Cleaning out the Oven.

On nights when you get take out, take a few moments and spray the inside of the oven with oven cleaner.

Then after dinner, or the next morning if your stains are tough, you’ll be able to wipe away the dirt and grime easily, without missing the use of your oven.

Use a DVR.

Like watching television? Don’t let a show’s air time determine when you watch a program.

At the start of a television season, pick which shows you’ll record and set your DVR accordingly. Then as your schedule permits watch your shows.

Fast forwarding through commercials and through plots that become tedious and 8 hours of regular programming can easily be tackled in less than three hours of viewing time. =D

Move self-care to the morning.

Most women wait until nighttime, when everyone's sleeping and the house is quiet, to have time to themselves. But this can lead to staying up late and a poor night's sleep, making self-care counterproductive.

Move your alone time to the morning hours and reap the same benefits of a quiet house. You'll also start your day on a positive note, which impacts all areas of your life.

The 5 winners of Crystal Concierges 1st contest =D

Last month Crystal Concierge held a contest giving away free concierge services. Yep, FREE...all you had to do was send in a short summary of why you or someone you loved or knew needed the help. Here are our winners!




Grand Prize Winner of 1hr a day of FREE CONCIERGES SERVICES for 30 days!
Adalia G. submitted by Jennifer L. of Kirkland.

“Three kids, the death of a husband and a divorce of another Adalia has been with me for almost 20 years. I don’t know how she has managed to take care of both my family and her own but I know for sure I’d be lost without her. She is so much more than my housekeeper; she is my port in a storm. It would be nice to have someone to wait on her for a change.


1st Prize Winner of 15 hours of FREE CONCIERGES SERVICES to be used w/in a 30 day time period!
Pam J. submitted by Jessica J. of Federal Way.

“Ever since my dad divorced us my mom always seems tired. I am entering her into this contest because I don’t know how to cook yet and I messed up the laundry. I want to help out but I’m not sure how to, I hope that my mom wins so that she can catch up on her sleep.”


2nd Prize Winner of 10 hours of FREE CONCIERGES SERVICES to be used w/in a 30 day time period!
Lynda K. of Lake Doloff submitted by Jan C.

“I would like to nominate my friend Lynda, her husband passed away last summer, leaving her with a large home and lawn/landscaping. Currently she is remodeling the top half of the house. Her son is a contractor currently without an outside job, so she is hiring his services. As with all remodels the cost ends up running more than estimate and help in the labor department would certainly help in the finance department. She is worthy of winning your contest and deserves a break.”

3rd Prize Winners (two of them) of 5 hours of FREE CONCIERGES SERVICES to be used w/in a 30 day time period!

Angie F. of Seattle submitted by Robert H.

“My sister has a set of triplets…and they just turned two.”

and

David A. submitted by Erica A., Stephanie A, and David A. jr. of Spanaway

“My mom has been deployed to Iraq and dad can’t cook. The fire alarm is going off right now. Help us, please help us.”

I think I will hold a contest like this every other month, lots of entries and super tough to pick just five.

Filing Paperwork and or Cleaning out Junk Drawers

Make filing or de-cluttering time coincide with a favorite show that you feel guilty for taking time to watch. Most filing along with sorting out a junk drawer can be done with little thinking, and you’ll get to watch your favorite show in the process.

Sort the papers into categories based on your file names. For junk drawers you only need two piles 1 for “Stuff to Keep” and the other “Stuff to Throw Away.”
Don’t forget to include trash. You’ll be surprised how much of the pile you won’t need to keep.

*Note if you come across something in your drawer that makes you say, “Oh I was wondering where that was…” throw it away. If it was that important you would have found it already or bought another one.

Cleaning Out the Refrigerator.

Briefly clean out trash and bad food each trash day morning. It only takes a few minutes to dump the stuff, and will clear out space to make cleaning easier.

Use baking soda to wipe down the inside of the refrigerator. It scrubs and eliminates odors without damaging surfaces.

Scrubbing the Toilet.

Put toilet cleaner in the toilet to soak while you clean the rest of the bathroom. The inside dirt and stains will be loosened and more easily cleaned.

Buy a drop-in toilet cleaner dispenser, to increase the time between needed cleanings.

Windows and Mirrors.

Vinegar is an inexpensive easy cleaner that can be used on windows and mirrors. Use old newspapers to clean mirrors and windows. You'll have a great disposable cleaning rag and be recycling at the same time.

To prevent streaking and extra rubbing, wait for an overcast day to clean your mirrors and windows.

Make yourself completely unavailable.

Turn off cell phones, turn off IM, log out of Facebook, and close your email; Not only does making yourself unavailable keep you from being interrupted, the whole routine of preparing yourself and mentally deciding you are unavailable may really help you to focus on what needs to be done.

Manage your energy, not your time.

When do you have the most energy? Use that time to tackle your most important tasks. For most people, that's the morning. Use times when you have lower energy, such as the afternoon, for more mundane tasks, such as cooking dinner or returning phone calls.

Store by the Door.

Keep a basket by the front door for library books, rental videos and DVDs and anything else that's been borrowed, so you're more likely to return them on time.

Cleaning Out the Microwave

Bring a cup of water to boil in the microwave, the steam will help loosen dried on particles making them easily wiped away.