20 Minute Challenge

I'm speaking to a new moms of middleschoolers group tomorrow (very excited!) so I spent some time finishing up my remarks today. When advising my organizing clients, I love to introduce them to the 20 minute challenge. Often times we put off doing things because we dread spending an entire day of drudgery battling through whatever it is we've put off for so long. More times than not, whatever task we're dreading really won't take as long as you might think to complete (or at least to get started and make some great progress!).

In the spirit of the presentation, I've decided to log my 20 minutes each day to see what I can accomplish in little over 2 hours this week. I have little daily routines that I've built into my day which keeps me mostly on track with housework, mail & the like. Things like unloading the dishwasher each morning so I can fill it up over the course of the day, going through the mail in the mornings to keep it from piling too high on the kitchen counter, etc. I'd like to say I maintain each routine daily, but, hey, I'm human too. I can say I do them most days, how's that?

So today, after I put Charlie down for his nap, I set the timer on the microwave & got started. I managed a full hand & knee scrub of the kitchen floor (long overdue...) and wipe down the lower cabinets before time ran out. I opted to spend another 5 minutes wiping down the upper cabinets too. I didn't want them to feel left out. I spent another 10 minutes sorting the laundry so that I have some piles I can toss in when I have a free minute here or there this week too. Not bad for 35 minutes!

That's another fun trick of the 20 minute challenge. You can stop after 20 minutes and feel great about reaching your goal, but often you feel so energized about what you've done, it's easy to keep on going!

Til tomorrow...

Charlie's First Birthday

We had a ton of fun at Charlie's first birthday party. Check out Amber's blog for a couple of videos of Charlie attacking his cake. Thanks so much to all our friends & family for sharing such a special day with us. And thanks to Charlie & daddy for making this past year the best yet!

Get Up & Go

Meet Butch Lumpkin - Golf Video Golf Channel

Shared via AddThis

I was really inspired when I was introduced to this video at a motivational sales seminar the other day. It's so easy sometimes to mope about things we don't have, the deal that didn't come together or some other disappointment. Reminders like this one always have a way of putting all our blessings back into perspective. Watch it & I think you'll agree.

Where do you want to go today?

New Listing!

Welcome home to Hearthstone! 1815 Fair Meadow is a fabulous entry point into this highly desirable Boone County neighborhood. Take advantage of the community pool, playground & walking trails. Wonderful cape cod features four bedrooms, fully-finished walkout basement, plentiful storage, upgraded kitchen with granite countertops, three full & one half bath. Could be a great opportunity for a mother-daughter suite with minimal changes to lower level. Call today for more details!

Quote

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." ~ Thomas Jefferson

Local Housing Market Heating Up

The Enquirer wrote yesterday that Cincinnati-area pending home sales in June rose 9% year over year compared to last June. (You can see the full article here.) That's great news! As I participate in the market daily, I can definitely see that activity is picking up. First time home buyers are really getting serious. They have to close before November 30 this year in order to take advantage of the $8000 tax credit. Additionally, those in the market to move up into their 2nd or 3rd home are having a hard time letting some of the current market deals pass them by. Savvy clients understand that there is a possibility that they may take a bit of a hit on the sale of their current home, but that they will more than make up for any loss with the bargains to be had on the buy side of the transaction.

One final note: current mls statistics indicate that fresh inventory is selling. Homes that have been listed for a while are sitting, while new listings to the market are generating activity & offers! Now could be a perfect time to consider listing your home for sale. Call or email me today for a free, no-obligation Competitive Market Analysis to see how we can best position your home to sell in today's market.

Drop In Daycare - A Real Lifesaver!

I've recently begun using Skidaddles, a local drop in daycare service, as a backup plan for our little guy. Both of my professions - realtor & professional organizer - often call for appointments outside of the traditional nine to five. Hubby is fantastic about helping me out, but our work & travel obligations don't always align just so. It's such a relief to have this in my back pocket now. My ace in the hole, if you will.

It's located in Florence - next to Miyoshi for all you locals. The hours are great - open til 9pm Monday through Thursday and til midnight on Fridays & Saturdays, so it's perfect for a last-minute date night too! Before, last minute calls & client requests could induce panic...who can I call? Am I imposing? Now, I can be just about anywhere with little more than an hour's notice. The staff has been great & Charlie seems genuinely happy each time I've picked him up. It's added calm & balance to our schedules which is really what it's all about. Now I can focus on my family and focus on my clients' needs too without having to worry that I'm shortchanging one for the other. Bliss.