The Ultimate Time Management Tricks

Learning effective time management skills can dramatically change your life. If you have kids then you really need to know how to best manage your time, so that you can keep up with all of the demands that kids can dish out. There are lots of time management skills that you can learn and utilize that can keep you in the stress free zone.

If you`re the type of person who has poor time management skills, then you probably feel that your life is crazy, unorganized and chaotic. You might run late all the time, which makes your friends, personal life and business life suffers. You might also take on too much which can leave you feeling like you`re about to lose your mind. Luckily there are some solid tips that can help you discover ways to better manage your time.

The first thing you should do is make a to-do-list for your next day. And you should write every detail down. From walking kids to school, dog walks, breakfast making, coffee run. And beside each task, you should write down how long it takes you and how long it could take you ideally. Making a visual list will let you see what you have to do and it will enable you to visualize what exactly you have to do.

You might find that after making a to-do-list that you realize that you have actually penciled in way too many things for your morning. You might learn that you can`t possibly get all those things done, and it might motivate you to reschedule some tasks. This is actually a positive thing. Now instead of falling behind and running late, you will be able to accommodate all of your tasks effectively.

Now looking back at your list and your time frames, see if you can break tasks down into small steps. For example, is there anything about breakfast that you can do to make it easier and faster for you and your family? Are there quicker breakfast ideas? Are you making them pancakes and eggs every day? Or are the kids just slow cereal eaters? In this case, you could wake up the slow eaters up earlier, or you could make breakfast meals faster, such as shakes, cereal bars and so on. You could also prepare breakfast meals and have everything cleaned up the night before.

Another key factor in managing your time is staying on time. That means that if your to-do-list involves grocery shopping before work, then you need to give yourself a realistic amount of shopping time. Are you doing a big shopping or a small one? Is your goal realistic to your time? Can a big shopping really fit into the half an hour you might have scheduled in before work? If you set yourself up for failure than you will only feel bad about yourself. Plan realistic goals and time frames. Remember that you`re not a super hero!

Time management works best if you have a day planner and keep track of everything. Write down a list of things you may have to do at work. Give yourself time frames to get things done and have a backup plan for anything that you can`t get done on time; lunch breaks, take home work.

Considering Daycare? Consider the Pros and Cons

When you're a parent it's a difficult decision to know whether to send your child to daycare or not. We have provided many of the pros and cons of sending your child to daycare for your consideration. In our opinion, nothing replaces the day-to-day interaction that you can provide with your child. We also believe that some interaction with other children either through occasional daycare, part-time, or through play-groups and other educational learning programs are invaluable. We also recognize that Mom or Dad also needs to have a break and occasional daycare can provide that for them. What we don't believe in is a baby or toddler being in someone else's care for eight hours or more a day everyday! That's not fair to your child. So with all that in mind, please consider the pros and cons listed below. And may you make the right decision for your children and yourself.

UPSIDE of Daycare:

· Always more than one person available to watch, care for, supervise, and feed your child

· Interaction with other children

· Develop social skills at an early age

· Kid's days are pretty much scheduled, routine, and consistent

· Daycare centers don't call in sick

· Kids receive a lot of mental stimulation

· Your house stays neater (although my son can make a mess in minutes)

· The kids enjoy the change of scenery and toys

· Cost is less than for a nanny

· English-as-second-language kids have more exposure to English

DOWNSIDES of Daycare:

· Nighttime baths vs. possibly every other day

· Laying out their clothes

· Packing nutritious lunches vs. fast food snacks

· Morning rush to get out of the house on time

· Allow extra time to make the stop and drop-off

· Your child screaming, "Mommy don't go!!"

· The guilt and bad feelings because you're leaving them behind

· Less one-on-one attention from caregivers

· Potential personality conflicts at the center between parents and staff

· Potential personality conflicts between the children

· Ethics taught are the centers or the caregiver

· Values taught are the centers or the caregiver

· Possibly no ethics or values taught at all

· Political influences are those at the center/school

· Less bonding between parent and child

· Child learns early on that you won't be there for them when they need you

· You don't get to see and experience all the "firsts" that your child goes through

· You can NEVER recapture those things you miss

· When your child has a boo-boo you're not there to make it better

· When your child is excited about what she/he has learned, you're not there at the moment they want to share it with you

· When they're not feeling well you leave them to someone else to care for them

· When they're sick no one will baby them like you will

· More exposure to health issues: ringworm, lice, and colds/flues

· You're not there to kiss away their tears

· You're not there to waylay their fears

· You're not there to set their wild ideas back on track

· No opportunity to have a spontaneous day

· No time to do "nothing at all" together

· To experience the joy of holding and watching your child sleep for hours (hopefully)

· You're not there to teach them to climb a tree

· To explore the bugs and insects

· To plant a seed and watch it grow

· Playing "what do you see in the clouds"

· Less time to go to the beach, woods, hiking, swimming, biking, skating, etc.

