List Mama Blog

Birthday Sale!

2009-11-09T00:01:00.002-05:00

Today is my birthday, and to celebrate, I would like to offer both Print and Download Memberships at Half Off!

This sale is for 1 day only, so see below to purchase your membership to ListPlanIt NOW!

Print Membership | $20/year $10/year

400+ printable lists and planning pages at your fingertips.

space to clear the mental clutter into neat and organized pages.

a member price so low that you will end up saving money in the long run.

access to all that ListPlanIt has to offer for 1 full year.

Download Membership | $30/year $15/year

all of the benefits of the Print Membership

download the pages you want to your computer

the ability to type your own information into each page

access to all that ListPlanIt has to offer for 1 full year.

List of Ways to Afford Summer Fun

2009-05-27T08:05:00.002-04:00

Head over to List Mama's new blog at its new home to read the newest post: List of Ways to Afford Summer Fun!

While you're there, don't forget to Subscribe to our RSS Feed so you don't miss any of List Mama's new posts.

List Mama Blog has a New Home!

2009-05-18T06:47:00.003-04:00

Please check out the new look of List Mama's blog at its new home: http://listplanit.net/blog/

List of Things I Want My Mom to Know this Mother's Day

2009-05-10T00:01:00.004-04:00

Being a mom myself has truly opened my eyes to the parent/child dynamic, particularly my role as the child. Although my parents told me they loved me on a daily basis, it wasn't until I became a parent that I truly understood the unconditional, heart-wrenching love that parents have for their children. By the time that I did begin to grasp the depth of their love for me, I became preoccupied with my own intense love.

1. Though my children will never be able to say the same of me, I enjoyed growing up in the same small town that you grew up in. I knew of the old house on Railroad Street. I thought it was pretty amazing that some of my classmates' parents had been your classmates. I went to the same Middle School and High School that you went to.

{My mom on a horse at the house on Railroad St}

2. You gave me some good advice when it comes to love, marriage, and sex. There are so many things you taught me that I still recall and rely on in my own family life. I am grateful for the times when you decided to impart a word of wisdom that may not have seemed relevant at the time, but I was grateful that I had those things stored away for when I needed them most.

{My mom on May 24, 1969}

3. I like the kind of parent that I have turned out to be and I feel as though I owe you so much of that. My style, my gritted teeth through both anger and love, my silliness (come on, you know what I mean), and my fierce desire to demonstrate how much I love my children all come from you. The stuff that you passed on to me that I would have rather not been given, I'll save for another post (List of Things I Want My Therapist to Know :-)

4. Thanks for giving me a sister! I'm pretty sure Dad had something to do with that as well. Even though I didn't appreciate her when she was coming or even after she arrived, I know that life would be much lonelier without her.

{My mom, with Trina inside, and me}

5. This is kind of a funny picture. I don't remember you ever doing my hair, but what I do remember is the unfailing support I received. I wish I could have found a picture of you and me after a Cross Country meet or a Basketball game. When I look back on it and think about how you drove all over central Kansas and beyond to support me in all of my endeavors, I am humbled. I hope that I can show devotion to my children in similar ways as they grow older.

{My mom & 12-year-old me}

6. I've heard people say that parents should be parents and not try to be friends with their children. I understand the principle of that, but I think our friendship gave me a lot of strength. It gave me confidence and courage to do things that I would never have been able to do otherwise. I loved cruising Main Street with you. I love shopping with you. I loved being at the swimming pool with you. We had fun!

{Mom & Dad visiting me in college in 1993}

7. Through all of the stages of my life, I could count on you. It is so good to have people you know you can trust to love you and to love those you love most. It is the most wonderful, comforting feeling.

I love you, Mom! Have a very Happy Mother's Day!!

List of Ways that Children Can Use Lists

2009-05-06T08:21:00.006-04:00

So bear with me, this is not only a useful post for anyone who has children, but it is also a chance for me to think through the presentation that I am giving tomorrow morning to my daughter's 2nd grade class.

While I was away last week at the NAPO Conference, Campbell gave her "Share" (show and tell) about how her Mom's business is a website all about lists. Campbell's teacher (teachers know the value of lists - I know because I used to be one myself) proposed that I come in to their classroom and talk about how lists can be useful, even to children.

