I'm a firm believer in living each day to fullest and in this season of my life, most of that living is done at home with my children. Days are full and busy, so whenever an opportunity comes along to simplify a process (especially those used daily), I jump at the chance to do so. The first two tips come from being able to examine a situation, step back, and determine what I could do to change the situation. The third is simply a household product that I cannot live without... and seeing as it has so many uses, it, too, has helped to simplify a process.
1. Dealing with Junk Mail
One awful habit I have had since I was little is accumulating piles. Piles of notes, piles of pictures, piles of mail. In one of her "Happier" books, Gretchen Rubin tells about her process for combatting one of those piles: mail. Many books talk about systems to help with the clutter junk mail and bills can create, but behold the one that works for us: On most days, I wait until the end of the day to get our mail. I try to not retrieve it while in a hurry so that I can move on to my next step: I open the mail before I even get inside. That's right. I stand by our recycle bin and immediately trash any junk mail, flyers, unsolicited magazines or unwanted catalogs. For the few remaining bills that still arrive via USPS, I open those and throw the envelops away. I enter my house with only items that will be kept and those are immediately placed in their proper locations: Bills in the Bills folder, my magazines and catalogs in the living room, greeting cards on the island, and Chris' magazines on his nightstand. This simple practice has helped to alleviate at least one of my habit piles at home :)
2. Home Alarm System Wireless Key-Fob
As we have been on the move more, a moment that I realized was incredibly stressful nearly every day was the [seemingly] simple task of entering and leaving the house. Since we live in a split-level house with a finished garage, we lack a true entry area. We are left with using the front door or the downstair's piano studio entrance. Needless to say, attempting to get two children (and all of our accoutrements) out one of these doors in the 60 beeping seconds before the alarm set itself off caused a muck of unnecessary stress. Getting everyone inside to turn the alarm off proves just as difficult. My anxiety started to pick up every time we left the house and every time we arrived back at home. I decided to examine what was causing stress with the situation (the warning "BEEP-BEEP-BEEP" was a big factor) and how I could alleviate the situation. We decided to invest (a whopping $22) on a keyless entry, and it has been worth every penny and more. I am now able to set the alarm and deactivate it without ever hearing the beep. Leaving the house and arriving back at home has become much more enjoyable as we no longer live in the fear of setting off the alarm.
No joke, y'all... this stuff is incredible. Before I purchased it, I heard of its power to freshen a load of forgotten laundry already washed. I tried it by running a rinse cycle with a few drops, and it worked! Since then, I've used it for so many things around the house- mostly removing sticky things and stains. The sticker residue left on the glass of picture frames? It removes it. Tar left on my car that the teenage boy at the carwash couldn't remove? Came right off with the oil! Below, witness two stain removing uses of this amazing oil: permanent marker on my hardwood floors and ink from nutrient facts that transferred to my countertops from a box of (cough-cough) donuts... I will say to use your own discretion when using the oil as a stain remover- I was a bit worried that I'd take the paint off of my car or perhaps the stain off my hardwoods. Neither happened, but I would assume that for an over-zealous cleaner, it is a possibility.
FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Links may be affiliate.
FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Links may be affiliate.
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