Life & Beauty Weekly: Health

Good-for-you Spaces: 8 Ways to Make Your Home Healthier

By Shana Aborn for Life & Beauty Weekly

You already know that to stay well, you need to eat healthy foods, exercise and get plenty of sleep. But you need to keep your home healthy too! Your house’s air quality and the products you use every day can all have an effect on your health and that of your family. Here’s how to make your home a safer and healthier place to live:

• Get rid of mold. “Mold is a very important public health problem,” says award-winning epidemiologist Dr. Devra Davis, co-founder of the Environmental Health Trust. The black yucky stuff can make allergy symptoms worse and even contribute to breathing problems. To keep mold at bay, inspect your home for leaks and condensation and keep rooms as dry as possible. If you find mold, Davis recommends scrubbing it with a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. But if the problem is widespread, call your local public health department to take care of it.
• Consider natural cleaning solutions. Some commercial household cleaners contain ingredients that can be harmful or even fatal if inhaled or swallowed (e.g., bleach or petrochemicals). For many cleaning jobs, though, you can use products with plant-based ingredients. Or you can do your DIY cleaning with baking soda, lemon juice and vinegar, which are all natural cleaners and disinfectants.
• Use reusable microfiber rags and mops. Reusable dust rags save you money and help the environment. And reusable mops use less water and, says Davis, “you can remove and switch the head of the mop so when you go from room to room, you can reduce the chance of spreading infection.”
• Take your shoes off in the house. Dirt, germs and chemicals — particularly lawn pesticides — cling to the soles of your shoes and get tracked through your home. Making a no-shoes rule will keep dirt and germs at bay while also reducing the frequency with which you need to clean.
• Test your home for radon. This odorless gas comes from the earth under your house, and long-term exposure can lead to cancer. You can pick up an inexpensive testing kit at most hardware stores.
• Clean your shower curtain regularly. The combination of constant moisture, dirt and soap scum makes your shower curtain a haven for bacteria. Machine-wash it along with a cup of vinegar, and then hang it up to dry.
• Put the lid down every time. If your kids often forget to put the toilet lid down before they flush, remind them of this simple (and gross!) fact: When you flush with the lid open, the whole bathroom can get covered with a fine spray of fecal bacteria. Not something you want near your toothbrush!
• Stay on top of dust. Dust doesn’t just aggravate allergies; it also contains the household chemicals that linger in your home. Dust regularly with reusable cloths. Also consider removing any wall-to-wall carpets, which tend to collect dust and dirt.

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/mediaphotos

Shana Aborn is a former editor at Ladies’ Home Journal and MAMM. She has also written for Parents, Working Mother, Family Circle, and BettyConfidential.com. Shana is the managing editor of Life & Beauty Weekly.

Fabric Care Solutions: Style

Four Ways to Freshen Up Your Home

From the Editors of Fabric Care Solutions

It’s the time of year that we really start to crave those long, sunny days, a garden bright with blooms, and gentle breezes permeating the house. Why not hurry up your springtime? Here are four simple household refreshers that will kick-start that much-needed transition from dreary winter to glorious spring.

1. Brighten up.
Introduce bright colors and warm-weather floral patterns to a living room or bedroom with new throw pillows or area rugs, or try out a different window treatment, such as sheer curtains, that will allow for more natural light.

2. Flora and fauna.
Don’t wait for the annuals to bloom; embellish your house with natural beauty. Fill a glass or ceramic bowl with lemons and leave them on your kitchen counter. Go to the local nursery and buy bulbs to force in pots indoors—imagine the fragrance of hyacinths in a couple of weeks’ time. Cut some forsythia sprays or apple, pear, cherry, or plum branches off of your trees in the backyard, stick them in a tall vase of warm water, let them transition first in a cool area, and then watch them bloom spring in your living room.

3. Fresh scents.
The windows have been closed for months and you can’t wait to air out the house. There’s an alternative way to refresh your house while the mercury is still low. Start by selecting an air freshener, which come in a variety of amazing scents. Now gather up all of your spring cleaning—bed linens, towels, bath mats, slipcovers, throws, and rugs—and wash them with liquid laundry detergent and a fabric softener of your fragrance choice. Then dry them with dryer sheets or dryer bars of the same scent. You can even enhance your fragrance with a scent booster that will allow that heavenly aroma to linger longer.

