Simple ways to make toddler bath time easier!

May 3, 2019 by Jill Wanderer Leave a Comment

Simple ways to make toddler bath time easier!

Have you ever wished there were simple ways to make toddler bath time easier? We were so lucky to NOT experience the terrible twos with our first born child…..until he turned three! I would almost swear the day after he turned three the terrible twos began. I think I have heard it called the troublesome threes.. Anyway, we were still blessed in my book because our challenges were postponed for a year. This was especially helpful since our youngest was a newborn while my oldest would have been two. (They are exactly two years and a week apart.)

Our oldest loved to take baths from birth. I have videos of him playing and kicking in the tiny baby bath as well as after graduating to the big tub. He was always game for bath time! That is until sometime after he turned three, a common phenomenon I know, especially with boys.

All of the sudden, he was far too busy to stop for a much needed bath.

[Read more…]

How can I show that I want to Respect my husband?

May 31, 2018 by Jill Wanderer Leave a Comment

How can I show that I want to Respect my husband?

I want to respect my husband, here is one simple step. The Winsome Wanderer. JSquaredWandering.com — **If you like this article, remember to share this on Pinterest and Facebook.**

How can I show that I want to Respect my husband?

Picture this, your loyal and faithful husband goes to work at Target and all around him as he works during the day, he is exposed to lovely women (we all know that there are lots of them). These lovely women are all wearing cute outfits or skin tight exercise gear (very common). Maybe he goes to an office environment every day where all the women dress in skirt suits and high heels, or maybe he is a personal trainer at a gym or just works out several times a week in a gym while being exposed to lovely women working out in often skimpy, skin tight clothing. Remember, a staple in almost every women’s closet currently are leggings and yoga pants. They are everywhere; they are skin tight. Trust me when I say that our husbands notice. Men as a whole are very visual!!

Why do I have you picture these images of women he may encounter?

Now, think of this, he comes home to his wonderful wife, and you are in pajamas, sweats, or super casual appearance with minimal thought to looking really great for your husband. You’ve worked hard all day at your job – maybe in a skirt suit and high heels or exercise wear at the gym; maybe you have spent all day cleaning house and chasing the kids or cleaning other houses or taking care of others (nursing, home health care, etc) so when you come home, you are ready to get comfy.

Ladies, as much as we want to get comfy (stay comfy,) I know that I want to respect my husband by putting forth an effort to look nice for my husband as often as I can. We should all want to show respect to our husbands by putting forth the effort to look nice for him. Though this may be silly or even frustrating to you, it is nonetheless very important. Now, I am not talking about wearing a business suit on your day off or a Sunday dress, but I am talking about putting forth the effort to look nice whether in a cute skirt, a pair of jeans, or shorts. He chose and married you, so he likes how you look, and he likes you. It doesn’t matter your size or shape. It matters that you try to please his eyes and desires.

When I was in high school, one of my friends who ALWAYS wore makeup, chose not to wear it one day. The entire day, all of our friends asked her what was wrong and was she not feeling well? She repeatedly answered that she was perfectly fine. I realized that she “looked sick” because we were all so accustomed to seeing her in makeup and had never seen her face make up free. By the way, she was a pretty girl either way. On that day, I vowed that I would not wear makeup every day because I didn’t want to “look sick” while just being my natural self. So why am I telling you this….

One day, maybe during our second year of marriage, Jack asked me why I don’t wear makeup like I did when we were dating. I was flabbergasted. What? Me, wear makeup? I almost never wear make up! Not only did I not want to wear it daily due to the above story, but I also have very sensitive skin which is often troubled by makeup. How could he have the perception that I always wore makeup when we were dating? After much pondering, I realized the difference in our perceptions was caused because frequently while we were dating, he would come to see me at work (I was a waitress) while I was wearing makeup. He did not however, hang out with me all day everyday while I was being comfy at home. So he perceived that I pretty much always wore make up while that was actually far from the truth. However, his question, though not mean or accusatory, did let me know that he appreciated it when I wore make up on occasion.

