GetOrganised: organising your bedroom

GetOrganised

For March 2013, each Sunday I'll be helping you to GetOrganised. I'll share tips and tricks aimed at making organisation work for you...noting of course how you could possibly tweek everything to suit your needs.

This post is the last of the official GetOrganised series and for this post I hope to leave you with some simple practical ways to organise things around your room.We'll look at giving clothing, shoes, accessories, linens and your beauty products a more organised place to call home.

1. Making sense of your loads of clothes
We all have clothing in our closets and drawers that we haven't worn in ages and probably will never wear again. Not to mention the stuff that we have never worn but 'will soon wear' (yea right); or the things you find and say 'OMG I didn't even remember I had this.'

If you want to just make sense of what you have....
In your closet, use hanger dividers (you can buy them or check out this video to see how you can make them yourself) and pretty much just put your clothing into categories: dresses, shirts, skirts, pants, party, seasonal, etc.
For your drawers, simply place different articles of clothing into a different drawer; that way all your tops for example are together and a bit easier to find. If by chance one particular item of clothing cannot fit into one drawer, it may be a sign that maybe it's time to get rid of some stuff....or you need to fold them better.

If you need to figure out what's worth keeping and what needs to go.... 
In your closet, turn all the hangers in one direction and push everything as close to the left side of the closet as possible. Use a  hanger divider or something similar to mark where it ends. Everytime you wear something and it's ready to be hung back up, put it to the right side of the closet. At the end of a set period of time (maybe a month or four months, depending on how you wear your clothing); whatever is still on the left side is what you need to go through to donate, trade or dump.

For your drawers it's a bit trickier...I suggest you go through them one drawer at a time. Divide the contents of each drawer into four piles: 'must keeps', 'possibly keep', 'seasonal', and 'ready to go.' Whatever you are 100% ready to let go of should be placed in a bag and donated, traded or dumped ASAP; while seasonal garments should have one drawer to themself if possible (it helps to eliminate the confusion). Must keeps should have a draw for themself and the 'possibly keep' items should be put in a drawer together. When something from the 'possibly keep' drawer is worn, re-assess whether the item is to be kept or gotten rid of.



2. Keeping shoes together
With two feet, it would be nice to always be able to find both feet of shoes. The problem is that sometimes we take shoes off and knock them to one spot, then somehow one shoe in the pair goes missing....and when you need to wear them (and have no time to search) is when you're tearing the place apart to find it.

Besides maybe just knocking off your shoes into your closet (or where ever your shoes are kept) there are a few other things you can try.

Shoe boxes
Storing your shoes in boxes can help keep suede  and white clean, patent leather scuff-free and pairs together. Boxes also make it lots easier to organise and pile your shoes neatly to one side. This of course though is annoying if you have lots of shoes, because then you may spend way too long trying to find a particular box with a particular a pair...then of course you're going to have to put them all back into the boxes. If you're up for it though, you could label the boxes or get clear ones, then pile them in an order that best suits you.

Shoe racks
This is similar to how shoe stores and 'super-star closets' present shoes. It does make shoes easily visible and quicker to grab, but this may present a problem with regards to keeping shoes clean. There's also the fact that depending on how many pairs of shoes you have, you may need a whole lot of space to lay your shoes out.



3. Storing linens
So you want to change your sheets. You've found the fitted piece but somehow the cover sheet and pillow cases are nowhere to be found....how annoying!

Sheets....
I've tried many ways to keep my linens together and for sheets, the simplest and easiest way to keep linens in order is to use one of the pillow cases to store the other pieces in the set. Fold the fitted and cover sheets as well as the other pillow cases/covers in the set, and place them into the other pillow case.

Towels...
With towel sets, you can either use a bulldog clip to keep the pieces together, or fold/roll the smaller pieces (rag and face towel) into the bath towel.

This way whether it's for the bathroom or bedroom, the sets are already together and easier to find, plus this could even help save space in your linen closet.



4. Give your accessories a home
Belts, bags and jewellery can't enhance an outfit if they are nowhere to be found. How you store then of course will depend on how many of the items you own. Let's say you own a few belts, a couple bags, and almost a store full of jewellery...storage solutions do exist.

Bags...
Depending on how many you own, your bags could probably fit into a draw or two. Otherwise, a coat hanger with multiple hooks is probably the best solution for you. Once you put it somewhere that's easy to reach, you'll be able to easily toss your bags on it without much stress.

Belts... 
Belts can be rolled and piled into the drawer if you have that kind of space available. If not, a coat hanger or belt hanger is another easy option that can make belts accessible. Unfortunately, if you have a lot, the belts can get a bit knotted in the hangers and make it frustrating to get one without taking a number of other belts off. A DIY option is to get magnetic strips and hang the belts by their buckle....of course this would need a pretty strong magnet and the space on a wall or door to place the strip.

Jewellery...
O the joy of having many options to accessorize your every outfit. Of course it's annoying though when your chains are tangled or when matching earrings cannot be found. The solution is a jewellery box of course! But you're grown and the average one cannot be home to your mountain of accessories....so you get a tool box.

Oh yes, a tool box with compartments and all the trimmings is the perfect way to store your accessories.  Besides keeping everything in one place, the box keeps it sheltered from dust and water, a variety of sizes make it easy to find the size you need, and you can place it under lock and key (away from those lovely siblings who borrow as they please). In addition to the toolbox for main storage, consider too getting some ziplock sandwich bags to keep delicate pieces and special sets individually wrapped. This makes them 100% easier to find when you don't have much time to get all dolled up. Also an option is getting a smaller toolbox that you can use for travel. Find one that can lay flat in your suitcase and will be able to hold the specially selected pieces you'll need.