This is a brilliant idea. Getting a head start on understanding the many uses of lists and the way that lists can provide structure to complex situations is a truly valuable lesson. Once a child learns how to set up and organize their own lists, it will be a resource that they will be able to use for the rest of their multi-faceted lives. Here are some ways that lists can be useful to both children and adults.

as a Goal - lists offer an opportunity to write down the things that you want to do or attain. If done properly, you should be able to list goals and the steps that you will take to achieve that goal. (e.g. To Do Lists, Places to Visit, Cleaning Lists, Grocery Lists, etc.)
as a Reference - a list is a terrific way to provide order to a procedure or collection and then to be kept and used as a reference for the future (e.g. Clothing Inventory, Menu Inventory, Home Inventory, Babysitter Contact Information, etc.)
as a Time Manager - a perfect world would allow us to just come and go as we want and never have to look at a clock or schedule an appointment, but the real world demands that we create schedules and meet deadlines. (e.g. Timeline, Daily/Weekly/Monthly Planner, etc.)
as a Record - by making a list, you've taken something out of the realm of floating around in your head and put it in a more permanent location that never forgets. So often we place way more confidence in our own ability to remember than we should. (e.g. Memorable Moments, Checking Account Register, Exercise Log, Medications Tracker, etc.)
as Inspiration - brainstorming is all about making a list of possibilities. If we don't give the mind a chance to stretch when problem-solving, we may miss out on some terrific new ideas. (e.g. Wish List, Holiday/Party Planning Pages, Menu Planner, etc.)
as Instructions - taking a difficult task and putting it into a step-by-step format may be all a person needs to have the confidence to complete it.

Do your children use lists? Do they make their own lists? What lists do you think apply to children?

List of Highlights from NAPO Conference '09

2009-05-02T19:50:00.007-04:00

In the heart of a winter in Maine, I signed up for the opportunity to exhibit ListPlanIt to the conference for professional organizers in Orlando, Florida. What I expected to gain from the conference was the exposure of a resource I was sure was a match made in heaven for organizers and their clients. What I hadn't expected was to discover "my people". Though I've never been a professional organizer, I felt like we had been cut from a similar cloth. While I didn't get to experience any of the sessions, there were still plenty of great things I took away from this conference.

The usefulness of Twitter - In February, I booked a room in the fabulous Caribe Royale where the conference was being held. The cost of the room was way more than I wanted to pay myself, so I put out a Tweet to Twitterville (i.e. a message to my Twitter.com followers) that I wanted a roommate. About 3 people said they were interested, and in the end I got a wonderful roommate from Bermuda named Anne Hyde. Not only that, but since I follow quite a lot of organizers, they were kind enough to allow me to tag along to the first ever Tweet Up (meet up in Twitter speak) POs on Twitter, organized by Scott Roewer. Not only did I get a terrific meal that evening, but I got my first introduction to the POs with whom I would be spending the next few days.
Two full days of exhibiting ListPlanIt to business savvy, no-nonsense organizers - In a business where the only contact I have with my customers is online, a chance for face-to-face feedback was invaluable to me. I was giddy to be in a place where it seemed the whole world had a love affair with lists.
A better understanding of professional organizing - What an amazing profession that can go into a client's home or office and give them not only the guidance but the tools needed to make real changes in their lives. These organizers truly care about their clients. They spent 3 days solid learning how to improve and expand on the services they already offer.
Saturday - After 2 long days of standing on my feet, smiling, and promoting ListPlanIt, on Saturday I slept until 8 a.m. (which I haven't done in years) and then laid by the pool and swam for 2 whole hours.

List of Steps to Perfectly Pulling off the Tooth Fairy

2009-04-24T23:08:00.005-04:00

My eldest is 7 and has now lost 6 teeth, so I would consider myself a bit of an expert about the tooth fairy. We've experienced the wonder of a lost tooth, the eagerness to put it under the pillow at bedtime, the joy of discovering "the exchange" in the morning, and once, the confusion at finding a tooth but no money. Today, my son lost his first tooth. It was high time because he already had his adult teeth in. He has always loved sharks and enjoyed knowing that he had rows of teeth just like a shark. We've just sent him to bed and now I am left to rehearse my role.

