I REALLY want to be a more organized person.  I have grand intentions of developing healthy meal plans with corresponding grocery lists, shredding old papers and filing new ones, revising my editorial calendar, and sticking to the latest routine Ive devised to help our day go a little smoother, but none of things ever seem to come to fruition.  I start them, and maybe even keep them going for a week or two, and then the reality that seems to be us - clutter and disorder – sets back in.

I know, from those fleeting moments of organization, that it contributes to making our lives easier, healthier, even a little happier.  We all seem to get along better when we incorporate just a little more scheduling and organization into our day.  I put healthier meals on the table faster without multiple trips to the store, we eat out less and we have more time for fun.  Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find the right system that turns a desire for organization into a reality.

I’m guessing I’m not alone.  I know so many of us are juggling multiple kids, multiple jobs, play dates, homework, housework, social calendars, social media calendars and a million other things.  Would anyone else like some help in this department?  I’d love to hear your tips and tricks for getting organized and balancing a busy schedule.  Do you have a great system for meal planning?  A family calendar that you can’t live without?  A favorite app on your phone?  Please share it!

While your online sharing your tips enter to Win a Multi-Tasking Mom Makeover with Peter Walsh courtesy of U.S. Cellular.  Five busy (and very lucky) moms will win a potentially life-changing (it would be for me) makeover opportunity with renowned organization expert, Peter Walsh.  You may have seen him on the Oprah Winfrey Show or on his own show “Enough Already!” 

Each winner will receive private consultations with technology, organization and beauty experts who will provide tips and tools to help organize their life. 

To enter, visit www.mobile-mom-makeover.com between June 20-July 5 and submit an entry form along with a brief video (less than 2 min), explaining why you need an organization overhaul.    Winners must be residents of Wisconsin, West Virginia, Washington, Virginia, Vermont, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Oklahoma, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan, Maryland, Maine, Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and California. 

If you win, please come back and share all your fabulous new tips so we can join you in the freedom of an organized life!  :)

Despite my injury I’m really trying to be productive.  The kids go back to school (2 days a week) in 17 days and I feel like there is still a lot to do to get ready.  Even though I’m one of the most unorganized people you’ll ever meet I do like to make lists.  I’m happy to say that despite the back and hip pain I’ve been able to check a few things off my list including making my own laundry detergent.  (Other natural cleaning options.)

I’ve been wanting to try this for awhile because the organic detergents are so expensive and I’ve had a hard time getting stains our of the boys clothes.  My husband called it “a little too crunchy” until he heard it was about half the price of the store bought detergent we’ve been using.  This was so easy Nature Boy (otherwise known as my 5 yr. old) practically made it for me.

1.  Use a cheese grater to finely shave 4 bars of ivory soap (this is where I had some help)

2.  Add 4 cups of 12 Mule Team Borax

3.  Add 4 cups of Arm & Hammer Super Sudsing Soda (I’ve heard this can be hard to find, but we get it at our local Publix)

Mix well and use about 2 tablespoons per load – 3 if things are really dirty.  For really heavy stains I pre-soak the item overnight in a tablespoon of detergent and water.  So far, it’s working really well.  I’ve done about 6 loads of laundry since I made it. 

Tip:  I replaced my fabric softener with 1/2 cup of white vinegar.  I add it to the fabric softener cup on my washer, but you can also put it in a Downy ball.  So far, our clothes have been clean, soft and static free! 

These changes were really easy and make it more affordable to keep unnecessary chemicals out of our clothes and our home.   

Other things I accomplished this week that I hope to blog about later include making and freezing the following for back to school: 2 months worth of homemade pizza crusts and pizza sauce, buckwheat apple/cinnamon pancakes, panko breaded chicken tenders, and maple granola.

Is making your own laundry detergent “too crunchy” as my husband claims or is it something you’d like to try?

