Notability

 

You know I love making notes and lists to stay organized.  How psyched was I to find out about the Notability App for the iPad?  It lets you take notes whenever, wherever on whatever subject you'd like.  And you even get to use an old-school stylus.  How great is that?

Tell me, Appleshiners, how do you like to take notes?

Lists and Notepads

I'm always talking about making lists.  And I want you to use to lists efficiently rather than let them end up as more paper clutter.  So here are good notepads to keep on hand that let you scribble down things for your to do list and keep you on track without overtaking your desk:

I love my Moleskine notebook.  This tiny pocket size fits neatly into my purse side pocket, making it easy to grab when I need to quickly write something down.

These Post-It notes are lined; perfect for making lists.  And then you can stick them where you need them (if you're running errands for the day, stick it to the front door so you can double check everything before you leave) and toss them when you're done.

Very self explanatory, these notepads will keep you on track. 

This classic spiral notebook (with a cute little cover, I might add) is easy to tote around. I just ask that you use it consistently and consecutively and toss it when you're done.  Don't switch back and forth between pads, leaving a collection of half used notebooks.  That just adds to your piles of clutter!

Tell me, Appleshiners, what type of notepads do you prefer to use?

Whittling Down the To Do List

Hello, there!  Hope you had a fun weekend.  I love the first weekend in May for more than just the KY Derby (always the first Saturday in May) because, to me, it represents the official start of warm weather.  Even if there's a less than sunny day coming up, my mind stills tells me that it's Spring and it's warm.  And that makes me happy.

Know what else makes me happy?  Checking off things on my to do list. And I did alot of that this weekend, while still leaving ample time to drinks juleps and cheer on horse racing.  And come Sunday night, it felt great to settle for a 'night in' at my apartment with an unclogged sink, a working toilet, a new lightbulb in the fridge and an empty checklist.  Just in time, too, since I'm off to DC for a couple days to help a client get organized in their new home.  Remember when we were packing him up before his move?  Can't wait to show you how this project goes, too!

I might be gone from the blog for a few days while I'm away on this project but I'll be back (with good before/afters) soon enough ;)

Tell me, Appleshiners, what did you cross off your to do list this weekend?

Appleshine: Moving to DC

Happy Monday, friends!  I hope your weekend was fabulous and full of springtime activities.  I had a great couple of days with friends, food, run club, a birthday party, a movie (can you guess which one??) and a season premiere party.  I guess that's what happens when the weather warms up- my weekend fills up, too!

However, before the fun began, I helped a client pack up his apartment and prepare for a move to Washington, DC.  Needless to say, he had a ton of things to take care of.  While he was out running errands, I helped sort, organize and pack his belongings.  All that remained were pieces too large for me to handle on my own so I left them for the movers.

When my client got the call from DC, he had literally just moved into a new apartment.  By the time he moved out on Sunday, he had lived there for 23 days.  There wasn't much need for him to unpack; yet he hadn't found a sense of organization in his new space either.

To start the packing process, I gathered all like items together and kept them in a logical location (clothes in the bedroom, electronics by the desk, towels in the bathroom, etc).

Then I assessed the need for boxes- what size and how many?  Wardrobe boxes are great (at least 2 per full closet), always use small boxes for heavy items (like books), grab a few large ones to pack odd-shaped items and count on medium size boxes to contain most everything else. 

Resist the urge to throw things into a box and be done with it.  Packing a mess is much easier than unpacking a mess.  Take the time to label boxes with room + contents and wrap padding around delicate items.  You don't have to fold every shirt as it goes in the box, just make sure all the shirts are in the same box.  When you get to your new home, you'll find it much less stressful to deal with well packed boxes.

Tell me, Appleshiners, do you have any packing tips?

PS- Here's a look at the kitchen I unpacked.  Even though I hadn't packed the boxes, they were well organized and made it easy to put everything in it's place, like this!

Read a Good Book Lately?

Sometimes we need to know when to say 'when'.  Deciding what items to move away from and when to do so can be daunting; so much so that we tend to push it towards the bottom of our to do lists. In Gail Blanke's book, Throw Out Fifty Things, she encourages you to push yourself through the psychological barriers that cause you to create clutter in the first place.  "If you want to grow, you gotta let go," is Blanke's mantra; that means eliminating the clutter (physical and emotional) that holds you back. 

