Organization and the Busy Mom

I don't know about you, but most days it is a struggle for me to do everything that is required, plus more on the pesky to-do list. The end result is a catch all space for things I do not have time to figure out how to deal with, or don't know where it should go. And, lets be honest, between cooking, cleaning, getting kids ready, taking kids to practice, school (both for kids and self), helping the husband out, taking care of the dog (or other pet), volunteering, helping kids practice whatever class they're in, helping kids with homework, homework for self, etc that trying to come up with the energy to organize just doesn't come close to topping any list.

What I do know is this: An organized space (even if not perfect) will make life run much easier, and will provide more energy and less stress. Yes, that may seem obvious and unhelpful, but stay with me. All it takes to a more organized family unit is a few extra minutes a day. I read once that it really takes less than 20 minutes each day to choose a spot to start organizing and making better. Less than 20 minutes! No matter how busy you are, you can afford to give that time to less clutter!

Simply start by choosing the spot that feels the most frazzling (yes, clutter has a feeling), turn on the radio (or iPod) and crank up the tunes and start working away. Keep at it every day until that spot is done. If you feel on a roll and want to keep going, do it, but on the other days you feel like doing less break through the nagging urge and set a timer.

If music isn't your thing, use that time to chat with a friend on the phone, or play a movie in background, or a book recording. Something that will help you feel as though the time isn't just about getting more organized, but also giving a piece of "you time" at the same time. Either that or set up a reward system - say after the 20 minutes you will enjoy a wonderful glass of wine, or maybe a bath. Organizing should never feel like a drag!

One thing, though, make sure the clutter isn't moving from one space in your home to another: It does no good moving everything to the garage or a catch all room. Get rid of the excess and free your family and mind up. To keep things from being cluttered up again, have a donation month every year right after the holidays and save the receipts for the next years taxes.

So what are you waiting for, your 20 minutes is waiting for you!

What Every House Should Have

Before I write this, let me say that my house is not the cleanest on the block, but as a working mom of two I do try my best to keep it within reason. And since I also have two children, I'm always trying to save a little extra on cleaning supplies, and extra concerned about safety of my materials.

With that being said, I will now share with you all the three things that I have found to work miracles in my home, every time (one of which was even taught to us in the costuming department at Disney). Let me also say, that none of these three things comes with a recipe to make cleaning solutions (Krystal is the guru at that!), but that individually they do a pretty darn good job in a pinch.

The first must have is apple cider vinegar. While having this on hand my seem like a no brainer, it can be used for more than cleaning windows and what not. For instance, Disney taught us that between 1/8 and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar thrown into the wash could alleviate the sweat smell from gym clothes (or costumes worn several times a day), and the sweat rings left around neck and arm lines. I know a lot of you are probably concerned about the smell that is then on your gym clothes... All I can say, is that though you will have a hint of vinegar, it's much better than eau de sweat! Also, after one or two more washes the smell goes away completely.

Next on the list is toothpaste. I know Krystal has already preached its virtues on being able to clean a stove top, but did you know that it can get stains out of pretty much anything that has a porous surface? Because the toothpaste is meant to deep clean our teeth and soak in, it can do the same for grout, granite, and oddly enough Kool Aid stains. I don't know about you, but as a kid I hated the stain above my lip from drinking Kool Aid. One day I found out that by putting some toothpaste on the stain for about 3 minutes, and then washing off with water, will take that all away!

And, finally, I feel every home should have a jar of salt handy at all times. The reason being is that salt is an absorbent. If you spill something on the carpet that you need out quickly, pour salt on it. Pet has an accident, and you realize you ran out of carpet cleaner, pour some salt on it, then scrape up the salt and apply some apple cider vinegar, and blot dry with a towel. The final good point to salt is that it can also be used to scrub things. For example, I've had pots with things severely burned on the bottom, I'm simply filled them with water and salt, and let boil for a few minutes before scrubbing away again. Need the bottom of your sink to shine? First wash, then take a scrubber with salt over it, and rinse!

I hope these little tips help. They're not only money savers, but are also very versatile and safe to use around anyone!