Thursday September 02, 2010

 

#1 Title:
The Simpler Family

Special Guest: Author, Christine Klein

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Visit them on MySpace. Get it on iTunes. Listen to their podcast.
Duration: 43:05

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Index:
00:37 Opening: The Simpler Family
05:59 Home Matters
07:57 Challenges Families Face
17:43 Extracurricular Activities
18:46 Question of the Day: Rita
20:13 Grocery Shopping
25:10 Preparing Meals
30:50 More Ways to Simplify
34:37 Success Stories
37:25 Closing Comments

Related Podcasts: The Book of NO, If Mama Ain't Happy and Mom's Guide
to Dads

simplefam

Description:
The Simpler Family shows families how to make their dreams come true by making smart choices about the way they spend their time and money. It's proven, real-life strategies help families increase their free time together, reduce stress on parents and children, improve parents' work/life balance, increase healthfulness and save time and money.

About the Author :
Christine Klein is married and the mother of two. She left a successful marketing career to pursue her dream of living her life on her own terms, by working less and spending more time with her family. This book is the product of the strategy she created to accomplish that. Now a marketing consultant and freelance writer with plenty of time for her family and herself, she lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.


Reviews About The Simpler Family:

". . . Whether your goal is to move from two incomes to one, to take more meaningful family vacations, or to start having real conversations with your kids, Klein offers plenty of practical help to get you started . . ."
- Christian Parenting Today

"The modern family can be a whirlwind of stress and chaos, and families across America are ready for an improvement. The Simpler Family: A Book of Smart Choices and Small Comforts for Families Who Do To Much promises relief from a hectic lifestyle through simplification. Without denying enjoyment and fulfillment, a simpler life promises greater peace, balance and quality of life. With simple, proven ideas to organize family time and money, author Christine Klein will show you how to add more enjoyment and meaning to your family’s life than you ever thought possible."
- Boise Family Magazine






Related Websites:

Being Organized
lifeorganizers.com
creativehomemaking.com
realsimple.com
organized-mom.com		 Spending Less Money
fool.com
betterbudgeting.com
stretcher.com


chickchili


Chris Klein's Spicy Chicken Chili

A simple, make-ahead recipe from Chris's book that can be frozen! "Each night after dinner, stop and ask yourself, 'What will we have for dinner tomorrow?' If you need to thaw something, move it from the freezer to the refrigerator. The next day, simply heat, and dinner's ready."

4 T olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound cooked chicken, cubed
2 – 12 oz cans Great Northern beans, drained
8 oz green chilis, chopped
1 t oregano
½ t cumin
½ t salt
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup uncooked macaroni

Put oil in large pot. Saute onion and garlic. Add cooked chicken. Add beans and green chilis. Stir in oregano, cumin, salt, broth and macaroni. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer for one hour.


 


Simplify Your Family Life
By Chris Klein, author, The Simpler Family

1. Make sure the choices you make about your lifestyle are truly yours.
Continually ask yourself:
Do I do things because they are truly important?
Is there an easier way?
Do I need to do it at all?

2. Look for ways to spend more time at home, less time in the car.
We should relish the idea of spending an entire weekend at home, instead of doing everything we can to avoid it. Learn to relax and enjoy “doing nothing”.

3. Limit after-school activities.
Too many after-school activities disrupt dinnertime, take the focus away from homework, and require too many car trips for the student, the parent, and siblings.
Your children have a lifetime of enrichment opportunities. It’s OK to say “no”.

4. Become better organized in every aspect of your life.
Being unorganized wastes time and money. A well-organized family spends less time on activities that have little meaning (housework, shopping) and more time on activities the family enjoys.

5. Establish a family routine of giving daily thanks for what you have.
Doing so takes the focus away from wanting more and helps everyone appreciate what they already own.

6. When it comes to entertainment, replace spending money with being creative.
Don’t allow your children to depend on you for entertainment. Encourage them, instead, to use their creativity to entertain themselves.

7. When asked to get involved in something that requires time away from home, respond with “I need some time to think about it”.
If it doesn’t fit your goal of a simpler lifestyle, don’t do it.

8. Don’t allow the telephone to control your time.
Do you really need to be available 24 hours a day? Let the answering machine screen calls. Use e-mail.

9. Encourage independence.
Instead of doing things for your children, teach them how to do it.

10. Rework your day to include more one-on-one with your children.
Keep the lines of communication open. Talk, talk, talk. Listen, listen, listen.




“Life is what’s happening while we are busy making other plans.” - Unknown