Downshifting - Professional Organizing Solutions - Margarita Ibbott

#FavPinFriday–Linky

2012-01-27T14:02:00.001-05:00

A couple of week ago Organizer Sandy had a link party for #FavPinFriday (see here for a detailed description on how to do this if you don’t know what I am talking about). I thought this was a great idea so I posted my first link two week ago and it was a huge hit. Last week, I got a few other professional organizers asking me where my pins were so I am posting my second link to #FavePinFriday today.

If you don’t know what Pinterst is you can read about it in the first post, first post I wrote about it…confused yet? Here is that post.

Here are my favourite pins of the week:

This was posted on Allison Carter’s “Organizing Ideas” Group Board that all professional organizers love. It is a board about all things organizing: products, rooms, organized items, ideas…take your pick.

Another new board I discovered this week was Geralin Thomas’ Slumber Party Board. She decided to ask her followers on Twitter and Facebook, which room would you like to have a sleep over at. I think this was a genius idea for getting people to see your pins and for some good old fashion girly fun!

Here was my choice:

Make sure to read my comment for a good chuckle…

I have a group board that I have opened to other contributors so please let me know if you want to contribute and I will be happy to add you to the list of contributors! Its called – What were they thinkin‘? or WWTT

The fun thing about Pinterest is you can write funny comments or make notes to yourself. This is the last #FavPinFriday pinmtoday and it is from the same board - WWTT.

Come on…you have to ask…What Were They Thinkin’….

Make sure to leave me a COMMENT and a link to your #FavPinFriday so I can see it!

Crazy for Club House

2012-01-26T13:04:00.000-05:00

I was grocery shopping yesterday to complete the stew recipe that I had prepped in the morning. I was using my favourite Crock Post compliment Club House Beef Stew seasoning. There I was shopping minding my own business when –wham- I see a whole other line of Club House products for fish.
Not being very fond of fish, I tend to like using sauces or batters to get me to eat it. My family tends to like fish more (especially Salmon) so I am feeling guilty that I don’t serve more fish.
So imagine my amazement when I saw all of these products to make fish meals likable. Club House has a whole line Fish and Seafood of batters, marinades and dipping sauces. So here are a few pictures of products that I found. I bought the tempura batter and the dill sauce. When I try it later on this month (see, you can bring a horse to water but you can’t make it drink right away).

Club House Sauces for Fish & Seafood

VIEW SLIDE SHOW

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There are a few benefits that I noticed about these sauces: you could use them as marinades, cook-in or as dipping sauces. Anything that makes fish taste yummy to me is good.
The second thing I found was all of there great batters. My all time favourite batter is a beer batter. The thing is that calories add up. But not a word of a lie, the recipe calls for beer. It is not just flavoured with beer. Its the real deal…nom, nom, nom…

They also had Traditional English English Style: Fish and Chips

Once again…on my journey to be more health conscious, I opted out of this choice. The website says it has 100 per 1/4 pouch. The only thing that concerns me is the sodium…Masters of condiments…please, please, please reduce the sodium in your products, we don’t actually need that much.

So once I had a look at the labels, the calories, the ingredients (and the price – or course), I decided on the Tempura batter. Light, health…o.k. healthier…the sodium was only three precent and not thirty-three percent.

Tell me that doesn’t look yummy? I am looking forward to trying it. I’ll let you know how it goes.

#FavPinFriday - Favourite @Pinterest pins this week

2012-01-13T07:49:00.001-05:00

Here are a few of my favourite 'Pins' this week here:

You can find these and more on my WORDS TO LIVE BY... board.

http://pinterest.com/downshiftingpos/words-to-live-by/

If you want to see more #FavPinFriday Link to the Organize with Sandy blog. I will.

Pinterest - My new 'favourite' thing.

2012-01-13T07:08:00.001-05:00

Have you discovered Pinterest yet? The website describes it very simply: it's an online pinboard that lets you organize the things you love. I discovered it through, Cynthia Gagen, blogging friend of mine that blogs about crafts (actually, she blogs about a whole lot more) . She uses Pinterest to capture images of crafts she's made, crafts she likes and to display crafts by others. You can find her awesome boards here and her even better blog here.

The same goes for my organizing buddies. There is not a day that goes by that a professional organizers doesn't pin something on the group board:

If you can see, this is a way of capturing pictures from every possible source: website, blogs, uploaded pics...etc. so that you can then group them together and create a board. This is a fun and easy way of capturing your favourite images without having to bookmark each individual webpage.

The key is to be sure to give credit where credit is due. Thank the source (even if they were not the original person that pinned the picture). If you can, try and go to the original source (especially if it is a photograph from a blog and was taken by the blogger). Then the 'pin' will have a direct link to the picture.

Other then that, have fun, get inspired and pin away...

Here is my board so follow me if you must...

http://pinterest.com/downshiftingpos/

QuoVadis Canada - Minister Prestige - Product Review

2011-12-12T08:57:00.000-05:00

Yeah! It is December and I finally get to start using my *brand new* Quo Vadis Minister Prestige Planner. I have been waiting since I received mine at the 2011 Professional Organizers in Canada Conference in early November.

My B-E-A-U-T-F-U-L Minister Prestige 2012

I have had a love for Quo Vadis planners since I worked at TELUS over 20 years ago. My boss always had me order the same planner: the pocket size Quo Vadis IB Traveler. I could never understand how he could carry such a small agenda but I now realize everyone has their favourites and that was his.

My favourite has always been the ivory colour, silky-smooth paper of the Minister Prestige. The Minister Prestige differs from its 'cousin' the Minister Weekly planner in the colour of the paper (ivory vs. bright white) and the layout of the week. [Side Note: Have you ever fallen in love with paper? Yes, I said paper... the thing is Quo Vadis has this way of producing this ivory colour paper that is smooth as silk and a joy to write on. I love touching it...o.k. this is starting to sound ~~silly~~ ~~obsessive~~ zany. However, if you don't know what I am talking about, you need to read the write up on the Quo Vadis Website on what makes it so special. I think it is because it comes from France and the French are so particular about the paper and pens that they use. I mean Mont Blanc fountain pens are from France for goodness sake ~ that is a whole other blog post.]

