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September 29, 2011SAVE now with our Fall SaleSeptember 23, 2011Fall Flipping- Sorting Through the Seasons!ATTENTION ALL ARIZONA NATIVES: It’s finally starting to cool down and Fall’s heavenly breath is upon us. The beautiful mornings and soothing evenings are the indicators that it is now time to switch our mindsets and our closets to Fall!  As the season's change, so does our wardrobe! Follow these steps to organize your items! How do you do this, you ask?
There are a million ways you can organize your Fall and Summer gear and everything in between. I personally like to put Fall clothes in boxes until it’s time to start bringing them out.
I keep boots in Tupperware that I hide underneath my bed. I keep sweaters and jackets in boxes in storage on a shelf in my closet. Once I feel the tingle of a cool morning, I start taking down clothes that I no longer feel like I’m going to wear (put away a sparkly tank and hang up a cute quarter length sparkly top instead- you get the idea). I recommend that everyone tries this and if you do this slowly throughout the month and by the time you have everything switched, it will be prime Fall time for “cool”-wear.
For those who need a play-by-play:
This system works really well for people like me who enjoy controlled chaos. Write in and let me know how you sort through the seasons! I’m interested to see the different ways everyone organizes!
Moxie Girl Household Assistants organize homes in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Peoria, Glendale an Surprise.
September 8, 2011Bed Fun!One of the best things to do when you come back from the vacation is spend some intimate, quality-time with your bed.
Tomorrow we will look into the different types of beds and deceptions to watch for, but today I feel like talking about decorating the bed.
That’s right. We are no longer “making the bed”, we are decorating the bed. Once our time of slumber is done and the day is going full swing, you will most likely want to decorate your bed if you like what you are decorating it with!  Notice how there is not much to the bed at all and still it looks so great! Dingy pillows, old sheets, a torn comforter and a few-decades-old baby blanket sluffed on your bed, as if a tornado ran through, might even keep you from getting into your bed.
Now I’m not saying decorating your bed means going out and buying everything sheer and silk. I’m just saying to have some sort of method to your madness.  Simple is chic! Not to mention, it's cheap! If you are tight on budget, go to Goodwill, buy some pillows for a couple bucks, grab fabric and sew the “designer” pillow together. Being eclectic actually makes you look more trendy and the items more valuable.  This look makes it feel expensive, but can you guess how much it really was? And I truly believe that if you wake up and start your day by making your bed, you:
 See similarities in these bed decorations? Simplicity! I’ve always been told that the best of luck comes to the most prepared and I believe it. Organize your getaway. Organize your transition back to chaos. Organize your bed. And organize your life!
The more simple, the better! Show me your bed decorations! Enjoy the few I’ve put in here!
Moxie Girl Household Assistants organize homes in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Peoria, Glendale an Surprise.
September 7, 2011Labor Day Weekend Round 2: The holiday continues!Happy International Housekeepers Week Everyone!
I don’t know about you, but I always get excited this time of year! It’s a fun time to recognize all of the hard work that gets put into the home. Not to mention, it immediately follows Labor Day, so it’s a fun week guaranteed!
It’s amazing to see the vast changes over time in housekeeping and to check out the statistics.
But, as I’m sure most of you are experiencing, in addition to this wonderful week-long holiday is another urge to have a Labor Day round 2.  Feeling like you need another vacation though the week just begun? Not only is it important to keep our households organized, but we need to organize our lives. The key to keeping us all healthy is to keep our minds sane. And the way to do that, is to allow yourself to relax.
I know I’ve mentioned before that relaxation must start within your own home. I want you to feel as comfortable laying on the ocean as you are in your own home. Being organized is the way to do so and though I still want you to feel paradise within your walls, I think it’s important to schedule some down time.
A little ironic, huh? Scheduling downtime. But here’s the thing: not many people do it, so not many people have it.
Here’s what you must do: -Look at the planner to find a weekend to escape (the sooner, the better) -Mark it on the calendar so it cannot be changed -Make reservations if need be -Create a list of all the items you will need to bring/ or money you will need to save -Start a countdown at least a week before so you have a mini checklist of things to do beforehand. -Exactly a week before, look at the date you will be coming back, and start integrating the plans of that week into the weeks prior to make the transition a lot smoother from chaos to paradise, back to chaos -Set deadlines for everything: when you want to pack by, when you want to get groceries by, when you need a house-sitter, tasks you need to accomplish before and after the trip AND STICK TO THEM! -If you keep planned with tasks you need to achieve, integrate them, accomplish most of them and ease your way back into life’s chaos, you will be sure to allow the rest and relaxation to carry over into your home!
