The Little Paper

Balance is a constant parenting quest, and blessed are the few who swing it on a consistent basis. So here’s hoping 2010 brings you not only the oft wished-for prosperity, health and happiness, but also fewer harried mornings, longer bouts of laughter and more moments of bliss. We’ve tracked down some resolution-worthy endeavors to launch you into a simpler, more mindful decade.

Carve out some Space
The combination of mountains of stuff with miniscule amounts of time is not one of the many joys kids bring. Tackling the chaos in 15-minute chunks and applying the, everything-should-have-its-home rule are a couple of measures to take. There are numerous clutter-busting websites out there including www.Flylady.net. It might take a bit of digging to find a strategy that works for you but we like the “27 Things” approach: everyday for a month, commit to putting 27 things where they belong – upstairs, in the basement, on the curb.  Then stop. Seriously. Stop after 27 things, go on with your day all smug in the knowledge that after about 30 days, you’ll be clutter free (or darn close anyway.)

Dress for the Weather
Lil’s kindergarten teacher always said that there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing and the dark months of January and February certainly pass much quicker with a generous dollop of outside fun . The Active-Kids Club encourages outdoor play no matter the weather. They have some great tips on how to dress for winter and please, don’t forget about yourself. I don’t care how much fun Junior is having, if you’re freezing your butt off, it’s not worth it.

Eat your Veggies
Boost your greens with an organic or Ontario-grown produce box delivered straight to your door. Boxes can be ordered weekly or bi-weekly and some offer recipes to help you serve up that mystery vegetable. Try Foodshare and Front Door Organics. Interested in easing into organic eating? Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides for a short-list of the best produce to buy organic, the humble apple ranks number 2.

Get a Little Help
Oh yeah, we’re perfect over here at The Little Paper – never once had a bout of depression, insomnia, what-am-I-doing-with-my-life, p.p.d. or trouble getting unstuck – yeah, right. If you’re feeling sustainably blue, please do go see your doctor. After all, your family is depending on you and you work really hard and your deserve to feel much better.

If you are feeling stuck in a rut, wondering what’s next or just need someone caring, practical and responsive to speak with, we can’t say enough good things about Robin Preboy at Women Arrive. Not only does her affordable telephone coaching make it a heck of a lot easier to find the time and stick with it, but she’s a lovely person who has made real change in the lives of women we know and honour. She might be perfect for you.

Finally, here’s an uncharacteristic throw to a self-help article. A year or so ago we ran into this Real Simple article with some great “management tips for busy households.” It makes some very real, very simple sense.

Take care of yourself this year. Don’t always power through things, ask for help and have more fun. Five minutes of bust-a-gut laughter over a fart joke is way more important than a tidy fridge.