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Household Chores for Kids Under Seven

July 20, 2015 by Jackie Ritz Leave a Comment

Household Chores

No parent chooses to raise a kid to be a TV-and-video-game-addicted-couch-potato, but unfortunately that’s exactly what can happen unless we learn how to motivate our kids to better pursuits. And one of the best ways to begin to inspire kids to do more than sit in front of the tube is to teach them how to work with their natural, intrinsic drive to be productive, creative contributors to the household. Kids want to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves, so don’t let them drag their feet about doing household chores. Dan Pink, author of Drive: What Motivates Us tells us why household chores are good for kids: “Chores show kids that families are built on mutual obligations and that family members need to help each other.”

Kids are not born with the work ethic. Character traits of tolerance, perseverance and self-discipline are learned—and must be taught by us parents. It’s up to us to teach our kids the difference between wanting and getting, and how to postpone gratification in order to accomplish and succeed later as an adult.

I have found that both my six-and-a-half year old and my four year old love to help me with chores when I can help them see that they are enjoyable and entertaining. My six year old has been helping me with my essential oil tasks since I began. She also has already become Little Miss Farmer, and gathers eggs, picks flowers, finds new vegetables growing on our new farm, takes care of the chickens, gets Sunflower seeds ready for roasting, and helps me cook and bake. Barefoot Boy loves to search for our free range chicken eggs, help pick berries (yes, he eats most of them!), and take care of the goats.

None of those things are consistent, everyday chores for them yet, but they have already learned to be productive family members. In this blog I want to help us all take these sometimes chores a step further, and give you some ideas for household chores for kids under seven, that my kids, and yours, can do every day.

I want to look at four important considerations when planning and assigning chores to our kids.

  1. Tips and Pitfalls to keep in mind about kids and chores.
  2. Age-appropriate chores for children birth through age seven or so.
  3. Ways to consistently check up on your children’s faithfulness to their chores.
  4. How to appropriately reward your children for their help with the family chores.

1. Tips and Pitfalls to keep in mind about kids and chores.

Sometimes there is a fine line between motivating our children to do their chores and overwhelming them with demands and responsibilities that de-motivate them. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid.

  • Don’t insist on perfection—No one is perfect. It’s better to have a relaxed approach to how well our kids do their chores.
  • Don’t delay—Your kids are probably more capable than you think. Kids can do a lot of chores at an early stage. Remember that they learn best by doing.
  • Don’t be stingy with praise—Get that praise going right away! Don’t wait until the chores is done. Praise and encourage your children as they do their chores.
  • Don’t be inconsistent—If your children aren’t expected to regularly follow through with their chores, they may start putting them off in the hopes someone else will do them for them.

And here are a few tips that will make it easier to get started.

  • Be specific with instructions—Be explicit. If you want your son to clean his room, tell him exactly what to do: “Put your clothes in the closet, your books on the shelf, dishes in the kitchen, and toys in the toy box.”
  • Ease into chores for children—First show them how to do the chore step by step. Next, let your child help you do it. Then have your child do the chore as you supervise. Once she’s mastered it, let her do it alone.
  • Go easy with reminders and deadlines—Don’t micromanage your kids. Use the when/then technique. For example, say: “When the pets are fed, then you can have your dinner.”
  • Kids want to help—Take advantage of their natural desire and encourage their excitement about doing chores.
  • Kids have a short attention span—If your child seems to be struggling consistently with doing a certain chore, it may be too involved for him, or he may not be able to do it as well as he wants to.

2. Age-appropriate chores for children birth through age seven or so.

Our children are capable of doing so many more things than we even realize at times that it would be hard to give you an exhaustive list of everything your children can do at a specific age. You can do your own research to find many kinds of chores that might be appropriate for your children. But I would like to suggest several chores for each of three age groupings.

Chores for children ages 2 to 3

  • Put toys away
  • Fill pet’s food dish
  • Put clothes in hamper
  • Wipe up spills
  • Pile books and magazines

Chores for children 4 to 5

  • Brush hair and teeth
  • Make their own beds
  • Empty wastebaskets
  • Pull weeds, if you have a garden
  • Clear table
  • Water flowers
  • Set the table
  • Take out the garbage

Chores for children 6 to 7

  • Sort laundry
  • Sweep floors
  • Weed and rake eaves
  • Help make and pack lunch
  • Keep bedroom tidy
  • Care for pets
  • Help put away groceries

3. Ways to consistently check up on your children’s faithfulness to their chores.

Teaching kids about chores, money, and work is definitely a lifelong process. One of the most successful ways to inspire your children’s faithfulness to their chores may be through the use of a chore chart. This can be used not only to provide motivation, but also to help teach your children financial responsibility.

