Fresh Start Calendar

Happy New Year!  Start your family off right with our 31 Days of Fresh Starts for Your Family series.  Our Fresh Start series is designed to encourage families to make changes in their lives and work toward becoming a better family.   And new for this year we have compiled all the ideas in a free calendar download.  To use the calendar, simply look through all the ideas on the attached calendar and click the link to the ones that interest you.

Good luck!

Fresh Start Idea – Reduce the Screen Time in Your Home

Today’s Fresh Start idea is to reduce the amount of time your family spends watching TV, playing video games, and using the computer.  I’m not going to spend a lot of time trying to convince you that less screen time is a good thing for us, our kids, and our families, because I think in our heart we already know that nothing can be more beneficial for our kids than pure simple one on one time.  If you want to better understand the effects of too much screen time, you can find a complete fact sheet over at The Center for Screen-Time Awareness. If though you want to reduce the amount of time your family watches TV, plays video games, or uses the computer, then here a few tips to help you get started.

Set a time limit every day for total screen time.  This is a personal decision for every family, but a general rule is two hours a day for school aged children.

Monitor and enforce the limt!  Setting the rules is the easy part, actually monitoring and enforcing them is hard.  Here are some ideas to help.

Use regular household timers, or if kids are alone, try special controllers for TVs, computers, and video games.

Use a screen time tracking chart

Use your family calendar to keep track of the times every day

Make a PACT and post it where everyone can see and remember it

Get your kids involved in extra-curricular activities or after school sports

As a parent, make sure you walk the talk and set a good example

Don’t use the TV for back ground noise

Provide plenty of alternatives such as puzzles, crafts, and games

Good luck!

Fresh Start Idea – Set Up a Greeting Card Calendar

Today’s Fresh Start idea is to create a complete greeting card list and set up a greeting card calendar.  Organizing your greeting cards and adding them to your calendar, will help you remember important dates, save time, and make your life easier.  Here are some tips to get you started:

Start by making a master list of all the important dates you need to remember and which require cards or some sort of acknowledgment.  You can use something like the Birthday.book or the birthday/anniversary section of your planner (if it has one) to make your list.

Create a greeting card calendar either by adding the dates to your planner, family calendar, or by using this free one over at The Clutter Diet.

Think about color coding the dates either by category (birthday, anniversary) or person (family, friend) to help you better distinguish between all the dates and remember which type of card to purchase.

Once you have your greeting card list made and scheduled on your calendar, create a greeting card file that includes blank greeting cards, stamps, stationery, pens, and your master list.  The key is to have all your supplies in one place, so that you waste a lot of time finding the supplies.

Consider using a greeting card service like Send Out Cards.  These types of services can be great time savers.

For those birthdays and anniversaries on your list that don’t necessarily require a greeting card, indicate on your list how you will acknowledge them – Facebook, email, phone call, etc.

Good luck!

Fresh Start Idea – Schedule a Night Out with Friends

Today’s Fresh Start idea is to plan a night out with friends.  If you are a mom, then schedule a mom’s night out and if you are a dad, take the reins and schedule a night out with the guys.  Here are a couple of resources to help get you started.

Ten Ideas for Mom’s Night Out

Mom’s Night Out Ideas

Girl’s Night Out

Girls Night In Activities

Dad’s Night Out

Guy’s Night Out Party Ideas

And remember, as busy parents we are ALWAYS tired.  Don’t let this become your excuse because these friendships and relationships are important for our health and well being.

Good luck!

Fresh Start Idea – Create a House Cleaning Schedule

Today’s Fresh Start idea is to create a house cleaning schedule.  Whether you love or hate cleaning the house, a house cleaning schedule can help keep you focused and give you peace of mind.  Here are a few tips to help get you started.

Establish a house cleaning philosophy that is consistent with your values and needs.

Be realistic about how much you can actually get done every day or week

Involve the entire family and include specific housecleaning jobs on your kids’ chore charts

Write it down and include the items in your planner or on your family calendar

Good luck!

Fresh Start Idea – Make a Family Crest

Today’s Fresh Start idea is to make a family crest.  A family crest¹ or coat of arms is a symbol to represent your family identity and heritage.  It often includes symbols and images that represent your family values, priorities, and heritage.  A family crest is a great way of visually expressing your family vision and mission statement.  Here are a few tips and resources to help get you started.

Before sitting down to design your family crest, take time as a family to discuss your family values, priorities, and heritage.  Creating a family vision and mission statement are great ways to help you get started.

Creating a family crest should be a family effort, so be sure to include everyone.  Parents should come to the family discussion prepared to answer some basic questions from the kids.   Questions like – What is a family crest? What do the symbols mean? How do we make a family crest?

Here are some great online resources to help you design your family crest:

How to Design Family Crests – A great resource to help you get started.

AllFamilyCrests.com – Use this tool to design your family crest or search for your family crest.

Make Your Coat of Arms – Online tool to design your family crest.  You can create and print one for free.

Fleur-de-lis Designs – A great resource to understand the meaning behind the symbols used in family crests

Good luck!

¹In technical terms, the family crest is actually a part of a coat of arms and is placed at the top to depict your family’s heritage, but the terms family crest and coat of arms are often used interchangeably.

Fresh Start Idea – Organize Your Kids’ Hand Me Down Clothes

Today’s Fresh Start idea is to organize your kids’ hand me downs.  If you have more than one child of the same sex, then you know how valuable hand me downs can be and how hard it can be to organize them.  So take some time to organize them once and for all.  Here are some suggestions to help you get started.

Begin by scheduling time in your planner or on your family calendar, so that you can make this a priority and don’t forget.  Usually a couple times a year is all you need.  Once at the beginning of summer and once at the beginning of winter are usually good times.  Other times may be when you go back to school shopping, after the holidays, or as part of your spring cleaning.

