The 7 Habits to a Tidier Home

Feel like you are constantly cleaning your apartment or home? Does the laundry pile never seem to end and the dishes haven't learned to do themselves yet? I might not be able to do your laundry or dishes for you, but I can give you the 7 habits tidy people practice to keep a clean and tidy home. 

1. Follow the 1 minute rule.
Can it be picked up, washed, cleaned, straightened, or put away in 1 minute or less? If yes, channel Nike and Just Do It. Often times tasks get neglected or shirked because of the fear they will take forever and eat up your precious time and energy. What people don't realize is the energy it takes to avoid doing something and/or looking at a mess constantly actually eats up more energy than the original task itself! If it takes a minute or less, just do it. Your future self will thank you and your home will look much tidier and more inviting.

2. Take off your shoes. 
Practice cleanliness and take off your shoes when you get inside your home. Why track all that dirt and muck around the house? You don't walk around on your hands all day and then touch every surface in your home, do you? Then why should your shoes? Take them off.

3. Become friends with dish washing. 
Accept that dishes are a part of life. You eat, you drink, you live, you wash dishes. Dishes should not be left undone overnight. If they must be left undone overnight, do them in the morning. If you don't believe me, read this post about ants taking over my kithen. Personally dish washing is my least favorite chore because it grosses me out to touch other people's half eaten food and dirty dishes, but some people find hand washing dishes to be very zen. I like to rinse them and use the dishwasher. I try to think of it in the grand scheme of things -- how lucky am I to have food on the table and clean water and indoor plumbing that I have dishes to do. (Yes, seriously.)

4. Accept laundry as a part of life and devise a system.
Like dish washing, laundry is simply a part of life. You have clothes, you wear them, they need to be washed. Now that I live in a house instead of an apartment and I don't have to put in quarters to use the machines, I like to do a load of laundry every few days (as opposed to when I lived in an apartment and would wait as long as I possibly could before doing laundry because I hated trekking up and down the stairs and fighting with my neighbors over who got to use the machines.) I live in California so there is a constant drought and we have to be very mindful of how much water we use. When I have a full load of laundry (aka my hamper is full) I wash my clothes. Find a system that works for you. Follow the 1 minute rule and don't take off clothes and pile them around your room. Put them in the hamper and when the hamper is full, do your laundry. That might mean doing laundry a couple of times a week if you have a family/children, or it might mean once a week if you are single and live alone.

5. Make your bed. 
If you make your bed first thing in the morning, you will not only feel like you have accomplished something, you will be contributing to the tidiness of your home. (Also how inviting is a made bed at the end of a long day!?)

6. Wipe off the counters.
Every night before bed wipe down the counters -- kitchen, bathroom, etc. Wipe them down and you will be cleaning up the water stains, crumbs, dirt and whatever else has accumulated throughout the day. You will feel so much better waking up to a clean bathroom sink and clean kitchen.

7. Put things in their place and have a place for every thing. 
I admit, this is the HARDEST of each of these 7 habits and something I am definitely still working on (especially since I am still not fully moved in yet.) When I start to feel like things don't have a place, I evaluate what I no longer use, need or love and give it away or sell it. There is something very liberating about making sure everything has a place and that way you know what you have and you don't buy duplicates of things! What a waste of money to buy something when you already have it but you just couldn't find it, right?

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I hope you found these 7 habits to a tidier home useful! What habits do you have in place to keep your home tidy? 

Tips & Tricks: How to Cope With Daily Stress

Coping with daily stress is an acquired skill. Life is not easy - there are times when the trip to the grocery store, sitting in an hour of traffic, talking to an unhappy customer, etc. can seem like too much. That being said, being able to cope with daily stress is an important skill that mature adults will have cultivated over time. It's a muscle that needs to be warmed up, stretched, and used regularly.

Here are some tips and tricks that I use to help myself handle the daily stressors of life:

1. Check yourself. What is really going on here? Are you reacting to the situation, or are you processing it? I have found that reacting often takes a lot of energy, whereas processing allows you to take action immediately. Example: Student walks into my office and is unhappy. Are they unhappy because of ME? Probably not. If I reacted to a negative tone with a defense mechanism, I am expending important energy that is best channeled elsewhere (like solving the issue at hand.) Rather than reacting I should check myself and process the issue. Tone aside, what are they really unhappy about? What is the message they are inadvertently sending? When I focus on this I am much more able to get to the issue at hand and take action.

