Tag: Evergreen Park

Be Peaceful and Relax With Me This Week

Reposted, original post 12.26.2011.

Can I move to the UK? Or Canada? Just for the day? I am writing this on December 26th, and my original first line quipped “my annual Boxing Day dilemma” and that I would have to look up to actually see what Boxing Day is. So I did. And, as God would have it, Boxing Day is exactly what I needed!   My dilemma was about how to spend my day, relaxing or taking care of business.   For once, relaxing won!

In other countries and cultures, the day after Christmas is reserved for relaxing and spending time with family, eating party leftovers, being thankful for what you have and giving generously to those in need. How awesome is that?

I struggle daily with two opposites: feeling compelled to constant work and motion, versus feeling the need to relax and recharge. The titles of the saved emails in my in-box this morning were indicative of these two opposites: “You-time is vital to survival”, “Take back your weekend”, “Take time off this Christmas time” on the one hand; “Productivity during the Holidays”, “Strategic Planning for the New Year!” and “Head Start Week for Businesses (using this last week of the year to get ready for strategy and organizing for next year)” on the other.

Work and motion always win. I spent the last three days lovingly and happily working hard to extend hospitality with a clean home and lovely meals, and making sure Christmas wishes came true. I cantored Christmas morning Mass (a great joy of mine), spent time with wonderful people, had some emotional ups and downs around great joy and tragedy and loss, received lovely gifts and counted my blessings.

I am sharing this not for props, but to explain why I am very tired today. So, friends, if you also struggle between work and rest, let me suggest that this week both you and I allow relaxing and re-charging to win for a change.

One of the blogs I follow states relaxation is vital to survival, an opportunity to replenish “the well”, to regain the energy we have expended and prepare us for tomorrow.  For me, today’s relaxation included sleeping in and staying in my fuzzy robe for a while, looking at lots of Legos, reading a magazine, catching up with a good friend far away and going to the movies with my family.  I believe there will be more movie watching and vegging out later this evening if I hide the remote control now….. ok, done.

I find it difficult to do nothing, so I also cleaned out my in-boxes, tidied up my house, re-pledged to healthy eating and taking my vitamins, and did some strategic planning for next year. I find positive energy replenishing, so I enjoyed these things, too!  And I did it all while wearing jammies and drinking coffee or tea from my wonderful new Keurig, my gift from my even more wonderful husband.

So, take a breath this week, take a break, and replenish your energy to prepare for the new year. If you need me, I’ll be eating leftover cheesecake for dinner and playing Wii games with my family.  Smiling all the way.

Christmas Dinner: Food and Guests Rule

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     When I blogged about menu planning a few weeks ago, my message was about saving time and money.   For special occasions, though, we want to make a meal to delight our guests.  For those events, we focus on the guests, the food and the presentation. 

     Menu planning is always a help, making impressive meals easier!  The process is similar, regardless of the focus of your meals. 