Since children are much more excited about cute pictures than simple words, use a chore chart that is visually stimulating to your children. You can do your own research and find many, many ideas for chore charts online. (You can find several different printable charts here.) 

A few that we have used and love are: 

  • Melissa & Doug Magnetic Chart – great for kids under 4
  • Accountable Kids System – we adore this system for our nearly 4 year old and 6 year old. 

You will want to place your chore chart in a visible location, and make sure to review your children’s accomplishments every day. Love, praise, and acknowledgment are your secret weapons to keep them diligent to their chores.

4. How to appropriately reward your children for their help with the family chores.

When you begin assigning chores to your children be sure that you and your spouse have discussed what kinds of rewards or incentives you will be using with them. Maybe you think chores are just part of belonging to the family. As part of the family you expect them to chip in, help out, and do things around the house

You may want to set up some kind of a reward system. It can be a powerful tool to motivate them. The rewards can be earned privileges, playdates, maybe a movie with a friend, or whatever else you choose to be appropriate. Some parents will choose to reward their kids for their chores with money, thereby teaching important lessons about earning.

Our family was able to pay off our debts and become financially stable through the help of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. You can read our story here.  I would highly recommend his Financial Peace Junior materials, which are designed to help you teach your children about money. It doesn’t just give you the tools to teach your kids to win with money—it shows you how. You can find it here. 

Since our children learn the most by watching us, be sure that you are modeling a positive work attitude yourself. Show pride in your accomplishments and share your insights with your kids. Let them see that your career is not just work, it’s an opportunity to grow and to achieve financial stability. Teaching your children to be independent and to have life skills will allow them to feel empowered, and helps to develop healthy self-esteem. Give your children every opportunity to become ready for whatever life brings to them. It starts with simple household chores.

Household Chores for Kids Under Seven

Source

  1. https://www.parents.com/kids/development/social/motivate-kids-to-do-chores/
  2. https://www.today.com/parents/what-chores-what-age-guide-parents-2D80555366
  3. https://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/chores-for-children
  4. https://childparenting.about.com/od/familyhome/a/choreschild.htm
  5. https://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/chore_list.htm
  6. https://www.parents.com/kids/development/social/motivate-kids-to-do-chores/
  7. https://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2014/09/19/great-chores-kids/

 

Filed Under: family, Homeschooling, Natural Living

Is Natural Living Driving You Crazy?

April 3, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 25 Comments

Is Natural Living Driving You Crazy.001

Was life less stressful for you pre-crunchy? Were you happier before you *knew* all these dangers and toxins and BPA and OH MY GOD DOES IT EVER END?

Do you feel more guilty being a “natural” mom because now you have to live up to the persona? Now you have to make sure you freaking read everything?!

Did your transformation into living natural become a transformation into now feeling like you suck at everything? At least *before* you didn’t know you were choosing harmful ingredients or detergent that could blow up a house. You were oblivious to it, right? You just enjoyed your little, happy life without giving anything else a thought. It was nice.

But now you see all these warnings and labels and artificial food colorings and your brain is about to explode. How can you be a good mom now and CHOOSE to buy something that has corn syrup in it?

Now you have to soak your nuts (hehe!) for 100 hours, and dehydrate your own jerky. You literally cry when you drive through Chick-Fil-A because you are submitting your kids to such dangerous chemicals in the food.

You feel more guilt.

You feel more stressed.

You feel less happy.

You feel less functional.

You….feel……….miserable, exhausted, and anxious.

You don’t enjoy this beautiful life anymore cause you are more stressed about the ugliness in this world. You no longer enjoy learning about natural and healthy living, you stress out when new studies come out and more pressure is now on you.

You CANNOT read ANY more blogs or websites. It’s just too much. You’ve blocked them from your feed. You are on healthy education overload and you are about to throw in your natural living, crunchy towel for good.

You know what moms…AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR ALL THAT.

The point is that you are TRYING. You are learning. You are making your home the best place that you can for your children. Most moms forget to give their kids their supplements, use disposable diapers over cloth, and forget to soak their nuts. Hell, I order pizza on occasion for my family! It’s OKAY. My kids are not going to die.

Yes, ignorance was bliss before. You gave your dogs crappy kibble without a second thought and your kids loved those Gerber Puffs. C’mon moms! You aren’t going to damage your kids, or your dogs. It’s not the “once or twice” that hurts us, it’s the lifetime of it.

