For this week, I first want you to make a plan of action. Break up your home into 7 zones (whatever works best for you). This is an example of what I have done for my home (but please do whatever works best for you).

Zone #1- Master Bedroom/Master Bath
Zone #2- Kids Bedrooms, Laundry Room
Zone #3- Bathrooms, Foyer
Zone #4- Living Room, Family Room and Dining Room
Zone #5- Kitchen
Zone #6- Garage and basement
Zone #7- Deck, front porch

The above zones will be the timeline. Each week we will focus on a zone. The steps actually will be quite similar for each week, so please don’t feel that you need to do the same zones as I am doing. Read the rest »

Next year my husband Scott and I will be celebrating our 15^th wedding anniversary.  A few of my friends and I were recently chatting about tips to keep romance alive. As I was offering my suggestions, I immediately thought about how many of my tips for a happy sex life were actually centered on being organized.  Now, I am certainly not implying that you should add “sex” to your check-off list for the day or week (or month if the case may be), but there are definitely things that you can do to help keep the spark alive, that actually fall under the realm of getting your life organized. Read the rest »

My kids have always enjoyed cooking and baking, and it has been my pleasure to teach them.  My son, Dylan, is 4 and he is still happy with the toy ovens and licking the mixing spoons, but my daughter, Juliet, who will soon be 10, has already mastered stirring (while keeping much of the food inside the bowl), cracking eggs, and measuring; and has begun wanting a bit more leeway in the kitchen.

I am always anxious to try a kid friendly product in the kitchen and was delighted to test out King Arthur Flour K.A.F. Kids™ Snickerdoodle cookie mix.  I sat the box out on the kitchen counter and tied an apron around Juliet.  She had no problems following the kid friendly directions.  Not only were they easily spelled out, with child friendly fonts, margins and spacing, but there were illustrations for each step.  I helped with a couple steps, but quite frankly she could have done each step solo.  She turned on the oven while I melted the butter she lined the cookie sheet with parchment paper and then cracked her egg.  Once the butter cooled a bit she used a whisk to incorporate the egg with the butter and then used a spoon to add the packaged cookie mix.  She then followed the directions on the box and rolled the dough into balls.  Dylan got into the action at the next step as he got to roll the balls in the cinnamon and sugar (the cinnamon and sugar come with the box and there is more than enough).  They placed the cookies on the cookie sheet and I placed it in the oven. Read the rest »

The players all want the same prize; a life of simplicity and contentment: a world free from clutter, missed appointments, and misplaced items. Their training in the past has included countless organizing books, shows, and magazine articles.  Today is the day when they find out if they have what it takes to actually use what they have learned. Read the rest »

I live in a lovely area, but not my dream summer destination. I want the beach! I want sand, seafood, and nights out on the boardwalk. Unfortunately, a beach trip is just not in our budget for this summer. Sure, we could charge the whole trip on our credit card, but we would just have to pay for it in the end (with interest) so we decided to join the many other Americans who are planning their own staycations this year.

One thing is to make this whole “staycation” okay with us, but how do we make it fly with the kids? Quite simple; our kids don’t need extravagance (although we may be training them differently), they simply want our time. Following are some suggestions to making this summer vacation the best ever and not even touch the budget.

Investigate: Ask your friends and neighbors about nearby parks, playgrounds, nature trails, free factory tours, etc. Check out the national park service for other ideas: www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm or check with your state’s park webpage. You may be shocked what tourists have been visiting in your own backyard!

Plan and be prepared: Pack a picnic lunch, bring along your camera and camcorder, create a scavenger hunt for the nature trails, and have a first aid kit in the car.

Sight-see your family: People spend thousands of dollars traveling all over the world to take in the sights and sounds of distant and unique places. This summer, bask in the smiles and sounds of your family. Could any amount of money truly bring you anything more breathtaking than the happy and content faces of your children?

Don’t want to leave your house?
Have a lock down: Wake the kids up one morning and tell them they are in staycation lock down. No friends, TVs, Computers, or cell phones. They may grumble at first (depending on their age) but when they discover that their parents are in lock down with them, and they discover that it is not what they can’t do, but what they CAN it will be a day to remember. Make sure to plan loads of crafts, games and outdoor activities! You can even do “theme” lockdowns, where you pretend you are in a different country, complete with themed foods and activities.

Being stuck with your family in your home is not punishment for them or for you. Contentment is surrounding you, just waiting to be snatched up. Have fun this summer creating lasting memories for you, not your credit card statements!

Betsy

Please share your clever staycation ideas!!

It seems every time I blink, another week has passed. Summer is such a busy time for me, and I simply do not want to waste one precious moment cleaning when I could be outside enjoying all that summer has to offer. Little projects here and there get done, but there is never enough time to tackle the big jobs, like spring cleaning the entire house. Make it your mission this week to tackle the following 10 steps to achieve a spring cleaned home in July. Don’t allow yourself to obsess and get stuck on any particular step. You will feel amazing after you accomplish these tasks, and be able to enjoy all your summer activities guilt free. Read the rest »

The simple reason that we have too much clutter is because we bring more items in than we take out. I always tell my clients that it has nothing to do with what you own, rather what owns you. The challenge I am offering to you today is to focus on what you bring into your home that you don’t really need, and the reasons why you continue to buy more.

Where are you weak? What things do you consistently bring into the house that you know you don’t need yet justify its purchase? In what areas do you notice your willpower tested time and time again, and you lose more than you win? Here are a few ideas, but please think about your own individual circumstances. Read the rest »