Everyday on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Lunch on the Go: Summer Picnic Tips

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With the Memorial Day being the unofficial start to summer and kids getting out of school, it means that it is time for family vacations, camps, plenty of time outdoors, and day trips. With us out an about much more, many times meals and snacks need to be eaten on the go. While I do pull into the Culver’s drive through occasionally, this is not a regular occurrence. Also, I realize that packing lunches isn’t much different than the school year except I thought about it a little more and realized that kids at school are eating lunch sitting at a table, indoors, and come home right after school to a snack. Also, when you have picky eaters and kids with allergies, nothing ruins what is supposed to be a fun time like a hungry or sick child.

In the summertime, day trips often call for multiple meals on the road as well as sometimes eating on a blanket outside or if it is raining in the back of the car. With that said, planning for meals away from home takes a little bit more planning.

 

Here are a few tips I’ve learned:

– When I’m meal planning for the week (you can read more about that here), I make sure to plan portable meals for the days we plan to be out of the house and make sure to add portable foods to our grocery list.
– I think finger foods are the way to go, the less utensils you need for the day the better.
– I hardly ever bring napkins when picnicking anymore. I bring an extra container of wipes. They clean sticky hands and faces better, and they can be used to wipe down picnic tables before eating.
– Some things are better prepackaged like yogurt tubes, applesauce cups, or juice boxes. Typically, I don’t like the extra expense and waste of pre-packaged foods, but when you are on the go, it really is easier to just throw things away than have a bunch of dirty tiny containers or sippy cups to clean when you get home.
– I always pack for the meals we will be out for plus one extra snack. You never know when you are going to get stuck in traffic, make a pit stop, or decide to stay where you are a little longer.
– For long trips, we have invested in an electric cooler like this. We bought it five years ago, and I have to say it was one of the best purchases we have ever made. It was perfect for pre made bottles, storing milk when I was breastfeeding, keeps drinks cold, allows us to pack things like yogurt and cheese, and holds more than a regular cooler because we don’t need ice. Ours comes with an AC adapter for the car. We plug it in the car and we are on our way. When we get to our destination, we use an outlet there.
– I always make sure to pack everyone’s water bottles, and periodically refill them throughout the day. Hydrated kids (and parents) are happy kids (and parents).
– I often free grapes, berries, and yogurt tubes. I put them in the cooler and they are a great cold treat for a hot day frozen or thawed.
– Everyone at our house has their own “picnic” container. I found them at Target last year. They are just divided reusable plastic container with lids. Sometimes, I even divide them further using paper muffin cups. This is perfect because everyone gets the meal or snack made to their needs or wants.

 

 

This past week, the weather was perfect for spending the day at the zoo. I packed up lunches, snacks, blankets, and sunscreen, and we headed out for the day. For the kids I packed some assorted berries, cut up cucumbers, cheese sticks, crackers, yogurt tubes, and Goldfish crackers.

 

For myself, I packed some berries, some Mexican Quinoa Salad I had made the night before, and some tortilla chips.

 

We had a wonderful day, and got stuck in traffic on the way home. Thank goodness I had snacks and water bottles to hold everyone over until we got home.

What is your favorite picnic food?

“So, what’s for dinner?”: Weekly Menu Planning

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This is the last week of Mom of 6’s Organize Your Life Bootcamp. This week’s focus is getting ahead of the game with menu planning.

In the past, I would usually only plan for a week’s worth of dinners, but then as we had children and I started to make my own baby food, I realized that I might have to do more planning than that. So as time went on, I started to plan for every meal for the week. At first, I was writing my list of meals down in a notebook with a my grocery list, but I thought it would be nice to have something I could display on the side of the fridge.

A few months ago, I found this great FREE printable on Jenny Collier’s blog.

 

As I mentioned last week, Brian and I sit down on talk about what we have going on for the week and sync up our calendars. Once this is done, I turn on another sitcom and plan out our weekly menu. With the help of my cook books, Pinterest, and Brian letting me know what he has a taste for, I plan for every single meal including snacks.

As I make the grocery list, I check the cabinets and fridge and make sure to jot down anything that we don’t already have. I typically try to go shopping when the boys are at school, and it is just me and Coco. Which usually ends up being in the middle of the week. I like this schedule as I don’t have to set foot in store on the weekends, and it is much quicker to only shop with one kid as opposed to three.

 

Some things worth mentioning:

 

  • Planning out a week or two in advance helps save money as I only buy what we need.
  • On the weekly menu planner, I plan which nights would be good for leftovers. I try to plan leftover nights for when Brian works late so that he can take extras with him for dinner.
  • When making my grocery list, I make sure I paper clip any coupons I have and need to use for my shopping trip.
  • Planning snacks helps to cut down on binge eating or eating unhealthy food.
  • When planning for the week, I have one alternate plan for something unexpected. For example, I know having pasta and jarred sauce on hand is something that is quick, easy, and everyone likes. This helps me have some sort of plan for when we are running late or have a sudden change of plans.
  • I know this seems a little time consuming, but honestly in the time it takes to watch a sitcom or one drama, Brian and I can go over the plan for the week, and I can plan out a menu.

What’s the Plan? Calendar Tips

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This week marks Week 3 in Mom of 6’s Organize Your Life Boot Camp. This week, it is all about the calendar.

 

 

Call me old fashioned, but I have an old school calendar hanging on the side of the fridge. I used to teach technology, I am married to a tech director (who cannot wait for me to get back to iCal), and I am a blogger who uses a laptop and smart phone like it’s my job. So why the paper calendar?