5. Hair and skin products
Lotions, fragrances, deodorant, moisturizers...the works. There's just so much on your vanity and it could almost look like a skin product showroom. Besides the fact that there are so many things in one place, truth is...you use all of them (and if you don't use all of them then a cleanup needs to happen asap).

Containers that are basket woven or made of plastic are simple ways to keep the beauty products in one place. You can choose to get one big container, or use a number of small containers placing the products based on how/where/when they are used.

Another solution would be to get them off the vanity completely whether you'll have a standing caddy, or opt for a shelving unit. This will work if you have the space for it...and possibly the handy skills to get it done. It may definitely be the better solution for you though if you have a lot of supplies to keep in storage.



Let's hope things start shaping up now as you slowly introduce the new methods into your routine. This may be the last of the series, but no worries, there'll be other posts as time passes and I find other ways to help you GetOrganised.

GetOrganised: there's an app for that

GetOrganised

For March 2013, each Sunday I'll be helping you to GetOrganised. I'll share tips and tricks aimed at making organisation work for you...noting of course how you could possibly tweek everything to suit your needs.

So this is the fourth post in the GetOrganised series so far, and this post is specially put together for the tech fans. I've been giving different organisation tips without really putting technology in the mix, but since this is the 21st century and there's an app for everything let's consider some of the apps, websites, desktop programs and so on that can help GetOrganised.

Last year when I was hunting for some new apps to try, I came upon this site (dailytekk.com) that had an article about 100 tools, websites and apps that can help make organisation easier. I will admit that I kinda went to a sort of heaven with all the options and possibilities...and I went through every single one (obviously I had nothing else planned for that night).

I tried to select the program that I thought suited me best....and Wunderlist kinda won my heart. I even blogged about it! Since then, the Wunderlist team has done a major upgrade and premiered Wunderlist2 which has some great new features and really helps keep me in check.

If you're not quite sure what to look for here's the top three features that I look out for:

1. must be multi-platform:
This is super important if you have devices on different operating systems. Try finding a program that works with Android, Windows, Mac and everything else!

2. must be able to sync on various devices:
Your laptop, tablet and phone should be showing you the same thing regardless of which device was used when any changes were made!

3. must be user friendly: 
This tool is supposed to make your life easier...not more complex. If you need a full day of training to use the program then it may really not be the best thing for you....imagine how long it will take for you to figure things out if something goes wrong?

Of course it's been a year so some of the things listed on that page have more than likely been updated and are now a bit different. Besides Wunderlist, another option I tried was remember the milk, and although that one never stuck with me, it's loved by many of my friends.

There's also the option of using the calendar app on your laptop/tablet/phone. Not to mention the fact that every device has an app store these days, I'm sure you'll be able to find an app that is perfect for you.

Now with ideas to make life easy, plus app options to get organised on every device you own....I hope things get a bit less stressing for you. 

GetOrganised: sorting out routine tasks

GetOrganised

For March 2013, each Sunday I'll be helping you to GetOrganised. I'll share tips and tricks aimed at making organisation work for you...noting of course how you could possibly tweek everything to suit your needs.

We know what needs to be organised, and even know how to make sense of a to do list. But what about those routine tasks that need to get done daily, weekly or monthly?

Routine tasks can be simple tasks like checking email or more time consuming ones like putting together a budget or report. If not properly organised these tasks can take a few minutes, or a few days. Then because these are routine tasks, pushing them back can cause a very much unwanted pile up of things to do.

....yea....you've probably just thought about the 100+ unread emails...if you're anything like my boyfriend you probably have about 200+...and never really plan to read them.

Anywho...what's the solution? First of all you have to make note of what your routine tasks are and how frequent these tasks need to be done. This of course makes perfect sense. With that list, you can now see what tasks you definitely need to make time for on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

Because the lists will differ for each individual I can only tackle what I believe are generally routine tasks for everybody.

Emails
Depending on what your job entails and how many email addresses you have, the number of email you get daily can range from 1 to 'I give up on keeping track.' Regardless of how many emails you're getting, try to make set times for checking email (twice a day or every few hours depending on the volume of mail) and use folders to organise email that you have already looked at and only need to keep for reference reasons. All other email should be trashed as soon as it can be.
As for new email, the best way to clear up your inbox is to look at your mail in three categories (in my opinion): subscriptions, important mail and personal mail.

1. Subscriptions

Six months ago you thought signing up for mail from 'bestsiteeverblahblahblah' was the best decision. To this day you have never read an email they've sent..or what they send is of absolutely no use to you...so what's the point of having them fill your inbox? Once the subscription is not benefiting you, unsubscribe!
The rule also applies for social media networks that you're going to log into and check anyway. There's no need for you to get an email every single time someone comments on your pic, when you know you're going to be logged into Facebook and see when the notification comes up. For most sites you can adjust what you get mail for and how often you are sent mail. Consider that option if it's that important for you to get an email from social networks...otherwise...unsubscribe!

