6 Last Minute Gift Ideas

Where are my fellow procrastinators at?? This year my family celebrated the holidays early, so I got to be ahead of the normal holiday rush, and I still found myself looking for gifts last minute! I even had some great ideas in August for some personalized gifts, and I waited until it was almost too late to order them. If you are a procrastinator too, here are some last minute gift ideas for you to find that perfect gift this weekend before Christmas!

1. Games! 🎲

   They are easy to find in most big stores and fun for the whole family! My recent favorites are Avocado Smash (under $15. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/261831/avocado-smash.) and NERTZ! Nertz can be found as an actual boxed game, but can also be played with standard decks of cards, so you can even just buy different playing card decks! Don’t know how to play Nertz? Check out this link: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7263/nertz. Do you have a favorite game? Let us know what your favorite is in the comments!

2. Personalized Basket 🧺

   I gave these to my family this year and it was so much fun! Rather than looking for that one perfect gift, I created personalized baskets of lots of fun, smaller things for each family member. I thought about what they each liked in terms of snacks, free time activities, passions, etc, and found small items for each basket! The basket for my sister-in-law had a candle, hair clip, face and foot mask, bathbombs, snacks, chocolate, and pens/post it notes. For my brother-in-law, I found a comfy sweatshirt and undershirts, a sign for his wall, an ice cube mold, his favorite snack, and a pair of socks that connected back to a song we both like. Almost everything in each basket was easy to find at big stores, everyone loved their personalized baskets, and I had a ton of fun filling them!

3. Custom Curated Playlist 🎵🎶

   Are you on a tight holiday budget? Curate a custom playlist for someone! Show them how well you know them by creating the perfect list of songs for them. Or create a list of songs that reminds you of special moments in that relationship. If they are anything like me, they will love the personal touch of this gift and having a new playlist made just for them!

4. Shop local! 🛍

   Forget ordering online and shipping deadlines! Shop in your local stores! Champaign/Urbana has some of the best! Yellow & Co. in Mahomet, IL, is one of my most favorite places to buy gifts! They have excellent gifts for people of all ages, and it’s definitely my go-to when I need that perfect gift for someone. They will even help you come up with great ideas! I had a holiday networking event with a gift exchange and I needed a great gift. Elizabeth (Yellow & Co.’s owner) helped me find an amazing gift just minutes before the party, and even wrapped it for me! Thank you, Elizabeth! Check them out on instagram @yellowandcompany

5. Experiences ✈️

   Skip the stuff and give an experience instead! You can create a fun flyer about the experience they will get to have with you (a concert, a trip, an escape room, a special meal out, etc) in canva or other design software, or even make one with markers and paper! Then just put it in a pretty picture frame and wrap it! They will get a tangible gift they can unwrap that notifies them of an experience that they will love in the future with you, and you can prepare the whole thing at home!

6. Time 🕰

   Everyone always says you can’t buy more time, and now you can! Give the gift of Mohr Time and your loved ones will have more time to do what they love with the people they love! Ordering a gift certificate is easy - simply order below, you’ll be emailed a printable gift certificate, and you can put that in a frame and gift it to your loved ones! (Which saves you shopping time so you get “Mohr” time too!) 😉

   Order your gift certificates here: https://forms.gle/EkzhcWHW4bug4vp76

   (VIP Members - you get your discounted hourly rate on gift certificates! 🥳)

8 Ways to Show Your House Some Love

Does your house know you love it? Here are 8 ways you can show your house love!

1. Have your ducts cleaned.

   When was the last time you had your ducts and vents cleaned? Or maybe you never have! That would be a great way to show your house some love and to protect your house! We love working with Rich from C-U Air Duct Cleaning! https://www.cuairductcleaning.com/

2. Do a full kitchen wipe down.

   We get to help lots of people when they are moving in or out of a house, and kitchens almost always need some extra love. You can show your home some love by taking everything out of the cabinets and drawers and wiping everything down. And while you have everything out of the cabinets, you can also declutter! If you have doubles of anything or don’t use things any more, you can get rid of them!

