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I am always looking for ways to package gifts creatively. Lately while I was wandering the aisles of my local grocery store, I spotted a display of those reusable grocery bags. Instead of the usual basic black, there were some printed in attractive colored designs. It occurred to me that they would make a great gift bag! In the spirit of multitasking, these bags are a perfect way to ensure that gift packaging can be repurposed! They also seem to be a lot studier than your average gift bag and at only a dollar each, quite affordable! I purchased a bunch of these and plan to use them for Christmas.
Unleash Your Organized Me!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
A Busy Life Can Be An Organized Life!
Everybody feels like they are short on time these days. If only there were a few more hours in the day! Yet, busy and organized are not mutually exclusive terms. Recently an acquaintance pointed this out to me when she told me I have a busy but organized life (thank you for the inspiration J.M.!). With a little planning, you can be organized within your busy life! Here is some advice on how to do this:
Realize that you can't do everything! Moderation is the key! Use the analogy of eating at a buffet. You only have so much room on your plate! If you want to eat a healthy, well-balanced meal, some prioritizing is in order. Therefore, when mananging your time, think of your top five priorities. These may vary among individuals, but some common examples are family, work, school, home and self-care. If you find yourself not being able to manage activities related to these areas, this is a sign that something less important needs to go!
It is okay to say no! And yes, even professional organizers have times where they need to do this! Time management involves learning the skills necessary to identify realistically what you can and can not accomplish with the time you have (and not the time you wish you had!).
Learn how to do everyday tasks more efficiently! Multitask, multitask, multitask! I can't say this enough. Going back to college has forced me to hone my multitasking skills even more. One thing I do routinely is drink my first cup of morning coffee while I walk my dog. This has helped me shave time off my routine. There is a great website that teaches busy women how to squeeze in exercise while doing household chores. Here is the link:
http://www.squeezeitin.com/.
Never underestimate the power of a crockpot! You can even put meat in it straight from the freezer in case you forget to thaw it the day before. I like to use my crockpot to make pulled chicken. I use one pound of boneless, skinless chicken and add one 8 ounce can of plain tomato sauce mixed with a quarter cup of barbeque sauce. I cook the chicken on low for about 5 hours. Using two forks, I pull the chicken and serve it on rolls or use it to make a quesadilla (quesadilla makers are also a great time saving device). This usually serves about 2 to 3. You can easily adjust the recipe for a larger crowd. It makes for a quick, simple dinner when time is scarce!
Take cues from the status of the economy! In these hard economic times, most everyone is finding ways to save money. Try balancing out the extracurricular load with some volunteering. Not only is it free, but it helps those in need and builds character to boot!
Teach the kids how to cook! This is a great way to spend family time together and it gives them valuable skills they can use later in life. Your digestive system, not to mention your wallet will be much happier with one less fast food meal!
Unleash Your Organized Me!
Realize that you can't do everything! Moderation is the key! Use the analogy of eating at a buffet. You only have so much room on your plate! If you want to eat a healthy, well-balanced meal, some prioritizing is in order. Therefore, when mananging your time, think of your top five priorities. These may vary among individuals, but some common examples are family, work, school, home and self-care. If you find yourself not being able to manage activities related to these areas, this is a sign that something less important needs to go!
It is okay to say no! And yes, even professional organizers have times where they need to do this! Time management involves learning the skills necessary to identify realistically what you can and can not accomplish with the time you have (and not the time you wish you had!).
Learn how to do everyday tasks more efficiently! Multitask, multitask, multitask! I can't say this enough. Going back to college has forced me to hone my multitasking skills even more. One thing I do routinely is drink my first cup of morning coffee while I walk my dog. This has helped me shave time off my routine. There is a great website that teaches busy women how to squeeze in exercise while doing household chores. Here is the link:
http://www.squeezeitin.com/.
Never underestimate the power of a crockpot! You can even put meat in it straight from the freezer in case you forget to thaw it the day before. I like to use my crockpot to make pulled chicken. I use one pound of boneless, skinless chicken and add one 8 ounce can of plain tomato sauce mixed with a quarter cup of barbeque sauce. I cook the chicken on low for about 5 hours. Using two forks, I pull the chicken and serve it on rolls or use it to make a quesadilla (quesadilla makers are also a great time saving device). This usually serves about 2 to 3. You can easily adjust the recipe for a larger crowd. It makes for a quick, simple dinner when time is scarce!
Take cues from the status of the economy! In these hard economic times, most everyone is finding ways to save money. Try balancing out the extracurricular load with some volunteering. Not only is it free, but it helps those in need and builds character to boot!
Teach the kids how to cook! This is a great way to spend family time together and it gives them valuable skills they can use later in life. Your digestive system, not to mention your wallet will be much happier with one less fast food meal!
Unleash Your Organized Me!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
'Tis The Season for Preparation!
However you look at it, the holidays are approaching. Every year I find myself starting my shopping earlier to help avoid the stress that comes with trying to get everything done at the last minute. October is a great time to start the holiday preparations. What I like to do is start my online shopping. I find I save a lot of time and often am able to get the best price. By starting now, you can reduce shipping costs as there is plenty of time for those gifts to arrive. Aim to purchase about one gift a day. This in turn, helps to spread out holiday spending over a few months. If you purchase multiple items at one time, consider yourself ahead!
Other things that can be started are taking an inventory of gift wrap and bows. These are things that are easy to pick up at the grocery store when you are doing the weekly shopping. This is also a perfect time to start making cookie dough to put in the freezer for later use.
Preparing ahead will save time and stress and make for an enjoyable holiday season!
Unleash Your Organized Me!
Other things that can be started are taking an inventory of gift wrap and bows. These are things that are easy to pick up at the grocery store when you are doing the weekly shopping. This is also a perfect time to start making cookie dough to put in the freezer for later use.
Preparing ahead will save time and stress and make for an enjoyable holiday season!
Unleash Your Organized Me!
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