4. Color your world.
Want to experiment with a new wall color in your house, but feeling just a little fearful? Take a tip from interior decorators: Play out a new palette in the guest bedroom this weekend. Because guest rooms tend not to be in daily use, decorators will tell you they’re a great place to be more adventurous with color. Let springtime inspire you.

By Sally Wadyka for Completely You

You’re conscientious about your health, so of course you try to avoid obvious bad habits — like pimple-popping — and do everything right. But sometimes you can do your skin and pearly whites more harm than good, without even knowing it. Here, five things that sound like good skin and oral health practices — and why they really aren’t.

Bad Habit No. 1: You wash your face every morning and evening.
For people with oily (or even combination) skin, twice-daily washing is probably the best approach. But if you have dry skin, that may be too much. Dry types should wash with a gentle cleanser in the evening and just splash the face with water in the morning. And even oily skin types need to be careful. “Over-washing can remove too much oil, leading to a paradoxical response from your body to overproduce oil,” explains Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in the dermatology department at New York City’s Mount Sinai Hospital. “And that can actually lead to breakouts.”

Bad Habit No. 2: You stick to the same skin care regimen.

It’s a good idea to be consistent with your skin care. But you also have to be ready to adapt. “In areas where winter weather is dry and cold, you may need to switch to products that are gentler,” recommends Zeichner. Swap out your foaming cleanser or soap for a hydrating cream cleanser, and upgrade from a light lotion to a thicker moisturizer.

Bad Habit No. 3: You only moisturize when your skin feels dry.

Moisturizers do more than just hydrate. They also help repair your skin’s barrier so that it doesn’t get as easily irritated by cold, heat, and lack of humidity, so all skin types can benefit from a daily dose of the right cream or lotion. Look for an oil-free formula if you have oily skin, or a heavier one that contains petrolatum if you have dry skin. Of course, everyone can benefit from a moisturizer that contains at least SPF 30, even in winter.

Bad Habit No. 4: You assume more is better.
“Sometimes combinations of products complement each other. But often layering on too many lotions, serums and creams just causes irritation,” says Zeichner. His advice: Check the ingredient labels on your products and don’t combine those that contain retinol, alpha-hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, vitamin C or benzoyl peroxide.

Bad Habit No. 5: You brush your teeth just twice (or once!) a day.
Yes, you need to brush every morning and every night. But if you routinely drink liquids that can easily stain your teeth (like coffee and red wine), it’s a good idea to brush quickly afterwards. If that’s not convenient, dentists recommend at least swishing some water around in your mouth so that staining liquids don’t have a chance to take hold.

Recognize these bad habits? Talk about it below or connect with us @Completely_You

Sally Wadyka is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in health and lifestyle topics. A former staff writer and editor at such magazines as Mademoiselle, Women’s Sports & Fitness, Vogue and Glamour, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Prevention, Martha Stewart Living and Real

By Peg Rosen for Healthy Kids from Teeth to Feet

A good night’s sleep for grade-schoolers and teens means at least 10 hours of solid shut-eye, according to the National Institutes of Health. For preschoolers, it’s 11-12 hours, and for babies it’s up to 18. But many kids are falling short … and paying the price.

New research from The University of Chicago suggests that youngsters who don’t get enough rest are more than four times as likely to be obese as their well-rested counterparts; sleep deprivation has been shown to disrupt levels of chemicals that regulate appetite. And Spanish researchers recently found that kids who don’t log an adequate amount of shut-eye are more likely to struggle in the classroom, where poor sleep habits hinder their motivation and compromise their ability to concentrate, memorize, write and spell.

One of the biggest sleep-snatchers is electronics, according to Timothy F. Hoban, director of pediatric sleep medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center. “Thirty years ago, there were no game systems, personal computers or mobile phones. This technology is now commonplace and often available in the child’s own room,” he says. But bad sleep habits are also to blame.

