Showing posts with label tips

Five Expert Tips on Fall Closet Organization

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, October 22, 2020
 Even though every season has a full list of chores to do, most people tend to tackle closets in the spring. I did manage to re-organize one of our smaller closets this spring, but then I became overwhelmed with our overrun bedrooms closets and stopped. Now that it’s time to pack away warm season clothes, I knew I had to tackle fall closet organization this fall and now, thanks to Christina Giaquinto, home organization expert with Modular Closets.  I’ve got expert help in the form of her five tips she’s sharing here today. Let’s tackle this task once and for all with Christina’s help.

Five Expert Tips on Fall Closet Organization



Can you believe we are in the middle of August already? I took last week off from writing so I could focus on getting my daughter all set for her senior year of high school and to work on my other business, Avon. I’ve been a work at home Mom for many, many years, but I know many of you are working from home for the first time during back to school season. A position many never thought would happen. It can be a tricky transition from office to home office.  First of all, you are no longer surrounded by coworkers, instead you’ve got family and pets, who can grab your attention quickly. Your mindset might be completely different at home than at work, so have grace with yourself during the transition!  Despite its challenges, working from home can be a great opportunity to be productive and possibly even take your quality of work up a notch, with these eight simple productivity tips while working from home.


Eight Simple Productivity Tips while working at home


It’s been so hot and dry here in middle Tennessee that we’ve broken records. We are in a drought situation and burn bans are in place, so I felt there was no better time than now to share tips and resources for fire prevention week. There are several easy steps you can start or put in place this weekend to keep you and your loved ones safe. In fact, I’ll be working on our new safety plan on the back deck this evening.  My thanks to the Red Cross for sending this information along so I could share it with you.

enjoying our back deck this Fall


This is a sponsored post on behalf of Smile Health Dental Plans. I received information to facilitate today’s post as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. 


I’m smiling while I type this because it’s Friday! Not just any Friday, it’s the Friday that kicks off the long Memorial Day weekend; helps me celebrate another amazing year on this planet and kicks off summer around here! There are so many good reasons to smile today! Another reason I’m smiling is I’ve partnered with Smile Health Dental Plans to share their eight tips to save your smile and your life. Plus, because it’s Friday and I want you to smile too, I’m hosting a giveaway for a Your Smile Health = Your Body Health Care Kit below.


Your Smile Health = Your Body Health Care Kit #giveaway #ad

Happy Friday friends! As I sit down to write this fun post, I realized that this is the last weekend we have before Valentine’s Day and I’m feeling a little behind in my preparations. Now, let me state right here at the beginning of my post that I don’t decorate our home for this celebration like I used to when the kids were little, so that makes things a little easier, but I still have shopping to do for my husband and teen daughters. We always include them in our Valentine’s Day celebrations to show them extra love and besides, I think that’s what Saint Valentine, the patron of love, young people and happy marriage wants us to do. Read on for tips to rock this Valentine’s Day and enter to win a fabulous St. Valentine Love Kit.


10 Tips to Rock St. Valentine's at home Red Rose #ad

Welcome to WAHM Tip Wednesday

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Hello and happy fourth Wednesday of January!  If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know I normally like to post a Wordless Wednesday post featuring some of my nature pics like last week’s post here. I’ve done that for years and honestly, it’s high time I shook things up here on My WAHM Plan, so once a month I'm going to share a WAHM Tip!

 I want to offer helpful content for busy work at home Moms (or Moms who would like to be), so I brainstormed ideas and one kept rising to the top. Go back to basics of this blog and start sharing work at home tips  I've learned in my almost 19 year’s experience as a WAHM. I feel this year is the perfect time to start sharing my knowledge with more and more Moms look for ways to add additional income.