In this example, wearing makeup more frequently shows that I am paying attention the the details of our relationship which in turn shows Jack that I want to respect my husband. … I still struggle with this one, A LOT.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that YOU need to wear makeup to show respect. I am saying that in this example, I have learned that paying attention the details of our conversations and wearing makeup for Jack on occassion shows him that I care and about his opinions and by doing this little thing, it shows respect to his thoughts.

Here is another super important aspect if I want to respect my husband and our relationship..

Don’t get gorgeous for work and then not for him on your day off. (You probably feel the same in reverse.) Again, I am not talking about wearing a business suit on your day off or a Sunday dress, but about putting forth that effort to look nice for him. Remember, it matters that you try to please his eyes and desires. Another personal reference (go easy on Jack, he doesn’t like it when I tell stories that might make people think he is not the super sweet husband that he is). Jack really doesn’t like sweats! When I was single, I lived in sweats at home and only changed just before leaving the house. Sometimes I even wore them out of the house. Oh, and I am not talking about the newish style trendy sweats. I am talking about the $5 sweat pants and sweat shirts that you get at the Dollar Store or Walmart. At some point early in our marriage or late in our dating relationship, Jack casually (probably really very pointedly) mentioned that he really wasn’t a fan of sweats. After careful consideration, I sorrowfully donated my sweats so that some other lucky girl could have a comfy existence. I even got rid of my softest, most broken in, slightly thread-bare pair of p.j. sweats that I had had since Jr. high. (He was thrilled!) Jack much prefers cute pairs of pj pants and shirts in the mornings than my old friends, sweats. Turns out he likes me to get dressed on my day off too, even if we are not leaving the house. Boggles my mind. After all, I am wearing cute pajamas instead of sweats; either one is much more comfortable than a skirt or shorts (I get cold) or jeans, which I never find comfortable. However, since I want to respect my husband and his not so spoken (more like strong hints) requests, I now get dressed everyday even if I am not leaving the house.

Now just to clarify, I am off on Mondays and he is not, so I wear pajamas until about an hour before he gets home, then I take a quick shower, get dressed, and try to look cute. One more clarification, everyone is entitled to a p.j. day on occasion, just try to wear the cute pair. Oh, and sick days are a whole different ball game.

* Related Reading*
“How to Get Your Husband’s Help and Strengthen your Marriage” and “How to find Fresh Respect for your Husband“

Now think about all of this in reverse if you are still struggling with some of it, would you like it if your husband got all dressed up for work everyday. He did his hair just so, put on the good cologne, dressed to the nines (jeans and a nice white shirt might be the nines for you. I know I like that look.) However, for you, he wears his sweats all day while you are together. Maybe he puts forth no more effort on his hair than just brushing it, no shaving, no cologne, that tee-shirt you wish would find it’s way to the dumpster… How would/do you feel about it? Oh, and just because he does it, does not mean that we should. We can’t control his actions, but we can our own. Again, because I want to respect my husband, I try most everyday to make the effort to look good. If your man doesn’t reciprocate, hopefully your continued effort will give him a clue. 🙂

Lastly, remember when you were dating… A gentleman that I recently worked with, gave a couple of us girls at work some marriage advice. One thing he had learned from his first marriage, was that he had failed to “always date his wife.” His now twenty year happy marriage he attributes to always treating her like he did when they were dating, wooing her, picking her up and dropping her off at the door of an establishment after he opened the vehicle door for her, etc. He suggested that we never stop dating our husbands. I believe he is right, we should always try to woo him and catch our husband’s eye.

I want to respect my husband, and I am sure you do too or you probably wouldn’t have stopped to read this post. Again, this may seem silly, inconsequential, or even shallow, but this point was made after querying many gentlemen. Putting forth the effort to look good for your man was on the top of the list for most of the gentlemen. Rather than having the mindset that making the effort to look good for our husbands is silly or shallow, we can instead think that this is a relatively simple way to show respect and help keep our marriages strong.

