Happy Leap Year Day! It’s kind of neat that we get a “bonus” day every four years.

I didn’t do anything special today, but it was a productive day. I started with a long to-do list, and crossed off quite a few things that were on it, including cleaning up the house, writing a short article for the Nebraska Family Times newsletter, updating my calendars for March, laundry, and e-mailing a friend several times throughout the day.

Sometimes the most productive days are the ones on which my to-do list is the longest! I just picked one thing to start with (the article, since it needed to be in early), and then went to the next thing . . . every time I completed a task I chose another one to work on (not necessarily the next one on the list) and just kept going all day long.

The best part was when a friend stopped by to pick something up . . . we had a really nice talk. It’s always a treat to catch up with a friend!

I’m still going to get the Shelmar Publications newsletter out tonight, so I better get going! I hope everyone else had a productive day, too!

My husband and kids were out of town in Denver, at the stock show, in January. I was sick of dodging falling bottles and cans and boxes and pillow cases every time I opened a closet, cupboard, or cabinet door, and I was tired of looking for whatever I needed for an inordinate amount of time every time I needed something. 

It took two days, but I completely cleaned, sorted, and organized the closets and cupboards and cabinets in the laundry room, kitchen, and our bathroom, as well as the pantry and linen closet. After almost getting frostbite while searching for something for supper, I also cleaned the freezer. As I filled 9 garbage bags with stuff to throw away, I realized that messy closets and cupboards had more consequences than just frustration and  potential injuries from falling items.

The Cost of  Disorganization

• Too many “extras”! I found several packages of batteries (in the laundry room closet), 3 loaves of holiday cocktail bread for fancy appetizers (in the freezer), and many bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion in the bathroom cabinets. The extras were all bought because I couldn’t find the ones I’d originally purchased.  Although I will use these items someday, I spent money that at the time could have been spent on other things, and the cocktail bread was freezer-burned beyond use.
• Space. In almost every cupboard and closet I cleaned I found partially full bottles or boxes of food, shampoo, parmesan cheese, etc. Obviously, four or five partly full containers take up a lot more space than one full container! I combined the like products, and the empty containers accounted for several garbage bags full of waste.
• Potential safety issues. I found several packages of expired medications, both prescription and over-the-counter. Expired meds most likely won’t give the desired affect, but can also cause undesired affects. Old makeup can hold infection-causing bacteria; old lotion can separate and be unusable. I also found boxes of very old and long-expired food, which might have been “just” stale, but I didn’t want to risk it being full of bugs or spoiled to the point of being a health hazard. These items accounted for a few more garbage bags full of . . . garbage.

After two days of cleaning closets and cupboards, I felt a GREAT sense of accomplishment. Every time I walked by a cupboard or closet I opened it, just to gaze at what I’d done. When my family got home, I made them look too—they were impressed! 

Benefits of Organized Closets and Cupboards

• With a place for everything and everything in its place, I can clearly see how much soap, tomato sauce, laundry detergent, and first aid cream I have. When I make my shopping list, I can see what I need and know I won’t be purchasing anything unnecessarily. It’s also much easier to plan meals when all food items are organized and I can clearly see how much of everything we have. Obviously, this saves money.
• I also save time by not having to push things aside, or take them out, or try to fit them back in after they fall out, every time I open a door. I didn’t realize how much time I wasted until now, when everything is easy to see and easy to reach.
• No more waste! I can easily rotate food so it doesn’t get old (putting new purchases in back of products that are already in the cupboard) and check expiration dates on medications. This is another money saver.
• I “found” some items and ingredients I’d forgotten I had! It was a thrill (I’m easy to thrill!) to find “new” lotion and makeup that had gotten pushed to the back of the cabinet. I also found unusual ingredients I’d purchased for recipes I wanted to try, and now can (when I find the recipe . . . my next organizing project is the pile of recipes!).
• All in all, I have an increased sense control over my home, my time, and my finances. The benefits are well worth the time and effort it took to clean and organize those closets, cupboards, and cabinets!

 If you’re reading this, you can organize YOUR cupboards, cabinets, and closets! If you don’t have an extended period of time to do several or all of them at once, start small—with a small closet, or even a single shelf. You will reap the benefits of every bit of work you do, and as you experience the benefits or organization, you’ll be motivated to do more!

