How to: stop an infant from crying almost instantly

As a new parent (my son turns 10 months old this week!) it can be easy to let a screaming child start to get under your skin and cause your stress level to rise. My son has been sick and teething over the last little bit (sorry for the less-frequent posting) which means he has a short fuse: whenever he falls on his diaper-padded bum no one knows whether it will trigger an ear-piercing cry or be completely ignored. I’m sure there are many out there who can relate.

However, there is one time in a young child’s life when you KNOW he or she is going to be wailing: getting their shots. Prior to taking my son to get his first round of vaccinations my saint-like mother gave me the following advice:

“Try comforting him and if it doesn’t work after a minute or so, walk out of the room with him and he’ll stop.”

It worked just as my mom said it would. My poor son was bawling after receiving three shots in each of his chubby thighs. After the nurse wrapped things up we put his clothes back on him (still crying), walked out of the doctor’s office and into the hallway. It was like someone flipped a switch: he instantly stopped crying.

Since then we’ve used the same trick and it’s worked countless times, though less for “fussy” crying and more for, “I just fell down and scared myself” crying. You know, the freaked, out, top-of-the-lungs cry. Our apartment is small enough that we have to walk outside to get it to work, but it does work.

Someday he’ll probably get to the point to where it doesn’t work. I fear that day. But until then, the simple act of carrying him into another room has done wonders for my nerves. I hope it proves beneficial for you at some point in the future as well.

LivSimpl

P.S. If you know someone with a small child please feel free to pass along this tip!

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No, that’s not my son. Photo courtesy of here.

How to manage less by reducing more

I have a confession: I quite enjoy trying to figure out ways to do things more effectively and efficiently. This comes as a shock, I know. I could spend a good chunk of time exploring methods, systems and hacks in an attempt stay organized and simplify things. I’m not sure why I find so much pleasure in it but I do, and it’s all in the name of simplicity!

That being said, I think I (and possibly others) can get caught up in the method or system of trying to manage everything we do instead of thinking of ways to reduce the number of things we have to manage in the first place.

What can you eliminate?

Step back and look at everything on your plate. The items on your to-do list may seem overwhelming. Take a breath, step further back, and look at the source of those to-do’s. Instead of going after the to-do’s, attack the root of the problem by looking at their source. Which obligations can you remove yourself from, either through delegation or resignation?

Take an honest look at what yo have going on. It may be wise to take a half a day off work and think about it. Examine each obligation thoughtfully and ask yourself, “Is it worth it? Why did I start doing this in the first place? What’s the benefit to me? To others?” You may find you have a lot of things you can quickly cut. Other things may take a little more reflection. But the important thing is to cut back until you feel comfortable managing what remains.

How to keep it from coming back

Once you’ve brought your obligations down to a manageable level, you must jealously guard your newly realized schedule/agenda/radar to prevent it from spiraling out of control again, and you must do this without guilt.

When the next “thing” comes up, vying for your time, you have three options:

1. Accept and replace. Whatever this new opportunity is, it’s important enough that it should replace something on your list of obligations. This means you have to eliminate one of your current responsibilities, and it has to be something of equal proportion! You can’t accept a position as a member of the board of a charitable organization and make the kids walk the dog in the morning instead of you.

2. Sincere apologies. Find the most tactful and sincere way to say “I’m sorry” and say it with confidence. “Sorry, I have quite a bit going on and I wouldn’t be able to give that project proper attention, but that you for considering me.” Don’t let yourself feel guilty over this! You’re not slacking! You’re ensuring you’re able to fulfill your prior commitments. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

3. Space available. Perhaps your circumstances have changed. Maybe little league has ended and now you have five more hours a week you can, and want, to commit to a new project or responsibility.

It’s important to remember that every waking moment doesn’t have to be spent doing something for somebody else. For example, just because there’s space on your schedule after dinner On Thursdays doesn’t mean you have to join your friend’s roller derby league. Time for yourself and time with family are very real obligations, perhaps the most important of all. Don’t squeeze so much in that you don’t have time for them.

The result of this exercise? A more manageable schedule where you have less stress and more time to enjoy the things that truly matter to you.

LivSimpl

P.S. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this idea. Drop me an e-mail at LivSimpl at gmail.

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Image courtesy of here.

How to give purpose to your spring cleaning

The seasons are changing! Or at least they are where I live (today should be a balmy 44 degrees). That means it’s about time to consider packing up the winter gear, be it clothing or lingering winter decorations.