Now what makes these planners so special to me:

Each Week is spread
out over Two Pages

Easy to bookmark where you
are with tear-away tabs

Lots of space to write down
daily tasks, emails, notes

Detached Address Book

Each week has mini-monthly
calendars for easy reference

The days begin Monday through Friday with the weekends on the end. My 'Margarita suggestion' is that I wish Saturday and Sunday had equal space but then you would have to give up other details.
There is a tear away in the corner making it easy to bookmark where you are in your agenda.
I like ability to write notes, email addresses, or memos throughout the week.
The paper is oh so silky smooth...uh...yeah...uh... I think I have already said that ♥
Mini-calendars for the previous, current and future months for quick reference. My second 'Margarita suggestion' is the addition of a full month-in-review-2 page-layout at the beginning of every month with a tab starting every month.
There is a full year-in-review at the beginning of the planner but I find it cumbersome going back and forth between the current week &the beginning of the planner.
I like to write down & track receipts/payments and Quo Vadis provides this record keeping tool in every planner.
I LOVE the world maps. I have to say, I like to look at them and see where different cities & capitals are in the US, Europe and Asia (because I am Canadian).

Full Year Overview by Months

World Maps

Annual Expense Report -
tracking #s

International Country Codes
for calling

I like all the international phone numbers at the front. That is not to say that I will call many people in Burma or Papau New Guinea but I could call one of my readers in Russia, Italy, France or New Zealand...yes, I have readers that live in those far away places.

Planner Refills are available

I love my planner...I mean...Look how pretty it is....I love the turquoise leather-grain-like cover. It is stylish and the best part is next year, all I need to do is get the refill... Humm...Then again, maybe I will get a Trinote instead...in Cactus Green...oh...its soooooooo pretty.

Margarita Ibbott is a Professional Organizer, blogger, social media trainer, wife and mother of three. She brings order to people, places and things & then blogs about it.

Her most recent adventures brought her to Chicago to be a LiveBlogger for Oprah's Life Classes (not once but twice). She continues on her quest to keep evangelizing brands, companies, people & products using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn & Blogging

Crock Pots, Club House Spices and my quest to be a better cook

2011-12-03T21:30:00.001-05:00

Last week, as part of my menu planning Monday, I always have a least one Crock Pot recipe (it is usually two). So on my quest to be a better ~~mother~~...or should I say a nurturing cook...{that may be a bit of a stretch}... I tried my hand at 'winging-it' with the NEW "Recipe Inspirations" lines from Club House. I used the pre-measured Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas mix . My first foray into this line was about a month ago and I decided that I needed to 'experiment' with this particular seasoning in a Crock Pot. Club house has a very limited choice of crock pot or slow cooker seasoning packets so I had to improvise because I did not have an alternative seasoning package for chicken.

Club House pre-measured seasoning

Here's the deal...my kids are convinced I am a good cook. I am not sure where they got that idea. I don't think I am very creative...well, not in a good culinary way...but apparently, they are willing to go with it. The 'rub' is I often use help to make things taste better, I don't make those tasty choices by myself.

Canned Diced Plum Tomatoes

Last week, I had chicken drumsticks but needed a Crock Pot recipe because I was pretty busy working and I didn't have the time to babysit my culinary creation. I decide that I was going to combine the chicken, the Club House seasoning, plus some stewed tomatoes and then throw it all together into the Crock Pot. The reason I like this particular package (see photo above) is because the spices are already measured out plus the recipe is on the back of the package. Adding fresh ingredients (see below) just seals the deal!

Fresh Lime Juice

Fresh Orange Juice

Base sauce of tomatoes, onions + seasoning

Its pretty straight forward: I browned the chicken - set it aside - then stewed the tomatoes and mix in the seasoning. Once everything was combined, I put it all in my Crock Pot and 6 hours later. Voila dinner.

I think it went well. The kids liked it.

What can I say, I'm a genius in the kitchen...*wink, wink* thanks to a Crock Pot & Club House seasoning for making it so.

Yummy Crock Pot Stewed Chicken with Club House Seasoning

Margarita Ibbott

Margarita Ibbott is a Professional Organizer, blogger, social media trainer, wife and mother of three. She brings order to people, places and things and then blogs about it.

Black Friday - Visiting the Microsoft Store in Oak Brooks, IL (Chicago, Chicago...a hell of a town)

2011-11-24T19:14:00.001-05:00

So on most Tuesday afternoons at 3 pm EST I find myself glued to my computer. Why you ask? Because that’s the time I hop on Twitter and chat with other Windows enthusiasts and the different Windows Teams at Microsoft at the #win7tech twitter parties!

Microsoft Store - Oak Brook, IL

The hostess of #win7tech is Kristina Libby (you can follow her on twitter). She helps us navigate the world of Windows. On any given Tuesday afternoon she will introduce us to various products (hardware, software, gaming systems, and accessories), services or platforms supported by Microsoft. We’ve discuss Internet Explorer, Windows Live Writer, Windows Live Messenger and recently the new Microsoft Store.

Join @Windows Twitter parties with #win7tech hashtags - Tuesdays at 3 pm EST.

At one of the #win7tech session, we talked all about the expansion of the Microsoft mortar and brick stores across the US. As part of this fun interactive twitter chat, we were asked to find and name the location of a few of the stores. So, I go to the link they provided, I look at the website and tweet back some of the locations: San Diego, CA, Oak Brook, IL, Bellevue, WA, and Houston, TX. They all seemed so very far from me but I never imagined that I would find myself in the Oak Brook, IL store a few weeks later!

When doing some research for this post I found out that Microsoft has been opening new locations at a break-neck speed, opening 11 stores in the last 18 months[i]. There are 13 stores now opened and I am SURE more are in the works.

Superstar Manager Joseph Adams & Allison & Melissa

On a road trip to Chicago, I found myself with Melissa Lierman and Allison Graham cruising the Microsoft Store. Melissa & Allison were in a bit of a bind and needed some computing power fast. When Allison’s computer crashed and Melissa needed a faster machine to keep up with her lightning-speed-fingers, we found ourselves getting a personalized tour of the Oak Brook store just outside of Chicago.

Much to our relief, Store Manager, Joseph Adams, helped us navigate the very overwhelming choices that we could find at the store. As Melissa & Allison tested out all sort of models, I had the chance to look throughout the store.

Here is some of what I saw:

Ever changing Digital Wall @Microsoft Store

There is an ever changing digital wall with great graphics that span the length of the store and was seasonally decorated. [I took this picture just for my kids (obviously, we were there just before Halloween)]. The store’s layout had different sections for different products: a full interactive drive-before-you-buy Kinect XBOX 360 play area for gamers, families and kids.You have to love that they not only encourage you to look but to play as well so that you will be happy with your purchase. If you are shopping Black Friday – or any day really - make sure and check out their fantastic FaceBook page for some great deals :0)

An Experience is Right @Microsoft Stores

As I continued my tour, I noticed that there was a quieter area where you can sit and just take in the ‘movie’ or ‘gaming’ experience. It is laid out like a living room with comfy club chairs, a coffee table and a big screen TV. I love the title: Experience the Possibilities. That is what this visit to the Microsoft Store was: an EXPEREIENCE.

