I apologize. I just found this draft I had written in January, the second half on kid’s bedroom which didn’t get posted so here is the link for the first part of organizing kid’s rooms and below is the second part. Sorry for the goof up.

Part II

I posted a few tips yesterday on getting kid’s rooms organized but once you get it together how do you get them to keep it that way.

One thing is to place a chart at their eye level. We often put the chore charts in the kitchen which is fine but you might consider putting a chore chart with just bedroom chores in their room. Write or place pictures of things like make your bed, pick up clothes, toys etc. and as with other charts be sure to give lots of praise, stars, stickers etc. when they do a good job. Kids tend to respond better to things which are put in writing (or pictures) then barked orders.

Train your kids. This means show them how to do a job, then show them again and then show them again and again and again. We often think if we show a child something once, twice even three times they should be able to do it on their own but they can’t always learn things that fast. When I start a new job if they show me how to do a job I have never done before for just 1-2 days, I can’t always get it. I would become very overwhelmed, discouraged and stressed. A good company will train you for at least 2 weeks every day. Our children need the same and more.

Be specific when you tell a child to do something. Their idea of a clean room and yours are poles apart. If you say pick up your room, don’t be surprised if they pick up 2 things and call it good. You need to say something like pick everything up off your floor.

Work with your children. Whether you are an adult or child you feel so much more motivated to do a job when you have someone helping you or encouraging you on. How many of you come to our website for encouragement and motivation? Children need that from their parents so when you can, work together on their rooms, especially if it needs a big clean up.

Make any cleaning up a game. I was watching my grandkids today while Tawra was at the doctor’s and told the boys I would race them and see if they could pick up all of the toys in the living room before I cleared the kitchen table and counters. You never saw any kids move as fast as they did trying to beat me. Of course I let them win.

I also have them see if they can clean their rooms in less then 10 mins. or we all see how fast we can pick up 10, 15, 20 items.

We all do a better job if we have proper tools so buy small size cleaning things for them like little brooms, dust pans, small dust rags (socks made into hand puppets are fun) and stools so they can reach things.

The biggest thing in helping control kids room is to get rid as much as you can. They don’t need 50 race cars, 25 dolls, a shoe box full of crayons. I use to have one box of 24 crayons in my room and you had better believe I took care of them because I didn’t want to lose that “special” color. And if you don’t think you children have that much lay out their dolls, cars etc. and count how many they have. I think you will be shocked.

I wish I had room and time to write more but like I said yesterday check out our website and our kids e book for many more tips.

Warning: Don’t become discouraged. Probably only a couple of tips from yesterday and today may work for you. It has been a never ending battle through the ages (well maybe the last 50 years) of getting kids to pick up their rooms and how to find ways to store things. Bigger people then I have tried to find the answer and so far have failed. Even if they get the storage down pat, getting the kids to use the storage has failed.

The main thing is not to give up. It takes patience, time and work. This is one area where you won’t see the rewards of your hard work for many years - like about 20-30 years but it will happen. It comes when your 20 year old son takes your trash out with out being told. You sit there in amazement and think when and how did this happen. Then there is the phone call from your daughter bemoaning the fact she can’t get the kids to keep their room clean.

Ahhhh!!!!! The sweet sweet rewards of seeing your offspring being tortured in the same way they tortured you years earlier. : ) : ) : )

Jill

We have been hitting cleaning and getting organized hard the past couple of weeks so I want to stop and take a moment to tell you  to take a breath and try not to become overwhelmed.

I read this quote and I’m sorry I can’t remember who wrote it or where it came from but it says “Remember you aren’t seeking perfection just organization”.

Your homes don’t need to be magazine perfect. They just need to be as comfortable, functional and as healthy as you are physically able to make it. That means don’t drive yourself and your family insane trying to keep every toy off of the floor but do try to at least keep things comfortably under control which means not having toys knee deep on the floor and have been there so long they have 2 inches of dust and are growing things on them.