(Tim is hoping that next time they leave, I’ll sort, organize, and clean his office . . . they’ll have to be gone a lot longer than 10 days for that to happen! )

Shelmar Publications has several new products, created based on comments and suggestions from customers and people I’ve talked with after presentations and talks. These products will help you make 2008 the best year yet!

These products aren’t on the website yet, but you can order them by sending payment through PayPal to: shelly@shellyburke.net. Be sure to specify what you’re ordering; you can order any books by going thru this Paypal site, also.

I’m getting the program so I can update my website. That’s been in the works for several months–I had to get more memory installed on my computer before I could download the program, and it took a few weeks for that extra memory to be ordered and come in. But it’s in now–all I need is to download the program! I’ll be working several extra days this week because the other nurse for my private duty patient is sick, but I hope to get it downloaded over the weekend. Of course, then I have to learn how to use it . . .

Anyway, on to the new products!

• Be Good to Yourself! 366 Ways to Take Care of Yourself in 2008! This unique calendar lists a way to take care of yourself for every day of every month. When you take care of yourself, you can better care for everyone else! The calendar is undated so you can pick what you want to do, every day, and then check it off.  $10 each or 3 for $20
• Home is Where the Mom Is Study Guide for Individuals or Groups. Questions relevant to each chapter will give you insight and encourage discussion. Readers are provided with space to list a Bible verse that is relevant, and make a goal related to the information in that chapter. $5 or FREE with any other purchase! 
• Make it Happen! Your Guide to Setting and Reaching Goals that will Change Your Life! This workbook will take you through the characteristics of a good goal, along with steps for setting a goal you can work towards and accomplish. Types of goals are described (short term, medium and long term, goals requiring consistent actions, etc.), and worksheets are provided–fill them in, following the directions, and you’ll be on your way to accomplishing your goals! There is a special section encouraging women to take time for themselves, and appropriate goal sheets for doing so. 38 pages.  $15 or 2 for $25.

If you have purchased one of these new goodies, please send me your comments! If you have any questions, please e-mail me at shelly@shellyburke.net.  

In my last post I gave suggestions for doing something related to writing your book, every day.

Today I’m going to give you some ideas for organizing the information you collect. The information you gather, and things you write down, will be for all different parts of your project–the book itself, promotion and publicity for the book, cover ideas, and so on.

I have two books that are just in the beginning stages of being written. One will be written for grandparents, on the order of the “What to Expect” books. The other is a book that will explain mental health diseases and problems (depression, schizophrenia, etc.) in NON-medical terms. This book’s target is anyone who knows someone who suffers from any form of mental illness.

These “books” are each in one of those expandable folders, with sides (so the little pieces of paper don’t fall out!) They’re partly filled with newspaper clippings, ideas jotted down on sticky notes, blurbs torn out of magazines, web-site references, and so on. When I’m ready to start the actual organization and writing of either of these books, I’ll organize the materials further, but for now this is a great way to keep any information that’s even remotely related to the topic, in one place.

Home is Where the Mom Is  and What Should I Say?  both started this way–in their own folder. When I was ready to start the actual organization of the book, I put information for each chapter in a separate file folder, and then put all the folders in a basket near my desk.

When I got an idea or found information for a chapter, I put it in that file. When I was ready to write the first draft of a chapter, I just pulled out the file and organized the information and wrote! Then the first draft went back into the file until I was ready to edit it.  

I also included folders for “people to send review copies to,” “people who will review a chapter,” and so on. It’s important to think about ALL of the stages of writing and publishing from the beginning, as you’ll come up with ideas for all of these stages during the process.

I like the file folder way of organization because it’s easy to add information and you have all the information for any given chapter, in one place, so when you work on that chapter all you have to do is grab the file. 

When I was working on What Should I Say? last fall, our family went to the cattle show in Kansas City. I planned to work a lot on my book (I “can’t” lift buckets or help with chores–I never learned how to! ) and knew I’d have a lot of free time at the show. But I knew it would not be practical to carry along a basket of file folders.

Instead, I used a small 3-ring notebook, dividing it into sections for different situations (when a loved one dies, when a friend has a miscarriage, when someone is very critical, and so on), ideas for publicity and promotion, and son on.

