There is nothing better than a long weekend. Having Monday off means I get two full days of the weekend instead of one. I’m not sure about you but most of my Sundays are committed to chores; washing clothes, cleaning the house, meal planning and meal prep. I despise doing all of the aforementioned tasks whilst performing them but I feel so much better when my house is clean, my fridge is stocked and my kids have clean clothes to wear.
A few weeks ago, Patrick and I made the decision to re-implement chores for the girls. I say “re” because we tried this a few years back and it was more work for me than it was for Regan and Ava so I gave up on trying. But now that they are eleven and twelve, they are absolutely old enough to pitch in and help around the house.
I started by finding a cute, free and printable chore chart online. There are SO many good ones to choose from but I landed on these. I like that I can put an “X” by the days of the week Regan and Ava are responsible for that specific chore – I don’t want any confusion on who is doing what and when as that would just lead to WW3 in the Duffy house. I decided to start small and give them tasks I knew they could handle without much help from me because that’s kind of the point in all of this – four bodies are better than two (really one but don’t tell Patrick I said so). The girl’s weekly responsibilities are:
Trash Duty – (Regan) take out when trash is full and pull can to and from the street
Recycling – (Ava) same as above
Laundry – wash, dry and fold 2x a week
Clean Their Bathroom – 1x a week (Ava has Tues and Regan has Thurs)
Feed and walk Clare – Ava has AM, Regan has PM
Dishwasher – run it when it’s full and empty when clean
Bedroom – clean daily
Now, I’m going to be completely honest with you – it’s been three weeks and I still have to remind them to do all of these things, everyday, but they are getting better. For example the trash can was on the curb this past Wednesday with no reminder which I am counting as progress. The girls get $5 at the end of each week IF they complete all of their chores. I think this week I’m going to start deducting if they roll their eyes, grunt or stomp after I have to remind them to do something. That will go over really well, don’t you think?
I have to say, the extra help I’m getting from their contributions has made a huge difference in my life. Not having to do their laundry makes me feel like I’ve won the lottery – it frees up time for me to wash MY laundry. And now there’s not as much toothpaste and spit caked in their bathroom sink during the week. It’s the little things people. Do your kids have chores? I’d love to hear what their responsibilities are!! Email me or DM me on Instagram.
Meal Plan 2/14 – 2/19
Sunday, February 14th | Chicken Parmesan Meatballs with Creamy Polenta | Total Time: 60 minutes |How fun that this years Valentines falls over the weekend? I am still debating on what we are going to cook. We always incorporate the girls because I hate going out on V-Day. I want to make the Chicken Parm Meatballs with Creamy Polenta (so good and so easy – the polenta is everything ) but Regan wants fried calamari and Ava, mashed potatoes. We will meet in the middle some how! I have a post with some of my favorite V-Day recipes here.
Monday, February 15th | Tuna Noodle Casserole | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (10 minutes of prep, cooks for 1 hour) | This whole meal will cost you about $10 and makes enough to feed six which means leftovers. Kid Tip: If there is no way your kids will eat this dish, serve them plain noodles with parmesan, a side of peas and a side of tuna. Keto Tip: this is a great keto friendly option that might be more kid friendly if you have a picky eater.
Tuesday, February 16th | Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma | Total Time: 35 minutes but you do need to marinate for a few hours | Make the marinade on Sunday so you can quickly dump the chicken into a ziploc bag to marinate while at work. Regan even eats this dish – it’s a little sweet and she says pairs perfectly with Ranch!!! Adults – serve with hummus, store bought tzatziki, veggies and some basmati rice!
Wednesday, February 17th | Green Beans and Sausage | Total Time: 20 minutes | I’m going to let you in on a little secret – I love canned green beans. LOVE them. I could eat them all day everyday, hot, cold or in between. If you aren’t a fan you can sub a different veg but honestly this recipe is so easy, low carb and family friendly I don’t know if you want to mess with it. Kid Tip: I will dice and roast potatoes for my girls as an additional side. (I will re-share this recipe on Instagram!)
Thursday, February 18th | Instant Pot Steak Fajita Bowls | Total Time: 37 minutes | 7 minutes of cook time results in tender steak and veggies perfect to serve in tortillas, over rice or lettuce. Kid Tip – omit the jalapeno if you are worried about the spice. Ready to purchase an Instant Pot – snag mine here!
Friday, February 19th | Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Soup | Total Time: 8 hours | They had me at crack. Just kidding. They actually had me at bacon and cheese. Variations to this recipe – you can cook this on the stove if you don’t have a crocker. You can also use a rotisserie chicken if you are short on time. Just let the ingredients simmer on the stove for about an hour – that’s my plan!
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