· No time to just "play"

· To be your kid's playmate

· To experience getting to be a kid all over again with your child

· Seeing and experiencing life through the eyes of your child

· No time to make pancakes in the morning

· No time to bake real cookies

· Not there to put a band aid on the invisible oweee

· Not get to see your child's imagination develop

· Not get to see their personal development as much as you could

· Don't get to see them beaming with pride at their BIG accomplishments

· Infants and toddlers spending 6-8-10 hours a day away from Mom or Dad

· The cost of daycare is an added expense: financial and emotional

When you work, at the end of your day, you just won't have the energy, patience or the time to spend with your child in the manner you should or would like to. Your job becomes the first priority and the child the second. They get what's left over if there is anything left to get. How do you like it when you are second fiddle to someone you care about and love?

Parents say, "Oh, they don't mind. He likes the babysitter a lot. He'd rather I went to work." That may be true, but chances are he's never experienced having you at home full-time to know what that is like. There can't be a comparison! Children so love unconditionally, they will put up with even the worst of circumstances and still love their parents. Because children only want to be loved, cared for and valued themselves.

Ask yourself this question: "If you chose to continue working when you have a choice not to, why did you have the children if you didn't want to raise them yourself? I know some people truly don't have a choice. But many choose to continue working even though they could make do on one salary or move to an area where they could manage financially. Our society has become so accustomed to having two incomes; we no longer think we have a choice not to work. Imagine this, in one year; if you spent five dollars less per day you will save $1825. That's one less cup of special coffee per day. If you spend ten dollars less per day, you will save $3650 per year. How much do you spend per day on lunches in your family? A large delivered pizza can easily run close to $20. One fast food meal for a family of four could easily be close to $25 or more. Where could you save money? The question is, are you willing to for the sake of your kids?

Add up all the possible costs of day care and compare to the costs and benefits of working. The most important cost of all to consider is that special time spent with your children. What is the cost to them? In a recent interview of Jane Fonda with 60 Minutes', Lesley Stahl, Fonda said, "I was not a good mother. And then, you end up paying for it later."

According to 60 Minutes, Jane created a school program to persuade teenage girls not to get pregnant, and to teach girls who are pregnant how to be better mothers. She created this program because of the mistakes she's made in her own life, and because of the mistakes her parents made raising her.

"If you don't have a parent or an adult, a teacher or a mentor ... really see you, really love you, 'Yes, there are things you do I don't like, but you're fantastic, you're good enough. I love you.' If that never happens to a child, the child assumes it's her fault and tries to compensate for it," says Fonda.

Don't make the mistakes you have experienced or you have seen others experience just because you don't look far enough ahead. Look at the bigger picture, look ahead ten years or so and imagine what life will be like with your children later on.

I say this, "If you don't have time for your children when they're young, they won't have time for you when you're old."

What Are Crepes and How to Make Them?

Crepes are thin pancakes, which are usually made from wheat flour. The word derives from the Latin word for curled. Crepes originate from a region in the northwest of France called Brittany but they are now popular all over the world, including in the Americas. Crepes are usually served with cider in Brittany and they can be filled with savory or sweet fillings. They can be used in many holiday recipes or served as a snack.

Popular savory crepe fillings include any combination of mushrooms, cheese, ham, spinach, asparagus, eggs, artichoke, meat, chicken, and ratatouille. Sweet crepes are served as desserts and these might contain sugar, melted chocolate, whipped cream, custard, sliced soft fruit, maple syrup, or lemon juice.

Crepe Suzette is a very famous French recipe. This is a crepe with Grand Marnier or a similar liqueur, as well as grated orange rind. Dessert crepes are usually rolled up and baked, sauteed or lightly fried. A lot of chefs like to wrap Beef Wellington in a crepe. This seals in moisture and prevents the pastry from becoming soggy.