2. Important mail
Email is popularly seen as the means of communicating with co-workers, classmates, potential clients et al. So your inbox probably has loads of important mail that you've read and need to follow up on, or those you need to read and download documents from, etc, etc. It can be hard to organise mail like this depending on how many you receive on a daily basis and how quickly you can respond.
You probably also have a mobile device that you use to check your mail. And as convenient as it is, these devices can be one of the reasons that important mail gets forgotten! If you read an email and can respond without needing to do any further follow up, then send an answer ASAP! Otherwise, the easiest solution is to use the 'star' option.
After reading an email (assuming you need to follow up but are unable to respond at the time) add a star to it so you can check it again at a more convenient time when you aren't as busy (preferably at the beginning/end of the day). Try to avoid taking more than a day to answer, and when you've done your follow up, remove the star from the email.

3. Personal mail
Photos from the last family event or forwards with cute messages may give a lift to your day, but if you aren't careful you end up spending hours looking at all this and getting no work done. Unless it's related to a family emergency, leave the personal mail unread until you're on outside of work hours. After viewing them, either download what's important, put it in a folder or trash it.


Cleaning
Cleanliness is next to Godliness but depending on what needs to be cleaned, cleaning can be a few hour task or something that needs a weekend. There's no going around the fact that the average person has more to do than they have time for, and sometimes it's the routine cleaning that takes a back seat.
Of course you take the time to wash dishes and do laundry, but dusting, vacuuming, and clearing out your wardrobe does need to have every now and again. The solution is to choose one or two days per week and make them your cleaning days. On these days you can tackle one more area that needs a pick me up, that way the cleaning doesn't pile up and become overwhelming. We'll tackle the cleaning schedule a bit more in another GetOrganised post. Until then, here's a cute printable cleaning schedule from modernstylemama.com


Budgeting
Oh the distress of managing money....distressing of course if there isn't much in your life, but superbly important if you want to make sense of your spending!
No matter how much you make, tracking your monthly spending puts you in a better position to see what your spending habits are and possibly get to better spend money on things you want 'just because'.
Of course in my world the main reason behind budgeting is to save, and since I don't have one set full time job with a steady income, it's even more important for me to know how much is made monthly and how much is spend. I'll admit, I know little about accounts but I've found a way to break down my income and expenses without making me feel totally confused.
I make a list of the incomes and various expenses based on where the money comes from (whether your main job or a special project) and where the money is spent (home, bills, transportation, pets, donations, etc). Since I'm not the best at explaining accounts, here's a sample personal budget I put together. It's saved as a Microsoft Excel document that you can edit and use.


I know these are just three of many routine tasks, but I really hope that breaking down these three helps you get things more organised and helps you better organise the other ones you have.

Now you can break your list into categories and plan out how you'll get your routine tasks done.
Please let me know how the templates work out...especially the one I made for you. Next week I'll give you some great tech-solutions you can use to GetOrganised!

cut the...stress!

It's been a stressful few weeks for me but I've been pushing through.

Then I found this photo...and while I knew that stress causes some of these things, I really didn't realise how many of these negative effects I was experiencing (especially the head, skin and immune issues which together are not good).

I think maybe this is a good way to start grading my stress level; the more things I'm experiencing is the worse stressed I am....that's my theory and for now, I'm sticking to it!

Fortunately I'm working to reduce the stresses in my life by sleeping, staying organised, being thankful for what I have, and having faith that what I need will be mine in due time.

How bout you?

GetOrganised: tackling a to do list

GetOrganised

For March 2013, each Sunday I'll be helping you to GetOrganised. I'll share tips and tricks aimed at making organisation work for you...noting of course how you could possibly tweek everything to suit your needs.

After figuring out what exactly you need to organise, the next thing to do is to make sense of it all.

You have a to do list with probably 100 things and it probably seems really overwhelming....but there are five methods I've used to make sense of my to do lists while making note of the 'asap task' versus the 'soon task' and the 'eventually task.'

NB: It would be a good idea to have at least three different coloured pens for this exercise

1. Use a coloured pen/marker to note the tasks that can be done in 5 minutes or less. These quick tasks are your 'asap tasks' and would include simple things like making a phone call, checking or sending off email, or even rearranging something to make it more accessible later.

2. Use another coloured pen/marker to mark the tasks you need to finish within 7 days. These are clearly the 'soon tasks' and may be tasks like finishing a report, completing the notes for a meeting or purchasing an item. Feel free to also jot down which day of the week the task needs to be completed by. This will help you prioritise the tasks based on due date.

3. It could be assumed that the remaining tasks are 'eventually tasks.' Be sure to look at them twice to see if any of these tasks are linked to tasks in the other categories. You may notice that some of them are very much related and can either be done together, or that the start of one task will be dependent on the completion of another. Maybe you want to prepare a presentation, but that presentation will need the responses from an email and a face-to-face meeting in order to be completed. The email is your 'asap task', the meeting is your 'soon task' and then the presentation your 'eventually task'....all correlated.

4. Delegate what can be delegated and note areas where help will be needed. While all the things you need to do may not be school or work related and would be best done by you, don't feel that asking for a little help is out of the question. If a friend offers to help, confirm that they will be able to assist and complete a task within a set time frame; then note that the task has been delegated. As it relates to getting help, try finding more experienced persons to help with tasks you can't really manage alone. This may give you the chance to learn something new, and may quite likely get the task done quicker and more efficiently.

5. Make changes when necessary. The reality is that as you complete some tasks, others come up whether planned or not. Be ready to make changes to your list (or make a new list each week) as new things to do pop up and as you make progress with various tasks. Sometimes tasks that starts off as 'eventually' become 'asap' for whatever reason. So just be ready to adjust.