3. Clean your baseboards, trim, and door details.

   When was the last time you took a good look at your baseboards? Boards, trim, and details on doors often get overlooked in houses during regular housekeeping. Give your baseboards a good clean by using the hose your vacuum and the brush attachment. You can scrub off the majority of dust that way, and not hurt your back or knees in the process. You can do the same thing on the trim around your doors and the dust on the details of your doors. Remove any finger prints on your doors with a magic eraser or all-purpose cleaner and a rag.

4. Stop turning a blind eye to the dust on your blinds. (See what I did there? ;-P)

   The blinds on your windows are dust magnets! You can clean them several different ways. You can individual dust each one for an extremely thorough clean. If you don’t have time for that, you can shut them and give them a good dust with a swiffer duster or a rag. You will still get a fair amount of dust off this way.

5. Pull out your fridge and clean the floor underneath.

   Who knows what’s under there!? It’s time to find out! Pull your fridge forward, and then you can vacuum and mop the floor underneath! It will also help your fridge run better and live longer.

6. Open your windows and clean in the crevices of your window tracks.

   First, vacuum any dead bugs, loose dirt, or cobwebs out with the crevice attachment and hose of your vacuum. Then take a wet rag and wipe down the track. You’ll be so happy when it’s summer and you go to open your windows and it’s already clean in there!

7. Dust the walls.

   Most people are pretty good at making sure to dust the main surfaces in their houses at least once a month, but how many of you actually dust the walls from time to time? This is another area that once a house is vacant, it become very clear how much dust is actually on the walls. You can just take a swiffer duster and wipe down your walls very quickly and easily. Pay special attention to the corners and the edges of the ceiling so that you get any cobwebs hanging around.

8. Clean the inside of your appliances.

   Do you clean the inside of your microwave? How about the fridge? How about the freezer? Or the inside of the oven? What about the inside of your toaster? We have all kinds of appliances large and small in our kitchens and they all deserve to be clean too. For ovens, we like using Easy Off (I prefer the one without scent). You spray it on and let it sit for a while and do other things, and then when you come back, a lot of the grime in your oven will come off. I’m actually not personally a fan of the self-cleaning feature on ovens.

We hope you find these ideas helpful! If you want these things done but don’t want to take the time to do them yourself, we are always here to help you get your to-do list done! :)

How do you show your house love? What areas of your house do you want helpful tips for cleaning? Leave a comment below and let us know!

5 Easy Steps to Get Organized After Holiday Gift-Giving

It’s so wonderful to receive gifts from family and friends throughout the holiday season! But then what do you do with all of your new stuff when the holidays are over? Follow these 5 easy steps below to stay organized as you receive gifts during the holiday season!

1. First, ask yourself… Is this gift something I actually want?

   After receiving a gift from someone (and thanking them for the gift, of course), step one is to decide if this is something you will actually use or enjoy. If yes, that’s great! Move on to step two! If the answer is honestly no, you can still be grateful for the gift, and not keep it. If that’s the case, move to step four.

2. Yes, I want this gift… Now what?

   Now that you’ve decided this is a gift you want to keep, it needs a home in your home. One of my favorite organizing books is called Unstuff Your Life by Andrew J. Mellen. He says everything should have a home, and like things should be with like things… and at Mohr Time, we agree! So any new gift that comes into your home should get a home and be near things that are similar to it.

   Put your new items with other things that are like that item in your home. If you got a new shirt, it will go with your other shirts. A new spatula will go with the other kitchen utensils. If there is nothing like this gift in your home, decide where it makes the most sense to live - near where it will be used, near something that’s similar to it, or maybe near where you’ll be able to enjoy it most. Once you’ve identified your gift’s new home, put it away! Boom! Organized!

   If the area where you’d like to make this new item’s home is too full (let’s say you received a shirt, and you already have tons of shirts), move to step three!

