Category: Hospitality, Holidays & Every Day

Welcome to my House Hour. Now excuse me while I start some laundry…

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001In last week’s blog, I mentioned my House Hour.  I didn’t give it a thought, it’s just what I do.  However, two readers asked “What do you mean by your “house hour”? Is this cleaning, straightening, laundry? Is it one hour everyday or when you can fit it in? Hmmm…”

Let me explain.

Last Friday morning, moments before receiving my friend’s email, I was wiping down my bathroom sink.   

Why? 

Well, because it was Friday.  That’s what I do on Friday.

Why 7:30 am?

As mentioned, “Clean the Bathroom” is a Friday chore.  And my Friday was shaping up to be busy, so 7:30 am was a good time to complete the task.  Also, everyone was already showered and ready-ish for school, so if I cleaned the bathroom at 7:30 am, there was a pretty good chance it would stay clean for a while.  Bonus!

My House Hour is the hour I spend on routine cleaning tasks every day.  For many years, I would wait and clean my whole house one day a week.  That worked for a while, but I hit some snags:

  1. My schedule rarely allows for an entire day dedicated to staying home and cleaning. 
  2. After 6 or more days of inattention, my house dirt and clutter really bothers me.
  3. There are some tasks that require repeating multiple times during the week, like laundry and vacuuming.
  4. As a child, Saturday was our cleaning day, but that absolutely doesn’t work with our schedule.

Here’s my cleaning schedule: http://www.peaceofmindpo.com/DailyCleaningChart.pdf

      This system works for us because I have a small and organized house, and my family is pretty good about cleaning up.  If my house was bigger, I would probably have to spend more than an hour.

       In addition, my House Hour does not always include things like laundry (a never-ending cycle), or cleaning up the kitchen after a meal.  Those are routine chores.   When the two go together, like when kitchen cleaning is on the House Hour list, too, it’s nice to get things done faster!

      Cleaning different areas of my home a little bit every day allows me to skip a day if I need to, so long as I catch up the next day.  And since the house stays relatively clean, I can be flexible and spontaneous for events or friends stopping over.

If you like this idea, make it your own.  Determine the list of things that need to be done every week, then distribute the tasks over a few days. 

  1. Be prepared to work around external motivators:
    1. Weather:  today I ditched my regular House Hour so that I could take care of yard work after a few rainy days.  In addition, when you only have an hour to spend, and you spend it shoveling snow or raking leaves, you have to be flexible!
    2. Garbage day is a great motivator for clearing clutter and recycling, and emptying all the trash!
    3. Pay day – my hubby’s pay schedule changed recently. Now Menu planning occurs every other Friday instead of twice a month on arbitrary days, which links nicely with the kitchen cleaning day.
  2. Take your schedule and your family’s rhythms into account – I like to knock out my tasks in the morning (though that doesn’t always work!!), but perhaps you prefer an hour in the evening every other day or so. Great, go for it.
  3. Leave room for large projects.  We have a few Fall projects to accomplish in the next few weeks:  put screens on the gutters, fix the fence, wash the windows, and I really need to strip and re-wax my kitchen floor.  This weekend or next, we need to clear an afternoon for these bigger projects.
  4. Determining your plan ONCE and sticking with it means you’ll never have to feel overwhelmed and searching for a starting place again!

So, pick an idea or two from this week, make your plan and make your cleaning schedule your own.

Simplify your schedule. Lessons From My Little Cabin In the Woods

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cabinDriving three sons to three different activities by 9 am this morning made me long for the unstructured time from this past weekend.  I know that vacations are not real life, though many days I wish they were.

We traveled downstate last Thursday to the Southernmost tip of Illinois, the 70 mile stretch between the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.  It is truly God’s country, green and lush, with hills the size of mountains (at least to our northern Illinois flatlanders’ eyes).   We stayed in a beautiful cabin, slept late, explored and hiked, ate good food and enjoyed each other’s company.  We reveled in the simpler life and slower pace, and here are some things I learned:

Go off the grid.  Wayyyy off the grid. 

If you can unplug once in a while, do so.  It does wonders for your frame of mind.  We were pretty isolated at our lovely cabin.  No wi-fi, news, email or phone calls, and only a random smattering of texts.  It was great.  I admit, I don’t know how long I could maintain the media silence, but knowing it would only last a few days made it easy to take.  I had tech, of course, my iPad with kindle books and movies on it, a large reading pile, a dvd player.  There was a TV with a few channels, but we didn’t turn it on and we really didn’t miss it.

