Gabi Ford

Getting Organized for Daycare

I posted these photos on my social media pages and got so many questions about what I used and how so I figured I'd put it all together here!

I'll add more information soon but wanted to get the products listed out right away for those who specifically asked for that information. I am an Amazon affiliate so I may earn some money when you purchase through my links but please don't feel obligated to do so!

Lunch menu

Giving our kids some small choices helps them feel empowered and learn about decision making. I was excited to take this idea and apply it to his packed lunches since it's a new experience for him and because I want him to start him off with a healthy relationship with food by reinforcing why we eat certain types of food. Yes, the descriptions I used are super basic and oversimplified but we gotta start somewhere!

I took photos of the foods that I make for him or used images from Instacart (get $10 off your first order with that link) since that's how we do almost all of our grocery shopping these days!

Materials used:

- Magnetic white board (easy to cut for the individual food choice magnets and used a whole sheet for the base): https://amzn.to/2YSpqI5

- Print and cut clear sticker paper (print and cut with my Cricut for the circles on the left that match his bento boxes, printed and hand cut food choices, wrote and cut with my Cricut for the food group squares along to the row): https://amzn.to/3lBkuiD

- bento boxes: https://amzn.to/2YMghk5

- Wet erase markers (for drawing the lines - wet erase means that it'll take water for the lines to come off and it won't smudge as easily for day to day use): https://amzn.to/3A7OhFj

- Bowls (we're keeping the choices in each bowl - color coded of course! - and using the rest of the set for fun color sorting and other activities): https://amzn.to/3C5y1FA

- Cricut Explore Air 2: https://amzn.to/3C5Agsu

Instructions to come!

Labeled bags and daycare / school items

Teachers everywhere need our kids' items to be labeled! I may have taken this too far but I'd rather overdo it than leave anything out! Note: try to avoid putting their full name on the outside of anything they may carry or wear when they're alone. Stick to initials for things like backpacks, masks, shirts, etc.

Materials used:

- Blue / clear pouches for masks and back up clothes: https://amzn.to/3Edo1Md

- Drink bottles: https://amzn.to/2XiExKg

- Permanent vinyl: https://amzn.to/2XaLs82

- Iron-on vinyl: https://amzn.to/3AaLqvl

- Transfer tape: https://amzn.to/3z5HpXJ

- Cricut Explore Air 2: https://amzn.to/3C5Agsu

- Lunch box: https://amzn.to/2YRR9bU

- Bento boxes (not pictured): https://amzn.to/2YMghk5

- Lunch box ice packs (not pictured but made to fit in this lunch box with our bento boxes): https://amzn.to/3nu6wRS

- Silverware (not pictured but perfect for little hands): https://amzn.to/3EbgfTh

- Silicone pouches for silverware (not pictured but fit perfectly in the lunch bag with the silverware inside): https://amzn.to/3C9qeqa

- Acrylic paint: got it from Dollar Tree!

- Clear acrylic discs: https://amzn.to/3A7RuEV

- Jump rings (for attaching the discs to the binder rings): https://amzn.to/3nsJf2J

- Binder rings for attaching tags to bags: https://amzn.to/3hvDj5v
- Masks: https://schoolmaskpack.com/a/rewards/r/08DWmkuI (Get $10 off your first order with my link!)

- Thermos (not pictured only because they didn't arrive in time): https://amzn.to/2XlVBz9

Prep Station

Thanks to The Home Edit, I've gotten way into using carts for little stations (like crafts and my Cricut) and I quickly realized that a little cart would be the perfect solution for all these things I'd need to pack daily but were taking up so much room on the counter. Enter the daycare cart prep station! I found one that fits perfectly under a corner of our counter which makes great use of an otherwise wasted space

Take Back Your Time

Did you set a resolution to have more margins in your day this year? More time for the things that you love? With the right intentions for your day and a little dedication to a schedule, you can take back your time this New Year and build habits that will last the whole year through!

Thursday to Thursday Rule: Fridays are Fun, Saturdays are busy and Sundays are scary, so why wait to plan the rest of our days then? Thursday afternoon, take out your weekly planner (paper or digital!) write in the things you know you have to do over the following week.

Schedule Your Workout Like an Appointment: Every time you say, “I don’t have time”, try “That’s not a priority to me” and see how that feels! Sucky, right? You wouldn’t schedule a dental appointment and then skip it 5 minutes before, so why do we do this to our workouts ALL the time? Remember that planner from #1? After you add in the must do’s of your week, add in your workout times! Make an appointment with yourself and don’t skip it. YOU are way more important than that tooth cleaning!

The Cupcake Method: So your week ahead is looking pretty good, let’s focus in on the day-to-day! I like to follow the cupcake method to plan my day. Starting with the cake, what are three things you MUST DO in your day? Write those in first. Make sure they are must-dos; prioritize your time and ask, “Can this wait til later?” Then, move to the icing! Write down three tasks that would be bonus-dos. Lastly, SPRINKLES! What is the one thing you’d like to do as a reward for yourself for taking back your time? You deserve it!

Stay Warm This Winter

I love switching my workout up- which is why my streaming platform is amazing - there are over 75 choices!

Looking for a quick workout? Repeat these moves three times through for a quick sweat that will stay with you til your next workout! And as always, modify if you need to!

Are you following a program right now? I would love to connect and get you set up with one that fits your lifestyle! We’ve got something for everyone!

A Cup of Cozy

What is your warm drink of choice? Do you love your coffee in the morning? Or do you enjoy a cup of tea in the morning or before bedtime? What about hot chocolate- or the ever popular hot chocolate bombs?! I can personally indulge in all of these! I love the ritual of a hot drink- making a cup of coffee in the quiet of the morning or enjoying tea right before bed.

What is your go-to cup of cozy?

Click here for a PDF of warm drink recipes for you to try this winter!

Looking for something that doesn't require a recipe? Here are a couple of my favorites:

My all time favorite tea is the Tazo lemon loaf tea because it's herbal, caffeine free, and with a little half and half or coconut almond milk it tastes totally decadent! And yes, I order the 6 box pack because I love it and drink it that much! (And yes, that is a Rae Dunn mug! It was a gift and she totally knew what she was doing because it is so nice and big... perfect for a comforting evening mug of tea and a reminder to seek serenity.)

For coffee, I'm really loving Bones Coffee lately - especially the sample packs so I can try their different flavors! I also found that having a sample pack made for great self-rewards to give me something to look forward to as I finish phases of my workout programs! The flavoring is really great and makes it easy to just enjoy the coffee (I still use a splash of half and half just because I like the touch of creaminess) without adding syrups or sweeteners. My favorite flavors are the Mint Invaders, Electric Unicorn and the Strawberry Cheesecake but I haven't found a flavor that I don't like yet so try them out. Use this link for $5 off your first order!

Out with the Old

A new year is all about FRESH starts! Why not begin at home? After all the “new” that may have come in your house post-holidays, it’s time to get OUT WITH THE OLD. Starting the new year with an organized home helps so much with overwhelm!

No one likes throwing away perfectly good stuff, so think animal shelters for towels and sheets, and donation centers for clothes and toys. Have extra toiletries or make up samples? Women’s shelters will take those! Always wash whatever you are donating before you drop it off - that’s just good manners!

Not sure where to start? My favorite spots are my linen closet, pantry and makeup drawer! I always find spices that are way over their expiration date! What are you excited to part with?

Click here to download this handy PDF!

Once you've got stuff out, it's time to get organized! I've been doing a LOT of this since the start of quarantine and have made a lot of great use out of some clear bins of various sizes and a couple of carts.