I went through the situations (death, miscarriage, etc.) and wrote down exactly what to say and not say, and what to do and not do. As I got into the groove of thinking about these situations, I’d page back and forth between the different situations with more suggestions to include in the book.  

At that time I didn’t know exactly how I was going to organize the book, or format the chapters (I ended up writing paragraphs about the main topic, and using bullet points for what to say and not say, and do and not do), so decided to work on those things while we were in Kansas City. I had several uninterrupted hours every day to work on the book, and it really came together there! I accomplished a lot.

Right now, I’m working on several different projects including a newspaper column query (to present several sample columns to editors), the goals book, the healthcare manual, and several other projects.

Since I’ve been on the road, at work, and doing a lot of “waiting” lately, I gathered my sample columns, information for the healthcare manual and goals book, and the other projects, and put it all in a 3-ring binder. I can edit and add to lists easily,  typing the edits when I get home. It’s part of my committment to doing SOMETHING related to writing every day, and achieving my writing goals.

I hope these ideas help you! I don’t think any two writers use the same system for organizing their work. The “right” way to do it is the way that works for you! Write me with YOUR ideas for organizing your writing, and I’ll publish them in a future blog entry.

Almost every time I mention to someone that I’m an author, they reply that they would like to write a book. Sometimes the person is clear on what type of book (fiction, non-fiction, etc.) they want to write, and sometimes they just know they want to write a book.

Writing is (obviouly!) a passion of mine, and because of the satisfaction and enjoyment I get through writing, I want to encourage others to pursue their dream of writing a book, too!

I’ll write more posts about writing a book, and in the soon-to-be published Goal Book, I’ll cover goals to set when writing a book, also.  

In this post I want to share a basic guideline that is for anyone and everyone who wants to write a book, whether you are editing the last chapter of your book or the thought, “I’d like to write a book!” just entered your mind today.

The most important step is to work on your book every single day, in some way. This might seem overwhelming, especially if you are in the very beginning stages of writing, or think the actual publication of your book is years down the road.

There are many, many, many tasks involved in writing a book. First and foremost, start writing down your ideas! Jot down topics or stories you want to include in your book. Think about people you’d like to interview, research you want to do, and the title of your book. Contemplate markets for your book, illustrations or photos you might want to include, and who amongst friends, family, and acquaintences could review a chapter or two for you as you’re writing.

If you are new to the writing world, learn about it through websites, books, blogs, and magazines. Check out books and magazines at a bookstore or the library. A great website that I refer to often is www.parapublishing.com

“Working on your book every day” includes even small things like jotting down an idea or checking out author websites or sending a well-written letter to the editor. Just make sure you do SOMETHING every single day, large or small.

Soon, the “writing bug” will be in your mind all the time! You’ll automatically look at things through the eye of an author, and cut out articles, jot down ideas, and be thinking about writing and publishing. And whenever you write–whether it’s a casual entry on a blog, a thank you note (challenge yourself to make it interesting! a cute phrase or two can make all the difference between boring and interesting), or formal report, you’re learning more about how words flow, editing, and so on.

So, if you want to be an author, START TODAY! And guess what? You can count reading and responding to this blog entry as the “something relating to writing that I did today.”

You wake up one morning feeling like you’ve swallowed gravel and your head seems like it weighs a thousand pounds. Or your “morning” begins in the wee hours of the morning, comforting a feverish child . . . and then the other one. Or (and this strikes terror into the hearts of many women!), your dear husband wakes up complaining of being infected with the worst illness to ever strike mankind.

Clearly, it’s going to be a sick day! Here are a few strategies to help you survive, no matter who is sick.

If you are sick:

First, make a to-DON’T list for the day. 