Don’t shop.

Going on vacation is usually an expensive venture for us.  But there was no shopping to speak of at our destinations this weekend.  We were more than half an hour from a major grocery, and the national parks did not have gift shops where my sons typically blow their allowances.  We planned our menu, bought groceries at the last town before entering the National Forest area, and we didn’t buy more.  We ate a couple of meals at restaurants (with my teenagers taking full advantage of the all-you-can-eat buffet at Cave In Rock), and we had gas and lodging expenses, but we came home with much less stuff and a little more $$ than we usually do.

Don’t overpack.

I pack too much, and my sons don’t pack enough.  We should all plan for an outfit a day, with a couple extra shirts and socks, and a set of pjs for every 2 nights, and extra swimming stuff since it doesn’t always have a chance to dry before the next day.  I’m a mom, and have to plan for contingencies, like packing rainwear for everyone that we never used.  But I personally had a handful of items that never left the suitcase.

Our little cabin had bedding, towels and a tiny but well stocked kitchen.  There was one drawer each of silverware and serving utensils, a few towels and wash clothes, 3 pots and pans with lids.  The open shelves for dishes above the sink made access and clean up very easy.  Simple, pared down, just what we needed and not much more.

Pare down your expectations. 

We wanted to get away, explore nature in some new parts of Illinois we hadn’t seen before, and spend some time together as a family.  However, one teenager mentioned very early on that he doesn’t “do” nature.   Grrrr….  So, I asked in my rational Mom voice what his expectations were and what we could do every day that would make him happy, too.  And God bless him, he asked to swim every day, and find some ice cream.  Those were things we could work with, and we made them happen.  Simple, reasonable and specific.  Nice.

Do yourself a favor, and De-clutter your schedule for a few days.

Mondays are always hectic, and this week I had two clients and a class in addition to the regular Monday tasks.  Before we left on our trip, I moved all the non-essential tasks from Monday’s to-do list to later in the week.  It made the busy Monday-after-vacation just a little easier!

So, spend a little time paring down and simplifying, and enjoy that vacation feeling every day!

Wise Travel Advice From My 9-Year-Old

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road trip

A Re-post from Spring, 2013:  First in my new Travel Article Section!

This past Saturday, I took a road trip with my 8 year old, and I had time while driving to reflect on what great travelers my children are.  My new word this week is “Consistencies”, in place of “routines” or “habits”.  So I looked at what we do consistently, every day, to make traveling and really, life in general, better.

Here are some tips:

Have your kids help you pack.  At my suggestion Saturday morning, my little guy helped me pack our picnic lunch, and packed his own bag of car entertainment (my IPad, his Nintendo DS, a book and the “new” camera his uncle passed on to him recently).  Why does this help?  He knew and liked what was on the lunch menu, and didn’t need to nag me for food.  And he happily kept himself occupied during the drive, when he wasn’t busy snapping digital pictures!

Lay some travel ground rules, for you and your kids:

  1. Safety is of utmost importance.  At all times.  This is non-negotiable.  There is no brawling, moving around the van, yelling, or anything else that will distract the driver or harm others.
  2. Get in, settle down, and buckle up.  Quickly.  This, too, is non-negotiable.
  3. Throw out your garbage every time you stop.  The car will be less likely to smell like old French fries if there aren’t old French fries around.  Makes sense, right?
  4. Use the rest room whenever you are given the chance.  Woe unto the sluggish child who opts to stay in the car at a rest area and then needs a restroom 30 minutes later.
  5. Entertain yourself.  It’s not my job, or your brother’s job to give you something to do.  Pack your own fun.
  6. Don’t make us late.
  7. Clean your stuff out of my car every time we come home.  If your soccer uniform is still in my van, it is not getting washed like it should be.  And you can’t practice your band instrument if it is riding around town with me instead of at home with you.

What my fellow travelers can expect from me:

  1. Safety, at all times.
  2. I will stop at reasonable intervals for pit-stops, gas and snacks as necessary.  Inform me once if you need something, but do not nag.
  3. It is reasonable to expect from the 5 of us, ages 9-44, that we can make it to Grandma’s (2.25 hours), Grandpa’s (2.5 hours), Uncle Sean’s (3 hrs) and the cottage (2 hrs) without stopping.   Don’t expect stops, but appreciate stopping for ice cream on a whim.
  4. We will explore off the beaten track if time allows and we see something interesting (a favorite part of road trips!!).  I am a sucker for hiking and roadside produce stands, and they know it.

