In line with our Fall Housecleaning Guide, I wanted to share a few helpful hints from Martha Stewart Living as inspiration (is this an appropriate word for cleaning?). I think the idea is to read about how others keep clutter and mess at bay, and to just keep these ideas in the back of your head. Superior Habitat’s Fall Housekeeping Guide is all about tying these items in together, but below you can read the words of the master…

Also, having a Martha Stewart Cleaning Kit on hand is a great idea for last minute household touch ups – and for handing to a significant other who “didn’t know where we kept the windex”.

1. Make the Bed
Tidiness begets tidiness. A crisply made bed makes the whole room seem more orderly, which makes it less likely that you’ll let other things — such as clothes and papers — pile up around it.

2. Manage Clutter
Whenever you leave a room, take a quick look around for anything that isn’t where it should be. Pick it up and put it where it belongs. Insist that everyone in the household do the same.

3. Sort the Mail
Take a few minutes to open, read, and sort mail as soon as you bring it inside. Keep a trash bin near your sorting area for junk mail. Drop other mail into one of four in-boxes: personal correspondence, bills, catalogs, and filing.

4. Clean as You Cook
Instead of filling the sink with pots and dishes, wash them or put them in the dishwasher as you prepare a meal.

5. Wipe Up Spills While They’re Fresh
Whether it’s tomato sauce on the cooktop or makeup on the bathroom counter, almost anything is faster and easier to remove if you attend to it immediately.

6. Sweep the Kitchen Floor
Every evening once you’ve finished washing up after dinner, sweep the floor. This will keep tough-to-clean dirt and grime from building up, which will make the weekly mopping much quicker.

Due to computer issues, this post should have been up on Friday, Sept. 12!

If You Have 15 Minutes:

Freshen the bed. Shaking out or changing sheets kicks up dust, so do those tasks first. To further freshen, spray sheets with linen spray before making the bed. Ms. Superiority’s helpful hints: Steam cleaning can be done with your iron – run an iron over the fabric that has been lightly spritzed with water or linen spray for a fresher smell. This takes no time at all (works great on mattresses as well – and kills anything that might be harboring – good after someone has been ill!)

Damp-dust surfaces. Spritz an electrostatic or microfiber cloth with dusting spray and make your way around the room in a clockwise circle.

If You Have 30 Minutes, Add the Following:

Tackle the floor. If it’s wood, run a damp (not wet) microfiber mop around the edges of the bed and all other exposed areas. (Remember — don’t wet-mop hardwood floors, as they could warp.) Vacuum the same zones if you have carpeting.

If You Have 1 Hour, Add the Following:

Get under the bed. And behind it, too.

If You Have Half a Day, Add the Following:

Do the windows, walls, and lights. Use a microfiber or electrostatic cloth and a glass or all-purpose surface cleaner to clean panes, frames, and windowsills in one fell swoop. Wipe down light switches and fixtures. Use an eraser pad to take any scuffs and stains off the walls.

Hit the closets. Why? Because dirt and dust are in there and will eventually find their way out. Vacuum or mop the floor. Also, dust the shelves and wipe down the doors with a damp microfiber cloth.

The Goods

Caldrea Linen Spray. Formulated with essential oils and purified water, these scented spritzers won’t stain or leave water marks on even the most delicate linens. (So you can rest easy, 400-thread-count devotees.) The fragrances — citrus-mint ylang-ylang, green-tea patchouli, basil–blue sage, and six others — are subtle and clean, not perfumy or antiseptic.
To Buy: $12 for 32 ounces, www.caldrea.com to buy and for national retailers.

For guest rooms, there is a little bit further you should go with organizing and cleaning. You want the space to be comfortable, not noisy (keep pets and children away), clean and sparse. Try to think of all the convenience you would love to see in a guest room, but are too shy to ask for.

Guest Room Musts:

For the room: A nice alarm clock, a selection of books you are finished reading so your guest can take them home to finish, a reading lamp, a throw blanket, piles of pillows, clean sheets, a few empty drawers, and closet space, a mirror.

For the bathroom (be it shared or a separate guest bathroom): $1 at Target will buy you a small version each of toothpaste, tissues, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, powder, Q-tips, toothbrush, and body lotion. A nice bar of beautiful soap, perfume samples, and samples from luxury product store Kiehls of goods like eye cream and hair conditioner are a superior gesture as well. Throw everything in decorative basket and leave it on top of a fluffy towels (body, face and wash cloths) so the guests know to help themselves.

