Tracey Farmer
Free
Tracey Farmer Quick Facts
A public biography is not available yet.
Articles by this expert
SelfGrowth articles and saved writing connected to this expert.
Article
Breaking (Changing) Bad Habits
As I was reading about breaking habits, the rule of thumb seemed to be that if you can avoid doing the undesired behavior anywhere from 21 to 30 days, then you will be rid of it. That didn’t make a lot of sense to me. If that were true, then alcoholics with a lengthy span of sobriety would not relapse. Weight loss success stories would not suddenly gain weight at the mercy of the same old habits. That’s when I started researching how to break habits, the scientific way. There are two very important facts that I learned:
Recently added
Article
Ways to Increase PTA Membership
Inspired Minute Note: The purpose of this article is to encourage you to share these ideas. It is not intended to be a solicitation. Many times I have heard from various Parent Teacher Association (PTA) leaders that while they deeply appreciate their volunteers, they greatly need membership dues to further their goals. They also want people to understand that joining the PTA does not require a time commitment. It involves paying a very small annual due to a community-based, non-profit organization that spends every penny to improve the lives of our children.
Recently added
Article
“Milestone” Birthday Gifts for Men
Yesterday, a friend asked me to help come up with unique gift ideas for her husband's upcoming "milestone" birthday. Now, I have to say that finding the right birthday gift for the important men in my life has always been a challenge for me. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to get a head start on birthday planning for this year, by pulling together a list of unique gift suggestions that will hopefully help her, myself and anyone else who struggles with the same dilemma.
Recently added
Article
Stashing Necessities for Quick and Easy Access
"Mom, where are the scissors?" "Kids, did you wash your hands before putting up your clean clothes?" "Honey, where's the fire extinguisher?!?" The last one is my personal favorite. After a long day of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, the grease from the turkey that dripped on the bottom of the oven caught fire. That is exactly why I decided to stash various necessities throughout the house for quick and easy access. It's important to note that I "stash" items, because I prefer to keep our home as de-cluttered and organized, as possible.
Recently added
Article
Wielding My Wednesdays – Weekday Organization
With half of my house cleaning tasks completed on Tuesdays, the downstairs remains for Wednesday's. At the end of the day, the heavy lifting for the week will, for the most part, be done. Opportunities to take on time-consuming projects during the remaining 4 days exist, but can be undertaken at my discretion. Unlike Monday and Tuesday, my blocks of time for today need to change since I have completed the laundry, with the exception of bath towels.
Recently added
Article
Taming My Tuesdays – Weekday Organization
With family finances addressed and closets restocked, Monday's new schedule jump-started the week perfectly. Now, I have the task of getting the house cleaned within the next two days, while keeping up with all of my other priorities, too. Using the same basic time blocks as yesterday, I am only modifying the chores that I complete within each. Here is how I plan on Taming My Tuesdays: TUESDAY FOCUS: Clean Upstairs & Laundry 5:00 - 5:55 Treadmill & work from home w/ voice recording software 55 m 5:55 - 6:00 Laundry - my mattress cover in & spray Lysol 5 m
Recently added
Article
Mandatory Mondays – Weekday Organization
Getting organized is definitely a daunting task. However, I have decided that if I list out the tasks that need to be completed each week, then divide them up into days, I might have a fighting chance. Since I do not have a cleaning crew, nanny, or someone to take care of my business, it’s up to me to figure out how it all gets done. Luckily, I am not much of a TV watcher (until I am in bed) and I can limit my shopping and eating out (to one day each week). With my cell phone in hand and multiple alarm clocks on it set, onward I go.
Recently added
Article
Resolution 6: Strengthen My Relationships With My Friends
As I finish up my series on strengthening relationships, I have chosen friendships as my final focus. While God and extended family clearly take precedence, I feel like friendships do not always get the proper attention that they deserve, since they fall a little further down on the list of priorities. However, if I focus strategically on each of my priorities, then my friends will be able to remain as close as family. It's important to note, however, that to me a friend is someone that is much more than a Facebook contact.
Recently added
Article
Resolution 5: Strengthen My Relationships With My Children
Continuing with my current theme of strengthening relationships, now I am focusing on my children. The second most important relationship that I will ever have is with each of my three children. Not only will our bond be a model for the bond that they one day have with their kids, but our experiences will shape the people that they become. By being an honest, open, loving, attentive mother that takes the time to teach and listen to my children, I will one day have three competent adults who will likewise be the best parents they can be.
Recently added
Article
Resolution 4: Strengthen My Relationship With My Spouse
Today I am moving into a new category of resolution: Strengthening Relationships. With an endless list of ways to strengthen the relationships that I have with my spouse, children and friends, I decided that I need to focus on only a few at a time to have a greater probability of success. I plan on working on 5 select strategies for each of my key relationships, until I have successfully accomplished each. Then, I will pick new ones to further develop and strengthen our bonds.
Recently added
Article
Resolution 3: Save Money
Today's focus is on my never-ending quest to save money. I have employed many methods in the past to cut-back, but because I have not had full buy-in from my family as well as side-steps taken on my part, I end up saving less tha I had planned. With this new focus of linking my New Year's resolutions to strengthening my family, I am afforded a new opportunity to reach the same goal. So this year, I am resolved to save by tying this resolution to teaching my children valuable lessons about money.
Recently added
Article
Resolution 2: Eat Healthier
Today is Day 2 of using New Year's resolutions to strengthen my family, while ensuring personal success. Yesterday, I discovered many ways that I could teach my kids to stay active and get exercise, while I started down the road of achieving Resolution 1: Get in Shape. On to Resolution 2: Eat Healthier. These are ideas that I plan on using to achieve this goal. - Research and make low-sugar and low-fat desserts with my youngest who inherited my sweet tooth. - Research and make low-calorie and low-fat meals with my son who loves to cook.
Recently added