Like Mother, Like Daughter

As I wrote a few weeks ago, (see "Let the Inspiration Begin!" posted January 12th) my family responded to some complaining I had been doing by building a little workspace of my own for me.

A short time later, Katie decided she needed a workspace in her room. JP has his office, Jack has a desk, Andie has a desk, Mama now has a desk, so it's only fair that Katie should have her own also. Taking our inspiration from my new office, we created a cute little workspace for Katie in her room using her play table, a little chair, and a few other things we had hanging around the house. An hour or so of organizing and moving a few things around and voila -- twins!

Mama, Do You Think the Stars Are Glowing Tonight?

We have to admit, our little Katie likes to sleep in our bed at night. Who can blame her? Furbers all like to be together, so during the day she's always with someone: running errands with Dad, doing homework with the big kids, at the park with Rachel, or keeping Mom company. Getting tucked in at night all alone in her room must seem very lonely to her.

This week in Sun Valley, though, she's decided she wants to sleep in her room. Not because JP and I are master child psychologists, or because she's outgrown her need to have company when she sleeps, but because we have glow stars on the ceiling of the bunkhouse here.

Two years ago, when I about passed out from standing on the ladder looking up with my arms over my head putting those glow stars up, I wondered if the task was worthwhile. (Note that there are 135 stars in the bucket. Being the overachiever that I am, I had to cover the ceiling with three buckets.) But when I hear Katie ask "Mama, do you think the stars are glowing tonight?" and when I tuck her in with the stars to keep her company, I know it was.

Beds that Take 30 Seconds to Make

We're spending the week in Sun Valley, enjoying the snow, sun and warm sunshine. For some reason, our condo in Sun Valley is the only place where I make all the beds every day. I think it's because our condo is small enough that you see most of the rooms in an eyeshot, and also because all the beds are all constructed very simply so they're easy to make:
Fitted sheet and pillows
Fluffy comforter in a duvet cover

Quilt folded at the foot of the bed

When I make my rounds in the morning, I just shake out the comforters, fold the quilts, prop up the pillows and I'm done.
Even Katie can do it. I can't say the same for the dishes in the kitchen, but I've got Jack and Andie for that.

Can a Teenage Girl and an 11 Year Old Boy Really Share a Bathroom?

The answer is probably "no." However, they do share a bathroom in our house. At least for now, until Andie and all her toiletries squeeze Jack, his toothbrush and his Axe out into the hall.

Our arrangement works for now as long as the following rules continue to apply:
No Pink Stuff
Happy stripes work great -- red on Andie's side and blue on Jack's side. Each kid gets a little personality on their side, but not too girly. These towels from Garnet Hill are perfect:


Everyone Gets Their Own Trashcan
As everyone knows, boys and girls generate vastly different kinds of trash, and it's best to keep cross-gender exposure to a minimum. These SimpleHuman cans from The Container Store are extra good because they have lids.


Keep Everything Segregated
I bought these kitchen cannisters a several years ago, and repurposed them into the bathroom when we moved into this house

Even if he doesn't really need it, Jack likes to have one of the cannisters for his stuff. Sometimes it's filled with pennies, sometimes with stuff from his spy kit. He doesn't usually fill it with bathroom stuff, but he does like to keep it full, just so Andie doesn't move in.

Make Sure The Boy Gets At Least One Drawer
Although Jack doesn't need his very own drawer for the three grooming items he uses regularly, he still gets one. That way he doesn't have to sort through lip gloss, barrettes, and other girly things to get to his dental floss. And he doesn't have to pick long blonde hairs out of his toothbrush.

No Underwear On the Floor
Both genders are strictly forbidden from abandoning their underwear anywhere but their hamper or their room. No 11 year old boy wants to look at his sister's underwear.

Put the Lock Back on the Door
Remember when the kids were toddlers and you took all the locks off all the doors in the house so they wouldn't lock themselves in their rooms by accident? It's now time to find the lock for the kids bathroom and give it back. While an 11 year old boy doesn't mind having company while he's in the bathroom, his big sister doesn't really like walking in on him by accident.

Kermit was Wrong by guest blogger Andie Furber

First, I want to say Happy Birthday to my Grandpa Doug. Happy Birthday Grandpa.

My mom has been writing about being green all week, so I thought I would too. Being green is important, and anyone can do it. Even kids. Here are some ways for kids to make their own room green and eco-friendly:

1) Keep a recycling bin in your room. Whenever you're finished with paper, bottles, cans or other recyclables, put them in the bin instead of throwing them away. If possible, try using both sides of the paper.

2) Try organic bedding. It's really comfortable, and comes in all kinds of colors and patterns, and is totally eco-friendly. I like this one from PBTeen


3) Try putting some plants in your room. They clean your air in a Green way. For the best plants to clean your air, see my mom's post entitled, "My Mom was Ahead of Her Time."

4) Try reusing stuff for your room. When your parents decide once again that it's time to purge the house, snag a few things from their pile to add to your room. The best way to be eco-friendly is to reuse things instead of adding new things. My brother is always taking plants, coffee tables, bins, and decorations into his room.

5) When you ask your parents to buy you new things for your room, make sure it's something you will like for a long time and won't want to replace after just a little while. Like I said in number 4, adding new things is not very green.

6) Use CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb) lightbulbs in your lamps, because they use less energy, and always turn off your lights when you leave your room, or during the day when the sun's out.

Being green is important. Saving energy and our resources can help conserve our earth. Anyone can go green, and everyone should. Even kids. So try these tips, and even these small things you do can make a difference in our world.