Confessions & Chocolate » Organizing

Episode #043: Be Prepared and You Shall Not Fear Part 2: Preparation Eases Desperation

rbradshaw — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:00:50 +0000

Preparing for a long term disaster can feel just like that…a disaster! Join us with Erika Collins from Emergency Essentials as we identify when we can use long term storage. She also shares great resources on how to plan for our own personal situations. You can create a year supply of food storage on as little as 7.50 per week. Listen in for great tips, inspiration and you just might catch the preparation bug!

Challenge: Assess the needs of your family. Find forms at www.beprepared.com. Decide on a budget amount per month to use for ‘food insurance’ storage. Fill all empty water bottles after use and keep them in a dark, dry place in your home.

Resources: Emergency Essentials, www.beprepared.com, Chocolate Poem by Dee Ann Gillespie

Episode #042: Be Prepared and You Shall Not Fear Part 1: Preparing for 72 Hour Disasters

rbradshaw — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:00:28 +0000

Join Deb, Heather and special guest Erika Collins from Emergency Essentials as we take a fun and motivated spin on food insurance–or food storage. Learn how a 72 hour kit can be easy to put together, inexpensive, and how vital it can be to your survival.

Challenge: Take inventory of the the food you have on hand. Figure out how long you could eat, not gourmet but well enough to keep healthy. Try on putting your babies to bed hungry for a week to keep you motivated during this challenge.

Recipe:

Chocolate Mousse

2/3 c. cocoa 3 t cornstarch, 1 can evaporated milk, 1 1/3 c. milk, 3/4 c sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, 3-6 T Ultra Gel, 1 t. vanilla

Combine cocoa and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Whisk the evaporated milk into the cocoa mixture until completely smooth. In a large saucepan, combine milk, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Remove pan from heat. Whisk cocoa mixture into hot milk mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 2 minutes whisking constantly. Remove pan from heat. Gradually whisk 3 T of the Ultra Gel into 1 c. of hot cocoa mixture. Pour mixture back into pan. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. If it needs more thickening, add the remaining Ultra Gel. Do not boil. Remove pan from heat. Add vanilla; blend well. Pour mousse into serving dishes. Cover and chill for 1 hour. http://myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com

Resources: Emergency Essentials, www.beprepared.com, http://myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com

Episode #039: Putting Peace Back in Christmas Part 2 – All I Want for Christmas is . . . Simply Peace

rbradshaw — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:00:29 +0000

Putting Peace Back in Christmas Part 2 – All I Want for Christmas is . . . Simply Peace

You can simplify Christmas without sacrificing the 5 things that we all want most out of the holidays:
Realistic expectations about gifts
A few well chosen gifts
Relaxed and loving time with the family
An evenly paced holiday season
Strong family traditions

There are ways to bring the joy into the season AND get it all done when you plan together as a family how to incorporate what makes Christmas come alive for each family member from decorations to gifts to religious activities. Learn what Deb did to make gift giving a breeze and created lifelong memories for her family at the same time. We expect too much from Christmas and from ourselves. Remember, no one has the Kodak holiday – except the people who staged the photo shoots in Good Housekeeping! Create your own special rhythm and flare that fits your family to a tee.

Challenge: Don’t expect too much from Christmas. It can’t strengthen your family, lift your spirits in winter, stimulate compassion and generosity, keep tabs on far-flung friends, confirm your deepest religious beliefs AND show off your hostess skills at the same time. Let the holiday evolve with your family’s individual style and do the activities you truly enjoy. Of course that include making fudge!!!

Resources:
Flylady.com
OrganizedChristmas.com
Google: Stress Free Christmas
Unplug the Christmas Machine by Jo Robinson and Jean Staeheli

Episode #037: Struggling With Juggling Part 2: Your Home or Work Office Space—Create Order from Chaos

rbradshaw — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:04:52 +0000

Is you work space chaos causing your distress? Do you procrastinate dealing with the ‘papers’ in your life until they are a mountain of stress? Join Heather and Deb as they learn from Simplification Strategist Debbye Cannon how to create a peaceful and orderly environment in your office or creative space. After listening, you will find you are excited to tackle the mountain of mess in your office! Have Fun!

About Our Guest: Debbye Cannon is the designer of the SMARTcut systems, developed to simplify repetitive activities such as laundry, housekeeping, meals and shopping. She teaches workshops, live retreats, and published ‘Organizing Without Agonizing’, a guide to getting your life in order. You can learn more about Your Meals Simplified and her other organizational systems at businessmommentor.com.

Special Confessions and Chocolate Offer: Receive a discount on Debbye’s next retreat Nov 20-22nd by going to bizmomretreat.com and entering VIP as the promotional code.

Resources: businessmommentor.com, bizmomretreat.com

Episode #036: Struggling With Juggling Part 1: Bringing Simplicity to Your Meal Planning

rbradshaw — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:54:57 +0000

Are you struggling with juggling the demands of your family, home, and your business work? Enjoy this candid chat with Simplification Strategist Debbye Cannon, founder of Business Mom Mentor. Debbye shares with us her systems to meals and shopping and brings back order to your kitchen. Her ideas are simple and will revolutionize mealtime at your home.

Special Confessions and Chocolate Offer: Receive a discount on Debbye’s next retreat Nov 20-22nd by going to bizmomretreat.com and entering VIP as the promotional code.

Resources: businessmommentor.com, bizmomretreat.com