Holiday Traditions

/1 Comment/in , /by

The joy of the season is in sharing our time with family and friends. Here are some simple ways to  create special holiday traditions and share the fun of the season

Set a time to cook your family favorites together. One family has a traditional pierogie recipe that they make together 2 weeks before Christmas.  It takes all day and they spend it together.

Set a family holiday gathering time that is NOT Christmas Eve or Day. Calendar a time, such as the 2nd Saturday of December or December 26, to gather together. This eliminates stress on the holiday itself and helps families feel they can be at home for the holiday.

Instead of  buying individual family gifts, host a White Elephant Swap with ornaments, holiday decor, or crazy funny gifts. Include a purchase price limit that is affordable for all family members.  Not only is the game fun, this is a budget friendly way to share just a little something for the holidays.

Purchase only stocking stuffer gifts for your family.  Small functional items such as flash lights, gift cards or chapstick, can be great gifts and require no gift wrap. 

Host a decorating or gift wrapping party!  Have all your family members decorate a different room,   wrap presents together for other family members, or help with the outdoor lights.  Set the music up high, serve some holiday cookies and you are all set!

Want to spend a girls night in?  Host a “girls’ favorite things” party. Just like on Oprah, everyone brings their one favorite thing, from lipstick to gloves.  Attendees wrap their item in a brown bag and they swap items.   What a great idea for a low stress gathering of the girls!

Starting new traditions makes the holidays even more merry and bright.  What family traditions are a special part of your holiday?

Success Snowball

/0 Comments/in /by

My clients and I partner in their productivity.  Each time we create a trigger to get things done, it becomes a small part of the process of success.  It begins with a basic system and routine that really works for them. 

  • When someone is stuck, the first step is identifying what is getting them stuck. Being stuck is partly procrastination from fear, worry, lacking a vision, being overwhelmed or lacking a skill. Finding a partner that will help them once this is identified is crucial.  The partner will bring energy, skill and accountability to the process. 
  • Add in creating an environment that will increase effectiveness. Do you work best at home or away? Do you need a minimalist environment? Music? Get to the core of what your environment includes and add routine to it. 
  • Work in high energy times consistently.  Working consistently enough leads to great habits that are compelling. 
  • Now think of your self care. Are you getting enough rest? Do you eat nutritiously? Be sure to munch on an apple or banana and lean protein regularly throughout the day.
  • The success snowball has started.  The idea that as you add more and more success, it grows bigger and bigger, just like a snow ball in your yard or rolling down hill.  The conclusion of a success snowball?  A completed project is only a small part of it!  Your outstanding feeling of confidence!

This is dedicated to my incredible clients who have shared this experience with me.  What is your success snowball? Please share!

ADD and Follow Through

/0 Comments/in , , /by

My clients with ADD are passionate about their projects.  Their energy for a project is an incredible resource and an important aspect for follow through and completion. As a task moves forward, the energy wanes and people with ADD are less enthusiastic.  Staying engaged in the task and completion is equally important.  In addition, people with ADD have trouble breaking down ideas into a series of smaller scheduled steps that help them make progress toward their goals.  They tend to procrastinate which compounds the situation. 

 

Creating a time line is important in following through for people with ADD.  People with ADD know what they want, but how much time it will take and what sequence to work in often elude them.  Start with the goal in writing and write out the specific steps in the project.  Assess the time each step will take.  Work backwards in a time line with a month at a glance calendar  and write in a workable time line for completion.  For people with ADD, enlisting help to get through the detail work with partners and designing a plan with accountability is a significant step.   Help them find incredible partners who are have the skills they lack, whether it is knowledge of technology or other skills sets.   Acknowledge the procrastination that can occur with people with ADD and find a trigger to help move forward.   The trigger can be a simple one, such as a great location to work in, background music, or establishing a time of day to work. It is in partnering and accountability that completion occurs. 

 

Trouble completing a task or project? How did you get to completion?

 

New Thanksgiving Traditions

/0 Comments/in /by

This year we decided to “change things up” and went to help others first! Our destination was the SuperFeast here in downtown Houston sponsored by Waste Management.  Last year over 21,000 people were fed, clothed, and entertained on Thanksgiving Day.

