Get Ready for Back to School

When you go into the grocery store and have to walk past Halloween candy displays (honest to God) and school supplies to get to the produce, you know that—like it or not—summer is winding down and it’s time to gear up for the routine of back to school.

I don’t want you to have to sacrifice a minute of the carefree days in August you have left, so here are some strategies to help you and your kids get ready…ten minutes at a time.:

1. Take ten minutes to set up a family calendar. We use one with large squares and we post it on a wall near our fridge where everybody can see and reach it. I have a magnetic pencil holder with each child’s favorite colored pencil. I write in general family and school events, and each child (the littlest ones get help) writes in his/her own activities, school projects, etc. Having them do it themselves on a big family calendar forces everybody to see how and IF their activity fits into the family schedule. Color-coding helps to keep things straight at a glance.

2. Take ten minutes to set up a homework supply center. This could be a plastic tote, a shelf, a drawer, wherever makes sense for you. While school supplies are availble and on sale, but extra crayons, report covers, glue sticks, book covers, folders, loose leaf paper, erasers, pencils, and other items, and tuck them away. Doing this now saves a lot of stress and time later!

3. Take ten minutes to create a Routine Schedule. Set a homework time, bed time, wake-up time, etc., now before things get even busier!

4. Take ten minutes to have positive, motivating discussions with your kids about the new school year. Ask them questions about what they’re hoping to learn, and what kinds of things they’re looking forward to finding out.

What do you struggle with the most when it’s time for back to school?

j.

Easy Organization: The Ten Minute Power Session

Physical clutter around us (those papers stacked up on the kitchen counter, endless To Do lists, etc.) has a way of getting into and cluttering up our minds!

One of my friends, who is a professional organizer likes to say that clutter represents unmade decisions.

Let’s get decisive this week! Focus on reserving little ten minute chunks of time for various tasks in your life. Sit down and devote ten minutes to meal planning, ten minutes to organizing a back to school shopping list, ten minutes to going through that stack of mail.

Go for speed during your Ten Minute Power Sessions. Only allow yourself ten minutes to make the needed decisions, and move on.

You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish, and I know you’ll be happy with the satisfied feeling that comes when you’re able to cross some things off your list and stop worrying about HOW and WHEN they’re going to be done.

j.

Soothe Post Exercise Muscle Aches

Muscle soreness or stiffness that is felt a day or two after a workout is fairly common—especially after starting or changing your type or level of exercise.

Unless the pain is sudden, sharp, and comes with swelling or bruising, know that the “delayed” ache you’re feeling is most likely normal muscle reaction to exertion, and it’s part of a strengthening process that will lead to greater endurance and increased speed of recovery…so it’s all good.

But, how can you feel better while you’re muscles are doing their thing?

Research findings are mixed on the effectiveness of a variety of treatments, but one that professional athletes use is water therapy.

By alternating hot and cold baths or showers, you may find you recover faster because, in theory, the temperature changes constrict and dilate blood vessels which works to flush waste products out of the tissues, bumping up total body function, and paving the way for faster healing.

See how this works for you:
In the shower, alternate between 2-3 minutes of hot water, then a 30 second or so blast of cold water. Go back and forth for three or four cycles.

Delayed pain from a workout usually peaks at two days, then starts to fade. Light stretching and massage can also work to get you back on track faster.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, drink and get enough sleep, too! Both are extremely important for allowing your body to function at its best.

j.

Pretty Eyes, Car Help, and Take Care!

Easy (and fun) Gardening Tips

Lately it’s been raining a lot here, but we finally got some time outside to do some planting. Getting my hands in the dirt always takes me back to wonderful times with my mom and dad in our garden in Oil City. Now that I have my own kids, I love teaching them about plants and the way they grow, just like my parents taught me.
Besides our vegetable and flower gardens, I always like to plant a little patch just for the little ones. Take a look:

And here’s another party-perfect quick gardening idea for you:

j.

Take Care of Yourself!

Fifty million people in this country are caregivers. Most of them are women caring for a sick parent or child. Caring for healthy family members and friends is also a job that requires a lot of energy.
We do it because we love it. We wouldn’t want it any other way, but too many women are putting themselves on a back-burner and it’s having serious negative effects.
We’re not eating right. We’re not getting enough sleep. We’re not getting enough exercise. We are disorganized. We are stressed. Experts say the stress alone involved with being a caregiver can take ten years off of your life! As a caregiver you have doubled your risk of developing depression!
The good news is, you have the power to turn all that around. You CAN take care of yourself while you’re taking care of others. I want to help you to do that.
Here at my house, I take care of my husband, my five kids (ages 10-3), My father-in-law (who moved in with us after my mother-in-law died of cancer) and my step-daughter.
In coming blogs, I’ll share with you other elements of my life that challenge my ability to find some time to take care of myself (I started a new business); and more importantly for you, ways that I have found to be able to steal ten little minutes here and there for myself that help me to work toward a longer, stronger, healthier life for me and my family.
I’ve gotten some of these tips from the incredible experts I’ve had the chance to interview over the years…some from friends and family members…some from people who watch our TV show, or read our newspaper articles, or visit our web site (jenniferTVshow.com)… and I’d love for you to share your tips with us, too.
Looking forward to staying in touch.
j.