“A growing body of research shows that you can slow the progression of memory loss and dementia by regular light exercise, like by walking or gardening.”
Read More:
Even Light Exercise Keeps Your Memory Sharp | Bnet.com | 8.2.11
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Today’s guest blogger, Jennifer Tankersley, has some timely tips on how to keep the holidays calm and peaceful.
October, November, and December are three of my favorite months of the year. It’s a time to enjoy family, reflect on what’s important in life, and demonstrate kindness to those you love and goodwill to those that are less fortunate. Unfortunately, these three months can also be a time of mounting stress and multiplying to dos. The key to a peaceful holiday season is to start early and plan ahead.
Here is a list of things you can begin to do now to lessen the anxiety of the holiday season and make this your most beautiful Christmas yet.
1. Gifts
Inventory the gifts you’ve purchased throughout the year. Sit your family down with catalogs to discover what is first on their Wish Lists. Create your own thorough Gift List with space for each person you plan to make or buy gifts. Don’t leave anyone off. You’ll only cause stress if you have to make a last-minute run for a forgotten gift for your child’s bus driver. Begin shopping online and in stores whenever you are able.
2. Cards
Although this is a completely optional part of the holidays, many people find it the perfect way to stay in touch with friends and loved ones both near and far away. This week, focus on choosing a card or design, purchasing materials and stamps, scheduling a photo opportunity, addressing envelopes, writing an update on your family, and assembling the cards. Please keep in mind that nothing completes a holiday card like a personal note to each recipient.
3. Meal Planning
You can cover two holidays in one sitting if you will take time to make both your Thanksgiving menu and Christmas menu. Don’t forget any cookies/candy or food gifts you may have planned for December. Gather all of your old, favorite recipes. Scan the internet for new possible food traditions. Once your menus are established, create a shopping list for each menu. Note which recipes can be made ahead and schedule baking days.
4. Cleaning/Decorating
Many people will be hosting feasts involving their dearest friends, neighbors, and family. Once the turkey has run its course in leftovers, Christmas decorations of all shapes and sizes will begin to emerge from basements and attics. Vow not to put anything out until it has a dust-free surface to rest on. This is a good motivation for thoroughly cleaning your house in time for the holidays.
5. Party Planning
Whether it is a brunch, an afternoon tea, a cookie exchange, or an evening gala, many people will find themselves host to some type of holiday event. Guest lists must be made, invitations sent, menus created, activities scheduled, and a myriad of other details must be confirmed.
6. Giving
What are the holidays if not an opportunity to give? Yes, there are expectations from family members. Yes, there are traditions that must be carried out. However, if we forget that the meaning of the holidays is to give, whether it be through some sacrifice of our time, our abilities, or our resources, we forego the happiness we allow for ourselves and others. It truly is better to give than to receive.
7. Cooking
There are few associations with special occasions as important as food. Once you’ve planned the menu, then you’ll need to stock your pantry and refrigerator. It will soon be time to apply the magic of food preparation to create mouth-watering memories and continue traditions that have been passed down for generations.
About the Author
Jennifer Tankersley knows a thing or two about planning ahead for a peaceful holiday season. She is the author of the 100 Days to Christmas 2011 eBook, now available for Kindle and Nook. She is also the creator of ListPlanIt.com, where members have access to hundreds of lists and planning pages all geared to helping to live a more organized life, including the holidays.
Connect With Jennifer: ListPlanIt.com | 100 Days to Christmas eBook | Twitter | Facebook
I’ve found three awesome articles, all about how to win the wrestling match with that elusive creature known as time. Check them out and share your own tips.
1. Have an Office Exit Plan | CarolinaParent.com
Features tips from OTR friend, Geralin Thomas, and others, including: Manage Your Inbox and Respond to Voicemail at the Right Time.
2. Guru Review: Interrupt Yourself for Greater Focus | OpenForum.com
We get interrupted all the time. Why not schedule productive interruptions?
3. The Single Best Time Management Tip Ever | Bnet.com
Pick up a project for 20 minutes. Put it down. Pick up again for another 20 minutes. Rinse, lather, and repeat. Sounds a bit like the Pomodoro Technique. Rigid or worth it?
It’s time for a new 5 Minute Organizing Challenge! What can you do in 5 minutes to gain a little order in your life? You can put a few things back in place or gather your important items. Here’s a new set of five things for you to consider adding to your routine this month. Try try them on for size and feel free to suggest a few of your own.