NUTRITION:
Preparing nutritious meals is great when you have a lot of time to plan and cook, but what about the days when all you have time for is a quick pot of spaghetti? What if you’re on the go and don’t have time to eat? I’ve learned that by spending an extra 15-20 minutes on my grocery shopping day I can save myself tons of time during the week and ensure we are eating healthy meals and snacks. Here are my tips and grocery staples:

1. Rotisserie chicken – I buy a rotisserie chicken almost every week. Peel off the skin, break it up and store it in the fridge ready to eat. I like to throw it on salads or mix it into pasta for a quick and easy meal that’s more satisfying than salad or pasta might be on their own. I also pack it in the boys’ lunches or dip it in hummus for a quick snack when I’m running out the door.
2. Frozen baby food – My kids haven’t needed baby food for over a year, but I still buy purred frozen veggies. I mix them into spaghetti sauce, macaroni and cheese, and smoothies. It’s a really fast and easy way to add an extra serving of veggies to a meal. The variety that Happy Baby offers helps me get creative. I just match the flavors and colors.
3. Buy lots of seasonal fruit – I put half of it in a bowl out on the counter to grab for quick snacks walking out the door. The rest I immediately cut up into a fruit salad and put in the fridge with a spoon. I try to serve a few scoops of fruit salad with every meal. It’s also great for a fast snack the kids can dish up themselves.
4. Keep straws on hand - I found that it was taking me all afternoon to finish a glass of water. I heard that when you use a straw you drink significantly more so I tried it and it’s true. Think about your water consumption at a restaurant. Don’t’ you drink more when you have a straw? I don’t know why, but it works.

FITNESS:
The thing I am constantly reminding myself is that I don’t have to take a 60 minute class to get a good workout. If I squeeze in 30 minutes throughout the course of the day that’s just as good going for a run or taking a class – especially when I’m pressed for time. I tend to get discouraged when I can’t get my workouts in because they clear my head and make me feel good. So committing to exercising whenever I have time – for as long as I can – has really helped me. Here are a few things that seem to work on even the busiest days.

1. Stock up on a few short but effective workout DVDs – I like The Shred with Jillian Michaels because it’s only 20 minutes, but you get intense cardio and toning. I’m always sore no matter how many times I do it. I also like the 10 Minute Solutions series, especially Pilates Perfect Body with Suzanne Bowen. It’s divided into 10 minute segments focusing on different body parts so it easily adjusts to my schedule. I can do 10 minutes of arms or 50 minutes and get my whole body.
2. iPhone Apps – These are so great for squeezing in a few exercises at home or on the go. They require limited equipment and I can do as many exercises as I have time for. One of my favorites is the Women’s Health Workout. I get to choose exercises by body part or by workout – cardio, toning, stretching, etc. If you don’t have an iPhone keeping a few workout magazines on hand is a great idea.
3. Combine healthy activity with quality time with the family – I love that I don’t have to choose between working out and spending time with my family. I can combine the two. Lately, we’ve had so much fun coming up with indoor relay races, building mazes out of chairs and furniture and army crawling through them, or just turning on some music and dancing. It’s great because we’re having fun together and everyone is getting a little exercise.
4. Keep a resistance band next to the TV – If I haven’t had time to work out, but I’m sitting down to watch a favorite show I’ll grab my resistance band and squeeze in a few exercises or jumping jacks during the commercials.
5. Kiss your spouse – When the day has just been too busy and I haven’t stuck to my healthy habits I can fall back on this. Kissing burns 2 calories a minute and reduces stress. Make this your fall back plan. It’s good for you and your relationship!

When I’m busy it’s easy to let my healthy habits fall by the wayside. I’m focusing on reminding myself that I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t need to beat myself up when we run through a drive through or skip a day or two of exercise. But focusing on theses small ideas makes it all more manageable – even on the busiest days.

How do you make time for healthy meals and activity on your busy days?

Strategies for Decluttering Your Home

I could tell you how to fold towels. Or give you 5 ways to streamline your kitchen. I could even give you tips on how to tame your paperwork, the #1 form of clutter everywhere. Instead, I offer what I believe are some of the most important principles for building a foundation in keeping your home clutter-free.

• Establish your culture. Or a culture will establish itself. If you don’t like the one you have, change it.
• Decide who you are and where you’re headed. Measure everything against that. Furniture, clothing, keepsakes, décor, the way you live your life. If they don’t support who you are and where you’re headed, they’re just taking up space. Question everything. Ask of every item, “What gives you the right to be in my house? Are you supporting me and helping me reach my goals?”
• Everything needs a home. This isn’t rocket science. Does it make sense for item “X” to live where it lives? Again, question everything.
• Nothing accidentally walked into your house. Own your responsibility for contributing to the mess, even if it means you stood by and let it happen.
• Do you actually use, like, and need, all that stuff? Could someone else use it instead? Share good stuff with people who need it and will use it now.
• Indecision creates clutter. Indecision produces mediocrity and ineffectiveness. Be intentional. Decide to decide.
• Life is too short to spend it serving stuff, allowing it to drain and distract you. Stuff is here to serve you, not the other way around.
• If you’re stuck, ask for help.

