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A summer bucket list doesn’t have to stress you out in the quest for a perfect summer. Our summer of fun list will provide ideas on those days when you need help trying to find something to do, use it as a reminder of the many Things To Do In Baton Rouge and beyond.
Feel free to copy, print, and or download our Baton Rouge Summer Bucket List for a summer of fun!
Click here for printable PDF Baton Rouge Summer Fun Printable
Truth. I am not a naturally organized person. While I’m a great planner and organizer, I am horrible with the follow through. Consistency is not a friend of mine, it’s something I have to work on daily, not only for myself but our family.
More is caught then taught; children are watching and learning from us. Showing them how to be organized and get the most out of each day will be a lesson they will keep with them for the rest of their lives. I’m hoping this will be the year that we get our home organized and keep it up, as a family.
I have created these free printables in hopes that they will help you stay on task and structure your day to day planning, cleaning and organizing, as they have me.
I like to place these printables in clear plastic protector pockets that are hung on the inside of my kitchen cupboards. We can easily cross off tasks with a dry erase marker as they are completed and wipe clean at the end of the day or week.
Meals I Can Cook: I keep this printable in our kitchen cupboard and take it down each week when it’s time to menu plan. It’s handy to see all of the meals that I make on a regular basis as well as new meals that become keepers. Without my list, I often forget about meals that I can cook or that we have tried and liked. Download printable —-> Meals I Can Cook
Weekly Menu Plan: Set aside one day each week to plan the weeks menu, including your shopping list! Meal planning will benefit your family in many ways… no more “what’s for dinner” dilemmas and less eating out. Not to mention less chaos as you will not have to scramble to throw something together or run out to the grocery store for a last minute emergency meal. Download printable—-> Weekly Meal Plan
Moms Weekly Planner: ““He who fails to plan is planning to fail” – Winston Churchill This weekly printable gives you a place to note your daily tasks, menu, notes and more. Download blank printable—-> Moms Weekly Planner Blank Filled printable—-> Moms Weekly Planner Filled
Weekly Chore Schedule: Break down the weekly cleaning/chore list and have the kids help out! I place this weekly schedule in our cupboard and use the dry eraser to mark things off and reuse the same chart weekly. Download blank printable —-> Weekly cleaning List Blank Filled printable—-> Weekly cleaning List Filled
Monthly Cleaning Chart: A place to list things that need to be done on a monthly basis, if they are not written down on our chart, I forget to do them. We keep this in a sheet protector as well. Download blank printable —-> Monthly cleaning blank Download filled—->Monthly cleaning Filled
More free organizing and planning printables:
Next week we will have children’s chore charts (with a giveaway) and an extensive list of age appropriate chores for kids. Be sure to subscribe to Baton Rouge Moms to receive updates, news and giveaway info right in your inbox!
cThe fresh start of spring, the warm whether, new blooms and singing birds naturally get us in the mood to clean, right?
Spring cleaning is ignored by some but practiced by many. It’s an old tradition that many of our grandmothers passed down to our mothers. Spring cleaning can be traced to the ancient Jewish practice of thoroughly cleansing the home in anticipation of the spring-time memorial feast of Passover. In Greece, and other Orthodox nations, it is traditional to clean the house thoroughly either right before or during the first week of Great Lent, which is referred to as Clean Week.
In North America and northern Europe, the custom found an especially practical value due to those regions’ continental and wet climates. During the 19th century in America, prior to the advent of the vacuum cleaner, March was often the best time for dusting because it was getting warm enough to open windows and doors (but not warm enough for insects to be a problem), and the high winds could carry the dust out of the house.
After the winter we have had, many of us are more than ready to bust open the windows, let in the fresh air and let the dust out.
The hardest part of spring cleaning is starting and the best way to start is with an action plan. If you’re not into house cleaning services crawling around your house, you may want to walk through your home, room by room and write down what needs to be done and assign projects to each member of the family.
If you need a little and direction to get the big job done, you will find the below info provided by oriental rug cleaning Buffalo NY, useful.
The first thing you will want to 
do is de-clutter! Get rid of anything you don’t need and put everything else in a dedicated place.
Ask yourself:
The basics:
· In every room, dust ceiling fans, artwork, knick knacks, and vents.
· Dust, and polish furniture with appropriate polishing agent.
· Vacuum and shampoo rugs and carpet, Water damage on the carpet is something we all wish we didn’t have to deal with, I’ve had to give Eco Clean Hawaii – water damage restoration service in Honolulu a few times last year, and they’ve done a wonderful job each time.
· Sweep and mop floors.
· Clean windows and window screens. Clean window treatments according to type and manufacturer instructions.
· Clean baseboards throughout home with warm, soapy water. Wipe them with a sock or swiffer first to remove dirt and dust.
· Vacuum upholstered furniture and launder cushions if necessary. Carefully spot clean leather furniture with a damp washcloth if needed. We hate damp that’s why we always use damp treatment services for our house
In the kitchen:
· Wipe down cabinets with damp washcloth, clean inside drawers.
· Clean oven according to manufacturer’s recommendations.
· Unplug refrigerator and dust the coils. Remove contents of refrigerator and freezer. Discard any rotten or un-useable food. Wipe down and clean all shelving.
· Clean microwave.
· Wipe down small appliances such as toaster, blender (Specially if you got yours from vitamix 6500 reviews, you don’t want the best blender to get ruined) and slow cooker.
