Save at least 2 hours!

Part 2!
Cooking.
     Most of the time you devote to making meals is actually spent juggling all the interruptions. Cut back your prep time by waiting until the kids have gone to bed, like preparing pancake batter the night before. It only takes about 5 minutes to make, put in the fridge, and set out the syrup, skillet, and spatula you'll need. Small tricks like this can shave up to 20 minutes the next morning. Also look at how you have arranged your kitchen. Simply storing your cooking utensils close to the stove will save you significant time over the course of a year. To shave even more minutes, prepare meals such as chili and stews ahead of time and freeze them.

Cleaning and Organizing.
     Create a portable cleaning caddy with cleansers, paper towels, and sponges. Work your way around one room, one wall at a time, helps you stay focused and avoids running back and forth to the kitchen. This approach typically saves you 50% of cleaning time. To get your kids to help keep the house neat, create a system such as "Jail n' Bail". If they don't put their stuff away, it goes in the jail box, and they have to pay 5 cents to bail it out, or do an extra job. It easily saves you 30 minutes a day.

Who wouldn't want or need 2 more blissful hours per week or per day!?!

Making Time For You!

Try these timesaving ideas to streamline your day, stay better organized, and win back lost time for yourself and your family. This will be a 4-week strategic plan, so stay tuned!
Save at least 1 hour!

Grocery Shopping.

• Avoid shopping during the peak hours of 11a.m. to 1p.m. or 5p.m. to 7p.m. weekdays and you'll cut your shopping trip in half.
• Sort coupons according to aisle in the grocery store and adding to your list how many to grab.
• Stockpile groceries in advance when deals are hot.  If you keep a supply of such products as paper goods, soaps, cereals, crackers, and canned soups, you'll save time by not running back to the store for that one necessary item you always forget to buy.
• Put your groceries through the checkout in categories and have them bagged that way. Once you get home, the putting away is much quicker because they are already sorted.

Laundry.

• Doing 1 load of laundry a day or every other day, saves from wasting a whole Saturday you could be enjoying with your family.

Bills.

• Pay bills online while waiting for an appointment at the doctor, dentist, or beauty shop, maximizing those minutes.

Getting out the door.

• Hang your keys on a peg near the door.
• Have kids help make their lunches and pick out school clothes the night before.
• Put everything you need in the morning in one place before you go to bed at night.

Remember, you deserve even a little bit of bliss!

Toys 4 Tots!

Does your child's bedroom or toyroom look like this?

It looks quite a bit overwhelming to the point you just want to close the door and not think about it.  The kids don't even want to or can't play in there, so they drag random things out to your living room. With just a few hours and maybe some help from the kiddos this Fall Break week, you could turn this room around to a functioning playroom again, and be able to also reclaim your livingroom. Now, is a great time, with Christmas right around the corner, to throw away broken parts, match up lost pieces, donate cleaned up stuffed animals to local hospitals, grown out baby toys to nursery's , or even set-up a mommy-time lunch trade (for easy and cheap Christmas shopping).

 Start with totes or boxes out in the hallway for give-away, not to get mixed up with the toys to be kept, and a huge black garbage bag for garbage. Disclaimer: get rid of these toys ASAP, so those cute little hands don't trickle them back in. Out-of-sight, out-of-mind! Also, using designated totes for like items.

AAHHH!!! Beautiful space for playing! Now comes the consistent part of making sure they keep it that way. Picking up whatever they are done playing with, before getting something else out, is the key. Try creating a reward system, like 10 beans in a baby food jar everytime they clean up, when full they can pick out a treasure from the chest, or go on a one-on-one date with you, an ice-cream cone, or whatever motivates your child. If it gets overwhelming again, try setting a timer for 5 minutes then getting a treat, or have a competition with 2 or more children seeing who can pick up the most. Also helping from day-to-day messes, have certain pick-up times, like right before lunch and right before dinner, making indoor winter-time playing and cleaning alot more blissful!

Yard Smarts

Tackling outdoor chores doesn't have to be a weekend-long project. Here are some tips and tricks to make it more blissful.

1. Put down the rake, simply mow over all those leaves, giving you a healthier lawn come next spring. The cut leaves fertilize your lawn as they decompose.

2. Properly store tools to make them last longer. Keeping small spades and hoes in a bucket of sand helps seal out the moisture, preventing the oxidation that can lead to rust.

3. Pull weeds after it rains. We all know that the damp dirt allows it easier to pull the entire plant shaft out of the ground instead of just the top of the weed.

