Photo Credit: Parents for ethical Marketing

The holidays are so beautiful and special for you and all the extraordinary people in your life. You, naturally want to make these events as meaningful as possible, so you dedicate a large percentage of your free time to creating a magical and festive home for the celebrations to come. With all of this busy activity, it’s easy to get caught up in these events and forget that the environment pays a very heavy price while we are having fun. During the holiday season, you do a lot more shopping, which requires a lot more driving and gasoline consumption. It really can’t be avoided. Your budget and the environment can be less encumbered, if you make some wise choices right now.

The decorations, both inside and outside, require a much greater demand for electricity. Between the lights, movable angels, inflatable objects of every kind that use powered compressors to produce the volume of necessary air, lighted trees, wreaths and reindeer; your energy bill will be soaring.

Friends and family will gather from near and far to spend some quality time together and celebrate the blessings that loving relationships create. Unfortunately, more fossil fuels are used to accommodate the increased travel and shopping trips.

Since you want to be responsible about the eco-system, and need to be consistent in reducing your carbon footprint, it’s necessary to put in place a plan to have a budget and eco-friendly holiday season.

Try these tips to achieve the kind of celebration you want to create:

1. When you entertain during the holidays, encourage your guests to car pool with each other. Not only will you have a designated driver, if needed, your guests will be happily cutting emissions from the air.

2. If you must have a live tree this holiday season, and can arrange it, get a pine which has been harvested with a root ball of soil or a potted tree. This way you can replant the tree when your soil is warm enough, and can keep the tree alive and hydrated in the interim. Trees not only help the environment, they add to the value of your home.

3. Try to use less lighting, both indoors and out, to conserve power and reduce your energy bill. If you have small bulb lighting, please reduce your lighting time to from 4 to 6 hours. Leaving lights on all night is not only dangerous; it is a great waste of energy.

4. In place of wax jar candles and pillars, why not try soy or beeswax candles, this year. The candle light will be as beautiful as ever, and these candles burn much more slowly. Not only are beeswax candles cost effective, they burn cleaner and have no negative impact on your environs.

5. Create eco-decorations by using twigs and branches, pine cones, berries, bay and laurel leaves, and bay berry from your yard or neighborhood.

6. Dial down the temperature of your home, just before your guests begin to arrive. The house will be warm enough to be comfortable for your guests, and will not get too warm by the increased numbers of people in the room. This will also save energy usage.

7. Use eco-friendly wrappings for your gifts. Re-purposing baskets, ribbons and paper, saved from previous celebrations, is cost effective and smart. Plain brown paper bags can be decorated with rubber stamps and ink or markers for a totally unique look. Use your imagination. Your guests will be impressed with your personal touches. It’s a great way to express yourself. Everything you have put to use creates zero waste.

8. Instead of using expensive fragrance sprays in your home, why not simmer some cinnamon sticks in a small pan of water. The wonderful, natural and welcoming holiday scent of cinnamon is energizing, gentle, and so welcoming.

There are many ways to have a beautiful and memorable celebration this season, which do not have a negative impact on the earth or your budget. Using recycled materials which are cost effect and beautiful, such as solar lighting, cloth napkins and tablecloths, soy and beeswax candles, natural decorations and replanting or recycling your tree, are just a few of the positive steps you can take for a wonderful merry occasion and a renewed green planet.

Photo Credit:  myspace

My friends and I were comparing stories about previous holiday seasons in which the giving and receiving of gifts is a tradition for our families.  We were comparing the successes and disasters we’ve encountered while trying our best to not only please, but also stimulate the blooming interests and imaginations of our toddlers and pre-school aged children, who very reverently believe in the wonder of this celebration.

You could not imagine the energy and thought that loving parents put into this process, until or unless you become one yourself.  The quest to find that magic something to delight the heart, fascinate, confound, mesmerize, and impress our priceless little ones, is for us, the ultimate challenge, for that moment anyway.

