Use It or Lose It- Snappin' Out of a Funk

I always said, "There is NO WAY I could ever be a teacher!" But I have quickly discovered that those very things we think we CAN'T do, may end up being the very things we find a new excitement for, if given the chance.

This past week I began a journey of substitute teaching and I have to say, it has been a wonderful blessing filled with LOTS of laughs! I have heard so many funny things come out of the mouths of kids, especially since I have 3 of my own, plus a house full of 'friends' most the time. However, this week I have been given a different view. I looked at my students with a sense of wonder for what their lives may hold, a belief that they REALLY ARE our future and my heart went out to this generation as it IS the most difficult to grow up in.

What if us as adults, saw our day as that of a student... you could be anything you wanted to be, accomplish great things in life and still make a difference in the world? How would that change our motivation, drive and goals? How would that change our world? Being an adult is hard, especially when you are a single parent barely getting by, I get it! But, I made a choice to see life through a different lens this week.

I am usually a pretty positive person, until the last few months. I allowed my circumstances to TRAMPLE my faith and drive. I LET the negative creep in... and boy did it show! I wasn't the 'me I want to be' AT ALL! and I'll spare you the details, but my heart is heavy and my bank account is still empty, yet I woke up today with all of the tools I need to take one more step- in the RIGHT direction. So that is what I am doing... TEACHING MYSELF, one step at a time, one day at a time... Focusing on what I CAN DO and not on what I'm lacking. I made a few adjustments the last few weeks:

• Removed myself from negative atmospheres
• Reaffirmed my faith, both in church and with my daily devotion time
• Recommited to a healthy lifestyle again: Eating healthy, working out, etc.
• Surrounded myself with positive people. Let's face it, "you are who you hang with"
• Made a list of what I CAN CHANGE and what I have no control over. Then took the focus off the 'have no control over' list. (What and I willing to accept and what am I not?)
• Brainstormed ideas to pull myself up financially utilizing the talents I DO have
• Went back to the basics of planning my week- this is a HUGE thing for me: meals, schedules, activities, etc. 
• Listened to more uplifting music and read more positive quotes and articles- less of the funny, yet super sarcastic stuff I had drifted towards.
• And finally, let go of what others might say about me- who cares! They are not in my shoes and they do not raise 3 kids single-handedly, trying to provide financially almost 100% AND physically. 

Just like my students, I have a future ahead of me and can still be anything I want to be, with the right amount of hard work, planning and diligence... and of course a positive attitude. I can teach myself to use it or lose it!

"Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:3

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Helping Children Cope When A Tragedy Occurs

Watching any kind of tragedy unfold is hard on adults, but take a moment and consider a child's perspective. Adults know there is evil in the world and bad things do happen to good people, but a child's views are being shaped every day from playtime to the harsh reality of the world we live in.

My 8 year old daughter got into the car after school today and said
"Mommy we talked about the bombing today in school and they said an 8 year old boy died while waiting for his dad run. That is scary- I am 8 and you are a runner!"

She connected the dots of this horrific Boston Marathon Tragedy with the innocent age of someone her own age. She also brought up the shooting in CT and the talk we had about that tragedy just a few months ago. All three of my children had their views on these incidents, but as I listen to them share their perspectives and fears I am reminded as a parent that I can shape their outlook and attempt to calm their fears. There are a few simple things we can do to help the many questions and fears that develop in our little people, as well as our teenagers that seem to know it all:

• Assure them they are loved and comfort them. Do not brush off their feelings but rather allow them to express their thoughts in a secure place with the circle of love to absorb emotions attributed to the natural feelings they are experiencing.
• Control your own reaction to the situation. It is easy for us to tell them to do something a certain way, but it is more important that our reactions as parents/adults reflect the advice we give. Be careful not to jump to conclusions or offer initial motives for a cause of the tragedy. Also be careful not to judge or stereotype a certain type of person/people verbally. (They really do hear everything we say, and pick up on so much that we do not say) Model calm behavior but do not underestimate the affect evil has on innocent lives.
• Limit their exposure to pictures and news coverage based on age. We live in a day and age where pictures from a crime scene and tragedy spread at a viral rate through social media like never before, but monitor closely what is being viewed by little eyes. Just because a picture is released through Twitter, Facebook or other news source does NOT mean an 8 year old needs to see the graphic details. It is our job as parents to carefully expose our children to the realities of the world, but not all has to be done before the appropriate age.I am big on keeping it real with my own kids, but there are healthy boundaries of exposure too.
• Have them focus on the brave help of the emergency responders. When my kids do come across a picture or news coverage of an event that is less than favorable, I have them search out the emergency workers: Fireman, Police Officers, Military, etc. This offers a fresh approach to see the good in people and those willing to help at all costs. It also takes some of the negative weight off the crime scene/tragedy that is typically reported by new media. This is not to take away from the awful events but just adjusting perspective in the eyes of a child.
• Lead them to pray for the victims and their families. Offering up fears and sadness through prayer is a powerful way to release anxiety, especially when taught to do so at a young age. This has been my 'go to' way of helping my children in times like these. We always pray for the people affected and open our hearts to ways to help. If you listen closely to them, you may be surprised at their ideas on helping others. It definitely keeps me in check every time. 

I love the innocence of  children all ages possess and try to foster their sweet, kind hearts as much as possible, even though tragedy and evil occurrences. After all- isn't about the generation we are raising and what we CAN DO to create a different place to live in?