4. Pick plants and flowers wrapped in eco-wrap rather than plasic pots, cutting down on planting time and waste. Choose plants wrapped in eco-wrap similar to egg-carton cardboard.

5. Keep the hose handy. Keeping the trees and shrubs hydrated through late November helps them recover from the summer heat. Try poking a pencil into the surrounding soil; if it comes up clean, it's time to water.

Take it Down!

Those who know me well, know that every Monday, yes every Monday without fail, (unless govt. holiday, because my hubby is home) I wash sheets and catch up on all laundry. Today, or sometime this week, (whenever your laundry day may be), take down your curtains and wash them. While they are down, go ahead and wash the windows and blinds as well with a slightly damp microfiber cloth. Not to forget both sides of the blinds and the window sill, especially if you've had those windows open.

If you haven't started your blissful Fall Cleaning, this is a great jumping off point. (Yes, go ahead and jump up and down on the bed when you are done, to celebrate!)

Nothing like Hosting to Kick you in the Butt!

I'm not one to host alot of parties, but I promised my sis-in-law I would help her out, and now I am actually excited! For one: my daughter is old enough now to invite her friends as well and help out with the planning and execution. And B: it kicks me into gear to cross some of those unfinished projects off my list.

One thing on my list for a couple years now is to spruce up my front porch.  A while ago I repainted a white wicker bench brown and added a new cushion and some pillows, but I stopped there. It was a nice addition and I love it, but if you're like me, I'm not a finisher. I left it at that, which was fine for a while, but now I have an excuse to repaint the posts I've been meaning to freshen up and I'm going to paint that front door this weekend if it kills me. I honestly can't wait, finding the time without extra little helpers will be the biggest hastle, (I have a kindergartener who loves to paint-oh boy!).
So I came across some great tips last week and I can't wait to share all of them, but one is about painting! Yeah!!
How to Reduce Paint Spills!

Banish messy spills and drips when using paint. Slide a rubber band over the open can, then gently wipe the bottom of the brush against the band each time you dip.  This is perfect for small containers without handles. The brush will be less drippy, and the can's rim will stay clean, making it easier to put the lid on when you're finished.  This will be perfect for just the 3 columns I have out front. Don't forget to gather everything before you start, and not to forget the drop cloth. I can't wait to get started!
Leave a comment and tell how you plan to cross something off your to-do-list, making your life a little more blissful!

Operation: Relaxation!

Your goal: Get over your destress obstacles once and for all!

You've probably felt this way a hundred times. You know stress is bad for your physical and mental health, but when it comes to relief, you either don't do what you know you should (go for a walk, do some deep breathing, take a yoga class) or are too busy to work it into your schedule.
Step 1: Identify and Conquer
Two of the most common roadblocks are guilt and perfectionism. There seems to be this unspoken expectation that women should be able to do it all and do it well. But we need to learn to relax. Me included! Let's try this to start: Practice doing 1 thing differently than usual, no matter how small. Ask your husband to make the bed, or leave the laundry to put away the next morning. Changing the way you do one thing a few times a week will dial down your stress level.
Step 2: Make your (small) plan of attack
Think of 1 thing that will bring you a source of joy or rejuvination per day. Ask yourself whats doable and feels special. Add a few minutes to your shower, wake up 5 minutes earlier to read or have a cup of hot cider, whatever it is the smaller you start the easier it will be to make it a permanent habit.
Step 3:Think outside the box
Here are some examples, some may be unconventional but may work for you. Scream therapy (into a pillow), folding laundry-some people find this relaxing because it is a mindless activity but also completes a task, have a get-together with friends-the 'tend and befriend' response (of course, if you stress about the details, that one's not for you), baking, watching a favorite TV show (Fall Season starts this week-Yeah!), vacuuming, or walking a child to or from school-this is my favorite.
Step 4: Make it Happen
Plan ahead and make changes to help this new daily habit happen. Think and write it down, plan A, if not able to do A, then do plan B. Whatever it is planning for it also still gives you a sense of control.
Step 5: Stay on course
So now you've figured out how to squeeze it into your schedule. Now comes the tough part: maintenance. As weird as it may sound, putting yourself on your to-do list can help.The more you give yourself permission to do it, the more you do the activity, and the more you'll see the benefits, and the more you'll want to fit it in.
Step 6: Keep this last resort in mind
When things don't go according to plan, its OK. For these situations, when you feel your heart start pounding, you feel anxious, take slow deep breaths and count down from 10. This could also be useful when anticipating a stressful event or situation (like a call with your child's teacher).
Hopefully this tidbit of advice will be encouraging in making your life a little more blissful!