Save Time Grocery Shopping

Most of us waste time by going to the grocery store more than necessary. There is always something we forgot or there's an unplanned dinner that sends us back to the store for the third time in one week.

You can change that by following the simple tips listed below. These tips will help you to save time by shopping more efficiently. The goal should be to only go to the store once a week. You will be amazed at the time you will regain by being more organized in your shopping!

1. Create a master grocery shopping list. Write or print out a standard grocery list for you to make copies of and use again and again. We all shop for basically the same items week after week, and if you have a standard grocery list you can simply highlight each item as you need it. Listing the items by category or aisle helps to speed up the shopping process. You can organize your list by fruits and vegetables, dairy, meats, and products such as aluminum foil, and toilet paper, etc. If you repeatedly shop at the same store, you may choose to make your list according to how that store is organized. This reduces the time you spend in the store going back and forth from aisle to aisle. Let everyone in the family knows where the list is so they can highlight or add something to it as is needed. If you put what you need on the list right when you discover you need it, that item will not be forgotten. Don't forget to leave space to add items that you need that are not already listed.
2. Make a list of the meals you will prepare for the entire week. Once you have written down the meals you'll serve, make your grocery list for all of the items you'll need. Always check your pantry and refrigerator first to see if you already own some of the ingredients. After you have made your main menu list, add the other basic items you will need to get through the week.
3. Eat your fresh produce earlier in the week and then resort to frozen or canned for the latter part of the week. This works well if you purchase produce that will not last seven days. If you are thoughtful in planning, you can schedule your menu around the shelf-life of your produce to enable you to eat fresh fruits and vegetables the entire week.

Follow these three simple steps and enjoy the extra time you'll save by not making numerous trips to the store. An added bonus is that you will also have your meals for the week planned ahead allowing you to know what you're going to cook each night.

Organize Your Entryway

The entryway that your family uses to enter your home can set the mood for you, your spouse and even your children. If it's clean and orderly the mood will be a good one, but if it's cluttered and unsightly there will be a feeling of chaos and frustration.

Your home's entryway is a high traffic area and it needs to be organized in such a way so it can properly handle all of the functions that it serves. It's so easy to just kick off your shoes drop your purse, and throw down kids’ book bags, lunch boxes, etc., but this area needs to be set up so that it can be done in an organized fashion. If you can accomplish one thing today towards creating an organized home, this should be the one!

The space available in a home’s entryway varies, therefore, the ideas listed below may or may not work for your set up. You might need to adjust them to fit your house’s layout, but the concept still remains the same.

• Have a coat rack with a hook upon which each person in the family hangs his or her keys, book bags, lunch boxes, and coats.
• Have a basket for the children’s shoes. Make it a rule that your children must take off their shoes when they come inside to help keep the house clean. Utilizing a basket helps to keep the shoes together, and it offers a tidier look. Regular play shoes should be kept here, while dress shoes and shoes worn only once in a while should be kept in the closet.
• Consider hanging a cork board or tiles on the wall so you can pin up any reminders, the school's lunch menu, invitations, etc. You can even decorate it with a border or ribbon to give it some personality.
• Keep everything off the floor. Try not to keep anything on the floor other than the shoe basket. Every book on feng shui talks about the negative energy created from having things all over the floor. If you can hang it up, do it. As your children’s schoolwork increases and their book bags become too heavy for the hooks, they can keep their bags in their room to do homework and then bring them down at the end of the night so they are ready to go the next morning. If you have a closet in your entryway, you can place the heavier book bags there and then close the door to maintain a clean appearance.

Space allowing, you may find that utilizing a cubby system to organize your things will help you to create order. Some even come with optional benches that are great for putting shoes on and off. Organizers such as this are increasing in popularity and can easily be found in home improvement stores or specialty catalogs.

It will take some follow up to get your family in the habit of putting everything where it belongs but it will definitely be worth it. Getting everyone out the door for work and school in the morning is crazy enough as it is. If your organize your entryway to fit the needs of your family, you will improve your departure and arrival and everyone will be happier for it!

Homework Made Easy

Now that school is underway for most of us, it is time to think about how to make completing homework as stress-free as possible.

Follow the tips below to create a homework environment that is efficient, productive and enjoyable.

• Make a “homework” drawer or box with all the tools your children need to complete their assignments. This allows your children to have everything they need without searching all over for the necessary items. It should include the following items:
  - Lined paper
  - Pencils an pens
  - Pencil sharpener
  - Crayons
  - Markers
  - Scissors
  - Glue
  
• Establish a set time of when homework is to be completed. I have found that letting the children have an afternoon snack and then completing homework immediately afterwards is very effective. This works because the children are not tired like they might be if they start working on their assignments after supper, and knowing that they cannot play until everything is completed, offers strong motivation to finish in a timely manner.
• Post major tests and projects on your family calendar. This will allow you to ensure that your children are working ahead to prevent “cram” sessions the night before a big test or a project due date.
  
