15 min. to Holiday Bliss!

Hey! We've been doing 15 minutes a night this week to get ready for the holidays!!! Let's catch you up and let us know how it's going....

Get rid of anything in the fridge that is expired, went bad or simply stuff nobody likes.

‎15 minutes tonight: a quick and dirty. You've decided what you're keeping in the fridge. Take everything out onto the counter keeping like with like. Do a quick wipe down of the shelves and drawers. Return everything to the fridge- again- keep like with like. Most importantly, make sure you can SEE everything you have. If you can't see it, you won't use it! If there's time, do a quick wipe down on the outside, too.

Tonight's 15 minutes: You'll need certain food items for the holidays and they'll be going on sale soon so let's get to the pantry. Decide what portion you will want to work on tonight, whether it's a shelf or a whole cabinet. Same as the fridge, empty items keeping like with like. Check all expiration dates. REMINDER: If it's something nobody likes or you can't imagine when you'll use it - this is a great time of year to donate those items! Do a quick wipe down. Put items back - like with like - and establish the one in, one out rule. (You have to use something before buying another.) Let the kids help!!

Tonight's 15 minutes: If you have a large pantry, keeping working on that tonight. You want to complete a task rather than skipping around. Plus, we want to make sure your pantry is in tip-top shape! If you completed your pantry last night, let's make a shopping list for the holiday. REMINDER: Shop at home first. Can you tweak a recipe and use what you have? Can you make cherry pie instead of blueberry? You get the idea... Once you're done- pop the list in your wallet so it's accessible in the store. When an item goes on sale, scoop it up! If it's not on your list, ask yourself do you really need it??

Okay...you're all caught up!! See you tomorrow!

Ready or Not!!

Starting your Holiday shopping list? Think experiences! Movie passes, a baking date, visit to the spa? Maybe something you can do together like a cooking class. Maybe it's time to share that secret recipe...you get the idea. As for the kids, they want your TIME- be creative! A picnic with mom? An afternoon video game marathon with dad? How many times have you asked what they want to hear "I don't know"? We all have enough stuff that we don't need or even use. Have a family meeting now and let everyone decide what "gifts" you can swap this year. 

Write it Down!!!!

We've all gone to the store with a "mental" note and we've all returned home without one, two, three items that we really needed. Make a list! This will save you time, money and your sanity. Have an ongoing list that you can just grab on your way out the door or make a list of "the regulars" on your computer and simply check off what you need. You can get fancy with your list and make categories (produce, condiments, etc) or stores (grocery, drugstore, etc.) if you that helps-it helps me! But the key is to have it written down so you don't leave the store without something. It also helps me to cross off the items once they are in the basket. Then STICK to the list! This will save you time because you're not browsing the aisles and money because you're not buying something you don't need! Give it a whirl and let us know how it works!

Keep the trunk empty!

Keeping the trunk of your car empty is crucial for gas mileage, safety and absolute convenience for shopping trips. As you can see, my client liked to keep a couple of things in the trunk. Just for kicks, I asked him to name 10 things without looking that were being stored in the trunk. He couldn't do it and so he was ready to kick this habit! First things first-yup, emptied the trunk.  Because it was in the driveway, it was easy to make quick decisions and piles for keep, garbage, and donate.  Finding many, many duplicates of each item made my client a little angry...that's a good thing!  Guess who has a completely empty trunk now except for the essentials?  Guess who doesn't worry so much if he gets a flat tire?  And guess who's not even a little bit angry anymore? That's right.