3. I found a home for my gift but the home is full!

   If the area where you want to store you new gift is too full, you can leverage this time to also declutter! When I was little, if I wanted to get a new shirt, my mom would always have me take out 5 old shirts first to get rid of. Or 5 older toys left when a new one came in. This is a great time to be in this practice in your home! As you put away your new items, can you remove 1, 3, or even 5 similar items that you no longer need? Maybe you can even bless someone else’s life by donating these things… as you receive new gifts, others can too!

4. I honestly don’t want this…

   If the answer from step one was no, and this gift isn’t something you will use or enjoy, that’s ok. There’s no need to feel badly about that. It was very kind of that person to think of you, and you can be grateful without keeping this item for it to just take up space in your home. I’m sure that’s not what they wanted when they gave you the gift anyway! If you don’t want to keep this item, ask yourself the following questions…

   Can this gift be returned for something I will use and enjoy? If so, go ahead and return it and get something else!

   Can this gift be donated to someone who will use it and enjoy it? If so, this is a great way to stay in a place of generosity. Someone was generous to give it to you, and now you can be generous and donate it so that someone will get to enjoy it!

   Is there someone else I know that will enjoy and use this gift? Ok prep yourself everyone.. this is a controversial opinion… In some cases, I think it’s ok to give a gift you received to someone else. REGIFT?!? Yes. If it’s something that’s not extremely personal and you haven’t opened it or used it, I think it’s perfectly fine to give it to someone else that will like it more. If it’s a personalized gift, or you’ve already used part of it, you definitely should NOT give it to someone else.

5. I’m grateful for this gift and I've decided I’m not keeping it.

   Of the gifts you decide you don’t want to keep, sort them into which ones you will return, which ones you will donate, and which ones you’ve decided will be great gifts for someone else. Now schedule actual times to take these things where they go! It doesn’t do any good to sort them into these groups for them to sit in your laundry room or by your garage door for months (or indefinitely!).

   Schedule a day to do your returns. One time blocking technique I love is called batching… put all the things that are similar in your calendar together in one time block. Save all your returns for one block of time and just get it all done together. That will save you time, rather than running one errand here and one errand there.

   Schedule another block of time to do your donation drop offs. You can even schedule your returns and drop offs in the same time block window, and just knock it all out at once!

   If you have items for specific people, contact them to set up a time when you can actually give them the item, or schedule a time to put it in the mail if you are mailing it to them.

   Once you schedule all these errands, stick to your schedule and get them done! And if you don’t want to or don’t have time to complete your returns, donations, or mail runs in your schedule, remember that Mohr Time can always do that for you!! :)

   Hopefully these tips help you stay organized through the holiday gift-giving season! All of us at Mohr Time wish you joy, peace, and love during this holiday season!

   With love,

   Sarah and the Mohr Time Team

Ugh! I just can't get this clean! 😫

We have found that there are some places in the home that seem to be challenging to clean no matter how neat and tidy you keep things. Here are some tricky-to-clean places that we’ve encountered and the solutions we have found to clean them! Just remember - Cleaning these things will still take up your valuable time even with these solutions! You can leverage us to still get these things clean AND spend your time doing what you enjoy with the people you love!

1. The Shower 🛁
   Extra dirtiness points if you have a glass shower door! Isn’t it weird how the place where we get clean is often the dirtiest and hardest to clean?? 🙈 The best solution we’ve found is called Bioclean. It can be purchased at Ace Hardware and isn’t super toxic or hard chemical-based. It’s green and smells minty. 🙂 Just squirt some on a rag, and start wiping away at soap scum and water stains. With a little scrubbing, most of that will come right off, leaving the shower looking and smelling fresh! ✨

