Home Management
Little Fixes to Prevent Big Problems (Part 2)
Last month, we discussed the toll unexpected home repairs can take on your household budget and looked at preventative maintenance for the kitchen, laundry zone, and roof. Today we’ll list some interior and exterior checkpoints to keep emergency repairs from becoming a major interruptions in your writing time! If your home has a garage, oil…
Little Fixes to Prevent Big Problems
I’m blessed to have a husband who is very good with schedules. I like to think I manage our daily routine well enough, but I tend to concern myself with whatever’s right in front of my face. Meanwhile, minute by minute or month by month, my husband excels at keeping up with meetings and appointments…
Plan a Great Yard Sale
Yard sale season is in full swing! Here are a few tips to make yours a success. -Set a goal. Planning and executing a successful yard sale is a lot of work, and as with any big job, setting a goal at the outset is key. Are you primarily interested in reducing clutter? Augmenting your…
Making the Most of the Minutes
My greatest challenge in balancing writing time with household responsibilities is avoiding my own tendency toward the all-or-nothing approach. I’ll happily use every available hour to write – except those times when I studiously ignore my manuscript in favor of chores and errands. The problem is that total lack of progress in one priority…
The Big Picture Perspective in Running a Household
My husband and I enjoy putting together jigsaw puzzles, but it’s been a while since we’ve done one. To remedy this, I picked out a grand thousand piece puzzle depicting a classic scene from Beauty and the Beast. (Hubby took this selection as commentary, but it wasn’t meant as such – honest!) Right now, we’ve…
Spring Cleaning: Getting Rid of Distractions
The notion to get an early start on spring cleaning has taken hold of me. My husband and I have been thinking about getting rid of things, but it’s a little more than a desire for fewer surfaces where dust can accumulate. My head is full of projects: better manage my online/social media presence, do something with…
Maximizing Your Time
Chances are that you know whether you are a morning person or a night owl, but are you maximizing your time by putting your peak hours to their best use? Many of us juggle household management with work and the business and creative aspects of maintaining a writing career. Working with and not against your…
Thanksgiving Lessons-Learned List
Happy Thanksgiving! Here in the U.S.A., today is set aside as a day for worship, family, and food. If you’re cooking Thanksgiving dinner (or if you’re responsible for any preparations beyond just showing up at Grandma’s house), you will probably spend some part of this holiday consulting a list. You might think your grocery list…
Writing a Meal Plan
I recently had a nightmare about destroying my laptop by accidentally setting it on a hot burner on the stove. Once I awoke (and backed up my work), I made a decision: no more writing while cooking! This resolution lasted about two days, and if you’re a writer who is responsible for the cooking in…
Letting Go of Appearances
You already know the signs when something’s got to give. Overscheduled and overtired, you dread what you once enjoyed. Overextended and over-budget, essentials find their way to negotiable status. Daily living takes on a frayed look, tattered around the edges, which you most likely recognize because you’ve been there before or you’ve been there a…