And once again, if you are sick, have sick children, are moving, have a newborn( no a 5 year old is not considered a new born) etc. the normal rules don’t apply. Adapt them to your circumstances and do the best you can.

Jill

For a good excuse to give yourself a break; fix a cup of tea or coffee, put up your feet and enjoy one of these yummy muffins. Your family will love the smell when they walk in the door too.

Applesauce Muffins

2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

4 tsp. baking pwd

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 egg

1 1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup margarine, melted

Stir by hand until mixed. Don’t over mix. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 mins.

Topping

While baking combine 3 Tbsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 nutmeg.

Melt 1/4 cup margarine

While hot dip in margarine then in sugar mix.

Boy can kid’s rooms be a challenge. Trying to get them organized and even harder trying to get the kids to keep it clean. I don’t have the secret but I have a few tips to maybe make things more bearable for both parents and kids.

First when organizing a room make sure the furniture and every feature is kid size and kid friendly. So often parents buy these tall 3-4 drawer chest of drawers which the kids can only comfortably reach the second drawer for the first 6-7 years of their lives but yet parents expect them to put their clothes away in them.

We as adults have a hard time keep our things picked up even we can see into and reach the drawers how would you feel trying to put your clothes in something a foot or more taller then you. Besides tall chests can be dangerous.  The kids, because they can’t always reach the top will pull out the bottom drawer and stand on it to reach things sometimes pulling it over on top of them. Plus if the drawers don’t slid easily little fingers can get pinched.

Use low shelves as much as you can. Keep everything low. Lower the rods in the closets. This is very easy to do. We holler because they don’t keep their clothes hung up but try standing on your tip toes and reaching as hard as you can to hang things and you will see why they don’t do it.

Place things like hooks, bulletin boards, and shelves all down low. Don’t forget to hang their pictures at their eye level not yours.

Kids learn their colors pretty early on so place things in colored containers to make for easy clean up. For example all the marbles go in the red box, the crayons in the green box etc. You can also cut out pictures to place on the end of the boxes. Remember to keep their bins and containers small and light weight.

Make sure they have a small clothes hamper in their room and small trash can. I know one mom who always is hollering because her kids leave their dirty clothes on the floor but they have no hamper in their room and have to walk through 3 rooms to put their clothes in a hamper.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Tomorrow I will post a few more motivational tips and ideas. Also I have written a kids e book which is jam packed with a ton of ideas to help with kids in not just this area but many others if you need or want more ideas.

Jill

Place a piece of carpet padding or mat under your rug by the kitchen sink or stove to keep your legs from getting tired.

Keep a toothbrush by your sink to use when cleaning can openers, graters, blenders, food processors etc.

Use your dishwasher to clean things other than dishes, pet bowls, soap dishes, flower vases, metal sink drains, stove burner pans and microwave trays.

Don’t forget to clean your dish rack and drainer. Spray it with cleaner, let it sit then wipe and rinse clean or put in your dishwasher.

To clean an old porcelain sink which is marked with metal scratches, use 400 grit wet/dry sand paper and lightly sand the markings out. Try to prevent the markings in the first place by laying a dish rag under the pan before you start cleaning it.

Use a fresh dishrag everyday and please don’t use the same rag to wash the dishes, clean the baby’s face and wipe up the floor. Use separate rags for these things.

Right before Christmas my mom gave me some sleeve holders. The were like stretchy bracelets you used for when you wanted to keep a suit jacket or sweater sleeves pushed up. I was thinking I would use them just once in awhile when I dressed up and the outfit looked better with it’s sleeves up.

One day before Christmas I was rolling out cookies and my sleeves kept getting in my way then it dawned on me (duhhhh) I didn’t need to use the sleeve holders only for when I dressed up but every day. They work great. I keep them by the sink for when I wash dishes, some sleeves bother me when I spend a lot of time on the computer so I use them then etc. I use them everyday now.

Tawra was wanting a pair and couldn’t figure out where to buy them until on day she picked up one of her daughter’s scrunchies and slipped it on her arm until she could put it away. Guess what it worked perfect for a sleeve holder.

