Style Your Storage Spaces
How decorated is your closet or laundry room? Styling your living space is a natural step when moving into a new home, but what about styling your closet or laundry room? These storage spaces deserve a little bit of character that reflects your style, too, and makes you smile when you open the door. In my workshop Clean the Chaos, I talk about styling your spaces, even the closets and laundry room. You can check out Pinterest for closet organization systems, but often just decluttering and organizing your space is all you need to reset the calm. Adding a small bit of styling is icing on the cake. Do you smile when you open the closet door? Most people do not think about styling their laundry room, but I put up a pretty wallpaper border in the tiny laundry closet at one house I had. It was a simple and inexpensive way to brighten the space and make me smile when I opened the doors to do a chore I did not like, especially when the kids were little and the laundry piles were large. Consider using wall space in your closet or bedroom for small hooks, racks, or shelves.…
7 Easy Steps to Cornell Notes
What makes a note taking system effective? The Cornell System is a highly effective note taking strategy. It saves time and helps students better comprehend the lecture or material. Originally developed by Cornell education professor Walter Pauk as a note taking method for schools, many people easily adapt this method to take notes while researching material, during client interactions, or even during business meetings. Below are 7 easy steps to Cornell Notes. Research also shows that handwritten Cornell Notes are the best for recall. Students who learn early on to take Cornell Notes are better prepared to take useful notes during class than those who merely copy the powerpoint. Using a consistent note taking system helps students use their notes for reference and study as the format is clear and effective. While there are many note taking techniques, the Cornell System outshines them all. Here is how you can try it out for yourself. Here are 7 easy steps to Cornell Notes Divide your paper into 2 columns with a row across the bottom. Some people like to write a giant capital I on the page, slightly offset to the left to divide the paper. Write the course/meeting name at…
5 Note Taking Tips
Why is note taking a lost art? Teaching kids to take good notes and use them seems to be a lost lesson plan these days. So many of my tutoring clients think note taking is copying a slide or worse yet, taking a photo of a slide. While there is not anything wrong with doing either of these things, it is not really note taking. Here are 5 Note Taking Tips to help you teach a child or yourself to take good notes from a lecture or a textbook. Use a consistent system, such as Cornell Notes Write down main terms and key questions from text or lecture Leave space to add to notes later Watch for things that are repeated or emphasized Use notes to review and study, adding additional notes as needed Good note taking requires practice. Learning and using a system will help you take better notes. If the teacher requires a particular system be sure to use that, but if not, try Cornell Notes. In the next blog post, I will introduce you to Cornell Notes if you need a system to try. I have successfully taught students as young as 4th grade to take notes…
Declutter your Bedroom and Closet
Do you long to walk into a bedroom that is calm and peaceful or open a closet that is not chaotic and cluttered? We all have that cluttered area in our bedroom or drawer that’s a catchall for things. Things we may need soon or often. Things that we do not know where else to put. Things that need to be repaired. And random other things that we have no idea how they got there. Do you need to declutter your bedroom and closet? For some of us, our houses may seem organized at first glance, but open a closet or catchall drawer, and you will readjust your original opinion of our organization. It is not a lack of cleanliness or habitual hoarding. It is not having a place for everything and everything in its place. Does this sound like you? Do you long to walk into a home that is calm and peaceful not chaotic and cluttered? Have you attempted to organize but found other things that got in the way of your goals? A few years ago I decided to go through my house room by room. My goal was to do one space a month, taking an…
Rivers of Red Mud
When was the last time your socks turned red from the clay mud? Having grown up in Oregon with its dark and fertile soil, the rivers of red mud in Virginia were a shock to my college experience. Recently those memories flooded back when I was driving through my small town in North Carolina during a rainstorm. Rivers of red mud flowed down both sides of the road running off the construction sites of new neighborhoods. Rivers of red mud signal construction to me. My university was (forever) under construction during my college years. In the past, we have lived in new neighborhoods with constant construction. My current hometown is expanding by leaps and bounds. New neighborhoods are cropping up all over. Construction is not necessarily a bad thing, but the growing pains are more evident during these seasons. Rivers of red mud remind me that change is here. Have you been in a season of change this year? New job? New baby? New location? New heart attitude? New health plan? My business is in a season of growth and change as well. I’m learning to build a new website from scratch (coming later in 2023). I’m creating new courses,…
