Greetings from our family to yours!
I hope you were able to get out and enjoy the summer weather and all that our community has to offer. For many of our families the arrival of September means a return to routine after less-structured summer days. Mornings can be busy getting everyone out the door to work and school. Making lunches is a task many of us dread. I have shared some things that we do in our family to make the transition back to school a smooth one. We all know that a home is more than just shelter from the outside world. It is the place where we live, nurture our families and rest from the busyness of everyday life. I hope this sea-son brings you a new sense of purpose and joy!
-Heather Lane
Grab ‘n’ Go Lunch and Breakfast Prep for Kids
Get the whole family involved in preparing for the next day. Encourage the family to choose their outfits the night before. In the morning they can get up and get dressed quickly without taking the time to think about what to wear. Getting lunches ready the night before also helps relieve the business of the morning and kids can help. Here is one idea we love in our family. ❤
The night before we prepare a lunch kit with a hot dog bun and a small container of ketchup or other condiments. In the morning, we heat up a hot dog and put it in a thermos filled with boiling water. It stays warm until lunch time when the hot dog can be assembled at school. Serve with some veggies like cucumbers, carrots or baby tomatoes.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Eating a healthy breakfast improves concentration and helps everyone do their best at school and work. With this easy recipe, kids can make their own delicious breakfast the night before. Just put it in the fridge and in the morning , “grab and go!”
Getting Your Garden Ready for Fall
We don’t want to talk about summer ending. Not yet, anyway! Cooler weather doesn’t mean the end of gardening season. Here are some ways you can get your garden ready for the winter so that it has the best start next spring.
- Collect seeds and herbs for drying and propagating
- Add compost or manure to garden beds
- Transplant or plant new trees or shrubs at least 6 weeks before the first frost
- Fertilize your lawn
- Remove any dead annual flowers and pull weeds
- Divide and transplant flowering perennial plants
- Clean up fallen leaves including those in the down-spouts and gutters
