By Maria Gracia

Winter is a great time to do an indoor project on the house, such as decorating. We’ve been doing a lot of decorating lately and I came up with a handy system that I wanted to share with you. We gathered samples of our wall paint colors from our paint supplier, swatches of our carpeting, samples of our countertops, flooring and drapes, etc. Then, we measured areas that we’re currently looking to decorate, such as the dimensions of a particular wall space for a painting and the size of our tables for lamps. I found a small plastic photo book--small enough to fit inside my purse. In each photo slot, I included a fabric swatch, or a carpet remnant or a floor sample or a list of dimensions.

I keep that photo book in my purse, so when we’re out on the weekends searching for new things for the house, we have all of the information we need readily available.

It’s much easier to choose a shower curtain when you have the color of the walls in your hands, and it’s a cinch to choose a tablecloth when you are certain of your table dimensions!

Are you one of those people who never gets things done? Make a task kit, and it will help you get jobs done. Get yourself some index cards, and write one quick and easy task on each, such as writing out a thank you note, reading an article, making a phone call – basically anything you can do in 10 minutes or less.

Put these index cards in a basket. The next time you’re working on an energy-draining project, you can always take a break and work on a project from your Easy Task Kit.

Finishing something, no matter how small, can be both rewarding and revitalizing. It’s a great way to ensure you always feel a sense of accomplishment throughout your day.

The weather is iffy this time of year. You might be snowed in. Still, you have to make dinner, and your pantry is bare. Sound like a familiar story?

In the future, always keep your pantry stocked with basics, such as tomato sauce, pasta, tuna, beans, canned veggies and rice. This will greatly reduce those last-minute treks to the store.

No matter what, every once in a while, you’re going to find yourself waiting. You might be on hold on the telephone, or sitting in the dentist’s office awaiting your turn, or at the train station waiting for your train to arrive.

Make that waiting time count, by always carrying around a Waiting Bag with you. Stock that bag with a few things you have or want to do. You may pack a book to read, or your latest knitting project. Perhaps you might bring your laptop and write or read some email. You may even bring an audio cassette or portable CD player to listen to the latest book on tape.

The Waiting Bag ensures you’re always doing something productive with your time.

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