For me, one magical holiday was particularly monumental.  I was recovering from pneumonia, but would not rest until my daughter had a brand new, soft-sculptured, adoptable doll, with its life-like features and expressions, and even a birth-certificate of its own.  Many mom’s were in a frenzy to find one of these rare but amazing stuffed works of art.  I was determined to go the distance, to find one of these dolls with red hair and blue eyes, just like my little girl.  After combing our large metropolitan area for this mini-masterpiece of childhood adoration, (I thought), I stopped off at an upscale office supply store to buy my husband a new leather briefcase, because his was shabby, but his new title at work, was cause for a celebration of this kind.

For some reason, in a corner of that huge store, on a glass shelf, I found the perfect little red-headed, stuffed, blue-eyed, soft sculpture doll.   My heart was in my throat that year because we’d found everything our family members had secretly or loudly wished for, and now my daughter would have this adorable doll to love and enjoy.

My son, age 3, was well into his inquisitive stage, where the question “why” occurred as often as taking a breath, almost.  He was also taking anything he could get his hands on, apart to see how it worked.  He was spellbound by tools of every kind. We decided that a little work bench with play-pretend tools would keep him inspired for hours.  We found one that was big boy size and had at least twenty different bolts, hammers, screws and even a drill.

The big day arrived and the results of my shopping excursions were mixed.  Our parents loved their gifts, and my husband was delighted with his beautiful briefcase.  My daughter liked her doll, but was overjoyed to received from her grandparents’ a little Betty Crocker bake set with an oven for baking her own cakes. We ate a lot of cake after that day.  She felt very grown up, doing the simple act of mixing and  baking a cake, and was pleased with  my parents for having the notion that she was responsible enough to take on this challenge.

My son struggled with his giant surprise, and needed help to open it.  The plastic bench and tools intrigued him for about 15 minutes.  However, the big box that the toy came in, made a connection with him that I had rarely seen.  He found a way to drag it into his bedroom closet, and climbed in and out for hours at a time.  He put his favorite things inside, and practically lived there for the next month.  It finally fell apart, or he might still be in there.

Holidays come and go, and of course, the focus is and should be on the season of good will,family, and thankfulness for our loved ones, blessings, and good health.  However, the simplicity and wonder in my son’s eyes, as he enjoyed his own personal little corner of this vast universe, has stayed with me for three decades.  My daughter still loves to bake, and finds great peace in that process.

Often, it is at these significant family events, that we find the greatest goodness in the simple pleasures of being human; safe among those we find to be priceless to us, and moved by their caring, and selfless love of us.  The greatest gifts are more often, free, and they come from that place deep in the heart, and not, I found, from some festive retail establishment.

Photo Credit:  Twilit

Having overheard a conversation today, while waiting in line at the post office, it occurred to me that living simply keeps you grounded in the reality and wonder of small priceless miracles.  I felt joy and relief, simultaneously, that my lifestyle fits me perfectly.

Two people were engaged in an energetic debate about how the holiday season has become a mind set as well as an occasion.  The thinking now is that elaborate gifts equal unconditional love.  One person said that they felt obligated to serve an elegant meal and spend a lot of money on the “have-to-have” latest fades in clothes and toys for their children.  The other person said that no one should have a humongous wish list this year because the economy is fractured.  They both agreed that all expectations for the holiday season were now reaching exaggerated levels for their peers, friends and some of their family members, regardless of costs or conditions.

At our house, for the last five years, we have agreed to create a more comfortable and balanced celebration.  We decorate very simply, and use many natural decorations found in the garden and the yard, such as berries, and laurel leafs which we tie to wire frames  to make wreaths for the front door and over the mantle.  Seed pods and bayberry branches, as well as, dried alliums and twigs, are placed in arrangements for the foyer, and we tuck them here and there in our tree.  We buy the tree, a four foot pine, at the tree farm, late in the fall, and its roots are kept in soil and wrapped in burlap, so that we can plant it in the garden in the early spring.

Our family put together a gift list, and agreed to make many of our gifts again this year.  I’m a gardener, so mine are living plants that I’ve grown from seeds or bulbs.  I plant the Amaryllis and Paper- whites bulbs in pots, in mid-October, and they bloom just in time for the season.  My daughter bakes apple-walnut cookies, and my son draws and sketches small winter scenes for family, and burns CD’s for friends.  The grandchildren make decorations and every year, some from the previous holidays co-mingle with this year’s offering.  It’s a great tradition, and this way, we all participate, in some personal way, to the magic of the season.

