Stress-Free Holiday Tips

December 3, 2018 By Michele Peterson

Top 5 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Unless you’re too stressed out to enjoy it.

Stress at any time of the year isn’t fun. It isn’t good for you. But holiday stress seems to be even worse. Because, let’s face it … we want the holidays to be wonderful. We want to feel peace and joy and goodwill toward man.

And stress takes all the peace, joy, and goodwill right out of the holidays.

So this year, we invite you to borrow our top 5 tips for a stress-free holiday season. Here they are, in no particular order:

Stress-Free Holiday Tip #1: Make Lists

Writing things down frees up bandwidth in your brain. You can stop worrying that you’ll forget something, because it’s written down on your list.

You can keep lists on sticky notes, in a notebook or planner, on your phone, in a document on your computer … or any combination of these that works for you. There’s no right or wrong way. The best way is simply what you’ll actually do.

But don’t just write it and forget it. Cross things off as you do them. There’s something so satisfying about a list with items that have been checked off!

Stress-Free Holiday Tip #2: Make Time for Quiet Time

Amid all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, make time for prayer, meditation, or simple quiet time each day. Even the busiest of us can carve out 5 minutes for ourselves somewhere in the day. Remember to do so. Make it a habit. It will renew your spirit and your energy if you’ll let it.

Stress-Free Holiday Tip #3: Plan Ahead

Planning ahead allows you to pace yourself. Like a runner running a marathon … you’ll never cross the finish line if you’re going at full-speed the entire race. So plan ahead for shopping, baking, decorating, get-togethers, and guests.
And don’t over-book yourself. If there’s some flexibility planned into your schedule, you can better weather the last-minute things that always seem to pop up into our best-laid plans.

Stress-Free Holiday Tip #4: Ask for Help

Put your cape back in the closet and realize that you do NOT need to be a holiday superhero. Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to do it all yourself? Imagine how nice it would feel to allow others the blessing of helping you.

This may be a mindset shift for you. That’s OK. Allow it to be. Remove the shame from asking for help and look at it as a gift … you’re giving someone else the opportunity to feel needed. That’s priceless.

Stress-Free Holiday Tip #5: Be Present

For many of us, this is easier said than done. The act of keeping your mind focused on the present moment takes practice. It takes concentrated effort.

It’s worth the effort.

Keep your eyes open to the beautiful holiday sights around you. Hear the sounds. Smell the smells. Feel the feelings.
Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, and today is a gift … that’s why we call it the present. Treat it as such, and there will be no room for stress in your day.

Call us at (559) 264-6677 or contact us using the form below, and check house cleaning off your list!

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Better Ingredients Yield Better Results From Your Favorite Recipes

October 18, 2016 By Michele Peterson

Pumpkin pies … homemade cookies … cinnamon rolls …

Now that it’s finally Fall, are you itching to pull out your favorite recipes, fire up the oven, and start baking

Fresh baked goods make the house smell wonderful and, of course, they taste delicious. But you might be sabotaging your results without even knowing it.

How?

By using spices that have sat in your cabinet or in your spice rack beyond their prime.

The best chefs and bakers know that the fresher your ingredients are, the better your finished product will be. And this is especially true of the spices you use in baking.

While spices don’t go “bad” — using old spices won’t actually hurt you — they do lose their strength and potency over time. The older they get, the weaker their aroma and flavor.

Generally, ground spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves are best when used within a year of opening them.

So as you’re doing your fall cleaning and getting ready for the holidays, get ready for holiday baking by getting rid of the spices that no longer have the taste or smell that they should. Getting and using fresh, better ingredients will give you better results.

And while good ingredients are critical to good results, so is the recipe you use.

Here at Mini Mops, our recipe is to take a fully-insured, supervised crew of workers and add our trademark deep and detailed house cleaning for a result that passes even the “mother-in-law test.” This is a family recipe dating back to 1975. (We’re still family owned and operated!)

And our key ingredient, of course, is our people.

We’ve hired and trained the best to give you the best results. We hope you think so, too.

Let’s Talk Turkey … How to Keep Your Family Safe

November 25, 2014 By Michele Peterson

Happy Thanksgiving - Turkey Safety Tips

United States founding father Alexander Hamilton once proclaimed that “No citizen of the United States should refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day.” And according to a survey by the National Turkey Federation, 88% of Americans do eat turkey on Thanksgiving.

If you’re one of the 88%, please follow these tips and be safe. If you’re among the other 12% who don’t prepare or eat turkey for Thanksgiving, please pass these tips along to someone who does!

Tips to Safely Prepare a Turkey:

How to check your food thermometer for accuracy • Keep food prep surfaces, cutting boards, and utensils clean and sanitized to reduce the risk of Salmonella infection.
• Wash your hands before and after handling raw turkey.
• Thaw a frozen turkey in your refrigerator. Allow about a day for every 5 pounds.
• Use a meat thermometer — inserted into the thickest area of the thigh — to determine if the turkey is thoroughly cooked (180o F).