So yes, the 'asap tasks' and the 'soon tasks' are sometimes the ones that determine whether or not 'eventually tasks' get done at all. This of course is why it's a good idea to break the list into categories and work smarter to get things done.

Now you're probably also thinking about a location that your list can be kept while you get busy with getting things done....or make note of things to be added. I use a small notebook. It not only reminds me of the things I need to get done, but also gives me the space to jot down other things I need to add to my list for the week ahead. On a Sunday afternoon I sit and figure out the week ahead, making use of the notes I've made throughout the week and using the lists from the week before to see which tasks need to be carried over.

GetOrganised: the basics

For March 2013, each Sunday I'll be helping you to GetOrganised. I'll share tips and tricks aimed at making organisation work for you...noting of course how you could possibly tweek everything to suit your needs.

The first thing about getting organised is figuring out what you need to organise. Makes sense right?

You may think everything is in chaos, but I've noticed that the best way to make sense of everything you need to get done, is to decide what you need to get done.

It can be pretty overwhelming to have lots to do and have no clue where to start...or to even remember what you need to do.

Yes, sometimes no matter how organised you think you are, when sleep hits or an emergency pops up, it can throw you off completely...but then you start over and make sense of what you need to get done.

How do you do this?

Simple! Make a note of all the things you want to organise or improve....we'll call it your spruce up list. It would be good too to put each thing into specific categories (this will make the next step much easier).

For example your 'spruce up list' may look like this:

Home - tidy closet, get rid of old clothes, sort bookshelves
Work/School - finish reports, organise notes, tidy office
Personal - hire assistant, clear up email, plan vacation, pay bills

So you've made your spruce up list. Right now, after making the list and looking back at the many things to organise you may think 'what the heck have I gotten myself into.' But trust me, this super list of many things will make sense soon....very soon.

Feel free to keep adding to this list until you're able to tackle everything one by one. Don't worry we'll be getting to that in the next GetOrganised post.

organisation ahead

Lately, more and more persons have been asking how I manage to get everything done with my many hats...my response is 'I'm organised.'

This seems to be a figment of imagination for some, but as I see more persons talk about their challenges getting everything done (and I overcome my own), I've decided to share some of my organisation tips and strategies that help keep me on track.

I'll make one post each Sunday in March (so that means five posts in total). Each week I'll focus on another method, tool, or area of your life that you can try to pull together with just a little organisation.

Now here's my disclaimer to all readers: 

Don't feel that because I've got these organisation methods and techniques going, then it means I don't have a few spells of disorganisation. I can say though that based on my own experiences and the experiences of others who have adopted these tips and tricks, things stay all organised once you maintain the structure put in place.

To be honest, over the last two months or so, I've been the least organised ever! I assume that it's because I was sick almost twice in a row during Christmas. That definitely caused some setbacks with the things I needed to get done and keeping up with everything I needed to focus on. Fortunately I'm getting back on track using the same methods that helped keep me sane over the last few years!

.......And I'm super excited to share them with you!

I'm also hoping to get some sample docs together so you download and print for yourself.

W: Wunderlist review

AlphabetChallenge

I've promised to share my organisation secret with you all....and here it is!

WUNDERLIST

I know the name sounds odd but that's the task management software that I use to keep everything in check. It's a free program and it can be downloaded on your desktop, phone or tablet from their website.

Now, what makes it great is some of the features that help you organise tasks the way you want them to be organised.
 - I can star the important tasks
 - I can add notes to each task to explain the who, what, where, when and why
 - I can put each task in a specific list (with each list specific to a project or job)
 - I can give each task a due date....and set a reminder closer to the time it's due

And to top it off........I can sync the lists on each device I've downloaded Wunderlist to (although there is no BlackBerry version so it's currently only on my desktop) and I can share lists with other persons whether they have the program or not (of course it makes more sense if they have it too so they can add and remove tasks as they are completed).

All in all it's an easy to use program and it helps keep you on top of things by showing each day's tasks in one list and even giving another list of those overdue items I've been putting off or those I've forgotten.

Initially I was using it on my own to feel it out; but now I've decided to get the rest of the Bloom Foundation for Education board using it so that we can keep up with the things to do and what's been done without having to always be sending emails with the info.

So while I could go on about how glad I am that I found Wunderlist....I have this week's things to do list to put into my Wunderlist....so toodles!

...working better?

After posting about how I manage working from home, I saw this pic online that spoke about how persons can work better.

Although they have a question mark in the heading, I do think that these 10 tips are some simple ways that can help you to work better. =]

What do you think?

R: really prefer working from home

AlphabetChallenge

 
I think it's fair to say that majority of my work gets done from home....

It's always interesting to share with someone the various things I do, for them to ask the almost obvious question "so when, how and where do you get all this work done?" The answer is home of course.....from there I usually hear about all the things they have at home that would make it almost impossible to work.

Interestingly enough, I prefer (just about 85% prefer) to work in the comfort of my home than to work behind a desk in an office. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind working from an office.....but preferably one at home or in a situation where the work can be done from home.

Usually after saying all this, I'm greeted with a slightly confused (but more intrigued) face from the person I'm speaking with.

Besides the fact that working from home means I can be working in my pj's, get personal things done in between work and more or less shape my own work hours, I think I've developed some ways to get work done although I'm home with my glorious bed!