2. Stainless Steel 🔗
   Why do nice things have to be hard to clean? It’s called stainLESS steel and always seems to stain anyway…🤔 The best advice for stainless still is to clean it often. When wiping stainless steel, always go 👉 WITH 👈 the grain of the stainless steel and use a cloth not a brush or scratchy sponge. And definitely don’t scrub in circles. We love Weiman’s stainless steel wipes, but you can use Weiman’s spray or even vinegar and water mixed together (we do about half and half). After you wipe with a wet cloth, immediately follow with a clean, dry one still wiping WITH the grain. 🙌 If you have some really difficult stains or discoloration on your stainless steel, try a stainless steel brightener instead of a cleaner. We like Cerama Bryte. 🌟

3. Mirrors 🪞
   Raise your hand if you always find smudges or splatters on the mirror (or windows)! 🙋🏻‍♀️ Some mirrors can be especially tricky and stay smudgey no matter how much cleaner you spray on it. First, we prefer a mixture of vinegar and water to clean glass and mirrors instead of other cleaners. It’s cheaper, better for you, and seems to do the best job. Spray your cleaner all over the mirror and wipe well with a cloth. Then wipe well again with a DRY cloth across the whole mirror or glass.👍 If you still find smudges, try a dry microfiber cloth on those smudges! That will usually do the trick! 👏 Then you can admire your beautiful self in your beautifully clean mirror! 💁🏻‍♀️

What areas are hard for you to clean in your home? Leave us a comment and we will share a solution for you! If you’re ready to stop spending your valuable time on chores and start spending it doing things you enjoy with the people you love, call or message us today and we will get your to-do list done for you! ✔️

C-U Favorites for Decluttering

We have been supporting lots of people lately with decluttering and organizing! Here in Champaign-Urbana, we have some favorite companies and organizations that we love to work with when decluttering! Check them out below!

1. Salt and Light
   Many people in the C-U area like to drop off donations here, and did you know the full extent of their amazingness? They are truly upholding a standard of excellence, while they treat everyone with dignity and respect. While you’re dropping off donations, check out their grocery store (but don’t bring them food to donate), and contribute to an amazing mission and organization.
   https://saltandlightministry.org/

2. Fox’s Junk Removal
   Do you have items that aren’t in good enough condition to donate? Or maybe you have some items that a donation service won’t take. Jordan Fox and his team are extremely helpful! They will haul all kinds of junk out of all kinds of places! They are kind, compassionate, and reliable.
   https://www.facebook.com/217junk

3. Orphan’s Treasure Box
   What about books? Have you collected a wonderful library of books over the years? Orphan’s Treasure Box supports women and children with books, jobs, and more. Declutter your bookshelves while supporting a worthy organization.
   https://www.orphanstreasurebox.org/

4. Lifeline Connect

   Lifeline connect is a phenomenal residential rehab facility for men. They have created a beautiful, loving community that supports men through the process of rebuilding their lives physically, emotionally, socially, financially, and spiritually. You can hire them to come and provide a variety of services, including moving services and clean-outs! When you hire them, you’re supporting their mission and you get to work with amazing, joyful individuals.

   https://www.lifelineconnect.org/services-offered/

5. Briella’s Boutique

   If you’re looking to sell some of your items while decluttering there are several wonderful consignment stores in town (Karen’s Kloset, All Things Kids, and so many more!), and Briella’s is one of our favorites! Located in Savoy and Mahomet, you can donate or shop. They have friendly associates and a selection for the whole family.

   https://briellasboutiqueil.com/

Whether you live in the C-U area, or somewhere else, what are some of your favorite companies and organizations to work with for decluttering? Comment with your favorites below!

Productivity ≠ Worth

Raise your hand if you’ve ever measured your own worth based on your productivity…

I don’t know about you, but my hand is DEFINITELY in the air.

In fact, pretty much my whole life until this point, I’ve measured my value and worth as a human on this planet in my results, accomplishments, and productivity.

And while that’s a great way to push myself to get stuff done, let me tell you - It does not feel good to ONLY know my value based on results and getting stuff done. You know why? Because the minute those results went away, I suddenly felt worthless.

