EricaBarker

The Holiday season has come around again. Is your house clean? Is it visitor ready? Today I want to talk about cleaning your home and making it “visitor ready”.  I will share some tips that I use and a routine that I follow to help me keep my home clean so when we do have visitors I don’t have to scramble around. Okay, I still scramble around, doesn’t everyone do that? But I am not freaked out by the thought of someone coming over, especially after I run my routine!

Cleaning for the Holidays

The very first thing I do is determine how much time I have before guests arrive? 1 hour, 2 hours?

If I have 30 minutes this is what I do:

1. Set a timer and tell everyone in the house to pick things up from the floor in common areas for 10 minutes. The worst part of our house is the toys and “stuff” on the floor.
2. Unload and reload the dishwasher. Run the disposal and wipe the counter around the sink.
3. Close bedroom doors.
4. Turn on my essential oils diffuser. (spray room freshener, essential oils or light a candle)
5. Fluff the pillows on the couch and make sure coats and shoes are hung by the door and not thrown on the floor. (kids, you know they kick off their shoes and drop the coat)

If I have an hour I do all the things above but I add a few more items to my routine:

If I have 2 hours or more my house gets a makeover! Or a good wipe down. I do all the above I just spend a bit more time in the family room, kitchen and bathroom making sure things are tidy and clean.

I have some tried and true products that I can not live with out. Want to know what they are? Of course you do. I use Toryen rags in the bathroom. They are so soft and really you only need water to wipe down your sink and mirror.  I’m cheap and I use vinegar and baking soda in my toilet. It works great and saves me $$. For the kitchen I use disposer care for my disposer and Lysol wipes for my counters and to spot mop my floor.

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Life is all about the little things, even though it often seems that this is not completely true. Every relationship needs a lot of patience, love, and affection, and it has to be worked on in order to survive. It is very important for partners to realize that as soon as possible. Making your special someone feel loved is the key to success when it comes to relationships. Here are five ways to do that in New Year, so check them out.

Cook For Them

This certainly doesn’t mean that you have to be as skillful as Jamie Oliver himself in order to prepare the most delicious meal ever. It is not about the skills – it is about the gesture. Food is very important part of our lives, and it is definitely a great way to impress your special someone. Prepare their favorite dish, sprinkle rose petals all over the table, light come candles and voila – your darling will be stunned. Make them feel exceptional by pampering their palate and they will never forget such an experience.

Plan a Fun Day Out

Make plans for a fun day outside of your home and surprise your significant other. Choose an activity you know they would enjoy the most and make the best of it. You can plan a picnic in the park nearby or a long walk outside the town – possibilities are indeed infinite. The most important thing is to spend time together having fun, laughing, eating and chatting about everything. It is a great way to make your special one feel even more special.

Surprise Them With Handmade Mementos

Buy DIY Shirts or you don’t have to be particularly fond of DIY to make something unique for your boyfriend or girlfriend. A simple card, collage, or scrapbook will definitely do the trick. These won’t take up much of your time, but will be a magnificent gift that will melt your beloved one’s heart. However, if you have absolutely no idea how to do that, you can set a custom door signthat you will place on the entrance of your home or anywhere else. Thoughtful gifts will remind your loved one of the importance and strength of your love.

Ask Them About Their Job and Praise Their Accomplishments

Discussing your partner’s accomplishments at work, especially after a long day, is something that is very important in a healthy relationship. Career often gives people sense of purpose, and talking about it will make your significant other feel important. If they are willing to share their achievements with you, make sure that you are listening very carefully – it will mean the world to them. Be their faithful cheerleaders and admire everything they do in order to provide a future for both of you – and it will definitely pay off.