Keep some cash in the house somewhere for tooth fairy emergencies.
Decide on an amount and stick to it. You think an extra dollar or even a few extra coins won't matter, but it will! Kids remember these things.
Try to discourage your child from putting the tooth in any sort of box or container before putting it under his or her pillow. It makes the switch more challenging.
Make the switch before you go to bed. If you wait until morning, you run the risk of forgetting or being too late.
If you do forget and your child comes in your room in the morning with tear-rimmed eyes and says that the tooth fairy didn't taker her tooth and didn't leave her anything (hmm, hmm), have her climb in bed with you and soothe her saying, "You must have awakened too early. Let's just lay here and give the tooth fairy a little more time." Meanwhile, send Daddy out to "make coffee". I'll bet that when the coffee is made, the tooth fairy will have made her visit.
Keep the tooth in a little container. I still have my baby teeth. Let your child decide when it is time to get rid of them.

Don't forget to take pictures! There are few things cuter than a toothless smile. Our tooth fairy leaves $1 for each tooth. How much does the tooth fairy leave at your house?

List of Exciting Things Happening Here

2009-04-20T09:55:00.003-04:00

You may have noticed (or not) that List Mama has not been terribly consistent with posts in the past couple of weeks. Well, there are exciting things brewing around here that have kept me from posting as often as I would like. Just to keep you in the loop, here is what is happening.

ListPlanIt and List Mama Blog are merging soon. They are both getting a cool new look and will be found together on Wordpress. They will operate in much the same way, but will be snazzier! (Weekly To Do List to stay on track)
I am preparing to travel to Florida to show off ListPlanIt and its many uses at the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) Conference at the end of April. There is much to do to be ready. If you will be attending the conference, be sure to stop by booth #109 for something special! (Trade Show Planner, Packing List)
Anniversaries abound in May! My sister's 11th anniversary to her high school sweetheart is first. Then on the 7th, I will celebrate my 15th anniversary with my love and best friend. My parents will celebrate 40 years of marriage later in the month. And on the 9th, ListPlanIt will turn 2 years old! (May calendar, Birthdays/Anniversaries to Remember)
Mother's Day weekend will find me planning our Cinco de Mayo party and running in my 2nd 5K of the year. (Exercise Goals)
My baby will be turning 4 in about 1 month so it is time to start planning our family celebration of Claire. (Birthday Planner, Grocery List, Gift List)

Good thing for lists! I have so many that I am referring to in my wonderful Notebinder. I listed them above in parentheses. Don't give up on List Mama. Be sure to keep checking back - especially in the next week. You'll want to be among the first to see our new look and enter for one of the great prizes we'll be offering to kick off our Grand re-Launching!

List of Steps to Preparing for a 5K Run

2009-04-14T06:39:00.004-04:00

I have all my life been a fair-weather jogger. My dad was always a jogger. He was my first 5K race partner back in junior high. I ran track and cross-country in high school and even one year of college and feel grateful for such a background in my favorite form of exercise. What I love about jogging is that all it requires is half an hour and a pair of jogging shoes. This weekend is my first 5K of the year. I am not really prepared for this one. I have another one coming up on Mother's Day, for which I hope to be more ready. Here are the steps I take to prepare myself mentally and physically for a 5K.

Register for a race. Nothing like making an actual commitment to motivate me to work harder.
Set up a "training" schedule. I tend to be an every-other-day kind of person. I never want to burn out. I usually run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6 a.m. Then I pick one day of the weekend to squeeze in another run (preferably with my 7-year-old).
Check your shoes for comfort and support. There are only a certain number of miles that you should put on running shoes. You want to protect your joints and feet from injury.
Get a motivator. Running with a partner can help keep you accountable to your schedule and pace. I run with my dog in the mornings. He sets a very nice pace for me to run. I sometimes use a watch to help me set timed goals.
Get a map of the course. Usually you can find one if the race has a website. Run the course so you don't waste an ounce of energy wondering what lies ahead.
Set a goal. Based on your running times and your training, be sure to set a realistic goal time for the race. This will help you
Relax and enjoy the atmosphere. You don't have to win to feel like you've won the race. Enjoy the excitement and the energy of lots of people congregating to compete. Bring your family for post-race festivities.

List of Ways to Save Money with ListPlanIt.com

2009-04-09T08:25:00.005-04:00

A membership to ListPlanIt.com (coming soon - new logo to the right) costs about $30 for access to now over 400 lists and planning pages for 1 year, but it is a tool or resource that can end up saving you much more in the long run. When you create a list, you are giving yourself an opportunity to set goals, prioritize, and control your spending. Here is a list of some of the ways that a membership to ListPlanIt.com will end up putting money in your pocket.