Need ideas of where to go? Whether it’s down the road or a million miles away, organize a vacation!
With that being said, I just got back from Flagstaff… where are we headed next?
Moxie Girl Household Assistants organize homes in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Peoria, Glendale an Surprise.
September 1, 2011Bah da Bah Bah Bah, I’m NOT Lovin’ It.Just as important as child safety, I think it’s important to keep kids healthy. I am flabbergasted to hear how, with budget cuts, P.E. classes are part of the courses that have been dropped from school curriculum. Not only is that astonishing, but it’s also ironic due to the big pushes in exercises for at least 30 minutes a day.  We've got to keep our future generations healthy to let them run toward their dreams, rather than slowly shuffle their feet. I’ve been on a “eating healthy” kick for a while now and I’ve reached a point where if I eat anything too greasy or too unhealthy, I get sick. Most people drive by, see a McDonald’s sign and crave a McFlurry. I, on the other hand, feel my gag-reflexes act up.
The kids are our future and for snacks in between the dance classes I teach, they are chowing down on Burger King French fries. It’s a shame and it’s an unpleasant future ahead if these behaviors don’t change.
The way to change this issue, or improve upon it at least, is to organize how to eat everyday. Meal plans, educating our children and providing for their health will keep them safer, happier and more successful in the long run.
Help me help spread the word about keeping our kids healthy and check this out! Full meal-plans and featured foods are to come in our learning tab. Keep an eye out!
Moxie Girl Household Assistants organize homes in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Peoria, Glendale an Surprise.
Child-Proof Your Home!Child safety. I feel like those two words are drastically emphasized in the media during the summer times with drownings and all. But if we are to look at the reality here, child safety should not only be broadcasted 3 months out of the year, it should be implemented daily.  It's our responsibility to keep our children safe- every single day of the year! Look around the house. Think of anything sharp, a pencil, scissors, a knife, a corner. Think of electric circuits, a door, a cabinet, and high ledge. There are booby-traps everywhere!
So how do we organize our homes to be children-friendly?
Take a look at what I found! It’s a fun way to child-proof your home!
Check it out and let me know of any other hazard spots you’ve found. OR if you’ve heard of child-proofing gone too far. I’d love to hear some extremes!
Moxie Girl Household Assistants organize homes in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Peoria, Glendale an Surprise.
August 31, 2011“Women’s Equality” DayWhen I was looking through all of the holidays associated with each day of the week throughout the months, I saw that last week listed “Air Conditioning” day and “Kiss and Make Up” day, and it showed Friday as “Women’s Equality” day.
Now of course, I wanted to whip out a fancy whig and blinged out microphone to sing some “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” when I saw that day title, but instead I decided to do the more sensible thing and organize my thoughts to present an interesting notion…
In 2010, a statistic showed that 84% of women and 67% of men did household activities such as housework, lawn care, finances, cooking. Women spent about 2.6 hours on household activities, while men spent 2.1 hours, showing that daily, 49% of women did housework, versus the 20% of men.  So, he might not be a hot Chip-n-Dale bathing in your kitchen sink, but there's something smoldering about a man helping around the house. Am I right or what ladies? Can anyone take a wild guess at what the statistics are looking like now? Rumor has it that men have chipped in a little bit more. I want to hear your interesting stories of what your husband or male roommate did around the house to contribute that was out of the ordinary? Post below!
Anything from anal color-coding of theirs and your closets while you were out on the town, to cleaning the entire kitchen with a romantic dinner waiting on the table when you got home. I want to hear it all- that and a guess at what the percentages are at now! Moxie Girl Household Assistants organize homes in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Peoria, Glendale an Surprise. August 27, 2011Things You didn’t know you needed! Don't feel lost. We are generating a list so you can fulfill the phrase, "the best of luck comes to the most prepared". One my friends was telling me about how her son keeps calling of items they forgot to bring when they moved him into the dorms. And I got to thinking about my glory days when I first left the nest and all of things I didn’t even realize I needed.
It was my first apartment and boy was I in for an adventure. It might have been one of the worst years of my life, but looking back on it now, I’m glad I endured it because of the lessons I learned.
If you are moving into a new place or know of anyone moving for the first time, here’s a simple list of items that you should purchase.
What people don’t know they need: -Flour- in case you ever want to make or bake food -Sugar- always necessary -Salt -Seasonings -Clips for your hangers -Ironing board (sounds silly, but it’s commonly forgotten) -Vacuum cleaner -CLEANING SUPPLIES- all kinds. Even bug spray -Alarm clocks -Hamper -Extra sheets -Wash cloths -Cookies Sheets (for both cookies and pizza) -And the list goes on and on
Have any other items you think should be added to the list? Comment below.
