Maintenance
Once the snow melts and the ice thaws you might notice some areas of the house that need attention. It can be overwhelming! At my house we created a preventative maintenance schedule so that we can stay on track instead of waiting to address problems until they are hemorrhaging. There are good checklists on House Master if you do not already have one.

Simplifying
Changing seasons offer a great opportunity to downsize. Did not touch your skis all winter? Still have not worn that fur coat or those winter boots that you have been trying to for years? Have the kids become teens and grown out of their sleds or other winter equipment? Use the seasons as a test. If you went all winter without using something, you probably will not use it next winter either! You can apply this to things that are not seasonal. For example, go through your pantry, donate the staples that you never use.

Make it FUN!
I know, I know, you do not think ‘fun’ and ‘spring cleaning’ should be in the same sentence.  I always had the most fun with spring cleaning when my children were younger and always excited to help with projects like painting or gardening because they were also learning along the way. Re-frame spring cleaning as family bonding time instead of chore time. Introduce incentives. My kids participated in everything from dusting races to competitions on who could pull a bigger pile of weeds!

However, if you have an empty nest like I do now, you can still spice up your spring cleaning. If you are tackling the whole house, tuning all of the radios in the house to your favorite station so that you sing along as you take trips up and down the stairs is always nice. It is also satisfying to stick with one room or area until it is finished. The size is more manageable so the satisfaction you get from completing that space reassures you that your punch list is doable.

Monopoly Iron

At the Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show last week, one of the most popular aspects of our booth was the compact ironing board! You can see it this KDKA Pittsburgh Today Live segment. This was partially because it discretely folded up into a drawer and also because some of our visitors unsure what it was. This inspired me to do a little bit of research on ironing.

Turns out that Less than 29.7% of Americans still iron their clothes on a regular basis. This makes sense now that most fabrics have polyester and cotton components. This blend was created to reduce the need to iron and the term ‘permanent press’ was born. This switch towards ironless fabrics was somewhat commemorated by the game, Monopoly, getting rid of their iron token this year. It was a croundsourced decision hosted on facebook. Fans chose to replace the iron with a cat.

I also found a statistic that 40% of Americans who do iron, iron in their underwear. This makes perfect sense. It suggests that ironing is an afterthought and no longer a common household chore. However, most of us still dedicate valuable wall space to an ironing board hanger or mount.

If you are still ironing, why use valuable wall space for an unaesthetic ironing board? Check out some of our ideas for ironing board storage alternatives on Pinterest.

http://www.houzz.com/built-in-spice-rack

We often find clients who  have too much spice in there lives!  Oftentimes people want to cook more but are having trouble making time.  They over-buy in case they ever get the opportunity there will not be any barriers, they will have everything they need.  Some people identify providing with having everything they can possibly think of on hand.  It is their way of showing their love.  These people purchase spices (and other items) “just in case”. Others have inventory issues.  Either, they do not know or cannot see what they have.  This is a vicious cycle because spices tend to get lost behind other spices.  No matter what the root of the problem is, keeping spices in an appropriate place and for the right amount of time can make a difference.

Seven Day Challenge
If you want to find out which of your spices are actually active, try this trick.  Turn all your spices upside down and go through a week of your normal cooking habits.  When you use a spice, return it to the cabinet right side up and at the end of the week it will be easy to see what you actually use!  Active spices can go on a more available shelf or in a spice drawer.  A good rule of thumb is to keep the number of active spices to what can fit in the front row of your spice area.

A-B-C Order?
As an professional organizer, I get this comment all the time.  “You are so organized, you probably alphabetize your spices”. Truth be told, I have one shelf that is grab and go for active spices and then another shelf for less used favorites, which are sorted by size and are generally in alphabetical order.  Alphabetizing the spices helps me because often times the labels are covered by other spices but when they are in order I have a better idea of where to reach.  This is not necessarily for everyone but works well when not all of your spices can be fully displayed.