I think Pepto Bismal, Advil or Tylenol, and allergy medicine (always if you have pets) are also very kind to leave around for guests to help themselves (plus they may feel to awkward to ask for these things.

Superior Touches: City guides, maps, Zagat guides for local eating, take out menus, phone numbers, bus schedules, a pen and small notebook, bottled water by the bed, empty electrical jacks for easy cell phone charging…all simple touches to make people feel comfortable, and most of which you probably have in your home.

Day 4 of Superior Habitat’s Fall Housekeeping Guide (and a reminder that these helpful hints are liberally stolen from www.realsimple.com and peppered with helpful advice from moi!).

No one likes to clean the bathroom. The easiest way to tackle this is assign this room to your significant other, as I do. But if you are stuck cleaning yourself, I gravitate toward Clorox wipes and Windex wipes for the mirrors and just toss in the trash when I am done. Plus really, the bathroom is important. It’s the one room in the house were your guests will be left alone to rummage through anything and everything at their leisure. So hide the prescription deodorant and mustache bleach in a linen closet

If You Have 15 Minutes:

Start with the sink. This is pretty obvious – wipe it down!

Speed-sanitize. Grab another towelette to clean the edge of the bathtub, the toilet seat, and the toilet exterior. Finish up by shining the mirror with the Windex.

If You Have 30 Minutes, Add the Following:

Deep-clean the toilet. Squirt bowl cleaner around the inside edge and let it sit for a few minutes, says Sarah Smock of the Memphis-based cleaning service Merry Maids. While it’s soaking, use a wipe or a fresh cloth and all-purpose cleaner to clean the seat around its base and hinges. Return to the bowl and give stubborn rings a scrubbing with a sponge or a brush.

If You Have 1 Hour, Add the Following:

Damp-mop the floor. My bathroom is small. I simply vacuum the floors and then take some spray cleaner, get on my hands and knees and just rub the floors. It does the trick and really? it totally takes total 10 minutes max.

Scrub down the shower and the tub. Spray the shower walls and the tub with all-purpose cleaner and just let it hang out for a while. Rinse when you have time or before you hop in the shower yourself.

If You Have Half a Day, Add the Following:

Remove mildew, mold, and other stubborn bits. For lime scale–laden shower doors(and this is my own tip) clean them with coke (the soda not the drug) products - seriously. The coke will eat away at the grime and can just be rinsed off. To dislodge mildew and mold, apply hydrogen peroxide straight from the bottle (wear rubber gloves to protect your hands). Let it soak in for five minutes, and then scrub with a grout brush.Good to know that black grime in your tiles is bacteria - you have to remove it before you belate the area. Ask a professional - it has to be REMOVED before you bleach!

Easy Steps for Cleaning the Family Room

Day 3 of Superior Habitat’s Fall Housekeeping Guide

I don’t have children, so I can’t commiserate with toys, crayons, and blankies cluttering up the Family Room. However I do have the world’s most spoiled dog ever, so I can relate to the cages, dog toys (which last about 2 days before their insides are ripped to shred and there is fluff all over the rug), bones, chewy things and worst of all: dog hair.

Family Rooms (any main living space for lack of a better term) are heavily used, both for the everyday TV watching and book reading, but for company as well. Keeping this room clean is vital for last minute entertaining or visits by the in-laws (although lighting a scented candle and dimming the lights can work in a pinch!). Remember these cleaning ideas will eventually come so naturally so it won’t seem so forced and monotonous.

If You Have 15 Minutes:

Clear the clutter. Tour the room with a laundry basket in tow, picking up any out-of-place items for redistribution later. The 15 Minute Rule is all about this. I love the idea of baskets with lids for children’s toys and blanket storage. The look great as end tables or on display and hide a wealth of clutter under a tidy lid. My coffee table is made of 6 shelves that each holds their own basket for odds and ends like remotes, DVD’s and decks of cards…

Speed-dust at eye-level. Pledge wipes are perfect for this and the package is so small that you can keep them in the actual Family Room. These are great for pet hair on the tables (hey, it happens). Mrs. Meyers brand has eco-friendly versions.