· Wipe down countertops and backsplash.
· Scrub sink.
· Organize food in pantry, discarding outdated items, and wipe off shelving.
In the bathroom:
· Scrub toilets, sinks and shower.
· Clean mirrors.
· Wipe down all fixtures.
· Dust cabinets; go through drawers and medicine cabinets to throw our expired/ unused meds and reorganize.
· Empty and clean trash cans.
· Inspect shower liner and replace if necessary.
In the bedroom:
· Remove and launder bedding. Vacuum and flip mattress. Dust Baseboards.
· In closet, switch out cold-weather clothing for warm-weather clothing. Donate any unwanted items to a thrift store.
Here is an adorable free printable created by Two Happy Homemakers. {unfortunately, the site is no longer online}
Source: http://www.Flylady.com, http://en.wikipedia.org & http://www.twohappyhomemakers.com/ {unfortunately, the site is no longer online}
It’s Christmas time in the Bayou State and Baton Rouge is getting ready for a fais do-do for the holidays! With so many great holiday events happening in and around the Baton Rouge area, it may seem daunting to pick the ones that are right for your family. The holidays dont need to be full or packed with activities, they should be a relaxing, fun, time to enjoy family and make memories.
We have put together a few of our favorite events with our Baton Rouge Christmas Bucket list:
The following 10 events have made our Baton Rouge Christmas Bucket List:
Cortana Kiwanis Christmas Parade – The 63rd Annual Cortana Kiwanis Downtown Christmas Parade will roll through Downtown Baton Rouge Saturday, December 14th at 5:30 p.m. Every year, more than 70,000 people watch the parade live and thousands more enjoy it on television through the holiday season. The Parade is a celebration and a great way to connect with the community. The parade is open to everyone. Typically the parade includes about 80 entries. These entries are a mix of marching bands, celebrities, dance troups, non-profit organizations, and local businesses in seasonal themes.
ZooLights 2013 -November 29 – December 30 Closed Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Open 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. This years will ZooLights will include a mile-long trail through the Zoo, more than 50 illuminated display sculptures of animals and traditional holiday displays.
“Holiday Skating on the River” – Will be taking place at the Baton Rouge River Center from Friday, December 21st through Wednesday, January 2, 2013 You can view the full holiday skating schedule here.
Nottaway’s Christmas Tree Lighting Festival – 6 pm: Holidays at Nottaway Plantation are absolutely breathtaking! Live music includes The Navy Band New Orleans Ceremonial Band, Church choirs will be performing throughout the grounds and food and Beverage stations will be open. Enjoy the Hand Bell Choir, Tree Lighting Ceremony, Fireworks on the Levee and Santas arrival. Bring your camera and take photos of your kids with Santa on the front balcony of the Mansion!
Celebration In The Oaks – Celebration in the Oaks in City Park is one of the most spectacular holiday lights festivals in the country. This beloved annual celebration is fun for all ages and has become an enduring holiday tradition for families, who come to Celebration in the Oaks to ride the train or carousel every year. Visitors are treated to a wide range of attractions, from light displays to the walkways lined with dozens of Christmas trees decorated by local school groups. Perennial favorites include the two-mile train ride through glittering light exhibits, the animated Cajun night before Christmas display, and of course, New Orleans’ iconic snowman Mr. Bingle.
Christmas in the Country – Decemeber 6th, 7th & 8th- Nothing says Christmas to an excited child more than a parade, especially a safe small-town one like St. Francisville’s popular Christmas in the Country parade the first Saturday each December, complete with marching bands and decorated floats, Santa resplendent in his sleigh. Millions of tiny white lights trace soaring Victorian trimwork and grace gallery posts to transform the entire town into a veritable winter wonderland for Christmas in the Country, as special activities throughout the extensive National Register-listed downtown Historic District provide fun for the whole family at this celebration of the season, a joyful alternative to mall madness. View the full schedule of events here.
24th Festival of the Bonfires – December 13, 14, 15, – CEnjoy Christmas on the River…CAJUN STYLE! Enjoy great food, live entertainment, crafts, Santa’s Very Merry Forest and carnival rides throughout the weekend. Each night will be highlighted with a single bonfire lighting! Experience a prelude to the famous Christmas Eve Bonfires: A tradition unique to St. James Parish and all the world!!
Festival of Lights – Join an evening under downtown’s historic oaks to commemorate Baton Rouge’s oldest holiday tradition. Transforming the winter sky into a wonderland, the Mayor will light North Boulevard with half a million sparkling lights. Experience the magic beneath the 35-foot Christmas tree in Town Square. Bethlehem Village with a real life village set in Biblical times where children can craft ornaments and decorations, plus a magical train ride on the Mansion Express at the Old Governor’s Mansion. Visit Santa’s Gift Shoppe and listen to holiday music during an evening of visual, culinary, and performing arts.
The Living Nativity – The 3rd Annual Drive Through Live Nativity takes place on the parking lot of FBBC. Load up your family and journey back to the first Christmas as represented through 12 different scenes. December 13, 14th & 15th 7-9 PM
Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra – This years holiday BRSO events will includ:
Download the Bucket List below (right click and save to desktop).
Then place in an 8×10 inch frame or protective sleeve.
Use a dry erase marker to mark things off your Christmas bucket list!
{Click on image to see full view}
Below is a blank printable for your family to create your own home bucket list. Fill it up with books to be read, memories to be made and new traditions to be experienced. Enjoy!
