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

Fresh Start Idea - Clean Out Your Refrigerator

Our Fresh Start idea for today is to clean out your refrigerator.  If your refrigerator is anything like mine it becomes a collection of half used salad dressings, leftovers, and the healthy no fat no sugar yogurt my kids refuse to eat.  So take some time today and clean out your refrigerator and implement some preventative measures to avoid it getting overrun again.  Here are some tips to help you get started: Read more

Fresh Start Idea - Eliminate or Streamline One Should Do in Your Life

Our Fresh Start idea for today is to eliminate or simplify a Should Do in our life.  Should Do’s are those things in our life we may or may not enjoy doing, but have to be done to avoid negative consequences and to function normally in life.  For example, housecleaning for many may fall into this category.  It isn’t something we must do to survive and isn’t necessarily something we enjoy doing, but if it isn’t done can result in unhealthy living conditions and distractions to the family life.  The problem with Should Do’s is that they can easily distract us from other more important things in life that either need to get done or that we enjoy doing leaving us feeling frustrated, resentful, or stressed.   So it is important to do a check from time to time on our Should Do’s and work hard to either eliminate or streamline them whenever possible. Read more

Fresh Start Idea – Take Some Time to Understand Your Parenting Hot Buttons

Our Fresh Start idea for today is to take Sandra’s advice and spend some time today thinking about and fixing our parenting hot buttons.  Parenting hot buttons are those events, conversations, situations, or things in life that send you over the edge as a parent causing you to lose your cool.  Things like whining, messy rooms, disrespectful behavior, or yelling.  When you better understand those things or situations that cause you parenting stress the better able you are to change your reaction the next time it happens. Read more

Fresh Start Idea – Show the Love Everyday

This Fresh Start idea seems a little silly to be writing because on the surface it seems like a simple thing to do, but the reality of it is that we lead busy lives and sometimes taking the time to express or show our love everyday can be a bit of a challenge.  So our Fresh Start idea for today is to find one special or fun way of expressing and showing your love every day.  Here are a few ideas to get you started: Read more

Fresh Start Idea – Create a Family Management Center

Today’s Fresh Start idea is to create a Family Management Center in your home.  Referred to as a Communication Station over at The Clutter Diet , or sometimes as a family messaging center in magazines, a Family Management Center is a central location in your home that consolidates all of the functions and tools necessary for running your home and managing your everyday family life effectively.  The goals of your family management center should be to streamline family communication, reduce clutter, minimize confusion, and improve efficiency.  Here are a few suggestions to help you create one in your home: Read more

Fresh Start Idea – Decide How Your Family Can Make a Difference in the World

Our Fresh Start idea for today is to discuss and decide how your family can make a difference in the world.  From saving the polar bears to buying school supplies for kids in your community, uniting around a cause or volunteering your time is a wonderful way of building family unity, opening perspectives, and building self-confidence.  So take some time today to discuss as a family how you can make a difference in the world and then create an action plan to make it happen.  Here are some tips to help you get started: Read more

Fresh Start Idea – Clean Out a Closet

Our Fresh Start idea for today is to clean out at least one closet in your home.  If your family is like mine you probably have at least one closet that tends to get overrun with excess stuff or designated as the official dumping ground.  For me it is our toy/craft closet.  I usually clean it out about once a year and even though I have shelves for family games, and bins for craft supplies, it still gets overrun with stuff because it is in a convenient place for when I need to get things off the floor or counters.  So if you are like me and have at least one of these closets in your home take some time today and clean it out.  Here are a couple of tips to help you get started: Read more

Fresh Start Idea - Get Honest About Your Family Finances

Our Fresh Start idea for today is to get honest about your family finances.  Having a clear picture of where you stand financially and having concrete financial goals is important for your family’s health and well being.  The reality of life is that we all need money to survive.  From the basic necessities of life to the family dream vacation or sending the kids to college, we need money and a financial plan to help us achieve our dreams.  Financial struggles are like a black cloud hovering over your family’s head and until you can get out from under it, it will always influence your other decisions, goals, and achievements.  So make a fresh start this year and get honest about where you stand financially and what needs to be done to make improvements or achieve your goals.    Here are a few tips to help you get started: Read more

Fresh Start Idea - Give Your Children Regular Chores

Our Fresh Start idea for today is to establish chores for your kids.  Chores for children are important because they teach kids responsibility, teach them basic life skills, make them feel like they are contributing to the family, and ease the burden of mom and dad.  Here are a few tips to help you get started: Read more

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