A thorough packing list will help you remember the necessities before you leave home and prevent emergency outlays of cash to buy forgotten items.
Comparison shopping is a good way to get the best deal. A list of dealers and stores and their prices is a good way to make a smart decision.
A good budget will let you determine how much you actually have to work with, and then give you space to keep track of your spending so you don't overspend (not to mention a little willpower :-) Knowledge is power and if you know where your money is going, you will be much more likely to spend within your means.
It is easy to go overboard on gifts for friends and family. Keeping a list of potential gifts throughout the year and keeping track of gifts already purchased, will save both time and money.
An inventory of children's clothing will help you stick to a reasonable amount of clothing for the upcoming season.
Planning meals and being prepared with the ingredients ahead of time, will reduce the number of restaurant visits.
Keeping a family calendar will help prevent you from missing important meetings or skipping appointments.
Shopping with a grocery list will keep you on track at the store. Unnecessary items or impulse purchases add up to overspending.
A thorough list of monthly bills and their approximate due dates will allow you to divide bills appropriately among your paychecks and get them paid on time.
Planning out a trip thoroughly in advance means no surprise expenses. Find the best deals on hotels, parks, and restaurants and plan accordingly.
Setting personal and professional goals will help guide and encourage you to achieve the highest level of productivity. Time is money!

In what ways do you use lists to help you save and stretch money?

List of Ways to Reduce Fossil Fuels in my Food

2009-04-08T07:22:00.006-04:00

Okay, not so much IN my food, but unless I lived in California or another major food-producing place, fossil fuel is what would bring most of the items in my grocery store to my table. As you may have read from my previous post, I have started to look at my food differently. Instead of asking myself if it is the cheapest I can buy, I have started asking if I have shortened the trip.

Bake my own bread or buy from a local breadmaker. Not only is it way more delicious and hardy then Wonder, but it is pretty fun! I recently bought a big round Peasant Bread from a local baker. It was so delicious for both dinner with Beef Barley Soup and breakfast with some local honey drizzled over it.
Shop at my local natural foods store. I've noticed that because the prices are generally more than a regular grocery store, I am more choosy about my purchases and tend to put them to better use.
Buy fruits and vegetables in season. I know it can be hard to wait to eat strawberries, but the payoff when eating fresh, just-picked berries is tremendous and worth it!
Ask my grocer where the food in my favorite store is coming from. Let them know that I support your local growers.
Grow a garden, buy a share at a CSA, or shop at my local farmer's market.

List of Ways to Improve your Food Value

2009-04-06T06:31:00.004-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I am reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and never have I been more inspired to make personal changes in my food choices. Many of the suggestions in this post will be points that I picked up from the book. What I know for sure is that I will no longer look at food value in the same way. I used to consider food value as a good deal at the grocery store. I looked for more and more bargains and then bought more and more food. Today, my outlook on buying food is more about quality. Food value now means to me that I will pay for food that will be nutritious and beneficial to my family. Massive choice is overrated. I think people shortchange quality food because the effects are not highly visible. It is not always easy to see the positive ways a body is responding.

Peaches in February means that they have likely traveled to you from Argentina. Which means they have very likely been genetically modified to travel well and have spent possibly a week in some sort box car or hull. Wait for fruits and vegetable to come in season and then buy them locally.
Buy organic when you can. If it is not organic, you and your children are consuming pesticides, food that is genetically modified to be indestructible, and artificial growth hormones. Sound delicious?
Buy free range when you can. If meat is not from a free range animal, then it has been genetically modified to withstand poor pen/coop conditions and produce more meat, and it has been fed food that it would not eat naturally.
Grow a garden. Getting involved in your own food production can make your family more aware of where food comes from. Carrot, potatoes, tomatoes, and radishes all grow from the dirt. Where does high fructose corn syrup come from? It is a fun family activity to get you outdoors as well.
Imagine each bite being the building block for your child's healthy body. Don't reach for the pre-packaged snacks. Peel a few carrots and store in the refrigerator for quick access. Spread some peanut butter on a slice of bread.
Truly consider the foods that you are picking up at the grocery store. Read the ingredients. Be thoughtful. Get out of a rut.

What are some ways that you are improving the food value for your family?

List of Reasons to Purchase a Share at a Local CSA

2009-04-03T06:25:00.005-04:00

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a wonderful way for farmers to keep their small farms and still make a living. When you buy from a farm in your community, you are contributing in so many ways to that community, to your health, and to the environment. A share from a CSA will usually cost about $400 to $500, but if you can figure out how to spend a good chunk of your food budget at one time, it will be so worth it. You can find a CSA in your state or area by visiting LocalHarvest.org. Here are some reasons to join a CSA.

