From Frazzled to Fun

Got asthma in your house?

I do.

And I recently learned something really important to know.

A 20-year independent study found that using national brand cleaners as little as once a week is as damaging to lung capacity as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years.

Why is this important to share?

1. In 2019, 44.3 percent of children ages 18 and younger suffered one or more asthma attacks, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. Increasing in percentage each year, it is one of the most common and costly diseases in America, and can be deadly.

2. I'm all about teamwork being dreamwork in the home and that includes getting kids in on the cleaning.

3. I've learned of some practical changes that can protect asthmatics in your family by eliminating the toxin exposure from common cleaners like Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles, Soft Scrub with Bleach and Fantastik. 

Mama, I do encourage...

What we'd love: 

The ability to get our hands on the things we use regularly with ease and plenty of space

The unfortunate reality:

Often drawers and other spaces are crammed full of so much extra stuff that it makes the regularly used items cumbersome to get to

Good news:

By using a system that moves the less-used items to out-of-the-way-yet-quickly-accessible storage places, we can move efficiently through our daily tasks and also be empowered to get to those less-used items within 2 minutes when needed.

It works like this:

1. Gather storage boxes: cardboard boxes (file-box sized) or plastic containers (deciding ahead of time where you will store them will help determine this)
2. Organize an area, keeping only regularly-used items in the easiest to access places.
3. Fill each box with leftover related items (the ones you use less frequently, such as once a month or once a year.)
4. Place a number on the box. (Using a Sharpie, or numbered stickers, etc.)
5. Using "notes" on your...

Dads do so much every day. Need some ideas for Father's Day?

Gifts can be very simple and meaningful at the same time, especially for men.

How do the dads in your life show love? That's probably the best way to show them love.

Here are a few simple ideas, along with the love language in parentheses:

• Make his favorite meal and everyone give him a homemade card (gifts/acts of service)
• Take his car to the carwash and have the kids help vacuum and wipe down the dash, etc. (acts of service)
• Tuck random notes from you and the kids in his closet, car, medicine chest. (words of affirmation)
• Do something as a family that he loves to do (quality time)
• Make little coupons for free backrub, footrub, or backscratch. (physical touch)
• Encourage older kids to write out 3 specific memories with their dad that were special. (words of affirmation/gifts/quality time affirming)

Remember, dads are typically low maintenance and these things -- homemade cards,  notes, coupons, etc. don't need...

Last month I flew to Dallas and back for less than the cost of what it takes to fill up my car with gas!

How does the sound of a super cheap weekend trip sound to you?

Airlines like Spirit, Allegiant, and Frontier offer some unbelievable flight prices! Check it out.

But BEWARE! These airlines make most of their money on the a' la carte items, such as bags, seats, early boarding, snacks and drinks.

On my Spirit Airlines trip to Dallas, even if I had just added in a carry on bag, my travel costs would have increased by time and a half!

With some strategy and a little planning, you can hurdle right over those extra charges and maybe afford to take your whole family away for the weekend!

Because of this strategy, everyone from our family of 7 was able to fly from Phoenix to Dallas to see our college son perform when he had the leading role in his university's musicals.

After flying on two dozen...

I want to share with you a podcast that came out this week. 

I had the pleasure of chatting with Courtney Lowman of Journey of Ruth podcast on the topics of:

• questions to ask yourself when home organizing
• teamwork tactics and how the benefits can continue to bless you for years
• encouragement for mamas of newborns
• fun ways to get your kids to want to behave
• boundaries and screen time for kids
• gettin' 'er done as a mama but keeping it fun

If you want to feel encouraged, be more equipped to be intentional, and be inspired to return to the fun mom you know you really are, Courtney and I invite you to listen in (also includes a link to watch on YouTube).

• Organized 19 areas in her home and posted before and after photos in the group
• Sons organized and maintained their bedrooms 15 min/day 
• Created cool family slogan to boost morale
• Wrote notes of appreciation to her family members commending their work
• Honored accomplishments with a...

How would you like to say bye-bye to those nagging laundry piles?

Laundry is one of those things that always seems to be hanging over moms' heads, and it can be terribly draining. These are just a few of the problems:

• It takes so much emotional energy to sort the clothes back to the owners...and there are so many clothes
• Laundry sits in baskets for days awaiting folding
• Folded laundry sits in piles waiting to be put away
• Mom is the only one doing it

Here's an idea - LET EVERYONE CARRY THEIR LOAD (pun intended).

Can you imagine a world where everyone ages 3 and up does their own laundry?

How would that impact your life on a week-to-week basis, and how many extra hours would that buy you in a month?

 I dare you to try.

 To make the change, communication will be important. These are questions to ask each family member that can help set them up for success -- it simplifies, equips and tailors their experience:

 1. What can you get rid of from your drawers and...

Want some fun and thrifty DIY ideas for Valentines Day?

1. Make a custom heart-shaped puzzle - This 8-piece puzzle is super cost effective at only $1.50. Directions:

1. Print a favorite picture of you and your sweetie onto matte photo paper in a 5x7 size.
2. Snap the jigsaw pieces together and lay them on top of your photo, then trace around the puzzle's perimeter with a pencil. Cut out the resulting heart shape.
3. Turn the photo and all the puzzle pieces facedown. Position the bottommost puzzle piece along the corresponding part of the back of the photo. Trace closely around the puzzle piece with a pencil, then remove. Repeat with the remaining puzzle pieces.
4. Using small scissors, carefully cut out each jigsaw shape from your photo with scissors. Use an acid-free glue stick to mount each cutout, face up, to its matching puzzle piece, also face up. Decorate an envelope or small box to package them in.

2. Coffee filter heart wreath - This is simple, but has many...

Have you been New Year decluttering and have annoying piles left over?

You know

...the stuff you want to keep

...but you don't use on the regular 

...and you don't necessarily want them taking up room in your prime real estate areas?

Don't give in to the temptation to just stuff it back into an area in your house to get it out of sight out of desperation the next time you have guests over.

The Coach Mom Tribe mamas have been working this week on a great storage box system, set up so they can easily retrieve anything in storage that they need within a matter of minutes.

It has saved me so much time, frustration and money the past 25 years.

Here's the quick gist of it: 

Fill storage boxes with "to save" items that you don't use frequently, and number them.

Make a list of those numbers (on your phone or another location), and beside each number record the contents of the box and the location of the box.

As your...