At meal times, when we gather together with friends, neighbors and family, everyone brings a favorite food, so that the work of our celebrations is shared.  No one expects perfection, and we all enjoy each other, rather than slaving over a hot stove for many hours, that are instead fun-filled and comfortable.

There are so many ways to have wondrous holiday celebrations without spending money.  Every community has special events planned the whole family.  Downtown there is a huge skating rink and at the theater, the Nutcracker Ballet, is performing its magic. Volunteering to make the season bright for others is just another opportunity to make treasured memories.

This year, why not slow down, spend less, be creative, celebrate everyone you care about, and find new ways to make a very merry memory for all.

Photo Credit:  Majorchangeacademy

There it is again!  It’s that growing mountain in the center of the room which adjoins your kitchen.  Rumor has it that back-in-the-day, this room was a ritualistic gathering place for families, extended-families, friends and neighbors.  Doesn’t that sound like a lovely thought?

Now this space has become a haven of an entirely different kind.  Labeling it as a multi-purpose, semi-landfill, inhabited by yesterday’s and last week’s newspapers, bills, fliers and coupons, along with notifications from Publisher’s Clearing House about that million dollars you won, again; is the first step in taking back this space from the “stuff of life” it is consumed by, and doing the work to re-purpose it for a more simplified and organized life.

Once the contents of the mountain have been identified, it’s time to decide how you wish to use this space.   Are large dinner parties or regular family meal-times, with room to linger and enjoy the company, still part of your lifestyle?  Are you downsizing now that the kids are off to find their Zen? How could this space be used to fill a different need right now?

Once you have determined the room’s purpose, it’s time to get some boxes, recycling bins, and trash bags, and begin the process of sorting the contents of your movable mountain.  As you discard junk mail, resolve to get online and sign up to be removed from mailing lists, or the post office has some forms for you to mail in, and stop the clutter before it reaches your mailbox.  The bills, coupons, and bank statements need a home where they will be easily accessible to be paid, filed or stored until you need them.  Determine what area you would like to designate as your work station, or if you have one, get some containers that will fit your work space and can hold these items, in a unified and organized system, until they are needed.

Hats, scarves, homework, books and toys, all need to have a home, other than this dining room table.  If you work with family members to find good storage solutions that are convenient for them, every one will benefit.  You may want to set up a filing system for each member of your household, so that the new organized space works well on many levels for all of you.

If you decide to keep the dining room as a gathering and eating area, it is still a good idea to keep the table clear and accessible, by reorganizing the other furniture pieces in the space, like your credenza, hutch, or china closet, so that only the linens, glassware, and good china you actually use, occupy these spaces.   If you want to have dinners on occasion, but also want an office or crafts area, most of the time; remove a leaf from the table, for more room, or move the table to a corner or near a wall and add the other furniture pieces you need, to re-purpose the space for its new function.  There are so many easy solutions for setting your dining room up to meet your current needs and those of your loved ones.

Be creative about you dining room and make the most of its good qualities.  Paint it for a fresh look and if there is good light, let it fill the space.  Organize whatever activities you choose to do, so that there is room to spread out and feel comfortable, while you create, read, dine, or work at your computer.

Now this space is welcoming rather than intimidating.  It works with you rather than being tolerated by you.  This new multi-functional room is a gift for all the occupants of your haven, and it will enhance the happiness you embrace when you spend time there.  The work it takes to make four walls into a nest of your own making, is a small pittance to pay for the priceless contentment you feel.

Photo Credit:  ecoble

The current crises that all of us face these days are not just about environmental issues, although everyone must take immediate action to reduce their carbon footprint on the planet.  The economy is also spiraling out of control, and actions must be taken to curb spending, live within your means, and stop borrowing money.