Awesome Accessories for Dell Computers

Another section was dedicated to a variety of tablets and accessories for your computers. Honestly, if you don’t see this as a kid in a candy store for adults you must be delusional!

Book a training session

Joseph, our ‘lifesaver’ and Assistant Manager, was so very helpful but that is the standard at the Microsoft Store. All the technical sales professionals were fantastic at asking all the right questions to determine what would be a good fit. Joseph took the time to show us the options but steered us away from systems that would were either inadequate in one instance or over-kill in another. I found out that one very cool customer service is that you can schedule a personal shopping appointment so you too can have one-on-one attention from a sales associate. If you have a problem, you can also make an appointment either on-line or when you walk in the store and a trained technician will help you figure it out – how cool is that?

Huge Screens to help you navigate everything

Moral of this story: Visit a Microsoft Store close to you; make an appointment or just walk in and TRY EVERYTHING what have you got to lose?

[i] Tyson Corners, VA (Washington,DC area), Santa Clara, CA, Seattle, WA, Century City (LA), CA, Houston, TX, Atlanta, GA, , Costa Mesa, CA, Bellevue, WA, Bloomfield, MN, Oak Brooks (Chicago), IL, San Diego, CA, Lone Tree (Denver), CO + Mission Viejo, CA & Scottsdale, AZ

Note: All pictures are owned & copy-write protected and cannot be used without the expressed-written approval of Margarita Ibbott. No part of this blog post can be copied without approval.

Wordless Wednesday - Marilyn Munroe in Chicago

2011-11-16T17:49:00.001-05:00

Marilyn Munroe Statue in Chicago

The Ultimate Pedicure

A picture to give you perspective on how large the statue is

My return trip as a LiveBlogger for #OprahsLifeClass brought me back to Chicago (a city I love). I had a chance to re-visit the huge Marilyn Munroe statue that replaced the huge American Gothic statue.

Now she is, literally, bigger than life!

Monday Menu Planning - Its a winner! Africa-Style Braised Chicken in Peanut Sauce

2011-11-14T18:40:00.001-05:00

Pic from Judith Finlayson's 175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics

I love to cook comfort food. Anything that you cook in a Crock-Pot/Slow Cooker says comfort food to me. It was a cool and rainy day today in London, Ontario so I decided to make some yummy stewed chicken. I have another recipe that is similar to this one with less steps but I like the idea of using curry to give it some spice. The only adjustment I made was that I decided to puree the sauce (my son loathes onions, so 'hiding' them in a sauce is always the best course of action!). Let me know if you decide to try it! This recipe was a HUGE hit with the family tonight:

African-Style Braised Chicken in Peanut Sauce

By Judith Finlayson (the link is to the book that I got it from - One of my favourite slow-cooker Cookbooks)

The combination of chicken with a spicy peanut sauce is usually associated with Thai food, where grilled chicken satay is served as an appetizer with peanut sauce on the side. Here's an unusual and delicious recipe that moves the delectable combination of hot peppers and peanuts into the main course. Serve with plenty of hot white rice. [We served it with Naan Bread instead of rice].

* Works best in a large (minimum 5 quart) slow cooker.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano leaves
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cracked black peppercorns
1/2 cup (125 mL) chicken stock
1/2 cup (125 mL) tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
3 lbs (1.5 kg) skinless bone-in chicken thighs (about 12 thighs) [Note I used 5 WHOLE breast of chicken, then cut it into pieces once it was cooked. Kept moisture better then piecing the chicken first]
1/2 cup (125 mL) peanut butter
2 tbsp (25 mL) sherry or freshly squeezed lemon juice [I used lime juice, I like that better with peanuts]
2 tsp (10 mL) curry powder
1/2 to 1 long red or green chile pepper, minced
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
Serve with Hot white rice

Method:

1. In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add
onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic,
oregano, salt and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in
chicken stock, tomato sauce and bay leaf and bring to a boil.

2. Arrange chicken over bottom of slow cooker stoneware and cover with
vegetable mixture. Place chicken in slow cooker stoneware and add sauce.
Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours, until juices run
clear when chicken is pierced with a fork.

3. In a bowl, combine peanut butter, sherry, curry powder and chile pepper.
Add a little cooking liquid and stir to blend. Add to slow cooker along with red pepper. Cover and cook on High for 20 minutes, until pepper is tender and flavors have melded. Discard bay leaf. [I took the chicken out and cut into bit-size pieces and then pureed the sauce. It came out smooth, creamy and 'onion'-free. wink, wink] Serve over hot white rice. [We served it with Naan Bread]

From: 175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics by Judith Finlayson
Published by Robert Rose Inc., 2006

Menu for the rest of the week:

Tuesday - Home made Sheppard's Pie with Club House Seasoning
Wednesday - Bratwurst, Perogies & Salad
Thursday - Slow Cooker - Beef Stew with Club House Seasoning (gotta love them!)
Friday - Tilapia, Egg noodles, Broccoli

What are you making for dinner this week?

Wordless Wednesday...pictures of our trip to Chicago

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Got so caught in my preparations for #POC11 Conference that I forgot to publish my photos from my awesome trip back to see OPRAH!

Margarita Ibbott in front of the Harpo Studio

Margarita with Maya Watson of Harpo Studios

First in line waiting with Allison D. Graham

Oprah Winfrey & Iyanla Vanzant on set

Melissa Lierman (@timeoutmomr) & Sheri Salata

Live Blogging on the set of #OprahsLifeClass

Joy Rising – Week Three of Oprah’s LifeClass - Back to Chicago

2011-10-31T12:01:00.002-04:00

It Friday morning and 9 am in Michigan. I am sitting on an Amtrak train headed to Chicago. It is a chilly morning with dew and frost on the pines, on the roofs, in the fields. The fields are lovely. I’ve seen cows, sheep, horses, some wheat fields (could it be wheat fields? Seems kind of short to be corn…I’m an urbanite and all I know is that ‘it’ was standing in neat rows). It is late fall in Michigan and the leaves have turned from a vibrant fiery red to a dull sad brown. Some leaves, remaining on the branches, are waiting for that big gust of wind to help them fall and finally, complete their life cycle.

Harpo Studios in Chicago

This is the second time in three weeks that I find myself headed to Chicago so see Oprah. I wish I could be blasé and pretend that it didn’t matter, that it was no big deal (like the manager at the coffee shop that I go to). His staff member - female for sure - understood. “She’s done a lot of great things, you know?” she says to him “A lot…and a lot for women.” As she looks over at me to confirm her conviction, I affirm this, quietly, cautiously. Now why would I do that? Why would I, all of a sudden, seem embarrassed to affirm that Oprah has done great things? Especially, done great things for women.

