About Us


Hi all, just wanted to welcome you to the Working Moms Support Blog. This is a new interface that we are trying in lieu of face to face lunch and learns, knowing that so many of you are trying prioritize your work, your homes, activities, families, etc.



This is a forum where we can openly and respectfully discuss concerns, problems, ideas, questions and thoughts about everything from infants to elders, work and family, and all life's other components.



Thank you for visiting and sharing your time, advice and expertise with us!



Thursday, April 21, 2011

Spring Cleaning and De-cluttering

Well here we are, right in the middle of spring and my house-inside and out- is in need of a serious lift! It needs scrubbed, cleaned, decluttered, mulched, reseeded, powerwashed, and just freshened up in general!!

I know at least for me, it feels better just to have the winter clothes out of the closet and spring/summer clothes in. I have various piles planned for departure to Goodwill, the Kidney Foundation, garage sale "stuff" all with the intention of de-cluttering but somehow it just ends up sitting around my house. The piles grow and shrink depending on my mood!  You know the, "I'll never wear this thing" = pile grows, or the "Am I sure I want to give up that sweater, it is a classic and so comfy" = pile shrinks.

Then I found some ideas for spring cleaning and organization in an online article that I thought I'd share see below or go to: http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/organizing101/a/4cntnrmthdclttr_2.htm:

The Four Container Method

Sorting Through the Clutter

By , About.com Guide

Find 4 boxes and label them with the 4 categories.
Trash
Give Away/Sell
Storage
Put away
 
Trash- This should include any item that you do not need or want, but that is not donatable or sellable. Damaged and broken items should be included in the trash if they are not worth someone buying it and repairing it.
 
Give Away/Sell- Be generous. Think about the uses someone else might get out of the items vs. the use it gets in your home buried in cabinets or closets. Consider the financial benefits of selling your stuff at a garage sale.
 
Storage- Put items in here that you cannot part with but do not need on a regular basis. Make an inventory of the items as you box them. Group similar items together. Remember one good way to clean out closets is to store out of season clothing. Get tips on proper storage of clothing.
 
Put Away- This should be your smallest category. These are items that need to be out on a regular basis. Monitor yourself by determining if you have a place for each item. If the items in this box will not fit into your home without cluttering an area up, try to reassess if you really need them. If you do need these “essentials”, try to come up with a storage solution that fits into your home.
Work on one room at a time to provide yourself with an easy stopping point for interruptions. When you come to a stopping point, be sure to throw out the trash immediately. Box up the storage box. Place the give away/sell box in the garage, or out of site. If you allow yourself to contemplate the decisions you’ve made too much, your brain can trick you into rescuing the clutter.

Things To Remember


    *Items are not equivalent to memories of the person who gave them to you. Pruning items with an emotional attachment can be very difficult. Consider carefully if you need the item to have the memory or emotionally attachment. If you’re not sure, consider storing items on a trial basis, or giving them to another family member for safekeeping. Think about taking photos of the item that will store more readily, but give you tangible proof of the memory. If you really feel the need to keep items of this nature, don’t fight it. Instead try to incorporate these memories into decorative displays or organized storage.

    *Get rid of old clothing even if it is the size you used to be and hope to return to. It’s tempting to keep them for when you reach your goal. Think about instead rewarding yourself with a new wardrobe when you get to the new you.

    *Don’t force yourself to keep sets if you only use part of the set. If you cannot break up a set, at least store the portions you do not use.

    *Keeping things just because you might need them someday may seem like a good reason for clogging your closets. Remind yourself that what you really need is space and organization.
So know your trash is gone. Your storage is packed away. Every item you’ve decided to keep is in its proper place. You’ve given away or sold everything else. Take a moment to look around your house. You’ve just taken a major step to organizing your life and freeing up your time and space. Begin enjoying the results.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Easter + Kids= Candy, Candy Candy

In an effort to keep my own sugar intake levels down, (or at least down to a reasonable level), I've been considering the contents of Easter baskets. As I purchase items for 3 baskets, it's amazing how often I find myself saying, "well you just have to have peeps in an easter basket"...and then..."well it's not Easter without Cadbury Eggs and jelly beans"...and then..."hollow chocolate rabbits were in every basket of mine, as a kid...so.....".

By the time I'd get all of that there would hardly be room for anything EXCEPT the candy. So I've been reconsidering what I choose to fill their baskets with and have come up with alternatives such as:
kites
books
art supplies
plastic eggs filled with stickers, nickels, tattoos
bubbles
action figures
disposable cameras (my kids LOVE these)
age appropriate movies
AND a limited amount of candy


I'm sure others of you have many more ideas, so share them with us all!