• DON’T do laundry. Wear underwear inside out if necessary. OK, just kidding there, but do laundry only if you absolutely HAVE to, and then the absolute minimum. This is no time to sort colors, delicates, and so on–throw it all in together.
• DON’T cook. Take something out of the freezer, ask your husband to bring home take-out, or order out yourself. If none of these are an option, serve (or, preferably, let the kids serve themselves!) the simplest food possible; cereal, “just add water and microwave” meals, or food eaten directly from bags and boxes. Plead ignorance (or a high fever!) if teachers, your mother-in-law, or the “perfect” mother down the block asks about the kids’ report that, “Mom let us eat Doritos and ice cream alllll day!”
• DON’T clean the house. If your kids are old enough, give them a list and bribe them to at least clear a path through the house. If they’re not, just accept the fact that it will look like a tornado went through . . . and the lady down the block, whose house is always spotless, WILL stop in.
• DON’T entertain. Let the kids watch appropriate TV and DVD’s. Let them get out the messiest crafts (cleaning it up tomorrow will be well worth a day of rest for you!). Encourage them to make “tents” throughout the house with blankets and sheets. For that matter, encourage ANYTHING (within reason) to get the rest YOU need. Younger children will enjoy spending the day with you, in your room, rubbing your back, arms, feet, and/or hands–just give them a bottle of lotion and they’ll rub for hours!
• DON’T FEEL GUILTY! Much as we moms hate to admit it, the world WILL continue to revolve without us there to supervise. Take care of yourself, so you can heal . . . you’ll be the caretaker again soon enough!

If the Kids are Sick

When the kids are sick, follow the above recommendations as needed, and pare down your to-do list as much as possible. You’ll probably be able to get a FEW things done around the house, especially if you do the following:

• Set up a “sick bed” in a place that’s convenient to you, so you can check on your child, give medications, and take food, drink, etc., as needed. This might be in a central area of your home, in your bedroom, the child’s bedroom, or even in your office.
• Resolve to take care of your child first and foremost! The dirty clothes, messy rooms, and everything else can wait . . . give your child the reassurance that helping him or her to feel better is your priority.
• Do what you can . . . but also use the day as an opportunity to cuddle, hug, rock, and spend time with your child. Read to her. Play games. Take a nap with him! You need the rest if you’ve been up during the night, and so you don’t get sick.

If your husband is sick:

Follow any and all of the following recommendations, depending on how sick he is and the amount of attention he wants when he is sick, with the addition of the following suggestions:

• Be PATIENT! I know this is hard to do, especially if it was just a week ago when YOU had the same germ yet your husband went out of town for three days, leaving you with a baby and toddler to care for when you were vomiting, achey, and had a fever. It really doesn’t help when he says, “Now I know why you wanted me to stay home!” (not that this ever happened to me . . . ) Remember that you vowed “in sickness and in health” and take really good care of him. It will make you feel good and he WILL appreciate it!
• If he asks you to leave him alone, do so! Some people prefer the minimum of human contact when they’re feeling ill. Set him up with juice, medicine, and the remote, and just peek in every hour or two. Offer a backrub or warm neck wrap, but be ready to leave immediately if he says “NO”! 

Hopefully your family will experience a minimum of sick days this winter . . . but follow these hints to make them a little bit easier.

It’s the time of year when sick days are almost inevitable. Preparing for them will save you time, sanity, and money! I was reminded of this again during the last week. Cody came home from the National FFA Convention last Saturday night, with a bad cold. I’m almost compulsive about being prepared for illness, so had medicine and comfort items for him when he got home, and throughout this last week (he still has a bad cough, and just isn’t feeling a lot better, so a visit to the doctor may be in order next week).

Plan for sick days by stocking up on the following items:                                                             

• Over-the-counter cough, cold, fever, and pain medications. The FDA recently made a recommendation that kids under the age of 2 years do not use certain cold medicines, so be sure to check with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. Read labels carefully and do not give additional acetaminophen (Tylenol) if it’s also contained in any other medication you give. Read the labels carefully (and ask the pharmacist if you are unsure) to make sure you have the appropriate form and strength of medications for every member of your family.
• Prescription medications: refill any necessary prescriptions BEFORE you’re completely out of the medication, so you don’t have to make a trip to the pharmacy when you, or your kids, are not feeling well.
• Comfort foods: soup, applesauce, pop sickles, ice cream, juice, rice, and so on–whatever makes you, or your family, feel a little better in the midst of an illness.
• Comfort items: tissues, lotion (for back or hand rubs, and sore noses), warm socks, DVD’s, simple crafts, CD’s, card games, and so on, to occupy kids’ minds when they’re recovering but still need to rest, AND to occupy them when YOU are sick and need to keep them busy so you can rest.

 Prepare now for sick days!

I’m working on several new things to offer from Shelmar Publications.