So as requested by of one of my readers, here are some of my tactics used to work efficiently from home (some of which can be applied even if you work in a traditional office environment).


1. Set your work hours
This is really important! Just because you're office is where you live and things can get a lot more flexible, it doesn't mean that you work around the clock. Set out specific work hours and ignore work related calls/faxes/emails outside of that time (similar to how you would leave the traditional office and go home away from work). Of course you can change the time from day to day depending on what you need to do that's not work related.

2. Write it all down
From your meeting dates to the people you need to call....write it all down. Get a calendar to keep track of events, and a book to make all your jottings of the things you need to do. On one day each week make a fresh list of what needs to get done (probably a Monday or Friday depending on whether your weeks or weekends are busier) and asterisk or highlight the ones that are urgent, overdue or involve a lot of work. Though the list may seem overwhelming, it's much easier to track what you need to do and what you've accomplished in one week.

3. Plan your day
While you may know what needs to get done for the week, each day will have specific things that need to happen or things you need to sort out. When you know exactly what needs to get done, it's likely that you'll actually be more efficient. Jot down all the things you need to do for the day and separate them into personal and business. This way you can slot everything into specific times and where possible you can bundle some things together (like the things you may need to get done on the road, calls you need to make or emails you need to send). Although you may already have a things to do list for the week, planning your day each day would give you the chance to add in those minor things and random things that pop up. 

4. Reply to emails at set times
Email's and messages of whatever kind will come in at various hours of the day. Some persons have a tendency to check back at the email window every few minutes checking for new mail; but to avoid wasting time, set three or four times per day to check and respond to emails. The number of times per day would of course depend on the average number of emails you get per day...but this is one way to give yourself time to focus on other things that you need to get done. 

5. Split business and personal
This more or less includes not having business meetings at home, taking personal matters into your own hands during work hours and of course that ll your business stuff aren't crossing with personal stuff. Easy ways to keep things in check is to get a business phone number and email address, and to give all business paperwork a shelf, folder, or cupboard all for itself. This helps you stay organised and this way you can 'turn off' all business communication when you are outside of business hours.

6. Get in your stress relief
Stress relief is needed sometimes when working at home gets hectic. It may seem silly, but think about your relaxation time as the time you would spend in the lunch room if you were working in a traditional office. For me, I spend this time having lunch, catching a tv show or working out. I do Zumba (a dance workout) so that's not only fun, but is also a healthy way to spend my relax time.

7. Use templates
Make your life a little easier and use those hundreds of free templates available online for proposals, budgets, emails and even keeping your life organised. Of course it would also only make sense to tweek the templates to suit your needs, then save it as a 'new template' for you to use later. This helps me get things done a lot faster because more or less there's a template that's as close as possible to what you want.

8.  Save, save and save
Yup it's that serious! I've been told in the past to save in triplicate...on the laptop, on the flash drive and your email or maybe an external hard drive, CD or something. The whole idea is that just in case things go haywire the info is somewhere that you can easily access it without much worry...kinda like when you back-up your smart phone to your laptop or some other device. In the past this has surely saved me so I can 100% recommend you do it too.

So there's that.....although working from home may not be the easiest thing, I have definitely found ways to make it easier, and they work for me perfectly!

N: next on the list!

AlphabetChallenge

Another late post I know....I'm getting from bad to worse sigh

Anywho...I think by now most people know that my things to do lists are my all and everything lists that keep me sane and remind me of course of what I need to get done.

Each week I make a list for each hat I wear and I note the deadlines for those things that actually have deadlines. I use arrows or some kind of symbol to note the ones that have to be done so something else can get done and I highlight the 'places to go' ones like the meetings I need to be at.

More or less these little things to do lists have helped me to get organised for as long as I can remember. Although sometimes I focus on one list and kinda ignore others (for example now my main list is the one for my Bloom Foundation for Education and everything else is secondary).

But on a serious note, persons who have trouble with procrastination, memory and organising, the easiest thing to do is to make a list of all the things you need to get done. Here's some tips to making a good things to do list and making it work!

1. On one sheet of paper, write it all down regardless of which area of your life the 'thing to do' belongs to
2. Then think about all the areas of your life that you have things to do for (eg: school, work, home) and write each heading on a sheet of paper
3. Separate the list of things you wrote down and put then under their respective headings
4. On each sheet, highlight the places you need to go, things you need to purchase and people you need to call in different colours or using different symbols. 
5. By this time you should be able to see what needs to get done and you should be able to see a full idea of the things you can try and tackle together (eg getting all the things you need to buy at one time).
6. Tick things off as you get them done!

Feel free to jot down on the lists some things that you've already done so you can tick them off and feel a bit motivated to get other things done. It's important too to put the list somewhere you can see it easily or have easy access to it, so that you can add and tick off things easily. Also remember to make your lists probably on a Sunday afternoon when you can really sit and think through all the things you need to get done in the coming week.

Try to remember that one of the main things that cause a lack of progress is the lack of organisation....so get to it!

DIY: bye bye broken make-up

After buying the perfect palette and probably using it a couple times, many fab femmes have the same problem where it slips from you, falls to the floor and shatters.

Based on the stories I've heard, more often than not it happens when you're rushing to get ready and have no time to figure out how you'll fix it.

Recently it was just my luck that my pressed powder fell and cracked a bit. So I went on a hunt to find a fixer because in my mind 'this must happen to other women and there must be a way to fix this.'

TADA! The solution was right there on YouTube!