Years ago, B.C. (before children), I used iCal. Just like Sharon at Mom of 6, I loved the functionality, the color coding, the ease of sharing with my husband. Then after my second child was born, and we made the decision for me to become a stay at home mom, I realized how little I was on the computer and was using my cell phone during the day. So, I started using a paper calendar and kept it in the kitchen.

When I was in high school, I remember a teacher saying “I don’t care where you write it down, as long as you write it down.” I myself was a notebook user, but I can remember kids using laptops, scrap paper, or their hands to take notes. This is kind of my mentality when it comes to planning or using a calendar. As long as you have a system that you will consistently use, that is all that matters.

 

I use the Sandra Boynton family calendar because it has spaces for each member of our family, it is large, and it comes with stickers which my kids like helping put on important dates. Below is a list of tips that help us stay organized when it comes to our calendar:
  • Ever since Brian and I have gotten married, Sunday has become a “plan out the week” day. We usually sit on the couch (while watching sitcoms), and plan out the week. Appointments, babysitters, school events, exercise schedules, work commitments, and activities are all planned out. Sometimes we even discuss cleaning responsibilities and house projects that need to get completed and try to plan time to do that. I mark the calendar, he makes notes in his iPhone, and then we are ready for the week.
  • While Brian and I are sorting out the week, we make our To Do lists and prioritize the To Do’s and try to decide when these chores can be done.
  • To cut down on excess paper, any time we receive an invitation, a note from school about an event, or any other piece of paper requesting our presence somewhere the date is marked on the calendar along with any other details surrounding the event and the paper is thrown away. This is also the time that I RSVP to the event.
  • I keep a magnetic clip next to the calendar with anything that we might need to bring to an event. For example, if Brian and I have tickets to a concert, the tickets are kept right by the calendar.
  • I also make a note on the calendar who is babysitting the kids for particular events.
  • Lastly, if you touch the pen I keep next to my calendar, you will feel my wrath.
There you have it! Now go check out all the other links at Mom of 6 for tips on calendaring and to do lists.

I Do: Our Wedding

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When Brian and I were planning our wedding day, we tried to think of all the weddings we had been to, and the best wedding receptions were the ones that had the best food. I know it sounds ridiculous, but good food can go a long way to your guests enjoyment of the reception. Once we knew the food would be fabulous, we tried to focus on lots of sentimental and personal touches.

The Date: After the proposal, it was kind of a whirlwind of telling people and picking a date for our big day. We knew we wanted an autumn wedding. We love cool weather, the colors, and we met in the fall, so we thought it was appropriate. We finally came around to picking September 16th. It was the only date that both the church and our banquet hall had at the same time, but it was totally meant to be. You see, this is also my parents’ anniversary. My parents were married for almost 34 years before my Dad passed away so we figured it was  a nice tribute to my Dad, and almost like a lucky day since my parents had such a happy a loving marriage.

 

The Church: Old St. Pat’s is an important place to us. We spent a lot of time there when we were dating. We attended mass there, volunteered there, and met life long friends there. Brian popped the question there. It remains a very special place to us as it is still our parish and the parish where our children were baptized.

 

The Band: Brian and I LOVE music (mentioned here). We spent a lot of time at concerts (Guster is still one of our favorites), listening to music, downloading our favorite songs, and researching new bands together. One of our first trips together was to Graceland and then to Nashville where we saw Josh Turner before anyone knew who he was. A monthly tradition of ours was to see a band called Tributosaurus. They are a band that each month has one concert and picks a different artist or band to cover. We saw them become Chicago, Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, The Smiths, Paul McCartny just to name a few. It was/is still one of our favorite things to do. Anyway, we explained to the band how we are die hard fans, and would you please play for our reception. They agreed and played a mix of all of our favorites. Everyone enjoyed because it was good oldie type music perfect for dancing, but they also played some newer music for the young ones.

The Sweet Table: Brian and I didn’t have a traditional dessert of wedding cake at our wedding. In Brian’s family, it is tradition to offer an entire table of sweets and treats after dinner. Ours was piled high with tiny creme puffs, eclairs, small pieces of cake, chocolate covered strawberries, and other sweet treats. To keep with tradition, we had a very small two tiered cake  to cut. Our baker actually made us a replica of the cake for our first anniversary for FREE.

 



The Bouquet: My bouquet was a place that I found it easy to add personal touches. It contained lots of sentimental flowers. My Dad’s family is Dutch so even though it was fall I included ivory tulips. My Mom loves hydrangeas so I made sure I had a few of those. My grandmother had gardenia in her wedding bouquet so I included those, and my sister had roses in her bouquet so I included those as well. I also added a few of my favorites like ranunculus and stephanotis with pearl centers.

The Shoes: Another very personal touch was to honor my Dad. My Dad passed away when I was only 19. Him and I were extremely close, and one of our favorite things to do together was run (I still run today). Our favorite brand of running shoes was New Balance, so I found a pair of all white New Balance shoes and my friend and bridesmaid, Sara, bedazzled them for me with crystals and pearls. My brothers and my “Dad’s shoes” walked me down the aisle on my wedding day.

 

The Photos: We wanted to make sure we got some pictures with the Chicago skyline behind us. Brian and I feel like it is “our” city so that was important to us.

 

The Little Things: Instead of table numbers we labeled the tables with all of our favorite Chicago date spots. For favors, we are big believers sending people off with a little snack for the car ride home or something to share the next day. Our favorite fall treat is a carmel apple, so everyone got a carmel apple from Affy Tapple (pretty much an institution in Chicago). Our programs contained pictures of the stained glass windows of Old St. Pat’s.

I’m not an expert wedding planner, but I will say this. It is very similar to hosting any party. The food should be great but there should be a few personal and sentimental touches that help to make it personal and special to you and your guests.