From Our House to Yours
A ‘Day in the Life’ of RTR and WH – Morning Chores and Breakfast
In this Heart of Dakota series, we continue describing a ‘day in the life’ of using Resurrection to Reformation (RTR) and World History (WH). So far, I’ve shared our take on homework, as well as our waking up to homeschool routine. Today, I will share about our morning chores and our breakfast menu.
Morning Chores
There is much that must be done to keep a home running smoothly! Homeschooling means we use our home more, which means more upkeep. I believe there are two primary reasons for morning chores. First, I need help. Second, I want my sons to be prepared to own and help care for their own home someday. My oldest son feeds, waters, and exercises the dogs. He also gets the mail, clears the snow, and sets the trash at the end of the driveway for the garbage truck. My youngest starts our morning praise music, unloads the dishwasher, and sets the table. He then joins my oldest son outside by feeding our cat. My middle son consolidates all the trash bags into one bag and takes it out. He then fills the Keurig with water, sets out our vitamins, and makes a family smoothie.
Making Morning Chores a Happy Affair
The words ‘happy’ and ‘chores’ may not seem to go together! However, we have found chores actually can be a happy affair! First, we all enjoy listening to the Christian praise music on our playlists. Many of the songs we know from our local Christian radio station KNWC. Other songs we know are sung in our church. Because we all choose songs for our playlist, everyone has favorites they look forward to hearing. Second, I don’t mind a little creativity in chores. Wyatt shoots basketball hoops while the dogs run around outside. Emmett rides his 3-wheeler to feed our cat Sweetie Pie, and he lights a different candle each day while setting the table. Riley makes all sorts of surprise flavors of smoothies, from pumpkin pie to pineapple mango, and from chocolate peanut butter to berry. Overall, chores are a happy affair!
Breakfast Menu
Though our breakfast has changed through the years, we have always had a planned menu. This helps so much! I can get up each morning and know what I am making. When I make a grocery list, it is easy because I have a plan. As a mother of all boys, I know how much they look forward to home cooked meals. I hang the menu on the fridge for all to see. Since I like a little choice in what I make, I list 4 or 5 breakfast options each day. I just choose in the morning which one I feel like making and cross it off. When I’ve made everything in about a month, I hang a new menu. The “*” notes something that is made every time to accompany the breakfast, which is the family smoothie.
| MON. | TUES. | WED. | THURS. | FRI. |
| Berries & Oatmeal
Peaches & Oatmeal Bananas & Oatmeal Apples & Oatmeal Craisins & Nuts Oatmeal |
Cinnamon Rolls
Pop Tarts Granola Bars & Apples Frozen waffles or pancakes *Family Smoothie |
Ham/cheese egg bake, bacon, toast
Scrambled cheesy eggs, bacon, toast Fried eggs & French toast Fruit Popover & Fried eggs Pear Pancake & Scrambled Eggs |
Cereal & Toast
Schwan’s Donuts Eggo Waffle/Nutella Pumpkin, Blueberry, OR Chocolate Chip Pancakes *Family Smoothie |
Waffles
Danish Rolls Coffee Cake Apple Pie Coffee Cake Sheet pancakes *Family Smoothie |
Try making your own chore chart and breakfast menu! See if you like it!
In Christ,
Julie
This Post Has 5 Comments
I love the idea of having regular Monday meal choices, etc., and then just choosing them from the list. I think that we just may try that! Thank you for sharing!
Oh good! I find I like to wake up to have the freedom to choose what I am going to make each morning for breakfast, but I also like the structure of a daily list to choose from. This way, I can switch things up a bit from week to week, but still have the structure of making the breakfasts I want to make within about a month’s time. I hope you enjoy trying this, Sarah!
In Christ,
Julie
Have you ever posted the recipes for your morning smoothies? I love the idea of having them daily with breakfast, but I am not sure where to start when making such a large amount for the whole family!
I haven’t, but I will! We have a base recipe that is super easy! Riley loves surprising us with his own concoctions, and as long as he sticks with the base recipe, they’re always good!
Base Family Size Recipe (to be made in a large blender that is fairly powerful):
2 cups plain Greek Yogurt (we use Kirkland’s from Costco)
2 frozen bananas broken into halves (just peel and freeze ripe bananas to easily have on hand)
2 1/2 T stevia (we use Stevita Spoonable Stevia from Amazon, and I do think this particular kind is the best; it is fairly expensive but makes a ton of smoothies as so little is used at a time)
4 ice cubes
1 1/2 cups of frozen fruit
Add water to the top of the max line of the blender and blend well!
Kinds of Smoothies We Love:
*Strawberry Smoothie (1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries)
*Mango Smoothie (1 1/2 cups frozen mango)
*Berry Smoothie (1 1/2 cups of frozen mixed berries)
*Pineapple Strawberry (3/4 cup frozen pineapples and 3/4 cup frozen strawberries)
*Pumpkin Smoothie (instead of the frozen fruit, use 1 whole can of Libby’s pumpkin and add 1/2 T. Pumpkin Pie Spice and 1 tsp. cinnamon)
*Chocolate Peanut Butter (use 8 ice cubes instead of 4 ice cubes; instead of the frozen fruit, use 1/2 to 1 T peanut butter and 1/2 T cacao powder, fill with water to max line – this will be more water than the other kinds of smoothies, and this will be a less thick smoothie)
Have fun whipping up some of these smoothies, and let me know your favorite!
In Christ,
Julie
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