April 22nd, 2010
Written by: Tanna Clark
When I tell people that I am a professional organizer they always assume my house is perfectly put together. My answer is always “No, our house is lived in!” My house is not the epitome of perfect. But I do have a little secret for making it look company ready in 10 minutes or less. I do a Laundry Basket Clean Sweep. All this entails is taking a laundry basket and picking up all the clutter I see in 10 minutes and then stashing the basket in an unseen place. Let’s be honest here, in a perfect house I wouldn’t have clutter to stash but this house is not perfect. Sometimes I get busy, sometimes life happens, sometimes stuff accumulates. Sometimes you need to give yourself permission to not be perfect all the time and allow yourself a few of those clutter stashing moments.
There is one major rule to this game though:
You must tackle that basket first thing the next day! Don’t stash it and pretend it never happened!
So what about you? Do you have clutter stashing days of your own?
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April 21st, 2010
Written by: Caitlin Madden
Last night #Glee quickly became a trending topic on Twitter. Everyone was tweeting about the “What Would Madonna Do” bracelets that the young starlets were sporting and how disappointing it was that the WWMD bracelets were unavailable. So, in true Mabel fashion, we decided to create limited edition “WWMD” Stickers!
Get your limited edition WWMD Stickers by Midnight PST tonight before they are gone!
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April 20th, 2010
Written by: Caitlin Madden
This May, student and Mabel staffer Alex Porch will be heading to the Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center to work on clean-up, reconstruction and caring for the centre’s orphaned or abandoned children. Learn more about Alex and his voluntary efforts on his blog.
To help out, Mabel’s Labels will donate $34 worth of literacy supplies for every $34 “Write On!” Stationery Kit sold between April 20- April 27
Tell everyone you know, stock up on gifts and get the word out however you can so that together we can help those most vulnerable get their words out.
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April 18th, 2010
Written by: Nanny Carrie
I can’t leave my son to play on his own for 5 minutes. What can I do about his need for constant attention?
There is so much pressure on parents to provide constant stimulation for kids. Flashcards, educational games, math camp, art lessons, physics for preschoolers, the list goes on. But let’s not forget a very valuable skill we can teach our kids: the ability to keep themselves amused (not to mention a few minutes for mom to brush her teeth in peace!)
1) Be realistic: The goal is not to leave little Billy down in the basement with his LEGO ® while mom naps for a couple of hours. The younger the child, the shorter the time span for independent play; 5-20 minutes is reasonable.
2) Turn off the tube: There’s no question TV can be a convenient way to keep kids occupied, but they still need to learn to play independently without all that external stimulus. Try turning on a favourite CD during playtime instead.
3) Start small: Hang out in the next room for a few minutes at a time (throwing in a load of laundry, putting away groceries) where your child can see you but not interact. Always praise them on your return for having played on their own (even in the beginning when they’re more likely just to stand at the baby gate calling your name!).
Nanny Carrie’s Tip: For the little ones, use dwindling naptimes to practice independent play. This works especially well if your toddler is still in a crib. Toss in a few toys and have designated ‘quiet playtime.’
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April 15th, 2010
Written by: Tanna Clark
This organizer has officially become a soccer mom! And this organizing mama is getting things together right away! Here is how I am tackling all of this new soccer STUFF.
- A good sturdy bag…check.
- A label for son’s ball…check.
- Store stuff in bag when not in use…check.
- When done washing uniform, keep it together with other stuff in bag…check.
Three weeks into soccer, I have realized what really works for me is to just keep all of the soccer gear together in one bag. Period. When it’s time to go, we pull out the bag so he can get ready. Ball is there so just grab water bottles and go.
Oh, and in case you are wondering… our Mabel’s Labels Sticky Label has held up really well against all of the mud and kicking!
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