1. Fluff the pillows on the sofa in your living room or office.
2. Write down the top five supplies (e.g., groceries, office supplies) that you need to purchase immediately.
3. Review your schedule for the next day.
4. Delete up to 5 shows from your DVR.
5. And, while you’re at it, delete junk mail from your inbox and empty your trash folder.
Check out the August 2011 Organizing Challenge
*This contest is closed.
We’ve been getting some very interesting ideas on how we should celebrate our 3rd blogiversary and we’ve got awesome prizes to give away. So, we’ve decided to extend the deadline for entries until Saturday, October 1st! We’ll announce winners on October 14th.
Just a word of advice: Read the rules carefully.
Though we love hearing about the great ways you stay organized, this contest is all about how we should celebrate. And, you get 3 chances to enter. Read more below…
Enter on Our Blog | Enter via Facebook
Rules:
1. Share your idea by October 1st by leaving a comment on this post …OR…
2. Leave a comment on our Facebook page
3. Don’t forget to include your e-mail address
4. Prizes will be given for the most (1) Fabulous, (2) Creative, and (3) Funny ideas *Multiple winners
5. Ideas must be family-friendly to be considered
6. One entry per person per category (that gives you three chances to enter – 1 entry for each category: fabulous, creative, and funny)
7. Prizes will be randomly awarded
8. Winners will be announced on October 14, 2011 *New date
___________________________________________________________
*PRIZES*
• The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life (paperback) | Value: $17.95
• The Clutter Diet Annual Membership | Value: $143.40
• ListPlanIt.com Personal Download Membership | Value: $30
• 100 Days to Christmas e-book | Value: $4.99 *2 copies will be given away
• Neat Receipts Mobile Scanner | Value: $199.95
• Neat Bobble Head | Value: Priceless!
• The Six O’Clock Scramble 3-Month Subscription | Value: $21
• Evernote Premium | Value: $45
• The Other Side of Organized | Value: $14.95 *2 copies will be given away
• Space Bags Combo Pack | Value: $29.99
• Unclutter Your Life in One Week | Value: $15.00
Enter on Our Blog | Enter via Facebook
Image Credit: Google Images
“A recent study found that workers who telecommuted to work were both more productive and less stressed than their office-bound coworkers. They also had a higher overall satisfaction with their job than those who physically came into the office.”
Read More:
Why Are Telecommuters Happier? | HuffingtonPost.com | 7.17.11
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Today’s guest author shares a personal story of what happens when things don’t go according to plan.
We recently planned a surprise party for my grandma’s 70th birthday with all of her kids and grandchildren flying in without her knowing. We had family flying in from all over the country: Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, and New York City on Thursday morning. The plan was to meet up at the hotel and meet her at one of her favorite restaurants and surprise her there. My grandpa booked a party room and planned to leave well after the last flight was scheduled to get in. While we coordinated everything perfectly and gave ourselves plenty of time to get to the restaurant, Mother Nature was not on our side.
We were all scheduled to fly into Ft. Lauderdale early on Thursday morning. My uncle and his family flew in to Chicago on a very late flight Wednesday night which got to Chicago very early Thursday morning (due to the time change). My family was on the same flight as his and we left Chicago on-time for Ft. Lauderdale. Roughly an hour and a half into the flight, the pilot came on to let us know that we were going to be taking a different route to fly around storms that were approaching south Florida. He said that this would be adding an additional 20 minutes of flying time, but that we would beat the storms.
Two hours later, I could tell that we were circling over Ft. Lauderdale. The pilot told us we would be circling for another 30 minutes and that the storms should lighten up enough for us to land. As we were making circles over Ft. Lauderdale, I had an uneasy feeling that we wouldn’t be landing in 30 minutes. Sure enough, almost an hour later the pilot told us that we would need to re-fuel and were being diverted to Orlando to wait out the storm. We landed in Orlando at 2:30 leaving us with four and a half hours until dinner time. When I turned on my cell phone, I saw I had a text message from my cousins from New York that they had been diverted to Orlando as well.
We pulled into an area to wait for the storm and parked right next to a Jet Blue plane which, to this day, we are convinced was the one the family from NYC was on. Another 2 hours passed and we had no idea when we were leaving for Florida. The family from Atlanta landed, but they are the only ones to make it to Ft. Lauderdale. At 5:00, we get a text that the Jet Blue flight would be taking off soon and within 5 minutes, we were told that we were scheduled to land at 5:50 into Ft. Lauderdale. However, it would still take time to get our rental cars and luggage, and a 7:00 dinner would be cutting things really close.
We called my grandpa and told him he needed to stall. He called the restaurant and pushed dinner to 8:00. We were off the plane by 6:00 and my dad and uncle rushed to get the rental cars while we waited for the luggage to come off. It took us over an hour to get our bags from baggage claim, but we all made it to the restaurant by 7:30.