  These three simple solutions will make a big difference in your family’s homework experience and also create good study habits.
  
  
  

Improve Your Wardrobe by Organizing Your Closet

Stop rummaging through your crammed closet searching for clothes just to discover you can't even find what you are looking for.

Save time, energy, and frustration by organizing your closet once and for all. Having an organized closet not only looks better, but it also allows you to put together outfits quickly and with more creativity.

It's not as difficult as you might have thought.

Where to begin:

• First, put all of your sleeveless shirts together and then group them by color from lightest to darkest. Then do the same with your short-sleeved shirts and then your long-sleeved shirts, sorting them all from lightest to darkest. Dresses, skirts, and pants can also be sorted by style and then color.
• Second, neatly place your shoes on shelves or shoe racks. Organize them by color with the toes facing outwards. This allows you to quickly view what you have and complete your outfit with ease.

This may sound tedious, but once you have your closet set up this way you will realize how helpful it is.

Why is an organized closet so great?

1. You won't get frustrated pushing your way through clothes looking for a particular item.
2. You'll be able to just stand back, see everything and easily grab what you need.
3. You'll wear more of your clothes because you can quickly choose from what you have.
4. You'll be able to create a variety of outfits more easily.
5. Having an organized closet decreases the need to shop because you are able to make better use of what you have.

As you reorganize your closet, donate the clothes that you haven't worn in over two years and note any items that you might need to replace. If you know what is lacking in your wardrobe, you can keep an eye open for items when they go on sale.

You will also be able to discover what you do not need. When I reorganized my closet this way and saw that I had 8 white t-shirts- it was a sign to stop buying white!

The time you will spend organizing your closet will come back to you ten-fold!

There is More to Strength Training than You Thought

Walking or running just isn't enough any more!

Researchers are discovering the importance of strength training as a way to burn more calories and improve one's health.

You build muscles when you strength train which increases your metabolic rate allowing you to burn more calories. An added bonus is that after participating in strength training your body will burn extra calories for a few hours even after you have finished your workout.

And there's more benefits...

Strength training also improves bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Even if you already have osteoporosis, it can help to lessen its impact.

Building muscle also protects your joints from injury, helps you to maintain flexibility and balance, reduces the risk of depression, improves you sense of well-being, improves your appearance, and helps you to get a better night sleep.

You don't have to join a gym or hire a personal trainer to help you create a workout routine. You can opt for the less expensive approach by purchasing resistance bands, hand weights or just using your body’s weight as resistance.
You can even use household items to make your own weights. Try filling an empty plastic bottle with sand or water to the desired weight you want to work with.

How to get Started:

• Begin with about 10 minutes of aerobic activity.
• Choose a weight that is heavy enough to tire your muscles out after about 12 repetitions.
• Stretch out the muscle group you worked to lengthen and loosen that particular muscle which creates toned long muscles without the bulk.
• Always rest one full day between exercising a specific muscle group. Your body uses this time to recover which is important in giving you the results you are after.
• Increase the weight or resistance when you can easily complete a set of 12 reps.
• You should feel mild muscle soreness, but if you feel sharp pain and sore or swollen joints you may have overdone it. Stop and allow your body to heal before resuming that specific exercise.
  

You can strength train for 20-30 minutes two to three times a week and expect to see results in less than three weeks.
You will enjoy the benefits sooner if you start out weight training three times a week and can reduce your workouts to two times once the results you were after are attained.

Tips:

• Remember to breathe while doing each exercise.
• Do not use jerky motions. Each exercise should be slow and steady.
• Wear cushioned shoes to give your body support.
• Do not lock your knees or elbows

Time Saving Tip:

If you choose a weight that allows you to barely be able to finish the motion on the 12th rep. you can build muscle just as efficiently with one set as you can by completing multiple sets of the same exercise.
I workout using this tip allowing me to get great results with less time spent on each exercise. Remember that you must work-out to fatigue in order to get maximum results.

Interval Training

Want to increase the amount of fat that you burn? Try to incorporate “interval training” into your workout.

What is “interval training?” It's the change of intensity of your aerobic activity for brief intervals that range from 15 seconds to 5 minutes. You participate in an interval of all-out aerobics and then slow it down for an “active” recovery. You can use interval training with any cardiovascular workout including walking, running, swimming, rowing or biking. According to many experts, interval training is more effective in losing fat and strengthening your heart than just maintaining a steady pace throughout your workout.

An example of interval training could look something like this:

· Walk for 4 minutes
· Run for 45 seconds
· Return to your walking speed for 4 more minutes
· Repeat these steps for 30 minutes

As your fitness level increases, you can add to the intensity of the workout and/or increase the duration.

Interval training is a great way to get the most out of your workout by helping you to burn more fat and stay healthy.