Fluff pillows and fold throws. These small adjustments result in a big visual impact.

If You Have 30 Minutes, Add the Following:

Vacuum or dry-mop the floor. Dirt can cut carpet fibers and damage wood floors. I vacuum at least twice a week because of all the pet hair. You just have to do it and really – it doesn’t take that long.

If You Have 1 Hour, Add the Following:

Tackle upholstery and window treatments. Use the vacuum’s brush attachment to get dust off sofas and chairs. Clean under and behind cushions, then flip them to distribute wear evenly. Close the curtains and use a vacuum attachment to clean. For blinds, wipe each slat with a damp microfiber cloth. Ms. Superiority’s helpful hints: Steam cleaning can be done with your iron – run an iron over the fabric of a couch that has been lightly spritzed with water or linen spray for a fresher smell. This takes no time at all (works great on mattresses as well – and kills anything that might be harboring – good after someone has been ill!)

If You Have Half a Day, Add the Following:

Wash the windows. To minimize streaking, use a glass cleaner and a lint-free material, such as a cloth diaper or an old T-shirt.

Spot-clean the walls. Remove crumbs from inside cabinets with a vacuum attachment or a damp cloth.

Combat hidden dirt and dusts. Get behind, underneath, and on top of tall furniture with a long-handled duster. Roll back rugs and clean the floor below.

Dear Mothers Everywhere,

I found this article while at work tonight and I just had to share. I honestly have to say I read this article 3 times before deciding that the idiot who wrote this was not in fact, making sarcastic suggestions. Some idiot (and no offense, but probably a male in touch with his feelings) actually thinks that on top of a new baby (maybe more kids), dinner, cooking, cleaning, laundry, oh and work, you will have time for a single of these brilliant suggestions (and yes brilliant is said with dripping sarcasm). Never have I seen anything like this, and I encourage mothers everywhere to revolt. You can see my comments in italics.

15 Soothing Steps to Combat New Mommy Stress

Stressed out? Join the club! With a baby to care for, as well as dinners to prepare, a house to clean, emails, cell phones and seemingly endless commutes, it can feel almost impossible to find time in your day to just kick back and relax. And if you do happen to find a few minutes, you’re at a loss for what to do.

Kicking back and recharging your batteries is just what you need, especially when raising little ones. What’s stopping you? Leave your problems behind, for a short while at least, and give yourself permission to take a much needed time-out. Get started now with 15 easy stress-busting tips. Seems innocent enough to start. I mean, who doesn’t want to recharge there batteries?

Keep a Journal
Find a quiet place and time, and begin your journey within. There are no rules when writing in your journal, except to be honest with yourself. (Lock your journal, if necessary, to maintain the privacy you need to feel totally free to express yourself.)

A journal helps you to process the experiences in your life. Buy a journal that you’ll enjoy writing in each day. Invest in an assortment of pens to fit your various moods. You can write about anything that pertains to your life. Write your feelings. Talk about your dreams, your plans for the future, the books you love, your favorite quotes … Anything that has touched your life.

Try not to edit your thoughts. Some people prefer journaling on the computer because they can type more quickly than they would write. Let your words just flow.

Are you f***ing kidding me? Journaling? With a baby? I think it’s safe to say that journaling with children is almost impossible without a maid and a nanny involved. I mean, because you’re a new mom. So you are probably busy, um, I don’t know? Feeding your child? Trying to take a shower during baby’s nap? Journaling?

Exercise
Get moving! We can all benefit from the stress reducing and energy enhancing benefits of moderate exercise in our lives.

It has been found (in hundreds of studies) that exercise is one of the most beneficial stress-reducers around. It can improve blood flow to the brain, increasing the brain’s alpha waves (this is associated with calmness and relaxation), reduce blood pressure, decrease muscle tension, and raise endorphin levels.

A flow of endorphins following exercise leaves you with a feeling of well-being. Walking is a great exercise that can be done alone, with your partner, and even with kids in tow.

Dear New Mom,

Look, you’re fat. I mean, the baby has been out of you for a month now and to be honest? You? Do NOT look like Nicole Kidman. What I would like to suggest is preferably a personal trainer, yoga consultant and a heavy dosage of nicotine and booze to curb the hunger pains that accompany this beauty regimen. Start shaking that ass.