Pull all of the clothes out of your kids’ closets and begin by removing any clothes that are torn, ripped, or stained.  You can either throw these in your rag bin, dress up box, or in the garbage.  You can also cut them up for crafts.  Be careful though not to hold onto too many because this is how clutter grows in your home!

Next, sort the clothes by sex, size, and season (winter and summer is usually enough).  Once sorted, neatly fold them into piles, but be careful not to lose how they were sorted.

After you have all the clothes sorted, count your piles.  This is how many plastic bins you will need to purchase.  To save money, you can choose to combine winter and summer clothes into one box, but this will make finding hand me downs quickly a little harder.  You can also combine sizes if you don’t have a lot of one size.

Package any clothes you no longer need in a box or plastic bag to donate to your local Salvation Army.

Head to your local convenience store and purchase clear plastic bins (clear bins make it easier to see the contents without opening the lids), masking tape, and one permanent marker.  You can skip the masking tape if you have a label maker.

On your way home, stop by your local Salvation Army drop off location and donate any clothes you no longer need.  Do this the same day or they will most likely never make it!

Once home, immediately place each pile into a box, close the lid, and label the sides and top with your masking tape.  Indicate the size, season, and sex of each box.

Safely store them in your basement or attic until the next child is ready to wear them.

Good luck!

Fresh Start Idea – Make a Family Emergency Preparedness Plan

Our Fresh Start idea for today is to make a family emergency preparedness plan.  Even though preparing for an emergency isn’t at the top of most lists of fun, it is something every family should do.  An emergency plan helps keep us safe and teaches our children to plan and respond in dangerous situations.  There are many resources available online and in your local community to help you, but Ready.gov is the most comprehensive and the best place to begin.  Here is a summary of the recommendations found on Ready.gov to help you get started.

Three Parts – Getting prepared for an emergency involves making a kit, creating a plan, and staying informed.  An emergency kit is collection of supplies your family will need to survive on your own following an emergency.  An emergency plan is a set of detailed instructions on how your family will communicate, regroup, and respond during and after an emergency.

Get a Kit – Every family should begin by making a kit.  The following items should be included in every kit.  You can also download and print the recommended list of emergency kit items.

• Water – one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days

• Food – a three day supply of non-perishable foods

• Battery powered radio and a NOAA Weather Radio

• Flashlight and extra batteries

• First Aid Kit

• Whistle

• Dust Masks

• Moist Towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties

• Wrench or pliers

• Hand Held non electrical can opener

• Maps

• Cell phone with chargers, inverter, or solar chargers

• Prescription medicine and glasses (or contacts and solution)

• Baby formula and diapers

• Pet food and extra water for your pets

• Important family documents and information

• Sleeping bags and warm blankets

• Change of clothing

• Chlorine Bleach

• Fire Extinguisher

• Matches

• Personal hygiene supplies

• Paper plates, napkins, and cups

• Paper and pencil

• Games and books for kids

Make a Plan – In addition to having an emergency kit, every family needs an emergency plan.  A family emergency plan will help family members know how to communicate with one another, find each other, and respond during an emergency.  You can find many ideas on how to create your family emergency plan at Ready.gov, but here are some highlights to help you get started:

• Identify an out of town contact and make sure every family member knows how to call or reach this person
• Make sure every family member has a cell phone, prepaid calling card, or coins
• Teach family members how to send text messages
• Subscribe to local alert services
• Use the Online Family Emergency Plan Tool to help you create your family’s emergency plan.

Be Informed – Once your kit and plan are created, stay on top of specific recommendations and concerns for your area.  Understanding the specific differences between different emergencies can and will impact the decisions you make.  You can understand the specific threats to your area and how you should prepare at Ready.gov.

Good luck!

Fresh Start Idea – Set Up a Home Maintenance Schedule

Today’s Fresh Start idea is to set up a home maintenance schedule.  Home maintenance projects are one of those things we typically think about when something goes wrong.  We know they are there and they should be done, but for the life of us, can’t remember what they are until we wake up without heat or to a foot of water in our basement.  So, to help you stay warm and avoid costly home repairs, take some time to create a schedule of home maintenance projects.  Here are some tips and resources to help you get started.

Make a master list of all the home maintenance projects for your home and an indication of the frequency.  Here is a really nice home maintenance checklist to help you get started.

Schedule time on your family calendar to get these items done.  Think about the best time to do these and who will be responsible.  You may want to designate one Saturday every month to be a Project Day where the entire family works together on home maintenance projects, remodeling projects, decorating projects, or other home projects that need done.

Create a home maintenance file and organizer to help keep you focused and to keep appliance manuals and warranty information.  It will save a lot of time and keep frustrations low on your Project Day if you aren’t trying to find manuals or maintenance guidelines.

Think of ways of including the entire family in the home maintenance projects.  Give your children age appropriate jobs to help and be sure to include them on their chore chart.

Be sure to use advice from friends and family as well as online resources to help with difficult tasks.  Home Depot has a really good online resource section as well as in store resources to help.

Be sure to take these repairs into consideration when working on your family budget.  To make things more affordable, think about bartering services with friends and family members.

Be realistic about how much you can accomplish.  Take it slow, learn as you go, and remember it will get done.

Good luck!

Fresh Start Idea – Begin Planning Your Next Family Vacation

Our Fresh Start idea for today is to begin planning your next family vacation.  Planning a vacation together as a family is a great way to teach goal setting, organization, and planning skills to the kids as well as build cohesiveness as a family.  So our Fresh Start idea for today is to take some time as a family and begin planning the vacation.  Here are some tips to help you get started: Read more

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