Some more travel advice from the 9 year old:

  • Bring a water bottle, but don’t drink it all at once.  Makes the water last longer, and you won’t need to stop so soon.
  • Chocolate car-candy melts quickly.  Starbursts, on the other hand, taste better the mushier they are (he is obviously biased toward Starbursts, but he has a point!).
  • If everyone gets different snacks at the convenience store, we can all share.
  • If you sit in the front seat next to Mom, you get to control the music choices.  I can’t wait until I’m big enough to sit up front.

Establish some of these consistencies with your family!  Happy Travels!

A Tuesday Morning Bedtime Story

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Today’s blog was named by Leslie and inspired by Bridget.  Thanks ladies!

I was pondering today’s “productivity” blog while I organized our bedding… then Ping!  Light Bulb!  How about I share the bedding ideas with you instead?

Last week, I realized the bedding drawer in the guest space was a lot fuller than our bedding chest on the main floor.  Today’s project was to review what we have, purge unnecessary sheets and pillow cases, and re-allocate the ones we’re keeping.

Also, while working with a client recently, she asked “Don’t you have dozens of mystery sheets that are never used and match nothing?” Um, No, I don’t, but I was motivated to complete this project!

Here’s how it went:

  1. I finished all the laundry and then collected all our sheets together in one place.  We have 5 people living here, with 3 twin beds and one queen bed.  In our basement we have guest lodgings of two more twin beds and a queen size Aerobed.
  2. I sorted the sheets into piles for twin and queen size, then matched up the flats and fitted with the cases.
  3. I folded the sets together, with the folded flat sheets wrapped around the folded fitted sheets and cases.  I put one set of queen sheets and 2 sets of twin back in the basement guest space and stored the rest in the bedding chest in my room.
  4. The “donate”  pile held three random sheets that match nothing, an old set of queen sheets and some Buzz Lightyear twin sheets that have been through 3 boys and are ready for retirement.   I answered a Facebook request from a mom looking for twin size bed sheets for her little boy’s bed, and offered her our Buzz Lightyear sheets.  I am glad they will be loved anew by another little boy! I bundled the rest of the “donate” pile together and will drop it off at the animal shelter this week with some old t-shirts.

A few tips I have picked up along the way:

  1. For years, I purchased only white sheets so that I could bleach them all and keep them cleaner.  Since it is difficult to determine sheet size at a glance, I noted a T or a Q on a discreet corner.  If you use all the same color, you could also separate the sizes of sheets by storing them on a different shelf or in each room.
  2. I grew tired of white bedding, though it did have its advantages.  I am slowly making the switch to color and patterns in our bedding:  any new twin size sheets I purchase are striped, and any queen size sheets  will be a solid color.
  3. I have also heard the suggestion of storing the two sheets and the extra pillow      case if there is one folded together in the matching pillow case.  That works for some, but not for me.
  4. We store our guest bedding in a dresser drawer in our guest space, and everyone else’s bedding in the chest at the foot of our bed, so extremely tidy edges are not necessary.
  5. We don’t keep a lot of extras.  Two sheet sets for each of our beds (and one is on the bed), and one set each for the guest beds.  Fewer items mean less clutter.
  6. Once and for all, Here is how one person can fold a fitted sheet to lay flat while keeping it off the ground (I learned from a pro – Literally!  I used to help out at my dad’s Laundromat in high school, and the tiny and efficient Shirley showed me the trick):
    1. Grab two adjacent corners and bring them together, and do the same for the other end.
    2. Fold the flat size in half, so all the fitted corners fit together.
    3. Grasp one end of the flat side in each hand and pull flat across your chest,       then fold into thirds down your front, rounded elastic side in first, and the flat side in last.
    4. Starting at the bottom (the lumpiest part), fold up in thirds so that you are left with straight sides and edges.

So, collect the bedding that you have; sort it into sizes and sets; determine what needs to go away either because it is old or ill fitting or scratchy; and choose a storage place close at hand for the items you intend to keep.  Another quick project that will make your life easier!

Happy New Year! 7 Ways To Clear Clutter This Week

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I love the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but I also love the calm and clarity that follow.  Here are 7 ways I’m clearing clutter this week, give one or two or all seven a try!

