Do Something NICE today

I'm feeling a bit stressed out today so I thought I'd take a break from the heavier topics and suggest we do something nice today!  Do it  for yourself or for someone else.  It's sure to lift your spirits.  Kindness matters!

Here are a couple of suggestions to get you started:

Pay it backward...pay for the guy's order behind you in the drive thru
Hold the door open or ask what floor and press the elevator buttons for someone
Compliment someone (you admire their blouse, hairstyle, children's behavior, etc.)
Let someone go in front of you in the grocery, offer your seat/cab or the last pastry
Swing, slide or play kickball with your kids (especially if you don't really have the time!)
Stop and smell the Flowers!
Read a cheap, trashy novel-nothing edifying, just something enjoyable

Make it a good day! 

Emergency Shut off

Keeping with the Emergency preparation theme this week may require you to learn something!  I know I will have learned something once I complete this task! 

Your job for today is to learn the whereabouts of the shut off valves for your water main, electrical breaker box and gas lines(if you have them).
I already know the location of and how to turn off the the electrical breaker box (in the basement, just flip the main lever down) but I will have to be shown the whereabouts of the emergency shut off valves for our water.  I'm not even sure we have a gas shut off valve...but we must since we have a gas powered water heater.
I feel safer already!

Create a Disaster Plan

Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Tornado's...oh, MY!

Thankfully Hurricane Irene was not as nasty as she had been predicted she would be but plenty of people are still dealing with the aftermath of her fury.  Praying that the waters quickly recede and electricity and normalcy is restored.

Many disasters often strike without warning so being prepared is vital if you need to evacuate your home.  What if you had to go without water, gas, electricity for days on end?   

Take these simple steps, review and update them every 6 months to lessen the fear and anxiety in the event of an emergency.

MAKE A PLAN

• The Red Cross has great information on preparing for the types of weather emergencies your community is most likely to experience.
• Learn what the warning signals are (sirens, etc) and what to do when you hear them.

·         Learn the safe places in your home (for example, where to go when there is a tornado warning)

• Does your family have special needs (handicapped individual, medically fragile, etc.)?  If so, contact your utility companies, the Police and Emergency management in your community so they are aware of your situation. 
• Know the disaster plans of your children's daycare and schools.  If an emergency occurs this can limit your anxiety and save you precious time.
• Pick 2 places to meet in an emergency

• One near but away from your home in the event of a fire or tornado.  All family members should be instructed to meet there if you have to evacuate your home in the event of a fire or the destruction of the facility after a tornado, for example 
• One outside your neighborhood in case family members can't make it back into your neighborhood due to blocked roads, etc.
• Have a contact who lives outside your state or region as a contact and make sure all family members know this phone number
• Plan for the care and evacuation of your pets in the event of an emergency

COMPLETE THIS CHECKLIST

• Keep a WRITTEN list of emergency contact numbers (fire, police, ambulance, red cross, electric and gas companies) as well as having these in your cell phone contacts
• Teach your children how to use 911 to call for help. 

·         Teach young children their address, parents names and phone numbers

• Check your insurance coverage to assure your property is protected
• Install smoke detectors
• Know the location of the water shut off valve, the main breakers and gas lines so you can turn these off if necessary
• Learn some basic first aid and have a first aid kit in your home stocked with basic supplies
• Instruct family members on 2 different ways to exit each room in your house

·         PRACTICE EVACUATING

• Test your smoke detectors periodically and replace the batteries at Daylight savings time changes (twice a year)

CREATE A KIT

Include the following items in a basic Family Emergency

• Water, at least 9 gallons per person residing in your home, this is 3 gallons per day for 3 days (I keep 3-4 5 liter boxes of water in my home at any given time and we replace them as we use them for drinking water)
• Canned food and a hand operated can opener.  Plan on a 3 day supply of non-perishables for each family member.  Choose foods that require little water to prepare and which don't need to be refrigerated.  (3 cans of soup per person, for example)
• Battery powered flashlight and radio
• First aid supplies including over the counter medications for pain, anti-diarrheals, antiseptic cream, bandages, tape, scissors, needle, tweezers and a thermometer
• Other helpful items:  Towels and blankets, hatchet or saw, butane lighters, trash bags, flares, paper/pencil, whistle, waterproof matches, plastic sheeting, moist towelettes or baby wipes, plastic bucket with a lid, disinfect and bleach, eating utensils, feminine protection, maps aluminum foil, cash
• Important papers (copies of birth certificates, insurance cards, wills, insurance coverage).  I keep these in a binder that is easy to transport in case of an evacuation.  Include photographs of your family in the event of missing persons

