“Thanks to environmental regulations designed to protect the likes of the three-inch long delta smelt, one of America’s premier agricultural regions is suffering in a drought made worse by federal regulations.” Source

“The unemployment rate in agriculture communities ranges from 20 percent to 40 percent, while 250,000 acres of farmland are lying fallow or dying. The region’s agricultural output is expected to decline by between $1 billion and $3 billion this year over last, according to estimates by agricultural and business groups.” Source

If we think this is just effecting the folks in California – we are so wrong!

Links for resources mentioned:

• MomsLoveShopping “Fishing For Food”
• MomsLoveShopping “Stockpiling Your Pantry”
• 12 Week Holiday Countdown

Top tips discussed include:

• Don’t fill your calendar before the day begins
• Prioritize the things that you need to do
• Take time to plan and make your to do list
• Learn to say no and make time for priorities
• Take care of yourself and make sure to have some “down time”

Marie asked me about my Guide To Time Management For Busy Moms. For less than $10, you can get your hands on an easy to digest step-by-step guide to help you better manage your time.

I also mentioned in this weeks Talk Show that you need to listen to MomsLoveShopping.com’s recent podcasts about 1) problems with shopping for fish and 2) flu season shopping.

Moms today need to take advantage of the latest gadgets available to make our day’s easier.

I’m joined by Lynette from MomsGadgets.com to talk about gadgets that help make Mom’s life easier.We could have talked all day! Here are a few of the gadgets Lynette Lynette and I discussed:

• Evernote.com
• TuxPaint.com
• Electric Water Pot
• Swiffer SweeperVac

Don’t forget about today’s Twitter Clean-Up Party! Click here for all the details!

Karen also has a special giveaway and coupon code just for my talk show listeners so be sure to pay attention! Then visit LoveToLabel.com.

Alice provides you a better way to manage all of your household essentials online. You tell Alice what you buy—choosing from great deals on 1000’s of products—and Alice goes to work. We organize all of your products, find coupons and deals for you, remind you when you might be running low, and help you order just the items you need so you can avoid that trip to the corner drugstore or the big-box store. And all this convenience comes direct to your door with free shipping included.

I LOVE ALICE! It cut my time in half in the grocery store! That alone is worth a try!

Next, I’m so super excited to be joined today by Laura from I’m An Organizing Junkie. I’ve wanted to talk with her for some time now about menu planning. After all she is the super fabulous hostess of Menu Plan Monday!

Not only does she tell us how and why she began meal planning, Laura provides such useful information on dealing with food allergies. This is a must for moms having a hard time planning menues around someone with food allergies. Bottom line – it’s not as hard as it seems!

You won’t believe how much fun the two of us had discussing meal planning! We talked, and talked, about:

• How we each meal plan
• Planning around food allergies
• Using themes in meal planning
• Getting the kids involved (and the hubby)
• Where we get our recipes

Both Laura and I hope that after this show, you’ll be convinced to start planning your family’s meals!

If you need help meal planning, I have a how-to guide just for busy moms. For less than the cost of a fast-food dinner, you can be on your way planning your menus. Click here for the Meal Planning Guide.

Some of my favorite tips include:

• Incorporate 20 minutes a day of exercise – and if we can’t make 20 minutes for ourselves, we have bigger issues!
• Make it fun – do stuff with the kids
• Keep healthy snacks such as cheese sticks or Honey Nut Cheerios
• Meal planning works great because you can plan healthy meals

A couple easy exercises moms can incorporate into their days:

• Push-ups – great because they use several different muscle groups
• Crunches and side crunches – to get rid of the mommy “pooch”
• Stretching – let’s keep limber and flexible ladies!

Thanks so much Val for the great tips!

I mentioned during the show that our fellow MMer Carrie Lauth did a show regarding how many moms are doing ab work totally wrong with her guest at NaturalMoms Talk Radio.

How Does Mom Survive The Summer?

I have with me today Tashia Calhoun from www.thehouseholdplanner.com and we discuss her product “The Busy mom’s Guide To Summer Survival”. Being caregiver of 6 most days, this lady knows how to survive!

“In order to have a stress-free and fun filled summer, you have to have a plan!”

Tashia and I talk about keeping the kids in order:

• Make A Plan
• Use A Daily Schedule
• Create A Lunch Menu

We’re giving away a copy of The Busy Mom’s Guide To Summer Survival! Simply visit Tashia’s site then come back here and post a comment letting me know what you like about her site and how you could use her household planners. A random comment will be selected next Wednesday (July 8).

Frugal Family Outings For The Summer

Summer outings don’t have to be expensive. Here are a few ideas to keep your family busy this summer without breaking the bank.

• Go To The Movies: Some theaters offer reduced-price matinees during the day. Some even have free kid-oriented movies on weekend days.
• Play Miniature Golf. Admission is usually quite reasonable, and it provides the opportunity for relaxed yet engaging family competition.
• Visit A Local Zoo or Museum. Some offer cheap or free admission, while others cost more. But the larger and more expensive ones often sell season passes, so if you live close by, you can visit numerous times for one low price. Do a search online for local zoos, museums and attractions.
• Attend Events at a Nearby College. These may include plays, concerts, dance recitals and movie showings. Prices are low, and student discounts usually apply to kids, too.
• Enjoy The Great Outdoors. Parks are great for day trips. Those with playground equipment can keep youngsters entertained for hours on end. Hiking trails offer opportunities for exercise and exploration. Most parks have picnic facilities, so you can pack a lunch instead of eating out.