Organization was an important part of this immense project.  Volunteers had begun sorting and unpacking since 4:30 am.   When we arrived to volunteer, we signed in and received name badges. There was a lull in the volunteer activity until we were assigned the clothing area.  Each person in line received one blanket, one coat and as many other items they could hold in a paper grocery sack.  Our job was to assist with the blanket area.  Items were orderly stacked on tables for the clients to choose from.  At 10 am the line started through the area. Families with young children “shopped” the area and moved on to the food line.   Throughout the morning, there were children’s activities including visiting with Santa, music, balloons and more! 

What made the day special was that we as a family took time to do something meaningful together in a new way!  It was a new way to view project management on a grand scale and know the commitment of many people to an orderly way to share our blessings.

Take this  Thanksgiving weekend and chat with your family about what is most meaningful.   Take this knowledge on to the next holiday and create new meaningful traditions together!   Share with me what your new family traditions are!

Learn more from this story in the Houston Chronicle.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6739841.html

http://thanksgivingsuperfeast.blogspot.com/

What can you do early for Thanksgiving?

/0 Comments/in , /by

Want to save a little time? Be ahead of the game? Here are are few tips on getting things done for Turkey Day! 

Décor

Weekend before Turkey Day

Set your table

Lay out serving pieces and serving ware

Create centerpieces

Organize movies or games for Turkey Day afternoon

 

Food

Monday before Turkey Day

Make cranberry sauce

Defrost turkey in refrigerator

Make soups

 

Tuesday before

Prep veggies by peeling and cutting

Prep bread for dressing (to dry it out)

 

Wednesday before

Prepare casseroles like sweet potatoes or green beans

Prep relish tray

Bake pies

Make rolls

 

Famiy and Friends

Invite early! Delegate appetizers and side dishes by asking friends to bring these.

 

Happy organizing and Happy Turkey Day!

Make A Difference with Holiday Donations

/0 Comments/in , /by

At this time of year we feel abundantly blessed!  Make a difference for your family in donating toys to area philanthropies needing donations. Here is a list from the most recent Kingwood Observer. 

 

Empty Stocking Project/ Humble ISD/HAAM                   

281-446-1314

Food, monetary donations, toys

 

Society of St. Stephen                                                  

 281-358-7722

Toys, food

 

The Mission                                                              

281-354-1200

Food, monetary donations, toys

 

Village Learning Center                                             

281-358-6172

Sponsor a client, subscriptions, DVDs, gift certificates

 

FamilyTime                                                               

281-446-2615

Toys, teenager gift cards

 

Find a worthy cause that you are passionate about. Help your children part with toys and more to take to the facility.  Take your children with you to make the donation. Create an annual holiday tradition around this event.  Can you think of anything more rewarding during this holiday season?

 

Please add your worthy cause as a comment below so we can share! 

 

Thanksgiving and Gratitude

/0 Comments/in /by

Gratitude Oprah

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

 

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity….  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”     – Melody Beattie

 

 

For me, life is ALL about gratitude! Being thankful, grateful, positive and appreciative are the most important of all things.  My wish is to share this with everyone I am in contact with, friends, clients anyone and everyone.  Thanksgiving and gratitude are like peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper,or milk and cookies.

Are we missing the reason for our season with all the focus on turkey and dressing?   Is getting ready for the holiday after this one taking away  from appreciating all we already have?  Thanksgiving is our time for reflection for our bountiful blessings. 

The connections of order and appreciation are numerous for me.  Having order in our home helps us remember all we have and all we hold dear.  Organizing is honoring our home, our belongings and our time.  Organizing and gratitude come together in my work with my clients.  I am honored to partner with them and grateful for their trust in me. 

 

As your holidays begin this year, make a list of the 3 most important thanks!  Keep this momentum going with your gratitude journal all year long.  It will change your life!

Join me for a monthly dose of productivity and organizing! Join my newsletter.

Taking Care of Mrs. Claus

/2 Comments/in /by

Taking care of yourself during the holidays is important!   How can we care for others if our self care is neglected? 

  • Get the rest you need each night.  So often I hear my clients say that they have gone to bed at 1 or 2 am to finish a project. Make it a priority to be in bed and get 8 hours of rest each night.
  • Eat and drink nutritiously. Our bodies need good fuel!  Be sure to drink 8 glasses of water and each your daily 5 fruits and veggies.   We think better, work better and are more productive with outstanding food.
  • Commit to daily exercise. Working our bodies provides clarity and more.  My weekly exercise includes working out with Jill Gilbert Lucas at pilates.  www.gulfcoastpilates.com.  It is a priority because I am better able to handle the stresses of the season with this!
  • Write daily in your gratitude journal.  Spend a few minutes at the end of each day being grateful and writing about it.  It is as simple as appreciating a hug, seeing a leaf on a tree turn color or even tasting a yummy piece of pie. Appreciating what is a gift to you makes a difference.
  • Spend 5 minutes in serenity time each day. This is a time to get your stress level as low as possible.  Breathe deeply, sit in a chair, think of your special thoughts, and get a few minutes of base line. 