• Health Care Manual/Workbook This book is based on the talks I gave at the Farm Progress Show and Husker Harvest Days. My talk was titled Stretching Your Healthcare Dollars, and all of that information will be included in the manual, including Working with Your Doctor, Using the Telephone to Save Money, Saving Money on Prescription Medications, Saving Money on Over-the-Counter Medications, Importing Medications, The Internet, and more! I’ll also be including worksheets for listing medications the reader is taking, questions for the doctor, questions to ask when a test or procedure is ordered or a new medication is prescribed, and more!
• Goal Workbook This book begins by encouraging the reader to take time for herself every day, and provides guidelines for doing so. The book walks readers through the steps of writing GOOD goals–goals they’ll be able to work towards AND reach–and guidelines for writing goals. It discusses short, medium, and long-term goals, and provides different forms for writing out these goals and the steps to accomplish them. The goal forms in the book may be torn out and copied, so you can use it over and over! With this workbook, readers will FINALLY make, work towards, and REACH their goals!
• 366 Ways to Take Care of Yourself. In their quest to care for everyone and everything around them, women, and moms, so often forget to care for themselves. This calendar gives the reader simple, quick suggestions for caring for herself every day! When you care for yourself, you’re so much better able to care for those around you.  
• 366 Ways to be Nice to Your Kids, and 366 Ways to Show Your Spouse Your Love. I think we should make an effort to do something nice for our kids and spouse every day. Yes, you do that in your life anyway, but show them how special they are! These calendars provide simple, fun, original ways to show your love.

I’m working on all of these projects and enjoying the diversity of having the different projects to work on. I plan to have them completed and available for sale by Dec. 1st. (put some on your gift list, as requests to get, or to give!) If you have any suggestions for what to include, please email me at shelly@shellyburke.net. Suggestions from “real life” people are what make the books and products from Shelmar Publications so useful and valuable!

Happy August! As you can see from the title of this post, I meant to write it yesterday .  .  .

Anyway, I think August is a great time to start thinking about Christmas, specifically making your gift list. I start by listing the people I intend to give a gift–kids, husband, parents, sisters, friends, etc. Then I write any ideas for gifts, by that person’s name. If he or she collects certain items, or has started a new hobby, I write that down. I also include sizes, favorite colors, etc. My list goes in my purse, when I can refer to it easily.

It seems that by making a list, I subconsciously think about gift-giving whenever I shop. I can get that perfect item when I see it, or when I come across a great sale on angel figurines, remember that my mom collects angels, and get one for her.

I’m planning to update the kids’ scrapbooks for Christmas, and by beginning to plan now, I can schedule afternoons on my calendar for scrapbooking–no more cropping pictures on Christmas Eve (yep, I’ve done it!).

There are lots of advantages to planning early–I do not like to shop in crowds, and buying throughout the fall pretty much prevents this. It also gives me time to find something really special, AND helps the budget crunch that often occurs around the holidays. It also prevents last-minute shopping for gifts we might forget until the last minute–teachers, the mailman, etc.

Of course we all know there’s more to Christmas than just gifts. Beginning to plan in August (or at least writing down what you want to plan!) gives you time to find all the recipes for a great Christmas dinner, or sew stockings, or volunteer at a shelter, plan a visit to a nursing home, or learn to play a new carol on the piano.

One more thing . . . thinking about the weather at Christmas gives me a nice break from the heat right now in Nebraska!

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Shelmar Publications has great gifts for almost anyone on your list!

Home is Where the Mom Is; A Christian Mom’s Guide to Caring for Herself, Her Family, and Her Home

• a new mom
• an experienced mom
• your day-care provider
• your child’s Sunday school or day school teacher
• as a donation to your church library or your local MOPS group

How to Find Your Perfect Job in Nursing

• a high-school student thinking about a career in a medical area
• a nursing student, graduate nurse, or experienced nurse who is not happy in her job or is looking for a change

Chaplain’s Corner

• someone interested in history
• any patriot
• a member, past or present, of the military

What Should I Say? The Right (and Wrong!) Words and Deeds for Life’s Sticky, Tricky, Uncomfortable Situations

• someone who tells you he or she just does not know what to say in the midst of a sticky situation
• someone who tells you about people who have said the wrong thing in a difficult situation
• someone who always seems to say the wrong thing
• your church or local library