Charity begins at home. And this is a great time to be thinking of others. With so much obvious consumption going on around us, it’s natural to think of those who have little. How will you help?
or not 😉
Having worked in kindergartens in a past life, I never have to buy soap again as long as I live. I received enough sweet-smelling gift packs, soaps and bubble bath to last me a lifetime. I’m not complaining, this is a good thing. I know each gift was given with love and received with gratitude.
Giving teacher an end of year thank you gift is long-standing tradition which children, parents and teachers honour and appreciate. But let’s face it, some gifts work better than others.
So in case you are still looking for the “perfect” gift for teacher (or want some ideas for next year), here are some winners
One year when I worked in a kindergarten, the parents pitched in together and bought a single gift for each teacher. It was a lovely piece of jewellery. What a treat!
And if you’re watching the budget, or especially keen to give clutter-free, here’s what one teacher told me when asked what her favourite kind of gift was. She preferred a heartfelt message in a card, telling something special about the child’s experience that year. In other words, all she wanted to hear was “Thank you”. 
So take a tip about teachers end of year gifts. If you’re stuck for ideas, just say Thanks.
or not 😉
The last day of November means that tomorrow children will be expecting to start opening their advent calendars. Save the scramble tomorrow morning, and get those calendars ready today. Or not.
Meal Planning Monday back again and we’re talking about getting stuck. Sometimes you can lose your creative groove when it comes to providing healthy, family-friendly meals.
When this happens I like to go back to basics and write a list of all my favourite foods and ingredients. If you have all family members do the same, I guarantee you’ll find some inspiration, or at least a surprise or two.
What would be at the top of your list?
Each Monday we celebrate Meal Planning. Learn all there is to know about meal planning with our ebook, the Meal Planning Made Easy eWorkbook. Click here to get yours.
In our A Word with… series, you’ve been hearing from people about what makes them tick and how being organised helps them. But so far you haven’t heard from me.
Recently I was interviewed by Narelle Todd for her Organizers Toolkit website. We spoke about how I got into the business, the types of clients I work with, my role as President of the Australasian Association of Professional Organisers and what’s going on for me now.
Listen to the interview here.
I am a big fan of family communication, as well as giving children responsibilities and some input into family life. And this applies to meal planning as well.
What would happen if you gave over the task of meal planning to the children of the family, just for one week?
Think about it, here’s an opportunity to introduce discussions about nutrition (making good choices), time management (selecting meals which are achievable), budgeting (they could even do research about costs) and consideration for others.
If this sounds too extreme, could you give over control for one day each week?
Remember, this is also an opportunity to delegate in the long term.
When I asked Amanda Cox to be a part of our interview series, she jokingly responded, “love to help seeing as I am such an organisation freak! Pahahahaha” 🙂 She may joke that organising is not her strong point, but I know how much she gets done, so she must be doing something right!
So let’s get into it…
Amanda Cox, aka Mad Cow
How did you get into the work you do? I got into doing what I do (an online support website and safe haven for Australian Mums) out of my own needs. Helping my husband run a business, studying, raising two kids and having succumbed to postnatal depression, but also having a sense of humour and the ability to have a laugh at life, other websites and forums were too fluffy, too serious and I just didn’t fit. So I created one. It has grown considerably since, and now includes articles, ecourses, products, downloads and a paid membership (and more, I’m sure!) which has allowed me to indulge in stuff I love doing, like writing.
How do you stay on top of your list? Hmmmm… great question. Usually, I have to break it up into smaller chunks and, subsequently, smaller piles. Then I put those smaller piles into small piles on the floor and rest my feet on them. That’s about as close as I come to staying on top of my List. I do find breaking things down, for example “Finish writing this 400 page document” becomes “write chapter 1” – is less overwhelming and actually doable! Then I sit on it – literally. Just another way I keep on top of it … 🙂
Diary – Paper or Electronic? Paper diary! I do have my phone which I keep on me as little reminders, but I love to be able to see my whole day laid out before me. It’s easier to see just what chaos I have on. I’m a “day to a page” kinda chick. Week to an opening does my head in! Who has that little on?????
I like to write details of my appointments, too, so I like to have room to add them. Also, it makes me look very important when I say “Oh, I have to check my diary” and flip through pages. This also works when you’re on the phone, if you flip the pages loudly. I have to admit, I’m still looking for the elusive, “just right” version (so much so, I’m creating my own).
My favourite organising tools are my paper diary – of which I have two in circulation. One is for my Life, the other my business projects and to dos. I’ve also created a set of what I refer to as Mayhem Managers, which help keep not only me but the rest of the family in check … takes a HUGE load off my shoulders when I can just point a finger towards the fridge (obviously, where the Managers are) and not have to think for three other people. I LOVE it. They are also my sanity savers … if I forget to utilise them, my life goes into (more) chaos, and I feel my mood slipping.
If you could be or do anything, what would it be? I would LOVE to be able to just focus on my writing. I don’t have a specific project in mind, but have several going at once, novels, blogs, e-courses and e-products, facts sheets, articles … just to be a writer would be fabulous. Also, Professional Holiday Taker would be nice at times. Just not all the time – only when I need it (hmmmm, then I could write about it, yes?)
How do you spend your down time? Watching Thomas the Tank Engine and other children’s DVDs and wishing I could get back to doing some work, and that I had some “proper” down time where I could go to a growed up’s restaurant or movie …
Thanks so much for sharing your busy, productive life with us, Amanda.
Amanda Cox (aka Mad Cow) is the founder of Australia’s safe-haven for mums and online parent support website Real Mums (www.realmums.com.au), a writer, speaker, author, wife, mum to three boys and avoider of housework and the joining of committees.
Part of the Meal Planning process is to figure out who will do what.
Firstly, who does the shopping now? Who does the meal prep? Who does the cooking? And who cleans up?
Secondly, are they the best people for the job? Who else is capable? Who else could learn the task?
How could the tasks be broken down and shared around?
Remember to think outside the box, keep an open mind and share the load. And have fun!
Want to do less work and have more fun in the kitchen? We have a great ebook called the Meal Planning Made Easy eWorkbook. Click here to get yours.
We love to inject fun into the organising process. Getting children happily involved in getting organised teaches them great life skills, brings the family closer and gets the job done quickly. The last is probably the most important. The quicker you get things in order, the quicker you can on with the good stuff.
So here’s one way to get the children enthusiastically involved in pitching in –
Set a Task: Keep it simple, one step at a time. Instead of “tidy your room”, try “pick up all the clothes”. It’s much less overwhelming and easier to understand.
Set a Time: Keep it short but achievable. And make it darn obvious. Setting a timer works well but even better is playing a familiar tune or several. An upbeat tune will get the little ones working fast. They’ll also be able to judge how much time there is still to go.
Go ahead, put on a tune and get the little tackers helping out.
Sometimes it’s just too darn boring to put things away where they belong. Before you know it, you can’t find what you want when you want it.
The solution? Make putting away fun and easy. One way to do that is to introduce colour.
Children especially respond to this technique. Get the kids on board and the battle is half won.
Assigning different colours to everything from file folders to towels to lunchboxes makes life interesting and easier.
Organised Thoughts 