12 Tips to Save Time and Stream Line Your Day

All those precious seconds driving in traffic, waiting in line and browsing the video or book store add up. Here are 12 ways to save time and streamline your day.

1. Send gift certificates and gift cards for presents. Phone in the order – no shopping, no wrapping, no exchanges. This options also helps reduce clutter because the gift recipient is able to purchase exactly what they want, rather than receiving a gift that is never used, but lingers out of obligation to the gift giver.

2. Buy bagged salad greens and rotisserie chickens, two cornerstones of quick, healthy dinners. Add shredded chicken to casseroles, salads, soups, and pastas. At my local grocery, fresh, hot rotisserie chickens are available twice a day.

3. Ask for the earliest appointment. The later in the day you book a doctor’s visit, a haircut, or a meeting, the greater the chance it will be delayed.

4. Keep a stash of all-purpose birthday cards on hand, at home and in the office. If you have kids you’ve likely received a birthday invitation on Friday for a party on Saturday, so keep a stash of girl and boy birthday gifts for those last minute birthday party invitations. This strategy saved us loads of time when my kids were younger.

5. Put a list of movies you want to rent and books you want to read in your wallet or Smart Phone. Better yet, purchase an e-reader like Kindle Wireless e-Reader by Amazon, where you can preview, download and read books totally in electronic format. For movies, grocery stores and McDonald’s in most large cities now have Red Box kiosks where you can get a one night rental for $1.

6. Make kits containing supplies that you use all the time (scissors, tape, reading glasses, cleaning supplies) and place in strategic areas of the house (i.e., by a phone, or in a desk or night stand). At least, place a kit on every floor of your home. This will prevent extra trips up and down the stairs for minor projects.

7. Apply for your car license tags online and if you live close to toll roads, apply for an electronic tag to quickly go through toll booths.

8. Invest in a wireless handheld e-mail device (such as a BlackBerry). Keep in touch with friends during unexpected downtime.

9. Sign up for automatic bill paying at your bank’s website and purchase postage stamps online. This one is a huge time and money saver! I haven’t purchased postage stamps, checks or envelopes for years!

10. Buy a case of your favorite olive oil, wine, or cute notepads so you don’t have to make last-minute trips for hostess or birthday gifts.

11. Buy movie tickets in advance at AAA or by using Moviefone or Fandango to avoid wasting time on lines.

12. Whenever possible, double a recipe. Eat half right away, and freeze the rest for a future meal.

I’d love to hear your time-saving tips! Please add your comments below.

Source for some of these ideas: Real Simple

PS – coming soon … Time Management for Busy Moms e-book

Originally posted 2010-04-17 09:02:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

New BusyBodyBooks Personal & Family Grid Calendar Organizers are Available!

I’m thrilled to announce that the new BUSYBODYBOOK Personal & Family Grid Calendar/Organizers are ready to ship at The Simplified Home!

I think one of the best features of the BUSYBODYBOOK design is the grid design with 5 spacious columns to schedule, organize, and coordinate up to 5 individual family members or projects, side by side.

With BusyBodyBook planners, managing your and your family’s time is a breeze! BusyBodyBook family calendars provide each family member with their own column to organize and track their schedules and activities while coordinating with each other side by side. There are so many great features of the BusyBodyBook planners, but the grid design is what makes this planner/calendar far superior to a traditional block style calendar that forces one to fit all daily family activities into a small square block.

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The BBB Personal & Family Organizer is 7″ x 10″ in size and is available in two formats:

• Academic year (13 month) – Aug 2010 – Aug 2011
• Calendar year (12 month) – Jan 2011 – Dec 2011

Here are more great features of the BusyBodyBook planners to keep you organized:

2 Monthly Planners:
One planner to record birthdays & anniversaries! Another to note next year’s appointments and future events.

Full Page Months-at-a-Glance too:
Now full page Months-at-a-Glance will give you the big picture to plan for holidays, vacations, or special events. This is a new feature with the new 2010 release.

Key contact pages:
2 Pages for your emergency contact information, doctors, coaches, babysitters…

Removable shopping lists:
Perforated pages for creating handy grocery or gift lists. My clients love this feature!

2 Inside Pockets:
Inside front & back covers provide a deep pocket to hold important papers, receipts, coupons…

Bookmark:
Easily flip to the current week with this unique bookmark that grabs the spiral.

Notes Sections Galore:
A full page each week for notes, to do’s, lists, or alerts. Plenty of notes pages in back of BBB too to record and keep important information.

Sturdy, Clear Plastic Covers – Provide BBB’s beautiful covers with even more protection.

