Advertise
With Us

Click here to request more information.
OC Family reaches:

• Active & educated parents
• Growing families
• And more...

Smart Mom

Clutter busters Bring order to your life and nurture your spirit. by Maria Bailey and Jennifer ArnoldPublished: April, 2009

Print This Article Email This Article RSS Subscribe

Most of us have spring cleaning well underway. Now it’s time to tackle the cobwebs in our heads. Spring provides an opportunity to take stock of our goals and clear the clutter that has crowded our paths.     Are you doing things that move you closer to your goals, or are you busy with your daily to-do list?  Granted, being a mom. is all-consuming, and there is always something (or someone) that needs our attention. However, when we’re caught up juggling the day-to-day activities, a surprising thing happens: Life passes us by!     Before you wake up wondering where the past five years went, find out how you can continue moving toward your goals, managing life instead of letting life manage you. Make the best of every moment Here’s a heart-stopping thought: We have about 28,200 days on this planet. What you choose to do with those days is up to you. Author and naturalist Annie Dillard has said, “How you spend your days is how you spend your life.” Are you living your life or choosing to just exist?     Many of us start the year off strong with clear goals, then our enthusiasm for tracking our life begins to wane. Most of what’s really important to us doesn’t fit into checkable bubbles.     Time-management systems don’t yield to the ebb and flow of our life, nor can they capture important things such as family relationships, alone time or your creative pursuits. Without meaning attached to these tasks, that day planner is bound for the organizer graveyard. When productivity is set up to be about fitting more things in the same amount of time, and measuring and analyzing our days, we’re set up for failure. Guilt ensues, and we end up stagnant.     A planner is not the answer. What we need is a plan that aligns with what matters to us. > Be aware of your life. Take one week to really observe how you live, work and play; be an outsider looking in. Audit your day. Notice the obstacles that stifle your momentum. Where are the peaks and pitfalls in your day? After a week, review your notes and look for patterns. You should see that certain categories start to form, such as work projects, family time, commuting, health, self-care, household chores, etc. Next, overlay your goals onto your time audit and determine if the way you are spending your time is pushing your goals aside or putting them within reach.  > Create a “not-to-do” list. Based on your week of observation, identify the time-stealers that have you spinning your wheels (e-mail, office chitchat, the online surfing labyrinth, etc.). Think about what you can eliminate from your day. > Define success for yourself. Why is it that so often when we think about our day, we don’t feel that sense of accomplishment?  More than likely, it’s because these tasks are not aligned with our definition of success. We all have goals: career ambitions, goals for our family and ourselves. If we had to make a list, these would surely be our highest priorities. So why is it so easy to neglect them in favor of things that aren’t nearly as important to us? If being successful for you means serving on a board, starting a business, writing a book, running a 10k, then figure out what steps you can take each day to get you there and fit them in. Fill your to-do list with what is important so you can live with purpose.    > Check in with yourself. Be accountable for what you want to do and have a process for touching base. You may find that you need to modify your goals so that they are more realistic. “Realistic” does not mean easier to achieve, it just means that you need to amend your initial goal after you have worked on it awhile and have taken into account the other aspects of your life. Maria Bailey is founder of smartmom.com and author of “Trillion-dollar Moms.” Jennifer Arnold is a freelance writer and mother of three. •> SOLUTION OF THE MONTH Simplify! Remember summer days when you were a kid? Long hours exploring outside with pals, a game of wiffle ball, building a tree fort. Here’s a fun summer idea that will save time and money – and pump simplicity back into summer.     Identify a group of five to seven kids to participate in a weeklong camp. Identify one week when all of the families are in town. Each mom agrees to host the kids for one day during the week; the other four days are me-time for Mom.     Choose themes that give the kids a different experience each day of camp. Think Pirate Adventures, Tea Parties, Splish Splash Fun, Movie Day, and Scooter and Skate.     Find your inner camp counselor. The options are endless. $$ 20 ways to save $$ Today, everyone is trying to save a buck. Here are 20 ways to get the most for your money and save a little along the way. 1. Sign up to save Subscribe online to “clubs” for top-branded products that offer coupons. For example, go to kingshawaiian.com for recipe ideas and start receiving money-saving coupons. 2. Don’t pay to play Café.com is a site that offers dozens of free online games suitable for any age. 3. Watch it online Cancel your cable subscription and watch hundreds of your favorite movies and TV shows via your computer. Check out hulu.com for a great place to start. 4. Swap instead of buy Trade books, CDs, DVDs and video games that you don’t want for the ones you do want at swaptree.com. Everything available on the site is free for a swap. 5. Train virtually Tap into a site such as workoutsforyou.com to get fitness consulting online. You’ll get diets and exercise programs for a lot less than you’d pay for a personal trainer. 6. Pay your bills online. You’ll save time, gas and the cost of stamps. 7. Send e-cards Register at sites such as hallmark.com and bluemountain.com to create your own personalized greeting cards. 8. Play tourist locally Take advantage of the deals amusement parks and other entertainment venues offer to locals.  9. Shop for FREE Visit Web sites such as the popular craigslist.com’s free section and free cycle.org to get almost anything free. Usually, you just need to haul your purchases. 10. Dress down your dog Fido doesn’t really care if he’s eating plain-wrap dog biscuits or a gourmet brand. A few extra scratches on the chin, and he won’t know any different. 11. Go vegetarian Stir fry and steam veggies at least a few times a week. A little soy sauce goes a long way to make a tasty meal without the cost of pricey protein. 12. Rediscover the library Dig out your library card and pile the family in the car for a few hours at the city library. You and yours will enjoy the free books, videos and lectures, plus lots of family time. 13. Say bye-bye to beverages When you dine out (cooking at home saves money), order water with lemon instead of a soda or iced tea. A family of four can save nearly $10 per restaurant visit. 14. E-mail your doctor If your medical question isn’t an emergency, try asking for advice online. You might be able to avoid the cost of a doctor visit. 15. Slow down Driving faster uses up more gasoline. 16. Save energy Do home improvements that can save money. Caulk windows and doors, switch to florescent bulbs, fix leaky faucets and turn off your computer at night. 17. Have a haircut day at home Line up the kids and get out the clippers.  Trim those bangs and snip those ends. You’ll also trim your spending. 18. Go “fast casual” If you eat out, go where you can order at the counter. You’ll have a less-expensive tab and save the 20 percent tip. 19. Turn down the heat Do your laundry using cold water only. While you’re at it, make sure you do full loads in the washer and dishwasher. 20. Make only weekly shopping trips to the grocery store. Those quick trips for just a few items generally result in buying 50 percent more than you planned on. n Compiled by OC Family staff •> SMART MOM GOES GREEN April showers Along with sprouting daffodils, another reward of spring is the all-day, ground-soaking rainstorm. One storm can yield more than 700 gallons of rainwater from your rooftop. Imagine being able to capture some of that for use this summer.     You can, with a rain barrel irrigation system. When attached to your downspout, a rain barrel system collects and stores rainwater that would otherwise be lost. This collected water can be used for your flowerbeds and lawns, and works great to wash off kids’ outdoor toys and lawn furniture.     Lawn and garden watering comprise some 40 percent of total household water use during the dog days of summer, so conserving this way also saves you money and energy.     Rain barrels are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. A standard rain barrel is a 55-gallon drum that varies in price from $85 to $135. You can find them at your local home and garden supply store, nursery or hardware store.

SEARCH THE SITE