The minute I stopped to rest, have fun, and missed on a goal, everything came crashing down. I felt sad and like I let everyone around me down. I felt like I didn’t have value. I was tired. Constantly working to prove my worth to myself and others through results was EXHAUSTING.

Then, an amazing friend that I’m incredibly blessed to have in my life said a simple, yet totally powerful sentence to me. “You are responsible TO your results, you are NOT your results.” (Shout out to Krystal Zellmer and www.klemmer.com!!!!!)

Honestly, I didn’t even understand that sentence at first. I said it over and over to myself for weeks. And the more I heard myself say it, the more it started to sink in… 

I get to own my results. I get to look at what I did, what I wasn’t willing to do, and the choices I made on the path to getting my goals and in my productivity. AND at the end of the day, those results and that to-do list, aren’t me. I am whole, complete, and valuable as a human regardless of achievements and tasks I complete. I get to own my results and I am not my results. 

While I was really working through this after a missed goal, someone asked me “Are your dogs valuable?” I said “Of course! I love them!” And she proceeded to ask me what results they created. They don’t set and accomplish goals. They don’t have task lists they check off. They don’t care about creating results. They are just lovable furballs doing their doggo thing day in and day out. And they are so valuable and worthy of love!! 

We are the same. 

I chose to believe that I am a whole, complete, worthy and valuable human simply because I exist. And I chose to believe you are too. 

I encourage you to set big goals, create the life of your dreams, measure tangible results, and get your to-do lists done effectively and efficiently. AND know, no matter what, you are a valuable, worthy human, and you are loved!

10 Super Awesome Songs to Pump You Up in the Morning

Starting the morning with fun music is a must for me! It helps me get excited, ready, and in a joyful space for the day! Here are 10 songs I love for the morning! 

1. This Is Me - Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble

2. 3 Things - Jason Mraz

3. We Are the Champions - Scary Pockets 

4. Me Too - Meghan Trainor

5. Rise Up - Andra Day

6. Beautiful People - Pomplamoose

7. Humble and Kind - Tim McGraw

8. Brand New - Ben Rector

9. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police

10. Be the Hero - from the musical Big Fish

Do you listen to music in the morning? How do you get pumped up for the day? Let us know in the comments! 

Future Fridays!

Raise your hand if you feel like time is flying by and standing still all at once! 

Lately, it feels like weeks are just speeding by and I can’t keep up with the calendar. One thing that I’m working on is planning better in order to get ahead of things, rather than always feeling like I’m catching up. Introducing… Future Fridays!

Here’s my plan: On Fridays, I’m going to start taking a little bit of time to look ahead at the coming week and answer the following questions for myself - 

1. What clothes will I want to wear next week? (So I can make sure they get cleaned over the weekend.)

2. What prep work gets to get done for my coming work week to be smooth and successful? What deadlines are coming? Where can I get ahead to be prepared for any meetings, for my staff to be successful, etc.?

3. Was there any follow up needed for anyone from the week that would be good to complete before the weekend, so that it’s not a scramble on Monday to figure out? 

4. What meals will we eat next week? (So I can make a grocery list and plan to shop for those things over the weekend.) 

5. Where can I schedule self-honor/down time in my coming week?

6. Are there any additional things on my schedule that are not normally there? If so, does that require me to alter my schedule/plan in any way this week? (like a vet appointment or weeknight dinner with friends.)

7. What is the one thing I get to do next week that I don’t want to do? Where will I schedule it? How will I celebrate when that is complete? 

8. Who do I want to make sure to connect with in the coming week? 

I believe by being more intentional on Fridays in looking forward to the coming week, I will feel less like I’m always playing catch up and time is flying by! 

Who wants to join me in doing Future Fridays? What questions will you ask yourself to be prepared for the coming week? Let us know in the comments!