I was so excited for a solution that I forgot to take pics (sorry guys) but I've embedded the video that I used below so you can try it. There are a number of these videos on YouTube with different persons fixing their broken make-up. The methods are the same, but this is the one I thought gave the best up-close and step-by-step solution.

While the problem I had was with my pressed powder, know that it can also work with your eye shadow and blush (I tried it with blush as well...but not the eyeshadow).

So here are my recommendations:

     1. Try to find the 'perfect sizes circle' before you start 

        the process. That way you're sure it will press to fit 

        the circle better and more evenly.

     2. The alcohol they refer to is rubbing alcohol. I don't 

        know if the alcohol for drinking works....I stuck to the 

        script.

     3. Use a bobby pin or something smaller than the knife to 

        help mixing powder and the alcohol. I found it to be a 

        lot less messy. 

     4. Avoid using soft tissue! Hand towel is the best bet. The 

        softer tissues leave little bits behind.

     5. Leave the make-up open for about a day for it to dry 

        completely. It may harden pretty fast but that may not 

        mean it's fully dry underneath.

I hope this saves your broken make-up disaster!

45-minute dress

The other night I was influenced by the design and sew bug (yes believe it or not I can do a bit of that).

I got my mom to do some of the fine-tuning when I got tired of doing it all (the somewhat short attention span is the issue) but more or less it was me. =]

The influence of course are the cute free flowing dresses that are perfect for spring. What's cute is that the material I used has tiny yellow and green flowers on the navy blue background.

I don't love the pic.....but it's the best one showing the dress.

All I added to complete it was a children's belt (yes that's right I shopped in the little kids department), simple accessories (because I had a play-date and meeting at a school that afternoon) and of course my handbag and wedges.

Although there really is no pattern that I can share with you...I can tell you that you can use a dress you already own, inexpensive material, and just a few minutes. =]

DIY: overnight pimple remover

Two days ago I woke up with an atrocious pimple on my left cheek. I did my usual routine with my face scrub and all....but the pimple was not moved or shaken!

I honestly got a tab bit annoyed because the pimple was so large that even foundation and concealer could hide it. -_-

Then I remembered that in the InStyle October 2011 issue I saw a little remedy for an overnight pimple remover.

Here's the simple three step plan:

1. Ensure that the area is clean (I used my usual face scrub, then used a little alcohol to wipe the pimple and the area around it)

2. Put hydrocortisone directly on the pimple...more like slather it with the cream (I used an antibiotic ointment instead - Triple Antibiotic Ointment to be exact)

3. Cover with a waterproof bandage (Be sure to seal it all the way around so that it doesn't come off in your sleep)

It worked like a charm! The following morning there was no pimple!!

woohoo!

This really did make my day yesterday...hope it works for you! =]

shopping tips

photo credits: www.redzedcookies.com.au

Ok so in my last post I gave you some gift ideas for your last minute shopping. Now I've got some shopping tips to help make your actual shopping trip less hectic and frustrating.

The most important thing to think about when going shopping is how you'll be paying for it all! Organise your finances and decide how much you will be spending on the overall trip and if possible, on each item. Also make note of whether you'll be using cash or card, and be sure to have things organised so money can be kept safe and away from the unwanted muggers.

Another important factor is what you're buying because that will help determine where you're going. You'll need to organise your shopping list and think about the stores you could stop at to get those items. Since you'll have to pay for the transportation to and from the stores (whether it be gas for your personal vehicle or public transportation) it's a good idea to find stores close to each other. Also consider that you'll have to walk from one store to the other with everything you purchase, so for the sake of your back and feet, try to limit the number of stores you have to stop at.

Taking into consideration transportation, you may want to think about how you'll be getting to and from your shopping trip. Remember that you may be starting off with nothing in hand, but by the end of the night you'll have bags lugging around with and depending on the types of gifts purchased it may be a whole lot for you to manage on your own. See if you can carpool with friends or neighbours to reduce the issue of parking spots and of course giving you a safe way to get home with all your merchandise.

With a little organization shopping trips can be much easier. Don't forget to hit the road in comfortable shoes, your shopping list and a plan of action. Another thing you'll surely need to remember is how the gifts will be packaged. On your list keep in mind that you'll need wrapping paper, tape, gift bags, tissue paper, pretty bows and probably even some gift tags.

Hope this helps you get it all done!

all wrapped up: gift ideas

It's now Christmas Eve and I know that quite a number of persons haven't figured out what to buy as gifts for some of their loved ones. For many persons, buying Christmas gifts can be one of the most challenging tasks for the season...and when you really just don't know where to start or have limited funds, then it can be extremely frustrating.

photo credits: www.christmaswow.com

A few readers asked for my help in giving some gift ideas, so here goes. The first thing you need to consider is 'who am I buying this gift for and what kind of person is he/she?' As simple as it may seem, this is often overlooked and in my opinion that's the cause of half your problem. So I've put together some categories for you to think about, and in another post I'll give you some tips on having a successful shopping trip.



Clothing and accessories
I believe the first thing to consider when getting clothing/accessories for anyone is to find out what they already have and what they want/need. Being realistic, it's kinda pointless to buy someone something they already have, when you could have instead gotten something they actually want/need. Try getting them to compile a mini wish-list or do a little Facebook/closet stalking to somewhat see what their wardrobe already has. (lol yes that's a bit creepy....but I guarantee it works).