I know…it is clear to me now… it was clear to me then… but now it makes sense. Most men don’t really ‘get’ Oprah, do they? Funny, my husband doesn’t really watch Oprah…but he knows it’s a big deal to be asked back… to be there. Period. See that is the thing, some men get what she says, what she does, how she works her magic. Some don’t.

Do men not pay attention to her because she is a woman? I wonder, if she were a man, would she have survived and prospered for 25 years on the same show? I mean, she and Phil Donahue were TV talk show icons when I was growing up. They fought for the same space on your television set. He was on for years but his show was eventually cancelled. HE did not go on to build his own network.

Her role in many of our ordinary lives is to provide a window on the world. Through the years she has exposed us to the plight of the troubled, the destitute, the cheating spouses, introduced us to prolific authors, talented children, noble prize winners and showed us every day common folks that make a difference in this world.

The beauty of the lessons learned on Oprah’s LifeClass is that she is challenging us to be better human beings. To be reflective and happy…and learn to live our ‘best’ lives. She asks us on Friday’s LifeClass to celebrate Joy Rising: a realization, a dialog, an awaking to what is joy, what brings us joy what joy can be. This week, we will revisit the fun that she and her audience had in Australia.

Margarita Ibbott - LiveBlogger for #OprahsLifeClass

Have you been watching week nights, joining the conversation on-line? Have you been sharing those #wisewords, those nuggets of ‘a-ha’ moments? I have. I’ve been trying to take in as many shows as I can. My daughters have been watching with me for some of them. Occasionally, my husband is reading the paper within earshot and sightline of the TV. We have been taking it all in so that we too can participate, with millions of other views, in this journey of self.

Tune in to the OWN Network and OWN Canada weeknights: 8 pm EST/9 CST/8 PST. The show repeats a few more times the next day. I have re-watched a couple of episodes and gone to Oprah’s LifeClass Facebook page to review. Why not? You can never learn enough about yourself, about others, about your place in the world. About how you can see Joy Rising in your life.

Jamie Oliver inspired Dinner - Joy Rising continues

2011-10-25T22:28:00.000-04:00

O.K. so if any of you heard me on CBC Radio last week, you will know that I am not the Chef or even the short order cook in this house. I can barely boil water (o.k. that might be a slight exaggeration but not by much). Yesterday, I was watching Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals on the FoodNetwork and I felt another wave of Joy Rising. Why was I watching a deliciously scrumptious cooking show (and host) if I don't like to cook? Well... I like to eat... Joy Rising...can you hear the angels in the background?

So I was watching Jamie and was inspired to cook something good with those sad, sad boneless, skinless chicken breasts that were in my fridge? The question is what to make? I looked on YouTube and found a variety of choices (Bodybuilding Cooking: picture a shirtless body builder ~ yes a man without a shirt and big, big muscles ~ cooking chicken on a George Foreman Grill. If those pecs weren't enough to distract me, his re-use of the chicken marinade for tomorrow's fish marinade was (yes, re-read that sentence germ-a-phones).That salmonella-inducing technique was enough to turn me away from the computer and walk back into my kitchen to take a hard look inside my own pantry).

There I found this really cool package of pre-measured spices brought to you by Club House. I bought a couple of different packages some for chicken, some for pork, some for pasta. This particular package makes Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas. It contains pre-measured Club House spices including: dehydrated mince garlic, dehydrated minced onions, ground cumin, dried oregano leaves, McCormick Gourmet cilantro and ground black pepper. All you do is combine: olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, honey and salt. This creates a wonderfully flavourful marinade. You just combine the ingredients then place the chicken strips in the marinade for 30 minutes or longer. {Cooking Tip: do not re-use the marinade}

This is where they have WON ME OVER: I don't have to check to see if I actually have dehydrated minced onions (yes, I know I could mince it myself but I didn't have too). The spices are measured for you and it is all there. When you buy the packet, just make sure you have the other stuff.

Anything that makes my life easier and makes me a f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s cook works for me.

We (o.k. I) decided that I just wanted to serve it on rice and then roast some asparagus on the side. My son decided that we did need the flour tortillas.

VOILA, instant gourmet cook...a la Jamie Oliver.

Raw chicken marinating in the herbs, juices & honey

Fast Fry in a cast iron pan

Marinade eventually becomes savoury sauce

Onions are sauteed in the same pan as chicken

Joy Rising - Lesson #10 - Oprah's LifeClass

2011-10-22T01:23:00.001-04:00

What brings you joy?

Is it birds singing, your children's laughter, reading in bed on a Sunday morning?

You know what brings me joy? All of the above but other things bring me joy...unrelated to me...unrelated to my kids...my life.

I find joy in an athlete winning a medal...honestly, I don't know how many times I started to cry when a Canadian stood on a podium. Heck, they didn't even have to be Canadian. The thing is I don't know these athletes. I haven't followed their careers. I probably don't follow the sport unless it is at the Olympics but the joy I get from their accomplishments is very real to me. I feel the joy their family and friends must get from seeing them persevere and succeed.

Oprah Winfrey - Discussing Joy Rising

I find joy in my clients when they have a breakthrough and realize that it is o.k. to get rid of the stuff. As a professional organizers (and often an amateur therapist), I have to help people navigate the journey through their belongings. So when I see in their face the realization that the picture, the sofa, the scarf, the dish is NOT their loved one nor is it a living object but, actually, just a 'thing', ...I see their joy...I feel their joy...I experience genuine joy.

I also experience joy just being in the same room as my husband. This type of joy ~~confuses~~, ~~annoys~~, perplexes my husband. He doesn't understand that his physical presence gives me joy. [No, Oprah and Iyanla, he does not define me nor do I rely on him to provide joy in my life]...I just feel happy to be near him. I can't even equate it to love...that is different to me. His presence truly brings me joy. His 'presence' is enough, Miss Iyanla Vanzant.

Lastly, I often feel joy from the thoughts that are formulated in my head. I have thought 'bubbles' on anything...the way my hair looks, the thing the teacher said, the call I just got from my mother, the outfit someone is wearing. Anything really. I think funny thoughts...and I often share them. I will ask: "Was that my outside voice?" Inevitably, someone will reply, while laughing, 'uh...yeah'. So that is something that brings me joy. My funny, quirky, sarcastic inner voice brings me joy.

I loved Oprah's LifeClass tonight because it was all about Joy Rising.

Take some time to reflect this weekend: what brings you joy?