Down the Winding Way,
Jill

You can also check out our companion posts

“15 Ways to show respect to your husband” or “How to find fresh RESPECT for your Husband.”

Remember to Pin this post and share it on Facebook.

Word of the Week: Farmer

October 30, 2017 by Jack and Jill Wanderer Leave a Comment

Farmer [ˈfärmər] Noun: a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock.

“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”

Solomon, Ecclesiastes 11.4

Back to School Again

September 10, 2017 by Jo Wanderer Leave a Comment

Back to School

Ahh! It’s that magical time of year- back to school! The smell of freshly sharpened pencils permeates the air bringing to mind all of the excitement and anxieties of the first day of school! I have spent weeks in preparation. The school supply lists have been available since the end of the previous school year. I carried the list with me pretty much all summer, just in case I came across the deal of the century.

Elementary School Supplies for Back to School

My children are spread pretty far apart in age. I’ve seen how much things have changed through the years. I’ve noticed a couple of trends with school supplies. First, they never send any back at the end of the year. My oldest child used to bring home a backpack full of half used glue bottles, crayons, pencils, erasers, and perfectly reusable scissors. My youngest doesn’t bring home anything at the end of her school year. Maybe this is because she’s young enough that most school supplies are considered community property.
If you’re not familiar with this concept, let me explain. The youngest children do not usually have desks of their own, but rather use tables. There’s no storage space for their belongings, but it offers much more work surface. Enough that there’s usually room to place small baskets of things, like crayons and pencils, that your child shares with the other children in their cluster.

However, with no supplies being specifically designated as hers, nothing is returned to her. If the teacher has 20 students and 10 leftover boxes of crayons, then who should get the leftover crayons? Do you ever wonder what the teachers do with the leftover supplies? Indulge me for a moment… Imagine teachers just after the last day of school, sitting around a table in the teacher’s lounge, playing poker. The ante? School supplies. One says, “I’ll raise you two Expo markers.” Another says, “Too rich for my blood. I’m out!”

The second trend I’ve noticed is that at back to school time they request much higher quantities of certain items. Ten glue sticks? Forty-eight pencils? Does each student really need to bring 48 pencils? Yes! You see, every classroom has a few little Johnny’s. Little Johnny is able to karate chop pencils, chew them like a beaver, and sharpen them to nubs in one fell swoop! See little Johnny’s mom probably knows that little Johnny will destroy all the pencils, so she doesn’t send more than two at a time. Little Jenny’s mom can only afford one twelve pack of pencils. Now imagine there are half a dozen little Johnny’s and Jenny’s. Now figure in that half of the remaining students can’t afford any pencils at all, and that the other half provide the requested pencils. That works out to be about eighteen pencils per student for the year. A much more realistic number! Your teachers are pretty good at statistics and probabilities! (Which also makes them good at poker! Ha, ha, ha!)

High School Supplies for Back to School

Every year a freshman parent will ask, in a panic, “What does my child need on the first day of school?” And I think to myself, “Rookie!” All joking aside, they just need a pencil and something to write on. We usually use a spiral notebook from the previous year that still has several blank pages. A few items you can count on furnishing are college ruled notebook paper, 3 ring binders, dividers, highlighters, and pens (blue, black, and red ink).
The teachers will let your student know on the first day of school what they will be needing and usually allow a week or so to get the needed items. What you really need to know is that you will be paying for things all year long, not just at the beginning. Does your child play sports, or is he/she active in any of the performing arts? If not, don’t worry, there are a plethora of clubs in which to belong! Each one having dues or fees, t-shirts (must have the t-shirt) and… drumroll please… fundraisers! You didn’t think you left that behind with elementary school did you?! Oh no! You see, each organization gets to have their own fundraiser. You should also brace yourself, possibly start a Go Fund Me page, because each year of high school gets more expensive than the last. From student fees to parking fees, proms, graduation fees, pictures, yearbooks, cap and gown, there are countless fees involved throughout the high school years!

