I love to cook. I enjoy going to the farmers market once a week. I dislike shopping at the grocery store. How do I max out my joy factors and minimize the stress when meal planning? I have a routine. Saturday morning, I: look at my calendar for events on the upcoming week look over my menu chart on the fridge from the previous week pull out my stash of menus that I like or that I would like to try determine what I will cook each day – paying attention to when I am taking food

When the storms come, we must have the ability and the willingness to change or compromise our plans for the upcoming day or longer. My husband is now recovering from a cancer. The radiation has made it very difficulty to swallow much food and so we are doing tube feedings for nutrition 5 times a day. This means both of us have had to adjust our schedules accordingly and this has not been easy. This will be temporary and in time the tube feedings will diminish and finally be

You just can’t control the universe. Bad weather happens. Overpasses collapse. Illness happens. Other people have changes in their schedules that affect your plans. There seems to be daily obstacles to overcome so remaining flexible is key to survival. Setting up a daily/weekly schedule certainly helps you manage your time. Routines are great! With daily/weekly routines you don’t have to think about every single task you do. Each morning, as you start your day, look at the bi

It seems unreal that it is already time for school to begin but yet it is indeed that time. Planning ahead will make the transition from school break to back-to-school less stressful. School generates a lot of paper even though more and more of it is on line. Make a plan for it now. You will likely receive: General school information such as calendar of events, school hours, rules, fees, team sports available, contact information, PTA news Welcome letter from your child’s te

Almost all of us have certain routines. I would hate to get up every morning and make decisions about should I brush my teeth, take a shower, or make my bed. I have my morning routines and they are certainly on autopilot at least until I have had my first cup of coffee. Not having to make decisions about when to do necessary chores can really streamline tasks and save time. I know that on certain days I do laundry. I have a set time each week I pay my bills. I know when I am

Here are a few tips to help ease the strain: 1. Watch Your Attitude As parents you have a strong influence on how your child views the upcoming school year. Don’t express your doubts. If you say, “I hope you don’t have trouble with Ms. ______.” or “I know that 3rd grade is tougher,” you set up worry spots. Play up the positives. Say, “I’ll bet there will be a new child for you to befriend,” or “I understand there is a unit on dinosaurs this year!’ or “I’ve heard the school

It’s time to begin that new school year. It is always an exciting time and so full of potential. To make the start of this year as smooth as possible, set up some organizational plans now. Check on needed school supplies Study the school supply list and see what you already have While in the process of buying supplies, put them in a container for each child and write their names on supplies as appropriate Load up the backpack with the supplies with your student and assign poc

This doesn’t happen by accident. I made plans and had my vision on how this was going to happen before I left home. I called my family and announced I was on Weight Watchers. I planned what food I carried with me on the trips so that I would be satisfied and not tempted to eat junk food. I held the intention to maintain healthy habits during my vacation while having a wonderful time with my family. They, in turn, found a place for me to weigh in and were very supportive of my