SPECIAL NEEDS?  Think about it…

• Infants may require diapers or formula
• Grandma may need her dentures, oxygen of wheelchair
• You may require your insulin or glasses

PRACTICE and MAINTAIN

• Practice your evacuation routes and make sure family members remember where to go and what to do in an emergency
• Replace stored water and food items every 6 months
• Update family photos annually
• Keep your gas tank filled to no less than 1/3 a tank.  When the power shuts down in your community, gas stations CAN'T pump gas!
• Keep some cash on hand in the event you can't use your ATM or Credt Card for transactions

Pictures Perfect

Now onto the pictures hanging on the walls. 
I dusted the frames with a rag and then cleaned the glass with a damp microfiber cloth for a streak free finish. 
If possible, you should remove them from the wall (I didn't...) for the most thorough cleaning! 

Vacuum your vents

As part of that mega cleaning event, I am working my way up the walls and dusted/vacuumed the heating and air conditioning vents.  Man, were they dirty! 

Experience an Earthquake

OK-I can check this off my list since we felt the 5.9 earthquake in Virginia this afternoon. 
Only in Kentucky can you experience earthquakes, tornado's, floods, ice storms and Hurricanes in a 12 month period!

Clean the Baseboards

Still on the cleaning kick-I took a damp microfiber cloth and wiped around the baseboards.  Amazing how much dirt had accumulated...and they didn't even appear dirty to the naked eye.  I wiped clockwise and also cleaned electrical cords, furniture legs/bases and the vents while I was at it.

I use the Mr. Clean Magic eraser on a few spots that had scuff marks that didn't cooperate with the damp cloth.  Beautiful!

Remember, I am only working on one room here...so it only took about 3 minutes to complete!

CLEAN your CEILING FANS

I was knee deep in dog hair as often happens this time of year when I can only vacuum once a week and I desperately wanted to power vacuum the upper level of our house.  I occasionally get like this so please bear with me!  As a result of this I was inspired to have my dear husband clean the fans before I did my due diligence on the carpets.
DH willingly embraced this job and we (he) completed it easily before church on Sunday morning (3 fans and one Fuller brush fan cleaner) as it only took him about 15 minutes.  He claimed to love the Fuller Brush fan cleaning apparatus because it kept him off a ladder (we have 28 foot ceilings in our great room).  After the dust died down I vacuumed the carpets (x2 to get up the dust and dog hair), the bed linens and furniture to get up the residue and then dusted all the furniture, picture frames and baseboards and finished with another vacuum (to get that just vacuumed look).  Man it feels good to have a dust free upstairs

Clean out a Drawer

I was rooting around in my utensil drawer last night and couldn't find what I was looking for...so that lead to today's post. 
Here is the most efficient way I've found to clean out a drawer:

• Lay a towel onthe counter to minimize cleanup after you're done
• Take all the items out of the drawer and place them on the towel
• Once the drawer is completely empty:  Wipe down the interior with a damp cloth (I vacuum bathroom drawers to catch all the hair, talc and little "bits" of stuff.  I suppose this would work for kitchen drawers too, but I never vacuum them out).
• If you're using organizational dividers, be sure to wash those out before replacing your items.  I use my jewelry or checkbook boxes for my kitchen junk drawer to catch the small items like stray keys and paperclips.  I also find a craft keeper (like those used for beads) work well in the junk drawer.
• Discard any broken items.  If you aren't sure what the key/utensil/thingamabob is for...chances are you are not going to use it so pitch it, donate or set aside for your next yard sale.
• Replace like items together (for example, all the pasta servers).  It won't stay that way for long--but it gives me a sense of satisfaction to arrange the drawer that way!