2. Check your thoughts. Having negative thoughts repeatedly throughout a day will undoubtedly alter your mood. Not only that, it will alter how people perceive you, and how you perceive yourself. Check your thoughts. If you are thinking negative things about yourself and your life often throughout the day, your mood, mental health and overall well-being are probably suffering for it.

3. Nourish yourself. How can you cope with stress if you don't properly nourish yourself? Your diet is between you and your doctor, but trying to get the right amount of vitamins, minerals, protein and fruits/veggies is a great place to start.

4. Drink water. This is a huge one for me. When I am dehydrated, my thinking, processing, well-being, everything- is compromised. When I start to feel super cranky and tired for (seemingly) no reason, I know that's my cue to drink more water, stat. It really helps with my energy levels plus it does wonders for my skin ;)

5. Pat yourself on the back! More likely than not, you are doing your best. Some days that means you will operate at 100%, other days that means you might be operating at 80%. Be kind to yourself. No one is perfect and we often times have to deal with stressors that are out of our control. The sooner you acknowledge that you don't have control over everything and that you're just trying your best to handle your day, the better.

I'd love to know, what are you tips and tricks for coping with daily stress? Have a great week!

Tips & Tricks: 5 Lovely Links

As someone who is trying to navigate her twenties with (some) semblance of grace, I appreciate articles that give me tips and tricks on just... living life! Because let's face it, we all need a little bit of help from seasoned veterans from time to time.  So, I've compiled a short list of articles I thought you all might appreciate. (Note, most of these links were sent to me at some point by my dad, who loves to flood my inbox with cute puppy pics and articles on business and space. Thanks, Dad!)

1. 15 Things Successful People Do In Their 20s by Richard Feloni
 Because I love lists, and this one happens to be very on point.

2. Quit Your Job by Derek Thompson 

And I quote, "Jumping between jobs in your 20s, which strikes many people as wayward and noncommittal, improves the chance that you'll find more satisfying—and higher paying—work in your 30s and 40s." Sweet.

3. The Case for Delayed Adulthood by Laurence Steinberg 

Because brain plasticity is a thing.

4. 6 Things the Most Productive People Do Every Day  by Eric Barker

(You might be surprised at number 2.)

5. 26 Time Management Hacks I Wish I'd Known at 20 by Etienne Garbugli 

I think number 8 is my favorite. 

Do you have any articles you want to share that might help make life easier, better, or more fulfilling? I'd love to know! Feel free to email me at mapleandmint@gmail.com or share on twitter @mapleandmint

Tips & Tricks: Vision Board

Hi everyone, happy Monday!

Today I'm sharing pictures of a vision board I created with a friend. Now, there are lots of ways to make a vision board. Maybe you want to paste pictures of things you hope to have in your future. Maybe you want to paste inspirational images and words of who you strive to be and what you hope to accomplish. For this project I really focused on just breathing, being, and allowing myself to choose images that spoke to me from a nonjudgmental standpoint. When I let go of judgment and let my eyes and heart guide my choices, I really loved what my board ended up looking like.

To create your vision board you'll need:
- A canvas or thick paper
- Scissors
- Modge Podge (or glue)
- Foam Brush
- Magazines
- Anything else creative that you want on your board: sequins, ribbon, photographs, etc.
- Perhaps you want a pen to write things

 If you use Modge Podge, you can put a light coat on the canvas where you intend to place your image, and then a light coat on top if you want to seal it or create a glossy or matte look. You also don't have to put a top coat on if you don't want to. 

 You may want to have a variety of magazines so that your images vary. I used primarily fashion magazines but also magazines that included images of nature and food. 

This was my end result! 

I love this project because it is fairly quick, easy, and fun. Here is my canvas hanging in my bedroom:

I hope you enjoyed this week's tips & tricks! Thanks, as always, for reading!

