‘Tis the season to get ahead on your holiday decorating. It’s officially December and if you haven’t already started the home decorating process, here are just a few quick tips that may help you this year!

Make lists: Figure out what tasks you need to complete. Ask the kids what they want to do and make a to-do list for them. This will help you spread the joy and have everyone do a little something for the house.

Set Deadlines: Make each task in your list have a deadline. It’ll make the holiday decorating process a little less daunting, and it always feels good to complete something!

Plan ahead: Remember when you’re taking out all of the decorations for this holiday season, that you’ll need to put them back. Make it easy on yourself and make a note of where the decorations all go. After the season, remember what a pain it was taking everything out of their boxes and take the time to package them up the way you want.

Organize Decorations: Put them into piles according to which room they will go in and get the kids to help put them up! It’s great for you and makes it a family affair, which can eventually become a fun family tradition.

It’s a great time of the year so have fun with your decorating this year!

Let’s gear up for Monday Night Football! When temperatures drop and evenings become chilly, when there is a bite in the air and frost on the car windows in the morning you know that it’s fall. Before the heavy duty holiday entertaining starts why not have friends over for a Sunday or Monday themed football party.

Simply turn on the TV, set out coolers of beer and bottles of wine. Add some sodas, juices and bottled water for the kids.

For your menu serve a classic children’s favorite, but glam it up so it’s more gourmet and grown up. Yes, we are talking about tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. The soup can be made a day in advance. The day of the party slice, and skillet toast the bread, grate the cheese and then set everything out just before guests arrive.

Use the last of your home grown tomatoes to make a creamy tomato soup. Our favorite recipe follows:

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 Yellow onion diced
• 2 Garlic gloves, chopped
• 4 Cups, chopped tomatoes
• 3 Cups chicken stock, homemade if at all possible but low sodium from the store works too
• Splash of Cream
• Kosher Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Melt butter over medium high heat in a deep skillet. Add onions and garlic. Sweat the onions and garlic until they are clear and softened - about 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 20 - 30 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft.

Working in batches, transfer soup to the jar of a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soup is heated through. If soup seems too thick, stir in some extra stock to thin. Makes 6 cups.

For the grilled cheese offer sourdough, rye, pullman or whole grain. Instead of American cheese or velveeta use cheddar, fontina, mozzarella, Gruyere and Swiss. Grate the cheese so that it melts more evenly.

Why not add ham (goes great with Gruyere), prosciutto (goes great with mozzarella), or bacon (goes with anything). Don’t forget spreads like whole grain mustard, sauerkraut, fig jam and for garnish - minced chives.

Let everyone make their own sandwich and cook them a la minute. Serve with a mug of tomato soup.

Now that’s what we call a party! Da Bears!

How often have you used or heard the phrase: “mountain of laundry”? This is how most of us feel when faced with the daunting challenge of keeping up with our family’s laundry. It is a mountain to be climbed and tackled. How can we get ahead of the laundry and turn the mountain back into a mole hill?

Having a pretty laundry room can be a starting place. A room that we want to spend time in, instead of dashing in and out, is a good place to begin. Paint the walls a happy color. Put in pretty flooring that can stand up to the traffic and is appropriate for the room. If your laundry room is in the basement, consult with your flooring professional about the best flooring for the space if it is below grade. Cabinets and shelves can make storing laundry detergents and bleaches more organized and pretty.

Before the laundry even makes it to the floor of the laundry room, create pathways that sort the laundry as it is collected. We all have someone in our family that has more dirty laundry on the floor than in the hamper. Have a system for sorting laundry into colors, whites and darks in the bedroom so that you don’t have to sort it as you wash it. Three separate hampers or a large hamper divided in three can make this task easier. Create rewards for kids who sort their laundry into their hampers to save mom the extra work.

Put away the white linen, beach towels and cool toned accessories. It’s fall and it’s time to breakout the corn husks, pine cones and other harvest decorations. Here are a few simple ideas:

Decorate a bookshelf with pressed leaves and pumpkins.

Hang a corn husk wreath.

Display green apples and acorns in apothecary jars.

Spray paint pumpkins silver and white. Make sure you use a variety of sizes. Display them on your mantle with pine cones. This is a very elegant look.

Decorate your dining room table by placing a row of pumpkins and gourds. Add a tall vase filled with wheat.

Fill your votive candle holders with pumpkin or squash seeds.

Make leaves out of decorative scrapbook paper. Glue them to branches for a whimsical look. Display the branches in tall glass vases.

Fill an old tool box with candles, clementines and pine cones.

Hollow out gourds and use them as vases for fall flowers.

Put single leaves, either pressed or fresh, in small glass vases or use old lab beakers — look for them at antique stores. Replace leaves as they brown.

Put together a colorful outdoor fall display using a sturdy wheelbarrow as a base. Fill the wheelbarrow with ornamental cabbage and peppers, grasses, chrysanthemums, flowering zucchini and other seasonal plants. Fill the wheelbarrow with soil and insert the plants loosely, or tuck containers into the wheelbarrow, making sure to fill in the gaps with more plants.