Tips to Safely Store Turkey Leftovers:

• Remove leftover turkey meat from the bones and remove any stuffing. Refrigerate or freeze within 2 hours of cooking.
• Store turkey leftovers in shallow containers.
• Eat refrigerated turkey leftovers within 3-4 days.
• Immediately freeze leftovers that won’t be eaten within 3-4 days, rather than freezing after those days.

Tips to Keep Pets Safe:

• Never give dogs or cats raw or undercooked turkey — they can get Salmonella, too.
• Never give pets turkey bones.
• Keep kitchen trash cans covered and away from curious pets.

From our family to yours … HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

9 Tips to Protect Your Home and Family from Pests

September 24, 2014 By Michele Peterson

No Bugs Here image to illustrate 9 Tips to Protect Your Home and Family from Pests article on the Mini Mops House Cleaning blog

Your home is your refuge against inclement weather. It gives you and your family shelter, warmth, and comfort.

These same qualities attract pests — like rodents, spiders, and cockroaches — to invite themselves in and make themselves at home. And that’s why these pests are always more of a threat during the cooler months of the year.

To help you keep your home and family safe from pests this fall, check out these tips from the National Pest Management Association:

1. Install door sweeps on exterior doors, and repair damaged screens.

2. Screen vents and openings to chimneys.

3. Seal cracks and crevices on the outside of the home, including areas where utilities and pipes enter.

4. Store food in airtight containers.

5. Dispose of garbage regularly in sealed receptacles.

6. Replace loose mortar and weather stripping around the foundation and windows.

7. Eliminate all moisture sites, including leaking pipes and clogged drains.

8. Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the home.

9. Keep shrubbery well-trimmed.

Of course, if you suspect a pest infestation problem in your home, you should consult with a licensed pest professional to inspect, identify and treat the problem. We suggest locally owned and operated CSI Exterminators (www.csi-ext.com • 559-294-1779).

BONUS TIP: Peppermint essential oil is a natural repellent of both mice and spiders (and ants, too). Soak a cotton ball or cotton pad with the oil and place in areas where you see evidence of the pests. You also can mix 4-5 drops of the oil in a spray bottle of water for a spray-on treatment.

(National Pest Management Association tips from www.PestWorld.org)

YOUR TURN! What other steps do YOU take to protect your home and family from pests? Tell us about them in a comment below!

Mini Mops, Inc. is a professional house cleaning company serving residential and commercial clients in the Fresno-Clovis CA area since 1975. We are currently accepting new clients. Please call (559) 264-6677 to schedule a free estimate.

7 End-of-Summer Household Tasks For You to Tackle Right Now

August 18, 2014 By Michele Peterson

A place for everything and everything in its place ... One of the Mini Mops House Cleaning 7 household tasks for August.
It’s August, and that means summer is coming to an end.

Kids are going back to school, and temperatures will be cooling down soon (hopefully!). We’re also wrapping up summer travel and sticking closer to home for awhile.

That makes August the perfect month to get some things done around the house!

Here’s our list of seven household tasks that you should tackle this month:

1. Clean out closets and drawers. Go through your clothes and remove items that no longer fit or that you’re simply no longer interested in wearing. (Do this with or for everyone in your household.) If the items still have some life and use left in them, donate them to a community non-profit organization like The Salvation Army, Goodwill, or Hinds Hospice Thrift Store (one of our favorites).

2. Replace old herbs and spices in your pantry. Experts will tell you that dried herbs generally have a shelf-life of about a year, while spices can last a little longer than that. If you’re not sure if your herbs and spices are still good, smell and/or taste them. If they’ve lost their potency, replace them now and you’ll be ready for your upcoming holiday cooking and baking.

3. Clean your carpets. If you’ve had extra people in and out of your home all summer long, your carpets probably need the extra TLC. Now’s a good time to tackle this, while the weather is still warm to help speed the drying process.

4. Wash your sliding glass doors. The same people who got your carpets dirty during the summer, probably got your doors dirty, too. Time to clean ‘em up!

5. Fix what needs fixin’. Do a walk-through to inspect things like toilets, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets and switches, light fixtures, even door knobs. Fix anything that’s broken now before it becomes a bigger — and more expensive — problem.

6. Make sure you have a place for everything. Especially those new items that you may have acquired over the summer. A place for everything, and be sure that everything is IN its place!

7. Look around and enjoy the fruits of your labor! Your house is more than a dwelling, more than four walls and a roof. It’s your home … the place where you live your very own wonderful life. Enjoy it!

YOUR TURN … What end-of-summer task do you do that we didn’t include on our list? Tell us in a comment below!
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