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When I heard about this weeks WFMW theme, I had no idea what to write about. I’m not very good at last minute dinners when there’s no food in the house. I will freely admit my first instinct is to call my husband and have him bring home McDonald’s.

I’m sure that’s not what Shannon had in mind when she asked us to write about our favorite last minute recipes though. I still hadn’t decided what I was going to write at 4:00 this afternoon, when it was getting near the time to start dinner. Unfortunately, I had no idea what to make.

I looked in the pantry. Refried beans. Salsa. Olives. NACHOS!!! To be perfectly honest, I didn’t have the chips, tomatoes, or sour cream on hand, but I usually do. This is just an unusual week. So I called my husband to have him pick up the three things I needed.

I put the refried beans in a pan on medium low heat, and while they were heating up, I quickly chopped the tomatoes and shredded some cheese. Usually I use cheddar cheese, but we didn’t have any, so I shredded some regular Monterey Jack as well as some Pepper Jack for the grownups.

I opened the can of sliced olives and dumped them in a bowl, put everything on the table, and called it good. We each put some tortilla chips on our plates and added the toppings we wanted. I use different toppings, depending on what I have on hand. Sometimes I use black beans, ground beef, onions, and avocados.

It’s versatile, quick, and the kids like it. That’s why homemade nachos works for me!

For more last minute recipes visit Rocks in my Dryer.

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I almost hesitate to write an entire post about this, but it really is one of my best tips. I keep a small notebook in my purse. I use it for all kinds of things. When I go to the bookstore to browse and see a book I’d like to read, I whip out my notebook and write it down. Then when I’m at the library, I just look at my book list and check it out.

Last week when my daughter was at soccer practice, I was bored, so I brought out the notebook, and I started brainstorming blog post ideas. I came up with about 30 ideas in a half an hour, and now when I’m stuck for a post topic, I have a list to choose from.

Sunday when I was at Sunday school, I needed to write down the prayer requests. By now you already know what I’m going to say. I took my little notebook out of my purse and wrote them all down.

I’ve been carrying my notebook around for about a year now, and I’m finding that I don’t forget things as often. When I’m at the library, I don’t have to try to remember what book it was that I wanted to read. When I come up with a great blog idea while I’m watching my kids at the park, I can write it down, rather than trust my ever-fading memory for the details. Sometimes the simplest little things are the best tips, and my notebook works for me!

For more tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer.

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Every August I go shopping for a new 16 month calendar. I try to find one with a pocket in the back, but the most important thing about the calendar is that it runs from August of the current year to December of the next.

When my children start school, they always bring home a calendar of the year’s events: school holidays, in-service days, special events, PTA meetings…you get the picture. School schedules in hand, I transfer all the information to my 16 month calendar. That way I never miss and event, and I see potential conflicts in my children’s schedules right away.

I use the pocket to store the month’s lunch menu, so my daughter can decide which days she wants to buy lunch and which days she wants to bring lunch. It’s really simple, but switching from a 12 month calendar to a 16 month calendar made a world of difference in my ability to keep on top of our schedules. It works for me!

For more great tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer!

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Today’s Works-For-Me Wednesday is the brand loyal edition. I’m not typically a brand loyal person. I always like to find good deals, regardless of brands. One item where brand matters to me, though, is backpacks for my kids.

The first year Liz was in school, I bought her a cheap backpack from Walmart. It fell apart by the end of the year. For first grade, I bought her a slightly more expensive backpack from Target. It fell apart by the end of the year. For second grade I bought her a backpack with wheels (very important to her that year), also from Target. That was the worst one of all. Liz was on a hike with her class, and the entire wheel apparatus fell apart. Not good.

Someone suggested I check out backpacks from Land’s End. I was hesitant to spend $30 on a backpack for an 8 year old, but I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. Liz’s pink Land’s End backpack looks almost brand new after an entire year’s worth of use. For the first time, I did not have to buy a new backpack this year.