New Blog Series: WAHM Tip Wednesday



WAHM planner






This Christmas was hard. I was really sick with the flu and I had to rely on my husband and daughters to do the lion’s share of holiday preparations.  When you are so sick you can do little more than take medicine, rest and accept the loving help your family is providing; you have a lot of time to pray and reflect on your life and the year coming to an end. One of the greatest sorrows of 2017 was losing my mother in law. Not having her sweet presence with us this Christmas was a challenge.  She was missed!  I feel like I honor her by sharing today's tips. They come from personal experience of helping my family navigate the stresses and challenges of family caregiving while we helped care for my mother in law before her passing earlier this year.



Put love into the doing.- Mother Teresa #ad #FamilyCaregiving




Is your skin feeling the effects of summer heat? If you live someplace that's hot (and most all of us do now that it's August), it may be time to change up your beauty and skincare routine. During the summer, I find myself using fewer products and spending less time primping and prepping. In fact, if you were to drop by my house, you’d most likely find me running around barefaced. Letting your skin breath is the first step to a better beauty day, the second is to pick multi-tasking products that are easy to use. Burt’s Bees + Grove Collaborative make it easy to find fuss-free natural products.


Burt's Bees sale #ad


We have finally reached November, and with that we welcome in the holiday season. For most of us, that means GO time. We take out our planners and phones and we start juggling. We vow that this year, we will wag more, and bark less! We promise we will be one cool-as-a-cucumber, organized lady from now until New Year’s Day! And then reality sets in and we start to feel a little less confident in our superwoman capabilities! Even more so if we have LBL (light bladder leakage), which can cause an entirely different type of stress altogether. 

This is a sponsored post for Acorn Influence. All opinions are my own. 



Maximize shopping trips list



I’ve touched on LBL a time or two in the past here on my blog because I feel it is such an important topic that shouldn’t be taboo. Over the course of this year, I’ve experienced LBL while doing strenuous gardening, to my dismay, and also when making myself wait too long to find a restroom. I kept telling myself, I’ll get just one more item off my list and then I’ll break for the bathroom. Sound familiar?



One shopping trip to @Walmart and I'm done! #ad #PoiseLinerLove


Since then, I’ve devised a new way of shopping. Armed with my master shopping list (that my family helps keep current), I decide what local store would have most, if not all, of the items on that list. More often than not, I find myself shopping at my local Walmart. Not only does most Walmart’s have two convenient bathrooms at the front and rear of the store; I love that I can pick up lettuce for a salad, boot socks for the kids, a holiday card and my newest accessory, Poise Microliners, all in one shopping trip. 


Another tip I’ve started implementing is writing out my shopping list in the order I’ll find products in the store. So worth the prep time when you don’t have to walk all the way through a store again for a forgotten item! That’s saves me time, which helps me be stress-free


#PoiseLinerLove found @Walmart #ad



Ladies, if you are starting to experience occasional LBL like I am ‒ it’s time for you to make the switch from your regular pantyliner to Poise Microliners. The lightest absorbency liners are just as thin as my regular brand of pantyliner, and just as cost-effective. I got this two-month-supply box at my local Walmart for $4.68. I found the liners on the top shelf, but you’ll see the whole line of Poise near the feminine care aisle. 



Make the switch to #PoiseLinerLove @Walmart #ad


One thing I noticed right away when I made the switch was I couldn’t feel a difference at all! Poise liners have thin-flex technology, so they move with your body and they stay put in your underwear, too. They offer 3-in-1 protection: dryness, comfort, and odor control, making them my perfect go-to liner from now on. Each box comes with a number to help you efficiently and discreetly choose which product is best for you. 

If this is your first time purchasing Poise liners and you don’t want to stand in the aisle reading each box, I suggest visiting Walmart.com, where you’ll find helpful information on all the Poise products they carry. 


By setting aside time each week to think through what you need to accomplish, making a master shopping list, routing your path through the store and using your new accessory, Poise liners for LBL, you should be able to maximize your shopping trips for a stress-free holiday season. 

Let’s all endeavor to wag more, bark less, enjoy more and stress less this holiday season.


Happy Holidays!


Please share in comments: What’s your best holiday shopping tip? 