Dear iVillage,

I too have read (in hundreds – hell, if not thousands of studies) that exercise improves blood flow and your mood. But so does sleep. And a vibrator. Dig it?

Enjoy Some Music
Allow your tensions to melt away with the music. Play music that fits your mood. Sometimes you’re in the mood for a relaxing instrumental, while other times, the hard beat of rock n roll will be just what you need

Sing.

Dance.

Let the music soothe your soul.

I mean, sure, you are trying to get the baby to sleep, but damn it, if you feel like heavy metal, bring it on – blast that Bose sound system, mama. After all, you totally DO NOT have a migraine from the colic screaming all day and night over and over and your ear drums are totally not bleeding. Yes. Let’s Sing and Dance and NOT assassinate Big Bird.

Laugh
Put on a funny video, sit back, and laugh your way to good health.

A good laugh is a potent stress reliever. Laughing stimulates the body to produce hormones that cause the brain to release stress-reducing endorphins.

Even putting a smile on your face when you aren’t feeling so happy causes your body chemistry to change for the better, helping to create within you a happier mood.

This whole article is a laugh – so thanks for that.
Comfort Yourself with Rituals
Turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Rituals are comforting. Begin to introduce rituals into your everyday life.

A ritual can be as simple as sitting down with your partner and sharing your first cup of coffee in the morning.

Would a screwdriver in the morning be considered a ritual? How about Valium? Because baby screaming? That ritual? Is difficult.

Savor Good Food
Feeling frazzled?

Foods affect us emotionally. Low-fat, high carbohydrate foods (such as bagels, popcorn, pretzels, rice cakes) trigger brain chemicals that help to soothe us when we are stressed out.

Eating well is one of the basics of self-care. Busy moms often forget to eat or they skip meals and then eat whatever is handy.

Complex carbohydrates (whole grain bread, pasta, fruit) gives long-lasting energy, as do protein foods that are low in fat (like broiled chicken or fish.) Foods that are high in fat can be draining because they take more energy for your body to digest.

Feed your soul.

Clearly, after yesterday’s birth you are in the mood to exercise, so giving in to food cravings shouldn’t be an issue for you; you are working the weight off ! I totally didn’t know that eating well was healthy for you (and plus, forget college tuition, you should totally indulge in organic free range cauliflower in season). And can you even imagine the money I waste at Weight Watchers? I never knew that high carb foods “soothe us when we are stressed out”. Really? ‘Cause chocolate cake and peanut butter out of the jar? I thought that was to prevent me from picking up the gin.

Take Time for You
Allow yourself time alone. Time where you are focusing on yourself.

Find a place in your house where you can go and find solitude. It might be an entire room, or just one area that you have set aside.

Ask your partner to take the rest of the family out for the morning while you stay home and begin to remember what it’s like to be all alone.

Do nothing, sleep, watch a love story that nobody else wants to see, read old letters … Just enjoy your solitude.

Let the day unfold, totally unscheduled.

Please, and I mean this, do not leave your child(ren) alone while you take time for yourself, if they are under the age of 12. Cause I think it’s illegal and could possibly be considered abuse. But if you can get your significant other to help, definitely read old love letters…from that old flame, the hot one that got away, and remember how easy it was before that bastard knocked you up. Google the ex. You have my permission to cyber stalk and dream of what could have been…

Celebrate Your Friendships
Sit down and indulge in some meaningful conversation with your best friend.

Women find great comfort, support and intimacy in the company of their inner circle of friends.

Friends share not just the triumphs, but the heartbreaking times and the ordinary day-to-day moments that become woven into the fabric of our lives.

Except, and hi? I hate to be negative? But your friends are at work or picking up single people at a bar. Without you. And they aren’t leaking milk on anyone.

Catch a Few Rays
Grab some sunlight. Spend some time outdoors each day. The seasonal slump that can result from inadequate sunlight can cause depression and fatigue. Even on cloudy days, a walk outside will help to recharge your batteries.

This is actually possible in nicer weather. I don’t really have anything bad to say about this.
Schedule Your Worry Time
Have lots of worries and concerns?

Schedule 30 minutes of worry time into your day. Save all your worries for that time.

