Wednesday's words from Winnie the Pooh

"Always remember, You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think and loved more than you know." —Winnie the Pooh/Christopher Robin

To-Do List on the run

I didn't have time to work out my to-do list last night, so I did it while waiting at the bank. The back of a deposit slip is "lined."

Tuesday's Tip: Diaper Change

Use a plastic shopping bag to line a public changing table and then use the bag to discard the dirty diaper and wipes.

(P.S. I learned this by observing a mother in a public restroom.)

Wednesday's words: Wisdom comes from within

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." —Aristotle

"Snow" in summer

Every summer the Linden tree in front of house "snows" flowers and I sweep and sweep and sweep and this year our babysitter suggested using the snow shovel which was an excellent suggestion, since I refer to the flowers and "summer snow" and learned that thinking outside the season my help bring about a new solution.

Wednesday's Words on memory

"I write it down to remember it now, not later." —Anonymous

Wednesday's words... The Fine Print

Wednesday's words: The wolf pack

"The strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of the wolf is the pack." —Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling's Birography

Tuesday's tip...Don't forget the flour

To make sure cakes release from the pan don't just grease it, sprinkle in flour and get it on all sides. When cool, slide a knife around the cake edge and invert the pan over a plate and Viola! the cake comes out easy.

Tuesday's Tip...Your purse

The other day on public transit, I watched a girl spill her friends purse and out fell a full sized perfume bottle, a full sized body mist and a full sized baby lotion, so to lessen the weight carry travel sized items—you can buy items travel sized or buy empty bottles and fill them with your favorite products.

In the kitchen on Thursday: A breakfast with out all the work

Baked Pancake

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare pancake mix batter according to the directions on the box. Heat an ovenproof skillet on the stove. When hot, melt 1 Tbsp. of butter in the pan making sure to coat the bottom and sides. Pour in batter and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Serve warm sliced like a pie with maple syrup drizzled on top.

(My daughter had a slice tonight that she dipped in syrup for dessert and gave it two thumbs up. And the best part, no standing over the pan waiting to flip the pancakes.)

Have I learned anything today? YES

In speaking with my business mentor, she said that people like to know upfront what things cost so they  know if they can afford them and this really resonated with me—one because there are no prices on website (soon to be corrected) and two because my 9 y.o. is very conscious of what things cost and how much she is spending (Thank you, Helen).

Plants and analogies

Yesterday, I was removing dead stuff from two plants and it got me thinking about plants and analogies and then I thought, "what dead stuff can I trim from my life?" and so begins my journey of "removing dead stuff."

Practice what I preach

I am home with a bad head cold, maybe sinus infection and my daughter called me lazy because I spent most of yesterday in bed and then I remembered that when she has a problem I often tell her that she must help herself first, which gave me an "aha!" moment, so today I am cleaning my office space because it is much needed and taking are of chores, basically helping myself to feel better despite my cold.

(Sometimes are best teachers are our children.)

Tuesday's Tip: Eco friendly Laundry

A few months back I read that adding a dry towel to a dryer cycle cut drying time equaling saved energy. The added bonus is the clothes come out softer and with less static (with no dryer sheet).

Wednesday's Words: Don't be late

"If you are 10 minutes early you are 5 minutes late." —Pauline K. Windt (my great-grandmother)

Wednesday's words: If I am gone, remember....

"If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you." —Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh (by A.A.Milne)