8 Ways to Make Life Simpler and More Joyful During a Crisis

It’s easy to be joyful when things are great… Everyone is happy, life is abundant, and joy comes naturally. But when a crisis hits, it’s easy to jump into fear, scarcity, and a whole bunch of other emotions that aren’t so joyful. Here are 8 simple tips on how to stay full of joy during a crisis.   

Come from gratitude.

It is impossible to be in a space of fear or any fear-based emotion (anger, scarcity, frustration, crabbiness) when you are being grateful. Jim Stovall (author, Olympic gold medalist, and so much more) says it best when he talks about his Golden List: 

“The Golden List is a concept and a daily routine I learned from my grandmother. Apparently on one particular day as a preschool child, I was expressing my dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. My grandmother told me, “You can whine and complain all you want just as soon as you finish your Golden List.” When I inquired what The Golden List was, she told me that we needed to sit down and make a list of 10 things I was thankful for today, and then I would be free to complain and criticize until my heart was content.”

So simple and easy to do, making a Golden List at the start of each day will certainly bring you joy in a time of crisis.

Check out http://www.jimstovall.com/ for more info about Jim and all his greatness!

Give yourself grace.

I am typically a very driven, constantly-going person. My first day of sheltering-in-place, I was like “Tons of time at home! I’m going to get all these things done!” And I proceeded to make a huge list of every single project I ever thought I might do, both for work and for my personal life. Then I immediately fell into a giant hole of overwhelm and pouted for the rest of the week. 

My friend, Susan Seay (coach, speaker, writer, homeschool teacher, and mom to 7!), recently shared with me the idea of “quiet stress.”  We are all experiencing such weirdness in our lives right now, and yet we’re all trying to make some new normal out of it. It’s like when your computer runs constantly and never actually shuts down. It wears down the battery and the processor, and eventually your computer will overheat and shut itself down. We all have this new, background stress running constantly - trying to turn the crazy into a new normal. If we don’t give ourselves grace right now, we will eventually overheat and shut down too. 

Take it easy with your long to-do lists, don’t schedule your day full of back to back zoom calls, and don’t “should” all over yourself when you arrive at the end of the day and you don’t think you got enough done. Give yourself some breathing room if you need time to take a walk, read a book, play with your kids and/or pets, and feel all the feelings that are happening right now.  

Check out Susan’s website for amazing info, especially her podcast! http://susanseay.com/

Look for helpers.

My favorite Mr. Rogers quote is “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

Even in the most serious of crises, helpers can always be found. The amount of love and compassion that is spreading through our community right now is immense and profound. Even in the scariest moments, it brings me so much joy to see connection and kindness bring a tightly-knit community even closer together. 

Have a belly laugh.

Laughter is the best medicine, right? Put on the show or movie that you know by heart and still makes you laugh out loud. Go in search of funny jokes to tell people. Watch a blooper reel. Get on a call with that friend that can always make you laugh. Send someone some funny gifs. Do something that will make you and your loved ones giggle! 

Take care of basics.

I feel like lots of people say this, but I’m going to say it too because it’s important! Take care of your basics. Drink enough water (half your weight in ounces every day). Eat food that nourishes your body. Get enough sleep. No electronics in bed. Shower. Brush your teeth. Do all the things that are good for your body and will help you to feel good throughout the day. It’s much simpler to be joyful when your body is joyful. 

Get creative.

Do a project! Even if you’re not an arts and crafts kind of person, it feels great to be creative! And there’s tons of ways to be creative! Write, compose, choreograph, draw, paint, knit, sculpt, cook, collage, update your home, garden, make a video, arrange flowers, make origami… and so many more! When you’re in creation mode, you are definitely in a space of abundance and joy.

Pump up the jams.

Whatever music fills your soul, listen to it. Like every morning. Start the day filling up with your favorite tunes, and you will be ready to take on the day joyfully. Everyone is different and everyone finds different music uplifting and fulfilling. If your kind of music is made for dancing, get your dance party on. If you’re all about head banging, go for it (just don’t hit your head on your bathroom counter). If you prefer slow jams, be mellow and soak in the vibes. Music has a way of connecting to our subconscious and helping raise us up when we need it. 