  1. Start with cleaning up your kitchen, cleaning out the fridge and clearing some work space!
  2. Consider your guests, family traditions and other logistics.  For example, I need to make sure there are ample veggie options for the vegetarians coming to Christmas dinner, and someone in the family does not onions.  We also have a Christmas Birthday in the house, so we always have birthday cake for dessert!  Logistically, count guests and plan your servings accordingly.   Remember it’s better to have leftovers than not enough.
  3. Make your menu.  Determine if and what anyone else is contributing to the meal.  Let those folks bringing items know what time dinner will be, so they know when to arrive and can determine if their dish needs to come hot or cold to your meal.
  4. Look at your recipes, check what you have on hand and make your grocery list.  Shop at least a few days ahead of time, so you can start your prep, though you may have to run out for forgotten items or last-minute purchases.  Our menu for Christmas, and my grocery items and notes in parentheses, are as follows:
    1. Ham with glaze (my MIL brings the ham, buy cranberry sauce and marmalade for the glaze, I have the rest)
    2. Baked sweet potatoes (MIL will bring)
    3. Baked or mashed potatoes (have)
    4. Biscuits (have)
    5. corn casserole (a family favorite, check sour cream, I have the rest of ingredients)
    6. green bean amandine or Christmas (petite) peas with lemon zest (buy veggie, and almonds or lemon)
    7. A pear, walnut and pomegranate spinach salad I am cobbling together from 2 recipes, choosing my favorite parts of each.  (here is one, Kraft special spinach salad, the other is from FamilyCircle.com) Should be very pretty and colorful on the table.
    8. Turtle brownies for the birthday boy (buy cake mix and caramel, have condensed milk)
    9. Cheese cake with raspberry sauce (have most ingredients, buy graham crackers and frozen raspberries)
  5. I really love cooking a big holiday meal for my family.  But it takes time in the kitchen on those special days, so I do as much as possible ahead so I can still enjoy my guests.  I can do the following a day or 2 before:
    1. Clean out fridge
    2. Make glaze
    3. Scrub potatoes
    4. Shred cheese for biscuits
    5. Sugar walnuts
    6. Bake desserts, make raspberry sauce
    7. Ice / chill wine and beer
    8. Check table linens
  6. One of my favorite tips:
    1. Wash serving dishes and roasting pan ahead of time, leave them on the counter.   
    2. Write item name on a card (or click here to see my porcelain cards) and leave card on corresponding serving dishes;
    3. Place serving dishes on server or table to make sure there is room for everything.
    4. Helpful guests can place the items in the correct dishes with the correct cards.  Let others help you!!
  7. Check the cook times on your items, then move back from your dinner time to determine when items go in the oven to have them all done at the same time.  For example: 
    1. (4 hours prior) Bake Ham
    2. (90 minutes prior) Bake sweet and regular potatoes (or mash them)
    3. (75 minutes prior) Assemble and bake corn casserole
    4. (half hour prior, take out ham to make room) Bake biscuits
    5. (Last half hour) Steam and assemble vegetable, assemble salad, set table

     What are you doing for Christmas Dinner?  And what can you do ahead of time to make things go more smoothly?  Use menu planning to make a great Christmas Dinner for your guests, while allowing you a chance to get out of the kitchen to enjoy them!  Merry Christmas!

Even Rock Stars have To-Do lists

In December 2011, when this article was originally published, one of John Lennon’s To-Do lists went up for auction.  To paraphrase, it listed “buy different marmalade”, “talk to [famous person] regarding a certain book”, “talk to the cable guy”, etc. 

I liked thinking about the universality of To-Do lists.  We all have stuff to do, even when we’re rich and famous.  Of course, John Lennon’s list was given to his assistant to complete, but I still like thinking about it. 

     My regular To-Do list is lengthy, but add in Christmas tasks and my head reels!  So, use these tips to make progress this busy week, short of hiring an assistant! 

  1. Write everything down.  Don’t assume you will remember later. 
    • If I am really busy, nothing derails me faster than my own brain.  If I waste time on indecision or whirling thoughts, or I fear I forgot something, I am not acting on those necessary To-Dos. 
    • I use technology, but sometimes I still like to write things down on paper.  As I go through my morning routine, get the kids ready or do the dishes, I jot literally every thought that occurs to me down.  This morning’s list reads 1. Tina, 2. Bob, 3. Jenny, 4. Joe Re: his mom, 5. re-print music list for mass, and 6. peanut butter cups.
    • The first 4 are emails I need to send, the 5th is a quick task, and the 6th is something that I need to put on my grocery list.   I write thoughts down so I can continue what I am doing without distraction.  Then when I am ready to get to real business, I use my list to see what I need to do.
  2. Break big tasks into little steps:
    • Every task represents an action or a list of actions.  For example, “Bake cookies” really means find recipes, check cabinets, make grocery list, go shopping, clean off kitchen counter and then bake cookies. 
    • Some of those smaller steps can be done between bigger ones, like clean off the counter when you do the dishes in the morning, check recipes while the kids do their homework, check cabinets while making dinner, make grocery list on the train to work, etc. 
  3. Maintain focus:
    • Once you have determined a reasonable list for the day, stick with it.  For example, “inventory baking supplies and add needed things to grocery list” can end up as “spend 7 hours emptying all the cabinets, make a really big mess, get overwhelmed and either throw away too much or stuff it all back in the cabinets”.  Oh, and never making the grocery list.
    • So refer back to the list regularly to make sure you’re on track.  Applaud yourself for small victories, and move on to the next task.
    • Try setting a timer and powering through as many of the little tasks as possible in say, 20 minutes.
  4. Make a January list:
    • While putting away laundry the other day, I was frustrated at the state of my tween’s t-shirt drawer.  I need to go through the shirts, and purge a bunch.  BUT NOT TODAY!
    • So that’s on the January list, along with “purge and pack the decorations” “tidy up the crawl space” and “organize the furnace room”.  All are important, but none are vitally important today or even this month, so they don’t deserve my attention right now.
  5. Take care of yourself.  Eat to fuel your body and mind before action.  Try to get enough rest (though speaking with a friend last week about our To Do lists, we both said “Sleep is overrated!!).  Seriously though, you can’t do anything if you get too tired or run-down. 
  6. Keep it fun:  stop for a pumpkin spice latte, sing along loudly to Christmas carols in the car, ride the grocery cart back to your car.  These are the holidays, after all!  Enjoy!