From now on, my children’s backpacks will only come from Land’s End!

For more WFMW Brand-Loyal tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer!

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My family goes camping at least once every summer.  There are a couple of things I do to make getting ready a little bit easier.

First, I have a "camping box" in the shed.  It’s just a big rubber-maid box filled with all of the camping supplies I use every year.  Camping plates, cups, the all important coffee pot, napkins, paper towels, wipes, dishpans, towels…you get the picture.  Every time we return from a camping trip, I take inventory.  I replace anything that we’ve used up, and I wash everything really well.  Then when it’s time for the next camping trip, I can just pull out the box and go.

Second, I have a camping file on my computer.  I keep different checklists of things that need to be packed.  I have a clothing checklist for each of us.  I have an equipment list for things that are too big to fit in the camping box, like the tent and the camping stove.  I also have a list of our favorite camping foods, so it’s easy to make a grocery list for my pre-camping shopping trip.  When it’s time to prepare for the trip, I just print the lists and check things off.  Easy peasy!

Now excuse me while I print off some lists and get ready for our weekend camping trip!

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I recently took an overnight trip to see my aunt in Phoenix, Arizona.  I was traveling by plane, and I had to change planes.  I didn’t want to check any baggage, for fear it would get lost.  I also knew I wouldn’t have a lot of time to iron my clothes once I got to my destination.  I knew I needed to pack smartly.

First, I put all of my freshly ironed clothes on the bed to assess what I needed to bring.  Then, instead of folding my clothes, I rolled each item up neatly.
By rolling, you avoid getting wrinkles in your clothing.  I placed my extra pair of sandals in a plastic Ziploc bag, so the shoes wouldn’t get my clothes dirty.  I packed items like my camera, curling iron, and non-liquid toiletries gently around and on top of my clothing.

Then I put all of my liquid toiletries in another Ziploc bag.  Airline regulations state that your liquid items must be in 3 oz. or smaller containers, and that they must all fit in a single quart-sized Ziploc bag.  I placed this bag in the outside zippered pocket of my carry-on.  I knew that I would need to remove this bag while going through security, so I wanted it to be easily accessible. 

When I arrived at the hotel, I didn’t have to iron any of the clothes I had packed.  I was able to make a quick change and get where I needed to go, without looking like someone who had just rolled out of bed.  That’s me in the brown blouse and capris.

For more tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer!

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We live in a small duplex. 1000 square feet. 3 bedrooms, and
ONLY 1 BATHROOM! Do you hear me
screaming?

It’s hard for a family of 4 to survive with only 1
bathroom. It takes a lot of
coordination, especially in the mornings.

This is the solution I’ve come up with. Each family member has their own colored
basket for their bathroom supplies. In
each basket is a toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, a hairbrush or comb,
makeup (for me), and any other basic necessities. If we get caught in a time crunch in the
morning, we can all grab our baskets and get ready elsewhere. Someone can brush their teeth at the kitchen
sink. My daughter can do her hair in
front of the mirror in her bedroom.

It’s a simple thing, but it’s saved us a lot of headaches,
and it works for me!

For more tips, head over to Rocks in My Dryer!

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I absolutely hate pulling out the regular phone book.  The type is too small, and I can never find what I’m looking for.  (I sure hope that doesn’t mean my eyesight is failing due to me getting older).  I finally decided to fix the problem by putting together my own phone book in a standard 3-ring binder. 

The first page is my frequently called numbers list.  On it I have the numbers of my landlord, my kids’ schools, my hairdresser, doctors, dentists, etc.  Then I have our church directory, followed by our personal address book.  I just typed everyone’s name into a word document and printed it out.  I update it once a year.

Anytime I get a list of phone numbers, I put it in a sheet protector, and add it to the binder.  I have Bible study phone lists, class phone lists, an employee benefit contact list, and several others.  I also keep menus and numbers of local restaurants in the book.  It’s very handy to have everything in one place.  It works for me!

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