Tips & Tricks: the art of the daily commute

Los Angeles has ridiculous traffic. It's taken time for me to accept this fact, but I think I've finally mastered the art of the daily commute. Here are some tips and tricks I've learned along the way that I hope will help you come to terms with your commutes too:

1) Books on tape are your friend. This is my number one favorite things about commuting (did I just say that?). I get to listen to books in peace. My favorite app right now is audiobooks.com. You can sign up for the paid service or just listen to the freebies like me. So far my favorites have been Sherlock Holmes and White Fang. It's become my daily ritual to listen to a story on the drive to and from work, and I find that I actually look forward to story time when I get in my car. I limit it to commute hours- so I don't listen to a book from home to the grocery store, for example. It's more special that way and cultivates happy driving memories that are specifically related to my commute.

2) Find your radio station jam. If I listen to AMP radio too many days in a row I start to doubt the existence of more than 5 pop songs in the universe. The radio isn't really my thing right now, but some people need to get their daily dose of world news or celebrity gossip before they can really start their morning. If you can stand the adds, go for it.

3) Pack snacks. Bars are easily stored in the glove compartment and aren't particularly sensitive to temperatures, for example.  You never know when you might get a case of low blood sugar in a traffic jam. Crisis averted.

4) Cozy up to a warm comfort beverage like tea or coffee on your morning drive.

5)  Turn up those bun warmers. Nothing says comfort like warmth under your buns on the drive to work.

Tips & Tricks: Finding the Right Hostess Gift (and Getting it on the Airplane)

I am going to visit SH's family next week, and I have been brainstorming for weeks about what I would like to take as a hostess gift!

Marthastewart.com has some great ideas, a few of which are listed below. See article here. Some of the ideas I liked most would be difficult or impossible to take on an airplane, namely the "Hot-Sauce Hostess Gift" and "Fresh Peach Infused Vinegar" but they would be great for a closer trip. 

Ideas include:

• Taper Candles
• Hand-Made/ Personalized Coasters
• Home-Made Pasta
• Wine or Other Spirits
• A Geographically Famous Item (Such as Ghirardelli Chocolate from San Francisco)
• A Hand-Made Kindle Cover (Assuming the Hostess has a Kindle!)

Ideas that I like if you know your hostess pretty well, and have an idea of what her decor/style/scent preferences are, include:

• Scented Candle 
• Christmas Tree Ornament
• Picture Frame with a Nice Photo
• Hostess' Favorite Candy
• Tea Towels

Remember, presentation is (almost) just as important as the gift. Even when people have given me squashed wrapped gifts that took a little wear and tear in the suitcase or carry-on, I appreciate the effort and thought they put into wrapping it. Personalize your gift as best you can, perhaps with some nice wrapping or twine, and a thoughtful card. Don't leave it to the last minute (which I am often guilty of doing!) You'll thank yourself when the gift-giving time comes.

What are your favorite hostess gifts to give and/or receive?

Tips & Tricks: How to Be Polite to a Customer Service Agent

Calls to customer service lines. We've all made them, and throughout our lives, we will continue to make them. These calls are sometimes pleasant and helpful. Often times, they aren't.

I have worked as a customer service phone representative and let me tell you, it is no walk in the park. The customers calling are typically irate, deeply saddened or stressed, or some combination of the three. These calls can be stressful, blood-pressure raising and sometimes downright offensive.

Here are some tips on how to be polite to the person on the other end of the phone (yes, person- remember that customer service reps are people, too!) This polite and kind attitude might just get you what you want and/or need by the end of the phone call, and they will hang up thinking what a nice human being you are. Win-win for everyone!

Step #1: State your identity and purpose. 
Example, when calling your bank customer service hotline: "Hi my name is Christine, I am a [bank name] debit card holder, and I am calling with questions about activity on my debit account."

This informs the representative who you are, why you are calling, and immediately flags for them if you've even called the right department. State your identity and purpose with enough concise detail that the rep will instantly know if their department is the appropriate one to help you. If you are a debit card holder and you accidentally called the credit card customer service line, chances are that representative cannot help you. Why not figure that out upfront before you launch into a long-winded story?

Step #2: Immediately ask what other information they need to continue the call. 
"What information do you need from me to continue?"
Example: the rep might ask for your debit card number or other identifying information.

Providing the necessary information upfront not only speeds up the phone call, it informs the representative that you know what you're doing and you value your time.

