Month: November 2022

Complete Pantry Clean Out

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We’re into week 3 of the BWP Holiday Preparation Countdown. With Thanksgiving approaching, its time to clean out the pantry. A clean and organized food storage space not only ensures that you have all the right ingredients on hand for the big day, but it also makes it easier to find and get to everything when you need it. Here is a scalable strategy for cleaning out wherever you store your food, one shelf at a time.

If you want full access to the planning workbook that these tips are based off of, hop on over to my Ko-fi page. Sign up for my one of my monthly subscriptions and for less than the cost of a pizza you can get access to the weekly planning PDFs, detailed exercises, themed checklists, and so much more. 

Not sure that you are ready to commit to the countdown subscription? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter today and I’ll give you the first few intro pages and my monthly layouts for FREE. Subscribe in the pop up or over on my Subscribe page.

Cleaning Considerations

Before you dive in there are a few things to consider.

Where do you keep your food?

If you have a large pantry, this might be easy. Also think if you have food items stored in closets, cupboards, spice racks, freezers, on counters, or even other rooms like a garage. If you keep emergency food supplies, its a good time to check on them as well.

How much time do you have?

If you have no time constraints then you can tackle this all at once as a large project. Otherwise, make things easier by breaking your decluttering into multiple smaller chunks. Do just one shelf or type of food at a time and get easy bits done when you have a few minutes and save other areas for when you have a dedicated hour. If you have 15 minutes, you have enough time to do the cereals, 30 minutes might be enough time to do the baking goods. With this method, you can avoid tackling more than you can handle and skip creating an overwhelming mess that just wastes time and creates stress.

What are your problem areas?

You probably already know which self is a problem. Its crammed with too many things. You cant easily reach the sugar when you need it. You can never find the right seasoning and end up buying duplicates. Whatever you pantry problems are during the rest of the year, they get amplified when trying to cook under pressure for guests. Take some time before you begin to both prioritize where you focus first and decide what needs to change as you go.

thanksgiving table setting
Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Start Your Clean Out

Now that you are prepared, you can start to go through the pantry and remove things that are expired or you won’t use and get rid of them to make room for your holiday menu items. Be sure to monitor your time available. Also balance what you most need decluttered (for the upcoming meals) with what would have the most impact (the messiest/problem areas).

Use this method on each of your food storage areas, breaking them into big or small chunks. After you finish one small chunk, move on to another if you have time and energy or come back later to do more. Repeat this method on each area,.

Strategize

Determine what area/item type you will be focusing on. Take out only what you can handle in the time available. Grab a notepad and a pen, a trash bag or bin, a duster and or rag, and pick somewhere like a table or a box to keep the items corralled as you are cleaning. Think about any “decorative” elements like shelf or drawer liners, labels, storage bins, can organizers that you might want to utilize. You don’t have to use any but they can save space and keep things tidy longer when used effectively.

Toss

Check expiration dates. Keep a note pad handy and immediately add it to your shopping list if it’s something you will need/use. Now’s also the time to be honest with your self. Ask if you will actually use it. It sat there long enough to get old so will you really use it if you replace it? Likewise, just because something isn’t expired and will keep doesn’t mean you will eat it. If you won’t, consider passing it to someone who will or donating it to a food bank if appropriate.

Wipe

While your shelf is clear, dust or white it down. Scrub off any residue, add or replace shelf liners. Look at your items. Do they need dusting or cleaning. Are there any drips that need to be wiped up?

Put Away

Now put pack the things you will be keeping. If you have something that doesn’t belong back on that shelf, but you haven’t cleaned that shelf so its not ready to put back in its new home, you might keep it in a temporary bin. Now is the time to deploy any organizers, make sure things are organized in the way you want them, and assess if you have any improvements to make either now or when you tackle a future shelf. Make a note so you remember for later.

Restock

Once you’ve finished with an area, like say the canned beans, take stock of what you still have on hand and what you’ll need for your upcoming menus. Also consider what you regularly use. Add items to your grocery list so you can restock.

How does your pantry look now? Did you like this method?   Find me on Instagram as @betterwithaplan to share your panty clean out progress.

Want to know how this fits into the bigger prep plan to get your whole house decluttered, decorated, and clean for the Holidays? Sign up for a Ko-fi subscription to get the full 8 week planning workbook with all the exercises, checklists, and week-by-week plan to getting stuff done and stressing less this holiday season.

How to Define Your Core Values

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How well do you know yourself? Like really know yourself?