PS: Sorry – subscribing through iTunes is not available at this time. Somehow, my podcast feed isn’t getting through to Apple so my show isn’t currently available through the iTunes store. I’m trying to get this straightened out.

I always get asked the same question (in different forms) “Where Do I Begin?” “How Do I Get Started”. This episode is all about the tips and processes that helped me get my act together years ago – and remain organized!

Do you frequently study articles about organizing and they have similar words for helping you get organized; only they are just rearranged? Or they give you organizing ideas & products, but don’t really motivate you to stick to it?

You need to formulate a plan.  There is nothing that is more potent to achieving your goals than having a plan to start off.  Here are the steps to formulating your plan, and getting yourself motivated to get your act together!

Set Goals.
In order for this plan to fly, you have to have understandable, precise goals that are well defined and written out.  Very likely, you will find it most successful to set long and short term goals.  For instance, your long term goal could be getting your home organized in a year’s time.  Your short term goal could be getting one room in order within a month.

After you have your goals in mind, write them down on paper and put that paper in a place you can view it often.  Knowing a target in your head is not enough; it needs to be in a place where you can view it often and constantly motivate you to achieve your goals.

What is your Why?
You need to determine why you want something.  It’s not enough to simply want to get organized-you need to know why you have this desire.   Without wanting something whole-heartedly, it will be nearly impossible to achieve it. Here are some good reasons to get organized:
•    You’ll be able to relax more. By getting organized, your stress levels will go down, and you’ll be able to live a less chaotic, more relaxed life.
•    You’ll have more time for yourself. By being more efficient, like getting your projects done quicker, being able to delegate, wasting less time looking for things and being able to make faster decisions, you’ll spend less time ‘working’ and will have more time for yourself and the things you love to do.
•    You’ll have more time for your loved ones. An organized person is always able to fit in time for friends and family members.
•    You’ll feel good about your surroundings. Being disorganized often results in embarrassment. You may feel anxious when visitors drop by your home or office and see clutter or stuff out of place. Get organized, and you’ll forever feel excellent about your surroundings–good enough to invite people in without worries.
•    You’ll be healthier. Get organized and you’ll have more than enough time to exercise and cook healthy meals for yourself and your family.
•    You’ll save more. Money, that is. When you’re organized, you’ll always know what you have, before you buy more.

Take Inventory.
Look at the all-over picture of your home. Go through every room and make your mind up what it is that you want to do with that room and write it down. While you’re evaluating your rooms and planning them, here are some things to think about:
•    See if you can find any hidden storage areas in your room. Decide if you want to add another shelf in the closet, use the storage space on the inside of a door, maybe use under the bed storage.
•    Think about organizing products you like and that make you feel good. Do you want to use Rubbermaid or are the items in a hidden area where a cardboard box will do. Using things that you like will give you a better feeling of a job-well-done.
•    Consider daily activities and routines in your home. Place items where they are going to do you the most good. Something that you use on a daily basis should not be on a high shelf.

Focus on a little bit at a time.
Rather than thinking about the enormous job at the forefront, split that mission up into controllable tasks. For instance, if you want to organize the boxes in your attic, you may think about going through one box per day, until it’s all complete.

Ask someone to bug you.
Tell a close friend, relative or co-worker, what you plan to organize, and by what date. Then, merely request that person to bug you a small number of days before to see if you’ve completed it so far. A little outside inspiration is frequently an enormous help.

Bribe yourself.
Make something you love to do, dependant on the achievement of today’s chore – a reward. If you promise yourself that you will not watch your favorite television program tonight, unless you work for 15 minutes on organizing your paper piles, you’re sure to get that little task completed. No cheating permitted.

Appreciate your own approach.
Just as we are all different in other ways, we all have diverse organizational styles. Employ improved organizational skills to enhance your personal style, not change it. Getting organized should make you feel good, not burdened.

Stick to your plan.
The best-laid plans often fall victim to their makers. While spontaneity is important, there is a fine line between it and plain procrastination. Once you’ve come up with a good plan for tackling a task, stay with it. Only you can prevent yourself from wavering.

The key points we talked about are:

• Setting up office space
• Teaching your family to respect your time
• Planning ahead
• Remembering that you’re a word in progress

Listen in as the two of us discuss this all – and find out why I think Nicole’s husband is a keeper! This was a really fun interview for me – and you can tell by how much Nicole and I giggle and laugh!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on working at home. Any tips, ideas or more questions? Please leave them in the comments!

You can subscribe through iTunes – just click the icon over to the left!

Cara discusses strategies and tips to Declutter Smarter. Anyone can declutter their home following these easy steps!

The first things to know: tackle one area at a time, don’t be afraid to throw stuff away, and seek tips and advice from others.

Once you get decluttering, here are Cara’s tips to help:

1. Start decluttering 15 minutes a day.
2. Pick one room or area to start with, and stick to it until it’s done.
3. Declutter your storage areas first.
4. Be ruthless when deciding what to keep and what to get rid of.
5. Deal with paper on a daily basis and have a system in place to keep it under control.
6. As soon as you bring something into the house, make room for it.

Cara also gives you the 3 habits you should start today to get you decluttering – and to keep on going!

This episode is part of the Mom’s Talk Radio Mom’s Smarter New Years ResolutionTour. Be sure tohead on over there for more information and inspiration!