Ten Succulent plants for your indoor garden

in , , , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, October 28, 2016
At the beginning of each season I promise myself that this will be the season I have a garden to be proud of.  My flowers will bloom glorious bloom after bloom, my herbs will never wither or go to seed and my succulents will remain perfectly pleasing to the eye. Then reality sets in and I muddle along with an okay garden space- but my succulent game is strong so I can take heart. 


Ten succulent plants for your indoor garden



If you’ve never known the joy and beauty of a succulent garden, then why not give it a try as our Indian summer days slowly ebb into winter?  Maybe it’s already more like winter where you live- all the more reason to start this easy indoor garden full of succulents



What is a Succulent Plant?


Succulent plant leaves



Succulents are fairly easy to identity because of their leaves and stems. The most widely recognized succulent is probably the Aloe Vera plant and my personal favorite the Jade plant. The Jade plant in the photos above is 10 years old and was born from clippings my mother in law took from her mother’s Jade plant.  I treasure this Jade plant because it is an heirloom; one that I can pass on to my daughter’s when they move to their first place. I’ve started several pots of Jade from this one and will be doing a quick tutorial soon. Another thing I adore about Jade is it produces delicate white or pink flowers once a year!



Jade plant pink flowers



Succulents would be a perfect first time plant for teens, or anybody that loves having greenery around them but forgets to water their houseplants because succulents are drought resistant and require very little water or hands on care. Just read the care tag and put your plant in the correct light and you are almost guaranteed success with your indoor succulent garden!


The one drawback of succulents is choosing the right one for your personal tastes and your homes lighting. Some points to consider before buying succulents:

  • Low levels of natural light and cooler temperatures mean you’ll need to adjust how much water and fertilizer you give.
  •  
  • Some plants adapt to hanging planters and terrariums better than others.
  •  
  • Some succulents can even be toxic to your indoor animals.



As you can see, while succulents may be easy to grow, you need to do your homework first. That’s why UncommonGoods, one of Brooklyn’s favorite online retailers of home and garden decor, has researched and compiled a list of 10 best succulents to brighten up your home this fall and winter.


Ten best succulent plant infographic



I was happy to see my favorite succulent, Jade second on the list. I think I will add a Mistletoe plant to a hanging basket in my bedroom and I love the look of the string of buttons plant. 



I adore growing and spotting succulents wherever I go. I saw this beauty at my grocery store and had to share a pic on Instagram. 


You will find a huge succulent fan following on IG, so hop on over and follow me and UnCommonGoods there.






Please share in comments: Which succulent plant from the infographic would you like to grow in your indoor garden?



Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way to share this information today. I just love succulents and UnCommonGoods was kind enough to ask me to share that love via their infographic. 
Here we are, just three short weeks away from Thanksgiving and I haven’t finished half my fall cleaning chores found on my checklists here and here.  Being a homemaker at heart, it’s tough for me to admit my home isn’t in “company ready” condition and I could share with you a handful of excuses, but instead- I’m going to swing into action and share my Holiday Hostess cleaning checklist that will help you and I be ready to greet family and friends in no time.



My WAHM Plan: Welcome Holiday Guests


5 easy ways to keep your yearly business goals on track

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, June 02, 2015
It’s hard to believe it, but here we are- starting the sixth month of 2015! It wasn’t that long ago that we were all dreaming and setting goals for the New Year.  The first week of June is the perfect time for a mid-year check in with those goals. I did this on Sunday and while I have met some goals in my most areas of my life; I found I needed to re-route my path in other areas. Here are my 5 easy tips to get my yearly business goals back on track. 


On My WAHM Plan tips to keep business goals on track



1. Make planning time a priority.
It’s not enough for me to say I want to re-work how I’m tracking my blog and social media assignments; I need to formulate an action plan. By setting aside 30 minutes to review what I’ve been doing so far this year, figure out what parts work and what parts are making me dislike this necessary task, I’ll be able to finish 2015 strong and have a true workable solution moving forward.