Stadium Seating Please
Keeping things visual is key.  That is why I put all the small jars together, in front of the larger jars.  It’s just easier to see.  My husband measured and cut a small piece of scrap wood so I could elevate the back row and see it better.  I do not recommend any of the shelf extenders that stack spices three deep because I find that I knock items off the shelf when I try to get to the back row. I will admit that I do get joy from buying the same brand when I can so the shelf looks tidy.

Keeping It Fresh
Spices last for a few years before they start to loose their kick, but they will never spoil.  If your spices are on the outs, I buy smaller jars for things I use less of and resist the urge to buy large amounts to save money by thinking of quality first.  Storage of large spice containers can be a problem.  To increase their shelf life, do not store spices directly next to heat because they will lose their freshness faster.

Check out my Pinterest for ideas!

Shoeboxed (Free) The fastest way to turn a pile of receipts into digital data for effortless expense reporting, accounting, bookkeeping, and tax preparation. Snap a photo of your receipt and create an expense report on your phone that will sync with QuickBooks, Wave Accounting, Xero, Excel, FreshBooks Outright, Xero or dozens of other tools. Great for those little business expenses that used to get lost in the shuffle. Be aware that there can be some fees incorporated into the app if you start using it heavily. Free Runner Ups: PaperPhobic, Expensify & Skyclerk

MyFitnessPal (Free) First of all, it is not just fitness. Although it tracks that, most intriguing is it’s ability to read a bar-code on an item and add it’s nutritional information to what you’ve eaten. Many restaurants are getting on board to input their menus into it’s already massive database of over 2 million foods. Plus, you can add your own foods, like your famous chili, and it will remember it for next time. You can access your info from a computer as well but you do not need Internet to use the actual app and the social aspect of it is optional. The app even helps calculate how many calories you need to eat/burn to reach your weight goals.

My Gratitude Journal ($0.99) This is one of my personal favorites! Just write down five things you are grateful for each day. You can add photos, rate the day, record the weather and bookmark days. I have seen my attitude change by using this app. Even when I am not having a great day, it forces me to see the silver lining. Free Runner Ups: Gratitude Diary & iGratitude

Daily Tracker ($9.99) This app tracks just about anything. Whether you are organizing your notes or to-do lists, counting calories or pushups, tracking sleep or expenses, Daily Tracker can do it. If you’re feeling like you already have an app for everything this is the next step, because it allows you to track all of your information within one streamlined app. It also syncs with the cloud. It is definitely pricey, but has great ratings.

Period Plus (Free) Ladies, we have all been there. The doctor asks and you have no clue. You make a mental note to start writing it down but never get around to it. Period Plus knows can even predict your periods, fertile days and ovulation dates for the next 12 months so if you are hoping to get pregnant, this is also a handy tool. Plus you can also track breakouts, breast tenderness, cramp intensity, weight and more. Do not worry, there is a password too. Free Runner Ups: iPeriod, Period Tracker Lite, My Days, Pink Pad Period, Monthly Cycles & Period Diary

Stylebook ($3.99) A visual wardrobe organization and closet management tool that can make a cupboard sized closet seem more like a walk in! Whether you want to make sure you do not wear the same outfit to that second job interview, are packing for a getaway, or want to remember what the clothes you put in crawlspace look like, this is the app for you. It is fun to edit the background out of your pictures and design magazine style outfits. You can include accessories as well! Free Runner Ups: I Wear…, Closet Lite, My Fashion Closet & Stylish Girl & Cool Guy

Task Rabbit (Free) Always wishing you had time for that one last errand or another hand around the house? TaskRabbit can help. It connects you with friendly, reliable people right in your neighborhood who can help you get the items on your To-Do list done, and you set the price. Task Rabbits go through a thorough application process and a screening so you can be confident that they are trustworthy people.

CardMunch (Free) You know when you get the business card of someone you really intend to follow up with, but then lose it? That does not have to happen anymore with CardMunch. Take a picture of the card, it will be converted into a contact entry that can be synced with your address book and if the person has a LinkedIn account, the app will ask if you want to connect.

Some other cool apps I stumbled upon in my research were LastPass, ReQall, Timr, Remember the Milk, BillMinder and HomeRoutines. I’ll let you investigate those on your own!

