The Fall Flurry Kitchen

There's no doubt about it, the fall brings a flurry of activity into our homes. There's sports practices and games, clubs, school, and handfuls of other things going on. Although we love it, we can get a little overwhelmed if our homes can't keep up with our lifestyles.

This is a great season to make your kitchen more user-friendly. Here are some things I incorporate into my kitchen to keep up with my crazy life, so I thought you may want to try some out for yours:

* The Snack Basket: Every home needs one! In my pantry, I keep a huge basket full of "mom-approved" snacks. There's everything from organic raisins to granola bars to goldfish crackers! The important thing is this--it takes the work out of snack time for me. All the kids need to do is ask permission to get a snack and if the answer is, "Yes," then they can pick it out all by themselves. This is also helpful if your kids prepare their own lunches for school.

* Meal Calendar: I would be totally lost without my meal calendar. I just fill out the meals for the month and stick it on my fridge. This way, I already know what I need to shop for at the beginning of the week and it gets rid of the "Five o'Clock Freak-Out" when everyone gets hungry and cranky and there's nothing prepared for dinner.

* Quick Lunch Fixin's: This is also a life saver! A few of my kids go to school a few days a week and sometimes I forget to prepare their lunch. Okay, okay, I don't forget. I'm just that hard-as-nails kind of mom who believes that kids are perfectly able to make their own lunch! Anyway, if they didn't have time to make a sandwich (or if I didn't do it--okay, I'm not all that bad. Sometimes, I make them a lunch), then they can grab something quick and run out the door. These are things like healthy versions of noodle bowls or microwaved burritos.

* Meal Toss-Togethers: Let's face it, sometimes the best laid plans can go awry. That's why I always keep my kitchen stashed with ingredients to pull meals together QUICK! These are things like canned veggies, pastas, and sauces. With a little spices here and there, you can have a healthy meal in no time!

* Necessary Evils: I recycle, I compost, I definitely do my part for the environment. But, sometimes a mom just needs a little help. I always keep some necessary paper napkins, plastic flatware, even disposable packs of ketchup and mustard to toss in lunches or a picnic. I also hide juice boxes (yes, I have to hide them), just in case we have to run out at the last minute and a soccer team (or a large family) needs some refreshment.