Generally, I find the process of packing and unpacking seasonal gear to be somewhat annoying – just something else cluttering my to-do list. Until relatively recently, I was all about shoving it in a huge tupperware bin and sticking it in storage.

Now, I take a little extra time to go through all my winter stuff and ask myself these questions:

Did I wear or use this item this winter?

If so, did I wear or use it enough to justify keeping it another year?

If not, when was the last time I actually used it?

If I’m honest with myself, and get over the weird nostalgia I have for some of my lesser-used items, I can collect a nice pile of stuff that would be better served going to a second hand store or donation center rather than a storage closet. Check for organizations in your area who take winter clothing (or any kind of clothing) such as women’s shelters and homeless shelters. If you can’t find one, or don’t know how to find one, a local Boy Scout troop would most likely be more than happy to assist.

Going through this exercise biannually (I wrote about this idea about six months ago in less detail) has a number of benefits:

It helps keep your clutter under control. Less “stuff” is always preferred, especially when it’s not being used! It’s such a wonderful feeling knowing you’ve trimmed the unnecessary from your life/home/environment. I’m enough of a geek about this that I get a bit giddy when I can easily close a dresser drawer that was once overly-packed with clothes I rarely wore.

You’re doing it at a convenient time. You don’t have to make a special event out of decluttering. You’re pulling out your stuff anyway, so you might as well make the most of the opportunity.

Less to deal with. Well, you’ll have less to deal with next Fall.

Serve those less fortunate. By donating your used items to charity, you’re helping someone else stay warm (or, in the case of festive decor, enjoy the holidays a bit more). In some cases your donation may be tax deductible too. Check with the individual donation center to find out for sure.

While it may take a bit more time to make the transition from winter to spring, the benefits of sorting through your stuff and asking yourself those three questions are well worth it.

LivSimpl

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Image courtesy of here.

Taking requests

As I’ve sat here pondering what I should write about it occurred to me that I would probably be well-served to ask you which topics you’re most interested in reading about! I’ve created some general categories that I think most of my posts fall into and there are some links to sample posts under each category to serve as references.

Please take a minute or two, check out the linked posts if needed, and leave me a comment with your opinion! (I’ve also put a poll at the top of the right column.)

Everyday tips
Posts about topics like how to make doing laundry easier, why your check engine light is on, and simple ways to protect your identity.

Technical tips
Spend less time managing e-mail, take advantage of online bill pay, online to-do lists, other resources, etc.

Perspective posts
Personal thoughts. For example, how humility, character in old stuff, and small gifts can create a simplified life.

Other
What did I miss? Is there another type of post or topic you’d like to see here? Consider this an open request line.

Let me clarify that I’m not running out of ideas for posts. I just want to make sure I’m addressing topics that are of value to you.

I’m excited to hear what you think!

Thanks,

David

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Spend less time wandering in parking garages: an easy way to find your car

It’s amazing how easy it is to forget where you parked. I’ve spent more time wandering around in a parking garage looking for my car than I’d care to admit. There was even an entire Seinfeld episode that took place in a mall parking garage. (If you’re not familiar with it, click here. Start at about the 2:59 mark.)

So what’s the simplest way to remember where you parked? Pull out your cell phone and take a picture of the nearest color-coded pillar. Simple.

You may even want to go so far as to snap a shot of which mall entrance you used. Sometimes I remember I came in through, say, Sears, but I can’t remember which door in Sears. Was it men’s wear or large kitchen appliances?

Oh. And please remember to delete the parking pillar pictures on a regular basis or someone is going to be checking out your cell phone and think you either have a really bizarre sense of what constitutes “art” or you’re insanely boring.

LivSimpl

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Consumers cut back on small purchases – USA Today

According to USA Today, consumers are cutting back on small pleasures and purchases. One reason is because of the current period of economic uncertainty. The other has more to do with one of the goals of this particular site. A quote from someone they interviewed: “I’m working on becoming more of a minimalist. It’s a relief to have less.”

Bingo.

A couple more applicable quotes:

“The new status isn’t how much you’ve got, but your ability to show what you don’t spend.”

“The murky financial outlook and recession fears are factors. Another driver: fear of being out of step with a cultural mind-set that increasingly says less is more.”

In my opinion “living simple” isn’t about achieving some kind of perceived social status, I’m still happy to see that there appears to be a trend toward the simple. The article covers a lot of ways people are cutting back including some ideas that have been covered here such as packing a lunch instead of eating out. It’s definitely worth a read.

It also makes me wonder, are you cutting back because of financial worries? If so, what kind of cuts have you made?

LivSimpl

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