Want to see John Lennon’s list?  Click here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/nov/28/john-lennon-to-do-list

Also of note, during the same NPR broadcast where I heard about John Lennon’s To-Do list, Johnny Cash’s To-Do list: was also mentioned:  http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/lists-of-note

How Can You NOT Menu Plan?

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A woman next to me at the grocery last week admired my organized list.  I mentioned how we always post a list on the refrigerator so we can note when we run out of something, and how the list is handy when it comes to menu planning.  Which naturally led to “Menu planning?  What is that?”  I’ve menu planned for so long, I honestly don’t recall how Not to menu plan.  It is so easy, essential and helpful, I don’t know folks survive without it, especially during this busy time of year!

So, make a calendar of this week and note any special events or scheduling issues.  Then think about what food you have on hand and what you want for dinner this week.   For example,

  • Sunday:  Dinner with friends, take a side dish
  • Monday: home day, Make Soup
  • Tuesday: volleyball game, left-overs
  • Wednesday: Taco!
  • Thursday: Home early, grill chicken
  • Friday: tournament / scouts, Pizza?
  • Saturday: Party

Why should you menu plan this time of year?

Save money and make space.  Menu planning helps you use what you have and make room in the cabinets or freezer for baking or party food.  Make space, buy less, waste less!  Once you make your plan, you may find you don’t need to go shopping!

    1. Plan your leftovers.  I’m home today and have time to make soup, so I am turning a frozen turkey carcass into turkey noodle soup by dinner (hmmmm, I think I can say I have never used the word “carcass” in a blog before!).
    2. Sunday I’ll make a ham, then dice the leftovers for chef salad and a carbonara pasta sauce next week.  I also made extra cheese sauce the other day, to be used on pasta one day next week when we are really busy!

Save time.

    1. Don’t go to the grocery unless you have to!
    2. I can put a roast, soup or stew in the crock pot at 7 am, ignore it all day, and still have dinner ready at 5 pm.  I typically have more food prep time in the morning than I do after school, so this works out well for us.  But making dinner at 7 am requires a plan!
    3. Plan your prep:  I have a great tray that makes it easy to bring veggies and dip to holiday parties.   I peel and cut lots of veggies all at once, then use them for 3 or 4 parties, plus in recipes at home.  And now my sons are old enough to help with the washing and peeling!

Provide good nutrition and peace of mind.

    1. When the weather turns colder and the schedules heat up, we all tend to catch colds.  Good nutrition helps us stay well and keep our energy up for holiday fun and activities.  We eat better and better-for-us food with menu planning.
    2. My oldest son thanked me recently for NOT relying on fast food to feed him and his brothers, even when we’re busy (I was floored, right?!).  He and I agree that fast food is convenient, but we are not used to the grease and carbs and don’t particularly like the taste.

So, as I finished this, I got up and put the diced-last-week carrots, celery and onions in my soup pot. Now I’ll edit it, send it for publication, and get cracking on cleaning out my fridge and freezer and putting together the rest of my menu plan.  Give yourself the gift of time and menu and a little sanity, and give menu planning a try this week!