P.S.: Dancing in the car to the Black Eyed Peas brings me joy... A LOT OF IT.

No Chucky Cheese Here - Money Saving Tips with Cracker Barrel

2011-10-21T02:36:00.000-04:00

Photo Credit: Kraft Canada

We love cheese. Soft Cheese. Hard Cheese. Cream Cheese. We put cheese in our sandwiches, quesadillas, grill cheese, salads, pasta, tacos... you name it, we put cheese on it. The thing is if you love cheese, like we do...{ have I said that already? }... then you consume a lot of it. So invariably this becomes a big ticket item on our grocery list because we buy so much of it. I like white old cheddar, my son likes medium cheddar, one daughter likes mild, the other likes marble (actually she likes every type of cheese: brie, Swiss, Oka etc.) and we all love calorie reduced mozzarella...see what I mean... we love and eat a lot of cheese...

I have come to understand that cheese will go on sale, in one supermarket or another. On any given week, we will find a 'deal' on cheese. Sometimes, however, you get a mother-of-a-deal and you can't just pass it up because you already have three blocks of cheese in the fridge (I am not as zany as those extreme coupon buyers that stock pile items but I still like to buy cheese in bulk).

Ummm..Old Cheddar...Momma's Favourite

Last year, we started to freeze the cheese so that: (1) we always had a supply of cheese at home and (2) we would save that money and not make rash {read: costly} cheese purchases [side story: a while back my husband bought a few blocks of cheese and I just about had a cardiac when I saw the receipt - 3 blocks of cheese came to almost $22. That is very expensive...I proceeded to return the cheese and then buy 6 blocks for almost the same as my husbanded paid because my choices were on sale].

O.K...so the deal is that if you freeze blocks of cheese, it tends to crumple when you go to use it. This annoyed my husband to no end. My quick solution was to (1) shred the cheese (2) add a little bit of flour to the cheese so it would not stick together and (3) bag the cheese. I noticed that other cheese brands used a little, something, something to keep the cheese from squishing together. I was told they used a light sprinkle of flour so that is what we did.

So last week, I asked my DS to help me shred, flour and package a few blocks. Here is or little cheese experiment. He loved it!

DS Shreds all the cheese

Placed the cheese in the bowl & sprinkled it with flour

Bagged and Dated the Cheese

Wordless Wednesday...CBC at Blissdom Canada 2011

2011-10-19T19:24:00.000-04:00

Big Bliss Welcome from CBC

The Beginning of Award Winning Radio Broadcasting

CBC Radio 1 - The Current

The Legendary - Anna Maria Tremonti

Ron MacLean's Walk of Fame Star

Mr. Dress Up's Tickle Trunk

Sesame Place

Steven and Chris

Andrea K. Steven & Chris' Production Assistant

CBC Radio 1 - Ontario Today with Rita Celli - appearance Friday, October 21, 2011

2011-10-17T13:44:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to let you know that I will be on CBC Radio One on Friday, October 21as a feature guest on Ontario Today with Rita Celli. The show airs from 12:00 - 1:00 pm but I will be featured from 12:25 to 1 pm. If you are not near a radio but have your computer you can listen on the web at cbc.ca/ontariotoday/ . You can also tune in on Radio One: London, ON 93.5 FM, Ottawa - 91.5, Toronto at 99.1 FM, Windsor - 97.5 FM).

Friday's discussion is: Moving in Together? Now what to do with all the stuff you two have?

Hope you have time to listen and give me some feedback.

{Programming note: If you did not have the opportunity to hear my last interview on paper clutter, it is available here. Give it a listen and post your comment on the this blog...please note the right address for the blog post is DownshiftingPOS.blogspot.com. }

ANGER, FORGIVENESS and #OprahsLifeClass: things I need to learn about myself

2011-10-11T20:21:00.000-04:00

I think it’s ironic…I am on a very early train to Chicago to go see Oprah as part of the audience in the LifeClass series on the OWN Network. Its not ironic that I am going to see Oprah, that is more fortuitous, it is miraculous really… who hasn’t tried to get to one of Oprah’s shows? You know you have, so don’t deny it… O.K. if you haven’t you have at least wanted to be in the audience for the Favorite Things Show…Who doesn’t dream of winning that swag bag lottery?

Once again, I digress. It is ironic that I am going to a LifeClass with Oprah. Life Class is a series of classed that you can watch and then follow on-line. As the border guard said as we crossed into the States to catch the train, “Are you going to learn how to be a ridiculous wealthy, successful woman?” Actually, dude, it’s not about material wealth. It is more about finding a place where you become, a truer, authentic self.

BALONY…yes, I can hear it in your voice, people. I can see it in the roll of your eyes…the thing is…there is NEVER anything wrong with taking some time to reflect.

Back to the ironic part…here’s the thing, this weekend was my 18^th wedding anniversary. I love my husband dearly and he loves me. For the most part we have a great relationship. Where things go a bit sideways is when it is time to celebrate those important days: birthdays, anniversaries, Valentines days. I was really looking forward to our anniversary. We hadn’t planned anything but I didn’t think it would go unnoticed. You see where I am going with this don’t you ladies…well, DH (dear husband) decided that he would take up the invite that a friend of ours provided: hockey tickets to an afternoon game with their daughters. So DH spent the afternoon with DD2 and not having brunch or going for a romantic walk with me. So what do you think happened?

I WAS MAD…I WAS REALLY, REALLY MAD. I told DH that even I was surprised at the anger and disappointment that I was feeling. I have anger issues. I may have forgiveness issues. That is what I am here to find out. I have know for most of my adult life that I don’t deal with disappointment well and I get mad easily.

That is not to say that he didn’t go to the game, I told him to go when he offered to cancel out.

So cut to later on that evening. It was Thanksgiving here in Canada and we were going to my sister’s for a family get together. Things just didn’t seem to get any better. I was having trouble shaking off the disappointed feeling and any conversation with my DH was strained. We did raise a glass to commemorate the day.

As I sat down to eat with my husband, my brother, my sister and their spouses we started talking about the usual things, politics, taxes, university tuition, the kids growing up. All those good family topics but then things went south again. The discussion got a bit heated about whether 14 year olds ‘all’ drink (No, in my opinion). Then a very jarring and insulting comment was made to me and that was it…I WAS MAD, I WAS REALLY, REALLY MAD.

I was so mad that a short while later, I asked my husband to drive me home. I left. I left without saying good-bye. I left without saying thank you or anything. I just left. Have you ever left a crazy family event? Did you want to leave but just didn’t? Well, if you have then you can understand my pain.