You can pick up your weekly portion of your share each week. A weekly family trip to the farm!
CSA farmers grow organic food using natural fertilizers and pesticides.
Because you are buying food in season and at the peak of its freshness, the food will taste extra delicious.
You are supporting your community and those that live and work in your community.
You can buy a share with a friend and take turns picking up your weekly portion.
Your food will not have to travel thousands of miles to get to your plate.
Sometimes you can pick up your share at the local farmer's market (talk to your CSA). Then you can do all of your shopping at one time.
You will be teaching your children that food truly does come from a farm and not just from the produce section of the grocery store.

If you have read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, you may have recognized some of her voice here in my post. I am mid-way through the book on CD and am already so inspired! Get this book and read it. It will transform the way you shop for food and eat.

List of Easter Baskets That Do Not Include Candy

2009-04-01T06:11:00.005-04:00

Guest Blogger -- Jessica Ryan

Most of you probably have dozens, if not dozens of dozens of those plastic eggs from years past. They can be filled with items other than candy. I am trying to have a candy-free Easter this year. I will probably end up tossing a few jelly beans in their baskets for good measure, but my Mother in law always goes way overboard with the candy, and despite my pleas to reduce the sugar the sugar remains. Last year I placed all the candy on the scale and it neared 5 pounds! In the end most of it got tossed or eaten by Mom and Dad. I hate to waste the money by tossing candy and I really don’t want to be eating it this year. So here are some ideas that I came up with that I might use for my candy-free (for the most part!) Easter Baskets.

I do recycle the baskets we have in the basement so and that saves a good bit of money too. The following are mere ideas… add to them as you wish!

1. Arts and crafts basket

Fill basket with green grass. In plastic eggs place pom poms, googly eyes, mini craft hole punches, buttons, paper clips, foam pieces, etc..

Fill basket with crayons, markers, colored paper, white paper (in different sizes), glue sticks, small bottles of glue, paint brushes, paints, etc…

In our house we run out of glue, paper, and other crafty stuff around this time of year. Markers dry, crayons break… so while this may not be the least expensive basket it will be a worthwhile basket!

Plastic eggs can also be filled with Play Doh, either store bought or home-made!

2. Gardening Basket

I plan on doing this for one or all three children!

Fill basket with terra cotta pots and little gardening tools that are found at Target for a very good price.

Fill the plastic eggs with dirt and seeds (separately). Use the seeds to grow herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary that can then be placed in to larger pots and reused over the summer. Use these herbs in recipes all summer long!

3. Outdoor/Summer Fun Basket

Fill your child's basket with any number of the following:

Bubbles, chalk (I’ve seen chalk that comes in Easter Egg shapes), shovels and other beach digging tools, small plastic boats, small kites, small balls, flip flops, sunglasses, sunscreen, chaptsick

4. Newborn – 12 month old basket

My mother in law made these baskets for my kids when they were wee little ones. I have always loved these very useful baskets!

Fill basket with a baby toy, rattle or chew toy
Plastic Coated feeding spoons
Jars of baby food (organic!)
A bib (a duckie or chick would be great for Easter
Formula sticks
A baby bottle or sippy cup
A cute or pastel onesie
Little socks or booties
Cardboard book
Tylenol or Motrin (for teething!)
Teething ring

5. Jewelry Making Easter Basket

Rebecca is huge into making jewelry these days…

Fill plastic eggs with assorted beads of different shapes and sizes
Memory wire for bracelets and necklaces
Elastic, thin enough to use for beading
Clasps, earring hooks, etc…
(With the memory wire, clasps are not necessary as the wire maintains its circular shape)
A pair of pliers used to round off ends of wire

What other kinds of baskets can you come up with?

Jessica Ryan is a List Loving Mom who is admittedly better at writing them than following them. A former Freelance Writer, she decided to put the professional world on hold to raise her three Entertaining Kids. (Jessica often wonders why the job of parenting isn’t a freelance one. Her hours are never-ending and she can’t collect overtime, or any pay at all for that matter!) Jessica was dubbed by some of her friends as the EntertainingMom. Jessica has been blogging for about a year now, about her family and her life, documenting the good, the bad, and the funny!