There’s an app for that…

It is true.  If you are a smart phone user, there are apps for everything from tracking exercise and adding up calories, to tracking mileage and even an app for posting daily gratitude journal entries. Receiving automated nudges from a tool that is almost always by your side is a powerful way to stay on track.  Below are some of my personal app suggestions.

Go Public with Social Media

Studies show that the combination of accountability and group mentality yields powerful results when it comes to meeting goals.  Posting intentions and progress reports make you feel like you have a team behind you cheering you on.  You might even find friends who are working on a similar goal. People from all of your different networks are able to reach out and support you when you share your story.

Dig Deep

Re-connect to the why.  When I have clients that are starting to give up on something, I often ask, “why did you want to do it in the first place?”.  I follow up with a series of why questions to identify the core reasons for making the resolution in the first place.

For example, if I want to work out more in 2013 and you asked me, “why?”, I may say I want to be more fit.  If you asked again, I may say, “I need to stay active”.  Ask a third time, I may explain that I need to be fit to keep up with my husband and kids. The fourth “why?” really makes me think and get to the core; I don’t want to be alone. I want to be with my family and do what we do for a long, long time.  That is what gets me to go out there and get fit!

Most importantly, even if your resolution has had a rocky start, you can’t consider it doomed! Any time of the year is a great time for self improvement. Now get to it!

1. DROP
Designate a drop spot for the cards as they arrive. I like to use a pretty bowl or basket. I separate them from the other mail and do not open them until I have time to sit down and really enjoy them. This system ensures that none will be misplaced around the house.

2. DECIDE
When I open the cards I try to immediately make a decision about which I want to hold on to for display, reuse for crafts, archive, or leave in the bowl to save. Ask yourself these questions to help make your rules: Do you only want to keep cards from certain families? Only photo cards? Only cards from relatives? Only the top ten of the year? Only your own cards? (TIP: If you are keeping your own cards a good rule of thumb is to keep a copy for each child. If you have 5 children, keep 5 cards) Keeping all of your cards is just a way to not decide. Making decisions on this small batch of emotional items is good practice for bigger jobs – like your photos. If tackling holiday cards is difficult for you, photos are probably even more of a challenge.

3. DISPLAY
Displaying is generally for current cards. There are many different ways to display holiday cards, from clothespins to mantles and garlands to wall sconces! I usually display cards of the people closest to my family and me. A bonus is that when those families join us for holiday celebrations it makes them happy to see their card on display. Check out our Pinterest for more ideas on displaying your cards, you can buy or DIY.

4. DOCUMENT/ARCHIVE
Take down your display at the end of the season and decide how you want to document/archive your cards. Most of what I choose to display each year is what I end up archiving and documenting later on. Once you decide which cards to keep from past years, think about how to save them. Is it okay to just put favorite cards in a shoebox or does it have to be something more aesthetic? I have found that a nice photo box works well for me. I like to save certain cards to look at each year when we pull out our decorations. Also, this year I will be making a scrapbook of my family’s cards over the last 25 years using Shutterfly. I will share my scrapbook link once the project is complete!

5. DIY
This last ‘D’ is an option if you want to get more out of the cards you are not displaying or documenting by reusing them. The front of non-photo cards make great thank you notes if you cleanly separate the front flap. Most people do not write in that area so the back should be blank. Now just find an envelope of the right size or use it as a postcard! My daughter is really great at this! These front flaps can also be cut into smaller pieces and used as gift tags. This is something my sister does. She often writes heartfelt notes on these and attaches them to a satin ribbon as gift wrapping. Whatever is left over can be recycled.

Photo provided by Hyloft.com

We have been getting so many calls about garages this month. The weather is getting colder and people want to put all their summer outdoor items away to keep them out of the elements. Making a garage work can be key to keeping other areas of your home uncluttered and running smoothly. After you have decided on zones for things, added shelving and hooks for frequently used items- LOOK UP! There is a gold mine of space in most garages that are underutilized. We love this Hyloft Storage product. It is affordable, easy to install and much easier than crawling up into your attic for seasonal and infrequently used items.

