Weekend fun

Posted on March 22, 2010 by Sandra Madeira
Hi
 
How was your weekend?  Mine was fantastic. 
 
Saturday the girls chose to paint a miniture teaset which I must admit was actually quite fun, even though I did worry at first that it was going to be quite messy.  This is probably why the box sat on top of the cupboard for almost 5 month (shame on me!).  I then almost intervened when they weren’t quite painting patterns but rather just colouring the china in.  Then I thought how much prouder they would be seeing their pattern on it rather than copy what was on the box.  It kept them entertained for a least half an hour and we left it to dry ready to bake in the oven on Sunday.
 
Sunday, the first thing they reminded me to do was to put the china teaset in the oven.  It was ready almost before we’d eaten breakfast and when it had cooled down and they were able to play with it, their little faces lit up.  They were so proud of themselves.  We almost didn’t go swimming because Liverpool were playing at 1pm, but after some gentle persuasion from the girls they got ‘daddy’ off the settee and shortly after we were all happily swimming at the local leisure centre.  Having not taken them swimming much (something we will be doing more of) you would have thought that they would be a bit nervous, but no, they absolutely loved it and their laughter filled the pool. 
 
Being a sunny day, I took them on their skates later in the afternoon (again something they’ve not done very much of).  My arms are aching a bit today as I had to hold them both up as they attempted to skate round the block, but I was so proud of their efforts to continue trying.  They then asked to go on their bikes (the ones they got for Christmas and have only used twice!).  I took them out the front of the house,  but the eldest got a bit frustrated and the youngest kept cycling backwards.  I think I need to take them out individually – it was hard trying to teach them both at the same time.
 
Working full time means that both my partner and I don’t get much time with the girls during the week, although the time we do get is quality time.  At weekends there are so many things to catch up with, like chores, errands, paperwork etc and the girls just fit in to our plans.  However this year I decided that things were going to be different, which coincided with the chapter I was writing on ‘Fun as a family’ in my book ‘Little Tips and Luxuries for Stressed and Busy Mums’ (as featured on www.tipsandluxuries.com).
 
 My tip – How about leaving at least one whole day or even just an afternoon, where you just have fun as a family.    
 
Until next time……
 
Sandra
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Chapter One available on website

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Sandra Madeira
Hi
 
I have just published for free chapter one of ‘Little Tips and Luxuries for Stressed and Busy Mums’ – see book chapters page on www.tipsandluxuries.com.  Please take a look and let me know what you think . 
 
Have a great weekend.
 
Sandra
 
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Deferred decisions when clutter clearing

Posted on March 8, 2010 by Sandra Madeira
Hi
 
According to Sue Kay’s book ‘No more clutter’, indecision plays a big part in getting rid of clutter.  You pick an item up and are unsure whether to get rid of it.  Experts say that you should put things you are not sure about in a box, seal it and mark them with something like ‘destroy if haven’t opened by Oct XX’,  then put it somewhere where you will have to make a quick and easy decision to get rid of it at a later date. 
 
 My tip: If you are unsure whether to get rid of an items of clothing, put the bag of unwanted clothes in the boot your car.  Then every time you visit the recycling bins in the supermarket car park, retrieve the bag and stand by the ‘clothes’ recycling bins.  Give yourself a few seconds to decide if I really want any of those items.  The ones you are still not sure about go back in the bag.  You could be really brave and just throw the whole bag in without looking, especially if it’s been in your car for a while.  There’s nothing you can do about it once it’s gone.  Just drive off, knowing that it’s going to benefit someone else.
 
Until next time…..
 
Sandra
 
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Clear your mind then only do what’s important

Posted on March 7, 2010 by Sandra Madeira
Hi
 
It’s the end of the weekend again and after devoting the entire two days to the family, I’m now having some ‘me-time’.  Firstly I took some time out to meditate, which for me is simply laying down in a quiet room and thinking of nothing for fifteen minutes.  I set the timer on my iphone and it always wakes me up at the end.  I’m not sure if I actually go to sleep, but I wake up fully refreshed with a clear mind. 
 
If I was to walk around my house right now I would find christmas decorations boxed up ready to go into the loft, wet washing to hang up, dry washing to iron or put away, dirty dishes in the kitchen and dining room, a ‘lived in’ lounge in need of a good hoover and dust, and clutter surrounding me in the room I am sitting in now.  It’s just gone 10pm and I have a full working week ahead of me, a psychology assignment to complete and bags and clothes to get ready for tomorrow.   
 
Before clearing my mind I could have sat and stressed about all the things I had to do, but now I’m just going to do what is important and have a good night’s sleep.  As Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe said ‘We always have time enough, if we will but use it aright’ (cited in Eat that Frog, by Brian Tracy P19).  Also as Brian Tracy says, we should remember that we are always free to choose what we want to do next.  Separating the ‘important’ tasks from the ‘not important’ tasks is key to success at work and at home. 
 
Tip 1: If you are faced with a stressful or even just a busy situation, take or ask for time out to shut down your mind.  To do this, sit quietly for ten to fifteen minutes and think of nothing or just focus on one thing.  This can have a positive affect on your mood. 
 