I absolutely support this approach to letting go of items once they've served their value.  When we obtain an object, whether it was purchased, gifted or willed, we should accept it with the understanding that it will serve a purpose.  And when that purpose is served, it's time to move it out of our lives.  

Many people find it hard to let go of an item for one of these reasons: financial, emotional or practical.  Because we paid $$ for it, it was given to us by someone special or it could be useful in the future is NOT a good reason to keep any item past its expiration date.  I'm not saying there aren't exceptions to these rules- they're surely are (and good ones!) Although, generally speaking, one should assess the purpose value of an item and determine if that purpose is still valid.  

Discarding a material item won't remove your memory attached to it.  Even though that couch was your first big purchase in your first apartment (ahem, 3 apartments ago), it's simply taking up space in your new home.  And sure, those jeans might come back in style and you could possibly fit into them but, in the meantime, they're taking up space in your closet.  Maybe you're not ready to get rid of 50 things but try starting with 5...or 10...or 20.  Just start somewhere (I promise, that'll be the hardest part).

Maybe this book will help motivate you to move a few things out.  And these are good reads, too.  Or maybe they'll just get you thinking about it.  Either way, clearing out a little clutter makes ways for big things to happen- they might just need some extra room.

Tell me, Appleshiners, what have you moved out of your life lately?

Time Management

Happy Monday!  I hope you all had a great weekend!  I had a lovely time at my friend's baby shower, hanging with girlfriends while the boys entertained themselves with boats, cigars and future man-room ideas.  We let the day get away from us and ended up eating homemade pizza and rootbeer floats while watching a made-for-tv movie.  It was that kind of day.

Now the week's upon us and my schedule's looking a little full.  Staying on top of my calendar is my number one trick to time management.  You have to know the 'when, what and where' before anything else.  Here are a few other helpful tips for time management:

1) Make time for your priorities and make them consistent.  Exercise is high on my list, especially pilates classes and run club.  I keep those appointments on a re-occurring timeline so when something else comes up, I won't forget to schedule around them.

2) Be realistic about the time needed for an appointment.  Trying to cram too much to do into too little time will leave you in a frustrated frenzy.

3) Discuss your calendar with your partner: business, loved-one, children or others.  If your schedule tends to interact with someone else's schedule on a frequent basis, then keep each other up-to-date to eliminate confusion.  Create a joint Google calendar with your partner to keep track of eachother's events.

4) Know when your downtime is and use it wisely.  Sometimes I actually mark-off 'Downtime' on my calendar to remind me to run a few errands, catch up on my reading or just have some decomp time to myself.

5) Recognize the difference between a priority and a wish-list.  Priorities are things you are willing to make time for.  Wish-list items are things that you'd love to get done IF you have extra time.


Tell me, Appleshiners, what tips do you have for time management?

Also, here's a great article in the Wall Street Journal about being too busy (or so we think).

Gotta Run Some Errands!

I feel so accomplished and productive when I check things off my list.  Planning errands is like a mental obstacle course, trying to align the geographical components into my limited timeframe. A challenge that I readily accept.

But...I realize that most others don't share my enthusiasm.  So to you, I dedicate this post.  Here are tips to Appleshine your way to a blue ribbon spree:

1) Jot down your errands as they come to you.  Keep a list on your phone or have post-it notes handy to scribble and stick.

2) If you know you'll be in a location that's close to another errand, allow for extra time to get it done.  Like dropping off your laundry by your doctor's appointment or picking up the photo framing that's close to your kids' school.

3) It's best to allocate a chunk of time to knocking out most of your errands.  Plan accordingly.  Arrange your order so that things are close and manageable.

4) Take into consideration what you'll be picking up and dropping off.  If you don't have a car (ahem, New Yorkers), try to arrange your schedule so you won't have an oversized handful to lug around.


Tell me, Appleshiners, what are your tips for getting errands done?

A Thought, a Sharpie and a Notecard

Why is it that I can always find something better to do than my 'To Do List'?  Today, I buckled down (for a whole 2 hours!) and after I crossed off a few items, I decided to put some thought into ambitious but attainable goals for myself.  I chose a couple good ones then took out my Sharpie, wrote them on notecards and stuck them to the wall.  Suddenly, with just a little green ribbon to connect them, I had created a mini vision board.

Something I can look at everyday, all day and say outloud to myself until they come true.  If somebody's gonna hold me accountable, it might as well be me.


Tell me, Appleshiners, how do you hold yourself accountable for your goals?