There are many reasons for these dire situations and often you hear the rhetorical question, “what can be done about these enormous problems?”  There are a great many actions that can be taken in order to improve your ecological and financial status.  You don’t need a PHD in Economics or Ecology to make a difference that can be good for you and the environment too.

Try these five proactive steps to save money and “go green” simultaneously:

1)      Lowering your thermostat to save money is not only economical, it is an excellent way to conserve energy.  The simple task of purchasing and installing a Programmable Thermostat, which you can set to work when you are at home, and turn off, when you’re away, has gotten even easier.  To install a Programmable Thermostat now takes about 15 minutes and the only tool you need is a screwdriver.  The thermostat  costs about $80-$100 dollars and will pay for itself in just about eight weeks.

2)      Stop using paper towels for your clean up chores. Re-purpose your worn out dish cloths, dish and hand towels, old wash cloths and even t-shirts, which work great for many of the chores you do everyday.  Then toss them into a little cardboard box, wash them, and use them again.  For jobs that require a paper towel for sanitary work spaces, use recycled paper towels.  When you think about it, there is far too much land-fill being taken up by paper products, and paper towels cost about $8-$10 for eight rolls.  At even, $20 a month, that’s a big expense for your family, that can be reduced and help the environment at the same time.

3)      Using water wisely is vitally important to everyone.  You can save a lot of money on your water and energy bills by turning your water heater back from about 140 degrees to 120.  For every degree that you lower the setting, you can save at least 3% on your water bill.  You can also install an insulation blanket around your water heater, in winter, to keep the hot water from cooling when you aren’t using it.  This saves another 8% on your bill, and conserves energy too. This padding comes in various sizes and is merely wrapped around the tank and taped for a snug fit.  Low-flow shower heads use at least one-third the amount of water as regular fixtures, but have equal pressure and cost only $8.00.  Imagine how cost effective this simple fix is, and the savings on your water bill is at least 15-20%.

4)      Wasted power is a huge drain on your wallet and on the nation’s supply of energy.  Your computer, printer, fax, and scanner, as well as cable hook ups and other devices, use energy even when not turned on.  If you purchase new “smart” power strips, which have a specific outlet for the devises that need to remain on, and those which use energy in the off setting.  The strip will turn off the flow of energy to whatever is not being used, and you will save an enormous amount of wasted energy, along with having lower electric bills.

5)      If you must make a purchase to replace an appliance in your home, look for the blue and white Energy Star rating which the Environmental Protection Agency has placed on over 20,000 different items for the home.  Whether you need a refrigerator, stove, dish washer, low-flow toilet or hot water heater, the efficiency is at least 50% greater than with your previous appliance.  This is great news for your budget, and the energy savings will allow your purchase to pay for itself in savings, in a very short time.

These are just a few of the everyday decisions that can be made, with thought, care and concern for your planet and your family’s solvency, which can make a huge impact on the quality of life for everyone.  Taking the time to change habits that have a negative effect on your life, as well as ,the environment; along with finding better solutions for ending the waste of natural resources, and your hard earned dollars, through simple planning; these kinds of steps will restore the order that is very necessary for a simple happy life.

Photo Credit:  Ernie Eldredge

Philosophers say that “life happens while you are busy making plans”.  Life also happens while you’re facing challenges that are daunting, frustrating and even fearful; and often these events occur when anger, resentment, and criticism seem to surround you.

In order to keep happiness constant, it helps to understand what unhappiness is, and how to keep it transient rather than permanent.  Often when you’re feeling very happy, inwardly, you’re hoping that it will last.  When life’s little tests happen, you wonder why they feel like “forever” is written all over them.

When you have to struggle to overcome problems and no easy solutions are available, it’s only human and natural to become fearful.  These feelings intensify and doubt replaces positive rational thought.  Along with fear, distressing problems and the unhappiness that accompanies them, have an isolating effect on us; and the tendency to give up or give in and fail, is very real and palpable.

It is at moments like these, when it becomes very necessary to remind yourself that everyone feels like you do, from time to time.  In order to reinstate the feelings of happiness that you crave, it is necessary to understand that whatever your problems are, they do not “define” who you are as a person.  Unhappiness can only control your emotions if you let it!