The column grid style is so versatile too – you can use columns to record and track school subjects, personal goals or an exercise routine.

Visit THE SIMPLIFIED HOME to learn more and to order.

There are a couple more BBB designs to let you know about, in future posts. Or visit here to learn more about the BusyBodyBook Wall Calendar, great for putting on the frig. where all family members can see.

Originally posted 2010-07-11 17:09:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Increase Your Productivity: Institute Quiet Time

I had to pass on this post by Karyn Greenstreet, whose blog I follow. It’s a must read for any at work at home entrepreneur.

Are you getting everything done on your To Do list?

No?

Join the crowd.

More and more self-employed entrepreneurs are complaining that email, phone calls and their beeping and buzzing BlackBerry are constantly causing interruptions, increasing stress and reducing productivity.

These constant interruptions are costing you productivity — and ultimately income.

In my blog post Choose One Task for 2010, I talk about the myth of multitasking. Talking on the phone and answering emails at the same time decreases your overall productivity. So does answering emails while you’re trying to focus on an important project or task. It causes twice the number of errors when you multitask or allow interruptions to your task.

By allowing all these interruptions, you are losing TWO hours a day of productive time.

The Solution

Many large corporations like Intel, IBM, and Deloitte & Touche are instituting something called Quiet Time: a block of time in which you cannot send or read emails, and may not make or receive phone calls (unless they are related to the specific project you’re working on).

I started to do this last year:

* Core Productivity times are 9AM – 2:30 PM. All client calls and project work are done during these hours.
* Every Friday was “class design and book writing day.” No client or prospect appointments, no emails from 9:00 – 2:30, no phone calls at all.
* Emails are handled twice a day – 8:00 and 2:30.
* Each day, return phone calls are handled after 2:30 PM (which is great because of the time zone differences between East and West coast).
* When I really, really needed to work on a project in a deeply focused way, I’d bring my laptop to the lake, park or library, taking my work to a quiet environment without possible distractions.

My Results

In a 12-month period, I designed and launched THREE new classes (including a 9-week class which was a whopper to design), wrote one new ebook, designed two new websites, and overall had a much happier and more satisfied lifestyle and work environment. Awesome!

Lest you think that you will be less productive in getting through your emails and phone calls if you institute Quiet Time in your business, think again. Having fixed times each day for email and phone calls increases your productivity, actually reducing the amount of time you spend on emails and phone calls. (I found I could get through 30-40 emails in a solid, planned hour, which would have taken me two hours if I had answered them in a scattered fashion throughout the day.)

If you are frustrated because you’re not accomplishing your projects and tasks, you need to schedule Quiet Time into each day. You will be happier and feel more fulfilled by your work if you do.

Learn more from Karyn Greenstreet here:  Self-Employed  Success

Originally posted 2010-04-26 09:01:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Moms and organizers offer tips for all things back to school

(Article appearing in the BerksMont News, PA)

For parents who have been trying to keep their youngsters occupied all summer, September often replaces Christmas as “the most wonderful time of the year!” But for those parents who don’t like rigid schedules and helping with homework, it can also translate into a time of much family stress. Either way, back to school is a time of change. Professional organizers, a growing profession nationally and locally, are often called in to help families in times of transition.

As a professional organizer and a mother of three school-aged children, Debbie Lillard knows this transition all too well. Debbie Lillard started her organizing business, Space to Spare, in 2003.

She is an active member of the National Association of Professional Organizers Greater Philadelphia Chapter (www.NAPO-GPC.org) and has appeared on several episodes of HGTV’s Mission Organization. Debbie’s organizing tips have been featured in such magazines as Woman’s Day, Memory Makers and House & Home. Lillard recommends the following tips to get families ready for the busy back-to-school season:

1. Early to bed, early to rise. During summer months, children tend to stay up and sleep in later. To get them back into the routine of school schedules, put the routine in place as a dry run during the last week of summer. If everyone needs to be out of the house by 8:30 a.m. on a school day, make sure everyone has dressed, eaten and brushed their teeth by that time during your trial week.

2. Shop for school supplies at home first. Once you have the list of school supplies that your children need, take a look around your house first. Folders, crayons and even notebooks that are not full from the previous year can be used again. If the crayon box is broken, use a plastic container or Ziploc bag instead. Have the kids help you and make it a scavenger hunt! Check off what you have, then take the list to the store to purchase what you still need.

3. Create file folders. While you’re shopping for those school supplies, get an extra 2-pocket folder for each child. This can be used for holding any school information that you will refer to throughout the year (i.e. school calendar, absentee notes, teacher website info, handbooks, etc.). Label each folder with a child’s name and keep these in your home office for reference.

