Member Lifesavers

Combine fitness and family time: instead of trying to squeeze in a trip to the gym after the kids go to bed and before I collapse, we spend our evenings outside doing something active. We walk in the park, play ball, play tag, whatever... It's family time for Dad & kids, it's relaxing (no mess in the house), it gets the kids ready for bed, and it gets us burning calories. Plus our kids are learning that it's more fun to be active & playing than to be sitting in front of the tv.

I allow myself at least 30 minutes of reading time before bed every night. No matter how tired I am. It helps me to relax. I love reading.

We keep tabs on activities, games, project due dates, etc., with a wall-size monthly calendar in the kitchen/dining room area of our small apartment. I got the idea from an article in Cottage Living magazine and then tweaked it a bit for my needs. The calendar has 35 8"x8" squares (1 for each day in a month, plus 4 blank squares for inspirational quotes.). I use thumb tacks to hang permission slips, meeting agendas and party invitations, etc. right on the calendar. I use 4'x6' Post-it notes or index cards to post notes such as "Parent conference - 3pm", "Game - 8am, field 2". Since it's large and in a central area, it's easy for us to see/update. Having the permission slip, etc right on the calendar means we don't lose paperwork or miss important deadlines. And since the calendar is covered with a pretty neutral-colored linen fabric, it's attractive as well as functional (I didn't want a giant eyesore in my kitchen.).

I was in a car accident a while ago, and I used my cell phone to snap pictures of the scene, including close-ups of the damage, both cars' license plates, and the position of the vehicles in the road. It was a lifesaver when it came to filing the claim with my insurance company, as the other driver got his friends to move his vehicle out of the area and remove some of the damaged parts of his car within aabout 30 minutes, leaving only the pictures on my camera as proof that he was at fault!

Keep a container of wipes in your bathroom, and wipe down the sink and counters after your brush your teeth at night. It makes deep-cleaning the bathroom much easier, too!