Here are Hoban’s top tips for getting your kids’ sleep situation under control:

• Keep a regular bedtime schedule: Not just on school days, but seven days a week. “Children who are weekend night owls or sleep in on the weekends will often have a very different sleep pattern than they do on weekdays, increasing the likelihood for insomnia during the week and making it more difficult for them to fall asleep at an appropriate time on school nights,” says Hoban.

• Establish and follow a regular bedtime routine: Easing the transition to nighttime sleep is almost as crucial for older kids as it is for young ones. About 15-30 minutes before bedtime, try to establish a calm atmosphere in the house. Pry kids away from electronics and encourage them to chill out for a while and read. Make it clear that computers, handheld games and phones must be turned off for the night.

• Balance and prioritize: After-school activities are great. But if your child is so overscheduled that she’s up late doing homework and tossing in bed over all she has to do, it’s time to identify what’s really important … and eliminate the activities that aren’t.

• Walk the walk: No need to hit the sack at 8 p.m. However, parents who have regular sleep patterns and healthy sleep habits are important role models for their kids. That means not keeping the house hopping till the wee hours on an ongoing basis. And maybe even moving the television out of your bedroom. You might just end up better-rested yourselves.

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/francisblack

has contributed to numerous magazines and websites, including Healthy Kids, MORE, Redbook, SELF, Real Simple, Parents, Family Circle, American Baby, ParentCenter.com and WebMD.com. She blogs at Relish-This.Blogspot.com.

Photo credit: Crafty Kids Online

Submitted on behalf of Primrose Schools: preschools committed to excellence by Emily Patterson (@epatt1062)

Many parents have been guilty of sitting the kids in front of television or video games so they can get something done. But, when kids are spending far too much time engaging in television or games and not playing on their own, problems can develop. Ninety percent of children spend at least 30 minutes a day playing computer, web or console games, and every teen plays these games regardless of gender or economic status.

So how do parents get the kids away from these devices? By engaging them in fun games, even if in the beginning they have to be forced to do more than playing computer games. Parents have to start engaging their children in creative play, as it helps them develop their mental and social skills. An important aspect of creative fun is that parents should involve themselves in these activities. It is a great way to get the kids talking about their lives when the parents are bonding through playtime.

Ten Ways to Engage Children in Creative Activities

1. Nature walks – the fall season is the perfect time to pack the family up for a hike in the woods enjoying the changing colors of the leaves. While kids may initially moan and groan, make the adventure fun by including games such as “I Spy” where someone states that they spy a thing, describe what it is they see, and others have to guess what and where that thing is located. The person who gets the most right answers gets a special treat or to pick out the restaurant for lunch. Make it fun to engage the whole family, encouraging teamwork.

2. Holidays cards – holidays usually involve spending money on cards for family and friends. Around September, have the kids start making all their holiday cards for the year. This can be as complicated or as simple as the parents determine. Older kids can buy card making kits and design their own creative greeting cards, and small children just need paper, crayons, glitter and whatever else they want to use for their cards. This will provide days and hours of using creative thinking skills.

3. Holiday decorations – decorating the house for Halloween and all the other holidays can become a family project. Sit the family down and come up with ideas for decorations, and everyone can get involved with either making their own decorations or having the responsibility for some aspect of the decorations. The great thing about these projects is that they engage the family throughout the year. The planning can begin months before the holiday, which teaches planning and follow-through skills.

4. Photography – digital or disposable cameras can be used to encourage artistic skills in children. Plan an expedition somewhere; it can be as simple as going to the mall or the park. Each child uses their camera to photograph what they see that is interesting. The family can pick out a great photograph from each child.

5. Framing pictures – from the photography project, each child can make their own picture frame. Purchase thick cardboard, have the child decide how they want the picture framed, and parents can assist them in cutting out the frame for the picture. From there, let the child’s imagination take over as they color, use glitter, stickers, ribbons or whatever else they want in making the frame. Hang the picture on a wall and start a wall-art project with more pictures.

6. Cooking – even boys are taking cooking classes these days. Plan a cooking lesson every other month, and have the kids invite a couple of friends for a cooking lesson. Bake cookies, make a cake, or make a creative pizza. The kids can determine the recipe, and with the parents’ supervision they can spend the afternoon cooking and then eating their creation. Give the younger kids activities that are appropriate to their age, such as setting the table or stirring the cake batter.