Jill

Many of you are busy deep cleaning right now but there still is all the every day jobs to keep up with. Here is some ideas on how to do your daily jobs (starting with the kitchen) quickly so you can get on to the big stuff. Some people do things differently and in different order so this is just a suggestion to help you get started.

Clean You Kitchen In Seven Easy Steps

1. Put all dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Fill the sink with hot soapy water and put the hand washables in it to soak.

2. Wipe off counter tops and tables with hot soapy water. (This way, if you have unexpected company your table and counters are clean they will think you have been cleaning all morning.)

3. Sweep the floor and shake throw rugs if needed.

4. Wash the dishes that have been soaking.

5. Wipe down the faucets and dry with a towel. (Be sure to wipe any sticky appliances, too.)

6. Put out a clean dishcloth and towel.

7. Take out the trash.

Jill

I have been hitting the newsletter and the blog pretty heavy the past few days on the subject of getting organized, weight loss and getting out of debt but this morning I am taking a quick turn for the moment.

While I was looking up something to answer a readers question a came across some notes I had written years ago in a class I had taken. We get so many questions over and over about meals and meal planning and when I saw this statement I thought this is like Meal Planning 101. It is clear, simple and pretty much covers everything you need to know when fixing a meal.

I know I have now got your curiosity up ( I hope) so here it goes:

Meals should be planned, regular,on time, taste good, be nutritious, fit budget, smell good and be attractive.

It might help to write this statement out and keep it in your kitchen some where or with your coupons and meal planning things because as you plan your meals you can go quickly go over the list and see if your meal fits all or most of these.

If you remember the above statement that is all you  really need to know but I decided to add a little to it to help give your some ideas of what that statement means.

Planned - planning helps to save money at the store and gets rid of the last minute stress of “What am I fixing tonight for dinner!!!!!????”

Regular - we so often know we need nutritious meals but sometimes don’t realize having meals on a regular basis really helps our digestive system to function better. That means picking a time to have dinner close to the same time each day.

It also helps our families emotionally. We are built to like consistency in our lives especially children. There is something comforting in knowing no matter what frustrating things happened in their day when your family arrives home there is one constant in their life - dinner. If you don’t think this to be true try it for a week or two then stop doing it and see how your family reacts.

On time - this can be a little tricky for new cooks. It takes a little practice but you can learn to do it. Start fixing the food that will take the longest to cook first and then the next longest etc. Also do as much ahead of time as possible. This goes for everyone.

Brand new cooks may want to set the table way before you even begin the meal because it is one less thing to deal with but with practice you can usually set the table while you are waiting for something to cook on the stove. You will with practice also get to the point where you can toss a salad while you are waiting for the potatoes to cook but this all comes with time.

Taste Good - pick foods your family likes, learn to cook. I know this can be a challenge for some of you I mean some do have a harder time learning to cook then others just like some are better gardeners, sewers etc. but you really need to try the best you can to learn some basics.

Also you may have to work a little at finding foods which taste good. For example you may have to try different brands and types of things.

Fresh doesn’t always mean it tastes better either. For example most of the time I can’t tell any difference when I use frozen or fresh broccoli in my cooked foods but I can tell a difference in the brands of frozen broccoli I buy. To save money you may want to use frozen for something like this and use your savings to buy fresh foods where you really can tell a difference.

Be nutritious - I have touched on this a lot in other articles but basically this means you need to learn about nutrients and what your family needs.

Fit budget - you may want to have steak for dinner but your budget only allows chicken so chicken it is.

Smell Good - You truly use all of your senses when you eat. If your family can’t get it past their nose it won’t make it into their mouth.

Plus emotionally food smells have a strong impact on people especially when those are connected with home and family. How often do you hear an adult talk about memories of home and half of the time they will mention some smell they remember.

Be Attractive - Like I mentioned above, we use all of our senses. If it doesn’t look good or looks “grouse” they won’t eat it. Don’t forget to use lots of different colored food. Not only does this help with eye appeal but it also is an easy way to know you are giving your family a balanced meal for nutrients.