How About “Cookie Tuesday”?

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday.  May I suggest “Cookie Tuesday”?  It’s time to bake!

     First things first, check your recipes.  Pull out your favorites, and maybe one or two new ones.  (If you are looking for inspiration, you can purchase my friend Chef Kate’s cookbook “It’s Magic” from the Evergreen Park Public Library.) Know your limits, and be realistic.  Don’t try to make 20 different kinds, stick with what you do well,

      Ask yourself whose tradition is it anyway?  Growing up, my mom always rolled out and cookie-cuttered cookies with frosting every year.  My boys and I tried that one year, but they weren’t too interested, so we let it go.  I tried Oreo truffles, too, and while they were delicious, they were a lot of work, so I let those go, too.  Christmas Eve lemon bars are a special tradition with my oldest son, though, so they stay!

      Make Your Plan.  Do you want to bake all at once, or in bits and pieces?  We used to have a big holiday baking event over Thanksgiving weekend.  I have lovely memories of those events, but schedules have gotten more complicated.  Now I bake a few batches on the weekend, and a batch a day during dinner preparation until I’m done.  One batch at a time feels more do-able for me.  Choose for yourself!

      Check your recipes, then your supplies and dishes, too, and make your shopping list.  Buy the real stuff.  Real vanilla, real butter and actual eggs (right VH?).  For flavor and texture and gift giving, yes, it is worth it.  If something is costly to purchase or cumbersome to store, like special pans (Bundt cake, CK?) or expensive spices, borrow, swap or share from friends or family members. 

      Clear your counters.  My kitchen is small and I need to maximize my work space.  My largest counter is clear at all times, and the other ones, too, if I can manage it.   Kitchens are usually for work, not for show, and they have enough personality on their own.  Limit the canisters, decorative jars, clutter, etc. 

      Shop alone.  My kids are helpful, but they give new meaning to “impulse purchases”.  Stick with your baking supplies shopping list.  Now is not the time to stock up for the next month.  Some specialty items are expensive or hard to find, so purchase just what you need.

     For actual baking, enlist aid – my kids are great sous chefs these days.  They can dice and chop and unwrap hundreds of chocolate kisses, so I get their help and we have fun. 

     Prepare your cookies all the way to baking, but pop them in the freezer instead of the oven.  Once frozen, store them in a freezer bag, and bake as needed.  No thawing necessary, just add a minute or two to bake time. This only works if your husband is not aware of this or doesn’t eat raw dough, like mine does!  If you are shipping cookies, pack them as soon as they cool. Freeze the packaged cookies until you are ready to ship them.

     Happy Baking!  and if you have extra cookies lying around, remember the friendly organizer who gave you good tips
(gingerbread is my favorite:)!

Sleep Advice From A Recovering Insomniac

Poor sleep makes us overwhelmed, unmotivated and unfocused.  Being well rested makes good time management and organization possible.  So here is what I have learned, from an organizer’s point of view, on my journey to a good night’s sleep.

     I love to snuggle down for a good night’s sleep, especially this chilly time of year.  But sometimes good sleep eludes us, for a host of reasons.  I have never fallen asleep easily, and there have been times in my life where it has been nearly impossible.  My hubby kindly observed that I am a stickler for good sleep habits in my kids because I don’t want them to suffer from insomnia like I did, and he’s right.  I encourage good sleep habits in all of us, to help my kids now and later in life.

Tidy up your bedroom for better sleep:

     The National Sleep Foundation tells us that people who make their beds daily are more likely to sleep well every night, and 71 percent of us sleep better in a fresh-smelling bedroom.  In addition, a cluttered room reminds us of unfinished tasks, whereas a calm and uncluttered room helps us relax.  Closing closet doors and dresser drawers further soothes us.

     We sleep best in a cool-not-cold, dark (no bright alarm clocks!), and quiet (but not too quiet, I like a little white noise) room.  Limit the use of your bedroom to sleep and relaxation.  No distractions.  No computer, no TV (yes, really), no treadmill or workout equipment, no unfinished work or unfolded laundry.   Sleep and relaxation, That’s It!