Often, people feel the need to hide their unhappiness from others, because society does not seem to accept and tolerate problems and negativity, very well.  Suppressing feelings that are as profound as unhappiness is, only intensifies them.

Consider these steps:

1)      Coming to terms with and accepting the fact that you have some problems, is the 1^st step in healing and getting your happiness back.

2)      A 2^nd step in regaining your happiness occurs when you “ask for help” and allow yourself to get answers and solutions for your problems.

3)      It may take months, work and sacrifice, and a great deal of patience, but in time, because you’ve faced your fears, asked for and accepted help to heal from unhappiness, and then, 3^rd if you make a firm commitment to regain happiness and contentment, these feelings will be present again.

The element that enhances the happiness you feel, again, is love.  Love inspires everything that is good in life.  If you can lovingly accept who you are, even with doubts, problems and fears; and really feel love for the people and blessings in your life, happiness will always be available to you.  If you have the courage to profess your love for others, and form sincere attachments to them, you’re happiness will be enhanced and consistent in life.

Keep in mind that being happy and sustaining it, does not happen through conscious thought processes.  Happiness is an unconscious choice that you make to be open and willing to embrace the joy of living, without a plan, without reservations and judgments.  Living in the present moment, unconditionally, with positivity, love, attachments and a willingness to have new experiences, and faith in yourself; this is the pathway to all that you seek for yourself.

Photo Credit: Marksdailyapple

Staying healthy is more of a personal choice than you think.  The immune system is so integrated with the other systems of the body, that it’s important to put healthy habits in place in your daily life, to boost your body’s ability to fight colds, flu, and other communal and contagious infections.  New research strongly suggests that how you live your life and the emphasis you place on good health, has an enormous impact on your immune system’s ability to fight infections and possibly even cancer.

In order to give yourself every chance to stay infection-free, it’s important to understand how the immune system works with the brain and bodily functions.  Of course, washing with soap and hot water, is very necessary to keep bacteria and viruses from entering the system through the pours and respiratory system.  However, stress causes the immune cells to age more quickly and become less effective in fighting disease.  When an outside stimulus, like stress from the workplace or relationship problems, puts excessive pressure on you, your brain releases too many hormones into the bloodstream, which the body tries to correct in order to restore balance.  Immunities become weakened by this imbalance, and illness is the result.

No one can control all the negative events in their life, but there are proven ways to maintain wellness:

1)      Nutritious eating of protein rich foods that are low in saturated fats like beans and fish, works. You’ve read about plant based diets of whole grains, fruits, nuts, blue berries, and raspberries that have immune boosting properties.  These foods are the tools that build the strong immunities which the body needs to fight disease, and infection.

2)      Daily exercise for at least 30 minutes.  Don’t overdo, and hydrate adequately.  Too much exercising can lead to respiratory infections.

3)      Eating foods that contain active cultures, like yogurt, at least twice a week helps, because yogurt promotes digestive health.

4)      Making an effort to get 8 hours of restful sleep every night is critical because it is during the “resting state” that the body uses its natural defenses to fight infections.

5)      Practicing meditation or Yoga three to five times a weeks for at least 30 minutes to relieve stress and have essential quiet time, relieves tension and is restorative to the body’s immune system.  Constant stress impairs normal defenses and illness occurs.

6)      Having a good support system which is comprised of loving relationships among family and friends, capable of giving you emotional comfort and advise, is critical to your well-being. Sharing the problems that seem to be too complicated to solve, will give you needed perspective, and help to reduce the mental and physical stress that lead to diminished immunity and illness.

The fully functioning immune system which you need to stay healthy is constantly being undermined by hormones that are produced by stressed filled everyday events, and our own personal lifestyle choices.  Learning to cope with stress is pivotal in preventing illness.  By making the choice to exercise and meditate regularly, along with getting sufficient rest, eating well and wisely, and having the nurturing support from family and friends; you have put in place the right behavior to successfully strengthen your body’s defenses.  Being well is worth the effort.