If the natural remedies aren’t working, there is an amazing thing known as medicine. It’s not evil if you do it the right way. It’s a gift.

This is not the granola olympics and we are not trying to win the award of the crunchiest mom. Stop trying to live up to your fantasy Pinterest world and if you have to stop reading all the new articles that come out (don’t stop reading mine!), then so be it!

Go back to the basics. Read my post on how you might not be perfect, but you are enough for your family or this post on how this mother is done trying to make her kid’s childhood magical.

What is it that is most important to you?

Write out 5 things that are the MOST important to you and go from there. If you love pizza and so do your kids? Then eat the damn pizza on occasion. Your kids aren’t going to look back at you and say, “geez mom, how come you let me eat pizza so much?”

What is important to you? Is breastfeeding important to you? Put your energy into that.

Are you literally HATING cloth diapering? Then stop and buy a safe alternative.

Is making your own detergent getting annoying? Then don’t.

Make a decision to do the best that you can and then leave the rest to grace. Grace covers our inadequacies and our guilt and it fills us up with joy.

Go look at your kids face. Do you see a child who is wishing for more from you?

Tomorrow is a new day, my friends!

Is Natural Living Driving You Crazy? | www.thepaleomama.com.001

Filed Under: family, Living Sustainably, Natural Living, Nutrition, Paleo Education

Simple Living Manifesto: 72 Ideas to Simplify Your Life

February 10, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 9 Comments

A simple life has a different meaning and a different value for every person. For me, it means eliminating all but the essential, eschewing chaos for peace, and spending your time doing what’s important to you.

It means getting rid of many of the things you do so you can spend time with people you love and do the things you love. It means getting rid of the clutter so you are left with only that which gives you value.

However, getting to simplicity isn’t always a simple process. It’s a journey, not a destination, and it can often be a journey of two steps forward, and one backward.

If you’re interested in simplifying your life, this is a great starter’s guide (if you’re not interested, move on).

The Short List
For the cynics who say that the list below is too long, there are really only two steps to simplifying:

  1. Identify what’s most important to you.
  2. Eliminate everything else.

Of course, that’s not terribly useful unless you can see how to apply that to different areas of your life, so I present to you the Long List.

The Long List
There can be no step-by-step guide to simplifying your life, but I’ve compiled an incomplete list of ideas that should help anyone trying to find the simple life. Not every tip will work for you — choose the ones that appeal and apply to your life.

One important note: this list will be criticized for being too complicated, especially as it provides a bunch of links. Don’t stress out about all of that. Just choose one at a time, and focus on that. When you’re done with that, focus on the next thing.