Book Review: Lazy Genius Kitchen
Where do you put your dirty dishes in your kitchen? We all have routines. In my house the dirty dishes go to the left of the sink before they get loaded into the dishwasher, which hopefully happens shortly thereafter. Best selling author Kendra Adachi writes Lazy Genius Kitchen so we can “have what you need, use what you have, and enjoy it like never before.” Do my dishes go to the left of the sink because that’s where there’s more counter space or because that’s the dirty dishes zone that frees up all the rest of my kitchen space for other things? Recently a friend loaned me this book and said it is much like how I already run my household. That was true! The book is a “slightly sassy” guidebook to organizing your kitchen using the Lazy Genius Principles. Adachi gives the framework to prioritize what matters most in your kitchen and build a system that makes it easy for you to enjoy your kitchen and mealtimes. This book is jam packed with helpful references on how to cook, how to make meals taste good, how to use kitchen tools, and how to simplify all the tasks and hard…
Product Review: Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
What would it take to get you to try a shampoo or conditioner bar? Finding a good shampoo can be a dirty job. I had never even heard of a shampoo bar until I started researching round the world travel and packing light. I was leery and intrigued by shampoo bars. Through trials (some with the shampoo tests and some with my luggage sufferings) I have found a few shampoo and conditioner bars that are great for travel! It was not until I stumbled upon one at Trader Joe’s that I decided to try it out. The price was right for the Trader Joe’s Shampoo Bar and the peppermint/tea tree scent was not overwhelming. I tried it a few times before determining it would work for travel and then I cut the bar in half so it would fit in a small plastic container in my travel bag. It met my needs for a shampoo but I really needed a conditioner too. Know what I mean about the harsh effects of hotel water?! For the most part, conditioner bars have complicated storage or usage directions. That’s not what I needed and Trader Joe’s does not make a conditioner bar. I…
Christmas in September
Are you a Christmas prepper or a last minute shopper? Go ahead and play your favorite Christmas album and start Christmas in September. Here are a few tips to help you avoid the financial and emotional stress of last minute Christmas shopping. Start now and stay within budget. First, make a list of those you will give gifts to. Family, friends, coworkers, teachers, and the dog sitter. Prioritize your list and make note of any gifts that need to be mailed ahead of time. Next, write down any gifts you already have or want to buy. I keep a running list and add to it throughout the year if I see or think of things they might like because I will certainly forget it when it’s time to shop. Some years I use a theme to help me organize my shopping. One year it was new games for everyone and another year it was books. This blog post talked about putting together travel bathroom bags for kids. Magazine or monthly box subscriptions are another fun way to spread out the cheer. Then think about the budget you have for gifts. This will look different for each person and each season…
Bathroom Bags for Travel
What are the advantages of having a bathroom bag that is just for travel? Having a travel bathroom bag has been a big help at our house. Ever since the kids were big enough to have their own travel bags, they have had their own bathroom bags. There are so many advantages to this. When traveling, we have a packing list and instead of listing all the toiletries, it just says “bathroom bag” because we keep packed bags ready to go. We have our favorite toiletries in travel sizes, travel toothbrushes, make up, and so much more. The advantages of having a travel bathroom bag are many. It saves time when packing and unpacking and you are less likely to forget essential items. I typically restock mine when I return home from a trip, so its ready go the next time. Time savers can be bar soap that also doubles as shampoo and clothes wash, such as Dr Bonner’s Magic Soap. We buy small waterproof soap containers and cut a large bar of soap in half. There have been times I have had to pack an overnight bag in a hurry, such as heading to the hospital with a family…
Back to School Routines
What does back to school make you think of? For many adults, “back to school” conjures up shopping for school supplies like yellow No. 2 pencils and new folders. Supplies nowadays are ordered at the click of a button and homework routines involve watching YouTube while pretending to work. It’s time to get back to the healthy routines and rhythms of life. Here’s a few tips for setting your family or tutoring clients up for success. Choose a homework spot no matter if your child is 5 or 15. Give them a little say in the matter, even if it’s just what new supplies to add to their workstation. Make it easy for them to get started on school work each day. Choose a new school supply that is not on the list. Let your child choose a fun colored homework folder or a set of colored pencils for home. My kids and tutoring clients are always excited about new dry erase markers in fun colors. (Brainstorming essay outlines, math problems, and to do lists are always more fun on a dry erase board!) Draw up some back to school routines that work for your family. Consider bedtimes that allow…