Taking care of yourself goes beyond the holiday season.  Not sure how to find the time? Remember, as they say on the airlines, put your own oxygen mask on first!

Empowering women

/0 Comments/in , /by

Empowering moms to be their best is what I am passionate about!  I love to learn and share the best of what I learn with others.  Here are 2 recent conference experiences and what I gleaned.

I recently attended the Women Business Owners conference (www.womenbizowners.org) and learned so much from my peers! As I listened to speakers like Linda Stiles  (www.lindastiles.com) and Michele DeKinder-Smith (www.janeoutofthebox.com) many important ideas emerged. Here is a little of what I found most valuable in sharing the day with remarkable women entrepreneurs.

Find partners in  and out of your industry.  As an entrepreneur it can be lonely! Find people who are courageous to take the leap, mindful of the different responsibities of their jobs, and empowering of others.  Linda shared with us the 4 types of leaders, the take charge, the fun loving, the detail person, and the .  Have  one of each of these in your mastermind group to add balance for everyone.  Michele has a survey on her website to learn the kind of entrepreneur you are.  Again, it is about finding your strenghths and partnering with those who can empower you.  

Women are motivated by many different things including helping others, financial gain, and passion.  Most motivating can be stepping up to those things that are hard work for us and make us stronger!   Finding a strategy to help us with tough aspects of our business, including cold calls and asking others for help, can make those things happen.

Ask for help when you need it.  Taking your business to the next level happens when you ask a mentor or coach to be a part of your team.   No need to reinvent the wheel! Find someone who can help you that is ahead of you in or out of your industry to help you strategize and be accountable.  Have them be on your team too to take you beyond your comfort zone and be the best you can be.

I also had the privilege of attending the Texas  Conference for Women (www.txconferenceforwomen.org).  In a convention hall with 5000 other intelligent, creative, and stunning women, I experienced learning on a big level!  Tory Johnson (http://www.womenforhire.com/about_us/tory_johnson_founder_ceo) shared with us to put yourself out there and be on top of your game.    Marcus Buckingham (www.marcusbuckingham.com)  helped us recognize it is most valuable to build on our strengths and manage our weaknesses.  His concept is that we should catch and cradle the best of our days to create our best experiences.  Suze Orman told us to take care of ourselves first.  Sharing the day learning on so many levels as a woman made we realize just how blessed I am to have the opportunities to continue to learn and love each day of it. 

Marcus Buckingham summed up his thoughts with this.

Be deliberate.

Be creative.

Celebrate!

Is that what we all want as women? Share with me how you are all of these!

 

 

Holiday Dinner

/0 Comments/in , /by

Getting the holiday dinner together is first task for Thanksgiving and the last task for Christmas.  It is the time we cherish as we gather together, talk about the holiday with family or friends, and enjoy traditional goodies usually passed from other generations.  Here are some simple ways to enjoy the meal.

Invite your guests early.  Most of us are thinking of the holidays just after Halloween. Is it too early to plan? Not at all!  As you invite your guests, this is the first step in knowing the numbers for your dinner.  AND as you invite, ask your guests to bring an item they can share.  It can be something they remember from their childhood or something they can easily cook or pick up.  Mindfully delegating the goodies shares memories and work!

Choose your recipes and make your grocery list early.  Most ingredients are on sale early on.  With your list in hand, you can take advantage (with coupons) of the sales.    Plan an area not in the kitchen where you can gather these items before the big feasts.   Shop at off hours so you are not in the crush.  Take a few minutes to type up the list for the next year and place the list and the recipes in your holiday notebook. 

Make preparation a family event! Even the youngest can share in cooking.  What gets in the way? Perfectionism! Remember that it may not turn out exactly as Martha Stewart but it will be yummy!  Ask your family to do what they do best whether it is baking, peeling, table setting or other tasks.  Being together in the kitchen is a remarkable experience.

Sit down together and have a moment of prayer.  There is abundant blessing in our homes. Take time to be grateful.  Share with your family out loud what are you most grateful for this year.   

What works for you in holiday dinner preparation?