7. Tea party – great activities for girls is an afternoon tea party. Brew some tea, make a couple crustless sandwiches, bake cookies and invite the girls for tea. Determine a theme such as each child wears their mom’s fancy hat, or makes their own crown, or come dresses as their favorite star. Then they can sit and drink their tea while pretending to be royalty. Take the opportunity to teach a few manner lessons during the party.

8. Dance party – get a dance video from the library and get the kids together for a dance party. Everyone can try to do the dances on the video or just make up their own dances and teach them to each other. This is a great indoor activity for a rainy day when the kids are just hanging around. It can be great exercise, too.

9. Read a book – remember books? Have a child select a book from the library and then spend fifteen minutes a day silently reading the book. No television, no i-pods, no computer, just silently reading a book.

10. Game night – playing board games is another blast-from-the-past that can be totally fun. There are some fun, inexpensive games that are great for the whole family. Once the kids stop moaning about having to play a game with the family, watch how much fun they have once they get into the games. Each game night a different family member gets to select the games to play, but they have to interesting the whole family.

Family Fun

Sometimes kids have to be reminded that they are still kids. Once they get involved with projects or games they really become engaged in using their minds instead of just sitting in front of some type of screen all day. Families that engage in activities as a unit raise children that are less likely to become involved in inappropriate or dangerous behaviors. Keeping children busy is the best way to keep them out of trouble.

Take a walk or play a game. Parents need to take time out of their hectic lives to interact with the children, so it is a time where each family member puts family first.

By Lynn Galeazza

I have been married for 8 eight years, we have 3 children who are now aged 6, 4 and 4. Call us crazy but we have been driving the 24 hours to Florida from our home in Canada every year since the children were 3, 1 and 1. My husband is the pilot; he picks the route and drives the entire time, assisting me when he can. I am more like a stewardess making sure everyone has what they need and trying to keep the conflict to a minimum. As you can imagine I have learned a few things along the way.

1. Pull out everything that you can think of, now put most of it back! To fill up your vehicle with stuff just crowds all the people inside. An entire day is a long time to have no place to put your feet or your elbows. In all likelihood you will wear the same 2 bathing suits, pair of shorts, and 3 tank tops everyday for a week. Most places you stay will come equipped with a washing machine, which you will need to get the sand out of everybody’s pockets. In all likelihood there will be a Wal-Mart, Target or Walgreens in every city that you pass through should you need anything. Consider bringing roof top storage if you are bringing strollers and playpens or larger items.

2. Do bring their favourite sleep toy, a blanket, a small pillow, at least 10 movies, colouring books, handheld games and reading material. I like to organize them into separate bins. Do not forget to purchase a couple of small new toys for each child to use as a bribe or distraction as needed.

3. Pack snacks, but before you do, if you are going to another country be sure to check with customs about what food items you are allowed to cross the border with. It is a terrible thing when you have to toss out your food at the border and can result in your being held up there for a period of time (and if you are like my husband every year you are trying to beat last year’s time). I like to bring pretzels, nuts and M&M’s, cereals in those fun little boxes and drinks.

4. Bring wipes!!! Wipes for your hands and face, gas station toilet seats, bottoms and anything else you can think of. Guaranteed your child will call out “I have to go pee”, after you have past the rest station and there is 47.5 miles until the next one. The only place to stop will be a rundown gas station or wooded area. And don’t forget to bring a garbage bag for all of those wipes and anything else that is going to land in your car.

5. Most importantly, sit back, relax, and accept that your children will ask you a million times if you are there yet, they will have to use the bathroom every 30 minutes, you will have to stop often, they will make a mess of your car, they will fight with each other and at some point you will yell at them. But you know what; it is part of the experience, par for the course, for anyone crazy enough to spend 24 hours in a car with their children.

Good luck and have fun!

———————

About the Author:
Lynn Galeazza is a mother of three, the youngest being a set of twins. To say life is hectic is an understatement! When Lynn is not trying to be in three places at once, she does promotions for Pipsqueak Boutique, an online children’s store specializing in first birthday gifts and personalized kids gifts (the kind of gifts that make great distractions during long car rides!)