2. Purge,  Often.
This goes for all incoming items in your life: junk mail, emails from companies you might shop with in the summer, company catalogs, group invitations that don’t fit into your wheelhouse, etc.  Allow yourself to pass on a request or business event if it truly isn’t a good fit. Purging is easy once you allow yourself to make a decisive decision and then stick with it, which leads me to number three.


 3. Decide.
In business you can’t sit on the fence for long when it comes to making decisions to approve or reject money making projects, because at the end of the day- all businesses need to have money coming in at all times.  Set aside 15 minutes to list the pros and cons of a given situation and then make your choice. Then take an actionable step: make that call, or send that email, something that will put forward motion on your decision so you won’t talk yourself out if it.  


4. Write it down.
You’ve made your decision; you’ve set your goals in motion. Good! But did you know that the simple act of writing them down helps your brain store them in your memory, making them much easier for you to remember and stick with? Try it! Write out one goal on a piece of pretty stationery, or jot it down on a colorful post-it note (my personal favorite), and it’s almost guaranteed you’ll remember to focus on that goal.

My WAHM Plan: grab a good pen and write it down!


5.Ask for help.
This tip is still a work in progress for me.  I still struggle with asking for help from my family. As a work-at-home-mom, (WAHM), I felt if I managed my time better, I could still do it all and take on a bigger work load. Wrong! 
Now, my goal is to let my family and co-workers know when I have a big assignment, and then be ready to delegate when people ask me how they can help me. It’s easy for us to shrug off offers of help, but we really shouldn’t. Whether we need task oriented help, like please unload the dishwasher, or we just need an ally to help us remember to drink more water, by asking others to help you, you are inviting them into your life on a more personal level, which helps you be a better you!


Hopefully, my 5 easy tips will help you stay, or get back on track with your yearly business goals! 


Please share in comments: What goal do you hope to accomplish before the end of the year? 
Happy Friday dear readers and if you are a Mom- happy Mother’s Day to you! I hope you enjoy your special day and will have a no-cleaning Sunday! If you are a busy Mom like me, you may be half way through your spring cleaning and despair that you have so much more to do. Never fear- Linda is here!

Welcome to my Weekly Chore Prompt:




While talking with a friend over lunch recently, she remarked that she wished she had a guide to help her keep on top of both the big and the little chores she should do every week; beyond making the bed, or sweeping the floor. That gave me the wonderful idea to share a weekly chore with you here. These won’t be anything fancy, no need to print -just a quick post sharing what area of my home I’m focusing on that week. Hopefully we can get and keep our home sparkly clean and clutter free together!



baking,soda, cleaning, tips

This New Year cleaning resolution tips post is brought to you by Mr. Clean as part of a Type-A Parent Community Sponsored Post.


In my recent Homemaking tips post, I shared my easy to follow Checklist tips on organizing your chores for each room of your house. Even though I have several hot spots to attend to, I was drawn back to my kitchen. Probably because it is a hub for our family and because my husband and I cook family meals almost nightly- this leads to a greasy, grimy stove top!



MyWAHMPlan.com/clean


Look at that mess! Thankfully, I know the perfect product for this job- Mr. Clean Liquid muscle! 


MyWAHMPlan.com
Courtesy: Mr. Clean

Have you heard about the new gel concentrate? If you are a fan of Mr. Clean products like I am, you are going to love this one too, especially since it has 2.5 more cleaning power in every drop, so you’ll be saving money while getting your house sparkly clean.  And I love the new auto-stop cap so you use just the right amount for each chore. 



I tipped the bottle over and out came a dollop of lemon scented muscle. 

MyWAHMPlan.com



Mr. Clean liquid muscle made cleaning my stove top and my stainless back splash a breeze. It rinses off quickly too so my stove was in tip top shape in no time. Just look at that reflection!

MyWAHMPlan.com/clean


Next up will be my floors. I’ll add 1 squeeze of Mr. Clean liquid muscle to a gallon of water and mop all my floors including my Parquet Foyer because this product is safe to use on wood surfaces too.


