With winter fully settled in, it’s hard not to settle into hibernation mode.  Comfy couches, cozy blankets, movies, popcorn and wool socks call our names when the sun starts going down before 5pm.  Winter is a time for reflection, rest and a recharging of the batteries.  Follow these tips for taking care of yourself during the winter months:

• Hot baths are generally not encouraged as they dry out our skin, but if you’re struggling with a cold or flu, a warm soak in Epsom salts or tea tree oil dropped into your bath water is a welcome way to support stripping your body of toxins.
• If you’re struggling with an earache, rest that side of your head on a warm hot water bottle.
• Hot water bottles laid upon the chest for a cough and cold help to soothe the aching muscles and release congestion.
• Hot tea with honey and a splash of apple cider vinegar soothe sore throats just like that.
• Blending yourself a green smoothie every day will increase your energy, support your immune system and have you remembering that summer isn’t too far away!
• Creating homemade lotions and lip balms is a great way to care for your skin during the cold months.
• Fresh air.  Yes, it might be cold out there, but a little fresh air goes a long way.  When our homes are closed up for more months than they are open, we need the powerful cold air to hit our lungs, to pink up our cheeks and to get our heart rates going!  Grab a friend or your dog and hit the trails for some cross country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding or a simple walk.
• Nourishing food seems to come with the territory when you live in the Midwest.  How would we get through the winter months without warm dishes?  Soups and stews are not only economically friendly, but are among the most nourishing foods we can put into our bodies.  Easy to tuck vegetables and whole grains into, a soup or stew is great served with a side salad for that crunch we all crave.
• Drink filtered water.   Water systems (to rent or own) aren’t as expensive as they used to be, and with the heightened awareness around the importance of drinking water, it should be a no brainer to have this installed in your household.  Drinking half your weight in ounces per day is the suggested amount you need.  Add more if you’re also drinking coffee or soda as these are quickly dehydrating beverages.
• Avoid the sugar blues by using only pure sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup in your baked goods and by supporting your body with healthy oils such as coconut or walnut oils in your baking.  Sugar depletes our energy and our immune system, making us more susceptible to the common colds and flu bugs.  Fresh fruit and the wholesome sweeteners in your baked goods as mentioned above are a good place to start.

1-Get Clutter Free

• Go online and search this keyword phrase: junk mail opt out.  Ridding yourself of the junk mail piles you end up recycling is worth your time.
• Spend ten minutes with each child in their closet…create piles for donation, handing down or mending.
• Go through your refrigerator and eliminate expired food.
• Dive into your own closet.  If you haven’t worn it or thought about it in a year, time to move on.
• Use baskets.  They are a great way to organize clutter, toys, remotes, mittens and hats or whatever needs to be out but simultaneously in hiding.

2-Take a Look at Your Pantry

• Take everything out and remove food with expired dates.
• Empty the four bags of opened raisins into one container with a tight sealing lid.
• Empty your torn and taped bag of flour into a large see through jar…see where we’re going with this?
• Prepare your pantry for shopping in bulk for the New Year.  It will save you time and money.
• Paint the inside door of your pantry with chalkboard paint.  Tie a piece of chalk to yarn and tie the yarn to a small screw so you always have an instant note pad for what pantry staples need replacing.

3-Delegate and Automate

• Think of what you can pass on to others as a favor or as a paid service.  Most likely you will save time and money in your ability to focus on your work or your family instead of trimming your own trees or repainting your basement.
• Do your grocery shopping online.  With most services your food will be delivered and with your local food co-op, you pay online and go pick up your food.
• What responsibilities can your babysitter take on while overseeing homework?  Can he/she clean up the kitchen, chop veggies for dinner or fold a load of laundry?
• Think about your day digitally…do you have automatic backup plugged in for your hard drive?  Are there any manual updates you make that you can automate?

4-Donate

• We are a society of Stuff.  We have too much of it and need support going through it.  Call your mom or best friend…she’d be happy to tell you what you don’t need anymore.
• Go online and search Do Good Donor.  This will lead you to a list of charitable organizations you can choose to donate your items to.
• Make a monthly note on your calendar to take a walk through your home, setting aside items no longer in use or that would be better off in a new home.  Call or email to choose a pick up date and set your items outside.  It’s as easy as that.

