Back to school! Holidays! It must be mid-August...

I feel like one of Pavlov's dogs this time of year.  

All I have to do is hear the words 'Labor Day Weekend' and I'm ready to go back to school.  I start thinking about trick or treating on Halloween.  My mouth waters for Thanksgiving dinner.  I start a Christmas gift list in my mind. I can only presume that most of you are wired the same way.  We are after all creatures of habit.

The same old / same old can sometimes be translated as 'tradition.'  It doesn't have to be a bad thing.  But if you are always frustrated by the way your home runs during the school year, if you are always behind the proverbial 8 ball when it comes to the holidays, if you wish you were going back to school to learn something new but feel it's impossible ... well, how about a fresh approach?  Perhaps 'same old / same old' needs a tune up.

School Days

Take about 15 minutes and sit quietly with your Zen Organizing Journal.  It might be a word file on your computer or a special notebook you purchased just for this purpose.  What matters is that it's special to you as well as private. Please answer the following questions:

1. Is the school year always a nightmare for you? 
2. Do your children get out the door on time?
3. Can they do homework easily in the late afternoon / early evening?
4. Do they have too many after school activities?
5. Is your family eating healthy foods or would Chef Jamie Oliver cringe in your kitchen?

Let's see if we can't implement a few simple organizing tips and tricks to change your experience.  If any of these areas is not an issue for you, please give yourself a big pat on the back for me. Now sit quietly with your journal.  If thoughts came up for you as you reviewed the questions, feel free to journal about them and see what discoveries, insights or new ways of being you can invent.

Think back on the year just past.  Why was it a nightmare?  Be specific and list the culprits.  Take them one by one and consider what the antidote would be.  School won't get better because your children are older or you have more experience.  it will get better if you do things differently. We live in a cause and effect Universe.  Set new causes in motion and new results are sure to follow.

• If everyone in your home is racing out the door with a sugar loaded donut heading for Starbucks, stop the madness!  There are several things you can do to heal the morning rush: get up 15 minutes earlier and have breakfast started in advance of everyone else getting up; set the table the night before; stagger wake up times to avoid a rush in the bathroom(s); assign chores if your children are old enough: set the table, clear the table, wash the dishes, load the dryer, put dishes away, feed the dog, walk the dog, make beds and take out the trash are right off the top of my head with little or no effort. There is no end to the way children can help. Be sure you assign age and skill appropriate assignments.

• Improve or change where homework is done. Have you provided adequate lighting, a quiet atmosphere, the right school supplies and healthy snacks? Do any of your children need a tutor for specific subjects?

• Unless your child is literally training for the Olympics, does he/she really need all the after school activities they had last year?  We've become a nation obsessed with extracurricular activities!  Rest, reading and unstructured play time are all important if your want a well rounded child.

• What is the quality of food in your refrigerator?  Is everything brown? Does your family eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day? Take a look at the labels on those processed packages. I bet you find a sodium content that would bloat a Marine in boot camp.  Do a little food research. Check out other markets in your neighborhood for better prices and/or fresher produce.  Shop your local Farmer's Market.  Start planning meals and shop with a list. And of course never shop when you are hungry.

Trick or Treat?

While that phrase is usually associated with Halloween, next week I'd like to take a look at your life.  Has fate played a trick on you?  Are you in a situation you never imagined?  It's never to late to find an old dream and a new way to make it real. That's a real treat.

See you soon!

Blessings,

Regina