Tip of the Day 10/5/11

Notes are a tool that can be used for many aspects of our life to help keep a sense of order. It always feels great to be able to cross things off the list as you accomplish them as well. Whether you use a note card, notebook, your computer, IPad, or Smartphone, it is great to know where to see what you need to do written down.

With the Holiday Season before us a great list to create is all of things you would like to accomplish to enjoy the time. The key to this list is to not OVER schedule yourself with unrealistic expectations. That will lead to disappointment. By writing down simple goals that you know you can accomplish you will feel very satisfied and more relaxed when they are crossed off. Maybe you will decide to only bake 2 kinds of cookies this year instead of 6. Decide which months you will make the other kinds your family enjoys throughout the winter. Decide who to ask to bring which dishes to your Holiday gatherings at your house instead of cooking it all yourself. Or find a store that cooks the meal and just add your specialty side dishes. We do this for Thanksgiving and Christmas and have plenty of time to relax with the family instead of spending all day cooking and cleaning. Now we are able to go the annual opening of the outdoor ice skating rink on Thanksgiving afternoon instead of cleaning up dishes, sleeping, or watching football.

By keeping your goals simple you will rejoice in the season.

Tip of the Day 10/4/11

Yes, it is early Fall, but Christmas is less than 3 months away. This is the time of year our minds start contemplating all we will need to do and purchase to make the Holiday Season the "perfect" one this year. Well, no matter what you do or how well you plan, it will never be the perfect one you are dreaming of. But there are things you can do that will help to bring less chaos and hopefully more enjoyment through the next few months.

Lists are your friend. If you didn't start your gift list back in January when I first suggested it and you haven't been purchasing gifts throughout the year, you have some catching up to do. I marked my last purchase off my list last week and am now ready to spend the next couple of months creating.

Make 3 lists of ALL the things you need to purchase for the Holiday Season, Gifts, Food, Decorating items, place these in your purse and use them to keep you on track. Remember a "Theme" for gifts will help in your shopping, many ingredients for baking including flour freeze well, so buy a little each week, choose a neutral paper-red, green, gold, that is sold year round and start wrapping gifts as you purchase them. Use the lay-a-way plan several stores are offering and AVOID ALL credit purchases.

Set a goal to be finished by Thanksgiving and just enjoy the next 6 weeks without the stress. It really can be done with a little planning.

Tip of the Day 10/3/11

Well, the past couple of weeks have been very busy around my home and in my life and as I looked around at my schedule I realized taking a break from my daily missive was the right thing to eliminate for that period. However, I am back this week with some tips that I hope will help you all to be on track for the the busy season ahead.

One of the tasks I accomplished last week was sorting, washing, and mending all of our Fall and Winter clothing. By going over all of the pieces I was able to envision outfits to put together and recognize what pieces were missing to complete the looks for the upcoming season that we would like to wear.

As I went through the items I created a list of the items I would like to add to my closet and put that list in my purse. Now whenever I am shopping, whether it is a garage sale or I happen to be in a regular retail store, I will not have to try to remember what it is I need. This method also prevents buying unnecessary items.

Remember to start the new season with your hangers facing backwards and as you wear the item turn the hanger around to identify what should be eliminated from you closet. If you wear an item and really don't like it, do not hang it back up, put it immediately into the give-away bag as soon as it is laundered. No one should be wearing clothes that are uncomfortable, don't fit, or that you just don't like. You will feel much better about yourself and life in clothing that is right for you. And remember a stuffed closet is not a healthy closet.

Tip of the Day 9/15/11

Fall is a great time to plant perennials in your garden. All of the plants are deeply discounted. We purchased 15 quart sized plants for 50 cents each a few years ago and they are so huge now we have had to divide some of them. Take advantage of all the end of the season clearance sales and get out and enjoy Fall.

Tip of the Day 9/14/11

Well, Fall is in full swing in our part of the country and if you haven't been able to tell by my previous Tips, I love it. The beauty of the season, the feeling of warmth and togetherness just seems to shine through in the Fall. Of course most of us have turned off the A/C and have the windows and doors thrown open wide and are able to use just our ceiling fans to bring the slight cooling we need in the late afternoon. Now is a great time to clean those A/C vents throughout the house before you need to start running the furnace. Removing the covers and vacuuming inside will make everything run more efficiently this winter and will allow for a nice fresh start to the next season. This is also a good time to clean the ceiling fans. A damp cloth to clean not just the bottom and edges, but the top of the blades and lights as well. You will experience a nice fresh feeling every time you turn them on.

Tip of the Day 9/13/11

Fall: the smells, the tastes, the crisp air, the beautiful full moon, the clothes, the--well, you get the idea, it goes on and on. The one thing I don't like about Fall is my allergies, but I will sacrifice in order to smell the grapes ready for harvest and see the golden fields of corn and the apple trees bursting with fruit. Today is a great day to be out in the sunshine and to clean the lawn furniture from the dust that has accumulated over the summer and then sit down and enjoy it!!!

Tip of the Day 9/12/11

Fall is upon us and with it comes the need to do a little cleaning to prepare our homes for the season ahead. Today would be a great day to spend outside in the sunshine sweeping away all the cobwebs and leaves that have collected in the corners of the house over the summer months. Have fun and enjoy the beautiful creation around you.