Mind, Body, Sanctuary

I've started writing for a new client, a site called Mind, Body, Sanctuary. They have a variety of health and wellness topics to read about and subsequently, I'm enjoying my writing for them.

You can see my work on the following links:
http://www.mindbodysanctuary.com/index.php/article/eco_friendly_jewelry_cleaners/22119
and
http://www.mindbodysanctuary.com/index.php/article/bollywood_s_popularity_on_the_rise_in_america/22957

I have a whole host of other articles to be published there on fun and informative topics such as 'At-home pedicures' and 'Everything you need to know about exercise', so keep going back to check them out!

Horses and Scented Soaps

I've just written a blog post on my site blog- www.writechoiceforyou.blogspot.com, with a working example of how Twitter can be used. But because I do love this example, I'm posting it on this site too.

I connected with Monique Hodgkinson via Twitter. A simple message (and I was joking!) about missing her offer to send her visitor sample soaps led her to respond with a 'send me your address and I'll mail you a sample' tweet. I did, and she mailed it out to me as promised and a few days ago, I received a package containing a sample of her handmade scented soap. Monique combines her childhood love of horses with her recently found passion of soap making to produce some wonderful creations.

Do visit her site www.aStableSolution.com- her story is one of inspiration- you can combine what you love doing to create a thriving business that works for you.

Working With Focus and Intention

Thanks to one of my clients for whom I'm writing a number of blog posts; I've been reading motivational books and articles and revisiting old favorites like Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich.

The last few months have been busy, but not as busy as I'd like it to be. And yet, there weren't enough hours in each day for me to complete all my tasks to my satisfaction; leading to grouchy nights and grumpy mornings. Everyone was suffering because of my short temper and I was miserable because I began to feel I was being pulled in a number of directions. And then, I sat down to re-read 'Think and Grow Rich' upon which to base some blog posts for a new client. And it all began to come back to me.

Working with intention in which you focus on each task, will eventually lessen the duration it takes to complete the task. I've written a number of articles on multi-tasking and I do know now that working on a single project at any given time will yield better results than trying to handle two or three tasks together.

I've also updated my dream board and pinned up my short term goals, where I can re-affirm them each day and visualize them in my inner mind.

And it's begun to work almost immediately. I got three projects on the first day and two on the second. I've begun to see my goals even more clearly and they are now far more achievable and attainable than they were say a month ago. And the best part is that my busy life now has more structure, giving me the much needed free time to devote to family and friends.

So give your work the focus, goals and intention it deserves and see how it begins to work for you!

Bag it! Wardrobe sorting made easy.

With three new projects and innumerable birthday parties to attend (not to mention, gifts to buy), sorting our wardrobes and closets took longer than I had anticipated. But I finally got around to doing them over the course of one week. And now our home feels truly 'lighter', having been shed of all the unwanted skirts with frills, jackets with shoulder pads (???) and ill-fitting blouses that make me cringe each time I spot myself in the mirror wearing them.

Here's what I learnt:

Space it out! If you have all your clothes squashed together, ironing them doesn't make sense. You'll just have to redo them all. Ensure you have enough hanging space in your wardrobe (or nick space from your husband or child's closet- tough times demand tough action!).

Group garments: By colour, size, style....pick whatever is easiest for you and then regroup your clothes accordingly. Makes changing early morning when the sun is still asleep as is your spouse, and lights are not an option, a breeze.

Salt it! Haven't tried this, but hear it works really well- lay your woolen clothes on the table and sprinkle a thin layer of salt on them. Fold a piece of linen into a band and gently rub the salt into the cloth. Hang up and brush the salt from the garment. Apparently this cleans your woolies really well and saves you a trip to the dry cleaners.

Cedar blocks: Add cedar blocks to drawers or closet shelves. It lends a fresh, woodsy smell to your clothes and keep the buggies away.

Empty pockets: Remove any items from pockets before hanging up clothes to avoid them sagging or getting misshapen.

Wash it! Before storing your winter items, don't forget to wash them or have them professionally cleaned. Vacuum pack your woolies to avoid moths attacking them.

Hang it! Invest in decent hangers to help your garments retain their intended shape. Most dry cleaners will take back their hangers to be reused.

Line it! Line drawers and shelves with brown paper or gift wrapping paper or tissue paper. This will avoid garments getting snagged or torn on rough edges.

Bake it! And finally, if your trunk or suitcase has a musty smell after being unopened for a while, then leave a cup filled with baking soda in it overnight. The soda will absorb the dry and musty odours.

Put A Spring To Your Step

I’m hoping with spring here the weather stabilizes a little bit. But for now, it seems like it’s going to swing back and forth. And of course, with the onset of allergy season, most of the kids around us are suffering. I’m hoping that my little one who has a nut allergy is not allergic to anything else, especially as I see all his preschooler friends suffering with asthma or pollen allergies. For now though, we are enjoying the warm days (few) and the sunny ones (even fewer)as much as we can.

I’m also back on track with my spring cleaning and here are some super cleaning tips I’ve discovered for my SHOES:

Invest in shoe trees for your good shoes and they’ll last longer. Also avoid wearing the same pair of shoes every day as they’ll wear out faster.

If your shoes do smell a bit musty(especially after being tucked away the entire winter),try making your own sachet to remove this odor. Put in a couple of tablespoons bicarbonate of soda in a small muslin square. Tie to secure and place in the shoes overnight.

If you do go running (more on www.bcrunner.blogspot.com), then make sure you dry your shoes thoroughly after you return home. Stuffing your shoes with wads of newspaper will help absorb any leftover moisture.

Patent leather shoes clean really well with a soft cloth soaked in detergent. Buff to a shine with a soft dry cloth.

Suede is a delicate fabric and should be treated accordingly. Invest in a suede polish and use a bristle brush to clean suede shoes.

And finally, leather shoes can be treated with castor oil. Rub a little oil and buff to a shine. Potato peels will soften dry leather shoes if left on overnight. Scruffs too can be cleared if rubbed with a cut potato.