  1. Make a list of your top 4-5 important things. What’s most important to you? What do you value most? What 4-5 things do you most want to do in your life? Simplifying starts with these priorities, as you are trying to make room in your life so you have more time for these things.
  2. Evaluate your commitments. Look at everything you’ve got going on in your life. Everything, from work to home to civic to kids’ activities to hobbies to side businesses to other projects. Think about which of these really gives you value, which ones you love doing. Which of these are in line with the 4-5 most important things you listed above? Drop those that aren’t in line with those things. Article here.
  3. Evaluate your time. How do you spend your day? What things do you do, from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? Make a list, and evaluate whether they’re in line with your priorities. If not, eliminate the things that aren’t, and focus on what’s important. Redesign your day.
  4. Simplify work tasks. Our work day is made up of an endless list of work tasks. If you simply try to knock off all the tasks on your to-do list, you’ll never get everything done, and worse yet, you’ll never get the important stuff done. Focus on the essential tasks and eliminate the rest. Read more.
  5. Simplify home tasks. In that vein, think about all the stuff you do at home. Sometimes our home task list is just as long as our work list. And we’ll never get that done either. So focus on the most important, and try to find ways to eliminate the other tasks (automate, eliminate, delegate, or hire help).
  6. Learn to say no. This is actually one of the key habits for those trying to simplify their lives. If you can’t say no, you will take on too much. Article here.
  7. Limit your communications. Our lives these days are filled with a vast flow of communications: email, IM, cell phones, paper mail, Skype, Twitter, forums, and more. It can take up your whole day if you let it. Instead, put a limit on your communications: only do email at certain times of the day, for a certain number of minutes (I recommend twice a day, but do what works for you). Only do IM once a day, for a limited amount of time. Limit phone calls to certain times too. Same with any other communications. Set a schedule and stick to it.
  8. Limit your media consumption. This tip won’t be for everyone, so if media consumption is important to you, please skip it (as with any of the other tips). However, I believe that the media in our lives — TV, radio, Internet, magazines, etc. — can come to dominate our lives. Don’t let it. Simplify your life and your information consumption by limiting it. Try a media fast.
  9. Purge your stuff. If you can devote a weekend to purging the stuff you don’t want, it feels seriously terrific. Get boxes and trash bags for the stuff you want to donate or toss. Here’s a guide on decluttering. Here’s a post on starting small. More on purging below.
  10. Get rid of the big items. There’s tons of little clutter in our lives, but if you start with the big items, you’ll simplify your life quickly and in a big way. Read more
  11. Edit your rooms. One room at a time, go around the room and eliminate the unnecessary. Act as a newspaper editor, trying to leave only the minimum, and deleting everything else. Article here.
  12. Edit closets and drawers. Once you’ve gone through the main parts of your rooms, tackle the closets and drawers, one drawer or shelf at a time. More here.
  13. Simplify your wardrobe. Is your closet bursting full? Are your drawers so stuffed they can’t close (I’m talking about dresser drawers here, not underwear). Simplify your wardrobe by getting rid of anything you don’t actually wear. Try creating a minimal wardrobe by focusing on simple styles and a few solid colors that all match each other. Read more.
  14. Simplify your computing life. If you have trouble with too many files and too much disorganization, consider online computing. It can simplify things greatly. Read more.
  15. Declutter your digital packrattery. If you are a digital packrat, and cannot seem to control your digital clutter, there is still hope for you. Read this guide to curing yourself of this clutter.
  16. Create a simplicity statement. What do you want your simple life to look like? Write it out. More here.
  17. Limit your buying habits. If you are a slave to materialism and consumerism, there are ways to escape it. I was there, and although I haven’t escaped these things entirely, I feel much freer of it all. If you can escape materialism, you can get into the habit of buying less. And that will mean less stuff, less spending, less freneticism. Read more on how we paid off more than $46,000 of debt in less than a year
  18. Free up time. Find ways to free up time for the important stuff. That means eliminating the stuff you don’t like, cutting back on time wasters, and making room for what you want to do.
  19. Do what you love. Once you’ve freed up some time, be sure to spend that extra time doing things you love. Go back to your list of 4-5 important things. Do those, and nothing else. Read more.
  20. Spend time with people you love. Again, the list of 4-5 important things probably contains some of the people you love (if not, you may want to re-evaluate). Whether those people are a spouse, a partner, children, parents, other family, best friends, or whoever, find time to do things with them, talk to them, be intimate with them (not necessarily in sexual ways).
  21. Spend time alone. See this list of ways to free up time for yourself — to spend in solitude. Alone time is good for you, although some people aren’t comfortable with it. It could take practice getting used to the quiet, and making room for your inner voice. It sounds new-agey, I know, but it’s extremely calming. And this quiet is necessary for finding out what’s important to you.
  22. Eat slowly. If you cram your food down your throat, you are not only missing out on the great taste of the food, you are not eating healthy. Slow down to lose weight, improve digestion, and enjoy life more.Read more.