Good Sleep Hygiene:

     Go to bed and get up the same time every day.  I won’t tell you to get your full 8 hours, since some adults need less and some need even more.  Adjust your bedtime and wake time to where you fall asleep when you go to bed, and awake rested, sometimes without the alarm clock.  And try to stay close to your target bedtime and wake time even on weekends and vacations.

Put your brain to rest: 

     A favorite tip to clients and friends is to keep a notebook and pen (I have a pen that lights up!) at the bedside to jot down stray thoughts for the next day.  Anxiety and a cluttered mind can interfere with falling asleep.

Organize Your Home for Better Rest:

     You will be spending lots of time indoors soon, so make your home cozy and soothing for the colder nights ahead: 

  • Assemble cozy blankets and candles in the rooms where you spend your evenings.
  • Set up a tray for tea and hot chocolate-making in the kitchen, to make it easier for you to have a soothing hot beverage (this is one of my kids’ favorite parts of colder weather!).
  • Turn down the lights in the evening, to remind your body it is time to sleep.  Strategically place lamps to light your rooms, turn off the bright overhead lights!

 Sweet dreams!

Got Kids? or a Spouse? Organize Together!

     This Article is dedicated to 3 friends, L., K. & A.  I started this as an “Organize your kid’s bedroom” article in response to a request from L.  Thanks to K. and A.,  I realized today that the same suggestions I have for organizing with kids would work for organizing with other adults, too! (Perhaps your Spouse? Parent? Sibling? Who knows?!)

     I also tried something new this week, posting visuals on my Pinterest page, so click here for more inspiration!  http://pinterest.com/colleencpo/kid-s-storage-ideas/

So, friends, here are your answers!

  1. Organize WITH your loved one, to get their input, their cooperation and to transfer organizing skills.  Yes, it may take longer, but they need to know where things belong, and to learn how to organize for themselves.  However, and you don’t need to tell them this, keep in mind the few things you may come back for and dispose of permanently, after the fact.
  2. Recognize your differences.
    1. We see trash, they see treasure.  We’re both right.  But you can’t just throw away their treasure. 
    2. You and your loved one may have different learning styles.  You are both right, but may have different ideas.  Respect both. 
    3. Our children and loved ones are constantly evolving, as are their interests and their stuff.  What is important now may need to move to make way for other things in 6 months or a year.   (Another friend called it “keeping it lean” to describe the clutter control in her daughter’s very small room.  She keeps only what is for current interests and purges the rest!) 
  3. Start with the easy stuff: dirty clothes, dirty dishes (though these shouldn’t be in there in the first place!!).  And start small. If the whole room is overwhelming to both of you, plan on tackling just the dresser or closet or bookshelves today.  Conquer that, then move on to the next area.  Set a timer, and you both get to take a break when the timer goes off.  Then back to work!
  4. Always have a destination in mind for items to purge.  Options include elsewhere in your home, give to family, donate to charity or local non-profits like the Library or sell (Game Crazy or Play It Again Sports).
    1. Discussing respect and taking care of stuff, one of my cub scouts said he “recycles some of his toys this time of year to make room for new things and to help the kids who don’t have any toys.  So sweet, and so true!
  5. Keep the process objective and unemotional.  Try “I read an article / Mrs. Klimczak / my Professional Organizer suggested we spend some time organizing the bedroom.  We can make some space by clearing out outgrown summer clothes, off season clothes and sport equipment, etc.  This makes room for new items you’ll get for Christmas.”  (Sounds better than what we want to say, “Ugh, that’s it!  We’re throwing everything out!”)
  6. Show your loved one the benefits of being organized.  Just last week, I taught organizing to 45 elementary students.  During the class, we talked a lot about the benefits of organizing.  
    1. For example, “Cleaning out your closet and drawers of clothes you don’t wear makes it easier to find your favorites / get dressed in the morning / get to practice on time. “
    2. Or “When we organize our hobby stuff, like baseball cards or jewelry making supplies, we make sure not to lose or break them.  Then we can find what we need when we need it.”
    3. Or “You really love your Nintendo DS / cell phone / IPod / Ninjago figures (I have sons).  Let’s create a spot for them so you can always find them.”
  7. Every Kid’s room should have:
    1. High shelves for display of childhood treasures, trophies, etc.
    2. Low shelves for books and toys, low so they can reach them and put things away.
    3. A dresser they can access, safely open and close all drawers.
    4. Closet space for hanging clothes.  We hang school clothes in the closet on hangers.  High closet shelf storage is great for off-season clothes, childhood treasures in clear, well labeled boxes.
    5. Lots and lots of hooks (like command hooks) for hats, accessories, medals, belts, etc., hung low for easy access.  Your children may be vertically challenged, so their storage solutions should be down on their level!
    6. Under bed storage for bedding, small toys in bins, off-season clothes, etc.

