Resolve to be green in home improvements | ajchomefinder.com
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She's Baaaack!
8 years ago
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tip of the Day
As spring and summer plantings get underway, start collecting rainwater in buckets or any container that will hold water. Use it to water your plants and flowers. It's a great way to save on your water bill and very eco-friendly. Happy planting!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Walk into Spring
I have been looking forward to spring and now that it's officially here, I am excited about starting up my walking program. The winter season has kept us inside, but now is the time to get back to exercising. I enjoy walking because you can pace yourself for a slow or fast walk. A new set of walking shoes would be good so that your feet are comfortable for the impact.
Now that daylight savings time has changed over, it is now staying lighter during the evening hours. This is good because you don't have to hurry because it was getting darker early. Also, makes for no excuses, right! A good morning walk is also a fresh way to start the day.
A walking program can be done right in your neighborhood. Some people think they have to go to the gym or track to get in their walking, but you can lace up your shoes and step right out your front door. One thing I plan to do this year is check with some of my neighbors especially other ladies who may want to join me. I have been approached while walking in my neighborhood from neighbors who say they would like to join me, but they don't. This can be for various reasons, but it would be nice to have a walking partner or two. I am sure the conversation would be plentiful.
I am all about challenges and here is mine to you. Start your walking routine today and I am confident you will not want to miss a day of exercise. Good luck!
Now that daylight savings time has changed over, it is now staying lighter during the evening hours. This is good because you don't have to hurry because it was getting darker early. Also, makes for no excuses, right! A good morning walk is also a fresh way to start the day.
A walking program can be done right in your neighborhood. Some people think they have to go to the gym or track to get in their walking, but you can lace up your shoes and step right out your front door. One thing I plan to do this year is check with some of my neighbors especially other ladies who may want to join me. I have been approached while walking in my neighborhood from neighbors who say they would like to join me, but they don't. This can be for various reasons, but it would be nice to have a walking partner or two. I am sure the conversation would be plentiful.
I am all about challenges and here is mine to you. Start your walking routine today and I am confident you will not want to miss a day of exercise. Good luck!
Friday, March 26, 2010
TGIF Tips
- For portion control during mealtime, use salad size plates for meals. This will help filling the plate with too much food.
- Don't forget to wipe down the leaves on artificial trees and flowers during spring cleaning. The winter heat causes lots of dust to settle.
- Planning day of errands ->take a few minutes to map out where you will shop so that you can determine which stores are near each other. Saves on gas!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tip of the Day
Write out a to-list daily to keep track of your tasks for the day. Our lives are so busy and trying to keep it all in our head can be a bit much. Keep pen and paper handy to add and/or check off all that you complete in your day. Good Luck!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Getting Organized
I bet the new year brought on the quest to get organized and I applaud any efforts to so. This is a subject I enjoy talking about and sharing ideas. I have always been pretty organized around the house and workplace. A former boss once said to only handle a piece of paper once. The notion was to do something with that piece of paper and be done with it. Sometimes we can keep shuffling the same thing around, but never make it a completed task.
Here are some organizing tips that will help get you on track:
1. Open your mail daily. This will help to not let the mail pile up and become overwhelming. Even if you browse through the mail and see that it's all junk, open it anyway and throw it away. Of course, don't forget to shred any credit card offers that you receive.
2. Paying Bills. This is a no-brainer especially when most people are paying their bills online. But, if you are still writing out bills, schedule a day to work on them. Mark the day on your calendar and set aside the time to pay your bills. I find that scheduling a task makes it easier to stick to it.
3. Mid-Week Chores. Plan to do some chores that you normally save for the weekend during the middle of the week. This will cut down having to spend your entire weekend doing household chores and free up fun time to spend with family and friends.
4. Color-Coded Closet. A simple way to organize your closet is to arrange clothes of the same color in the one place. This eases having to look around the closet for those navy slacks that might be mixed in with the browns. Try organizing suits, sweaters, blouses, t-shirts by color the same way. How easy will it be when getting dressed in the morning for work or day out to just scan the closet and pull from one color-coded section to another.
I feel a sense of accomplishment when I set out to work on a task and complete it. I am confident you will find that same sense as you work towards a more organized life. Get started and good luck!
Here are some organizing tips that will help get you on track:
1. Open your mail daily. This will help to not let the mail pile up and become overwhelming. Even if you browse through the mail and see that it's all junk, open it anyway and throw it away. Of course, don't forget to shred any credit card offers that you receive.
2. Paying Bills. This is a no-brainer especially when most people are paying their bills online. But, if you are still writing out bills, schedule a day to work on them. Mark the day on your calendar and set aside the time to pay your bills. I find that scheduling a task makes it easier to stick to it.
3. Mid-Week Chores. Plan to do some chores that you normally save for the weekend during the middle of the week. This will cut down having to spend your entire weekend doing household chores and free up fun time to spend with family and friends.