  23. Drive slowly. Most people rush through traffic, honking and getting angry and frustrated and stressed out. And endangering themselves and others in the meantime. Driving slower is not only safer, but it is better on your fuel bill, and can be incredibly peaceful. Give it a try.Read more.
  24. Be present. These two words can make a huge difference in simplifying your life. Living here and now, in the moment, keeps you aware of life, of what is going on around you and within you. It does wonders for your sanity. Read tips on how to do it.
  25. Streamline your life. Many times we live with unplanned, complex systems in our lives because we haven’t given them much thought. Instead, focus on one system at a time (your laundry system, your errands system, your paperwork system, your email system, etc.) and try to make it simplified, efficient, and written. Then stick to it. Here’s more. Another good article here.
  26. Create a simple mail & paperwork system. If you don’t have a system, this stuff will pile up. But a simple system will keep everything in order. Here’s how.
  27. Create a simple system for house work. Another example of a simple system is clean-as-you-go with a burst. Read more.
  28. Clear your desk. If you have a cluttered desk, it can be distracting and disorganized and stressful. A clear desk, however, is only a couple of simple habits away. Read more.
  29. Establish routines. The key to keeping your life simple is to create simple routines. A great article on that here.
  30. Keep your email inbox empty. Is your email inbox overflowing with new and read messages? Do the messages just keep piling up? If so, you’re normal — but you could be more efficient and your email life could be simplified with a few simple steps. Read more.
  31. Learn to live frugally. Living frugally means buying less, wanting less, and leaving less of a footprint on the earth. It’s directly related to simplicity. Here are 50 tips on how to live frugally.
  32. Make your house minimalist. A minimalist house has what is necessary, and not much else. It’s also extremely peaceful (not to mention easy to clean). More here.
  33. Find other ways to be minimalist. There are tons. You can find ways to be minimalist in every area of your life. Here are a few I do, to spur your own ideas.
  34. Consider a smaller home. If you rid your home of stuff, you might find you don’t need so much space. I’m not saying you should live on a boat (although I know some people who happily do so), but if you can be comfortable in a smaller home, it will not only be less expensive, but easier to maintain, and greatly simplify your life. Read 8 reasons why a small home is awesome.
  35. Consider a smaller car. This is a big move, but if you have a large car or SUV, you may not really need something that big. It’s more expensive, uses more gas, harder to maintain, harder to park. Simplify your life with less car. You don’t need to go tiny, especially if you have a family, but try to find as small a car as can fit you or your family comfortably. Maybe not something you’re going to do today, but something to think about over the long term.
  36. Learn what “enough” is. Our materialistic society today is about getting more and more, with no end in sight. Sure, you can get the latest gadget, and more clothes and shoes. More stuff. But when will you have enough? Most people don’t know, and thus they keep buying more. It’s a neverending cycle. Get off the cycle by figuring out how much is enough. And then stop when you get there.
  37. Create a simple weekly dinner menu. If figuring out what’s for dinner is a nightly stressor for you or your family, consider creating a weekly menu. Decide on a week’s worth of simple dinners, set a specific dinner for each night of the week, go grocery shopping for the ingredients. Now you know what’s for dinner each night, and you have all the ingredients necessary. No need for difficult recipes — find ones that can be done in 10-15 minutes (or less). Check out these weekly meal plans that I love. 
  38. Eat healthy. It might not be obvious how eating healthy relates to simplicity, but think about the opposite: if you eat fatty, greasy, salty, sugary, fried foods all the time, you are sure to have higher medical needs over the long term. We could be talking years from now, but imagine frequent doctor visits, hospitalization, going to the pharmacist, getting therapy, having surgery, taking insulin shots … you get the idea. Being unhealthy is complicated. Eating healthy simplifies all of that greatly, over the long term.
  39. Exercise. This goes along the same lines as eating healthy, as it simplifies your life in the long run, but it goes even further: exercise helps burn off stress and makes you feel better. It’s great. Here’s how to create the exercise habit.
  40. Declutter before organizing. Many people make the mistake of taking a cluttered desk or filing cabinet or closet or drawer, and trying to organize it. Unfortunately, that’s not only hard to do, it keeps things complicated. Simplify the process by getting rid of as much of the junk as possible, and then organizing. If you declutter enough, you won’t need to organize at all. More on decluttering.
  41. Have a place for everything. Age-old advice, but it’s the best advice on keeping things organized. After you declutter. Read more here.
  42. Find inner simplicity. I’m not much of a spiritual person, but I have found that spending a little time with my inner self creates a peaceful simplicity rather than a chaotic confusion. This could be time praying or communing with God, or time spent meditating or journaling or getting to know yourself, or time spent in nature. However you do it, working on your inner self is worth the time.
  43. Learn to decompress from stress. Every life is filled with stress — no matter how much you simplify your life, you’ll still have stress (except in the case of the ultimate simplifier, death). So after you go through stress, find ways to decompress. Here are some ideas.
  44. Try living without a car. OK, this isn’t something I’ve done, but many others have. It’s something I would do if I didn’t have kids. Walk, bike, or take public transportation. It reduces expenses and gives you time to think. A car is also very complicating, needing not only car payments, but insurance, registration, safety inspections, maintenance, repairs, gas and more.