Nuts are as easy to decorate with as they are good to eat. Anchor a candle inside a hurricane lamp. Experiment with different varieties of nuts and a selection of clear containers.

Nestle a candle in popcorn kernels or other seasonal materials such as candy corn or colored clear round stones.

Don’t forget to break out the rich, warm colored throw rugs, pillows and rugs. Light a fire, pour a glass of wine and enjoy autumn.

Do you want a home where you can relax and where guests can feel at home? Here are a few tips to make your space personal and inviting.

Make it Personal

• What color were your walls in your bedroom when you were a child? Why not use the same color scheme now? Use the same color for your bedding.
• Use a desk to work double duty as a night stand. The extra storage means you have everything from your laptop to jewelry within reach.
• Save dried flowers, matchbooks, bottle caps or other mementos and use them to fill large glass jars. These are personal reminders of events in your life that are colorful and add whimsey to your room.
• Stack your own personal coffee table books. Display only the books that mean something to you.

Add color

• Keep large pieces neutral and accessories bright. For example, a gray couch is a great canvas for fun pillows. Choose a variety of materials like linen and silk with vibrant patterns to create a cheerful palette.
• On your walls, vintage maps make great artwork. Choose places that mean something to you.
• Make a table pop with colorful glass vases or teacups collected from your trips around the world.

Cheat a Little

• Mirrors can make a small space feel larger. Photos can add dimension as well. Remember those bulletin boards from your college dorm room? Same idea here. Display your favorite pictures and rotate them often. Call it wall art.
• No pricey chandelier. No problem. An oversize floor lamp can easily be transformed into a central light.

Remember - your space is YOUR space so make it uniquely yours.

It may seem too early, but it’s almost the most wonderful time of the year. We all know how stressful the holidays can be so why not start planning early and actually enjoy the season?

October:

• Have a family meeting and decide where you will spend Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. Start checking travel sites to find the best prices on airfare and hotels.
• Make sure your family calendar is up to date. Most teachers are organized enough to tell you in advance when they need treats for Halloween parties, when the holiday concert has been scheduled and when the holiday vacation starts. Plan now for childcare during winter break.
• Make sure you know what your children want to be for Halloween. This will avoid the last minute scramble to the costume store.
• Think about holiday cards. If you want to send a family photo have it taken now instead of waiting until the last minute.

November:

• Start planning your holiday budget so that you can stay on track. If you are on a budget, suggest a Secret Santa gift exchange with family, friends and colleagues.
• Start planning your Thanksgiving meal - if you are cooking. By planning ahead of time you can take advantage of sales in your local grocery stores.
• Pull out holiday decor and assess what to use or toss and replace. Shop sales to find new decorations.
• Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, but you can find sales all the way to the big day. If you can find time during the weekday to shop do so - stores are less busy.
• Start wrapping gifts as soon as you buy them. You’ll keep little eyes from seeing gifts early.

December:

• Make double batches of cookie dough. Now you have extra for holiday parties and school cookie exchanges.
• Think about sending your holiday cards on-line.
• Assess your holiday wardrobe. Plan outfits now so you won’t scramble later. Take clothes to the dry cleaner and have shoes repaired.
• Ship gifts. Skip the post office and schedule an at-home UPS pickup.
• Instead of throwing a holiday party, have a girls night out instead. Get mani-pedis, drink some bubbles and giggle with your best friends.

Finally, remember the holidays are a time to celebrate and enjoy your family. If you don’t bake all the cookies on your list, or your house isn’t Martha Stewart worthy - don’t worry.

 

 

 

 

You probably know this, but here it is again. House cleaning on a schedule is the best way to keep your home looking fabulous 24/7. Yep, we’re all busy. Cleaning the house can take a back seat to soccer games, play dates, brunch outings, or if we’re honest - just plain laziness. Scheduling cleaning weekly is the best way to avoid those overwhelming “OMG! Why is the house so dirty?” moments. You know what I’m talking about. To avoid those housekeeping freak-outs, schedule your housework. Doing so gets it done easier and faster.

Housework delayed is housework multiplied. Sweeping the kitchen floor daily makes weekly mopping no big deal. You know that when you skip the sweeping for a few weeks, your kitchen floor a dusty, grease stained mess.

Reconsider whatever is preventing you from sticking to a cleaning schedule. More time spent cleaning daily means less time you’ll spend on weekly cleaning or less time your housecleaner has to be there – which translates into a couple of things – savings of money and your precious time.

So what should you be doing on a daily basis?

• Make your bed
• Put dirty clothes in the laundry
• Wash, dry, and put away one load of laundry unless you have a designated Laundry Day
• Sweep the kitchen floor
• Tidy up the kitchen
• Take out the trash
• Pick up all the rooms in the house

What should you be doing weekly?