Visit her blog, The Entertaining House, at http://doodlebuglounge.blogspot.com/

List of Rules to Live by in this Economy

2009-03-30T06:31:00.005-04:00

I grew up in a pretty frugal household. I have always tried to be frugal myself, but after last summer's gas crunch, 5 months of unemployment, and an economy that delivers nothing but bad news, I have begun to cling to a few rules that help me know how to spend.

Make do. Need some new artwork for your walls? Let your family do some painting then matte and frame it! You'll have a bright, authentic look for your bare walls.
Wear it out. Sure your sheets might be a little worn, but they still do their job, right?
Do without. This is a hard one in our culture because we believe we are entitled.
Be satisfied. View the things in your home as enough. If you are like most of us, we already have too much stuff.
Free is Good. There is an unfortunate stigma attached to free. Make a list of all the free things to do in your community. Avail yourself of hand-me-downs and Craigs List.

What are your rules for living and spending in this economy?

List of Thoughts as a New Work-Out-of-the-Home Mama

2009-03-26T06:34:00.006-04:00

It has been a couple of months now since I began to work in the outside world again. In the beginning, there was a lot of juggling, but now that we've gotten into some new routines, things are starting to be comfortable. In fact, I am feeling great! I dragged my heels about working. The only reason I even began to really consider it at this stage was because my husband was unemployed for several months. Here are some reflections on the state of things right now.

I shower EVERYDAY. I also put on makeup. I wear clothing that I have not had a chance to wear in 7 years.
I can put my kids on the bus in the morning and then get them off in the afternoon each day. That was important to me.
My little Claire (who will be 4 in May) is my only child that has ever had to have childcare. This is been the hardest part for me. She is doing pretty well, but it is the biggest transition for her.
My dishes are always done in the morning and before bed (unlike when I was at home).
My house stays clean during the day.
I spend the bulk of working hours in a quiet office, at a comfortable pace.
It is more of a challenge to try and balance family and work. When kids have a dentist appointment or get sick, it is not so easy to fit the pieces together.
I am worried about what it feel like to be cooped up in an office on a beautiful spring or summer day.
It still astounds me that I am doing as much work as I always did, but now I get a paycheck.
Half of it goes to childcare.

List of Uses for Green-Cleaning your Home with Vinegar

2009-03-23T06:33:00.003-04:00

I keep reading about vinegar in all of the best articles about cleaning, particularly green-cleaning. I was intrigued. How many uses are there for cleaning with vinegar? I made my way to the Vinegar Institute where they list a ton of great ways to use vinegar in your household cleaning. Not only is vinegar completely natural with no chemicals, it costs next to nothing! Here are some of the uses that I borrowed from the Vinegar Institute.

No-wax floors: To wash no-wax floors, add ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to a half-gallon of warm water. (I used a vinegar/water solution to clean my hardwood floors, too.)
Streakless windows: Simply wash with a mixture of equal parts of white distilled vinegar and warm water. Dry with a soft cloth. This solution will make your windows gleam and will not leave the usual film or streaks on the glass.
Garbage disposal cleaner: Garbage disposals may be kept clean and odor free with vinegar cubes. Vinegar cubes are made by filling an ice tray with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar and enough water to fill the ice tray and then freezing it. Run the mixture through the disposal, and then flush it with cold water for a minute or so.
Coffee maker cleaner (automatic): White distilled vinegar can help to dissolve mineral deposits that collect in automatic drip coffee makers from hard water. Fill the reservoir with white distilled vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly with water when the cycle is finished. (Be sure to check the owner’s manual for specific instructions.)
Clean the microwave: Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.
Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards: Wipe with full strength white distilled vinegar.
Ant deterrent: Ant invasions can sometimes be deterred by washing counter tops, cabinets and floors with white distilled vinegar.
Cleaner Dishes and Glasses: Pour 1 ½ cup to 2 cups white distilled vinegar in the bottom of dishwasher, along with regular dishwasher soap. Wash full cycle.
Shower doors: Rub down shower doors with a sponge soaked in white distilled vinegar to remove soap residue.
Toilet bowl cleaner: Stubborn stains can be removed from the toilet by spraying them with white distilled vinegar and brushing vigorously. The bowl may be deodorized by adding 3 cups of white distilled vinegar. Allow it to remain for a half hour, then flush.
Clothes washing magic: Clothes will rinse better if 1 cup of white distilled vinegar is added to the last rinse water. The acid in vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, but strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents.
Deodorant stains: Deodorant and antiperspirant stains may be removed from clothing by lightly rubbing with white distilled vinegar and laundering as usual

List of Steps to Participate in a Blog Party

2009-03-21T06:24:00.004-04:00

5MinutesforMom.com is hosting a spectacular Blog Party all this week. Today is, in fact, the 2nd day, but if you are just finding out about it - you're still in time! Whether you have a blog or not, it is a fun way to meet new people around the world. Here is all you have to do.