  1. Return stuff to other people:  Hooray!  My kitchen counter is clean again!  Last week, it held a roasting pan, a pie pan, an instruction book for someone else’s gift, a holiday cookie tin and a few other random items, none of which belonged to me.  The tin was the last to go, but as of yesterday, everything is returned!
  2. Donation / Recycling Clutter:  Drop off donations and recyclables, or at least put the next charitable donation pick-up date on your calendar and plan to have a bag ready.  Then start filling that bag!!  We have a couple of bags already filled with donated Christmas decorations, toys and outgrown kid and adult clothes.
  3. Purge cardboard:  I feel like we’ve been swimming in shipping boxes and toy packaging.  The recycling bin filled up quickly over the holidays, but there’s more room this week!  Collect the boxes, break ’em down and lug ’em out.  You’ll be glad you did!
  4. Plan a Returns Day.  Place a shopping bag by the door.  As you go through your home and routines this week, look for the items you intend to return and place them and their receipt in the bag.  If you can’t find the receipt, spend a little time looking for it, but don’t get hung up on perfectionism.  Even if you can’t find the receipt, a smaller amount of store credit or cash back is better than holding on to an item you know you won’t use just because you can’t find the receipt.  Spend an afternoon, and run those errands to return the items.  Cha-ching, money in your pocket and the clutter goes away!
  5. Clear the Catalogs:  Clean off the coffee table, reading pile and kitchen counter.   Call the 800# on the back of the catalogs or go to www.Catalogchoice.net, and remove yourself from mailing lists.  Subscribe online, if you’d like, and you may get regular promotion notices and coupons.  To avoid email notices, skip the subscription, open your web browser, create a bookmark folder called “shopping”, bookmark the page in your browser, and add it to your shopping folder, then toss the catalog!
  6. Phone clutter:  Ugh!  I am tired of the solicitation calls on our home phone line!  Register all phone numbers (cell, too) with the National Do Not Call Registry at www.DoNotCall.gov, if you haven’t done so.  And this month I will answer all calls on the home line, and request that the caller remove me from their list, which they legally must do if we ask.
  7. E-Mail clutter:  I am happy that a few people un-subscribed last week.  As a blogger and newsletter writer, it should not make me happy, but I was proud of those 4 folks on my mailing list for deciding to let go of something that was not working for them. Good for them.  Of course, now that they have un-subscribed, they will never know that I applauded their efforts.  And remember, I welcome your suggestions and comments for improvement, to keep my content meaningful and useful for you.

Yeah, you!  Look around, you’re feeling lighter and looking better already!  Way to go!

The Day the Decorations Come Down!

It’s that time of year again, When the Christmas decorations come down!  Do yourself a favor for next year, and try these 5 ideas today:

  1. Permanently purge the stuff you did not use this year. We have a pile of items we have not used for a couple of years, and most will go away permanently, via donations or recycling.
  2. Invest in quality storage containers. Stackable, sturdy plastic, bug proof.  A client had pests in her storage area over the summer, and her boxes and favorite decorations were destroyed.  Water and moisture, mice and termites are just some of the threats to your treasures.  We use 18 gal. Rubbermaid or Sterilite containers.  Clear containers are great, too, and allow us to see what is inside, but clear ones can be more expensive than comparably sized containers.  Also available are containers made specifically to store ornaments.
  3. Tag your ornaments.  We received an ornament from a friend tagged with a label listing the date, her name and a wish for us. I love that idea, and will tag a few more this year myself!  Next year and for years to come, we can remember where our favorite ornaments came from and appreciate our friends anew.  This will also help on that day far in the future when I distribute ornaments to my sons as they start their own homes and families.
  4. Last-In First-Out Box.  In a recent blog, I mentioned my Last-In First-Out box, and a few of you asked me about that.  Here is the explanation:  In one well-labeled container, I place all the things that I use for the duration of the Christmas Season.  For example, around December 1, we put up just a few things, like our nativity scene, heirloom advent calendars and table runners.  Those are the first-out decorations, and the extent of our decorations until mid-December.  They are also the last items to go back into storage.  So we keep those few things that we use for all 6 weeks in their own container.  That way, I only have to grab one container to get us started, that same one stays open in the laundry room (the entrance to the crawl space) as we put things away, too,  and is placed on top of the pile until next December.
  5. Make some notes about this year to review next year. Here are a few of mine:
    1. More Christmas cards next years.  I underestimated our numbers, and had to reorder cards and buy more stamps before I could mail my business New Years cards.
    2. I noted our menu for the various meals we hosted, and party ideas that worked or not.
    3. I listed gift giving challenges and successes.
    4. I added “Christmas photos” to my October list, to print them sooner.  I love the collage photo cards now available.  I can use great parts of a number of photos instead of relying / waiting for one perfect (yeah, right) family photo.
    5. I have a spreadsheet, too, for my holiday planning, but I make these Christmas notes in a notebook, and they are personal and reflective, more like a journal to keep from year to year.