If you are the obsessive type, set a timer for 10 minutes.  you REALLY can clean out only one drawer at a time and you REALLY can do it in 10 minutes or less!

FLOSS

I know each one of you will rush right out and begin flossing as soon as you read this post!  LOL
However, if you are addicted to flossing, as I am, you probably will...

People are CLEARLY divided into two camps when it comes to flossing-there are those that do and those that don't.  It seems that there are no casual flossers.  I belong to the "those that floss" category.  I floss every morning and periodically through the day, whne needed.  I have little packages of those floss sticks in my desk at work, my car and my billfold, the bathroom downstairs and have been known to use items other than dental floss to "floss"...much to the dismay and disgust of my children!  Once you floss regularly, you just can't seem to go without it!

Fun FLOSS Facts

If you're brushing and NOT flossing, you're cleaning 60% of your teeth's surface.  YUCK

It's good for your heart--Harvard Medical School researchers found that flossing removes bacteria and plaque from the teeth and gums, the same plaque which is absorbed into the blood stream and can clog arteries and veins. Another study found that men with periodontitis had a startling 70% greater risk of developing coronary disease, while a case of gingivitis meant a 40% increase.

It reduces bad breath caused by food particles trapped between teeth.  Even microscopic pieces of food rot and decay leving behind their putrid odors.

The main objective of flossing is to remove the plaque lodged between the teeth. When this fails to occur, the plaque hardens in to tartar which can only be removed by an oral hygienist or dentist.  The bacteria present in the tartar produce acids which damage your gums and cause swelling:- a condition known as gingivitis.  Untreated gingivitis leads to periodontal disease which eventually causes bone re-absorption and tooth loss.

Start flossing today for better health tomorrow!

Buy yourself a flower

We had an open house at work yesterday and I had a single flower placed on my desk in a bud vase.  What a spirit lifter that bright spot of color is.   Buy yourself the flower of your choice today and place it where you can see it most of the day.  It's sure to make you smile!

Sing along to the Music

I just finished a book on tape (Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence) and am between audio books so...I turned on I-pod on the way to work this morning!  It was a nice change of pace from the drive time newscasts (Wall Street Journal and local news).  I sang along-LOUD and PROUD!  It was fun and energizing. 
For some real fun, allow your children to load a favorite song of theirs on your tunes. 

Set a Goal

Goals must be measurable, achievable and time sensitive.  I think goals should also be written and shared with an accountability partner to assist you in reaching them.

Another cross country parent and I decided we'd run in the 3K parent race at the conclusion of our Home meet on September 10th, ONLY 4 weeks away!  Rebecca is a smoker and has not run before...but she has decided she wants to compete in that parent race.  4 weeks is not a lot of time to train...but we began with our goal of finishing the race in mind. 

First we decided that we'd meet during cross country practice 3 days a week.  We'd already been power walking on those days...so that wasn't hard to do.  We then decided that we'd each run at our own pace and distance until we established some initial time and distance baselines.  Then we added gradual incremental distances and minutes to our workout to assure we'd be able to run a 3K (1.8 miles) on September 10th.

August 4th I ran a 10:17 mile...OK-I am never going to win a race at that pace, but I was very pleased to post a 10:07 mile (on a flat course) in 100 degrees and a heat index of upper 90s.  I began running when I was 47 and my youngest was in the 2nd grade when she joined her cross country team (she is now an 8th grader so you do the math!).  I was a parent runner, keeping pace with the slower kids...Now 6 years later, I can't even see the kids in the slowest group...but still run/speed walk for exercise with my DH.  I decided to run a mile or two each practice and...viola!  Now I'm pumped and can't wait to get back our on the course to see if I can do it again.

One week later, August 11th,  I trimmed 43 seconds off that time and ran a 9:24 mile!  Rebecca ran her first mile ever at a blistering pace of 11:03.  Way to go Rebecca!  We're on our way. 

We plan on running 3 days a week and logging 3 miles by the week of September 5th. 
We'll keep you posted on our progress!  Join us?