Visit the Ultimate Blog Party page at 5MinutesforMom.com.
Browse through the rules (there aren't many).
If you have a blog and want to participate, you'll need to put one of their pretty badges on your blog. It is also a good idea to write a welcome post to the tons of people who will be visiting your blog.
Then add your blog to the Mr. Linky box under the appropriate category simply by putting your name in the top line and your blog/site's URL in the bottom line.
Now is the fun part - start clicking on the list of blogs there and leave a relevant comment on each one you visit! I can't tell you have many amazing blogs I "discovered" last year at the UBP.
New this year is sharing your Facebook and Twitter pages as well as your blog.
Try to come up for air once in a while. It is addictive and it is tempting to just keep saying, "I'll just visit one more." Make sure you check in on your loved ones now and again ;-)

If you have come here through the Ultimate Blog Party - Welcome! Hope you'll take a look around. See you at the Party!

List of Categories to Use When Setting Up your Filing System

2009-03-19T21:33:00.007-04:00

Once you have the supplies you need, all that is left is to take time to organize your important documents into categories that will make storing and finding them again simple. I would suggest making piles first so that you know what categories would best fit your filing system. Here are some categories you might find helpful, along with possible subcategories.

Automobile - Maintenance records
Correspondence - letters, cards, even printed emails
Employment - job records, current resume, benefits information
Family - keep a file on each member of your family to keep track of records, favorites
Financial - checking, savings, loans, investments, receipts
Hobbies - ideas, projects,
Home - contracts, maintenance, utilities, design ideas,
Important Documents - important enough to be kept separate from other docs, but not important enough to go into a fire safe (birth certificates, marriage license, passports, etc)
Insurance - home, auto, medical
Medical History - records on each member of the family
Pet(s) - keep a separate file on pet health, favorite vets/kennels
Taxes - keep 7 years of tax records

We could all benefit from any special insights you might have into filing systems. Feel free to share!

List of Essentials for your Filing System

2009-03-18T06:39:00.004-04:00

Our last filing cabinet had had enough. It had made the move several times, each time getting more and more banged up. It found its final resting place in a land far away from where we are now. Time for a new one. However, 2.5 years later, we have only just replaced that old filing cabinet. Many of my important papers had a home - my trusty household management binder, but those papers that would best be stored away have only had a pile for a home. This post, and one or two more this week, will serve as a primer for me in the upcoming weekend. Maybe some of you have found yourselves in my position: lots of papers, but no filing cabinet (or system). Here are some things I have been gathering for the coming "File Fest".

Filing cabinet. I just bought a wood-like one from Target at half-price! Some people also like the boxes or accordion files (depending on where you are in life).
Hanging files. These rest on the metal arms inside each drawer.
Tabs. Putting your papers away does no good if you don't know where to find them later. Always label your folders.
File folders. Within each hanging file, you may have a need to separate papers further. File folders are great for organizing each hanging file.
Pen or label maker. Pens are old-fashioned, but effective. Label makers can be purchased inexpensively now if a neat, uniform appearance is important.
Block of time. Schedule yourself an appointment with the filing cabinet.

List of My Favorite Lists

2009-03-17T06:38:00.004-04:00

I am guest posting for a friend and fellow blogger with a lovely blog called Like a Warm Cup of Coffee. How warm and comforting does that sound?

I've written about my favorite lists - the ones that I either use most frequently or cannot live without! It was a little like choosing my favorite children :-) The post is called Awesome List Ideas (thank you, Sarah Mae). Head on over to her blog and check it out!

List of Steps to Inventory your Family's Spring Clothing

2009-03-16T06:25:00.007-04:00

Some of you may have already begun the transition of winter to spring clothing. Others will not break out the short sleeves until possibly May. Either way, if you haven't paid attention to what your family has for clothes for the spring/summer season and what they may yet need, now is the time to do it. Here are a few ideas for your inventory.

