routine Archives -

March 22, 2021February 24, 2021

One year anniversary of COVID-19

Believe it or not, March marks a year since our lives changed drastically. At the beginning of March 2020, COVID-19 spread throughout the world, requiring individuals to forgo their usual routines and adapt to a new lifestyle. Now, a year later, we are living our lives very differently.

Not only are we more conscious of our surroundings, but we are more hygienic. For example, if you go to a store or a gym, you will see employees or trainers sanitizing equipment and merchandise every few minutes. We spend more time washing our hands and taking care of ourselves than we ever did before.

“I forgot my mask!” is a common phrase you catch yourself saying, and traveling out of the country or state is an all-too-real distant dream. With all the isolated time we have been given during the pandemic, we have learned how to slow down, organize our homes and closets way too many times, bake banana bread, and enjoy the outdoors.

With all these new hobbies we have acquired, all we want to do is to continue living our lives the way we did a year ago, but it is not that simple.

University of Michigan senior, Donna Neuman, longs for an in person graduation ceremony more than anything. “I really just want a graduation and nothing else right now is important to me. My friends and I have turned a lot of negatives into positives; for example, instead of going out with friends we hang in together. Those things are replaceable, but graduating is not.”

Our lives have changed in many more ways than one. As we sit and reflect on the one-year anniversary of COVID-19, it is hard to believe that it has only been a year.

When I think about the timeline it almost feels like a century. Masks are a part of our uniform and getting tested for COVID is the new trend.

Since it is risky for older adults with health restrictions to spend time with their younger loved ones, we have utilized FaceTime or Zoom to still get our personal family time.

Fortunately, the vaccine has been distributed to many essential workers, and soon to the rest of the world.

With the new year, all we can hope for is to say goodbye to COVID-19 and hello to living. By March 2022, I hope for good health, love, and for our lives to be more adventurous and spent with the ones we love most.

February 19, 2021January 25, 2021

Simple but savvy moves for heart health

This month is all about hearts, love, and adding a little TLC to your everyday life. February is American Heart Month. This month is dedicated to driving awareness around heart disease, or cardiovascular disease (CVD). These are the leading causes of many health-related issues that can not only affect your ability to work, but impact your overall quality of life.

It’s important to know that some of the at-risk factors to heart health issues include poor diet, being overweight and lack of physical activity. To ensure that you’re on the right track to improve or maintain a healthier heart, show yourself a little more love by following some of these recommended adjustments for improving your diet by managing your portions and staying active.

Improve your diet

• Start the day with a low-fat breakfast. Try these simple ideas:

• In an electric blender, process 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup vitaminwater zero, 1 6 oz. carton Greek Style yogurt, and 1⁄2 cup fresh or frozen fruit to make a fruit smoothie.

• Spread toasted multi-grain waffle with 1 tablespoon peanut butter.

• Top oatmeal with chopped apple, raisins, or 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts.

• Eat every three to four hours or five to six times a day; this prevents you from becoming too hungry.

• Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water –eight to ten glasses a day will keep you hydrated. If you are looking for hydrating options in addition to water, try flavored varieties such as vitaminwater zero or sparkling water. Most importantly, remember that all beverages hydrate. Thirst is an indicator of dehydration and sometimes thirst is confused with hunger.

• Include more fiber in your diet such as whole grain breads and cereals, beans, legumes, and nuts. Higher fiber will aid in helping you feel full.

• Include more vegetables and fruits—these too will help fill you up, and not out.

Manage weight with right-size portions

It’s important to have a good relationship with food, so my mantra is “all foods and beverages can fit into a balanced diet in moderation.” Below are some guidelines to help you keep portion control in mind and some products that can help you do so.

• Choose 3-oz. portions of lean meat, fish, or poultry. This is a serving about the size of a deck of cards.

• For fruits and vegetables, consider a portion about the size of a baseball. If you enjoy avocado, go for one-half of a medium avocado.

• Servings for grains, beans, and legumes should compare to the size of an adult fist.

• Beverages also come in perfectly-portioned sizes. Coca-Cola has mini-cans available at about 7.5 ounces.

Keep it moving

Regular physical activity and exercise can have long term positive effects along with reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. By getting your body moving, you can improve control of your weight, combat heart disease, increase your energy and mood, decrease stress, and improve your sex life.

Scheduling the time to exercise on your calendar will help make it part of your standard daily routine. If you cannot set aside a 30 to 45-minute block of time, do several 5-10-minute segments daily. The buddy system works well here—having a friend on board will help keep you both motivated and on task.

Take Away: Focus on heart health this month. Start to make life long changes to your lifestyle choices and show a little love to your heart and those you care about around you.

September 11, 2020August 25, 2020

Organize Your Routine

As the summer comes to a close and school is beginning, it’s time to get your kids’ closet in order, organize their supplies, and make that after school routine seamless.

Here are a few helpful tips:

CLOSET TIPS

Keep a basket in your child’s closet for items of clothing that no longer fit. Collect these items for a younger sibling or mark them for donation.
Use large, clear storage bins with locks to store clothing that needs to be put away. Always label your bins according to the type of clothing and size. The more specific you can be, the better.
Keep your mornings simple and organized by creating a smooth routine and prepping your child’s closet before the start of the school week:

Designate a shelf, drawer, or section of the closet just for school clothing.
The night before, have your child pick out what they would like to wear for school and avoid a time crunch in the morning.

SCHOOL SUPPLY SHOPPING

I don’t know about you, but I love office supply stores! I couldn’t wait to go to the store every August and buy school supplies for my kiddos! Consider checking for supplies you may have from the previous school year and wait to buy additional supplies until you have a list of necessary items in hand. Ultimately, you’ll end up buying fewer supplies and save yourself some time and money.
Strongly consider creating a COVID safety bag and purchasing essential items such as hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, latex gloves, and masks for your child if they are returning to the classroom.

AFTER SCHOOL ROUTINE

Create a “command center” to store your child’s important papers, i.e. homework, chore list, and activity schedule, to keep them organized and easily accessible.
Establish a set routine for what you expect your child to do when they finish their schoolwork. This will help them to prioritize and to learn what needs to be completed, and when they can enjoy some free time.

By Lisa Haubenstock

Lisa Haubenstock is a Professional Organizer and owner of LisaTheOrganizer,
LLC. serving Broward, Miami-Dade, & Palm Beach counties. She is a member
of NAPO and serves on the board of the South Florida chapter. She holds
certificates in household management and residential organizing.