Lessons Learned at LifeClass at the Harpo Studio

Then I stewed about it…I just stayed at home and thought about all the things that I could have said, all the injustices (real or imagined) that have come my way. I mulled over what my sister could have said, what my sister-in-law did say, what my husband didn’t say. I went thru it all…

I was MAD, REALLY, REALLY MAD. When hubby finally came home with the kids, he did not come up and check on me. Why would he. He's not stupid. He knows better then to walk walk through that ring of fire.

Why am I telling you this, well, here is the ironic part: the session that I will be participating in Chicago at Harpo Studio is Oprah's LifeClass in the topi is: ANGER and FORGIVENESS.

Don’t tell me that was not divine intervention.

Magarita's Manic Monday Minutes - Organizing Craft and Scrapbooking supplies

2011-10-10T04:00:00.000-04:00

As you know, I have decided that every Monday, I would challenge my readers to work through a quick 15-20 minute organizing task. These tasks would involve tackling one little job. It might be a kitchen drawer, a hall closet or your purse. This exercise will help you get the ball rolling so you can do another job or maybe increase the time you work on your organizing project or increase the jobs that you do...so get moving and GET ORGANIZED!

This week's task is centered around organizing your craft or scrapbooking area.

Yes, that is right the mother-of-all messes can be a scrapbooking area.

Last week I was working with a new client that wanted to convert her little used home office into a much used card and scrapbooking paradise! I wanted to help find her an item like this Making Memories Desk Carousel to keep all the items that she uses on a daily basis close at hand. I am not sure we can get this in Canada but I was lucky enough to find something similar (but in black at Homesense today!). Phew, another organizing product envy episode averted ! Wait, my friends, I just figured out that you can purchase this at Michael's Craft Store - sweet!

I will go into finer details about what we did with my client's lovely cardmaking and scrapbooking room in another post but today, I just wanted to give you some quick ideas on organizing your scrapbooking supplies. How do you sort your paper? By colour, by pattern, by theme, by project?

This is a Paper Holder Value Pack with 4 Paper Pouches that can also be purchased at Michael's. The reason I like this one is that it has dividers and works like a magazine holder. It is tranparent and does not take up a lot of room.

Go through all your paper as quickly as you can and make a decision: will you ever use this colour/pattern again or can you get rid of it? You can either recycle it at home or sometimes at scrap-fest events, you can trade it or just give it away to a needier home. Consider what you can do but just do it!

Sort through all your punches, stamps, embelishments and tools. Do you really need 25 pairs of scissors that cut different edges when in fact you like the sleek look of a straight cut edge? Do you need those templates that let you outline a big star? If not, get rid of it!

Go through your items and make some tough choices. Know that at the end of your 15-20 minutes you would have gotten rid of items that you were not using. Just like when you went through your clothes closet and finally got rid of that old Christmas sweater your mother-in-law gave years ago. You know the one...

Wordless Wednesday - Chevy Cruze has arrived #BlissdomCanada here we come!

2011-10-05T15:14:00.001-04:00

OK...maybe it won't be completely wordless...just fewer words...

Straight from Oshawa, 'my' sporty Chevy Cruze

If you are not familiar with Wordless Wednesday, it is a blogging tradition that encourages bloggers to say less and show more. I thought it was a great opportunity to show you my nice new delivery that I got from GM Canada/Chevrolet Canada today:

My Daughter said: "Its so shiny and new and RED"

Sweet Looking Dashboard

DD in her "Dream Car" She LOOOVVVEEESSS it !

A few weeks back, I got an email from *Veronica* at GM Canada letting me know that I had been chosen to participate in the GM test drive for the Blissdom Canada Conference. I was so excited to be able to drive from London to Toronto and "Cruze" around for a few days.

When I told my family the great news, my 12 year old daughter was so excited because 'that's the car I want to get when I am old enough to drive...and I want a RED ONE".

Well, not being one to be afraid to ask, I called GM up and asked if I could have it a few days early and well... here it is! Stay tuned for more adventures about the Chevy Cruze!

Thanks GM Canada and Blissdom Canada ~ MI

P.S. Make sure to follow them on Twitter @GMCanada and @ChevroletCanada and their Facebook Page

Margarita's Manic Monday Minutes - Thanksgiving Family Visitors

2011-10-03T20:00:00.000-04:00

Serenity Now - Welcome to my Guest Bedroom

Gobble, Gobble! It is my favourite holiday of the year. We celebrate Thanksgiving, here in Canada this weekend and that means having guests come for a visit!

A few years ago, we decided to give the guest bedroom a makeover. So hubby got busy painting the room, I got busy re-purposing decorations and moving around furniture pieces from other rooms and Voila! the perfect guest haven. I get out my trusty Guest List and check off the Guest Spa Package (as I like to call it).

(1) Bedding: clean sheets, guest bath, face toes and bathroom hand towels. Cleaned and bed re-made.

Additional Reading Material

(2) Re-stock all shampoo, conditioners, soap, toilet paper, paper towels and hand soap. Ensure that there is hand/body lotion, q-tips, kleenex and additional soap. I also have an extra supply of toothpaste, new tooth brushes and a brush on hand.

(3) A quick rinse of the shower, toilet, sink and wet swiffer on the floor and we are set in the bathroom. New air freshner plugged in!

(4) The bedroom needs a few magazines and a good book in the nightable. Re-set the clock radio (since our lights went out earlier this week). Check that none of the lightbulbs are burnt out and the night-light is plugged in.

A comfy chair to sit, and a ottomans to put your luggage

(5) We will keep a small heater in the closet in case it is too cool at night and extra pillows and blankets will rest on the shelf in the closet.

Lastly, a quick dusting of the furniture, a vacuuming of the room, a fluff of the pillows and we are ready for guests.

That took me longer to write about then to actually accomplish my 4M task. So are you ready for your guests this Thanksgiving? Get ready today so you can check that task off your list!

Top 5 Reasons to go to POC Conference, November 3-5, 2011

2011-10-03T10:29:00.000-04:00

POC Conference Update: There is still time to sign-up for the early bird discount. The Deadline has been extended to Tuesday, October 5 at midnight (EST). I encourage you to attend...Register Here

I love the fall. I got married in October just so I could have those beautiful fall leaves as a backdrop in the pictures. I love fall because the kids go back to school and we get back into our routines (very important to a professional organizer). With that brings the start of new classes (just signed up for the ICD fall schedule) and it also is the time to go to Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) National Conference. Fall is the perfect time to reconnect with colleagues and to add a well needed boast to your business before finishing off the year!

If you are a professional organizer or are thinking of becoming one: YOU NEED TO GO TO THE NATIONAL POC CONFERENCE, November 3 - 5, 2011 in Toronto. That is just a fact!

