The holiday season is here and your to-do list is growing by the day. Remember: making time for yourself is just as important as anything else on that list. Giving yourself the gift of “me time” will tame tension and help you deal with the challenges this time of year brings. As an added bonus, a less stressed-out you creates a happier holiday season for the family, too! Making time for yourself is as easy as following these four steps.

1. Gauge where your time is going.

If you’ve ever tried to create a budget, you know the first thing many money-mavens suggest is to keep a record of outgoing cash so you can see where your money is going. You can use this same tactic to see how you spend your time for a few days. You may find something as simple as running more errands in a single trip frees up the “me time” you’ve been missing. Next, pinpoint places where you can pencil in an appointment with yourself, even if it’s just a few minutes here and there.

2. Create a to-do list that’s all about you.

Think of this as the grown-up sequel to the wish list you made for Santa. Write down the activities you want to do, and annotate how much time you need for them. Graduate your list from activities that take a short time — such as five minutes to do some deep breathing — all the way up those that take several hours, like watching a favorite film. When you see an opening on that time record you just made, match up the available timeframe to the treat!

Consider these simple ways to treat yourself:

• Reading a chapter of your favorite author’s latest title
• Seeing a movie or play that only you want to see
• Taking a long bubble bath (add a do-not-disturb sign on the door!)
• Attending a group activity like a book club or knitting circle
• Exercising (a leisurely stroll on your own street counts!)
• Crafting, scrapbooking or coloring in an adult coloring book
• Planting a windowsill herb garden

3. Delegate to lighten your load.

When you review your time record, you’ll probably find you spend a lot more time cleaning, clearing clutter, and doing laundry than you thought. These tasks can eat up a lot of your day year-round, but they become especially time-consuming when you add in the extra work that comes along this time of year. The most important thing you can do for yourself is ask for help. The burden of housework shouldn’t fall on one person’s shoulders, so speak up! Post a chore chart that assigns each family member his or her share of routine cleaning, plus all those extra tasks that come along with prepping for guests.

4. Pamper yourself with a professional cleaning.

Is there too much to do, too little time, and too few helping hands? Give us a call! Custom Cleaning of the Treasure Coast, Inc. has been cleaning Treasure Coast homes, offices and commercial businesses since 1991. Contact us today at 772-220-7915 to schedule your free estimate.

The post Four Simple Steps for Making Time For Yourself appeared first on Custom Cleaning of the Treasure Coast.

1. You can’t clean everything.

Let’s face it, we all have the couple of cleaning tasks in our home that we tend to get behind on, no matter what we do. With your already jam-packed schedule, it’s completely okay to hire a cleaning service to do the stuff you hate. Think about how much more you would love life if you never had to dust the ceiling fans again! What would you do with your extra time? Perhaps you would meet an old friend for a coffee, or run across town to try out that new lunch spot everyone has been talking about.

2. Keeping the house clean saves money in the long run.

We have to remember that when we continually maintain our homes, it rewards us by maintaining its overall value. Floors, baseboards, walls, tiles, countertops, and furniture all need regular cleaning to stay in good condition. If you let oils, dirt, and dust build up on these surfaces, you may have to turn to refinishing and sanding to undo the damage. By having a cleaning service come into your home, you are actually investing in your single largest investment, your home! With this saved money, what will you do? Maybe indulge in a manicure and pedicure, or take the kids out for spontaneous ice cream cone!

3. Time is more valuable than money.

If you normally spend your Saturday or Sunday cleaning the house, then think about how could spend that day if it was given back to you. The money that you budget to employ a cleaning service is time that you give back to yourself and to your family. This time is priceless, even more so during the holiday season.
If you have decided to take the plunge and hire a cleaning service, click here to schedule a free estimate. The only thing we want to see this holiday season is your smile!

The post Making Time For Yourself During the Holiday Season appeared first on Custom Cleaning of the Treasure Coast.

• Guests get their first impression of your home the moment it is in sight, so put your “best foot forward” with crystal-clear windows. Window cleaning is often overlooked by homeowners, but it’s an important part of proper upkeep. We encourage our clients to have their windows cleaned regularly, and the holiday season is an excellent time to get started. When you see how great your home looks after your windows are professionally cleaned for the first time, you’ll want them to sparkle all year long.
• Doors deserve a little extra attention, too. Clean handprints and marks off of glass storm doors with a window-cleaner spray. Wipe down entry doors with a damp microfiber cloth, including the doorknob and strike plate. Eliminate scuff marks at the bottom of the door with an eraser-type sponge. Clean moldings where cobwebs may lurk, and make sure outdoor lights’ switchplates are smudge-free. Add a pretty holiday wreath to the door and voila — a festive and welcoming front entrance!
• Placing mats outside doorways is an effective way to lessen the amount of grime and dust that gets tracked into your home, but that’s no excuse to let ground-in dirt make them look dingy. Vigorously shake mats out (outside, of course), and go over them with a cordless vacuum. Don’t forget to sweep leaves and debris from the porch, too.
• This is a great time to clean and declutter the entryway or foyer since it’s where you will greet your guests. Overnight guests need somewhere to sit their bags and suitcases down, so move unnecessary items like that little-used shoe rack or the ever-present collection of extra green bags. Add a mat inside the doorway to further prevent mud and dirt from getting tracked in, but be sure to use one with a non-slip backing (or add a “rug gripper” underneath) to prevent falls.
• It’s a good idea to thoroughly clean your home before you start decorating so you won’t have to clean “around” the holiday decor. Consider creating a schedule of tasks that need to be completed in each room, prioritizing areas like guest bedrooms at the top of the list. Next to each chore, annotate a timeline of how long it will take and a date it should be completed by. Imagine the satisfaction you’ll feel when you cross those tasks off (So long, seasonal stress!).

Want to get that to-do list taken care of in one fell swoop? Custom Cleaning of the Treasure Coast can handle it! We customize our services to fit your needs, and we’ll get the job done on time. Contact us today at 772-220-7915 to schedule a free estimate.

The post Holiday Cleaning: A Festive First Impression appeared first on Custom Cleaning of the Treasure Coast.