Organizing can be fun, and it is always useful!  Organize with your family members to make your home more livable, and teach each other a few things while you are at it!

 

Clear Clutter for National Recycling Week

This week is National Recycling Week.  Make a conscious decision to free your self and home from clutter while benefiting others and the environment.  Clear your house for Fall, for the Holidays or just because!

     Recycling goes way beyond the bags you put out with the trash every week.  It means re-using or re-distributing stuff, and almost everything is recyclable or reusable.  Recycling is the right thing to do.  It cuts consumption of energy and resources, saves money, keeps stuff out of landfills and toxins out of the water supply.  Looking at 5 common clutter challenges, here is how to make Recycling the easy thing to do, too:

Clothes and Donations:  I bet you have bags of donation clothes in the closet, by the door, in the laundry room or in your trunk.  Cast-off clothes and donations are easy clutter elimination and the ultimate recycling.  You may have designated stuff to donate or give to others, but it is still cluttering up your home.  Load up your trunk and drop off those bags of clothes / shoes / books / whatever.  Then come home, take a breath, appreciate the clearer space, then get back to work!

Returns are also a form of recycling since returning items you won’t use keeps stuff in circulation instead of letting it stagnate in your trunk or closet.   Take returns back to their stores, put some money back in your pocket, and revel in the clear space. 

Plastic and Paper Shopping Bags:  Got bags?  Under the kitchen sink, in the laundry room, on a hook by the door?  Working with a client recently in a small storage space we ended with 6 bags of plastic grocery bags to be recycled.  As an organizer, a problem I have with bags in general is that you can’t stack them or see inside, which make them a terrible way to store stuff.

     Keep a dozen plastic bags, and maybe 2 dozen if you happen to have a pet and need the bags for dog walks, etc.  Take the rest back to your local grocery store for recycling.  Re-use plastic bags as packing material or to re-line your messy garbage cans.  They’re also great for organizing projects – write “trash”, “recycle” and “donate” on 3 with a Sharpie, stand them up, and have the kids fill all three on cleaning day.  When they’re full, take action on the stuff in the bags, then fold them up and keep them for the next project!

     Get used to carrying your own shopping bags.  I always carry one small one in my handbag for most of my shopping stops, and for bigger trips, I keep my reusable bags where I need them, bundled in the car.

 Boxes and Cardboard:   Take a peek in your garage, attic, basement or hall closet.  Recycle those empty cardboard boxes and open up some storage space!

     Last week, I cleaned out our basement Holiday closet where we store Halloween and Easter decorations;  Halloween costumes; gift wrap and extra shipping boxes; and purchased gifts.  It was looking neglected, to say the least!  So I put away the Halloween decorations and costumes, purged a dozen extra cardboard boxes, and broke down the keepers to store them flat instead of assembled.   There’s lots of space now!

Electronics:  Many towns have E-waste recycling available now, for old computers, TVs, DVD players, etc. Check with your municipality to see what’s available near you.

Junk Drawer Contents:  As your professional organizer, I will let you have a junk drawer.  JUST one.  So, let me guess what is in your junk drawer… Dead batteries, old eyeglasses, dried up pens, broken crayons, pennies, random photos, household tools and repair items, expired coupons and take-out menus, twist ties and rubber bands, empty toner cartridges, scotch tape, old cell phones, pop tabs.  Sound familiar?