REST

Exodus 10:  8-11
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Even God takes a day off from his busy week--so we are mandated to do the same!  Think of it...ONE day a week when you can chuck the to do list and put your feet up.  Plan your weeks so you can take some much needed down time on ONE day of the week (maybe it's not Sunday for you!).  Have food in the house so you don't have to go shopping, have the laundry done, the grass mowed and a good book on hand.  Take a nap, play a game, read--do SOMETHING, anything you enjoy!  Rest repairs the body, mind and spirit and we need to indulge in it more often!

And so in keeping with the spirit of this post, I've decided that I probably WON'T post on the weekends...so the name of this blog is misleading!    It should be 365 things to do this year, but not on the weekends! Or 365 things minus 52 times 2 equals 216.  Don't you feel more relaxed already???

CLEAR the CLUTTER

Join me in clearing away some of your stuff--it will create inner peace.
If it's in your bedroom, scientific studies prove you'll sleep better (and I'm all for that!)

OK, My desk isn't as bad as this but I am a stacker.  I stack stuff up, move it from one place to another and am generally content to be surrounded by my stuff.  So cleaning off the desk in the kitchen is drastic for me...I believe it will give me a greater sense of peace to have space free of clutter when I enter my home. 

The desk will still house the land line phone, a plant and the bill paying center along with the planning calendar...so it isn't an empty space...but no more stacks of papers and stuff to be put away. 
It will be a place where I can read my bible in the morning, pay a bill or sort coupons.

LAUGH

Take a step back and Laugh today.  Like deep breathing, laughter helps back your physical reaction to stress.  Keep a joke book in the glove compartment, re-tell yourself a funny story or just practice laughing in the car at the light!

Again, it's fast, free and good for you!

BREATHE

A new school year brings new challenges, routines and schedules.  Tomorrow will bring on the misplaced permission slips, lost homework and textbooks, lunches packed at the last minute and the run for the school bus...But today, today, it's still summer!

Every Mom needs a couple of tools in her bag to help reduce stress and here is one that doesn't cost anything or require any tools, time or privacy:  after all, if you are reading this... you're already breathing!

BREATHE DEEPLY:  Take 3 deep breaths (5 seconds in and 5 seconds out)
Practice this whenever needed for an immediate calming effect, it's guaranteed to slow your heart rate and and reduce the stress hormones flying through your system. 

Ready...begin!

Organize the Pantry

I don't know what got into me this weekend but I cleaned and organized my pantry.  You can do it too!
The result was even better organization of what I had on hand and I got rid of the stray goldfish and pretzels that DD had dropped. 

1)  I started at the bottom and worked my way up (but you might want to start at the top so you don't have to clean up the floor twice!)
2)  Arm yourself with a couple of shoe boxes (plastic is best, if you have it!) and some other containers to use to keep items organized (I used a Gatorade box and some freezer containers)

3)  The top shelf of my pantry houses appliances that are not used on a daily basis
The top shelf reserved for food (from left to right)
jars of pasta sauce (marinara and Alfredo)
cans of tomatoes, different sizes
Canned tomato sauces, tomato paste and pimentos
Canned soups used for cooking (Broths and cream soups)
Canned soups for eating, canned macaroni dishes the kids take for school lunches
Canned vegetables, beans, etc., including a jar of clam juice!
Then a box containing Kool-aid drink mixes, and misc stuff like taco seasonings--this kinda serves as a divider between canned and boxed items.
Next comes boxed rice and pasta mixes and pasta, grits and bulk rice and beans.

The next shelf is baking items, nuts, flour and sugar, baking chips, cake mixes and cereals and condiments (from left to right).

The lowest shelf holds snack items like popcorn, ice cream cones, chips and my stash of paper towels, and plastic bags.

The floor holds my lobster pot and my bulk purchases from Sam's, garbage bags, produce like potatoes and onions and extra (unopened) bags of chips and crackers.

4)  I made a list of any item I needed from the grocery store as I was cleaning and organizing.  Shelves were already lined with shelf paper, making it easier to wipe down. 

If this sounds like too much work, take heart.  I did it all in about 30 minutes--and I have a LOT of food in there!...But if your pantry requires more time than that, just do it one shelf at a time.  A well stocked pantry makes cooking dinner a snap and can save you BIG MONEY in the course of a year if you stock up on staples when they are on sale!