2006 Conference - Hellen Buttigieg

This year will mark the 6th conference I have attended in 7 years! I don't like to miss conference because as far as I am concerned, it is an investment in my business. To make things even better, I will be speaking at Conference for the second time! This is a big deal for me because I love speaking and being a workshop facilitator. It gives me the opportunity to give back to an organization that has supported me and my London and Area chapter. It also lets me share my knowledge about a topic I love: social media for your business!

So without further ado, here are MY top five reasons to attend the POC Conference:

2008 Conference with @orgjunkie

Education: For two days, you have the opportunity to LEARN, LEARN, LEARN about how to run an organizing business, how to set up a blog, how to work with seniors or how to keep yourself motivated. [Click on the link for the Conference program.]
Hanging with your peeps (my lame attempt at sounding like a hipster). Conference is a great opportunity to meet up with other professional organizers from around the country. There is nothing like hanging out with your buddies to get you all pumped up about your business. I never walk away from a conversation without having learned something new. If you are a conference 'newbie', it is a great way of finding a mentor!
Visiting the City: O.K., I love to shop so I love the location of conference because it is right next to The Eaton Centre, Winners and Fran's (a fantastic little diner, inexpensive, great food and close to the hotel). There are plenty of places to go and things to do if you have some free time.
Social Media Training: {{{shameless plug}}} if you need to start working on your social media networking, why not attend my session -E1- at conference on Saturday at 2 pm. I will be talking about taking LinkedIn to the next level. This is a follow-up to the very popular session that I facilitated last year. BTW, don't forget to catch Janet Barclay's session at 11 am on Saturday on Blogging - awesome! Lastly, sharpen your twitter skills and start 'live-tweeting' from the event. Use #poc11, when you tweet something about the conference!
Some ME time: take the time to invest in yourself. When you are gearing up for conference, go get a new haircut, have your nails done, get a new outfit. Bring a bottle of wine and have a glass with some friends in your room when you get there. Go out to a good restaurant on Friday night. Have breakfast with a stranger...o.k. that might be a bit too much. Have brunch with one of your new organizing BFFs. What I mean is take some time to just focus on you - if you are a veteran organizer - reward your success - come to conference and take some time to re-energize. If you are a new organizer, enjoy this time with all those like-minded A-types - they are way too much fun.

2007 POC Conference with Elaine Shannon

Some of the best memories that I have with other professional organizers have been made at conference: inspiring keynote speeches, gala awards night, a one-on-one breakfast with Hellen, dinner with a bunch of gals from Calgary & Edmonton, laughing a lot my good friend & roomie (winking at you Janice!), newbies & veteran orientations, visiting Montreal, Vancouver & Toronto! All I am saying is you will never regret attending a POC conference. I think my business has continued to grow because of it! Hope to see YOU there.

Social Media for Good: McGill researchers dance for donations - Montreal -

2011-09-30T08:40:00.002-04:00

One of the most discussed topics is how we can use social media platforms for good and not just for profit. The thing is social media can always be used for good whether it is making a video and hoping it will go viral, tweeting out the video or posting the video to your Facebook page. By 'sharing' a video you, too can play your part in raising both awareness and money.

Here is a great example of how researchers at my alma mater McGill's Goodman Cancer Research Centre exchange lab coats for dance moves. Why not, it makes science look fun!

Kudos have to go out to the world-renowned scientists, grad and undergrad students, lab technicians, staff and volunteers dancing and lipsynching to the song Dynamite by Taio Cruz.

You have to acknowledge that Medicom, a medical supply company, works social media into their marketing/social media strategy by sponsoring the video and is making a donation to the centre for each hit the video receives. Once again, it is a win-win for both McGill & the company.

So take the time today to do some social good of your own and "like" the video so "The McGill Dance Crew" raise a lot of money for Cancer Research!

VIDEO | McGill researchers dance for donations - Montreal - CBC News

Techno Thursdays with Digitwirl

2011-09-29T19:37:00.000-04:00

I have a new friend and her name is Carley...I like Carley because she is pretty, she is smart and she is very funny. I think I'm going to share my new friend with all my old friends because...

She Rocks the House in the Tech World

Honestly people, she makes many things media, techy, gadgety a lot easier to understand. So every other Thursday, I am going to feature one of her videos so you can be her friend too!

This week's Digitwirl from Carley:

Tame your out-of-control inbox

Inbox overload. No one should have to suffer from this awful affliction. And yet tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of email users are plagued by overstuffed inboxes every single day. But there is a cure. It’s a free service called OtherInbox, or “OIB” as the cool kids say.

OIB basically weeds through all your emails and pulls out the automated ones from the ones from real people and then files them in different folders. So, that sale site coupon will come into the OIB Shopping folder, but the credit card statement will go into the OIB Financial folder. Then you can look at what you want, when you want without having to sift through dozens of other emails clogging up your inbox. And best of all, that email list you ended up on, but never signed up for, well that can be moved into the OIB Unsubscribe folder where they’ll do the breaking up for you.

OIB works with Gmail, Yahoo and AOL and has a bunch of other nifty features we can’t wait to share with you. So watch how quickly and easily it tames Carley’s out-of-control inbox. Plus you can check out her adorable PJ’s.

About Carley:

Carley

Digitwirl is the weekly web show that offers simple solutions to modern day problems. In 3 minutes, Digitwirl brings busy women the very best time, money, and sanity-saving technology, and then teaches them how to use it, step-by-step. Digitwirl was created by technology lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch, who uses lots of technology to manage her busy life as mom of two and entrepreneur. Become a subscriber to get weekly show alerts and exclusive deals at http://www.digitwirl.com/ Digitwirl.com, or follow Digitwirl on Twitter at www.twitter.com/digitwirl @digitwirl.

A few parting thoughts from Margarita:
Take some time this week to review your email inbox. See what kind of files you can come up with that will filter your many emails. Once set up, try as much as possible. to mirror what you have in your filing cabinets. See if Carley's tips can help you get more organized! Thanks again Carley for letting me post your wonderful vlogs to my organizing/social media blogs!

Emile Henry - My Beautiful French Obsession

2011-09-18T02:11:00.000-04:00

My First Piece
of Emile Henry

I have an obsession... well, its really a collection but I think at some point in time I was obsessed with cookware...Yes, cookware. The thing is Emile Henry is not just any kind of cookware. And I don't just own a few pieces...as of today, I own 44 pieces...yes, 44. Gulp, it seems like an awful lot of bowls, platters, dishes, pitchers...but it pales in comparison to what they offer ;). I started collecting Emile when I turned 30 and my girlfriend Peri gave me my very first piece of Emile - this small red terraine. Originally the piece was to make pâté but I don't make pâté and most of my family won't eat pâté...so now, it just holds a pound of butter.