So, while your memories are still fresh, take a few minutes now to reflect on and savor your holiday season.  And take a few more to make next year’s holiday season even better!

Secrets for this Week: Goodness, Strengths and Action

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time_universe_6This week brings the Winter Solstice.  In this hemisphere, it will be the darkest time of the year, with the least amount of sunlight.  We may already feel the darkness in the regular stress of the holidays or in the turmoil happening in our world.

Peace of Mind is my business name, but also my purpose, to bring Peace of Mind to my clients, so here are 5 suggestions to help you through this busy, hectic and potentially dark week:

Put Goodness into the world.

There are people suffering out there, and I wish, oh how I wish, I could take away the pain.  But I can’t.  But there are things I can do.  I firmly believe, and am reminded daily,  that if we put Goodness out in the world, it will come back to us.  That is not the reason to put Goodness out there, though, just so it comes back to you.

We should consistently put Goodness into the world because it is needed, regardless of if it comes back to us or not.  We must keep the faith, be kind to others, hold on to hope and be the light in this dark week.   There are always glimmers of love, joy and hope, if we just keep our eyes open.

Lower your expectations.

Most weeks, my message includes “Of course you can!”.  And “Of Course You Can!” still holds.  However, Christmas is quickly approaching, so now is the time to get things done.  It may be time to lower your standards, ditch perfectionism and finish!

The first rule of organizing is “Don’t organize what doesn’t need organized!”.  If you are strapped for time, energy or resources this week, focus on what you absolutely have to do and let the rest go.  Looking around my garage last week, I noticed enough accumulated E-Waste to warrant a run to the recycling location in my town.  But do I need to go the week before Christmas?  No.  I stashed my Christmas decoration storage containers back in my crawl space, and recognized that I do need to tidy up in there and purge some stuff.  But not this week!

Stick with your strengths, and stick with what you know.

I like all of you, and sincerely want you to have all that you need.  I hope, for your sake, that you do not need a handmade gift from me.  That’s not going to happen.  No hand knit sweaters or scarves, not crafts of any kind.  I can sing you a song, I am very good.  And I can bake, oh boy, can I bake.  I stick with my strengths.  No handmade gifts.  It’s just better that way, trust me.

I was speaking to a client on the phone last week (hands free of course) when I drove past two Jewels to shop at my usual one.  She asked me “Why?”  My answer was “it’s quicker to stick with what I know”.  Stopping at a new store to fill a lengthy list takes a lot longer than driving the extra block to go to the store I know really well.  I can get through MY store very quickly, and I know the speedy checkers and baggers.

This is not the time to take up quilting, open up a wood shop or try new recipes for Christmas dinner.  Stick with your strengths, with the familiar, and save yourself time, energy and aggravation this week.

Keep your routines (if they are good) to maintain health and well-being.

Take your vitamins.  Take a nap.  Wear a scarf.  Drink lots of water.  Get good sleep.  Exercise if you can, meditate if you like.   Take the time to maintain your health and well-being.

What good will it do you to make it to the holidays with all the right gifts and foods and decorations if you are too sick or tired or miserable to enjoy them?  Eat healthy food, get some rest, stay hydrated.

Choose to Act.

All the planning in the world is nothing if you do not choose to act.  If we have enough energy to do other stuff while avoiding our work, then we have the energy to do our work.  But we have to choose to act.

So, what’s it going to be?  I am glad you read to the end, but now it is time to get moving!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a lovely week.

Holiday Planning Checklist: Week-by-Week

This from my 8 year-old last week…

“Mom, did you ever have the feeling that the clock is moving way too fast? I swear, it was 8:15 and 10 seconds later it was 8:23.”