 Tip 2: Instead of rushing in tackling a vast amount of outstanding tasks, stop and think what is important (most valuable) and do only that.  Experts say this is usually only 20% of what you have to do.  It was important for me to give you these tips!
 
Hope you have had a great weekend.
 
Until next time…….
 
Sandra
Posted in Health and wellness | Leave a comment

Talking about Goal planning

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Sandra Madeira

Hi

Brian Tracy’s CD and book have been a great influence on me over the last couple of weeks and I’ve now got my brother addicted to listening to him too.  Things are on track with my book and I’m almost ready to make the whole of chapter 1 available on www.tipsandluxuries.com.  I have also planned out my psychology assignment essay and begun writing it.

Have a great weekend

Sandra

Quote

Goal planning (blog from 17 Feb 2010)

Hi
 
After reading ‘Eat that Frog’ by Brian Tracy last week and listening to his ‘The New Psychology of Achievment’ CD this week, I decided to rewrite my top 10 goals (which he suggests writing out from scratch daily without looking at the page before).  My first goal (and it always is whenever I write a list) is ‘to write the first of many books and have it published’ .   As you (that is, those of you that have followed me up to now) know, I have already started this challenging task.  However due to my busy job, starting an Open University Psychology course, creating a website for my book and many other commitments, I seem to be slowing down a little on the ‘book’ front.  People are quite rightly asking ‘How’s the book coming along?’.
 
So……tonight I put my project manager hat on and created an intial draft of my project plan (extract from main plan below).   It may answer some of your questions as it shows key dates that I am going to stick to:
 

Goal step

Estimated end date

Notes

% complete

Complete chapter 1

31 Mar 2010

Partially completed

60%

Publish draft of chapter 1 on website

04 Apr 2010

Some extracts on there

10%

Complete chapter 2

21 Apr 2010

Partially completed

60%

Publish draft of chapter 2 on website

25 Apr 2010

 

0%
 
 Further updates to follow.  Now I have got a plan, I feel so much better and I know that my self-discipline will help me carry this out. 
 
 My tip:  How happy and motivated you will be, if wherever possible you complete tasks (even if they are small steps) that lead you to your goals.  Forget the housework or do it later/tomorrow (unless that is one of your goal of course!).
 
Books by Brian Tracy mentioned above are shown on my website www.tipsandluxuries.com under the ‘my recommendations’ page.   
 
Oh, and one more thing….I’ve just checked the visitor counter on my website and it’s hit ‘199’.  Who will be the 200th? Thank you to everyone who is supporting me and giving me feedback. 
 
Until next time…..
 
Sandra
 
 
 
 
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Exercise can be fun!

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Sandra Madeira
Hi
 
As mentioned in previous blogs, I love going for a brisk walk as a form of exercise.  Recently my sister in law (who is going to be doing the Race for Life in the summer), mentioned that she’d started training using the program ‘4 weeks to 1 mile’.  So, I decided to add more variety to my exercise regime and downloaded week 1 of the training program onto my iphone last week.  I was looking forward to trying it out at the weekend . 
 
When Saturday started with a sharp frost I wasn’t going to let that stop me.  I had deliberately placed my clothes by the bed the night before so that there was no excuse that I couldn’t find anything to exercise in.  At 7am I wrapped up warm with a woolly hat, gloves, scarf and started walking briskly down the road, wired up to my iphone, awaiting further instruction from the personal trainer.  It didn’t matter to me that it was cold as I soon warmed up.  Also I find walking so motivating on mornings where the sky is blue and the sun is rising .  I find myself taking photos with my iphone – see below (sorry I just can’t help it!). 
  
The music that plays during the program is also very motivating.  When it was time to speed up, it felt so good running (or jogging in my case) to the beat, and it was only for 45 seconds intervals which you do 4 times with 2 minutes brisk walking in between.  The 20 minute program felt like it was over in no time.   I’ll be downloading week 2 soon.  The cost of each week’s download for ‘4 weeks to 1 mile’ is only 0.79p on Amazon – see my review and link on my website www.tipsandluxuries.com ‘My recommendations’ page (link is in Amazon carousel).
 
 My tip – if you struggle to find the time or motivation to exercise, try adding something simple to start with, like some daily stretching in the morning before getting out of bed, a few rounds of sun salutation or just 20-30 minutes walking.  You will notice the benefits immediately and you might actually enjoy it.  Just remember to keep a varied exercise regime so you don’t get bored of one thing. 
 
Until next time……
 
Sandra
 
P.S. Photos taken during my walk last Saturday……..
 
 
Posted in Health and wellness | Leave a comment

Goal planning

Posted on February 17, 2010 by Sandra Madeira
Hi
 
After reading ‘Eat that Frog’ by Brian Tracy last week and listening to his ‘The New Psychology of Achievment’ CD this week, I decided to rewrite my top 10 goals (which he suggests writing out from scratch daily without looking at the page before).  My first goal (and it always is whenever I write a list) is ‘to write the first of many books and have it published’ .   As you (that is, those of you that have followed me up to now) know, I have already started this challenging task.  However due to my busy job, starting an Open University Psychology course, creating a website for my book and many other commitments, I seem to be slowing down a little on the ‘book’ front.  People are quite rightly asking ‘How’s the book coming along?’.
 