Photo Credit: 2a.cdc

Working harder to provide for your family and getting less than 8 hours of sleep at night can be devastating for your health, happiness, and family life.  Research has proven that more  people are getting less rest than they need to be productive, creative, energetic and happy.  In a recently released study of sleep deprived people, woman proved to have the most problems getting to and staying asleep.  Men tend to spend less time in a state of deep sleep.  Children have problems falling asleep and sleep fitfully through the night, often without getting to a deeper sleep state.

Many of us try to function on about 5 to 6 hours of sleep, and find it hard to focus, retain information, and finish projects requiring a great deal of concentration.  Children who are tired become moody, hyperactive, inattentive and irritable.  Children, between the ages of 5 and 12, need to get at least 10 hours of sleep every night; and teens need between 8 and 9 hours of uninterrupted rest.

The entire family’s health will suffer if sleeping problems are present and persist.  Often, a lack of at least 7 hours of sleep for mom and dad can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, immune deficiencies and even a decrease in the production of brain cells.   For children, the resting state of sleep is when the body is working hard to develop brain function, bone growth, muscular and circulation systems and much more.

When family members are sleep deprived, it is hard to be social, spontaneous, or happy.  Moodiness and irritability have a very negative effect on relationships no matter how much love and caring exists.  This is why a family needs to develop and maintain a proper environment and routine for getting the amount of sleep necessary to maintain a positive family life.

Here is a list of 10 natural ways to help your family keep the circadian rhythms of waking and sleeping habits flowing:

1)      Create a proper environment for sleep: quiet, dark and cool

2)      Low light before bed produces melatonin, the hormone that creates a sleep state.

3)      No TV right before bedtime as TV watching suppresses the production of melatonin.

4)      Hot baths to lower the body temperature for sleep, immediately after bathing.

5)      Comfortable mattresses and pillows to support the head, neck and spine.

6)      Curtailing of activities to low levels by reading, doing puzzles or listening to quiet music.

7)      No caffeine, cola or nicotine at least six hours or more, before sleeping.

8)      A small snack eaten about three hours before going to bed.

9)      No computer games or video games that increasingly stimulate the mind, at least two hours before bedtime.

10)   Stick to a routine of the same bed time and waking up hour, even on weekends.

It’s not possible to work or be active one minute, and then slip into bed for a great rest, the next.  The natural rhythm of the days events have to slow down gradually, for us to be able to fall asleep, and to reach a deep sleep state, usually about 4-5a.m.

Recognizing that we all have a fundamental need for sleep, to maintain our health, happiness and relationships, both at home and at work or school; is crucial in motivating ourselves to develop good patterns of behavior for falling asleep, naturally.  Medications can assist adults with the problem for short periods of time, but the side-effects are numerous, and the risk of complicating problems from these “quick fixes” is very real.

Developing the family habits of natural bedtime behaviors, is the best plan for achieving the kind of rest that will allow everyone to participate fully in the family dynamic, the work place, and the school environment.  Not taking the effects of a lack of sleep seriously, could put a person, their family and safety at risk.  Do what it takes to get that good night’s sleep, and collect the benefits of health and happiness with your happy family, everyday!

Photo Credit: lphilli04

The most integral part of living simply is to find contentment within yourself and your lifestyle.  Often, the most difficult element of seeking your own personal path to simple living is letting go of your constant desire for obtaining more of something.  It could be an insatiable need for wealth, possessions, power, achievement, or just a desire for control, which is often called perfectionism. If it isn’t possible to gain perspective about what is truly valuable, and how to find happiness and satisfaction in ordinary, everyday things, feelings, and small miracles; contentment cannot be achieved.

Many people confuse the terms simple living as meaning an acceptance of life “as is”, with no dreams or plans for a better future.  They think it is a “giving-up” mind-set. What they don’t seem to understand is that focusing on enjoying each day, and giving value to our loving relationships, environment, good health, and even to the quiet moments we must have in order to think, feel, breathe,  and do nothing; these are the real gifts and goals in life, for a growing number of people.  This is where happiness and contentment can be obtained.