Yes, sweetie, I’ve had that feeling.  All the time, actually!

I presented a Holiday Planning Class last week.  Giving that class always motivates me, too!  The most well received hand-out was the Holiday Planning Weekly Challenge.   I shared it with a client, too, and she couldn’t believe that preparing for the holidays could be that easy. I won’t say “easy”, but “simpler, less stressful and better prepared” sound pretty great.  Here are some suggestions to make your season better, tweak these suggestions to fit your life.

Week of November 19

  • Appreciate your friends and family members, and all the good things in your life.
  • Finalize Thanksgiving Menu
  • At Thanksgiving, tell or email family about upcoming Christmas concerts, children’s programs and parties
  • Pantry-shop to get rid of clutter, and stock up on cooking / baking  supplies
  • Hang outside lights, don’t turn them on
  • Plan Holiday Party:  dates, guests lists and menus, and choose invitation and RSVP deadlines
  • Buy multiples of your standard hostess gift, like nice wine or candles.  Make sure it’s something you use, in case you have extra left over
  • Encourage kids and adults to purge and donate
  • Heavy clean and de-clutter, or make some calls for assistance!

Week of November 26:

  • Stock up on gift certificates for teens, stocking stuffers, teachers etc.
  • Buy Stamps, while you can still get Holiday stamps!
  • Stock up on cooking and baking supplies
  • Complete your Christmas Card list, and confirm addresses (keep a copy for next year!)

Week of December 3:

  • Stock up on gift certificates, stamps, and cooking or baking supplies
  • Have Christmas photo taken, or start letter
  • Plug in or turn on Christmas lights
  • Complete out-of-town shopping / wrapping
  • Start Christmas shopping for local recipients
  • Find and clean holiday dishes and tins

Week of December 10:

  • Take out the “First Out” Box.  Our “First-Out” box is also our “Last In” box.  It contains the items that are used for the entire Advent and Christmas seasons for us, like our crèche, some children’s books, our Advent Wreath and candles, etc.
  • Continue to stock up on gift certificates, stamps and cooking and baking supplies (spread the costs out over several weeks)
  • Finish teacher gifts, like gift certificates and cards
  • Check decorations; donate any that will not be going up this year!
  • Start Cards
  • Ship all out-of-town packages
  • Complete Christmas Shopping
  • Holiday donations, service projects

Week of December 17:

  • Finalize Christmas Menu, who is bringing what
  • Decorate the house, and buy / set up the tree
  • Finish shopping and gift wrapping.  Load into labeled bags or boxes, one for each of your destinations
  • Start baking cookies
  • Mail out your Christmas Cards
  • Take a breath, and take a break.  The house is decorated, your gifts are bought and wrapped, cards are mailed, travel plans are completed, and donations are made.  Sit calmly in your living room, reveling in the beauty of your stress free holiday prep and beautiful decorations.  Go to a party or 2!

December 24, Christmas Eve:

  • Last minute baking / cooking for Christmas Eve
  • Family Christmas Eve traditions
  • Make ahead dishes for Christmas Dinner, if possible
  • Lay out outfits for Christmas morning Mass

Christmas:  Tuesday, December 25:  Enjoy!!!

Week after Christmas:

  • Invest in some sale priced Rubbermaid or Sterilite storage containers
  • Put your decorations away by category and label the container
  • Remember to put your “Last In” away last, so you can grab it first next December!

Take steps now to make your holidays more peaceful and enjoyable!

Beat The End-Of-Vacation Blues

Image       We got home yesterday from camp.  Two sons were gone for two weeks, and one son and I were gone for one week.   For the month leading up to camp we plan and dream and get excited, and we have a really great time while we’re there.  So we’re sad when it is over, and that sadness is compounded by the realities of ending a vacation; by 9 am on check-out day, I need to pack up a week’s worth of stuff and clean my little cabin in the woods, then drive 10 minutes up the road and pick up the tired, slightly smelly Boy Scouts with all their gear.  Then we drive 3 hours for home.

I’ve read blogs and tips recently for planning your vacation, but no one seems to talk about organizing the end of your trip.  So let me be the first!

Before you leave:

  1. Tidy up the house and finish all the laundry. Check out these two blogs on the topic: “Did You Remember to Pack the …..”  and “Going Away Checklist” .
  2. Leave yourself frozen meals, or restaurant gift certificates to use upon your arrival (better yet, carry the number to the pizza place and gift certificates with you and pick up dinner on your way home!).