My daughters grew up with the smell of clean lemon scented Mr. Clean so they enjoy coming home to that familiar scent. Yesterday my daughter said she wants her room smell like Mr. Clean Crisp Lemon, so she’d need my bottle!


MyWAHMPlan.com


I invite you to learn more about Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle by visiting their website and following them on Facebook and Twitter using their links below.

Share with me in comments- What’s your favorite scent for your home? I love Lemon/Citrus and clean linen scents.





MrClean_CMYKThis is a compensated post brought to you by Mr. Clean. Mr. Clean is kicking off the New Year with the launch of a new product called Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle, a new multi-purpose, multi-surface concentrated cleaning gel that delivers superior cleaning performance on and off the floor. Be sure to like Mr. Clean on Facebook and follow @RealMrClean on Twitter




Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Helpful Homemaking – Checklist Tips

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, January 10, 2014

Ah January, the month of “new” the month of “I will” the month of resolutions and goals and promises. Helpful organizing tips abound in January, they even made January National Organizing month, which hammers home the message that we all should be cleaning and organizing during every free minute.

But- I’m not.

Nope. I refuse to get myself all worked up this year.  

It’s the 10th and I simply refuse to feel behind as I “heart” the many free printable’s showing up in my Pinterest feed.  Everything from chores, menu planning to home organizing binders can be found and printed. I’m tempted- I mean really tempted to waste my printer ink on these prettily designed pieces of paper that in theory should make short work of my organizing dilemma’s. 

I don’t print them because I know I won’t use them. I have seen myself not use them in the past. So- here is what I use instead.

A legal size pad of plain white paper, a colorful pen and a clipboard.

MyWAHMPlan.com



That’s it.

Now the organizing magic can begin.

I walk from room to room with an Eagle eye, channeling my Moms white glove, everything neat and tidy approach to homemaking and I make my list for each room.

  • Put away lotions- check.
  • Revamp pantry- check.
  • Unmuck back hallway for the bazillionth time. Check.
  • If it is dirty, cluttered, unfiled, on the list it goes.

Only put chores on this list. No jotting down “buy new hand towels” when you are in the guest bathroom. There will be a list for that later.

Stick to what you want to get done- your chores.

Do feel free to put a family members name by certain chores. If they drug it out, they should find its home again (says every Mom on the planet).


Then- once you’ve gone through every room in your house and feel like your head is going to pop because you must be the worst housekeeper on the planet- stop! Take a breath, and choose the easiest task first. 

And. Do. It. 

Then check it off. Done! 

 Go through your list this way until you get to the real hot spots of your house. Seeing your completed tasks will make slaying your dragon easier.

I use this checklist method for any project that is multi-step, like planning a party, or revamping my flower beds.  This style of organizing my thoughts to organize my life works for me and it may very well work for you too. If you give it a try, please stop back by and let me know your thoughts.
 
And if you really want to get a feel for How clean (or not) your house is, go take this easy quiz on HGTV. I answered  mostly B’s- with a couple of A’s I blame completely on my Mother! You’ll understand that statement once you take the quiz.

Share with me in comments, what’s your dragon- what is the one place you wish you never had to organize again?
For me- it’s the Foyer closet! Ugh.
And let me know the outcome of the quiz too- no judging here!

Here's wishing you a happy, productive weekend. Now I'm off to buy some much needed hangers for that foyer closet of mine.

Helpful Homemaking- New uses for your Lint Roller

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, November 08, 2013

Picture the scene if you will- company is coming, you've cleaned the house, got changed into your company clothes and are ready to welcome guests when you notice your cat has been cleaning herself on the couch- again. It's not the cats fault, you allowed it... but company is coming! So do what I do. Break out your lint roller!