You also have the options of 'window shopping' with the person and then going back to purchase something they liked; or getting someone with similar taste to accompany you on your quest. With clothing, be sure to take into consideration sizes because it would definitely suck to get something you love but cant fit into it.

Tech savvy stuff

To be honest it usually is hard to buy tech gifts for someone who is totally into that kind of thing. Why? Because usually they already have all the cool gadgets they want...or the one they want is a pretty penny. Gift certificates are a good idea for the tech-lover so that he/she can pick the gadget they want from a store full of fancy gadgets.

Accessories, gift cards and special offers related to the gadget they love is also an option; especially if you go for something personalised. Like clothing, it's good to find out what gadgets the person already has (although you may not understand the specs at all) so you can have at least a place to start.

Sport-a-holic

Sport fanatics are usually very particular with the gifts they want (that's if it's sports related of course). They have a specific team, or star athlete that they believe is best and you can always play on that to get a gift.

A team jersey, sports book/dvd, or some other sports memorabilia is always an option....as long as you ensure that the item is in support of the persons team (would totally suck to get an amazing sport gift but the team/athlete is wrong). Another option is finding out if the person needs any specific sports gear. You could purchase the particular item and get it personalised or find one that has his/her initial on it.

Home and garden

Whether its something cute for inside or outside, a home and garden gift is great for persons who are passionate about gardening, cooking, decorating or home improvement. Personalised gifts and specially organized baskets are great for these persons because usually you need to really tap into their passion to make the gift perfect.

A cookbook with unique recipes, personalised utensils, a special plant or an unusual piece are nice gifts that you can usually find without much trouble. Once again, checking on what the person already has, and what he/she wants is very important in selecting an item.

Kiddies

Because I'm all for educating our youth, I believe that educational toys and books are the best gift options for children of all ages. While a cute outfit may be ok, I think it should be your last option. Usually now, wherever you can get children's toys, you can find a toy or book that is both fun and educational.

No matter the age or gender, there's something available for all kids. I strongly support gifts that help to develop a hobby, improve his/her level of academic performance, get kids active and of course the learning that's totally disguised as fun. If you're in Jamaica you could check out the Learning Zone where they have tonnes of fun educational games for as young as the little babies.

........and if all else fails............

Gift certificates and gift cards are always an option! Most stores offer them and it gives you a chance to contribute while allowing the individual to pick out exactly what they want.

photo credit: www.jdapos.com

There is always the option of getting a nice card and writing something nice and then dropping the money there instead. Special gift baskets are also nice, especially if you aren't quite sure what kind of gift the person would like. With a gift basket you can put a little of this and that, giving you a gift that is well rounded.

Taking the person shopping after Christmas is another option, but it takes away from the surprise of opening a gift on Christmas.

No matter the size of the gift, remember to make it into a special package. Be sure to check out my Christmas wish list! I hope this post lifts a bit of a burden from that shopping list.

pretty glitter fingers!

I'm usually very simple when it comes to nail polish colours and designs. As a matter of fact, I rarely go for designs unless I get my nails done with acrylic tips.....and even then I only go for french tips.

Overall I'm not the biggest fan of acrylic anyway because all it does is damage my already thin nails. So, I've been doing my best to give my nails some love and keep them all neat and girly. Problem is, I get tired of seeing them looking the same way for too long, and it's the worst thing ever when the polish starts chipping. My solution is to change my nail colour every week, or to not bother to apply polish at all.

But! I was feeling so darn festive that I kinda got way with myself yesterday. My little sister (who usually only wants something when you have/need it) wanted me to do her nails. As usual, I did the two coats of polish and then noticed the super fine gold glitter on my night stand.

And of course I decided to add a little sparkle to her tips. =D

There were a number of trial and errors because at one point the glitter looked odd with the colour polish; and at other times she just wouldn't keep still!

Anywho, I made a French tip stencil out of a piece of wax paper and pressed it against her dried nail. Using clear polish as my adhesive, I brushed a little onto her tips, and then sprinkled glitter onto the clear polish. Finishing it off, I allowed it to dry and did another layer of clear polish over the entire nail.

The final product: ten pretty glitter fingers! (although she was so impatient and wouldn't wait and have me clean them up)

I know she's like me and will get tired of them in no time, so I figure that in a few days her nails will go back to blah......maybe I'll do this on my own nails for my night out on New Year's Eve!

the skinny about my 'diet'

Just about every time I talk about food, I get one of two statements from persons:

'shouldn't you be on a model/pageant girl diet?'
At that point I usually think about the belief that 'skinny people usually eat a lot'....then I think 'but I'm really not that skinny though..am I?'

'you love food so much! I'd love to know how you stay so skinny'

This one usually makes me giggle....because I do love food, especially desserts! And there really isn't much going around that lol


How the 'diet' thing works

I've decided that I'll be the one to tell persons that there isn't anything known as a 'model/pageant girl diet.' What it is, is a diet........just a diet.....which is pretty much a word used to define the kinds of food you habitually eat. The difference, is that usually the diet that a model/pageant girl is on, is tailored to fit her individual needs.

The second thing I'll share: I don't live on a special fancy diet! Instead there are just foods I eat in abundance, those I eat in moderation, those I rarely eat, and of course the ones I avoid completely. In other words....I eat just like everybody else....just in the proportions that best suit my needs.