4. Color-Coded Closet. A simple way to organize your closet is to arrange clothes of the same color in the one place. This eases having to look around the closet for those navy slacks that might be mixed in with the browns. Try organizing suits, sweaters, blouses, t-shirts by color the same way. How easy will it be when getting dressed in the morning for work or day out to just scan the closet and pull from one color-coded section to another.
I feel a sense of accomplishment when I set out to work on a task and complete it. I am confident you will find that same sense as you work towards a more organized life. Get started and good luck!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Tip of the Day
Purchase a shredder and shred any personal information and credit card offers to protect yourself from identity theft.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Quick & Easy Ways to Sneak in Exercise
I enjoy finding ways to sneak in exercises throughout my day especially when I am not able to devote time to a full workout. Here are some tips:
- Park your car a distance from the entrance of the store. The extra walking is a good way to get added steps into your day. Note: Keep in mind to be cautious when it is dark outside.
- When standing at the microwave waiting for your food to warm up, do a few sets of squats, arm circles, leg lifts, and lunges.
- When watching your favorite tv shows, lift free weights during commercials.
- While sitting at your computer, do some side bends and twists right in your chair. This shapes up the mid-section quite nicely.
- If you have stairs in your home, walk up and down them a few times. This works your derriere and legs. Both will be toned in no time.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Five Budget Tips We All Can Use
Here are some budget tips to share especially in these tough economic times.
1. Don't spend any money for one day of the week. I bet you are saying to yourself, get real. But, I am living proof this can be done even if for one day. I recently went two days out of the week without spending any money. Pack your lunch, make coffee at home, checkout DVDs and CDs from your local library. The selections may not be extensive, but it's free.
2. Curb eating out and prepare meals at home. It's nice to treat yourself to a dinner out, but make it only one day out of the week, maybe the weekend for fun. Otherwise, plan to eat at home by preparing meals that can be leftovers the next day. For instance, bake some chicken and plan various meals around it. One night, pop in a frozen pizza with a salad on the side. The possibilities are endless and your wallet will love you for it.
3. Skip the mall and shop consignment stores. The deals are great and the items are generally in good shape. I found a pair of Ralph Lauren khaki slacks at a consignment store and paid $6.50. I can only imagine what they would have cost at the department store. Also, think about taking some of your clothes to consignment stores for extra money. I find that the most I get out of time at the mall is a good dose of walking exercise.
4. Start saving like wild each month. The amount will vary as your budget dictates, but now is the time to shore up your savings in case of layoff, illness, etc. I listened to the money experts when they would advise to have at least six months of savings for emergencies. I now think this should be eight to twelve months given how long it is taking people to find employment. If you have a credit union at work, start having the money taken directly from your paycheck so it comes out automatically. I think you will be surprised how much your savings will increase. Start Now!
5. Cut monthly expenses. Write down your monthly expenses including entertainment and determine what can be cut. For example, newspaper subscriptions, premium cable to basic, cheaper cell phone plans and internet service. I used the computers at my local library for a long time until I could afford the internet connection at home. This came with low end speed, but it's enough for now. All these extras can be added back as more income is coming in, but I bet they stay on the chopping block.
I hope these tips were helpful to you. Please let me know what you think and ways you save money.
1. Don't spend any money for one day of the week. I bet you are saying to yourself, get real. But, I am living proof this can be done even if for one day. I recently went two days out of the week without spending any money. Pack your lunch, make coffee at home, checkout DVDs and CDs from your local library. The selections may not be extensive, but it's free.
2. Curb eating out and prepare meals at home. It's nice to treat yourself to a dinner out, but make it only one day out of the week, maybe the weekend for fun. Otherwise, plan to eat at home by preparing meals that can be leftovers the next day. For instance, bake some chicken and plan various meals around it. One night, pop in a frozen pizza with a salad on the side. The possibilities are endless and your wallet will love you for it.
3. Skip the mall and shop consignment stores. The deals are great and the items are generally in good shape. I found a pair of Ralph Lauren khaki slacks at a consignment store and paid $6.50. I can only imagine what they would have cost at the department store. Also, think about taking some of your clothes to consignment stores for extra money. I find that the most I get out of time at the mall is a good dose of walking exercise.
4. Start saving like wild each month. The amount will vary as your budget dictates, but now is the time to shore up your savings in case of layoff, illness, etc. I listened to the money experts when they would advise to have at least six months of savings for emergencies. I now think this should be eight to twelve months given how long it is taking people to find employment. If you have a credit union at work, start having the money taken directly from your paycheck so it comes out automatically. I think you will be surprised how much your savings will increase. Start Now!
5. Cut monthly expenses. Write down your monthly expenses including entertainment and determine what can be cut. For example, newspaper subscriptions, premium cable to basic, cheaper cell phone plans and internet service. I used the computers at my local library for a long time until I could afford the internet connection at home. This came with low end speed, but it's enough for now. All these extras can be added back as more income is coming in, but I bet they stay on the chopping block.
I hope these tips were helpful to you. Please let me know what you think and ways you save money.
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