MyWAHMPlan.com

This is how it works here, your methods may vary from mine:

1. Get out lint roller- make sure you've got a clean strip.
2. Move the cat off the couch. Pet the Cat.
3. Lint Roller the Cat. I kid you not, my cat loves this preferring it over brushing. And it works!

MyWAHMPlan.com

4. Marvel at how well the lint roller works on grooming your cat.
5. Throw away gross lint roller strip. 
6. Clean the couch, then the lamp shade of free flying cat hair with clean strip.
7. Check time. 
8. Continue chasing errant cat hairs... until...

You notice the wooden blinds behind the couch are dusty! No problem I think! I've got 5 minutes to spare, I decide to try dusting my blinds with my lint roller!

And - it works! But only on wooden blinds.  Look (don't judge!)

MyWAHMPlan.com


There you have it- two new uses for your lint roller. Do you have a unique use for lint roller too? Share in comments!

Helpful Homemaking- Garbage Disposals

in , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Hey dear readers, I’ve been working on a much needed blog post schedule (because winging it just isn’t this planning girls style) and while I won’t be having a theme for every day of the week, I’ve decided to keep this new one: Helpful Homemaking where I will share quick and easy tips for Moms, homes, gardens, cooking, - this will be a grab bag of helpfulness. You can find some of my recent tips here and hereI will also keep a favorite around here: Wordless Wednesday! 
Before I get to my quick tip today, I’d love to ask you what would you like to see me write about here on the blog? Please take a quick minute to fill out this survey to help me plan future posts. I promise it’s quick and easy. Thanks! 






How to Disinfect and deodorize your garbage disposal and sink drains


This really is super quick and easy.

  1. Take 3 tablespoons Arm and Hammer Baking soda
  2. 1 cup ice cubes
  3. Pour ice down drain. Top with baking soda. 
  4. Turn on water (medium-low cold) and turn on garbage disposal. 
  5. Let run until the ice cubes stop making the loud noise that scares your cat or dog (about 30 seconds.) 
  6. Then run hot water down drain for about 30 seconds and done! Clean smelling drains again. This should last at least a week depending on what you are putting down the garbage disposal.

Now clean the other side of your sink by placing 2 tablespoons of baking soda down the drain and running hot water for about 30 seconds. Your drain is clean.
If you are feeling really industrious, toss another tablespoon of baking soda in your sink lightly, wet it to make a paste and scrub your sink with a non-abrasive cloth. A good paper towel will work in a pinch.

I hope you found this tip helpful. Please come back next week to read my helpful homemaking post and follow along on my Pinterest Board.


Let’s talk Laundry and Sorting

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, October 04, 2013

As I do most every morning, I walked into my laundry room to check if I left a load of laundry in the washer overnight.  My washer was empty, the dryer wasn’t.
No big news flash there, but while I’m standing there contemplating the next load (you know, should it be darks or lights or whites) I noticed a funky odor wafting around.

Laundry rooms should smell clean and fresh, not like a sweaty sock!

 My eyes immediately go to the white’s basket. Even though it’s only half full, I start sorting. Actually, I double sort my whites. I make two piles; one is only socks and underwear, the other towels and linen. My Mama didn’t teach me to sort clothes like this and I’m betting your Mama didn’t either. But I think you'll be a white's double sorter too after you read this. 



MyWAHMPlan.com
                                                                 Source


So why the double sort?


One word: Poop.


Yes! Poop!  I saw this story on ABC News a couple of years ago and it has stuck with me. According to Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona

"If you wash a load of just underwear, there will be about 100 million E. coli in the wash water, and they can be transmitted to the next load of laundry," Gerba said. “There’s about a tenth of a gram of poop in the average pair of underwear," he added. Fecal matter can carry a number of different germs, including the hepatitis A virus, norovirus, rotavirus, salmonella and E. coli.
Gross, right?
Thinking our detergent was enough to keep the germs at bay is wrong. Thinking my hot water was hot enough to kill the nasty’s was wrong too.
So here’s what I do. I wash the underwear and socks in hot water with bleach first. Then, I clean the washer with a spray of diluted bleach water and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then I wash the towels in hot water and bleach. Now I’m not spreading germs and poop and all those other gross things mentioned above.
It’s imbedded in my brain to double sort my whites and clean my washer now and I’m teaching my girls to do the same.  I know old habits die hard, but if you could visualize drying your face with a dirty sock, you will be doing the double sort too.
You’ve just read the first in my new series of homemaking tips. I will share a new tip each week. Please let me know your thoughts and what topics you’d like to see me cover in comments.
Thanks!