Crepes Around the World

You can compare crepes to Indian dosa, African injera, or Mexican sope, which are all very similar. Crepes are often served at carnivals and fiestas in areas of Spain and they are sometimes made with pork blood instead of milk in the Spanish region of Galicia. Crepes are popular throughout Eastern Europe and they can be eaten with honey, quark cheese, sugar or fruit jelly.

Crepes are served at Candlemas in France, which is on February 2. There is a legend that if you catch a crepe in the skillet after tossing it in the air with your left hand, you would become rich that year, but only if you are holding a gold coin in your right hand while you do it!

Crepes are enjoyed with lemon juice and granulated sugar in the UK on Shrove Tuesday because they are a good way to use up milk, sugar, and eggs before the forty days of fasting during Lent.

Making Your Own Crepes

Crepes are best planned ahead because the batter should rest for one to twenty four hours before you use it. This lets the gluten relax and encourages the flour to soak up the liquid, which eliminates air bubbles. If you want to use the batter right away, make it in the blender and it will not have to rest.

The basic crepe recipe is half a cup of flour and half a cup of milk to one egg, as well as a pinch of salt. You can use a nonstick pan or a crepe pan but an expensive crepe pan is not essential. Coat the pan with a thin coat of oil or butter and then heat it over a moderately high heat. Use an offset spatula to distribute the fat, or tilt the pan.

Use a ladle to add a thin coat of crepe batter to the pan. The thinner the batter, the better the crepe will be, and you can help to make your crepes thin by tilting the pan as you add the batter. When the edges start to pull away from the pan, lift and flip it using your fingers.

The second side of the crepe will be ready in a few seconds. Transfer the crepe to wax paper and allow it to cool. Put a sheet of wax paper between each crepe you make, to stop them from sticking to one another. You can then serve the crepes or store them in a plastic bag in the freezer or refrigerator.

Change Your Online Dating Profile - It's Like Flippin' Pancakes

The beloved pancake isn't that hard to cook, but it does involve some attention. And so should your profile if you're involve with online dating websites. So let's review; when making pancakes what happens? They get flipped. It usually happens about four times. When you first the pour batter it just sets there for a minute or so to get a nice form, and once that's done you do your first filp. Boom, now you're cookin'! After that side is "done" you usually do one more flip back to the original side to further the cooking and change the color from light brown to golden or darker brown. Then one last flip to balance the whole thing out.

Guess what? With online dating profiles you need to be doing that kind of refinement to your profile. On my blog I've written about the idea that you can only be "new" to a dating site for so long and then you're kinda old news. Unless you do a flip, and thereby revamp your profile. You can actually take that revamping opportunity to go in a couple of directions. If your first profile is successful and getting people to contact you, you might want to ask those folks what they liked or what caught their eye. Then consider rebuilding the profile with the new input once you've gotten a FEW different opinions.

Another direction you can go with a flip is a total makeover. As I said, you're only new once-sort of. In my opinion there are a few online dating profile "models" that come up quite a bit. There's the "Hey I just stopped by because a friend said it was cool, so I just threw this profile together on a lark." And there's the "Here is every single fact about myself, and now let me tell you in great detail exactly what I'm looking for." And there's the "I'm ever so witty and clever." The last kind of dating profile that comes up a lot is the bare bones; which is usually just a line or two and it might include a photo or it might not.

So you've not doubt seen (or built) these type of profiles yourself, so why not use them all? In your first attempt include one or two pictures with one type of profile, if that doesn't generate some responses after a few weeks do a flip and switch to another profile type while adding a new photo. And keep going like that. This gives you a better chance of not only finding people who may have overlooked you before but it's also a great way of keeping your profile fresh.

Make These Light Blueberry Scones For Breakfast, Brunch, Or an English Tea

Whether you want something different for breakfast, you are planning a brunch or you just want to enjoy tea (or coffee) and a scone with friends, try this recipe for Light Blueberry Scones that is even diabetic friendly. This lightened version of a scone cuts about 250 to 300 calories from the usual scone by replacing butter with canola oil, whipping cream with low-fat milk, eggs and all-purpose flour with reduced-fat biscuit mix, etc. Now that is special!