By Paula Sirois

Frugality has always been my thing, but I stumbled onto these five crazy-cheap dinner ideas at my gym. (Yes, I recently joined a gym, and I have some perverse need to brag about it and find any way possible to drop the phrase “at my gym.” I’m only three decades late to this craze!)

Anyway, my personal trainer told me to eat “protein, protein, protein.” He said it just like that. And when I asked him to give me real examples of real protein that I can make for my very real and picky kids, he said, “chicken, chicken, chicken.”

I found that these ideas work not only for adults but also for kids:

Monday night: Pick up a whole roasted chicken, either cooked or ready to eat. I prefer to make my own since it’s super easy, and I get to feel as if I can cook. I toss potatoes, carrots, celery and pretty much any other veggie all around the chicken, drizzle it with salt, pepper and olive oil and stick it in the oven. Done and yummy, for about $5 to $8, depending on the size of the chicken.

Tuesday night: Get that leftover chicken and pick off some meat. Toss it in a frying pan with some peppers and onions and one of those little envelopes of fajita seasoning. Heat up a stack of tortillas and lay out some grated cheese, sour cream and salsa. It’s Mexican night! Tortillas are about $2, and the condiments will cost you about $4, tops. (Save the chicken carcass for tomorrow night.)

Wednesday night: Take the carcass and drop it in a big pot with some butter and all the leftovers from Monday and Tuesday (yes all of them, even the cheese). Drop in some chicken broth stock or cubes and some water and let it simmer. Soup is on! Stock is about $1.

Thursday: Leftover soup with some tortillas heated in the frying pan and laced with cheese and tomatoes equals a great soup and grilled-cheese night. Freebee night.

Friday: Grab those tortillas, some diced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese and broil them. If you set up an assembly line of veggies and meats, you can let every family member make his or her own pizza. Mozzarella and pepperoni can be picked up for about $5.

The entire week, Monday through Friday, will set you back less than $20 for five meals that can feed a family of four. Pretty cool, pretty cheap and pretty good to boot. Bon appétit!

Paula Sirois is a Florida-based writer who specializes in family life and frugal living for www.Deals.com — your easy-to-remember online source for deals, coupons and sales.

 As a kid, I remember always grabbing the cartoon section out of the paper whenever possible (I still do sometimes too). While I never had the knack for drawing, I always thought it was really cool. My oldest son seems to have a great hand for drawing and maybe you or your kids do too. What better way to spend a frugal afternoon or a rainy day beating boredom, than drawing your own cartoon strip? Here are some tips to help you or your child get started making your own comic strip.

“Oh Brother!” Comic strip illustrator and writer Bob Weber, Jr. offers kids and parents step by step instructions on cartooning

Bob Weber, Jr. draws pictures for a living. He draws the children’s comic, “Slylock Fox and Comics For Kids,” and he also writes the jokes for the daily strip, “Oh, Brother!”
Role Mommy asked Bob Weber, Jr. to share his advice and best practices with any budding cartoonists out there, and this is what he had to say:

“If you like to draw and aspire to be a professional cartoonist, all you need to get started is a pencil, paper, and the determined desire to draw every single day. The more you practice drawing, the better your cartoons will be. Many aspiring cartoonists spend a lot of time drawing faces. That’s fun, but you’ll need the ability to draw a wide range of things in order to effectively illustrate your jokes or stories in an interesting and convincing manner. Go to the library or bookstore to find cartooning lesson books. These books can be valuable resources for learning to draw faces, hands, motion, backgrounds and perspective. You might also want to consider taking a cartoon class in your area. 


Another terrific way to greatly improve your drawing skills is by studying the work of cartoonists that you admire. Allow yourself to be influenced by the styles and techniques of successful cartoonists. In most cases, the cartoonists you admire were themselves influenced by cartoonists that came before them. Don’t worry about your art looking too much like those you admire. Over time, as you continue to practice, your own unique drawing style will develop.


Finally, a cartoonist needs an idea before he or she draws. Being a good artist isn’t enough. You need to be somewhat smart, clever and witty. The more you know about the world around you, the more brain food you have to feed your imagination, and the more interesting your cartoons will be. Read as much as you can. Pay attention to the people and world around you. By observing the everyday activities that take place around you, you will soon find that you have plenty of ideas to draw from.

