Making a Reference Guide For the Sitter While You're on a Romantic Getaway

Hi! It's Jilly. Remember how I didn't blog for, like, a month and a half, then was all, "I'm back!!" and posted a bunch of tutorials, then you didn't hear from me again for a couple of weeks?! Well, that is because I was out of the country!! My hubby and I went on a trip to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. First, we went on a Caribbean cruise, then after the cruise we stayed in Orlando for a few days and went to Universal Studios. I will be telling you all about it in the near future!

While we were away my awesome sister took care of my crazy sweet kids. I knew being a mom to 7-year-old triplets for a week and a half would be a daunting task, so I tried to make things as easy for her as possible.

Enter, The Binder. I put together a binder full of all the information she might need while we were gone. I'm not sure exactly what to call The Binder, so if you have any great ideas send them my way. I'll bake you virtual brownies. :)

Here is a list of all the important info contained in The Binder.

Calendar
I made a calendar and filled it with all the places the kids needed to be and when- play practice, swim lessons, etc. I also put on the calendar the meals for each day. Which leads me to...

Menu and Simple Recipes
I planned the easiest meals possible and put a copy of the recipes in The Binder. Meal plan and recipes coming soon! ;)

Friends of the Family
I made a list of friends my sister could contact in case something happened. I included their addresses & phone numbers, as well as special skills they may have. (Good with cars, doctors, friends with kids, etc.)  I was going to put their pictures next to their names, but ran out of time.

Around the Town
I typed up a list of places they needed to go, like church, school, etc. with addresses & phone numbers. I also put places they might want to go, like the children's discovery center or the YMCA. I made sure she had the membership cards for the discovery center and YMCA.

How Things Roll
I wrote down our daily routine, so things would run as smoothly as possible. This is what time the bus comes, this is what has to be done after school, the before bed routine,etc.

Insurance Cards and 'Authorization to Treat'
Be sure to leave insurance cards, and write an Authorization to Treat! You never know what can happen, so be prepared! Here's one you can just print & fill out. Easy peasy!

Also, make sure you have your sitter listed as an emergency contact at your child's school. I ran into a little trouble for not doing that. My son wanted to ride the bus home with a friend one day & the school had to call me, since the note my sister sent in was not valid because I forgot to list her as an emergency contact!

That about sums it up. With this guide in your sitter's hands, things should be smooth sailing while you're away. I think it's important for parents to get away once in a while. It's great to recharge your batteries, and be reminded how much fun you and your honey can have together when not feeling pressured by work, kids, and other commitments!

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