4. Visual reminders. Once you have all the information about your child’s special classes and extra-curricular activities, put them on a chart so that each day your child knows what is happening. Kids love pictures, so use stickers or computer clip art to make your chart visually appealing and colorful. Post the chart on the refrigerator or on a centrally-located bulletin board.

5. Designate a dumping ground. It’s been a few months, so even if you had a school routine you may have to review it with your kids. Physically show your children where you want them to put papers for you, homework, shoes, backpacks, and lunch boxes when they come home from school.

6. Clear out the old to make room for new. If you haven’t done so already, clear out your child’s backpack and their school papers from last year. Any special papers or artwork you want to save should be put in a scrapbook, a portfolio or a memory box. Designate one place where your child can put papers and reports throughout the upcoming year. This could be a drawer in their desk, a plastic storage bin in their room or a large art portfolio in their closet.

7. Layout the clothes. If clothing is an issue with your child, make sure they know what they are allowed to wear each day to school. If mom or dad says pants and a short sleeved shirt, then let the child choose which ones. In order to do this, make sure their clothes are accessible and simply organized in drawers or a closet.

8. Map out your activities on a family calendar. Back to school often means “back to busy,” so map it out by writing all activities on the calendar, even before your children commit to activities. Sometimes seeing it on paper helps you realize how much running around you will be doing!

9. Set up carpools. Make your life easier and save on gas and time by setting up carpools with your neighbors for school, sports and after-school activities.

10. Go through the routine with the entire family. Every family is different, so make a morning and nighttime routine that works for you. Involve as many family members as you can to spread the work of getting everyone out the door on time with everything they need. For example, if your kids are typically waiting for lunches in the morning, then pack them the night before or make it the first thing you do in the morning.

The Greater Philadelphia Chapter is part of the national nonprofit organization, NAPO, which has been active since 1985 and consists of more than 4,000 members throughout the United States and in eight other countries. For additional information or to find a professional organizer near you, visit the NAPO Web site at www.napo.org. Just click on “Find An Organizer.”

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I’m a NAPO member in Central Indiana and owner of Simplified Spaces Professional Organizing Solutions. I’m available to help you implement these and many more systems and strategies to clear the clutter and calm the chaos in your home and life. We also work with kids individually to help them establish organization, habits and routines for school and life success. Visit Simplified Spaces Professional Organizing Solutions for more info.

Originally posted 2010-08-28 11:23:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Benefits Of Family Meal Planning

Are you ready to save some time, feed your family healthier meals and save some money along the way? These are just some of the benefits of family meal planning. Let’s look at all of them in a little more detail.

Eat Healthier

Planning your family meals will cut down on your trips to your favorite fast food restaurant and the amount of pizza you have delivered to your door. Food you prepare at home tends to be much healthier than hamburgers with fries, fried chicken or pizza. When you plan your meals include some lean protein like chicken breast, as well as some salads and vegetables. Your entire family will benefit from the healthier meals.

Save Time

How much time are you spending now running to the grocery store a few times a week. I used to run to the store at least 3 times a week to buy something to fix for dinner. Planning your meals out for a week at a time and then putting together a grocery list with everything you need to cook those meals will cut your trips to the store down to one a week. This alone will save you a few hours each week. Plus you won’t be standing in front of your fridge and pantry every night trying to come up with something you can fix with what you have at hand.

Save Money

All that eating out and having food delivered can quickly add up. By preparing more meals at home you will save quite a few dollars each week. In addition, you will save on your monthly grocery bill, since you will be making a list of everything you need for the week and won’t end up buying extras that just go to waste. I used to throw out food almost every week before I started meal planning.

CLICK HERE For Half Off Through February 2nd, 2011!

Less Stress

You know the routine. It’s 6 pm, everyone in the family is starving and you have no idea what’s for dinner. Trying to come up with something to cook from what you have in the kitchen while your kids are tired, hungry and screaming isn’t one of the most fun family activities. You will be much more relaxed about dinner, when you know exactly what you are going to cook ahead of time and known you have everything you need in the house.

Quality Time Together

Meal Planning also encourages everyone to gather around the dinner table each day. Who could resist the delicious smells coming out of the kitchen? Dinnertime has always been a great time for families to gather and share news and experiences of the day. Parents and children can pay each other undivided attention. Cook some dinner, set the table and don’t forget to turn off the TV. Make dinner a daily family tradition again.

I encourage you to give family meal planning a try. I am sure you and your family will see the benefits within less than a week.