If worries begin to creep into your thoughts at other times of the day, mentally file them away.

You’ll be surprised at how much time this can free up, and how much better you will feel.

Therapy – insurance will cover it. And even better: anti-depressants. Dig it.

Play!
Design a castle

Paint a picture

See how high you can swing.

As adults, we sometimes forget the therapeutic value of play. Play stimulates our imagination, encourages our creativity, boosts our energy, and best of all, is fun.

Put the drugs down, and step away from the crack pipe. Seriously. Kiddie Ritalin is NOT FOR ADULTS!
Try Water Therapy
Let your troubles float away.

Showers and baths are high on the list of best stress relievers. Climb into a warm shower and bath. Make it long and luxurious.

Visualize your cares just going right down the drain.

This sounds suicidal to me, but maybe I am just being negative. A better suggestion would be a swim lesson for you and your baby – that way there are some sane, childless adults there to keep an eye on you. And possibly jump in to save your drowning ass.

Meditate
Slow down. Take a 20 minute time-out.

You can medMeditation reduces your blood pressure, and helps to dramatically reduce your stress level. Meditation or prayer can help bring you back in touch with your spiritual side. It is a very effective method of relaxation, reducing your blood pressure, slowing your breathing, relaxing muscles, and helping to clear your thoughts (resulting in improved concentration.)

To meditate, quiet your mind and allow yourself to focus on one thing, such as your breath, or the flame of a candle. Find a relaxed position where you can remain comfortable. You might try visualizing health and renewal with each inhalation, while you are breathing out all your stress on the exhale. Take in just what you need, and let go of the rest. Bring yourself slowly back, becoming aware of your body and your surroundings, with a sense of peace and renewal.

Too many curse words involved in commenting on this. If you have time to meditate, you may as well watch Oprah or take a cat nap or hell, shower for the first time all week.

Take a Much-Needed Nap
Sleepy?

Find a quiet, comfortable spot and take a short snooze. Allow yourself to really get comfortable.

Even 20 minutes of napping will leave you feeling renewed, focused and more energetic.

Don’t nap too late in the afternoon, or it may interfere with your sleep at night.

Studies have shown another extra health benefit. People who spent 30 minutes each day napping had one third less heart disease than those who didn’t nap.

Too many curse words involved in commenting on this also. I mean, there is just no time. Sometimes you have to choose doing laundry so that you have clean underwear, finally, over taking a nap that you may or may not wake up from.

Make Love
Jump in bed.

Making love is often overlooked, especially by tired moms, as a great way to relax. Satisfying sex leads to a deep relaxation. If you feel too tired, how about massage?

Touch is a powerful healer.

I would love to get my hands on the fool who wrote this. And heal them for sure with my “powerful touch”.

Welcome to Day 2 of Superior Habitat’s Fall Housekeeping Guide. We are taking this week to follow simple steps to get your house 100% prepared to usher in fall.

A clean kitchen makes life at home a lot more enjoyable. First of all, no one wants to see a dirty, greasy, grimy kitchen. We don’t want to cook there and we certainly don’t want to eat there. Ever been to someone’s house and just thought, “OMG, I totally can’t eat anything here because these people have no standards of cleanliness.” Beyond salmonella poisoning, it’s simply refreshing to wake up to a spotless kitchen and enjoy a cup of coffee at a cleared and uncluttered dining space.

These suggestions are from Real Simple, but I have to say, I follow them religiously. I actually printed them out and laminated them a few years back when I lived with roommates, so that everyone would follow the instructions. I keep baking soda in the fridge to keep things looking fresh, I keep an assortment of heavily used items on a tray in the middle of the kitchen table as a display piece (salt and pepper, timer, candles) which helps keep things uncluttered as well.

Soon you will literally be able to eat right off the floorJ

If You Have 15 Minutes:

Clean countertops and the sink. Spray disinfectant in the sink and let it soak. Meanwhile, spritz the counters with disinfectant. Then scrub the sink with a sponge, rinse well, and dry. Return to the counters and wipe dry with a fresh cotton or microfiber cloth.

Sweep or dry-mop the floor. To be honest, I usually just vacuum the whole floor. So much easier and the nozzle on the vacuum helps me reach behind the fridge and stove with ease.