And remember that if you are truly ready for change, it means things will have to be different.

What keeps you from making important changes in your life?

• I don’t want to inconvenience others or be a burden
• I’m embarrassed to admit what I don’t know or can’t accomplish on my own
• I don’t want to admit I’m not supermom  
• I assume asking for help means I’ve failed, I’m weak or I’m needy

I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in feeling this way.  When I searched the subject “asking for help” on Google I came up with numerous books and articles dedicated to evaluating why we, as a society, have so much trouble asking for help and how we can overcome the myths and fears associated with this touchy subject. 

Personally, my experiences over the last few years have proven to me that by waiting or refusing to ask for help I often escalate a small problem into a much bigger issue creating more stress and, in the end, the need for more help.

If you find yourself trying to do everything on your own or afraid to ask for help, check out this article from Dr. Deb.  She debunks many of the myths that hold us back and reinforces the value and empowerment that can come from a simple request for assistance.  Remember, trying to do it all yourself can push your stress level over the top.  Too much stress is damaging to your physical, mental and emotional health and it’s also detrimental to your productivity.

Now think of one issue, challenge or “to do” you could wrap up by asking for help and ask.

There’s Never Enough Time

What is it about TIME that makes us want to manage it? We say things like: “Time just got away from me!” or “What happened to the time?” and “Where does the time go?” (Actually, I’d really like to know that one!) Perhaps it’s the elusive nature of time that makes us want to manage it. I’ve heard scientists much smarter than I am talk about time as a fourth dimension. They say it isn’t a constant like we tend to think, but that it actually changes…over time! How confusing is that?

The bottom line from where I sit is this: time is outside of our control. It passes whether we want it to or not. It can seem like an eternity, or it can blaze past us like a rocket headed into outer space. Time, then, isn’t really something we can manage. It quite literally has a life of it’s own. So, when I’m life coaching, I prefer to talk about PRIORITIES management.

What are your priorities? What are the things that “take priority” in your life that you fill the time with? I recently heard a woman in a Women in Small Business meeting talk about how every night before bed she lists the 6 things she needs to do the next day, “in order of priority.” Then she awakens and starts moving through the list. That’s a great idea! What doesn’t get done that day, gets moved to the top of the list the next day. She has found a system that brings peace of mind to her day and it works for her.

Which brings me to an important point about priorities. Things that are priority to you are quite literally your priorities. Priorities are extremely individual. No one can prioritize for you. Stephen Covey in his book Putting First Things First says that people’s “to do” lists generally are filled with the urgent but not genuinely important. What he means is that when we don’t consider what we truly value, we just waste time doing things that eat up our time and my not actually be fulfilling to us. That can create for us a greater sense of stress and a lack of movement toward true life passions or goals. So, here’s what I recommend as a starting point:

• Look over your “to do” list and pull out what genuinely feels happy, exciting, good, fulfilling to you. Place those things in one column.
• Next look over the list and pull out all of the things that have a deadline to them. Put them in another column with the deadline next to it. Arrange them in order of the deadline. Highlight the deadline some how. (The deadline may just be that it has to happen before you can move on to something else – so give it an actual deadline.)
• Look at what is left. Are these things actually important? If not, scratch them off entirely. Whatever is left is your “left over list.” These are things that if it’s convenient, or you’re bored, or they just come up and are easily done…then you actually do them.
• Each evening or morning, make a new list of priorities for your day. Pull one from the first column and two from the next column in order of deadline. Once those three things are done, it’s up to you what you do with the rest of your day.
• You may want to include an item each day of spiritual value to you. This can be any thing that creates a sense of inner connectedness to your Creator.

Think about how to prioritize instead of control time. You will see that not everything there is to do needs to be done for you to live a life that you enjoy more! Feel free to visit me on the web at www.coachkyna.com to learn more about Life Coaching.