Now go find a pencil and draw, draw, draw!”

For more great advice on cartooning, visit the “How to Draw” section on the “Oh Brother!” website. And don’t forget to enter your child into the “Oh Brother!” Is Your Kid a Character contest where one lucky child will get the chance to be featured in a nationally syndicated comic strip! All you need to do is fill out the form provided on this post, tell us a brief funny story about your child and he or she will be entered to win. A panel of humor and lifestyle bloggers will select the winners. Results will be revealed the week of March 21.

*This post is sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer’s Network.

Photo Credit – Gardeninggarden.com

By Drew Dawson

If thoughts of starting an indoor garden, for edible or visual purposes, have been stifled by worry over expense and hassle, I can assure you that it’s actually quite simple and thrifty. In hopes that others may experience fulfillment from indoor gardening, consider the following an invitation to join the indoor gardening club, complete with a how-to manual:

Reasons to grow an indoor garden

Savings: Food gardens allow for healthier, more affordable meals at home. According to a National Gardening Association’s study, “The Impact of Home and Community Gardening in America,” the average American home gardener can save up to $500 per year on vegetables. That statistic alone should have you hooked. Now combine savings with the convenience of having vegetables and herbs free of harsh chemicals and poisons that store-bought produce may be exposed to and an indoor garden looks like sheer perfection.

Control: Compared to raising kids or pets, implementing and maintaining an indoor garden is a treat, and unlike an outdoor garden, indoor conditions can be regulated and controlled. Just about any vegetable that will grow outside will grow indoors with the correct applications of light, water, and food, and these determinants are all straightforward concepts that are easily manipulated indoors. To make gardening life even simpler, focus on the easiest plants and vegetables to grow indoors. For vegetables, this includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green onions, beans, lettuce, squash, radishes, and parsley. Houseplants that do well are snake plants, leopard lilies, airplane plants, dracaena, philodendron, and cast iron plants.

Health: According to Jacob Young, the owner and principal member of the Treetop Studio, an installation and design-focused landscaping company based in Austin, Texas, that specializes in everything from indoor gardening to environmental reclamation, “One of the most important reasons for having indoor plants is surprisingly overlooked: Indoor spaces become a healthier, more enjoyable environment with the addition of plants because, as nature’s original air purifier, they absorb carbon dioxide and increase oxygen levels.” Plants can also make rooms more visually pleasing and welcoming, and watering and caring for plants can have a soothing, therapeutic effect.

The basics of gardening indoors

Seeds and soil: As with any endeavor, a strong foundation is essential for a productive garden. Once a decision has been reached on desired plants or vegetables, buy seeds accordingly. Determine the amount of soil needed and the container size by planning for full root growth of the plants involved. If the roots start growing through the drain holes, a larger container and more soil are needed. According to Michael C. Podlesny, the owner of Mike the Gardener Enterprises in Burlington, New Jersey, soil for indoor gardening gardening should be “equal parts perlite, compost, and peat [moss],” whether store-bought or mixed yourself. Regular potting soil should work for all other houseplants. Leaving the soil lightly compacted to allow for root expansion and air exposure, bury seeds according to plant-depth requirements. Most seeds should be buried one or two inches deep.

Light: There are a million different opinions about the appropriate means of lighting indoor gardens, but unless they are exposed directly to copious amounts of sunlight every day, alternative forms of lighting will be needed. Fluorescent tubes strike the perfect balance for plants because they achieve the same color balance as sunlight and burn about 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

Everything else: Watering indoor plants, for the most part, is as simple as adding water when the soil feels dry. Be sure to have a drainage system in place to avoid overwatering. This could be as basic as punching holes in the bottom of a pot and resting it in a dish (for the decorators out there, this can be turned into a fun arts-and-crafts project). Standard home temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees are ideal for growing, so no worries there, but be sure to plant your garden in a well-ventilated room so that humidity levels achieve a nice balance.

See how effortless and rewarding indoor gardens can be? There’s minimal work standing in the way of a delicious edible garden or a beautiful, more traditional viewing garden.

Drew Dawson writes about thrifty living for http://www.deals.com, your easy-to-remember source for the best online deals, sales, and coupons.

