It’s the last week of January 2018 … Remember New Year’s Eve? … Remember those resolutions you made? … How’s that going?
If you are still committed to your resolutions, congratulations !! I recently read an article that said January 17th is “Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day”. If you “ditched” it, that means your resolution didn’t even last for 3 full weeks ☹ Continue reading
It is already the middle of February … wow, time sure is flying by quickly. I realize that I’ve mentioned time going fast before, but, am I the only one that feels that way ~ I hope not.
Personally, I don’t believe that Valentine’s Day is only about romantic love relationships. I believe it is about all kinds of caring relationships … parents/children, siblings/cousins, friends, as well as dating/marriage relationships.
We humans are emotional beings – we need love and affection! Most people seem to flourish when they spend some time with others they care about on a regular basis. It doesn’t have to be anything special, just spending time together is what is important. Continue reading
November 8, 2014 ~ Today I am thankful for Nugget, a.k.a., my “practice” grandchild. What started out as a homeschool Child Care elective class for my daughter when she was in high school, has since turned into a very special relationship.
A friend with a 3 month old baby needed ongoing childcare every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Since my daughter didn’t drive yet, I stayed with her and used it as a “teaching time”. She learned hands on feeding, burping, diapering, etc. Needless to say we both fell in love at first sight … and the rest, as they say, is history 🙂
My daughter still takes care of her occasionally, but I now only get to see her at birthdays and holidays. I just love our little Nugget, she is growing into a beautiful little lady ~ on the inside (where it counts most), as well as, the outside ♥
Do you have your own business? Could you use some office help? There is an incredible amount of time consuming work involved with keeping your business records organized. Even though so many things can now be digitalized on your computer, you still have to spend time “filing” your documents and reports into electronic files. You need to have an easy system in place to be able to locate those documents at a moments notice. Of course, there are still paper copies of things to file away for future purposes as well. As a personal assistant, I’d be happy to help you … I can take over some of the more mundane tasks of running an efficient office for you 🙂
Well, the calendar says it is officially Spring, even if the snow on the ground begs to differ. Spring cleaning for me involves organizing along with actual cleaning. This is the time of year that I try to go through closets and storage areas to try to downsize and organize.
Many times in late Fall, in my hurry to tidy up for holiday decorating, things seem to get shoved into closets, drawers or under beds. You know that saying, out of sight ~ out of mind? Well it comes into play a little too often at my house 🙂
Each April, my church holds an annual garage sale (from donations from the congregation and the surrounding community). After operating expenses, the proceeds go to help several charitable organizations in our community. It has always been a successful and highly anticipated event. I usually volunteer by helping sort through and organize the donations and by working as a cashier on the actual day of the sale.
About a month or so beforehand, I usually start to get motivated to sort through my stuff for items to donate. I start a mental list of possible items ~
Then I plan a schedule to start sorting through and organizing the various closets, cabinets and bookshelves. I box up the items for donation. Then I’ll wipe down and clean the shelves before putting back the items that I’m keeping.
It always gives me a sense of accomplishment to tidy up and re-organize the cabinets and closets. I also really like the feeling of giving … of my time and my treasures.
December is here and with it comes numerous invitations to Holiday parties and get-togethers. I attended one last night and have another tonight, and it’s only the beginning.
Santa Hats … Fun Christmas Dessert
It’s always so much fun to spend time together with friends and indulge in delicious foods. There is usually a buffet table loaded with quite a variety of appetizers, desserts and drinks … that’s probably where you’ll find most of the guests 🙂
Which brings me to my tip for Holiday Parties … I always ask if I can bring something. Many of these parties are actually annual celebrations for various groups I belong to, like my bowling league, small group or choir. We have a Christmas party every year and all bring a dish to share.
As you know, I love lists … so I created a list (spreadsheet) for Party Food. I keep track of what dish I bring to each party, each year, so I don’t bring the same thing to the next year’s party or to another group party (some people overlap groups). I also keep a copy of the recipes with my list. Then it’s easy to send a copy to someone if they enjoyed my dish and asked for the recipe. I try to plan out what dishes I’ll be bringing after everything is cleaned up on Thanksgiving night (my official start of the Christmas season) … I just love having a plan 🙂
I really enjoy looking through magazines and cookbooks for new recipes to try out. Actually, my latest obsession is browsing on Pinterest … don’t knock it til you’ve tried it 🙂
PS … I brought the little Santa Hats last night, they were a big hit … I’m bringing the Pita Christmas Trees tonight !
The month of September is a transitional type of month for me. The weather often is reminiscent of summer, but the schedule definitely says it is time to get back to a more normal (sometimes hectic) routine. It’s a bittersweet time of year for me. While I love the carefree nature of the summer, being the creature of habit that I am, I also crave the structure of a routine. That being said, I’m sure I’m not alone (at least, I hope I’m not alone) in finding the right balance between being busy but not too busy … it’s not as easy as it sounds. I also know from experience that I need to schedule in some “me time”. Taking a little time for myself every now and then gives me a little break, rejuvenates and refreshes me.
For the last few years, I’ve been attending a women’s conference in St. Louis in mid September with one of my best friends. It’s a wonderful atmosphere where I enjoy some “me time”. It helps me get focused on what’s important in my life and try to let go of what’s not. It helps me sort out the activities that are beneficial from those that are time wasters. Over the years, I have learned that my time is a valuable commodity and I want to be wise in how I spend it.
After the conference, we meet up with my wonderful husband at a (previously chosen) campground somewhere between home and St. Louis. He spoils us by having our pop-up camper and the whole campsite set up before we arrive. We give him a call when we are about an hour away and he makes us a delicious hot dinner … yep, He’s a keeper !!
We generally just chill out and relax around the campfire after dinner (we may or may not share a bottle of wine). The next day we like to hike on the trails or take a nice bike ride. We have fun playing games, reading a good book, or working a jigsaw puzzle. We also love a nice nap (don’t judge). It’s nice to just enjoy the great outdoors and not be tied to a regimented schedule just yet.
Don’t get me wrong; being a planner and organizer by nature, I know for a fact that I function much better with a structured routine. They don’t call them lazy summer days for nothing 🙂
When we get home from this weekend away, I feel refreshed and rested. I’m ready to get back into the faster pace of the daily grind. I do realize that I am blessed to be able to take the time off to enjoy this type of weekend. One reason is that my children are now grown. The other is that I own my own business, which has many perks. One of my favorite perks is scheduling my own time.
My hope is that you can find some time (even if just a few hours) to relax, unwind and enjoy some “me time”, before the fall schedule truly takes hold.
As always, remember to contact Tracy Helps You if we can do anything to help free up some time for you 🙂