Teachers: Ready for Back to School?

So even though we may not always understand their reasoning, our children couldn’t be in better hands. Teachers are a special breed. I think it’s a calling that some people have for their life. They are patient and consistent. Some of them are essentially, “child whisperers”! 0Have you ever seen a teacher calm a classroom with a single gesture? It really happens! I think it should be mandatory for parents, to substitute teach at least one day. The moment you have to step into the shoes of a teacher is when you realize how big those shoes really are! They don’t just create lesson plans and teach curricula. It goes so far beyond that. They go above and beyond for your children, providing school supplies to some if necessary (what they really do with the leftovers), and snacks. They will listen to problems, provide encouragement, and advice. They are extremely forgiving, letting each one start with a clean slate, no matter the transgressions of the previous day. They will attend your child’s games, competitions, and performances. To your child they carry celebrity status. I mean, have you ever seen a child chase their teacher down in the grocery store to give them hugs?! The most important thing to know, across all grade levels, they truly do love your children, and want to bring the best out in them everyday!

The Week Before the First Day of returning back to School

The tasks and activities already begin. Schedule pick up for high school, and open house night for elementary school, are the days that my children look forward to the most. This of course, is when they find out who their teachers will be and which friends are in their classes. They can’t wait for this day! It’s anticipation is only rivaled by Christmas morning! However, it always sneaks up on me! I mark calendars and set reminders. There’s always the Facebook reminders as well. Maybe it sneaks up because I’m never quite ready to let them go. It means another milestone. It means that the year will fly by as we move frantically from one activity to another. I’m not ready. However, this emotional process I go through every year sets me up for the following scenario: It’s 4:50 p.m. on Open House night, I look at the time and shriek! Immediately I turn into an Army drill sergeant, yelling “Move! Move! Move!” Next comes the very skillful driving on the way to the school. Followed by creative parking at said school. I speed walk with armfuls of school supplies in tow, and begin to break a sweat under the summer heat. I think to myself, “Did I remember to apply deodorant?” No matter now! I’m in, and I just ran into someone from church, followed by neighbor upon neighbor, and an old friend or two. I find my child’s classroom, shake the teacher’s hand and introduce myself (very self-consciously because I’m sweaty and possibly smelly). We carefully sort all the supplies, putting them into the appropriate bins. I find my child’s seat, read and fill out paperwork, sign every sign up sheet, while she explores the classroom. Next, we must visit all of her previous teachers. This is a must! Finally, we begin to make our way out of the school. I pause for a moment just to take it all in, but I’m just kidding myself! I dislike crowds, and I can’t wait to get out of there!

The First Day. Back to School is now really here!

At last, the first day of school comes. Pictures are taken and posted across social media. The drop off line is conquered, and not a tear shed. Although, every year, I do get a lump in my throat as I drive away. I arrive back home and console myself with a cup of coffee. I realize that for some reason this particular cup of coffee tastes especially good, as I drink it in silence, while it’s still hot! And I think to myself, “This is going to be a wonderful year!”

From my nest to yours,

Jo

P.S. Write a comment below with your funniest or most heartwarming memory from the first day of school.

When Your Child Leaves for College

June 21, 2017 by Jo Wanderer Leave a Comment

When Your Child Leaves For College

There are things in life that you always know are coming… someday. You know, like the day you’ll experience your first kiss, get your drivers license, go to college, or get married. If you’re a woman, you know exactly what I’m talking about. We spend countless hours daydreaming about these things.

When you become a parent, all of the focus shifts to your children. Life just isn’t about you anymore. It’s about them. Their firsts. Oh yes. Especially the first child! We try so hard to capture and somehow commemorate first words, foods, and steps. We are so wrapped up in every first, that we don’t always acknowledge the big picture. We are training them for independence. [Read more…]

Simple ways to make toddler bath time easier!