My New Year’s Resolution for this year is to get organized. Ha! It’s not going as well as I had planned. Thankfully, fellow blogger Maria, has so kindly written a guest post with awesome tips on how to get and stay organized!!! I read through her article last night and was inspired to clean up my “work” area. Here is a before and after shot of my desk.

Yeah, I know, I’m not Martha Stewart, but it does feel a bit easier to breathe (and think) in a more organized space. I plan to implement more of her tips in the coming weeks. Enjoy.

Don’t Just Get Organized—Stay Organized
By Maria Rainier

The hardest part of being organized isn’t getting there—it’s staying there. Supposedly, it takes 21 days for form a habit, but I know from personal experience it takes fewer days than that for form a bad one and considerable more to form any good ones. Kick-start this process with one simple promise: write down your goals for the next day the night before.

Make Promises in Writing

Admittedly, writing down goals will not get them accomplished, but not keeping promises you made to yourself in writing inevitably makes you feel a little lousier than if you hadn’t left a paper trail.

To this end, keep a daily organizer (you can get one at your local office supply store or you can just use Google Calendar on your laptop) in a place you’re going to see it before hitting the sack. If this means keeping it on your bedside table, do it. Write down what you hope to accomplish the next day, whether it’s waking up in time to make your kids something other than a PB&J for lunch or organizing your closet. Make sure you do it the night before rather than the morning of the scheduled day—you’ll have more time to mull it over in the night, and it’ll give you incentive to wake up to the alarm clock instead of hitting snooze 20 times.

Designate Your Zones

Do yourself a favor and don’t organize the house in one day. Not only will you be sorely disappointed because it won’t get done, you’ll just end up creating a mess that you’ll have to sleep in the for the next week. Instead, do the zone technique by organizing the house one room at a time.

If you tend to do business, paperwork, or the like in a single room, keep it there. Likewise, all books should be in one room (such as the bedroom), all the kids’ toys in their personal rooms at the end of the day, etc. Have a daily cleaning hour before dinner; you can employ everyone in the household to help. Be sure to do it before dinner, though—food comas can ensue post-dinner.

De-Clutter Your Closet

For your closet, arm yourself with a trash bag and steel resolve. You will (you will) fill up that trash bag with everything from cardigans to shoes that you haven’t worn in the past 6 months. If you haven’t worn it by now, you probably won’t in the next 6 months, and that just means wasted space. Take the bag to charity or, if you’re confident that some of your wares are still worth considerable cash, take them to a consignment store.

This isn’t a one-time deal. Do the following for the next 6 months: whenever you wear something hanging in your closet, put the hanger back in reverse. At the end of 6 months, donate everything on a hanger that’s in its original position. Trust me, you won’t miss it.

De-Clutter Your Workspace

The truth is that similar tactics work outside of the closet. If you’re like my roommate, you’ve got stacks upon stacks of paperwork and boxes upon filing cabinets upon boxes (really) of stuff that you never use. If you haven’t used it in 6 months, it can probably be donated.

Records, of course, do not fit that category. Do yourself a favor and make going paperless a New Year’s resolution (hey, it’s still January). It saves trees and a whole lot of hassle. All you need is Google Calendar and a few folders on your laptop. If you insist on physical rather than digital evidence of payments, warranties, and the like, though, invest in an accordion-style filing system. It doesn’t matter if you organize by month or by type of document (receipts, payments, etc.), but you must stick to it.

Communicate More Clearly

When my boyfriend and I first moved in together, it became clear to me that left un-pestered, he would let me clean and organize the house all day. Still, I felt guilty for asking him to do things, even if he was always slower to notice things that needed to get done than I was. Tensions began to boil.

This will not do. Take it back to basics and make a chore list for everyone in the household on a dry-erase board with all duties listed. Change up chores for each person so one person isn’t stuck with cleaning the kitty litter every day.

Use the chore board as a command center for messages, also. Leave notes for individuals in the household if someone called while they were out, or remind someone of a specific duty.

Remember that the process of focus and organization is a slow one. Keep your promise of writing your goals the night before, and you’ll see results. How soon is entirely up to you.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she’s been researching the deal between low wage jobs and high paid jobs. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.