  45. Find a creative outlet for self-expression. Whether that’s writing, poetry, painting, drawing, creating movies, designing websites, dance, skateboarding, whatever. We have a need for self-expression, and finding a way to do that makes your life much more fulfilling. Allow this to replace much of the busy-work you’re eliminating from your life.
  46. Simplify your goals. Instead of having half a dozen goals or more, simplify it to one goal. Not only will this make you less stressed, it will make you more successful. You’ll be able to focus on that One Goal, and give it all of your energy. That gives you much better chances for success.
  47. Single-task. Multi-tasking is more complicated, more stressful, and generally less productive. Instead, do one task at a time.
  48. Simplify your filing system. Stacking a bunch of papers just doesn’t work. But a filing system doesn’t have to be complicated to be useful. Create a simple system.
  49. Develop equanimity. If every little thing that happens to you sends you into anger or stress, your life might never be simple. Learn to detach yourself, and be more at peace. Read more.
  50. Reduce your consumption of advertising. Advertising makes us want things. That’s what it’s designed to do, and it works. Find ways to reduce your exposure of advertising, whether that’s in print, online, broadcast, or elsewhere. You’ll want much less.
  51. Live life more deliberately. Do every task slowly, with ease, paying full attention to what you’re doing. For more, see Peaceful Simplicity: How to Live a Life of Contentment.
  52. Make a Most Important Tasks (MITs) list each day. Set just 3 very important things you want to accomplish each day. Don’t start with a long list of things you probably won’t get done by the end of the day. A simple list of 3 things, ones that would make you feel like you accomplished something. See this article for more.
  53. Create morning and evening routines. A great way to simplify your life is to create routines at the start and end of your day. Read more on morning routines and evening routines.
  54. Create a morning writing ritual. If you enjoy writing, like I do, make it a peaceful, productive ritual. Article here.
  55. Learn to do nothing. Doing nothing can be an art form, and it should be a part of every life. Read the Art of Doing Nothing.
  56. Read Walden, by Thoreau. The quintessential text on simplifying.Available on Wikisources for free.
  57. Go for quality, not quantity. Try not to have a ton of stuff in your life … instead, have just a few possessions, but ones that you really love, and that will last for a long time.
  58. Read Simplify Your Life, by Elaine St. James. One of my favorite all-time authors on simplicity. Read a review here.
  59. Fill your day with simple pleasures. Make a list of your favorite simple pleasures, and sprinkle them throughout your day. List here.
  60. Simplify your RSS feeds. If you’ve got dozens of feeds, or more than a hundred (as I once did), you probably have a lot of stress in trying to keep up with them all. Simplify your feed reading. See How to Drop an RSS Feed Like a Bad Habit.
  61. But subscribe to Unclutterer. Probably the best blog on simplifying your stuff and routines.
  62. Create an easy-to-maintain yard. If you spend too much time on your yard, here are some good tips.
  63. Carry less stuff. Are your pockets bulging. Consider carrying only the essentials. Some thoughts on that here.
  64. Simplify your online life. If you have too much going on online, here are a few ways to simplify it all. Article here.
  65. Strive to automate your income. This isn’t the easiest task, but it can (and has) been done. I’ve been working towards it myself. Article here.
  66. Simplify your budget. Many people skip budgeting (which is very important) because it’s too hard or too complicated. Read more here.
  67. Simplify your financial life. Article from a financial planning expert here.
  68. Learn to pack light. Who wants to lug a bunch of luggage around on a trip? Here’s an article on using just one carry-on.
  69. Use a minimalist productivity system. The minimal Zen To Done is all you need. Everything else is icing.
  70. Leave space around things in your day. Whether they’re appointments, or things you need to do, don’t stack them back-to-back. Leave a little space between things you need to do, so you will have room for contingencies, and you’ll go through your day much more relaxed.
  71. Live closer to work. This might mean getting a job closer to your home, or moving to a home closer to your work. Either will do much to simplify your life.
  72. Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, reconsider.

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*article adapted with permission from Zen Habits*

Filed Under: family, Living Sustainably, Natural Living, Thoughts Tagged With: gluten-free, minimal living, paleo, primal, simplify

A Day Out in Downtown Savannah

January 21, 2013 by Jackie Ritz 2 Comments

We have lived in Savannah for over 4 years now. It’s such a beautiful city and we always enjoy spending the day downtown. Today we went to the Savannah Children’s Museum, which is AWESOME! It’s rather new to the city and it is loaded with lots of sensory play, dress up area, reading areas, and lots of other fun things for kids to do. One of my favorite things about it though, is that the kids are locked up!!! So, grab a book and some coffee and let the kids run crazy!

After the museum, we headed to City Market and had a blast watching the fountain and eating homemade organic gelato’s!

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Filed Under: family Tagged With: Cafe Gelato's, canon rebel, city market, downtown savannah, fun things to do in savannah with kids, museum, photography, savannah children's museum

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Hi, I'm Jackie Ritz and welcome to The Paleo Mama! I'm a published author, certified herbalist, and voracious researcher of natural medicine and nutrition. I'm glad you're here and I hope you stick around for awhile!

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