Christine Steendahl Is The Founder Of Dine Without Whine – A Family Friendly Weekly Menu Planner.  Eliminate Your Dinner Hour Stress And Re-Discover The Pleasure Of The Dinner Hour!

CLICK HERE For Half Off Through February 2nd, 2011!

Originally posted 2011-01-27 22:37:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Back to School 101 – Organize Those School Supplies (on Fox 59)

I was thrilled to be invited to appear on the Indianapolis FOX 59 Morning News segment BACK TO SCHOOL 101: Organize School Supplies. Here’s the video:

 

Originally posted 2010-08-14 17:16:23. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

5 Easy Steps to Meeting Deadlines

This article by Professional Organizer Denise Landers discusses 5 easy steps to help you meet deadlines; and 3 of the 5 are directly related to getting organized and how important getting organized is in getting things done and on time.

It is tough to work under the gun, but it’s something we all need to do from time to time, either because we put a project off until the last minute, or because we had a heavy dose of work dumped on our heads.

Regardless of the cause, however, developing the skill to meet tight deadlines can do big things for your career – managers and executives love employees who can finish work on time, and team members who can organize and execute quickly usually rise to the top.

With that in mind, here are five tips to doing great work on a tight deadline:

1. Clear the decks. The first thing to do, when you need to produce great work in a hurry, is to allow yourself to concentrate on it. That means making some space, both mentally and physically. Try to clean up your work area so that nothing else is going to distract you. And at the same time, clear your head of other thoughts and problems as much as you can. If something else is bugging you, make a note to come back to it later; you want to be able to keep your eyes on the road.
2. Know exactly what you are working on. This is actually good advice in just about any working situation, but is especially critical when you are under the gun. Find out decisively what is expected, and exactly what your deadline is, before you begin. Otherwise, you could waste countless hours working in the wrong direction.
3. Get organized. There is a tendency, when we are under stress, to jump right in and “just do it.” Big mistake. To get the most out of your time, spend a little bit of it – even if it is just a few minutes – organizing all the relevant data and components. A little bit of time figuring out where to start can save you quite a bit later on.
4. You are usually better early than late. While most of us have had the experience of pulling an “all-nighter” at one point or another, the practice is usually counterproductive. You are almost always better off getting some sleep and rising early to finish a project than you are staying up deep into the night and trying to stay fresh. Additionally, many of your best ideas and insights are likely to come when you aren’t thinking directly about the task in front of you, anyway. So, feel free to get some sleep or take a break to rest your mind –it is hard to walk away when you are in a hurry, but it might just speed you up in the long run.
5. Know when to move on. One of the biggest challenges of working quickly is fighting the impulse to be a perfectionist. There is nothing wrong with wanting to do your best work, but if it keeps you from getting other things done – and possibly making the next item on your list even more urgent – then you are not helping yourself. Get into the habit of doing a good job, finishing a project, and then moving on… it is not always easy, but it is usually best.

How do you know when being perfect is too perfect? Since learning to finish projects and then letting go can help you achieve so much more than obsessing over details, here are a few tips for learning when to wrap it up and move on:

• Diagnose yourself. If you are still reading to this point, there is a good chance you have recognized some perfectionist tendencies in yourself in the past. Ask yourself: do other people routinely finish their work before you? Do you find yourself agonizing over details that might not matter that much? If so, you might have some work to do.
• Set firm deadlines. One easy way to beat perfectionism is to give yourself a reasonable amount of time to finish a project, and then stick to it. Once the time is up, finish things the best you can, and then submit your work and move on. Over time, this practice will help you to recognize when you really need to make revisions, and when you are simply focusing too tightly on things that aren’t important.
• Ask for feedback, and then let go. As part of this process, ask your supervisors or peers to see whether they notice a big difference in the quality of your work. If they still think you are doing a great job, then learn to let go of tiny imperfections and get things finished more quickly.

Don’t give up perfectionism altogether. Of course, there are going to be some parts of your life where a perfectionist streak is a good thing. For example, if you are a cardiologist, most of your patients would probably approve of you trying to get things just right. But, it is important that you figure out which parts of your personal and professional life require 100% accuracy, and which areas simply need to be finished on time. Learning to tell the difference is perhaps the most important thing you can do for your productivity.

Denise Landers is the author of Destination: Organization, A Week by Week Journey and the owner of Key Organization Systems, Inc. As a national speaker, trainer, consultant, and writer she provides clients and audiences with the time management training tools and techniques that improve daily work flow and increase productivity.

Originally posted 2011-01-18 13:14:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter