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Laundry
Laundry is one of those tasks that is NEVER ending. Some people don’t mind this and feel a sense of
accomplishment with every towel folded or sock mated. Most people, however, despise the drudgery of this chore and either procrastinate until they have no undies left or they procrastinate and just go buy more undies. If you fall into the latter, her are some tips to help you stay on top of this never ending job.
Pick a day or night of the week that is set aside for laundry. Put it on your calendar to avoid double booking. Then take that time to sort, wash, dry and fold everything. While this is happening, read a book, watch a movie, hop online or even (gasp) clean the house. If you start doing this consistently, you will find it takes less time because the piles of dirty clothes aren’t as large. And, you may realize you don’t need as many pieces of clothing because you have most of your clothes to choose from as they are hanging in your closet not lying in the hamper. Another perk to this plan is that you can mentally check laundry off the list. It has a designated time and space in your life and will get done right when it is suppose to.
Another option that works especially well if you have a large family or LOTS of steady laundry is the nightly load. Basically, every evening you do a load. For example: Monday’s are darks, Tuesday’s are lights, Wednesday’s are whites, Thursday’s are sheets, and Friday’s are towels.
Bottom line, make a plan and do the plan that works best for you. Don’t be afraid to get the kids involved. Even toddlers can separate colors and gather from the hampers. If you start teaching your children how to take care of themselves early on it will benefit them and you in the years to come.
Home Keeping
If you have children then you probably have ring around the tub. Especially now that summer is here and outside play leads to dirty hands, feet and well…everything (I’m amazed where the dirt can get trapped!). To quickly and easily clean that ring around the tub, wet the tub, sprinkle with a nonabrasive powdered cleaner like Bon Ami or Bar Keepers Friend to create on on-surface paste (or use a creamy cleanser like Soft Scrub) and let it sit for five minutes. Avoid harsher powdered cleaners like Comet and Ajax, which can scratch the porcelain causing it to become porous and more receptive to germs. After the five minutes has passed, rinse with water and TADA!, clean tub!! For a more natural alternative, Seventh Generation Shower Cleaner is safe to use while you are taking a shower, although more elbow grease may be required.
Closet Maintenance
By installing a valet hook right outside (or inside if you have a walk-in) your closet, you can plan out your outfits for work, parties or trips. It’s also useful for hanging and airing out dry cleaning before it goes into the closet. Be sure to take the plastic bags off first so the clothes can breathe.
Time Management
Do you have trouble getting out of the house on time? Try these tips to get your departure off smoothly and without stress.
Lay out your clothes the night before. Have them ready to wear including any ironing and accessories you intend to wear. Don’t forget the kids – get their clothes picked out the night before and avoid complaining and confusion the next morning. This will go much easier with my closet maintenance tip above!
Establish a place for your keys and stop hunting for them every time you have to leave the house. Get a simple hook and hang by the front door or use a decorative bowl to drop them in when you walk in the door. Then, walking out and locking up will be painless and quick!
Get lunches ready the night before. Plan breakfast out and have “table set” – get cereal bowl and spoon out and on the table, put pot on the stove with pre-measured water ready to boil for oatmeal, get coffee pot ready and just turn on (better yet, get one with an automatic timer!).
Pack your briefcase, purse or diaper back and leave by the door, ready to go.
Think about how long every action takes in the morning and be sure to get up early enough to get it all done. Shower, blow-dry hair, makeup, dress (20 minutes) + breakfast (20 minutes) + kids dressed and teeth brushed (15minutes) + clean up kitchen (5 minutes) = How much time you’ll need before walking out the door (1 hour).
Home Decorating
Now that you’ve revamped your nighttime and morning routine to get you out the door on time, consider this. Is your home helping or hindering your efficiency in time management. For example, the foyer or main doorway is a place that gets a lot of traffic. Is that space set up to handle busy traffic and serve you the way it should? Maybe you need to add coat hooks for purses, briefcases and jackets; a basket for shoes; an umbrella stand or even a rug to help minimize tracking dirt throughout the house. Take a look around each room’s space and think about what its purpose is, and then decorate accordingly. You can find beautiful yet functional pieces everywhere from Pottery Barn to Wal-Mart and many places in between.
Family
Most families don’t do restaurants much – especially if you have more than one child. However, if you do find yourself dining out with your kids I’ve found this trick to be really effective, especially with a 2 ½ year old.
Keep a small bag of books and toys that are ONLY for special outings and occasion when you need to entertain a small one. Don’t let these toys/books get mixed up with the everyday ones. That way the child will appreciate the “new” or “special” ones. I have a small tote that I take along for just these times. Some items I have in our bag are: a slinky, a stress ball, a small doll, a “magic” wand with glitter in it, a kid’s magnifying glass, mini markers and a notepad, smaller books that play music (Baby Einstein, Thomas, Disney’s Cars, Elmo etc…), flash cards, and the pies de resistance…a mini Mr. Potato head and friends (Spud Buds). This has worked well for us whether in a restaurant or any non-kid friendly setting. Hopefully, this will help you enjoy your time out and about!
Health & Beauty
What’s really needed for the basic beauty routine? The word on the (dermatologist) street is that you must exfoliate, tone and moisturize daily to reap the rewards of smooth and beautiful skin. Genetics doesn’t hold all the secrets (of course it helps) but consistently doing the right regime can take you from dull to radiant. Each of these steps plays an important role in helping your skin. Step 1, when you exfoliate you are sloughing the outer layer and allowing the fresh, new layers to surface. It’s called cell proliferation in the skin care biz. This process slows down as we age causing our skin to look dull and old. Exfoliating speeds up the skins turnover rate helping it look fresh and young. Step 2, when you tone it’s important to find a toner that is alcohol free and pH correct to your skin. Alcohol is severely drying and disruptive to the natural pH of your skin. Finding a toner that is pH correct will give you the advantage of enhancing your skin’s natural defenses as you face the elements. Step 3, moisturizing is vital to your skincare regimen. It offers protection and nutrients that will support your skin throughout the day or night. Finding one with SPF is a smart move as skin cancer is on the rise. However, be sure to read your labels. Lotions with mineral oils and petroleum derivatives are actually more harmful than good and can block the healthy ingredients from getting into your skin.
Nutrition
If you are looking for ways to make healthier choices and also learn why those choices are better, subscribe to this 7-day Fitness Boot Camp [http://www.smartandhealthyliving.com]. The information is both educational and practical, not to mention free!
Cooking & Kitchen
Cherries are one of the summer’s tastiest and fun fruits. They are great straight from bowl but what if you want to put them into a fruit salad? You can’t throw them in with apples, grapes and watermelon if they still have their pits!! Now, you could go to a fancy kitchen gadget store and buy a cherry pitter OR just take a large paper clip, unfold it at its center and (depending on the cherry’s size) insert either the large or small end of the clip into the top. Loosen the pit and pull it out. To leave the stem intact, simply insert the clip from the bottom.
Relationships
We have the unique opportunity, whether positive or negative, to impact the people around us. It’s our choice what attitude we bring to the relationship; whether or not we are ethical in our dealings; even what we believe is right and wrong. I want to encourage you to take the time to think about who you really are and what you honestly believe about yourself. Consider the attitude you wear day in and day out and take 100% responsibility for the fact that it is your decision and choice to put it on. As Zig Ziglar says, “It’s not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life, it is how you handle what happens to you.”