Simple ways to make toddler bath time easier!

Our oldest loved to take baths from birth. I have videos of him playing and kicking in the tiny baby bath as well as after graduating to the big tub. He was always game for bath time! That is until sometime after he turned three, a common phenomenon I know, especially with boys.

All of the sudden, he was far too busy to stop for a much needed bath.

How can I show that I want to Respect my husband?

How can I show that I want to Respect my husband?

How can I show that I want to Respect my husband?

Why do I have you picture these images of women he may encounter?

In this example, wearing makeup more frequently shows that I am paying attention the the details of our relationship which in turn shows Jack that I want to respect my husband. … I still struggle with this one, A LOT.

Here is another super important aspect if I want to respect my husband and our relationship..

* Related Reading*
“How to Get Your Husband’s Help and Strengthen your Marriage” and “How to find Fresh Respect for your Husband“

Down the Winding Way,
Jill

You can also check out our companion posts

“15 Ways to show respect to your husband” or “How to find fresh RESPECT for your Husband.”

Remember to Pin this post and share it on Facebook.

Word of the Week: Farmer

Farmer [ˈfärmər] Noun: a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock.

“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”

Solomon, Ecclesiastes 11.4

Back to School Again

Back to School

Elementary School Supplies for Back to School

High School Supplies for Back to School

Teachers: Ready for Back to School?

The Week Before the First Day of returning back to School

From my nest to yours,

Jo

P.S. Write a comment below with your funniest or most heartwarming memory from the first day of school.

When Your Child Leaves for College

When Your Child Leaves For College

Get your Wanderer’s Winsome Wit and Wisdom Newsletter delivered to your inbox.

Feeling overwhelmed?!

Pulled WAY too many directions?

Wish you could have a short weekly family meeting to get everyone on the same page, & hopefully helping with the load?!

Simple ways to make toddler bath time easier!

Our oldest loved to take baths from birth. I have videos of him playing and kicking in the tiny baby bath as well as after graduating to the big tub. He was always game for bath time! That is until sometime after he turned three, a common phenomenon I know, especially with boys.

All of the sudden, he was far too busy to stop for a much needed bath.

How can I show that I want to Respect my husband?

How can I show that I want to Respect my husband?

Why do I have you picture these images of women he may encounter?

In this example, wearing makeup more frequently shows that I am paying attention the the details of our relationship which in turn shows Jack that I want to respect my husband. … I still struggle with this one, A LOT.

Here is another super important aspect if I want to respect my husband and our relationship..

*** Related Reading*** “How to Get Your Husband’s Help and Strengthen your Marriage” and “How to find Fresh Respect for your Husband“

Down the Winding Way, Jill

***You can also check out our companion posts***

“15 Ways to show respect to your husband” or “How to find fresh RESPECT for your Husband.”

Remember to Pin this post and share it on Facebook.

Farmer [ˈfärmər] Noun: a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock.

“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.”

Solomon, Ecclesiastes 11.4

Back to School

Elementary School Supplies for Back to School

High School Supplies for Back to School

Teachers: Ready for Back to School?

The Week Before the First Day of returning back to School

From my nest to yours,

Jo

P.S. Write a comment below with your funniest or most heartwarming memory from the first day of school.

When Your Child Leaves For College

Get your Wanderer’s Winsome Wit and Wisdom Newsletter delivered to your inbox.

Feeling overwhelmed?!

Pulled WAY too many directions?

Wish you could have a short weekly family meeting to get everyone on the same page, & hopefully helping with the load?!

Your 5 Tips are on the way to your email now! Cheering you on the way to getting everyone on the same page and getting some help!

* Related Reading*
“How to Get Your Husband’s Help and Strengthen your Marriage” and “How to find Fresh Respect for your Husband“

Down the Winding Way,
Jill

You can also check out our companion posts