It seems like cold and flu season is spreading faster than the vaccines that supposedly prevent the infectious bugs. One afternoon while I waited outside my daughter’s class I heard child after child come out to their parent with frightening reports, “We had three kids go home sick today and three others that were absent.” Others walked like zombies in backpacks and would likely go home and report that they weren’t feeling so hot, either.

Since I’m sure I’m not the only parent on the planet who dislikes sickness in the home, I’m launching a weekly series, “The War on Germs,” for the next few weeks. Over the next few weeks, I’ll post the best ways you can prevent illness from striking the four walls of your home.

First of all, keep everyone’s hands clean. This is the best way to prevent these germs from infecting your household. Check out the link below from “Good Morning America” last week. This great segment answered the question, “Which is better at killing germs: handwashing or using hand sanitizer?”

http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/washing-hands-soap-hand-sanitizer/story?id=8941662

Stock up on the best. My favorite hand sanitizers come from Bath and Body Works, which offers sanitizers made of 60 percent alcohol (which the study shows are most effective at killing germs) in a wide variety of scents. They come in travel sizes so I stash them in the car, in my purse, and dole them out to my children for school.

Wash more often. Every time my kids ask for a snack (which is every half hour I think) I promise to honor their request as soon as they’ve washed their hands. They are always hungry the minute they walk in the door so it’s a great time to wash away all of those germs picked up from door knobs, shopping carts, and other public places.

Wash longer. This one is trickier unless you actually go in and watch them wash up. There’s no way I have time to micro-manage each hand wash, so I try to just listen for the water. But my kids like most, and tend to wash like this: 1) wet hands, 2) lather up and rinse simultaneously. The problem is it’s not very effective. We’ve tried singing cute songs like, “Wash, wash, wash your hands. Scrub them nice and clean…” or “ABC’s,” or “Happy Birthday.” All of these little gimmicks work but the kids need constant reminders. I try to use positive reinforcement and hope that the praise spreads faster than the germs.

Question: How do you get your kids to wash their hands more often?

Every October we gain an extra hour of our life. When I was a teenager that meant an extra hour beyond curfew. As a busy mom it now means an extra hour of rest. Regardless of how we answer the question, “What would I do with more hours in a day?” we all get an extra hour on Sunday.

While we shouldn’t forget to change our clocks back an hour when we head off to bed on Saturday night there are some other bi-annual things we should put on our to-do list this weekend, too. Here’s a short list of a few of those things that we should remember to do at the time change.

1. Change the batteries in the smoke alarm. Make sure you change the batteries and test your smoke alarms to ensure they are in working order. It’s also not a bad idea to dust them out using the vacuum attachments because they’ll last longer and work better if they are clean. We’ve had quite a few bite the dust because of excess dust.
2. Clean out the dryer lint. Remember my previous post on this topic? (http://3girlsandapug.com/2009/08/25/tidy-up-tuesdays-home-maintenance/)

It’s one of the most common causes of a house fire yet so easily preventable. Again, you’ll just need about 30 minutes and your vacuum attachments.

1. Do something fun? When else in the year are we granted an extra hour to play? And when does it fall on a fun holiday like Halloween? This Saturday. So, live it up. Dress up. Do something fun or special with the family that you’ve been wanting to do but put off because you’re too busy.

Question: What will you do with your extra hour?

A friend of mine just relocated from Southern California to a place with a much cooler climate. Needless to say, she was all smiles about the move until the weather began to turn from tempid summer days to crisp fall temperatures. In my attempts to console her about frigid winters (which thankfully I no longer have to endure) I reminded her that winter weather means a new world of fashion: boots – both functional and fashionable, coats in many colors, scarves, hats, etc.

The fashion news flash did perk her up a bit. However, I didn’t inform her that having a revolving closet does pose its own problems. For example, what do you do with all of those fall and winter ensembles during the heat of summer, and vice versa? Here are a few simple tips for keeping your seasonable wardrobes in check even if you don’t live in snow country.

1. Move it out. If you have the storage space in your basement or garage, it’s best to pack up your summer clothes once the first signs of fall hit. This will give you plenty of room in your closet to hang up all of your favorite sweaters and turtlenecks.
2. Move it over. If you can’t dedicate your entire closet to the current season then you should slide all of your sun dresses to the depths of your closet and rotate your holiday dresses and twill pants to the front.
3. Put it on top. Do you have a basket in your closet full of hats and scarves? Put all of your ball caps and straw hats at the bottom and bring scarves, gloves, and knit hats to the top of the pile. On a windy, cold day it will be easier to grab a matching set instead of digging through a pile of odds and ends. The same goes for thicker tights and leggings that can be put at the front of your sock drawer.
4. Shine up your shoes. Your knee high boots you haven’t donned all summer may need a little TLC before they can be sported again in public. Pull out the polish and remove scuffs now before you’re in a rush to get somewhere and you have to reconfigure your attire because your shoes aren’t ready to wear.
5. Clean it out. Use this an excuse to remove any clothing that no longer fits or that needs mending. Donate older clothes in good repair to charity and make a wish list of items that you may need or want to complete your wardrobe. Also, check out your summer and spring attire before you pack it up or move it down the closet’s rod. Make sure it’s still worthy another unveiling in 2010.
6. Check the kids, too. Don’t forget other family members need a similar closet makeover. There’s nothing worse than searching for a raincoat on an unexpectedly rainy morning.

Question: What do you do with your seasonal clothes to keep your closet organized?