Considering that simple living is being honest, truthful, thoughtful and practical, loving and nurturing:  all of these adjectives are more than descriptive words, they are the tools used for a better future, and they help us move forward, while embracing life now!  To actually move forward, in my view, a person must get honest with who they really are and stop trying to be what they think will please others.  True contentment starts with an acceptance of ourselves: warts, faults, imperfections, and all, as we really are; and it builds as we give up the pursuit of stuff, and the external world’s views of success, for the time to feel the simple joy of finding what fits us, and those we care for, as a personal lifestyle.

Giving up a driven-existence, to become more passionate and to embrace the day, whatever it may contain, is for me and many others, personal progress of the ultimate kind.  Living simply allows for a limitless mind-set and environment in which creativity flows.

I just read about an architect who has begun to design homes that have physical square footage beginning with 675 square feet, and the largest size is 1050 square feet.  When asked about his purpose, he said that it is possible to comfortably inhabit these spaces, which are well organized, have many “green” elements for health and economy, and each design can be personalized to enhance the occupants visceral needs.

This new design idea mixes many of the ideals of simplicity:

1)      good foundation

2)      easy maintenance

3)      organized use of space

4)      great light (for creativity)

5)      no clutter

6)      environmentally friendly

7)      acoustically  quiet

8)      cost effective (no large debt)

The less in debt we are, the more free we are.

Anyone who accepts themself for who they are, has confidence in their worth, beliefs and opinions, loves, and is grateful for the others in their life, and wants to feel productive, useful, and content; can have the tangibles and intangibles of life.  By stepping out of the box, giving something of themselves to the earth and humanity, taking time to feel and be loved and peaceful…..all of this is possible in a world that has been assaulted by unbridled greed for generations.

You are the recipient of loving support, boundless happiness, the potential for health and immeasurable contentment, which is the essence of everyone’s inner desire, when you make the decision to embrace simplicity.

Photo Credit:  Larson-Carl-Esbjorn

Teaching your children the value of being organized is a gift that will help them to become good students, and to have a positive and happy self-concept about themselves, throughout their lives. Learning good habits and to be responsible at an early age, creates within them, the skills that will assist them in being productive, and successful.

Start by putting their names on everything they own that leaves the house. Include their books, notebooks, gym clothes, coats, scarves, and even their lunch boxes should show ownership. It takes time, but it is well worth it. Whatever does get misplaced can be easily identified and returned.

Get your children  an easy-to-open back pack to keep their school work, assignments, lunch, homework, permissions slips and everything else, contained. When they bring their back packs home each day, have a specific place for them to store them, with easy accessibility for taking work out and putting it back for the next day. These bags not only help children feel organized, they learn that they can manage their tasks themselves, and the school experience is positive and not frustrating or overwhelming.

Providing an excellent place to study is very important as a way to instill good study habits in your children at an early age. The space could be anywhere from the kitchen table, to a cozy corner in the family room, or even in their own room. There needs to be adequate light, space on the desk or table to spread out their work, plenty of paper, pencils, pens, glue, a ruler and scissors, along with Internet access when they begin to learn those skills.

Decide on a definite time to do school work. Many experts advise that students should have time to decompress, rest, and relax before they prepare their assignments for the next day, or study for tests. Having a healthy snack helps them to refuel and be more energized. Some families designate an hour for fun, followed by an hour of homework or less, before dinner and family time.

Make sure your children know that you are available to assist with questions and advice but don’t do their work for them. If they are studying for a test, quiz or giving a report; let them feel the responsibility of completing their work, as well as the satisfaction of doing a good job. Industrious parents make a weekly chart which can be erasable, and let the child fill in assignments, due dates, and projects, so that they can learn to prioritize their work and become achievers.

Reinforce the pride you and they take in their school work by displaying it either in their own rooms, or in another designated place. Keep the projects that they have worked hard to create, and at the end of the school year, let them decide what to do with them. Some of this work can be reused as reference materials for future assignments, and they will learn what to hold on to, and what to discard. This is another excellent life lesson.

Guiding your children in ways that help them achieve their goals, prioritize their time and take pride in their accomplishments; while keeping control of their valued possessions and spending time in positive activities, gives them the nurturing that they need to become happy, successful and organized adults.