Clean the refrigerator handle. It takes only seconds to wipe down this bacteria-friendly spot with disinfectant.

If You Have 30 Minutes, Add the Following:

Wet-mop the floor. A few spritzes of an all-purpose cleaner and a damp microfiber mop will do the trick.

Wipe down appliances. Clean the surfaces of the gadgets.

If You Have 1 Hour, Add the Following:

Wash the cabinet fronts. Wipe from top to bottom with a soft sponge and a solution of warm water and dish soap. If the cabinets are wood, use a wood cleanser.

If You Have Half a Day, Add the Following:

Deep-clean appliances. To freshen the refrigerator’s interior clean it with a solution of 3 tablespoons baking soda and 4 cups warm water. No self-cleaning oven? Wipe down the inside with an all-purpose cleanser. Use a plastic scraper (or an old credit card) to get bits of food off the racks and drip pan.

Dust and degrime inside and out. Remove crumbs from inside cabinets with a vacuum attachment or a damp cloth.

]]> http://superiorhabitat.wordpress.com/2008/09/09/easy-steps-for-cleaning-the-kitchen/feed/ superiorhabitat http://superiorhabitat.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/superior-habitat-fall-housekeeping-guide/ http://superiorhabitat.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/superior-habitat-fall-housekeeping-guide/#comments Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:54:06 +0000 superiorhabitat http://superiorhabitat.wordpress.com/?p=192

Superior Habitat would like to present the official Superior Habitat Fall Housekeeping Guide. Each day this week Ms. Superiority will share simple, superior housekeeping ideas that she uses (borrowed and stolen from other sources) to get you “fall” into a superior home routine! Monday is Day One, the start of the easiest housekeeping routine ever. By Saturday, I can guarantee that your house will be the cleanest it’s ever been (or, at least on the way to it by the end of the month). There is a great article to check out from Martha Stewart Living “100 Reasons to Get Rid of It”. My favorite is #3: “80% of what we own we never use.” And actually even better, #50 “Getting rid of clutter will reduce housework by 40 percent.”

Today is easy. We are going to go over a couple of simple steps to keep you tidy and organized throughout the week. This is a quick checklist to go over every single day. After a week, it will feel like second nature; truly this is more of a habit builder than a checklist.

1. Make your bed in the morning (if you are following the 15 Minute Rule (see #10) at night, there are no clothes hanging on the closet door, everything else has been tidied up before you go to bed, so this is all you have to do to leave a sparkling clean bedroom).
2. Hang up your coat and put away your shoes every time you come home.
3. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink AND when the clean dishes are dried, put them away.
4. Read the newspapers online and save money, the environment and your sanity with all those daily newspapers littering your space! (Or stick to a Sunday paper only).
5. Sort the mail every day. I take my junk mail to work and shred it there first thing in the morning.
6. Follow the “one-minute rule” – push yourself to do any chore that takes less than one minute. Close the cabinet door, put your dirty socks in the hamper, and hang up your wet towel. (From Unclutterer.com)
7. Pause for a moment before you “store” something. Storing something means you don’t intend to use it much. Other than holiday decorations and seasonal clothes, you should strive to “store” as little as possible. (From Unclutterer.com – great idea. Only store seasonal clothing and holiday decorations. Everything else should be an active part of your life or be donated to a charity!)
8. If it’s broken, and you know if can be replaced, toss it (not just whether or not you WANT to spend the money for it later). You don’t have to replace it now, but just rejoice in the fact that you will always be able to buy a new picture frame.
9. Don’t keep any piece of paper unless you know that you actually need it. Remember the internet! If you can easily find information online, you don’t need to keep a hard copy. (From Unclutterer.com)
10. My average day includes following the 15 Minute Rule at the end of every evening to be sure that at a quick glance, everything is in its place before bed. Don’t go crazy reorganizing the sock drawer – now is certainly not the time – but putting away the pants you wore today, dirty clothes in the laundry bin and putting dishes in the dishwasher will make a difference.

Right before bed, I run around folding blankets, washing dishes, wiping the coffee table. 15 minutes is literally almost every commercial break in half hour time slot – totally doable. It’s always nice to come home to a neat house and even better to bring home friends to a clean house. If you follow the 15 Minute Rule every night for a week – you will be hooked. I guarantee it. Good Morning Sunshine is the post that includes my morning routine as well. I am not perfect, these are all goals I strive towards, but there are plenty of times when I stay on the coach watching the new 90210 refusing to bring my dirty dishes into the kitchen. Do what you can; every little bit helps!