  Dedicate a use for each drawer, like office supplies or couponing or tools and hardware or kid’s crafts, so it is less likely to become a junk drawer.  Label it to make it easier to remember and maintain.  Almost every item I listed above can be Recycled or re-used.  Old batteries to Home Depot or Walgreens.  Eyeglasses to your local Lion’s Club.  See your old apple phone back to Apple for recycling and credit towards your next purchase. Sorting a junk drawer with your kids can be a great teachable moment.  Show them how to sort stuff, toss the trash, and organize what is left. 

      Use National Recycling Week to help your home by clearing clutter, and help the planet by doing it responsibly!

(c) Copyright 2011          M. Colleen Klimcak, CPO

Is Your Routine Stuck In A Rut?

     I talk about Routines often, OK, all the time.  Why?  Because Routines are great! Creating a Routine helps us prioritize and order our necessary tasks.  Sticking with our Routine takes care of regular maintenance items.  Routines free us from time-wasting decision-making.  They are vitally important to our every day success.

     However… there is a darker side of routines.  Buried in “Routine” is “rut”.  As in, “When we do the same thing over and over again, we can get stuck in a rut”.  We can lose sight of Why we do what we do, and then our routine starts to run us, instead of the other way around.  Sometimes, we have to look at our current practices and make sure they’re working for us.  And if they aren’t, it’s time for a change.

How do you know your current Routine works?

  • You feel comfortable with your schedule most days.  Even when you are busy, you don’t worry that you are forgetting a task or appointment.
  • You allow for flexibility in your schedule, to accommodate travel time between appointments, special events or requests, spontaneity and minor emergencies.  Then you get back on track.
  • You can easily explain your time management practices to others.
  • You get things done. 
  • You have time for work, relationships, hobbies or passions, etc. 
  • You are good with deadlines and appointments, and you are on-time most of the time.

      If you are wincing at any of the above questions, it’s time to re-assess your time management and Routine. 

 “How’s that working for ya?”     

     I’ve been working with a client who struggles to complete tasks. I suggested she use a planner and to-do lists to help her get things done.  She asked me Why she had to make a change?, because she really did not want to.  As her professional organizer, my obvious answer went something like “well, let’s see, life without a planner or lists – how’s that working for ya?”

             If you are missing deadlines, forgetting or re-running errands, spending more money than you need to, or feeling overwhelmed and out of control at least once a day, your current practices are not working, and YES, it is time to re-assess your time management and Routines.  I know new practices may seem intimidating, but soon they will be routine, too.    

     Do you know the story of the Frog and the hot water?  The adage says that if you put a frog in hot water, he will jump right out.  But if you put the frog in cold water then slowly heat the water, he’ll not jump out, and will boil.  We notice an abrupt problem, but not always a gradual decline.  

Don’t Boil the Frog, or yourself.  Review then re-commit to your routine regularly.   

      Lately, I have not stuck with my own Routine components of 1.  getting in the shower upon waking (very important for me to get in early, so I can get my boys up and ready for school); 2.  taking my vitamins every day (I feel so much better when I do the right thing); and 3. exercising (also, so important and usually the first thing I abandon when the schedule gets busy).  So I need to get back to all three of those things, and I started this morning. 

     I also realized that the things I have let slide are for my own health, and since it is bad when Mom gets sick as there is no one left to tend the family, I am also committing to completing the vitamins / exercise / weight watchers log-in tasks by 10 am every day. 

      If you notice things slipping, make sure the task that is slipping is still important, and then spend a few days focusing on completing that task until it again becomes Routine. 

Break Your Own Rules:  occasionally break your routine to get non-routine tasks done.

      Last Thursday, I realized that my regular routine was not allowing a couple of really important projects to get done, so I ditched the Routine and powered through those important things just to get them done and into someone else’s hands.  Then I caught up with my regularly scheduled life.    

     If I find that I am regularly breaking out of my daily Routine just to get things done, then I have to ask myself 2 questions:  1.  Do I allow enough time in my daily schedule and Routine to get all my tasks done?  And if not, 2. Do I need to reconfigure how I spend my time?  Which leads me to….

 Life Changes, and so should your Routine. 