If you have not separated each child's clothing, all it takes is a large tub and a convenient yet hidden place to store it (possibly in his/her closet, in the attic/basement, at the bottom of the linen closet). Keeping them sepaparate will make the inventory process much easier.
Make a list with different items of clothing in the left hand column (long-sleeve shirts, short-sleeve shirts, pants, jeans, shorts, skirts, socks, etc). I make columns for 2 or 3 sizes because I buy ahead. I also make a column that says "Need" so I know what I still need. Members to ListPlanIt.com will find several types of Clothing Inventories in the Home Management section.
Take all of one child's clothing out of the tubs by sorting them into piles (shirts, shorts, etc).
Count the items in each pile and record on your inventory. I once found that I had 16 pairs of shorts for my boy because I had bought them on sale but had not inventoried.
You may realize that you only have 1 t-shirt that will fit your boy for the upcoming season. If a child is low in a particular item of clothing, decide how many he/she will need to get by and write it in the "Need" column.
Replace all of the clothing in neat, folded piles either in the drawers, in a transition place (like an under the bed box), or back into the tub. Label the tub with your child's name.
Create a shopping list based on each child's "needs" for the season. Keep it in your wallet or in a notebook that you store in your purse. That way when you visit a store, you can pull out your list and look for the best prices and the right articles.

List of My Favorite Stations on Pandora.com

2009-03-13T06:43:00.005-04:00

If you have ever used Pandora.com, then you know what an amazing place to hear the music that you like best without any commercials for free right through your computer. I listen to it all day at work. I listen at home while I am working on ListPlanIt. The kids and I listen to it during teatime. We love it! I never knew how to stay current in my style of music, which is a more folk/alternative kind of genre. Pandora introduces me to all kinds of new artists in the style of music that I like best! You just enter an artist, a favorite song, or a music style, and Pandora creates a station around that style. Here are some of my favorite stations.

K.T. Tunstall
Sarah Bareilles
Brandi Carlile
The Weepies
Eva Cassidy
Shawn Colvin
Maroon 5
Coldplay
Dance/Pop (for our afternoon dance parties)
George Winston (dinner music)

What stations do you or would you create on Pandora.com?

List of Items to Purge from Each Room

2009-03-10T20:47:00.006-04:00

If you are considering and planning for a spring cleaning, the best preparation is to clear out the clutter, unused, broken, or unwanted items in each room of your home. Sort each item into 1 of 3 piles: donate, sell, throw away/recycle. Here are some items that you will want to consider getting rid of.

Unwanted, unused appliances
Broken items
Expired items
Outgrown clothing/shoes
Clutter and piles of paper
Hidden clutter/piles in closets/drawers
Media/books that are no longer enjoyed
Items you "plan" to reuse (just get rid of it)
Unused, outgrown toys/games
Unnecessary, extraneous furniture/collectibles

Please enjoy ListPlanIt.com's Room by Room Purge worksheet. There is space at the bottom of each box to type in your own ideas and needs.

List of Manners for Children in Nature

2009-03-09T05:00:00.001-04:00

It was 51 degrees on Saturday here in Maine and it made everyone flock to the outdoors. We visited one of many favorite spots on the ocean near Freeport, home of L.L. Bean. It is a state park called Wolfe's Neck. We always take the short trail right to the rocky shore, where there are plenty of opportunities to climb on rocks, search for periwinkles, and watch the osprey in the summertime. This time, a young seal was stranded, waiting for the tide to come back so that it could rejoin its family. As we walked and talked among the many others that were jumping at the chance to be outdoors, I was made aware how we are once again going to have to reiterate the rules of nature to the children. Here are a few that were obvious on Saturday.

Outside voices are only truly appropriate if you are alone outside. Though their enthusiasm for nature is wonderful, I noticed that the children's decibel level was still too great for such close proximity with other park visitors and wildlife.
Don't disturb potential habitats. A few rocks or shells thrown in the water is fine, but tide pools and dens should be left untouched.
Observe personal or family space. My children are all extremely social and kept trying their best to attach themselves to other families with children.
Leave wildlife alone. Although I am all for observing animals in nature, they are still wild creatures and should be considered unreliable. My kids wanted so badly to get a closer look at that seal. They could not understand why we didn't just let them go pet it.
Be respectful of nature. I like my children to think of nature as their elders - along in years, full of wisdom, and a bit delicate.

What are some things that you emphasize to your children when you venture out for walks in the woods or strolls by the water or visits to the park?