Just added - from ZenHabits.net: 15 Great Decluttering Tips

Hopefully this summer you took a lot of digital photos of exciting things happening. For example, your trip to Sonoma or the dog swimming in the pond. Now of course, you are at work, secretly viewing all these photos thinking to yourself – “I want to share these with friends and family because seriously, my dog may be the cutest creature on the planet”.

Well hello Snapfish. First of all, there are tons of websites online that allow you to upload photos and do awesome things. Snapfish just happens to be one that I use and enjoy and have had great luck with. I love making photo cards for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day, etc. Everything gets a card, usually involving the dog (and, I am ashamed to admit, some type of dog outfit as well).

Why do this? Well, I think superior people realize that their friends and family like getting real mail. I mean, how often do you actually get something other than a bill or a catalog you didn’t want in the first place? It’s nice to say, I know we haven’t talked in a while, but I am always thinking of you. Sure not everyone care about my dog, but hopefully it will at least put a smile on their face.

Plus, this is a great time to prepare your Christmas/Hanukah cards ahead of everyone and have them all set and ready to go.

This is an odd post but I was recently shocked into silence by a group of friends who were not aware of Dryel – the best product for anyone who loves clothes. Period.

Many of us purchase clothing that is “Dry Clean Only”. Sometimes this label isn’t very serious. You can get away with a few careful washes, especially if you hand wash. Sometimes this label should have been a HELL of a lot bigger so the idiot who washed her black pashmina would not have destroyed everything in the wash, but that my friends is a story for another post.

Dryel will change your life. I use this product on average only about twice a month (so that’s about 8 articles of clothing). Primarily I use it for sweaters, pashmina scarves (faux) and dresses that have to be dry-cleaned. 30 minutes in the Dryel bag, with a Dryel cloth and I am on my way. That’s it. It steams your clothes back into a state of wear-ability (important after a night of drinking or smoke filled clubs). Borrow your roomies new DVF wrap dress? Throw it in for 30 minutes and it’s in perfect condition. And it saves on a ton of dry cleaning bills and destroying the environment.

I realize that I sound like I may work for Dryel. I assure you I do not, but if they want to send me some free products I am happy to have them. You really have to try Dryel because it will change your life!

I feel so strongly that September is such a great time to reinvent oneself. Let’s face it – for most of us September really is the start of a new year: from grad school students to the parents of school age kids to grandparents. Starting new and better lifestyle habits now will change your life by January 1^st (plus, it would be great to look superiorly fabulous for a New Year’s Eve party)!

How to do this on a fitness level? Well there are lots of options. Previously I posted about September being a great month for outdoor activity. Walking, jogging and bike riding are the perfect fall round-up. Just cool enough that you won’t melt from the heat. Seeing the foliage around you, leaves changing color…it’s just a magic time. Of course, joining a gym now is a good start. September means back to school discounts and promotions. Take advantage of these deals – now is the time. Most of these gyms offer yoga, pilates, and aerobic-style exercise classes. I would be willing to bet that your health care package includes a fitness reimbursement and a Weight Watchers reimbursement as well (mine does for sure!).

Something I have heard a lot about lately is the idea of a fitness boot camp. In the Boston area: Ultimate Boot Camp is all the rage and I have heard firsthand accounts of the effectiveness of this routine. Any and all fitness levels are welcome. What a great jumpstart to a new you!

Also, and this sounds cheesy, but fitness DVDs? I love them. So convenient, you can travel with them, super cheap at discount stores (Marshall’s and TJ Maxx in particular for New Englanders). Plus, you aren’t going to get more comfortable than your own home – they are a great way to break into the fitness habit after a long stretch of abstinence. In fact, you can check out fitness DVDs at the library for FREE and THEN go purchase the one you like the best and make it your own. Or if you have a friend or roommate you are comfortable with, make it a small group training session in your living room – the extra support and company will make it a lot of funJ

What should motivate you? Your health? Taking better care of your kids? Looking better than all the other moms on the playground, or all the single ladies at the bar? I mean, hello? What other motivation do you need?