Today I want to dive into core values, what they are, and how you can find yours. In future posts, I’ll show you how you can use this knowledge to help you plan better, especially for the holidays.

If you want full access to the planning workbook that these tips are based off of, hop on over to my Ko-fi page. Sign up for my one of my monthly subscriptions and for less than the cost of a pizza you can get access to the weekly planning PDFs, detailed exercises, themed checklists, and so much more. 

Not sure that you are ready to commit to the countdown subscription? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter today and I’ll give you the first few intro pages and my monthly layouts for FREE. Subscribe in the pop up or over on my Subscribe page.

For a limited time only, subscribe to the newsletter or donate any amount to my Ko-fi page and I’ll also toss in the full first week—5 more content-filled pages—so that you can see for yourselves just how valuable this countdown will be.

WHAT ARE CORE VALUES?

Each of us has attitudes toward the world around us and general beliefs that drive our daily interactions. They guide our behaviors and are the reasons we give for many of our actions.

But did you know that many of these attitudes and beliefs may actually change over time? Life experiences and social norms have proven to have impacts not only on our behaviors but can even change one’s beliefs.

This is especially true for beliefs that implicitly inform your biases, the ways you quickly perceive and judge the world around you. Things like ones beliefs or attitudes toward gender roles, party politics, race and skin tone, sexuality, and body weight are just a few examples. Think back on the things you believed in when you were in high school. Has anything you used to believe in changed over time?

That said, there are also your underlying foundational beliefs, the things we call Core Values. These are deeper than attitudes and beliefs and are unlikely to change. Core values are the things that are central to who you are and who you want to be. And they can be described as both the desirable ways you want to behave (like being loving or honest) and desirable end states (like being financially secure or well-read).

Drilling down to your true core values can be a challenging task, as it requires honest introspection and at times, some uncomfortable naval-gazing. However, if you are willing to put in the effort to know yourself better, I trust you will find it ultimately rewarding.

DEFINING YOUR CORE VALUES

When you are clear about your core values, it is easier to make decisions. You will have a compass by which to decide if something is aligned with who you are and who you want to be, or not. With this clarity, you will be able to direct your attention to things that have meaning and purpose for you.

To start drilling down on your core values, you will first want to cast a wide net. Look at lists of core values, like the ones below, or generate your own. Either way you will want to make a list of any values that resonate with you.

To help, you can ask yourself some questions to help identify additional values:

  • Who are your role models?
    • What qualities do you admire about them?
    • Do they have certain behaviors that you’d like to emulate?
  • Which values feel most like you?
    • What do you do, or would you do, absent any external pressures or influences?
    • Or conversely, what doesn’t feel like you, or makes you feel wrong or ashamed?
  • When faced a dilemma, what would inspire you to act?
    • What would cause you to risk something big, like your car or home, to protect?
    • Can you think of a situation where you took a stand, even if it wasn’t popular?

While it may be easy for you to articulate some values right away, I also encourage you to take some time to sit with them. Mull them over, think about them in other scenarios. Do they still hold up if you change the circumstances? Consider asking friends and family for input. They may have noticed something about your that you haven’t admitted to yourself or can confirm what you already suspect.

Once you have your list, you are ready for the next step.

GROUPING SIMILAR VALUES

If you’ve written down everything that rings true to you, you probably have some words that overlap or are similar. You may start to see some themes or categories to you values. At this point, I want you to start grouping them together in any way that is logical for you.

For example, when I did this exercise, I had several values that I was able to group. I combined lifelong learning, knowledge seeking, curiousness, well-read and open-mindedness together because for me, they were all part of the same belief.

Try to group related values into buckets. This will help you clarify what your value and give you less total values to work with. Once you have a shorter list, I want you to prioritize them to your top 3-5 individual or groups of values. Keep only your strongest held values on the list.

One way to help you refine that is to try pitting them against one another. You could consider if you would give up one for another. Or, if you could live in a world where only one existed, which would it be. For example, if honest and financial security are vying for a place on your list, would you rather be honest but lack financial security or be financially secure at the cost of your honesty.

If you can answer questions like this and be true to how you really feel, you will know where you stand. See why this can be a challenge? At the end, you should have 3-5 values or value groups in order of importance to you.

MAKING YOUR VALUES ACTIONABLE

Now is the creative part. You need to take these from the conceptual to the actionable. For each value left on you list you will want to turn it into an action statement.

Choose a statement that best exemplifies how you want to demonstrate this value.

If you choose Freedom, how would that manifest for you? Do you mean you speak your mind without self-censorship, you seek opportunities to be your own boss, or you spend your time on things that bring you joy?

