TradingCradles.com Blog

Life is chock-full of birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and other reasons to send greeting cards to people you love.  How many times have you needed a card and realized you had none handy and no time to trek to the store to find one? Or better yet, ran to the store at the last minute and ended up paying over $4 for a greeting card?

 

It is frustrating and ends up ruining the ‘kind gesture’ that a card should be carrying on to the receiver.

 

As busy moms, we certainly can end up busting the family budget by not being organized and paying so much more than we need to for cards.  But if we find a method to get organized and plan ahead you will be able to easily bless others and stay well within your family budget.

 

Since the beginning of the school year means ‘fresh start’ on so many levels, why not take the time to create a complete greeting card list, set up a greeting card calendar and get equipped with a supply of low cost greeting cards?

 

Creating a calendar with dates and having greeting cards  on hand and organized, will help you remember important dates, save time, and make your life easier.  Doesn’t that sound great?

Here are some tips to get you started:

 

Start by making a master list of all the important dates you need to remember, like birthdays and anniversaries.

 

Next determine what type of calendar system you will use to keep track.  I personally use my outlook calendar, which I have had for years and snyc it to my COZI calendar (a free online calendar service for busy families).  I color code the dates either by category (birthday, anniversary) which helps me determine quickly what type of card I will need to send. I can also set reminders on outlook to help jog my memory to send a card in advance of the occasion, which is tremendously helpful.

 

Now, you will need to have some cards on hand – this is the fun part! I love having all types and occasions of cards ready and available to send.  I organize them in these great boxes – so they are easy to find and stay nice and neat too! Even my husband or kids can easily access a card if they need one, which keeps one more thing off my to-do list.

There are a ton of ways to ‘stock’ your card boxes – here are a few of my favorite low cost ways.

 

Use a website like Currentcatalog.com where you can purchase cards in bundles, which saves you an incredible amount of money.  They have cards for all occasions, even holidays in addition to low cost wrapping paper, ribbon and accessories.  If you can’t get an order large enough to take advantage of the free shipping option, gather a couple of friends together to place an order.

 

Another great way to stock that box is to have a membership in a card club like the Heart Connection Card Club from DaySpring.  Each month you get a variety of cards shipped to you automatically, but at more than half the price of single purchase price.

 

You can also stop by your local drugstore and gather inexpensive cards for $.99 each.  Many card companies like Hallmark and American Greetings have low-cost varieties that make it easy on the family budget.

 

Once you have your greeting card list made and scheduled on your calendar, gathered your stock of greeting cards it is time to place all your goodies in one location -  include your cards, stamps, some blank stationery, pens, and your master list.  The key is to have all your supplies in one place, so that you don’t waste a lot of time finding the supplies.

 

I find that I send more cards to those I care about because it is not a hassle – all I have to do is pick one out, write a note, stamp it and pop it in the mail.  I rarely miss an occasion and honestly enjoy writing the card and sending it rather than perhaps dreading it if I had to make a last minute dash to the store to pick up a card.

 

Say goodbye to being unorganized and the one who always ‘forgets’ family occasions and hello to the one who doesn’t miss an occasion to send a card – ON TIME!

 

Post written by Susan Heid…

Susan Heid is the mom behind The Confident Mom where she loves inspiring  moms to make small changes managing their home and family life giving them more time, less stress and stronger family relationships! She enthusiastically wears the hat of mom, step-mom and foster mom to 4 awesome kids – ages 18, 14, 10 and 17 months; is married to her very own prince charming, loves coffee, cloudy days, and does think the bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle.  Her FREE 5 part mini series: “The Opening Act” is helping moms worldwide become the calm mom they want to be!  Join the community of moms on Facebook or find her @ConfidentMom on Twitter.

 

 

Fall is an ideal time to spruce up your home, I especially love decorating my home for fall, but before I do all the ‘fun’ stuff, I make time for household tasks that make shifting into winter a lot more pleasant.

 

A lot of attention is given to Spring Cleaning, but some tasks that seem to be only once a year tasks should be done more often.  You spend a considerable amount of time indoors when the weather cools down, so the more you do now to create a clean and comfy space, the more enjoyable it will be to be indoors.

 

Wash all Windows – Windows build up a lot of dirt and grime during the summer. Washing windows inside and out will brighten up your house and give fresh perspective. Use glass cleaner, or one squirt of dish-washing liquid in a spray bottle filled with water and wipe down. Pick a cloudy day so you can better see any streaks.

 

Vacuum and/or Wash Blinds – If you have metal/plastic blinds you can either wipe them down with a damp cloth or take them completely off and hose them down outside.  This is my preferred method, and with some warm temperatures still around, they will dry and be ready to put back up in no time.  If you are taking the time to wash your windows, take the time to clean your blinds too!  If you have fabric blinds, vacuum with a brush attachment while they are hanging.

 

Clean out Entry Coat closet – Take some time to clear out the junk that unknowingly seems to accumulate in this area!  You will want to have a handy place to keep heavier coats, gloves, hats, scarves and umbrellas and it will be much easier to retrieve these items if clutter is gone.

 

Clean and Store Summer Clothing – It is time to pull out the winter clothing and put items through a washing cycle if need be.  Put away summer shorts, tank tops and sandals.  It will be so much easier to get dressed without those items clogging up your closet.

 

Clean Carpeting and Floors - Move furniture and vacuum beneath and behind it, enlist the help of other family members to move end tables and chairs.  Getting underneath items will reduce the amount of dust that will end up circulating in your house, it is amazing how much can accumulate.

 

Vacuum Upholstered Furniture – Take all the cushions and pillows off chairs and sofas and thoroughly vacuum – you will be amazed at what you might find underneath those cushions – I know I have been!

 

Flip Mattresses – Turn mattresses front-to-back and end-to-end to equalize wear, while you are at it you can wash the mattresses pad/cover too.

 

Sweep the Chimneys - Have the wood-burning fireplace and chimneys professionally inspected and swept.  You will want to know they are ready for fall/winter use.

 

Lastly, instead of storing summer articles that you may be thinking of getting rid of, this is a perfect time to list them on Trading Cradles and get a little fall spending money.  Children’s clothing, toys and outdoor play equipment will find a new home and you will be happy to not store them all winter!

 

For a great FREE Fall Cleaning List, check out the one at Living Locurto, get all your tasks written down in one place.  For more free printables to get your home organized, check out Life Your Way too.

 

Post written by Susan Heid…

Susan Heid is the mom behind The Confident Mom where she loves inspiring  moms to make small changes managing their home and family life giving them more time, less stress and stronger family relationships! She enthusiastically wears the hat of mom, step-mom and foster mom to 4 awesome kids – ages 18, 14, 10 and 17 months; is married to her very own prince charming, loves coffee, cloudy days, and does think the bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle.  Her FREE 5 part mini series: “The Opening Act” is helping moms worldwide become the calm mom they want to be!  Join the community of moms on Facebook or find her @ConfidentMom on Twitter.