Don’t forget too to use different shapes and textures of food.

Meal planning is one of those jobs we tend to let go because we don’t consider them as important or as pressing as other things. Kinda like folding clothes and putting them away. We can get them washed and dried but not folded and put away.

But doing and following through with these things can really make our lives easier, can get rid of a lot of stress and always saves us money. Rethink some things in your life which you are letting slide you might be surprised a what a difference changing a few things will make.

Jill

After watching a bunch of “messy house” type of shows on TV all of New Year’s Day I was ready to get up and tear into my own house, sorting and cleaning. But as often happens to us I really got busy but by the end of the day I was physically dead and burning out. I had way over did.

The first thing in getting organized is to take it slow. Doing a small amount daily is better then speeding out of the starting gate only to find yourself puddering out half way through the race.

One thing I like to do and that helps me to pace myself is to find an area which is driving me crazy because it is piled and work on it first. For example the kitchen table, a fireplace mantle or a bed. I then pick one or two areas a day to work on.

Look at that kitchen table and in your mind think about what you would really like it to look like. Do you see a pretty tablecloth with a vase of flowers and two candlesticks? Or maybe you see it with something simple like a doily and a bowl of colorful fresh fruit.

What about the mantle place. Maybe you see a couple of candles with a pretty vase. In your room do you see your bed made neatly with maybe a decorator pillow or two and a throw either nicely tossed or folded on the end.

Once you get the picture in your mind get busy clear everything off the table, mantle place or bed and then make it look like your “dream” picture.

You will feel more inspired to work on something if you have a clear picture of what it is going to look like when you get it done.

When you are dreaming of your picture try something different. Maybe you have always had flowers so try fruit instead for awhile or you have always had a tablecloth so try a doily for a change. Maybe when it wasn’t piled with stuff that didn’t belong there, you had an elaborate arrangement on your mantle so try something more simple like 5 matching pillar candles.

Here’s a side tip; when decorating  try to group things in odd numbers like 3,5 etc. Instead of setting 1 or 2 knick knacks on an end table do an arrangement of 3.

Start going from room to room and spot to spot picturing and then cleaning and organizing.

Jill

It’s the beginning of a new year. There seems to be only 3 topics everyone thinks about; how to get out of debt, lose weight and get your house clean and organized. Just look at all the magazines or TV shows. It is every where.

I to am not immune to any of these. I was sitting and gazing around my domain and looking at the mess. I had really let things go.  As I was looking I started thinking “I need to get busy and clean things up but where do I start besides I was just too exhausted to start”. I just can’t do do it I told myself I’m too tired.

I then realized what I was saying. I could do it, I just was tired and didn’t want to do it. I made myself get up and start clearing the one pile of things in my kitchen that had been driving me crazy for ages. When I was done it looked so good I was energized and started on another spot. Before I knew it I had the whole kitchen done and it hadn’t even taken me 30 mins.

What dawned on me that day was how often we aren’t honest with ourselves in making excuses for not doing things. For example when I said I can’t do it that it really wasn’t the truth. I could do it I just didn’t want to do it or feel like doing so to ease my conscience I said I can’t do it.

I wonder what would happen is each time when we say “I can’t do it” we would change it to “I don’t want to do it because it will be a lot of hard work and/or sacrifice”.

Another excuse we use is “I don’t know how to do it.” Then you need to learn how. In this day and age we have access to so much knowledge there is almost no reason for not finding out how to do something.

Years ago before the internet, libraries etc. when someone didn’t know how to do something they did it by trial and error until they got it right. Today more often then not we seem to think when we say we don’t know how to do something it means we don’t have to bother to try or do it.

I always think of Thomas Edison and how it took him over a thousand tries to make the light bulb. Am I glad he didn’t say I can’t or I don’t know how. You see what an impact excuses can make on our life and others.

Last but not least one other excuse we so often use to get out of doing something is ” I don’t know where to begin” In most cases it really doesn’t matter where you begin. The important thing is just to begin.