Problems = opportunities.

The true key to joy in times of crisis is the ability to step back and see where a problem actually becomes an opportunity. This crisis has given me the blessing of the opportunity to step out of a very full schedule where every day was basically just running from one calendar event to the next, and gain some vision. It has allowed me to re-examine what I considered to be “normal” and “right” in my day to day, and see if I still value the way I was doing things. It has allowed me to shift, and look for other services my business might offer and other ways I can be of value to my community. Finally, this crisis has given me an opportunity to grow as a person, as a community member, and as a business owner. Initially, having to stop everything I was doing and shut down all my momentum was extremely frustrating, but now I find a great amount of joy in having a new vision and experiencing the growth that is coming out of this. Being joyful is easy when you view problems as opportunities. 

Hang in there! It’s a weird time and we will all have our ups and downs! I hope you find at least some small things that bring you joy each day! 

Healthy for the Holidays: 5 tips on how to improve your overall health during the holidays!

By Caitlin Haines, Beachbody Health and Fitness Coach

The holidays really are the busiest time of year. For me, it’s also the most stressful time of year. I get so excited about cooking for Friendsgiving, shopping for the perfect stocking stuffers, and watching Elf as many times as possible that I often forget about keeping myself healthy. What’s the point in going to the ugly sweater party if you’re too sick to enjoy it?

As someone who loves all things wellness, helping others incorporate small changes to improve their lifestyle is important to me. I’ve made a list of 5 tips to help you stay on top of your game during this holiday season! 

1. Prioritize alone time and self-care

Getting caught up in cooking, holiday shopping and socializing can take a toll on your mental and emotional health. It’s important to give yourself a break from other people. Set aside an hour each day to do something that you enjoy- baking bread from scratch, watching reruns of Friends, or maybe just take a nap. Whatever it is, this “me time” is important for you to relax, recharge and focus on yourself.   

2. Find your hidden gym

Fitting a full on workout into everyday can be a challenge, especially during the holidays when there is already so much to do. It’s stressful just to think about! But exercise is exactly what you need to help fight off those stressors, clear your mind and bring more positivity into your day. Find small, simple ways to get moving. Contract your stomach muscles while you wait in traffic, do some calf raises while your food is heating in the microwave, take a walk with a friend on your lunch break, or have a 5 minute dance party while you brush your teeth! You’ll start to notice yourself feeling more energized by finding the hidden gym in your daily life. 

3. Drink more peppermint tea

Staying hydrated becomes more necessary as dry skin, chapped lips, and those holiday headaches become more prominent around this time of year. If you’re looking for something more festive and soothing than plain water, try peppermint tea. Peppermint helps with digestion and bloating, unclogging sinuses, and it keeps your breath minty fresh. Not only will you feel better physically, the extra hydration will have you looking brighter too.

4. Eat this combo: protein + healthy fats + fiber

I am no stranger to overeating and overindulging in sugary, salty treats. However, it’s a lot harder to do that when I’m full. To make sure that you are getting great nutrition during the holidays while still being able to enjoy your favorite treats, fill your plate with lean proteins, fiber (from vegetables and whole grains) and healthy fats. This trio will help keep you fuller for longer and curb cravings. An example of this would be chicken with green beans cooked in olive oil or whole wheat toast with avocado,tomato and cheese. 

5. Practice gratitude everyday (not just at Thanksgiving dinner)

I recently listened to a podcast that said “Gratitude is undentable joy. It’s an attitude, not based on circumstances”. What I took away from this was that there is something good in everyday that we can be grateful for. Noticing what you are grateful for forces you to focus on the positive. When I feel overwhelmed or stressed I slow down and list 3 things that I am thankful for. Almost instantly my mood is boosted and I feel more confident to take on the rest of my day. Making this a daily practice can help you be more optimistic and joyful in your everyday life. It can also help you put more attention on what really matters: family, friends, laughter and cheer.