Yellow, Blue, Green
(& some rogue fall colours)

Emile Henry is the most simple, classic, easy to clean and stylish cookware I know. I see other types and brands and I realized that MANY have copied the 'look' of Emile but none can compare its durability and easy maintenance. Why do I keep mentioning that key point? Its very simple, one day my husbanded admitted, he loves Emile Henry because all you have to do is soak a baked on pieces and in a few minutes, it it just wipes away. Since he often has to do the dishes, this is a key point to just gettin' it done!

Emile comes in a variety of colours but I have maintained my loyalty to the Provence-inspired Classic colour palette. It comes in colbolt blue, sky blue, sunflower yellow, tomato red and granny smith apple green (they call it olive). When they first introduced the light green, it was a beautiful light shade. Now it is a darker shade that I don't like as much but I wouldn't give it back either.

It is hard for me to decide which one colour I like the most...I collect them all. I have entire shelves dedicated to individual colours!

My Red Shelf

My Larger Pieces - Pot au Four,
Lasagna, Rectangular Tray

In the next few months, I will be talking about different pieces that I own and use and others that I ~~covet~~ would love to get. If I ask really nicely, do you think those kind folks at the Emile Henry Factory in France would send me a piece or two...Do you? Because what I REALLY WANT is a Flame risotto Pot in olive. I love my ~~obsession~~ collection. Besides...45 seems like such a nice round number.

Background of Emile Henry (direct from their website):

Emile Henry Ceradon® ceramic bakeware and tableware:

The Advantages of Ceradon®

Emile Henry's ceramic bakeware and tableware is made in Marcigny France since 1850 from high fired Burgundy clay. The natural clay is unsurpassed for conducting and retaining heat.
Emile Henry's Ceradon® is an exclusive process to produce strong and durable ceramic bakeware and tableware for everyday use:
- Extremely hard glaze - resistant to scratching
- Thermal properties: keeps hot, keeps cold - use directly from freezer to oven to table (0°F to 500°F)
- Easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher
- Shock resistant - highly resistant to chipping
Guaranteed for 10 years against any defects
Made in France

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...Routines...love back to school routines.

2011-09-05T23:11:00.001-04:00

For years now, I have happily sung 'Its the most wonderful time of the year...' song to my kids. I think it’s hilarious, them, not-so-much. Why do I love this time of year? ROUTINE, ROUTINE, ROUTINE. Honestly, I don't realize how much I love routines and how much my kids thrive on them until we are out of our routine. Don’t get me wrong we love the times this summer when we had nothing else to do but get up, eat, play, eat, watch TV and then go to bed. So this year, at the 'last supper' (as I called dinner tonight), we went over some of the changes that I thought would be helpful to establish (and re-visit) some family routines.

(1) Pre-packed lunches: no more grabbing 'whatever' + juice + a sandwich in the morning. I am aiming to improve their nutritional intake and balance their meals. So I have asked the kids to pre-pack their lunch bags with the required dry snacks (cut up & packed fruits & veggies will remain in fridge until the morning), spoons/forks/knives and paper napkins. The lunch bags will be on the counter ready to be filled as soon as they are finished breakfast in the morning.

(2) School bags packed and at the door - shoes too: all the knapsacks must be packed the night before and shoes & jackets will be ready to go. That means: get into the routine of putting your shoes away when you get home.

photo credit: http://www.atozteachingresources.com

(3) Toothbrushes at the ready: I am a 'wake up and brush my teeth immediately' sort of gal. My hubby prefers to brush after breakfast (gasp, I know...) so our kids are a mixed bag. New routine this year: brush when you get up and go to the bathroom and get your toothbrush ready for when you are done breakfast. Once you finish eating - BRUSH YOUR TEETH. I have a whole new appreciation for brushing since I got my braces put on in the spring. Now it has become a bit of an obsession.

(4) Home Sweet Home: so when you get home at the end of the day, you will need to hang your coat, replace your shoes where you will find them the next morning and empty your lunch bag. This was an already established ~~rule~~ routine, we just needed to review it…again. Take your lunch bag out of your knapsack and rinse out any sandwich containers, throw out any wrappers and give it a good wipe. EVERYDAY... not just when I tell you or when I find all those containers in your bedroom – yes, I am talking to you, missy.

(5) Rest & Relaxation: Everyone needs to wind down so, everyone gets half an hour to do WHATEVER THEY WANT. That means have a snack, take a nap, watch TV or play a video game. Once that has happened, all homework will begin after that 1/2 hr. Hopefully, all that homework will be completed before (a) it is time to go to -soccer, -karate or -dance; or (b) dinner is served.

(6)Homework: very simple - start, get it done as quickly as possible, ask for help if you need it. Each child has a designated study area (my daughters are in their room, my son is the dining room - close to me as I make dinner or work from my office). I provide homework 'basket'. It contains, pencils, sharpeners, highlighters, pens, erasers, a ruler, a calculator, some paper - blank & lined- and a dictionary. Having all the right tools nearby helps them focus on the task and not getting distracted - or finding excuses for leaving the study area.

(7) Cooking 101 or how I gave up being a chef at home: if you know me, you know that I am not a great cook. I am not a bad cook but I don't really enjoy the whole cooking process. I love the eating process but not the cooking. So when my eldest was 10 or 11 yrs old, I had her start to make one meal a week. Something simple with little likelihood that something would burn the house down. So the new routine is: if you don't have an after-school activity (see choices above), then you have to help prep dinner, if not make it completely. We tried some meal planning last year and that eventually went by the way-side but I am willing to try it again – that is my routine commitment to my family. If I don’t meal plan, this whole cooking routine will fail This year, my 10 year-old son will be responsible for one meal...yes, just one meal but he will have to do it (with help of course).

(8) Early to Bed, Early to Rise: the last routine will be clothes prep. The girls have already started to do their own laundry so that has helped mom an awful lot. This does not happen consistently so I will be working on that too. Clothes prep mean that getting them to set out their clothes for the next day will save us all from what-is-the-weather-like? And what-should-I-wear drama in the morning. Yes, I am talking to you, fashionista daughter #2. I have one with uniforms (easy-peasy), one without – fashionista - and a son that will not have his sister's coaxing him to 'get dressed already'.

All these small tasks will, hopefully, become routines that will help me and the kids stay sane. I firmly believe that children do well when they have a routine. Why not diminish their stress levels by helping them learn, understand and adhere to routines. Because it is 'The Most Wonderful Time of the Year..."