Quick Kitchen Cleaning Tips

It’s said the kitchen is the most lived in room in many households, unfortunately this means it can also be the messiest!  Here are some quick kitchen cleaning tips to help you keep the mess and clutter to a minimum.

* Clean the kitchen cabinets, stove, refrigerator and counters with baking soda.
* Sweep and mop your kitchen floor.
* To remove skid marks on linoleum rub the spot with toothpaste before washing the floor.
* Remove all clutter from your countertop; that includes dishes, glasses, utensils cups and other items you may have lying around.
* Store as many appliances as you can in the cabinets.
* Clean your sink with olive oil.
* Replace your dish rag regularly, as well as the sponge or scrub you use for washing.
* To remove hard-water build-up in a teapot or kettle, pour in two cups of vinegar and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, then rinse well.
* To clean the coffee maker: Pour straight vinegar into it as if you are making the coffee, no filter is needed. Turn the coffee maker on as if you were making a pot of coffee. Repeat this with a new batch of vinegar until it runs clear of calcium deposits.

Cleaning is a matter of preparation, determination and time management.  As you can see, all your kitchen needs now is a light once-over, and you are ready for the marathon of cooking and baking to begin.

What Is Time Management And Why Is It Important

We are all familiar with the concept of “time”, but when you add the word “management” behind it, things can get a little cloudy.   Simply put, time management is the process of managing your time.  People can make this more confusing and harder than it has to be when they try to get too technical and start creating “time maps” and flow charts. 

When it comes down to it, it is a lot simpler than that.  We all have twenty four hours each day.  By practicing time management strategies, we are deciding how to use those hours to accomplish all the tasks we have on our to-do lists.

When a person lacks good time management skills, they may have a hard time accomplishing things, whether it be household chores, projects for work, or other duties.  Failing to meet deadlines can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and a general feeling of being overwhelmed.  When a person is feeling this way, it can be very hard to enjoy life.

Of course, not every case of bad time management skills will be so dramatic.  But each case can cause some type of problem.  For instance, imagine a person who is always running ten minutes late.  That may not seem so bad, and friends and family may even make jokes about it. 

On the other hand, some people may not appreciate interacting with someone who is constantly tardy.  Continuously running late could cause friction in relationships, as well as make a bad first impression towards prospective clients and employers.

When a person manages their time well, they are able to accomplish the goals they have set for themselves.  Your end goal doesn’t have to be something as monumental as constructing a new building; your goal could be to wash three loads of laundry and organize the kitchen cupboards before the kids get home from school.

Since people with good time management skills find it easier to achieve the tasks they need to complete, they do not feel as overwhelmed or “bogged-down”.  This can lead to a happier life.

Walking the WAHM tightrope – balancing work and family

Sometimes, being a work at home mom can feel like walking on a tight-rope! Balancing your work-time and you family-time can almost feel overwhelming, but it can be done. As a WAHM you are ahead of the game. The following are some tips to help keep you balanced – and sane!

You have the ability to set your own hours, so take advantage of that right now. If you can handle some tasks at “odd hours”, you will have more family time during the day. Are you a morning person? If so, try to get up an hour before your family to take advantage of some “quiet time” to focus on your business; night owls can take care of emails and other administrative tasks after they have put their children to bed.

If you pick your children up from school, use the time you spend waiting for them to get out of class to return customer phone calls.  A wireless headset for your cell phone will allow you to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road if you make calls while driving.

During the week, when schedules are busiest, plan speedy dinners. Let your kids help out in the kitchen while you cook – you’ll be spending time together and teaching them skills they will need. There are plenty of cookbooks out there dedicated to “kid friendly recipes” if you need some inspiration on what to make.

Blend family time and work time by getting your children involved in your business. Smaller children can affix the stamps or mailing labels; older children can help hang flyers; and teenagers can take on some administrative tasks such as data entry.