5-Calendar

• When your life gets put on a calendar, the universe conspires to make things happen for you.
• Color code your children, spouse, family and work activities to keep things straight.
• Be sure to add timely reminders for: oil changes, changing furnace filters, outdoor window washing, renewing license tabs, etc.  These are things that happen on a regular basis where you can put them in the calendar for the whole year during the first week of the New Year.
• Other things to pay attention to that benefit from getting space on the calendar:

• Be mindful of how quickly your pets go through their food.  Always have an extra bag on hand or plug into your calendar to pick up more dog food a week before Rufus runs out.
• Library materials and when they are due.
• When deposits and tuition are due for children’s activities.
• Choosing a day and time for bill paying.
• Book club nights or your spouse’s volleyball league times.

3 Simple Holiday Gift Ideas (other than Norwex of course )

Food

Who doesn’t love food?  I know I do, especially when prepared and gifted by someone I love. 

Many people love baking treats and cooking nourishing food to warm our bellies and hearts.   Gifting food is easy, just keep these ideas in mind:
•    Be mindful of food allergies and sensitivities.  There’s nothing like spending time creating something that can’t be eaten by the recipient. Send a quick email or check in with a phone call to the recipient and just ask.  These days it’s a common question and one that could make the difference in someone enjoying your gift or needing to pass it on to another who can.  If you need gluten free ideas, check out the Little Green Dream blog
•    Think outside the box.  How much would you love for someone to drop by a pot of soup, a side salad and, popovers (gluten free!) as a holiday gift instead of a gift card for the car wash, coffee or more mindless clutter?
•    Think of the recipient.  Is he/she a health nut or far from it?  Is their family active or not?  Keep in mind who they are and how they like to spend their time when gifting food.  A basket of homemade power bars and kombucha might not go over well with a family who isn’t interested in wellness.

Experiences

Have you ever been given a gift card for sky diving or a trolley ride?  Have you been the lucky recipient of a night out for dinner, a plane ticket or a stay at a B&B?  Remember those coupon books we made our parents as children that included a free car wash, back rub and taking out the garbage?  Bring it on back.  Giving the opportunity to experience something new or to revisit a destination from the past are fun and welcome gift ideas.  I like to think of the following when dreaming up fun for others:
•    It’s really important to know the recipient well enough to know the difference between them enjoying an afternoon at a bounce house versus an evening on a dinner cruise.
•    When purchasing gift cards for experiences, be sure there is no date of expiration on the card, or if there are specific time limitations, highlight them so the recipient is aware.  There’s nothing like going to use that gift card to your favorite restaurant only to find it expired a week ago.  In fact, an idea would be to write in any specifics the recipient needs to know on the card or tag that went along with the gift.
•    Are you giving an experience only one can enjoy or are you able to give “for you AND a friend”, how much more fun would that be?

Handmades

This is the time of year where all kinds of craftiness comes about.  It’s when grandmas, mothers and grandchildren gather to knit, sew, cut and paste.  New tree ornaments, scarves, cuddlies and more goodies than we can imagine get produced.  Giving handmade is not only more eco-friendly, it is such a gift to receive something lovingly created by another.  If you are giving away handmades this year, keep these few ideas in mind:
•    Keep in mind for whom you are creating the gift and what their interests are.  Does it fit their lifestyle; will they be able to use/wear it?
•    If you are shying away from creating a gift because you need measurements from your loved ones home or personal sizing, don’t!  Imagine their wonder and curiosity after you’ve called and given them a task to measure themselves or something in their home.
•    Putting together kits of items someone would need in order to get creative themselves is another idea:
o    Construction paper, glue, glitter and funky scissors go a long way with a child
o    Recipe box, apron, spatula and a cooking class gift card will win over any chef to be
o    Knitting needles, a skein of yarn, and lessons with Auntie Jen are great for the tween needing something to bide her time
There are many great craft and art supply stores both online and near every retail center, however, for specific needs, go online to find a local shop near you or where you might need to order your supplies.

The most common usage of spring cleaning refers to the yearly act of cleaning a house from top to bottom which would take place in the first warm days of the year, typically in spring[1]. During the dark ages, spring cleaning was the one time of year when everything was washed and cleaned.  Once the weather became warmer, the reeds covering the stone floors where no longer needed.  They were removed from the house, along with the manure that had accumulated over the winter, as sheep and horses were often kept in the home.  The dust and ashes were swept from the walls and rafters.[2] Centuries later, particularly in the colder climates, people heated their homes with coal, oil and wood.  They also used candles or oil lamps for light before the invention of electricity.  With the arrival of spring, windows and doors were opened to let in the fresh air.  Furniture and carpets were taken outside where they were beaten with brooms or sticks.  The entire inside of the home would be scrubbed to get rid of the dust, dirt, and grime.[3]

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
-- Declaration of Independence

Independence Day is regarded as the birthday of the United States as a free and independent nation!  Most Americans simply call it the Fourth of July.