Or take Stability. Does that take the form of being consistent with your choices, pursuing a career with better benefits and stable hours, or choosing a well paying job and pursuing your creativity as hobbies.

Sometimes through this process, you may find that values you grouped together actually represent two related but fundamentally different value principals for you. And that’s ok. Revisit your groupings or, heck, go back to the full list if you need to. Drop values off and add them in. Do more than 5 or have only two, its up to you.

At the end of it you will have your own set of personal value statements, literally words to live by.

Let me give you a solid pat on the back for getting this far. The hard part is behind you. Join me on Instagram as @betterwithaplan to get help with core values, share ones you’ve come up with, or give me feedback on how this exercise worked for you. And please check back on the blog next week to dive deeper into how to apply these to your holiday planning, goal setting and decision making.

How well do you know yourself? How to find your core values
How to define your core values
Week 2 Plan More Stress Less BWP Holiday Preparation Countdown

How to Get Ready For Company Fast

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Welcome back to Week 2 of the BWP Holiday Preparation Countdown. This week we focus on getting ready for family gatherings.

In an ideal world, your house would always be freshly cleaned and clutter-free. Your guests would always give plenty of notice before visiting. And even when they pop by unexpectedly, you’d be ready to host.

But here in the real world, you need a plan for that last minute cleaning and you need it fast. In my countdown planning workbook I share this method for getting your home as guest-ready as possible in a short time.

If you want full access to the planning workbook that these tips are based off of, hop on over to my Ko-fi page. Sign up for my one of my monthly subscriptions and for less than the cost of a pizza you can get access to the weekly planning PDFs, detailed exercises, themed checklists, and so much more.

Not sure that you are ready to commit to the countdown subscription? Subscribe to my monthly newsletter today and I’ll give you the first few intro pages and my monthly layouts for FREE. Subscribe in the pop up or over on my Subscribe page.

For a limited time only, subscribe to the newsletter or donate any amount to my Ko-fi page and I’ll also toss in the full first week—5 more content-filled pages—so that you can see for yourselves just how valuable this countdown will be.

Company’s Coming

First, don’t panic.

It’s ok if you’ve skipped regular cleaning, have extra clutter, and don’t know where to start. If your guests are on the way and you only have a little time, you can still do some speed cleaning to make things a little better.

Before I tell you how, there is one thing I want you to remember: your guests are your friends and family. People who love you and want to spend time with you, not judge your cleaning prowess. Give yourself some grace and accept that it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Now grab a laundry basket, a damp rag, a dry rag or towel, a trash bag and some room freshener spray and/or scented candles and lets get started.

Speed Clean Room-by-Room

With this method you are going to go room-by-room to very quickly give your house a once-over before your guests arrive.

This is not a deep clean but a rescue operation. Focus first on the rooms where your guests will be walking through, and spend the most time in the places where they will be most.

Are they coming for coffee? Start by the front door and do the most in the living room. Coming for drinks and dinner? Put your focus on the dining room and kitchen.

When you enter a room do these 5 steps:

  • Trash: Gather any obvious trash/recyclables and bag them. Empty any trash bins.
  • Smells: Spray room freshener or light scented candles. Turn on bathroom and ceiling fans to get air circulating, if the weather is nice, open some windows.
  • Surfaces: Take your rage and quickly wipe down any countertops, put things that belong in other rooms into the laundry basket. Don’t wast time putting them away in another room. Straighten and tidy the surfaces as you go.
  • Clear the floor: Start at the center and pick up anything that is on the floor. If you can put it away easily, do so. Otherwise, fold, pile, or arrange neatly and move on.
  • Put stuff away: if you’ve got items in your basket that belong in this room, drop them off before you move on. Gather your cleaning supplies and head to the next room.

Finishing Touches

After you’ve gone through each room quickly, finish putting away any leftover items in your basket. Blow out any candles. Turn off the fans and close the windows. Then go back to your bathrooms.

  • Do a quick clean: wipe down toilet, faucet, mirror and door handle.
  • Tidy up: put out fresh towels, close shower curtains, and put down toilet seats.

If you have time left here are a few other things you can do:

  • Vacuum the center of the floors
  • Wash, or put in dishwasher, any dishes that are not he counter
  • Walk the entry round to look for thing that are out of place
  • Keep using the 5 steps on other rooms
  • Pick up some flowers and make some quick arrangements

Don’t forget to put your basket and cleaning supplies away but if you are short on time, just toss the whole basket into the laundry area and deal with it later. ☺️

Now stop stressing about what your house looks like and enjoy visiting with your guests.