LIGHT BLUEBERRY SCONES

3 cups reduced-fat biscuit baking mix

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup canola oil

3 tbsps Splenda Blend for baking

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1 to 2 tsps cinnamon/Splenda mixture, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the baking mix and pastry flour. Cut the oil in with a fork or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the Splenda Blend and blueberries; mix lightly.

Beat the yogurt and milk together in a small bowl; add to the flour mixture. Stir just until blended and a soft dough forms. Over-mixing will make the scones tough! If the dough seems too dry add a little milk, one tablespoon at a time. Flour your hands and pat the dough into a round shape or use a rolling pin and roll into a 1 1/2-inchs thick circle. Score the circle into 16 wedges.

If desired, mix some Splenda Blend with some cinnamon to make 1 to 2 teaspoons of mixture. Sprinkle over the dough.

Place on the prepared pan and bake 10 to 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from the oven and cut the wedges apart. Bake another 3 or 4 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Edible Fruit Arrangements - A Great Way to Treat Your Guests

Edible fruit arrangements have been around for quite some time now, and chefs of many restaurants have used this technique to treat their guests. However, if you are looking to treat your guests in a novel and attractive way also, an edible fruit arrangement for your dining table would be a great choice.

It has generally been noticed that when a fruit arrangement has been done nicely, guests hesitate to pick fruits from there and eat because they do not want to spoil the arrangement. They do not realize that the main purpose of that arrangement was that guests could eat from there. If you have invited guests over for dinner or will be inviting them sometimes soon, you can begin making your arrangement for the dining table with a vase or a plate. After you have selected a nice piece of utensil to hold the fruits, you need to look for the different types of fruits that you would be decorating the utensil with.

The most common fruits used in a decoration are strawberries, pineapple, grapes and apple. You can also use parsley leaves to add a little bit of greenery to the decoration. Other things that may be needed include flower shaped cookie cutter, pair of scissors, bamboo skewers and a knife.

You can cut the pineapple into small piece and the use the flower shaped cookie cutter to give them shapes of flower. Then you can use the bamboo skewers to pin to the pineapple flowers and place in the vase or plate. Other fruits can be used to add color and variation to the decoration.

Making Red Velvet Cake Balls

A few months ago, I attended a gathering where they served cake balls. After tasting a few different types of the balls, I came home and worked on duplicating the recipe here at home.

I tend to go for the easy recipes, so I began with a boxed mix of Red Velvet Cake Mix. We look for cake mixes on sales and stock up when the stores have sales. You literally follow the baking instructions on the box. I used a square Pyrex casserole dish to make the cake. Make sure the cake is cooked through. For me, this required the maximum suggested cooking time. Once cooked, allow the cake to cool completely. I allowed it to cool for about an hour.

Now comes the fun part. If you have kids, they'll love this part. Take this cooked cake and crumble it into a large mixing bowl. You want the entire cake completely crumbled. The red on your hands will wash out.

Now, take one can of ready made cream cheese frosting and mix with the crumbled cake. Again, we buy the frostings when they are on sale at the store. If you prefer, you can make your own cream cheese frosting from scratch. I used a spoon to mix it all together. Some of the recipes I've seen suggest using your hands. Since I am often serving food, I prefer to not use my hands and instead use utensils and elbow grease.

Get a baking sheet and line it with waxed paper. It's now time to make your balls. One box of cake mix mixed with the one can of frosting should make about forty or forty five balls. I used two cookie sheets for the balls.

Once you've made the balls, pop the cookie sheets into the refrigerator so that the cake balls chill. I left them in about two hours.

Prior to removing the cake balls from the refrigerator, it's time to get your dipping chocolate ready. My choice is always milk chocolate. I've seen these red velvet balls done with white chocolate also. My daughter prefers a dark chocolate. We use whatever we have in the house. Sometimes it's baking chocolate, sometimes it's baking chips.

When I melt chocolate, I mix the chocolate with oil. If you have a stick of Crisco, that works great. Otherwise, I've used plain old vegetable oil. The oil makes the chocolate a bit thinner, making it easier to coat the cake balls.

I work with a small amount of chocolate at a time, since the chocolate re-hardens. Take the cake balls one by one and dip them in the chocolate, coating completely. Place the cake balls back on the wax paper lined cookie sheet and put back into the refrigerator to chill.

Repeat until all cake balls are covered in chocolate. Remove from the refrigerator just before serving.

These are very sweet, but there is no way anyone can eat just one.