The 'Kim-Issa diet'
What's kinda funny is that contrary to what many people think, I've generally had this diet for ages. Long before I considered modelling or pageantry, I maintained a fairly healthy diet for my own health and now having more reason to do it kinda works as motivation. =]

The first thing to note about my diet is that it takes into consideration the fact that I'm allergic to spicy peppers and pineapples....that of course only makes sense (duh kim...why would you eat foods that would make you sick?).

The next thing is that I generally keep the 'bad foods' out! Fast foods, sauces, greasy snacks, salty foods, and all that jazz are at a minimum. For me water is the only drink that matters; and sodas/juices are minimal or non-existent, and usually replaced with cold green tea.

I eat two or three times a day (depending on how hectic my days are) and I tend to snack a lot. Generally though my snacks are granola bars, dry cereal, nuts of some kind, or what I consider 'simple prep foods' like crackers and tuna.

Besides all the healthy stuff, I do eat the not so healthy stuff sometimes and I do indulge in the world of desserts (and then possibly feel guilty depending on how much I indulged). The key trick here though is moderation. There's no need to have dessert with every meal, or even pastry every day. Build up some self control and stick to treating yourself every now and again.

Swimsuit parade for Miss Jamaica Universe '10

So there you have it....my 'diet'. Now in my opinion, no diet is going to be perfect, but you just have to alter your eating habits so it's healthier and better suited to fit the needs of your lifestyle. Also be sure to consider diseases that run in your family and start eating habits that reduce the possibility of you being affected.

Working out makes the healthy diet all the more worth it, so joining a gym or finding some at home fitness plans are always a plus.

All in all loves, watch what you eat and remember that your health is your business!

DIY: photo frame notice board

A couple nights ago I couldn't sleep and 3am came and met me (what else is new). I sat up watching episodes (that I've seen before) of My Wife & Kids with the volume down hoping that boredom would take over and I'd fall asleep......

That didn't quite work but anyway...In one episode, the son (Junior) who isn't the brightest crayon in the box, did the SAT's and surprisingly came home with superb scores (by the end of the show you found out that he got the wrong results).

While in his 'genius mode' he would scribble all his 'brilliant thoughts' unto his mother's glass door with a marker. That kinda made a light bulb go off in my little brain. I remembered a friend of mine who had scribbles on her bedroom mirror using a dry erase marker.

Now today (while I was cleaning my room) I decided to run a little test and used my dry erase marker to put a smiley face n my mirror. I got a bit of felt and wiped it off (of course just to make sure that my Mom wouldn't go berserk if she saw it on the mirror).

It worked!.....and from there my 3-year-old mind went around the house scribbling on any random bit of glass I felt like lol. After scribbling on a picture frame and giving my sister a randomly placed bow on her head, that's when another light bulb went off.  

And from there.....this DIY project was born *insert cool dramatic music here*

Now it's really easy and all you need is:
- a picture frame
- a dry erase marker
- a picture
- a square of felt
- 12inches of ribbon/string

1. The first thing I did was to use the backing of the frame to size the picture I was going to use.
2. After measuring it up, I cut along the lines to make the picture small enough to fit into the frame
3. I placed the picture into the frame and fixed the backing in place.
4. I need to get a nail in place to hang this on my wall, but for now it can just stand on my night stand and remind me of the things I need not forget.....or the errands Mother dearest wants me to do for her.

Oh....for the eraser, I looped the ribbon through the frame and did a quick stitch to attach it to the felt (that way it never gets lost).

Viola....the picture frame notice board.

full house ramen noodle soup

When serious hunger strikes I usually resort to cooking anything I find in the kitchen.

My most recent creation was with the 'ultimate college student meal' - ramen noodles. I'm not the biggest fan of ramen though, because I think that even with the seasoning they give you....it's just tasteless. So usually if I make it I add my own seasoning to it (like garlic and onion powder, parsley and basil).

This time around I really wanted a hearty soup.....so of course I had to find a way to make the basic soup more interesting and find ingredients that would make it more filling than merely noodles and broth.

So I went on a mini hunt around the kitchen hoping to find ingredients that would give the soup some life. After about 5minutes I found:
          - carrots
          -a quarter of roasted chicken
          - flour

At this point the most logical thing to do was to cut up the carrots and the chicken, and to make dumplings (flour, salt, seasoning and water) for the soup....and that's exactly what I did. To try and make the broth taste the same as the chicken I cut the chicken into pieces and boiled it for a while with the other seasoning before putting the noodles and dumplings in. Of course since the dumplings would take a longer time to cook than the two minute noodles I had to put the dumplings in before I added the noodles.

It took about 45minutes max for preparation and to cook the meal (of course I was watching tv in between so I'm not 100% sure of the time.) As it relates to serving size, I was cooking for two and since my sister had already eaten by the time I was done....I ate it in two sittings. Anywho, I call this my full house ramen noodle soup here's the 'recipe'....or as close to a recipe as I could get:

Ingredients:

- 1pack ramen noodles

- quarter of roasted chicken

- 1 carrot

- 1/2 cup flour

- 2 cups water

- pinch of salt

- preferred seasoning (or lame ramen seasoning)

Process:

1. cut up the roasted chicken and place it in a pot with the water and seasoning

2. while allowing pot to come to a boil, make dumplings and place them into pot

3. when water comes to a boil add ramen noodles

4. add more seasoning to taste if necessarily

Kim's full house ramen noodle soup....let's ignore the fact that the bowl is kinda messy

 By the way...yes...I love herbs! lol (hence the hundreds of parsley and basil bits in the soup)

Hope you get yours to taste as delish as mine...