While still on vacation:

  1. Use a laundry bag while on vacation, to keep the clean and dirty separated.
  2. Pack your stuff and luggage (and car, if you’re driving) with unpacking in mind.  Put similar items together.  Put your toiletries in one large bag, and that bag goes straight to the bathroom to be      unloaded.  Our dirty laundry was in two large bags placed right inside the door of my van, to schlep to the laundry room ASAP.

Upon Arrival Home:

  1. Unload the car all the way.  Yes, all the way.  Dirty laundry, apple cores and fast food wrappers really stink after a day.  And it’s easier to get back into the swing of things when stuff is where it belongs.
  2. Start the first of many loads of laundry. My hubby is the coolest, and has been doing laundry for the last 24 hours.

Within a day:

  1. Unpack all your bags and put your stuff way.  Living in chaos makes the end-of-vacation blues even worse.  Yes, put it all away.
  2. Clean out your luggage, vacuum it (I think we brought a pound of sand home from camp!) and let it air for a day or two.  Then store other luggage inside, and put it all away.  Yes, away.
  3. Keep your travel toiletry bag in your bathroom or linen closet, to collect samples and items for next time.

A day or two after:

  1. If you are gone for more than a week, give yourself an extra day at the end of your trip for catching up, doing laundry and generally easing back into real life.  If there is a time difference between home and your vacation destination, expect a day or two to re-adjust for sleeping and bedtimes, too.
  2. Lower your standards for a couple of days, too, sticking with survival mode and the essentials, and slowly easing back into your normal pace.

Finally, make a point to print up those photos, remember your good vacation times and chat about it with loved ones.  Don’t let the end-of-vacation blues taint your good memories!

3 Tips: Frozen Dough, Favorite Cookies and Creative Gift Giving

I love to bake, and I love to share what I bake.

I learned how to bake from my Mom, and I bake a lot for my Dad.  My Dad is a great guy, but is, shall we say, difficult to shop for.  He encourages creative gift-giving, which is tough when he is the guy who truly has everything he needs.  But it just so happens, he loves cookies.  So last year for Father’s Day, I researched Cookie of the Month Clubs.  There are few out there, but they all cost A LOT for a few cookies.  Then I realized that my cookies are better than most, so my gift to him was a list of our top 10 favorite cookies, with optional raisin and nuts, and a batch of homemade cookies of his choosing shipped to him every month.  He really likes the gift, so much so that he asked me to renew the offer this year.

     So, Tip # 1 for the day is to think outside the box, or in this case, inside the oven, when it comes to gift-giving.  This is the season for graduations and wedding, so be creative when you think about your friends and family, and consider what they really want may be some of your time or talents, and not just $$ or a gift in a box (thought those are lovely, too!!).

At the same time I was baking today, a reader responded to my recent menu planning blogs and reminded me of a fabulous cookie-related tip that I just had to share!  I often suggest this tip around the holidays, but as this reader proves, it is a great idea all year around!

From Laura:  “As I was making cookies for my teenage son and his friends yesterday, I thought it would be a good idea to cook half of the cookies and make the remaining batter into frozen pucks like the ones we purchase for fundraisers, to use later.  I also thought it might be a good idea to put the dough in mini muffin tins while they freeze, to help with consistency of size and shape. Freezing the dough also helps eliminate the temptation of mom eating the cookies!  Next time the boys are over, it will be easy to bake up a couple dozen fresh, homemade cookies.”

     Tip #2, I suggest taking cookies all the way to ready to bake on the cookie sheet, but pop them in the freezer instead of oven.  Once frozen, place in a freezer bags then bake as needed, no need to thaw.  A few caveats:  do not tell your family that there are frozen dough balls in the freezer.  And store them in an opaque container, labeled something un-interesting or even undesirable like “beef tongue” or “brussel sprouts” if you want them to stay around for a while.  🙂

And Tip #3 is the actual recipe for our current favorite cookie, here is the link: The Traditional Nestle Oatmeal Scotchie Recipe and our secret is adding 1 ½ cups dried cherries to the dough with the morsels.

Thanks to Laura for sharing her idea, and I hope you try and enjoy the cookies!

The recipe below, from the Nestle Website:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
  • 3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
  • 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ®  TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels
  • OUR ADDITION, 1 1/2 c. dried cherries.

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION:  Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.