Snow Solutions!

It's truly the season of winter! The cold has settled in and the snow, ice and wind have become a part of life for a couple of months.
It is a season of fun for the kids. Snow days spent outside sledding and building snowmen and forts, add a change of tempo to the usual routine. With the cold and snow, however, come some specific organizational challenges, as boots, coats, snow pants, hats, gloves and scarves seem to adorn every surface as the family comes in from the cold.
There are ways to minimize the impact of these large,  bulky items and streamline the process of getting everyone into them again when they want to go back out.
For the footwear, keep thick towels at the door, to collect the snow, and have everyone take their boots off as they come in. Towels go into the wash easier than rugs.  Move the boots to a convenient box or bin while they are not actually needed, and keep it handy in the coat closet. When the need arises, bring the box to the door.
Keep gloves mated with each other by balling the thinner ones, like socks, and clipping together the heavier ones. These can go into their own tub, along with the hats, scarves, ear protection, etc. You will always have them right where you need them and won't have to search. When the family comes in with wet gloves and hats, just throw them into the dryer for a bit and return them to the box as soon as they come out.
Hang wet coats and snow pants in the shower to drip dry, if they are just wet and not dirty, and then the pants can be folded on a hanger under the appropriate coat. The less you have to wash and dry them the better they will hold up.
When winter wears off and the chance of snow passes, all of these items can be placed in a large, clear tub together for storage. Next winter you won't have to look for them. This is also a good time to look at the kids snow gear and see who will need new gear next year. Anything too small or worn out can be donated.

What's Stopping You?

Question: If there was one thing that you could do to change your life for the better, what would it be?
You may be one of those people that has the world by the tail, has it all together and wouldn't change a thing, but for most of us, there is something that we are striving for that we want to say that we have achieved.

Think about it for awhile. Give yourself some time to really mull over where you are and what you are doing with your life, as opposed to where you want to be. It's OK to dream, it's OK to think big. When you find that dream, write it down.

Now, after you have identified something, answer this question:
What is stopping you?
Really. Get a piece of paper and write down all the obstacles to fulfilling that achievement.
Now, divide up the things you've written down into two groups. "Me" and "Reality".
If, for example, you have always wanted to buy a house in the country and raise your own food, what are the things that are keeping you from that goal?
If one reason is that you lack experience with farming, put that under "Me". If another reason is that you would need more money to buy a place, write that down under "reality". Maybe you are hesitant to make a move that is that life-changing. That goes under "me".
Now you can go about conquering the obstacles with a focus on where they are coming from. The ones that you are putting up for yourself may be the hardest to overcome, actually, but once you get over the first of the hurdles, you will find that you are encouraged to try and get over the next one.
Ask yourself, "Why not?" Why shouldn't you step up to your dreams and attempt to make them reality? Who can help? Find people that have done what you want to do and ask them how they did it. Take a class.
Even if reality steps in and keeps you from the ultimate goal, you will find that you have become energized and engaged by the process. You have become more of what you want to be than what you were. You are an achiever!