We’ve all done it, made a New Years Resolution and broken it a few days into the New Year. It’s easy to do, especially when we aren’t serious about making a change. However if you’re serious but still find yourself struggling to form a new habit or break an old one, all is not lost. It isn’t too late to renew your commitment to self and your resolve for positive change. The key is to understand what it takes to stick to a resolution and then learn how to follow through. Keeping resolutions can be tough especially if it involves breaking an old habit. That said I do have some helpful techniques and ideas I’ve found work for me…
Enjoy the holiday and all its trimmings but when it’s all over, a little organizing and pre-planning can go along way in creating a clutter free (physical and emotional) New Year for you and your family.
Are you tired of constant mess and a kid’s room that looks like a tornado has gone through it? If you find yourself overwhelmed by your child’s clutter don’t get angry – get smart by learning how to organize kids rooms once and for all!
First off, resist the urge to wade into their mess, with garbage bag in hand and take over. It’s tempting. I tried it once (actually more than once) until it hit me like a truck as I sat in the middle of my son’s disaster that I wasn’t doing him any favors by taking over. Instead, I was removing his responsibility and letting him off easy.
Kid’s clutter, what an insurmountable task. Things are put away and in no time, your kids room is messy again. The problem with organizing kids rooms is that they are often small and lack the built-in storage that is vital for a good organizational system. Yet the rooms are often the home base for a ton of stuff from out-of-season and outgrown clothes to surplus toys and miscellaneous overflow. If you’re like most parents who become frustrated over the state of your kids room and the fact that it seems to be one step forward and two steps back, please know it doesn’t have to be a losing battle.
Are you overworked, overscheduled and overwhelmed? Do you feel like your life is in a constant state of upheaval? If so, don’t give up hope – things CAN improve. By prioritizing your life (and by simplifying it) you free up time to enjoy the people and things that are important to you. Everyone benefits – especially you.
Is your house a mess? Do you spend your nights and weekends doing chores, running errands and chauffeuring your kids about town? If so, you’re probably over-committed like the majority of us and it’s time for a little order – a little priority order that is. Recently, I discussed prioritizing your personal life and how even though your daily ‘time’ allotment may be limited, you CAN find time for the things that are important. To learn more please read ‘The Benefits of Prioritizing Your Life’.
Identify the most harried moments in your day and devise creative solutions to get you through them. In many homes, the hours between returning home and eating dinner are the most hectic, especially when you have wee ‘hungry’ ones underfoot. At times like this, consider hiring a child-focused neighborhood preteen to come over and spell you off so you can regain a more positive frame of mind, and enjoy some quality time with the kids AFTER the dinner rush.
When was the last time you felt stressed out? Last week? Yesterday? With today’s hectic pace, it’s no wonder many of us experience frayed nerves on a regular basis. With our to-do list in hand we speed through our days at such a pace even the slightest setback irritates the heck out of us. Instead of keeping pace with the urgency of the world, why not step back and savor those small moments of downtime. Following is a list of tension tamers that will show you how to make your stress work for, not against you.
When you’re moving at 100 mph (and who isn’t these days?) its little wonder that your child’s misplaced permission form or your lost keys can push you over the edge. Most people I speak with about getting organized and uncluttering their homes, say they are far too busy to get organized but when queried also admit to spending upwards of an hour searching for lost items.
We've all experienced it... it’s 3 p.m. and we've hit that sluggish point in our work day that tempts us to reach for another cup of coffee or a chocolate bar. If you routinely feel like nodding off at your desk, you may want to try the following tips to help you stay more refreshed throughout your work day.
It may not be wise to sweat the small stuff but small things can quickly pile up and get lost, adding clutter to your home and unnecessary stress to your life. Conquering clutter whenever you’ve got a few minutes is wise. Set a timer if you want. It’s amazing how much you can get accomplished when you focus completely on the task at hand, even if it’s only 5 to 15 minutes.
Do you love Christmas but hate the stress and exhaustion that comes with it? I used believe planning ahead and shopping throughout the year was the best way to tackle the holiday season. I’ve since learned a stress-free holiday is more about dispensing with the unimportant and foregoing the need to organize it all. This article offers up tips and ideas for doing less but enjoying your Christmas holidays more.
What are you giving your kids for Christmas? I’ve always believed practical gifts are the way to go especially ones that keep giving and are part of a theme. Giving your kids a bedroom makeover as a Christmas present has multiple benefits, especially for busy families. Your kids not only benefit but so can your relationship with them and the quality of your home life (not to mention of value of your home itself). Making over a kid’s bedroom can also inspire new routines and improve organization.
Do you procrastinate? I know I do. It’s one of my weaknesses. While I thrive on the pressure of deadlines, I do acknowledge this self-sabotaging behaviour and have recently made some constructive changes that are providing me with positive results and allowing me to stay better on top of what needs to be accomplished in any given day from both a business and personal perspective. The first step was to alter my mindset…
School is now in session and families are back in the routine of packing school and work lunches. While school and work cafeterias are in many cases improving their selection of nutritious foods, you can’t beat a traditional home packed lunch to boost energy and brain power in the afternoon, not to mention, the money you’ll save.
Before long, class will be in session and the school year in full swing. Being organized from the get go will make family life run smoother September to June and will help your kids not only have a successful academic year but will provide them with some valuable life skills. Here’s a quick overview of some of my favorite tips for an organized school year. While these tips are geared to teaching younger children responsibility and positive study habits, they can be easily adapted for older kids.
Summer may not be over yet but it is winding down and with it comes the wind-up of back to school routines and getting everyone back on track and ready to start a new school year with fresh school supplies, clothing and all the related gear. Heading back to school can be stressful for parents and kids as well as tough on the family budget. That said there are a few things you can do to make your kids return to the classroom easier and less stressful all around.
Just because its summer doesn’t mean your kids don’t need to fuel up on some healthy kids snacks between meals. Following are some great ways top up your kids with fluids, boost their level of antioxidants, help them grow and maintain healthy bones, add fibre to their diets with whole grains, and show them that veggies do have a fun side. So this summer when your kids are hanging around pool side or knocking on the back door looking for something to eat or drink, try these kids snack ideas on for size.
No matter how you slice it, sandwiches everyday becomes boring pretty fast. School and workplace lunches don’t have to be dull or unhealthy. They also don’t have to be expensive or overly creative. A healthy lunch just needs to be nutritious and varied.