So call us to get ideas on how to get your garage ready for winter and to see if Hyloft is a solution for you.

If you want to make a change start by thinking about the details of your traditions and ask yourself these questions:

• Think back on how many family traditions got started.

• Think about the “why” behind each tradition.

• Is the tradition aligned with your family values?

• Is it something you “should” do or something you “want” to do?

• Try to think about the joy/stress ratio for each tradition and ask yourself if the stress is worth it?

Slimming down traditions by asking these questions or at asking these before connecting to new traditions might be a great way to add peace to your holiday season.

We are busy every day, so adding holiday food prep to the usual mix can really be overwhelming. When time is tight, quality suffers and then we make poor choices and get poor results. This year, plan early and make better choices by following this little guide.

TWO WEEKS AHEAD:

• Confirm your guest list.
• Confirm any rentals or special arrangements.
• Finalize the menu and try to incorporate lots of make ahead items.
• Delegate cooking projects to guests.
• Order the turkey if its fresh (1lb/person).
• Compose final shopping list.

ONE WEEK AHEAD

• Buy hardy veggies and squash and heavy cream early.
• Launder and press linens.

THREE DAYS AHEAD:

• Thaw the bird in the fridge.
• Think about the table setting and furniture placement.

TWO DAYS AHEAD:

• Baking Day! Pies, rolls and bread.
• Time to make those soups, dips, sauces and casseroles that can stay in the fridge.

ONE DAY AHEAD:

• Set your table.
• Finish any final shopping.
• Write up a timeline for the day in the kitchen including oven space planning.
• Make all items as appropriate.

ON TURKEY DAY

• Prepare the turkey and get it in the oven as directed.
• Reheat and/or cook sides and appetizers.
• Delegate opening wine, setting up the buffet and other small jobs to guests.
• ENJOY! and remember the cook never does the dishes!

At least have a FORMULA

First, what do they think is reasonable daily candy consumption at Halloween time? Something like 2 pieces at lunch, a piece after school and a piece for dessert might be what you could shoot for. That’s adding 5 pieces of candy a day. Once you come to an agreement, define how long Halloween season should last. Five, ten, fourteen days, a month? Now put this formula to work. Number of treats/day times the number of how many days the season lasts equals equals the number of pieces of candy you can keep. So after the candy comes in they can choose their 50 favorite pieces. In my world that would get rid of half the candy and it would put a limit on the time you need to police it. Feel free to adjust the formula!

THE BUY BACK

Buy it back by the piece or the pound. This might help with the formula above. Just buy back the extra candy. Set a rate that is appropriate for your children and encourage them to save it or put it towards something they are already saving for.

THE WORK OFF

Do a little math on the calorie count of what they are planning to add to their daily intake and plan out the additional activity they would need to engage in to compensate for that intake. It’s not intended to freak kids out about their weight or physical appearance. It’s just a way of helping them understand what digesting a pillowcase full of sweets can cost.

Make it positive and concrete if you can. An example, make a traditional Halloween hike or bike ride and be sure calculate how many calories were burned in that activity and what amount of candy that equates too. This is a good way to make it more real and it is easy for them to relate to.

TRADE

We all know about a privilege or item that our kids really crave more than sugar and see if they may want to trade. Ten pieces of candy equals staying up ten minutes later. Twenty pieces of candy means they can skip a chore. Make it fun and be creative!

This should be discussed before Halloween and it is not an all or nothing proposition. Let them have fun thinking of alternatives and help them to decide when they should use this sort of alternative before you both are in the heat of the moment.

WHERE TO TAKE EXTRA CANDY:

1. Donate to Troops,  VA homes, or Fisher Houses
2. Use in an art project
3. Use in baking
4. Dentist buy back
5. Nursing Homes
6. Homeless shelters
7. Food Banks
8. Freeze it
9. Re-use for Christmas or birthday piñata
10. Take it to work
11. HalloweenCandyBuyBack.com
12.  Learning Express in Mt Lebanon is also buying candy for store credit. Details.