     Our schedule has gotten crazy lately with 3 boys in 3 sports, in addition to everything else we do.  I love that my boys are involved in sports, but our 3-7 pm block of time, the time I usually use to make dinner, catch up on paper work, make client calls and take care of home business is now spent at games. 

     I recognize this fact, and have consciously decided to let Routine slide on some days to get business tasks like billing and writing done. I assure myself that volleyball season is fleeting, and in 6 weeks, when all is done, I’ll be sad it is over.  For now, though, forgive me if I respond to your phone call or email from the bleacher seats (thank goodness for my smart phone)!

            Sometimes changes are more long-term, not just a sport season but for life, like a new baby, new job or retirement, etc..  Use that transition time to reflect on your daily tasks and determine how to make things get done, around your new schedule. 

     So, Routines are the best time management tool ever, but even the best tool needs occasional adjustment.  Be aware of how you spend your time, and how you want to spend your time, and make sure the two match up!

Favorite Party Organizing Ideas

     We had a birthday party (for me!) a few weeks ago, and I had some time while tidying up to think about my favorite party organizing tips.  So here they are, my gift to you:

  1. Pantry shop (def.: use up what you have on hand and try not to grocery shop) for a few weeks before your party, to clear up stuff and make room.
  2. Clear the decks:  My counters are always cleared off, but even more so before a party because I tend to need every spare inch of flat space for prep, assembly and serving. 
  3. Make it easy for folks to help you (should they offer), or at least easier on you:  Cake plates, spoons and forks, serving items and ice cream scoopers, plus matches for the birthday candles are always set out on a counter before a birthday party, so you or a helper can grab everything when it comes time for Cake!
  4. Embrace your party food leftovers:  we eat leftovers at least for a couple of days, we love that!  We also spread some around, though, for example:  a class participant suggested keeping a stash of used margarine tubs and take-out containers for distributing party leftovers to party-goers as they leave the party.  She doesn’t mind not getting those containers back.
  5. Clean up when the guests leave.  Yes, right away.  Trust me.  You are still awake and alert, you can load the dishwasher and clean up surfaces tonight, and have clean dishes by the time you wake up.  My wonderful hubby and I have been throwing parties together now for more than 17 years.  He starts the dishes, I collect all food and stuff from around the house, he continues to clean the kitchen, I clean up the floors and put the furniture back where it belongs.   The house is back to normal in an hour.  I would hate to wake up to a still messy house and kitchen the day after a party, that would put a dark cloud on the memories of an otherwise lovely event. 
  6. Revel in your party-clean house.  I buy fresh-cut flowers and light candles for parties, so we enjoy them and the extra shiny party-clean house for many days after. 
  7. Lower your standards the day after:  My birthday party was a lovely evening, very relaxed and fun, and it made me realize yet again how blessed I am by my family and friends.  The next day we got up and got to Mass at our regular time, but after that… well, I admit, we were very tired and did very little for the rest of the day.  We relaxed, watched TV, ate leftovers and generally slugged out.  It was also lovely. 
  8. We can learn from every experience, so I also like to review what worked at a party and what could work better.
    1. I am committed to cutting our paper plate usage for sit-down dinners, right now I can comfortably seat and serve up to 20.  I am tempted to get 4 more sets of dishes and flatware, to give us 24, but we’ll wait and see.
    2. Buy or borrow?  I have a very small 4-cup coffee maker, and as I’m the only coffee drinker here, 360 days a year that is enough.  It becomes a challenge for parties, though.  So three possible solutions – buying a bigger coffee maker for once-in-a-while or a bigger coffee carafe so I can brew little pots all morning and save up, or borrowing one of the first two options.  Now, I just need to figure out how to make weaker coffee so my parents will actually drink it…
    3. Buy or borrow?  I have 4 13×9 inch baking dishes, and until a party last spring, that has always been enough.  I plan to borrow more or use disposable, if I ever need more.  I really only want to store 4 in my cabinet.
    4. Chafing dishes, chocolate fountains, punch bowls – share these large items among family members, and clear up some cabinet space.

      Above all, when you plan your parties and events, remember that getting together to enjoy each others’ company is the whole point of entertaining.   The rest is just details!