With just a few strategies you can improve your overall health just in time for the holiday season!
Which one are you going to try?       

https://www.facebook.com/caitlin.haines

Yarn Ball Your Lights for Easy Holiday Decorating

By Hayden Simonis, owner of Gentle Giant Holiday Light

Has hanging your holiday lights been a chore for you in the past because you spent all day detangling light strings from the year before? Follow these easy steps to use the yarn-ball method, used by professionals for easy storage and safe, even light hanging. This process is sure to make hanging and storing your lights easier and a more joyful process for all your holiday seasons to come!

1. As you pull your lights out of storage, check them and make sure they are worthy of another year in this harsh winter environment. Look for any damage to individual bulbs or the wires.

2. If your lights are still safe to be used, take the time to detangle them gently. Even though it may slow you down, it will be worth it later.

3. Take the “female” end of the strand of lights and hold it between your thumb and fingers. Start wrapping the lights around your hand with the end of the strand still exposed (you will want to access this at the end of the process). Do about 3 wraps around your hand.

4. Slide the lights off your hand and continue to wrap the strand around, creating a ball.

5. If you’re going to store the lights, plug the “male” end into the “female” end.

6. If you’re going to start decorating, you can now start wrapping the lights safely, quickly, and evenly around a tree or anything else you’re decorating!

7. Bonus tip: Hire friends or family to help you turn all your light strands into balls! Pay a flat rate per ball. You can even make it a competition and see who can make the most holiday light “yarn balls!”

Have a save and joyous holiday season from our team here at Gentle Giant Holiday Lighting!

https://www.gentlegiantsoftwashing.com/christmas-lights

5 Things You’ll Be Happy You Did in Fall to Prepare for Winter (and Who Should Do Them)!

By Jason Strough, HVAC Sales and Project Manager of Edelman’s Inc.

1. It’s time to get your heating system in order. — Have a licensed professional do this!

   Have a licensed HVAC contractor come out and clean/check your heating system. This is more than just replacing a dirty filter. This is having someone clean and check your entire system which can provide invaluable information about it’s efficiency and working order, and ultimately save you a service call when it’s below zero... and on the weekend... How it almost always seems to go!

2. Drain your outdoor faucets and unhook your garden hoses. - You can do this yourself!

   This one gets overlooked a lot but can lead to devastating damage if left alone. Water expands when frozen which means when it’s still in the exterior faucets (hose bibs) it can freeze and crack water lines. Most outdoor faucets have a shut-off valve indoors. After shutting off the outdoor faucets, drain the remaining water and rest assured that you won’t have a broken water line filling up your basement while you’re away for a weekend! 

3. Double check your alarms and detectors. - You can do this yourself!

   It’s also the time of year when indoor fireplaces and gas appliances are ramping up their usage. Check to make sure you have a smoke/CO alarm in every bedroom or in the hallway directly outside the bedrooms. This is actually code in most areas and can end up saving lives! 

4. Clean your gutters. - You can do this yourself, and make sure you’re safe!

   As the leaves fall, they tend to clog the drains of your gutters. This can lead to water gathering near the foundation of your home, and possibly damage to your roof and/or siding. Cleaning out your gutters can be a DIY project but safety first! If your ladder isn’t tall enough or you tend to be accident-prone, you may want to hire this one out! Ladder accidents are common when cleaning gutters and can lead to severe injuries. Be smart and safe!

5. Add weatherstripping to doors and check your windows for air leaks. - DIY + Handyman

   You can save a fortune in energy bills this heating season just by sealing up the doors and windows of their draftiness. This could mean adding weatherstripping on the doors and adding insulation around the windows. A handyman can pop the trim off easily enough to add some insulation for the windows and you won’t see the curtains moving on breezy nights anymore!

Good Luck and Happy Fall from the Edelman Team!

https://edelmaninc.com/