Step #3: Say please and thank you.
Back to the basics here, people. Say please when you make a request and say thank you when the request is being completed. Simple as that. If you call in a horrible, angry mood with a bad attitude, guess what - that doesn't make the person want to help you more. If you are polite and kind, it will probably surprise them enough to want to go the extra mile for you.

Step #4: Remember that Customer Service Representatives are NOT your therapist.
Maybe in the heated moment you think they should be, but it's not their job. They do not need to hear about your personal problems UNLESS they pertain SPECIFICALLY to the reason you are calling. If you are calling your bank to report identity theft, the customer service rep on the line does not also need to hear about how your dog's death or the jerk who rear ended you last week. This might sound harsh, but it's true. It's not their job to listen to you lay down a load of woes and problems. Occasionally you might get the nice representative who has a human response to your troubles and empathizes with you, but remember that often times these reps have to follow a script. Why launch into something emotional and personal when they can't do anything about it, and probably can't talk to you about it like a friend or loved one could?

Step #5: Remember that Customer Service Representatives are NOT your punching bag. 
You do not have the right to swear at them, threaten them, or verbally abuse them in any way. This behavior is inappropriate and unacceptable.

I hope these five tips help you have more pleasant and helpful customer service calls in the future!

And remember, no matter how angry and disappointed you might be with the call, it is never appropriate to just hang up on the

Tips & Tricks: The Art of a Handwritten Note

This week I received the sweetest handwritten note in the mail from a friend. It was a greeting of kind, encouraging words, and the positive impact it had on the rest of my evening was tremendous. It's amazing how so few words, with such kind and sincere meaning, can impact a person. Not to mention the stationary was ridiculously cute (see below.)

I have always loved the art of the handwritten note. In fact, I collect stationary. I have certain friends with whom I exchange handwritten notes and cards, not only for birthdays or holidays, but out of the blue, too. When I was having a difficult time adjusting to college my freshman year, a long time friend of mine from high school frequently wrote to me. My trips to the college mail stop quickly became a favorite ritual of mine during a very lonely time. Those handwritten notes helped alleviate the loneliness I felt, and reminded me I was loved and had good friendships. The letters were personal. They were meaningful. They required effort. This dear friend of mine made a positive impact on my life simply by writing me a letter. (I still have them, by the way, tucked away for a rainy day in a shoebox in my closet.)

Today's blog post tackles the art of the handwritten note. I'd like to challenge you: Don't let email and social media kill letter writing. Don't underestimate the power of a handwritten note on cute stationary. Seriously, who doesn't love getting actual, real life mail in the MAILBOX?

Here are some basic steps to write a short, simple, and thoughtful note. This is NOT intended for professional letters or thank you notes, but rather for correspondence between friends, family or loved ones.

 

Step One: Date and address the note. Simple, right? Why date it, you ask? A) So the person knows when you wrote it and B) if they keep it forever, they will have a frame of reference for when it was written and how long they've had it. 

As for addressing, some might simply write the person's name, as I did above. Others may make it more formal or more casual by adding "Dear Alyssa," or "Hey Alyssa." It's your letter, so you should make it meaningful to you and the person you are communicating with.

  

Step Two: Open with kindness. I always find that opening with kind words that reflect your positive feelings about the person is a good way to go. Nobody really wants to get a short note of complaints or negativity. Remember, this is a note to tell someone you are thinking of them.

Step Three: Ask a specific question. What is the last thing you spoke to this person about?  Do you want to follow up on that, or do you want to ask a question that is timely and relevant (as I did above?) Do you want to ask about their family, or new love interest, or recent vacation? Whatever your question, make it specific and meaningful to the person you are writing to.

Step Four: Talk about you. Now that you've opened with kindness, have let the person know you're thinking of them, and have asked them a specific question, you get to talk about you.

 Step Five: Sign the bottom. Read through and make sure you're happy with what you've written. Write a P.S. if there's something you forgot to mention but have already signed it.

 Step Six: Tuck the letter in the envelope.

 Step Seven: Seal the envelope well.

 Step Eight: Address it and put on a cute stamp. There! You did it!

I challenge each of you to write a handwritten letter this week to someone you love!! Why not spread the cheer to someone's mailbox? One of the best parts about letter writing is... you not only brighten someone's day, but you will probably get a note back in return :)

Thanks for reading!