Top Organizing Tips for Kid Spaces

I love organizing for kid spaces and seeing such great results at the end of the day, but more importantly I love the opportunity to share a few life skills with the kids that I hope they carry with them in the future. Organizing with kids may take a little longer and will require extra patience and follow through- Think creatively before you even begin.

A Toy Room is a GREAT Place to Start: 

Lay out several baskets or boxes and start with broad topics. 

• all things paper, books, etc
• all things clothes
• all things baby doll, barbie boll and stuffed anmals
• all things art supplies (pens, pencils, crayons, crafts, etc)
• all things with wheels (cars, trucks, etc)

*Give each child a 'job' per topic. They will feel important and part of the process. 

Then take each one of those like items and sort down from there to:

give away, throw away and put away.

This will give you a good idea of the space needed to house the remaining items to keep.

• Keep like items together so they are easy to find and allow creative stations
• Allow extra room for items not put back exactly the same way
• Organizing drawers and baskets are a GREAT way of storing grouped items and allow for children to easily return when finished playing
• Clearly label organizing storage to avoid the guessing game of where things belong
• And remember- It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to be picked up and put away!
• ALWAYS use positive reinforcement and praise. Consider a sticker chart that can be marked each night the room is cleaned up and prizes (affordable or no cost: like game night, movie night etc) are earned for the clean up efforts

BIGGEST TIP: Take 5-10 min EVERY SINGLE NIGHT to run through and pick up.
Turn the radio on, crank it up and go- for 5-10min set a timer and make it a game. But be sure the items are getting put away in their correct homes. This is an IMPORTANT LIFE SKILL to pass to children.

"A little bit done each day is a lot of time saved each week"

This job was completed from start to finish with one adult and two kids in less than 3 hours for both rooms. 

I would love to hear your thoughts, questions and comments. Please share in the comments below!

Sock Monster- BE GONE!

Mesh Laundry/Sweater Bags

If you hate pairing socks as much as I do, or wonder where the sock monster hides until your socks enter the washer, then this is the perfect Simplify Saturday Tip for you! 

Keep a mesh laundry bag on the back of each bedroom/bathroom door knob and place socks in every night. Then collect the mesh bags at laundry time, zip and throw the whole thing in to wash and dry. Easily pair upon drying. Be sure to have a large enough bag to allow socks to move around while washing to ensure cleanliness. 

A laundry dryer sheet can be placed in the bag to ward against any odors while on the door knob, just be sure to remove before washing. 

A colored ribbon or string can also be threaded through or knotted on to deciefer which family member's bag if following The Color-Coded Family approach. This also makes it easy to get younger kids involved as it breaks down the task. They can just focus on one bag at a time knowing they are all the same size and owner. 

Happy Simplify Saturday!

Meal Planning and Pre-Printed Grocery List

Here is a helpful way to plan meals and groceries. A Pre-Printed Grocery list. 

Download for FREE and make a few copies while you are at it... pin one up close to the fridge or pantry. (I keep mine posted on the inside of a cabinet door between the fridge and stove so I can easily mark what I am running low on as I see it.) If everyone in the house marks what they have used the last of, or see running low, there will be a whole new light shed on grocery shopping and cooking as well!

Plan your meals to the right and Keep It Simple. List the main dish for dinners and a side item. Have several veggies on hand to pick one.

Also try to use themes to simplify the planning. For example: Mondays are Chicken nights, Tuesdays are Mexican, Wednesdays are crockpot cooking, Thursdays are vegetarian, etc. Get kid involved too and have them pick a meal each week to help plan, prep and cook. 

By planning your meals and shopping weekly for them you will save time- by planning, save money- by shopping only for what you need, and eat healthier- by having meals ready and less temptation to eat out as much.

Also be sure to check back weekly or subscribe to the blog for the weekly menu I post for my own family with a grocery list ready for you to take to the store or pull up from your smartphone. You can find that on the Menu Page of this blog.

Hope this helps make your meal planning a little easier!  Grocery List 2012

Top 5 Ways To Get Your Life Organized- Business Owner Editition

Do you want business growth? Do you want to increase your productivity with less stress? Do you crave a better strategy for your overall day? Then you need to get organized! Here is a simple top 5 list of ways to start:

1.       PLAN: Block out time to plan- if you do not plan your upcoming week, or even upcoming day, you will end your day with a sense disappointment. This does not need to be a long amount of time, just 30 min or less to review what you have going on and synchronize schedules .

2.       WRITE: Write your top 3 goals for the week, every week- Be consistent each week to set goals for yourself and your business. This will allow you to track your progress in a proactive manner as well as quantify your accomplishments. 

3.       SAY NO: Just say no when asked to help or lead something new- Well, not forever. But at least until you have aligned your goals with your plan of action. Start thinking before your say yes to new initiatives and weigh the outcomes with your list of written goals. Do they line up? Remember to stay on track. It never hurts to take a night and sleep on the ‘yes’ before delivering your answer. You will thank yourself in the long run!

4.       DECLUTTER: Out with the old and less of the new- Keep it simple. Less really IS more. A clean, organized, work area and home are the key to increasing your productivity, but first you must part with the clutter weighing your down and implement healthy habits that accommodate your life style.

5.       ADJUST: Review your plan regularly and adjust where needed- If you try something and it does not work, then try something else. Everyone is different and there is no cookie cutter formula. You have to do what works for you. This applies to both organizing products as well as systems. If you find this step difficult, it may be best to enlist the help of a professional organizer or coach to help you set up a strategy that works best for you.

There are proven health benefits to living an organized life. The key is getting organized and sticking with the systems you put in place. The outcomes can remarkably change your life and increase your business! Get organized today!