Economic experts are predicting that Christmas spending will be down again this year. In fact, they say it will be down from last year, which was pretty dismal too.

Most families anywhere can tell you this is the case without getting the official word from “experts.” Our own expert sense of where the economy is, for us personally, tells us that our own Christmas spending will likely be on a limited budget.

I don’t really see this as a bad thing, though. As I’ve mentioned before, downsizing Christmas is really just a step in the direction of turning Christmas away from commercialism and back to families and traditions.

Of course, downsizing is only possible to accomplish with careful planning and organization of gift buying. Here is how I’ve downsized Christmas in our house.

1.       Limit the number of gifts you give. Many families draw names or just have nieces and nephews exchange gifts. Consider pairing down your list of neighbors, friends, and co-workers that are on your gift list, too. It may be hard, but it’s worth it if it eliminates an obligatory gift that you give and one that they offer you in return.

2.       Go homemade. I’m the last person to call myself crafty, but I think it’s so much more fun and meaningful to handcraft a gift than to purchase one. Before you think about getting out the glue gun, consider all kinds of homemade projects like jewelry, photography, and edibles. Others may choose to offer service to one another instead of exchanging traditional wrapped gifts.

For those that enjoy whipping up stuff in the kitchen, homemade gestures such as homemade salsa and chips, applesauce, jam, or baked goods are always easy on the budget. Looking for something healthier than a plate of cookies or a loaf of sweet bread? Wrap a pineapple in a bow and share it with friends and neighbors Hawaiian style. Or maybe a basket full of clementines? Healthy eaters really appreciate a naturally sweet gift amongst the many plates of frosted cookies.

3.       Choose only three gifts for your children. I get a lot of grief over this concept, believe or not, but the grief doesn’t come from our own children. My kids have never felt deprived from this limitation on gifts; instead, they embrace it because they know what to expect.

It’s actually a fun challenge to shop for these gifts because you can’t buy all of the fun things you see on store shelves. Instead you have to really think about what they really want and carefully decide which items are most important.

In our home, we’ve taught our children from a young age that they will receive three meaningful and deliberate gifts on Christmas Day just as the baby Jesus received three gifts to celebrate His birth. The areas we’ve designated for gift giving are 1) something that is just for fun,  2) something to stimulate their brain,  3) something to stimulate their spirit.

Before you label me Mrs. Scrooge, we do fill their stockings with small items and candy from Santa. My children are all still believers in the jolly bearded man (some a bit more skeptical than others about this “truth”) so they also receive their gift they requested from Santa.

I’ve received accolades for this idea in more abundance than I’ve received opposition over the years. Most who have tried my idea for a season have stuck with it and carried it on in future years. If you’re looking for ways to save money at Christmas or just looking for ways to find Christmas again I highly recommend downsizing your Christmas.

Question: Are you planning to downsize your Christmas? If so, what are you doing?

My father groaned every year when retailers would display Christmas décor immediately after Halloween. If he was alive today, he’d be shocked to see tinsel directly adjacent to the Halloween garb.

But for me, my shopping juices begin to salivate when I can begin to see the first signs of Christmas. I like to get a head start on the holiday craziness. It’s not the shopping I love, it’s the act of getting the shopping done that I enjoy. I actually detest the commercialism of Christmas and continually strive to find ways to work around the hoopla surrounding the day.

Several years ago I found myself close to a nervous breakdown because my husband wanted to relax on Christmas Eve. I thought to myself, Relax? Are you kidding? We have so much to do – presents to wrap, stockings to fill, stuff to assemble, food to prepare, and on and on … and on went my list of things that were overwhelming me.

It was after that point that I have truly made a concerted effort to have all of my holiday shopping done before Halloween. Don’t get me wrong. I have found some fantastic deals at the after Thanksgiving sales, but for the most part that really only pays off if you’re shopping for big-ticket items. If that’s the case, you can still purchase other items in advance and wait for one or two pricier gadgets to hit the big sales.

Of course, this is only possible to accomplish with careful planning, organization, and, dare I say it, downsizing of gift buying. I’ve gotten a lot of slack over the years on this particular concept. I have found that Christmas is far more enjoyable for everyone this way. I have to be deliberate in my purchases because I can only pick those things my children really want so I spend a lot more time selecting each gift.

I know my plan works because I enjoy Christmas more than ever and I’ve never heard my children complain about not having a great Christmas. Instead I hear words of joy like, “That’s the exactly what I wanted! How did you know?”

Does finishing your shopping sound like mission impossible? It’s really not. Here are three steps to get you singing “Jingle Bells” before the last leaves fall off the trees.

1. Make a list of all of the people you need to purchase gifts for. Try to consider downsizing or coming up with other ways to give this season, such as homemade gifts, service, etc.
2. Keep a notebook handy to jot down possible gift ideas for special people in your life. If you keep it all written down you’ll be able to make a budget and keep track of what you’ve purchased and what still needs to be done.
3. Find a spot to stash your stuff. I have a few great hiding spots my kids haven’t discovered yet. I even use the garages and closets of friends to keep my kids from snooping around. Don’t forget to write down your secret spot on Santa List so you’ll know where to retrieve come December.

Question: Have you done any Christmas shopping yet?

Check out my article on organizing your board game collection on adviceandreviews.com. Click on the link below. 

http://organization.adviceandreviews.com/2009/09/get-your-game-on/

Question: What do you do to keep your games organized and orderly?