My grandpa stalled again by making a wrong turn and getting lost for an hour.
My grandma nearly fainted when we all surprised her. Despite the nightmares we went through flying down, we all made it to celebrate with her!
About the Author
Adam Bruk currently works as an online marketing specialist analyzing retail trends in socks for diabetics. When he isn’t busy at work organizing philanthropy, outreach, and the diabetes guide, he enjoys traveling around the world and visiting a new place every chance he gets!
Connect With Adam: Socks4Life | Heel to Toe
Today’s time/tech tip was submitted by Tom Novak of Timmerrr.com, and since we love timers at OTR, we had to share. Have you used it? Tell us what you think!
Timerrr is an online countdown timer inspired by a traditional kitchen timer both in terms of functionality and design. That makes it easy to use - even your Grandma will know how. Especially that it comes in two versions – as a rotary timer or as an egg timer.
Countdown Timer
Use autostart mode when you want the timer to start automatically. Or, use manual mode to start the timer when you’re ready. Simply press the green start button.
Egg Timer
Did you know that this online app is free? Learn more at http://www.timerrr.com.
Yesterday’s blog post focused on mommy wars, but today we’re offering a little support for all moms, especially those who travel with their kidlets.
I know what I go through when I have to pack up my pooch when we’re going to visit with friends. It’s a production and I can’t imagine packing him up for a plane ride. If you replace the pet with a child, that kicks things up a notch.
This is where DeliciousBaby.com comes to the rescue. The site offers help on a variety of topics, including:
• Planning
• Travel Toys
• Preparing Kids for Travel
• Travel Documents
• Jet Lag
• Baby Proofing Hotels
Incidentally, the site was created by a woman named Debbie…nice name. ;) Check out the website and leave a comment with your tips for traveling with children.
Did you know that Anderson Cooper has a new talk show gig? Did you also know that one of his first guests was SJP? For those of you who don’t know, that would be Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex and the City fame (and Square Pegs…yes, I know I’m dating myself).
It turns out that SJP has a new movie out called I Don’t Know How She Does It. It’s all about the struggle that SJP’s character goes through to balance her work and family responsibilities. Just in case you don’t already know, there is no such thing as work-life balance.
It’s hogwash. Baloney. Malarkey. Impossible. Simply because for you to get <insert air quotes here> balance, something has to come off your plate. You can’t have it all. You can try but you’ll fail more often than not.
“I found that really interesting…the competition or resentment between moms how who work in offices and moms who work inside the home.” ~Anderson Cooper
I’m off on the teeniest of tangents so let me circle back around.
I discovered while watching Anderson (who I think is awesome but awkward in this new talk show role) that there’s a war going on between moms who work in the home and those who work outside the home. One audience member (with a job at the NYFD) said that she thinks moms who stay home are a bit “clicky.” She went on to say that “sometimes it’s difficult for them to open up the ‘Mommy’s Club’ to people who are unlike themselves.”
Really? Are we back in high school here, ladies (and gentlemen reading this)?? Aren’t the struggles, though somewhat different, really the same? Not finding enough time in the day to check everything off the to do list, whether that’s laundry or finishing the all important report?
I don’t get it. Where’s he solidarity?! Or, does this mommy battle only exist for just a select few? And, what about you stay-at-home dads. Are you embroiled in this battle, too?
No matter what you’re juggling, you have to make choices. The choice to stay home with the kids. The choice to go back to work. The choice to try to have it all. Or, the choice to get help and support when you need it.
Ok, so I’ve made my way back to my soap box.
Really, instead of bickering about who has more work to do, maybe the fightin’ moms should take a gander at their lives and decide what’s important to them. What’s most important them. And only fill their plates with those things. I would venture to say that one of those things would be their sanity.
Now that we’ve all agreed that sanity is important, I have to ask:
Do your kids really have to be involved in every available extracurricular activity? …and go to schools on separate corners of the earth? Are you trying to be the parent who’s fulfilled and really well regarded at work and taking care of everything at home?
And, if you’re having such a hard time juggling work and life stuff, how do you find the time get high and mighty with another parent who’s made different choices than you did?
Seriously, is that a priority??
Yes, I hear you – <insert sarcastic tone and eye rolling> “But you’re not a mom, Deb. You don’t understand.”
Yeah, you got me there. I’m not a mom yet, but I would like to think that I’d spend more time figuring out what side my bread was buttered on (borrowed that saying from my mum), than being “clicky.”
What side of the fence are you on? Leave a comment and check out the trailer for SJP’s new movie.
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