If you are trying to get out of debt begin by stopping your spending. That step alone will make a big difference.

If you want to lose weight stop eating so much. Interesting in both of these you begin by stopping something.

And last if you are trying to clean your home you can pretty much just start any where. I also love it when people use the excuse of I don’t know how when it comes to cleaning. Do you really not know how to pick up the trash off of your living room floor or put those dirty clothes in the hamper?

Next time you hear yourself saying these things stop, pause and think am I being honest or am I sounding just like my 10 year old when he or she is trying to get out of doing their chores or homework. Hummm? I wonder where they learned their excuses from?I know I had to stop and pause myself several times this past week.

Now if these excuses have become like a comfortable old sweater to you that is ok too. Check out our website and books where you will find so many things to help inspire you to do things when you think you can’t, to help show you “how to” and to show you where to begin.

I will also try to keep coming up with tips and ideas of how to get out of debt and clean in the future.

Can we do it? Yes we can. (well for those of us who can get out of bed today - this is a little side joke for those with CFS or FM : )

Jill

This is just a little reminder for everyone to take your turkeys out to start thawing Friday or Saturday if it is about a 20 lb turkey. I would start thawing all turkeys at the latest on Sunday. I like to have my turkey thawed at least a day or two ahead of time so I can get it all prepared, in the pan and ready to just pull out and stick in the oven. I have so many things to do the day before Thanksgiving that this is one less thing to worry about.

For all you new or inexperienced cooks be sure to take out the “guts” or giblets as most people call them and neck which are usually stuffed inside of the turkey.

If you are needing to dry bread for your stuffing lay it out this week end to get good and dry. Break it up, place it in the bowl you are going to be mixing it in and have that much done ahead of time.

This week end get your linens for the table washed and ironed and your silverware and dishes organized.

Do as much as you can ahead of time. Clean the veggies for the relish dish and salads or sides on Wed.

If you are making something like a sweet potato casserole get it all prepared and ready on Wed. so all you have to do on Thanksgiving is to pop it in the oven.

If you don’t want to be mashing potatoes two minutes before you sit down; mash them and place them in a crock pot on low to keep warm. You can keep them in there beautifully for 1 hour but no more because past that they get “yucky” fast.

Most of all for you new cooks or those of you doing your first Thanksgiving don’t panic. It is really no different or harder then any other regular meal, you just are maybe preparing more of everything.

If you are really nervous do a trial run this week end. Practice by roasting a chicken, making mashed potatoes, do one or two sides and a dessert. It’s just like a mini Thanksgiving.

If something goes wrong and most of us have had something happen once in awhile just laugh about it. It usually is the Thanksgiving everyone will remember and they will remember it with fond happy memories. It will give you something to tell your future daughter in law, granddaughter or daughter about.

I remember being so scared my first Thanksgiving cooking alone. My friend who was older and going to be one of my guests told me how on her first Thanksgiving everything was perfect, the table looked great everyone was laughing, joking and enjoying the food but half way through the meal she noticed something - she had forgotten the turkey. She had set it on top of the fridge to move it out of the way for a minute and had left it there. No one either didn’t notice or were too polite to say anything.

Things happen but you will do fine.

Jill

You can’t escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.

Translated in “Jillese” If you pay for something on credit today you will have still have to  pay for it tomorrow. You aren’t getting it for free. The same goes for all those buy now and you don’t have to pay until the year 2011 ads.  Be careful.

I’m not sure why but when we started using credit cards we lost all responsibility for our money. Holiday shopping is already starting so be very careful and think about things each time you pull all that credit card to pay. You will be responsible for it tomorrow (or next month).

That quote goes for other things besides money. You may decide you aren’t going to do the dinner dishes today but trust me they will be there in the morning for you (I hate to be the one to break it to you but there really aren’t any house fairies who come in the night and do them) :) And one day you will have to break down and clean out that closet.

I think you get my drift. It’s Monday so try to get up, make a plan and then work it. Set your home in order for the week.

Jill