Set aside some time each day to spend with your children with no distractions. You don’t have to go anywhere special; the time can be spent reading a book or playing a game. The point is just to let your children know that they come first, and the business comes second. Remember – you became a work at home mom so you could spend time with your family. Don’t forget to take some time out to enjoy them!

Time Management Tips For Work At Home Mom

Some people mistakenly believe that work at home moms have it easy and that there is no reason why they can’t “get it all done.” These people do not understand the challenges that work at home moms face. 

Moms that work outside the home can leave the office and focus on their family, and when they are at the office they can focus on their work.  Work at home moms need to find a way to blend both of those worlds into the same four walls.

Here are some time management tips for work at home moms:

* Define your business hours and let your clients and family know what they are.  When you are working, let your family know that you need some quiet time to get your work done.  When it is “closing” time, feel free to shut the office door and enjoy your family.  Your client can wait until tomorrow for you to return their phone call.

* If you have small children, it is okay to get some childcare help.  Enrolling your child in daycare for a few hours a day twice a week doesn’t mean you are a bad mother.  You need time to work on your business, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about that.  If you don’t want to leave your child at daycare, consider hiring someone to come to the house and watch your children while you work.  A young teenager is qualified for this, and will be very affordable.

* Many of your administrative activities can be outsourced to a virtual assistant.  This will free up your schedule and allow you to spend more time marketing your business.

* Check your email once in the morning and once in the evening, rather than checking it and responding to mail every half hour or so. This will save you a lot of time throughout your day.

* If you are tempted to start surfing the internet while working on the computer, unplug your internet connection until your work is done.  Once you have completed your report or spreadsheet, you can get back online.

* Participating in forums and social networking sites can be a great way to connect with others and gain publicity, but they can also be big time wasters.  You don’t have to join every single one you find.  Choose a few good ones, and limit the amount of time you spend there.

 

Learning to Value Your Time

Working for the Department of Education, you can appreciate why time is so valuable.  With the bell ringing every 40 minutes, you are constantly reminded how fast the end of the day is approaching, and you haven’t even begun to ascertain if the time was well spent. At the same time, you can learn certain techniques to avoid wasting those precious minutes and become better equipped in handling the students, the workload, and the constant demands placed upon you.  Learning to value your time is an important as teaching a class of students.  Conversely you can also waste valuable time, much to the detriment of your students and yourself. 

Here are just a few examples of how you can avoid wasting time; time that could be make a difference in your daily life. 

Avoid Wasting Time
* Think about the task before starting it.
* Try not to handle too many things at once.
* Do not begin a new project before completing the first one.
* Finish a project; don’t leave it hanging.
* Try not to double up on needless paperwork; keep it simple.
* Do not try to do everything yourself; delegate.
* Try to focus on the task at hand; avoid interruptions.
* When someone is speaking to you; listen fully without thinking of other matters. In this way nothing will have to be repeated.
* When running errands, call ahead to ensure your items are ready, if applicable.
* Schedule appointments either in the early morning or after lunch to avoid waiting.
* Ensure your home is clutter free; spending time looking for something is wasteful.
* Make lunch for the kids at night.
* Put your clothes out at night for the next morning.
* Ensure your car has plenty of gas at all times.

Time is a valuable resource; one in which we either have too much of or not enough.  There are hundreds of insightful words surrounding the word time, and yet we never think about them until it’s too late.  It seems time only becomes important when someone we love is ill; or dying. When we are young, time is endless. As we get older, we hunger for more. In emergencies, “time is of the essence.”  During the 9/11 tragedy, time stood still. 

Think back to Rod Serling’s episode on The Twilight Zone. The story involved a banker who loved to read; but his wife hated him doing so. Every day for lunch he would go down to the vault, step inside, and read his book. One day the earth was decimated by a bomb. The only survivor, he walked for miles until he eventually came across the New York Public Library. Ecstatically, he piled all of the books according to each year it would take him to read them all.  Seeing one book under a cracked step, he reached down to grab it, and his bifocals fell off. In his attempt to pick them up, he stepped on and smashed them.  “All I wanted was time,” he cried.

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