So……tonight I put my project manager hat on and created an intial draft of my project plan (extract from main plan below).   It may answer some of your questions as it shows key dates that I am going to stick to:
 

Goal step

Estimated end date

Notes

% complete

Complete chapter 1

31 Mar 2010

Partially completed

60%

Publish draft of chapter 1 on website

04 Apr 2010

Some extracts on there

10%

Complete chapter 2

21 Apr 2010

Partially completed

60%

Publish draft of chapter 2 on website

25 Apr 2010

 

0%
 
 Further updates to follow.  Now I have got a plan, I feel so much better and I know that my self-discipline will help me carry this out. 
 
 My tip:  How happy and motivated you will be, if wherever possible you complete tasks (even if they are small steps) that lead you to your goals.  Forget the housework or do it later/tomorrow (unless that is one of your goal of course!).
 
Books by Brian Tracy mentioned above are shown on my website www.tipsandluxuries.com under the ‘my recommendations’ page.   
 
Oh, and one more thing….I’ve just checked the visitor counter on my website and it’s hit ‘199’.  Who will be the 200th? Thank you to everyone who is supporting me and giving me feedback. 
 
Until next time…..
 
Sandra
 
 
 
 
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New structure

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Sandra Madeira
Hi
 
I came up with a new structure for my website today and will be changing it over the next few weeks.  Those of you who are regular visitors to the site will know that my main focus for www.tipsandluxuries.com when it was first launched at the end of October 2009, was to give you an introduction to my upcoming book ‘Little Tips and Luxuries for Stressed and Busy Mums’, which I am still working on.   
 
Over the last few months, I have added additional features to the website, for example a link to this blog, Amazon recommendations with links directly to their site and l also use the site to pass on tips, suggestions and useful links that I come across.  The new structure will be easier to follow and highlight the key areas I want to focus on going forward.  
 
 Ideas for new pages to include: ‘quotes’, ‘tips’, ‘luxuries’, ‘my reviews’ and ‘which tea?’  (comments welcome)
 
My library of self-help and other non-fiction books is constantly growing, so I am always learning new methods, techniques to save time and how to be more efficient at work and around the house.  Sometimes when reading these books I come across ideas or quotes that I’ve already thought of myself, which just tells me that I am coming to the same conclusions that other people have over the years.  Having said that, I also have many original ideas of my own which are either on my website or will be featured in my book.   
 
So what is ‘Little Tips and Luxuries for Stressed and Busy Mums’?
 
The book not only brings together most issues a busy/stressed mum faces when she tries to juggle all her commitments and tasks, but also includes my own ‘real life’ examples and how I have overcome them.   I believe that it will be the first of many books, because it’s not just mums who are busy (although it sometimes feels like it). 
 
I’m very excited about the future and hope you continue to follow me on my journey.  Thank you to all those who have supported me and given me suggestions (you know who you are).
 
Until next time….
 
Sandra
 
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Multi-tasking around the home

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Sandra Madeira

Hi

I love Sundays at home, plus I feel so much more organised on a Monday morning when I’ve had a whole day at home the previous day. 

 My tip today is that even if you have a big job to face as well as lots of routine ones, you can still multitask and spend time with the children, (although if you want to do the tasks quickly I wouldn’t recommend it). 

Today I spent some time sorting out my wardrobe (a long awaited job) and the girls loved trying on my shoes and clothes (that I had forgotten I even had).   I cooked a roast dinner at the same time and managed to do two loads of washing.  I was quite happy pottering around, and the girls went from helping one minute to colouring and singing the next.  My promise to them when they got bored, was that mummy would be finished by 4pm for good old messy play before a planned surprise at bathtime.

***

The wardrobe is looking better and messy play was the messiest I’ve ever let them get (and the paints are still all over the dining room table).  At bathtime I surprised them with a ‘bath ballistic’ ball from ‘Lush’.  I’ve never used one before so it was fun for us all.  I dropped it in the water and watched it fizz up.  They loved the lavender fragrance and the fizz made them giggle.  They did get confused where it had disappeared to though.

I’ve had a really fun weekend  – hope yours was good too.

Until next time…….

Sandra

Posted in Household chores | Leave a comment

Forgetful mum

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Sandra Madeira
Hi
 
Walking clears your head with all that fresh air.  On arrival at the supermarket yesterday after a fast walk, I filled my basket with a few urgent supplies, including wrapping paper for the present we had to take to the party in two hours.  You can imagine my my surprise when my ‘clear head’ suddenly remembered that I’d forgotten my purse.  I didn’t have a single penny in any pocket, so I asked the lady at the checkout if she’d keep my basket for half an hour.  After leaving for my fast walk back home I realised that I’d left my gloves in the shopping basket!
 
 Easy tip really – Do a quick check for important items as you leave the house e.g. purse, phone, keys etc.  It really will save you time in the long run.
 
Until next time….
 
Sandra
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