Reclaim your outdoor spaces with plants

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Thank you to our sponsor One Kings Lane for providing this helpful information for me to pass along to my readers. This post contains affiliate links. However all opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. 



Outdoor entertaining is one of the great joys of summer. Until, of course, the bugs invade and have you wishing for a magic bug zapper. Tired of shooing bugs and getting bit? 

Check out this handy tip:


Instead of sprays, pesticides and candles why not try a cluster of mosquito-repelling potted plants?



plants
Courtesy: One Kings Lane
Grouped together near a seating area on your deck or patio, they make a pretty and lush addition to your outdoor landscape while also protecting you and your guests. 

Check out One Kings Lane's article Easy Update: Mosquito-Repelling Potagerie for more information about how a trio of lush potted plants will have you saying good-bye to bug spray. Using these plants is not only pretty, but it's a quick and environmentally friendly way to reclaim your outdoor spaces.

I didn't know Catnip was more effective than DEET at repelling mosquito's, did you?



Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. However all opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. 

To good not to repost as we start our new year! 2011 is going to be one of my BEST! How about you?


Today on My WAHM Plan I'm working on my blog and I came across this timely article on wahm.com. I had to share it here.

You're a WAHM with a new business and wondering about successful business strategies. This guide will help you with a few of the ideas.

Strategy 1: Planning

"Plans are nothing; planning is everything." Eisenhower said it all with that statement. Plans always change--however it's important to plan your strategies. People think of planning as final decisions with no chance to change your mind later. However true planning involves looking at a number of choices and choosing the best path to take. Sometimes planning takes you off your chosen plan, and that's ok. Keep your eye on the goal and change accordingly.

Keep these steps in mind when planning.

•Set a realistic financial goal to achieve for the year.
•Consider the challenges you will need to overcome to reach your goal.
•Decide what you need to achieve to overcome those challenges.
•Calculate how much it will cost you to achieve those results.
•Evaluate how you are currently spending your time and money.
•At this point go over both your current spending and activities alongside the spending and activities you need to achieve your goal. Eliminate spending and activity that is not productive towards your goals.



You need not be set in your planning, in fact be prepared to adjust the plan. Things will change, and you will need to change with it. Planning is a continual process.

Strategy 2: Customer Service

Let's face it, customers keep you in business. Without your customers, you would have no revenue. Therefore, it is important to take care of your customers and make sure they are satisfied. Most revenue comes from repeat customers, not new ones. Keeping your customers should ALWAYS be the priority.

Strategy 3: Don't be Afraid of Risk

Business is fickle and ever changing. Neglecting risks will cause your industry to stagnate and lag behind your competitors. It is important to change with the times because return always increases with risk. However, it is important to balance risk taking with safety. Risky ventures have large payoffs because they are so risky. When deciding on taking on a new risk for your company, carefully evaluate the pros and cons and make sure that your return is worth the risk. This is where your planning comes in!

Strategy 4: Retain a Competitive Edge

To gain and keep customers, you need to provide a product or service that is better than anyone else has. It is always important to keep an edge over your competitors. If a rival business overshadows what you do best, you will need to discover another competitive edge. This is where you will usually need to take risks. If you discover a new and better way to perform a service or craft a product, seek out that edge and keep it private for as long as you can.

To run a successful business, it just takes a lot of planning. You want to provide a superior product or service to your customers, and always treat them well. Take risks if they benefit your company, and always retain the edge which makes you stand out over your rivals.
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