• Change bed linens and bathroom towels
• Clean bathrooms
• Clean kitchen counters and the inside of the microwave oven
• Wash or dust hard-surface floors
• Dust furniture
• Vacuum carpets and rugs
• Sweep your entryway or porch-This will help maintain your floors, too

Realistically, it shouldn’t take more than 45 minutes a day to accomplish the daily chore list. It may take even less time if you enlist your family members to help as well. Delegation is key. Keep everyone accountable by posting a written list of work to be done on the fridge. Rotate chores on a weekly basis to keep it “interesting”.

Now, go to those soccer games, plan those play dates and enjoy a brunch outing. You don’t have to worry about coming home to a dirty, messy house.

Do you have a playroom that is out of control? A toy box that has vomited its contents? Stacks of books, magazines, video games and CDs? Bet you that all those things belong to your children. Now is the time to conquer the clutter chaos and teach your kids how to organize their stuff on their own.

Yes, this may sound like torture, but teaching kids organizational skills will not only help you keep your house tidy, it will also help them learn how to pick up after themselves.

To get started, if your kids are old enough to read, write down what you would like them to do.

Reward your children for a job well done. Bribes of money and gifts may help, but it is better to lavish them with praise. Let them play their favorite music (at their preferred volume) while they work, take before and after pictures that you can post on Facebook to brag about their achievement or make their favorite meal for dinner.

Teach your kids the 12-month rule. If you haven’t used something or worn something in twelve months you probably won’t so you can donate those items to charity or have a garage sale to sell them.

Those piles of magazines, pictures and school projects can either be read on-line or scanned and stored electronically. They know how to do that better than you do.

Give your kids somewhere to store their stuff. Your kids cannot put things away if there’s no place for them to go. Work with them to choose fun (inexpensive) shelves, cubbyholes, bookcases or storage boxes. Help them label and decorate the boxes (they can pick silly names to make it fun).

Remember the more involved kids feel in the process, the more dedicated they will be in keeping their space tidy and that’s good for everyone.

Does housework get the best of you? With our crazy lives full of kids, work, pets, after school activities and finding time for date night sometimes housekeeping comes last. To be sure that cleaning day doesn’t last for hours and hours, here are six easy things you can do every day to keep the dirt at bay.

1. Make your bed. It makes your room instantly tidier, and you are less likely to mess up a tidy room, right?
2. Manage clutter. When you leave a room look for what doesn’t belong and put it away. Insist that every one in your family do the same.
3. Sort the mail. Recycle the junk mail, and deal with bills and correspondence right away. File immediately.
4. Clean as you cook. You’ve heard this one before, and it’s true. Instead of filling the sink with pots and pans, wash them and put them away as you go.
5. Wipe up spills right away. Don’t let the dog pee on the carpet, tomato sauce on the kitchen counter or water on the bathroom floor hang out. All spots and stains are easier to get out if you deal with it immediately.
6. Sweep the kitchen floor. While your children may think that “cleaning up the kitchen” just means loading the dishwasher that is not the case. Give them one easier chore – sweeping the kitchen floor. This will keep the tough-to-clean kitchen grime more manageable when it comes to mopping day.

Since we are fast approaching Father’s Day weekend, why don’t you do something special for Dad. After all, he doesn’t need another tie. Instead why don’t you organize the garage for him?

Garages were created for cars, but people park a lot of other stuff there as well. Garden shovels, sports gear, pet supplies and anything else you don’t know where else to put. The catchall can quickly turn into a dumping ground, which is why organization is essential in any garage.

1. Climb the Walls

The first step toward creating a clutter-free garage is getting as many items as possible off the floor. Wall-mounted track systems are a big asset.

2. Systematize Storage

Think logically about what goes where on the track system. For example, in the summer, a beach chair will get more use than a snow shovel, so it hangs up front.

3. Revive Dead Space

Rather than ignore the narrow strip of wall between the garage doors, turn into a mini auto-care station. Two wall-mounted wire baskets contain assorted engine fluids, as well as a sponge, a squeegee, and other car-cleaning essentials. One of the metal receptacles is for trash from road trips, while the other will hold rock salt for icy mornings come winter.

Don’t forget to perk up the workshop part of the garage as well. This is the time to be sure it is equipped with sufficient electrical outlets for power tools and good lighting for doing projects:

1. Seeing Clearly

Add a new overhead cage fixture to illuminate the work area. Use an industrial lamp with an adjustable arm to deliver targeted task lighting.

2. Multiplying the Options

A wall-mounted track system adds three tiers of shelving for paint supplies. Folding sawhorses on the two bottom hooks open easily when duty calls.

3. Hanging Up Hand Tools

Peg-Board is practically synonymous with organizing.

4. Moving Around

A portable metal toolbox can be used at the workbench or rolled over to the automobiles when mechanical repairs are needed.

And viola - Dad now has a clean, organized and efficient garage. He’ll love it!