Stay Together All Day Long

The most amazing gift you can give someone is not of material nature – it is your time. It is the most priceless thing you can give to your special one. That will certainly show them that you care and that they represent a very important part of your life. Take a day off and dedicate it to someone you love – they will definitely appreciate every minute of it. Spend some quality time together, do something fun, watch your favorite movie, film yourself or just lie in your bed, kissing and cuddling all day long. Do it spontaneously – it is one of the best ways to surprise your beloved one.

As you can see, there are so many ways you can make your boyfriend or girlfriend feel loved, and these are just a drop in the ocean. What is important for you to understand is that you don’t need a lot of money to make it work. Just think out of the box and you will see that everything will be just fine. Be spontaneous and enjoy every moment!

Daniel Rogers has been writing short stories as long as he could remember. His feels energized and enthusiastic about the life which gives him strength to share some positive energy within the online auditorium. Based in Sydney, he lives happily with his family and friends. You can reach him by e-mail if you have any questions. 

Download this FREE Valentines printable below.

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Being a parent is tough stuff. Some days I feel like I am still learning. I guess I will always be learning. With every new stage comes different questions. One question I have been thinking a lot about recently is how I can help Little Crab to have a great self esteem. I’ve read several articles and have compiled a list of 9 ways we as parents can help our children develop a healthy self esteem.

Give unconditional love. Don’t we all want someone to love us no matter what? You can give that to your child.

Resist comparisons. When you compare your children you foster shame, envy and rivalry. Even comparing them to their friends can be harmful. Remember we all have special talents and are made for a purpose. Let you child be who they are and give unconditional love.

Pay attention. Everyone craves personal attention. Make time to sit down with your child and give them your undivided attention. Even 15 minutes reading a book or working a puzzle will give them a sense that you are there for them.  Put down the phone or the computer and talk to your kid.

Listen well. If your child needs to talk, stop and listen to what she has to say. She needs to know that her thoughts, feelings, desires, and opinions matter.  Put down the phone or the computer and talk to your kid. Little Crab and I do a lot of our talking at bed time. We talk about his day and sometimes mine. I ask a series of questions like “What did you eat for lunch?” “Did you go potty today?” “What book did you like best?”

Celebrate the positive. Everyone responds well to encouragement, so make an effort to acknowledge the good things your child does every day. Telling my son it was good when he used his “excuse me” on the slide at the playground is a self-esteem booster. I make sure I “catch” him being good and point it out to him and thank him for using manners, picking up toys, cooperating or listening.

Provide encouragement. Encouragement means acknowledging progress – not just rewarding achievement. So if your child is struggling with a math problem, say: “You’re trying very hard and you almost have it!” instead of “Not like that. Let me do it.”

Offer choices. A good rule of thumb: Let your child choose between two possibilities. I offer Little Crab two choices for shirts. If he doesn’t like those two we go back and pick two more, usually he picks one of the two. I know his favorite shirts! When he gets to choose he feels like he is in charge. I don’t care which shirt he wears as long as it matches his shorts, so really it is no skin off my back.

Provide opportunities for them to help you. One Saturday I was cleaning the sliding glass door. Little Crab wanted to help me so I got him a paper towel and let him wipe the Windex too.  I offer to let him help take the trash to the curb, throw things away for me, water the plants, and clean with a Lysol wipe, he enjoys helping and I enjoy letting him.

Along the same turn as providing opportunities for them to help is assigning a job or chore. There are certain tasks that Little Crab knows he is supposed to do. After bath he takes his clothes to his laundry basket. After a diaper change (hopefully he will potty train soon) he puts his diaper in the diaper pail. These are all things I have made clear that he is to do. It opens the door for “chores” when he is older.

I have created some “Love Notes” for your children. Print these out and tuck these fun quotes places where your child will find them. Taped to the lid of their lunch box or on top of their sandwich. Tucked a few pages after their bookmark in the book they are currently reading. In their back pack in the pocket with the pencils. In the pocket of their coat. On the mirror in the bathroom. On their alarm clock. Any fun place I missed? Leave your surprise in the comments! Enjojy!

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