Moxie Girl Household Assistants organize homes in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Peoria, Glendale an Surprise. August 25, 2011How Often?!?“How often” is an amazing question that sometimes fails to surface when gathering information. In my eyes, I think it is one of the most important questions…  Ever seen that much enthusiasm to clean? He's a keeper- where can I find one? Like when you receive a prescription and thankfully it lists on the instructions how often to take the tablets per day.. Or when you schedule a dentist appointment and they space it out 6 months before you return… Or when a relationship sinks into a lull and the magic and fireworks are gone, the counselor will ask how often you communicate your innermost feelings…
How often. It also applies to laundry, vacuuming, changing sheets, going through the refrigerator for expired food, current magazines in the bathroom and so on and on and on.
As far as sheets go, changing them once a week and once every two weeks is fine. Some prefer 3-4 days and others about 14. Neither of those is incorrect, but it keeps consistency in the “how often” question.
I would like to hear how often you vacuum and go through food in the refrigerator. Leave us a comment on what your take is. Check out these votes to see which “how often” wins.
Here’s what people had to say about how often to vacuum.
Might seem a little extensive, but when you look at the costs versus the benefits, the cost of working the washing machine, of manual labor in changing sheets, and time spent on checking sell-by and use-by dates are completely worth the benefit of staying clean and of being healthy.
You know, I did hear rumors of bed bugs becoming an epidemic. Anyone else heard this about bed bugs? It’s making me a little paranoid and cleaner than clean! We’ve got to keep our homes safe- how often?- EVERYDAY!
Moxie Girl Household Assistants organize homes in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Peoria, Glendale an Surprise.
August 24, 2011Bouncing Around Thoughts of Laundry…Laundry is a process- especially for those who are attempting their first load… It makes me think back to my college days sharing community washers, doing my laundry for the first time from home.. Boy, did I, among hundreds of others, not have a clue of what I was doing! And neither did my friend.
She would constantly “get another wear” out of her jeans until it was just about time for Finals, never sorted through colors or even items to be washed in a lingerie bag. In one giant heap it went, and at the end of it all, the clothes stayed in a suitcase that was only pulled from when it came time for that item to be worn.. And the vicious cycle continued..  Now this is how we do it... For those who can relate and who would like a play-by-play of better ways to do laundry, eHow gives us these fiery instructions:
Gather Your Materials Before you head all the way to the neighborhood laundromat (or, for the fortunate few, to the washer and dryer downstairs), make sure you have the following: * Quarters: Yes, washing and drying costs money; usually 75 cents to $1.75 per load for each machine. Laundromats often have change machines; those that don’t, however, leave you to fend for yourself. * Detergent: News flash! Laundry detergent does not automatically spray out of the inner workings of the machine. That said, go to your local supermarket or convenience store and pick up a bottle (liquid form) or box (powder form) of detergent. There really is no difference between liquid and powder detergent. You may find that liquid is less messy, however, but also slightly more expensive. You’ll probably be happiest with the brand your Mom or Dad used (you’re used to the smell), but you should especially look out for detergents that may give you an allergic reaction. * Bleach: If you’re doing a load of whites, you may want to add bleach to get your clothes as bright as possible. A note of caution: Bleach should only be added to whites (as you may have guessed, it tends to, uh, bleach). Luckily, because scientists work so hard, detergents are now available that have “color-safe bleaching action” (meaning that you can mix your whites and nonwhites). Which bleach should you use? A survey by Consumer Reports found that Tide liquid detergent with bleach alternative was the most effective detergent on the market. Cheer came in a close second, followed by Arm & Hammer. Just thought you’d like to know. * Fabric softener: To help eliminate static cling and make your clothes feel softer and smell fresher, add fabric softener. Fabric softener is available in both liquid form (which is added during the wash cycle) and sheet form (which is added during the dry cycle). As in the powdered-detergent-vs.-liquid-detergent debate, there is no real difference in effectiveness between liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets; some consider fabric-softener sheets a worthless indulgence, while others find it a necessity. You be the judge. Some examples are Downy, Snuggles (with that cute little bear) and Bounce. * Laundry basket: We don’t want to see your dirty underwear hanging over your arm. To keep us from getting sick, we insist that you purchase a heavy-duty laundry basket or a drawstring laundry bag. If you’re cheap, you can go with a pillowcase.
Read more: How to Learn to Do Laundry | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how-to_4845418_learn-do-laundry.html#ixzz1VveZxyK8
Interested in how often you should do laundry? Check this out and let us know which one you agree with!
Moxie Girl Household Assistants organize homes in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Peoria, Glendale an Surprise.
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