Top 10 Parenting Tasks I Depise

Don't judge me, but there are some parenting tasks that I truly do not enjoy!  I love my children dearly and I love being a Mom so much, but sometimes I wish I there were things I did not have to do.  Since my kids are now 9, 6, and almost 3, I feel I have gathered enough experience to finally put this list out on the Internet.  I'm sure there are some you agree with and others that may not bother you as much as they bother me!

For dramatic effect, I'll count backwards from 10...

10.  Cleaning Up Kid Vomit - baby spit up is fine, everything else is not!

9.  The Stage When Kids Need to Nap Yet They Don't Want to Nap - this goes from when they go from 2 to 1 nap and then when the nap gets eliminated.

8.  Staying With Babies in Hotel Rooms - this never goes well for us, but I won't give it up I love to travel too much!

7.  Reading Books Before Bed - only because I have two children that have to have the same 20 books every night read in the same order, no exceptions!

6.  Holding Down Babies While Getting Shots - its a necessary evil, but it does get easier with more children!

5.  Not Being Able to Give Cold Medicine and Listening to Children Cough Over a Monitor - I hate this sound and I hate it even more that there is nothing you can do!

4.  Buckling 2-4 Year Olds in Winter Coats in Car Seats - I am never so happy when they can go into a booster seat.

3.  Teaching Kids to Tie Shoes - this is just painful and a LONG process!

2.  Changing Crib Sheets - one would think I would find an easier way, but I am not convinced there is an easy way!

1.  Potty Training - enough said, the third child should potty train themselves!

Do you agree, disagree, or have anything to ad?

Kick the Pre-Packaged Mix - 2015 Challenge

Call it convenience, lazy, or just a taste preference, I have a slight addiction with packages of different mixes.  I actually have a whole shoe-box size basket in my pantry loaded with these little envelopes!  Yes they are convenient, however they also contain a lot of ingredients that are really not necessary to make a meal.  In addition, most of the ingredients that you need are more than likely in your spice cabinet.

I am challenging myself to break this habit (and I may not eliminate it completely), I truly want to find out if a homemade mix is truly as good as these prepackaged ones.  I know when I am in a rush,  I will probably still grab a packet, but if I have the time I am consciously going to try at making my own mix!  If I find one I like, I can make a large batch and store it for future dinners!

The internet is an amazing place when it comes to recipes.  So much so, that I do not even think one truly needs a recipe box anymore!  I spent some time trolling the internet for some prepackaged alternatives.  Here is a good list to try!

Homemade Sloppy Joe Mix - $5 Dinners - I tried this and it was amazing!  The verdict?  I will use this instead of an envelop mix!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe - Whole New Mom

Meat Loaf with Homemade Seasoning Mix - Just A Pinch

Homemade Gravy Mix - A Few Short Cuts

Homemade Fajita Seasoning - Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

Ranch Dressing Mix - Untrained Housewife

Beef Stew Seasoning Mix - Budget 101

Chili Seasoning Packet - Family Corner
 
Homemade Enchilada Sauce - Damn Delicious

Dry Onion Soup Mix - Yummly

Homemade Vegetable Dill Dip - Katrina's Kitchen

Caesar Salad Dressing - Heart Healthy Home

So do you have a favorite you care to share?  Leave the link in the comments!

Tax Season

It seems to creep up on us every year, tax season.  As members of The United States we are subjected to yearly federal income taxes.  It should come to no surprise, since it happens every year, at the same time, but I always find myself somewhat rushed and unprepared when all of the forms start appearing in our mailboxes.

I am clearly a Type A personality.  I love to be organized and have everything together.  Unfortunately, being a Wife, Mom of 3, and Working Woman with two jobs, I often have to slack on some of my organizational ways!  Here are some tips that we use in our house to make tax season a lot less painful.

1.  Have a dedicated folder or envelope for all of your tax items.
2.  Throughout the year, when you make any donations, purchase items for a home office, receipts from professional organizations, etc., put all of those receipts into your folder or envelope. 
3.  As soon as you receive forms in the mail, W2's, 1099's, mortgage documents and more, place them all in your folder or envelope immediately.
4.  I create a spreadsheet of all of the items from the previous year that I will need to gather for this years taxes.
5.  Sometime after the first of February, begin to go through your envelope or folder and using your check list to insure you all of your documents. 
6.  If you are missing any interest documents from your bank or loan company, you may have to go onto their website to print the information.

The next debate is often who is going to do your taxes.  Back when we were first married, I did our own with a computer program.  As the years have progressed and our taxes have become more difficult, we find it best to hand it over to our accountant.  Once we drop our documents off, we usually have our taxes back within a week.  He also automatically files our federal and state taxes for us.  Personally for me, it is a huge relief knowing a professional is doing our taxes and I do not have to worry if I missed something. 

What are some other tips to make tax season less stressful?