How to Improve Your Weekends

Friday rolls around and you couldn't be more relieved. No cubicle for two days. No clients, cranky coworkers or time clocks to worry about. Just doing whatever you want, whenever you want, any way you want.

And then you wake up.

We all have that dream and yet we all know that, week after week, it won't turn out like that. There's all the errands you couldn't do during the week you've now got to jam into those two precious days. And we can't forget to go to the gym, mow the lawn, repair one thing or the other, take the car for it's overdue oil change, chaufffer the kids (if you have them) to sporting events, sleepovers and club meetings. And when all that's done we can hang out with friends, try a new recipe/hobby, chill out by the pool, finally read the book everyone else read last year and get caught up on all that email and bill paying. Now you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, any way you want. No, not really. You still have to eat and sleep. The weekend is over and you're back to your weekly grind. There's a reason it's called a grind: it grates on our nerves.

Here's a few steps to help you change those weekends from stressors to stress relievers.

Prioritize. Quickly, decide what can be eliminated from your schedule. I'm not suggesting you eliminate the important things. You definitely need to pay the bills and change the oil. I am, however, suggesting you determine what matters most and work from that point. If you can postpone or even eliminate a few tasks without causing any hiccups to your schedule, you're going to clear up a lot of time for what you really want to do. Do the things you absolutely have to do and rework the rest into another day.


Reorganize your work.  You could potentially save a good hour or two by bundling some errands such as dropping off your dry cleaning on your way to the market. Consider carpooling and you will only be inconvenienced every other weekend. How about taking turns? If I cut both yards, would you rake both? Or you mow this weekend and I'll do it next time. Get creative and add some hours back to your weekend.


Schedule your down time.  You may not want to adhere to a schedule on weekends but it will alleviate some of your time crunch if you pencil in some down time on your calendar. Block out a few hours to go to a dinner party. Wake up an go straight to the gym. Make plans for that hour in the hammock. It's okay. I give you permission. Getting that down time is going to recharge your batteries.

Get your Zzzzs.  I don't like going to bed early on weekends either and I'm not suggesting a sunset bedtime. Still, going to bed a little earlier, say midnight instead of 2 a.m., may give you the energy you need to zoom through your weekend responsibilities without hitting an energy slump. Get the work done, have more time to play. See? It's a good plan.

Aside from the yearly vacations, weekends offer us the next best opportunity to recharge our batteries while having a little fun and adventure.  Take a little time to rework your thinking in order to reclaim some of that precious time.

Happy Friday!

How to Prepare for Cold and Flu Season

Once school begins, it's only a matter of time before somebody gets sick and brings home a germ or three billion. Now, add to that the fact that cold and flu season is right around the corner and it's better to be prepared than not.  Start now and by the time the sniffles hit, you will be well prepared.


Shop Wisely.  You don't need to go out and purchase everything today. Look in your medicine cabinet and assess what you already have. Look through your coupons and match them up to sales. Also look for gifts with purchases (free sample of vapor cream with purchase of tissues), buy one, get one free specials and back to school sales (great for sanitizer and tissues.)

Stock Up.  I guarantee you will need more than one box of tissues. Give your best estimate as to what you'll use and stock up. There's no need to overdo it, but the goal is to be well prepared.

 Here's a basic run down of what will work for most people.

Basic Medicines:  Ibuprofin, acetamenophin, aspirin, cold remedies, medications for stomach ailments, vapor creams, vapor tablets for the shower, cough medicine, saline spray, eye drops, hard candy/cough drops.

Allergy medication: Some allergies symptoms present themselves as cold symptoms. Keep these medications available also.

Paper goods.  Tissues, toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning wipes (especially if you have kids or are prone to vomiting.)

Cleaning supplies. If you or a loved one is very sick, you may experience a variety of 'accidents.' Be sure to always have available disinfectant, cleaning wipes, carpet cleaner, laundry detergent, bleach, etc. If you prefer natural cleaners keep items such as baking soda, vinegar and club soda on hand.

Simple foods. Juice or juice concentrate, low sodium soups, crackers, ginger ale, tea, lemon, honey, rice, plain pasta, applesauce. Remember everything tastes awful when you're sick, so stick with simple things that will 'stay down' and nourish you.

I always dread cold and flu season because if one of my darling kids gets sick, then at least two more of the household gets sick with them. If we're all laid up in bed together, it really helps to have the basics covered. That way you can just sit back and sleep, sneeze and sip your way to a speedy recovery.

Lessons from the Parents

There isn't a day that goes by that I do not miss my parents. Sometimes, I feel like they passed away all too soon and I wished they had lived until I was old and gray. I am always reminded of some lesson or something wise I learned from them. I catch myself wondering what they would say or do in any given situation. Although quite simple and timeless, this is some of the best advice I have ever been given:

**1**  Put it Back Where You Found It:  My dad was a stickler for putting things back where they belonged. You save a lot of time if you don't have to go searching for something.

**2**  Save your Raises:  You can always make a withdrawal from your savings account if you need to, but once that extra money ends up in your checkbook it will probably get spent on something unimportant and then it's too late.

**3** You Might as Well Do it Today: My mom was a big fan of the 'Do it Now' philosophy. She did not put off today's work until tomorrow and rarely did things pile up around her ears. She would tell me a project might take a half hour today, but wait until tomorrow and it is going to take an hour simply because of the powers of accumulation.

**4** Buy Your Groceries First:   For some reason, this was the most memorable piece of advice I remember my dad telling me. 'You can solve more problems on a full stomach.'  As a college student trying to make ends meet trying hard to make good grades and make it all on my own, I took this one to heart. No, it wasn't always steak but I ate and stayed healthy.

**5** Your Word is Your Bond: This is what my mom said whenever she was discussing my dad's best trait. 'If you never do what you say, no one will ever trust you.' I've used this advice at every job. Telling my supervisor or client I would do something was as good as having it done. I can say this is the smartest thing I've ever done, not only at work but also with my family and friends. No matter how high-tech this world gets, being trustworthy is the ultimate skill to gain.

**6** Don't let Sentiment get in the Way of your Finances: We had a family friend who was offered quite a tidy sum to sell the family farm. The friend refused because this property had been in her family for many generations. 'I'll starve,' she said  'before I ever sell this farm.'  And she almost did. That piece of property cost a fortune to maintain and it was money she really didn't have, so it fell into awful disrepair. My parents advised me to never be that sentimental.  Don't hurt your future self because of your attachment to an inanimate object.

**7** Work Really Hard When you are Young:  Do this when you are young and have the energy. You are not going to feel like doing it later.

**8** If You are Going to Do Something, then Do it Right: My mom was constantly busy. She did not do anything by 'half.'  If she were working on an art project, then you could pretty much guarantee the work was as neat as possible. People often thought her quilts were machine stitched rather than handmade. Each stitch was painstakingly done precisely and identical to the one before it. I once commented on the neatness and how it was taking forever for her to hand stitch this one particular quilt. 'What is the point of doing it at all if it's going to be sloppy? Where is the pride in that?' Smart lady.

We have all acquired advice from loved ones and mentors that we use in our day to day lives. What is the best piece of advice you ever received?