Did you like this method? Want to know how this fits into the plan to get your whole house decluttered, decorated, and clean for the Holidays? Sign up for a Ko-fi subscription to get the full 8 week planning workbook with all the exercises, checklists, and week-by-week plan to getting stuff done and stressing less this holiday season.

How do you get ready for guests in a hurry? Leave a comment below.

Do One Thing Now to Make Holiday Preparations a Breeze

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I’m back again with another tip for our first week of the BWP Plan More, Stress Less Holiday Preparation Countdown.

Week 1 Holiday Preparation Countdown image

Think back on holidays past. How easy was it to make the celebrations you envisioned come to life, to meet everyones expectations, host gatherings, and prepare for all the events? Did you feel pressure to get it right, to go above and beyond? I don’t know about you, but I generally feel rushed, stretched too thin and a little more frazzled during the holiday season.

Its no wonder that the American Psychological Association reports 38% of people surveyed experienced increased stress during the holidays. This year, instead of stressing about the holidays, wouldn’t you rather take steps now to be prepared?

Imagine being able to create the atmosphere and environment you want for precious holiday memories. Spending quality time with friends and family. Knowing what you need to do and when you need to do it. Having a mechanism to deal with feeling, both positive and negative. Steadily making progress to tackle problem areas. And feeling ready to welcome guests and visitors without stressing about how things look.

Seems too good to be true? Its not as far fetched as it sounds.

And maybe surprisingly, it all starts with creating the space to plan. Do this one thing now and you’ll be on the right track to make Holiday preparations a breeze.

Why You Need a Planning Spot

brown trench coat on wooden rack
Photo by Hristo Sahatchiev on Pexels.com

It might sound a little mystical but I have found again and again that something good happens when you intentionally designate a place with a purpose. It can be somewhere permanent like a home office desk. Or it can be somewhere more temporary like the kitchen table or a particular spot on the couch.

Set your intention to make that be your planning spot, and equip it with the tools you need for various tasks, Once you have a place for planning, you’ll be far more likely go there and actually spend time making plans.

Make a place where you keep your pens, paper, planners and calendars. With everything you need within reach, its easier to sit down and get to planning.

It’s a key component of habit building. Come back to the same spot on a regular basis you start to build routines. Sit there to make your grocery lists, write in your journal, and review your calendar. The more you reinforce the practice, the easier it will be to maintain. Consistency is key so set reminders if you need them.

Making Space to Plan

funny labrador in eyeglasses resting on bed with book
Photo by Samson Katt on Pexels.com

Choose somewhere you feel comfortable sitting for a bit. You’ll also want a steady surface to write on and work from as well. Find a place where you can easily sit, read, write, ponder, and plan.

You’ll also need a space to store your planner, access your calendar, interact with the internet, and manage paper. Choose your desk and you may already have this set up. If you are creating a new space be sure to factor in where you will keep things when you are not using them. If you can’t have a dedicated planning spot, make sure you keep your stuff near by. File boxes, drawers, or totes keep things handy but make it easy to put away.

Other Considerations for Your Space

In addition to a place to sit, and your obvious planning stuff, there are a few other things you will wan’t to think about.

  • Lighting – You don’t want to be straining your eyesight so consider if your spot has more mood lighting than functional lighting. Battery operated portable task lighting can be a reasonably priced solution and can be moved to where you need it most.
  • Privacy – It might not be possible to totally escape but if you have the choice, pick somewhere that lets you avoid being interrupted constantly. If thats not possible in your house, choose somewhere where you can safely leave your plans and come back to them. A space with a door or a higher counter is better than the coffee table for protecting things from little hands or curious critters.
  • Electronics – Will you use a computer, laptop or phone for planning? Make sure its somewhere with a convenient surge protector and extra charging cables.
  • Music – Do you like mood music? Will you be able to play your tunes?I love a good playlist to get me in the grove and use both my phone and some portable bluetooth speakers.

Whichever space you choose, make sure its a place you want to spend some time. Outfit it with everything you need. Then start using it to make it a habit.

Did you like this tip? In the comments, tell me where you do your planning, what you consider, and how you make it yours.

Want to know how this fits into the plan to get your whole house decluttered, decorated, and clean for the Holidays? Sign up for a Ko-fi subscription to get the full 8 week planning workbook with all the exercises, checklists, and week-by-week plan to getting stuff done and stressing less this holiday season.