5 Things to Stuff Besides Your Thanksgiving Turkey...

Stuffing, by far, is what I love most about Thanksgiving. Cornbread stuffing, sausage stuffing, stuffing covered in gravy – I love it all. Family, too, of course, and turkey and all the other trimmings, but stuffing…it’s just so incredibly good!

In recognition of the time-honored tradition of stuffing the Thanksgiving turkey, here are five more things to stuff to make your holiday season extra special.

1.       Stuff the Fridge with Healthy Snacks – every nutritionist I know keeps easy-to-grab portions of healthy snacks ready to go at all times. With a solid month of parties and cookies and constant temptations ahead of us, stuff your refrigerator with freshly washed fruits, cut up vegetables, small portions of healthy soups, and heart-healthy protein sources like hard-boiled eggs. Un-stuff the refrigerator of expired foods, sugary sodas and overly-processed treats. For more inspiration on food prep, visit my friend Nicole’s Blog.

Quality time at its finest: my dad helping my son season the turkey, circa 2003

2.       Stuff your Calendar Intentionally – productive people make time for that which is important. Make sure exercise, family time, fun traditions, and plenty of downtime feature prominently in your holiday schedule or your time will slip away with the demands of daily minutia.  Un-stuff your calendar by batching your errands, saying “no” to unnecessary meetings, and delaying anything that can wait until the new year.

3.       Stuff a Donation Box – take a walk through your house and fill a box or two, maybe even the trunk of your car, with clothes, toys, books and kitchen gadgets. Un-stuff your cupboards and drawers before the baking begins, and imagine how good it will feel to un-stuff your closets before the holiday guests arrive.

4.       Stuff the Recycling Bin – make room for holiday décor by ruthlessly purging those paper piles. Recycle the magazines and catalogs you aren’t going to read and shred the documents that don’t back up your taxes. While you’re at it, un-stuff your computer and mobile devices of old emails, texts and excess Apps. 

5.       Stuff your Gratitude Jar – if you’ve read anything about mindfulness, you know how important it is to have a thankful heart. If you’ve neglected to keep a gratitude journal, it’s not too late. Stuff a page or notebook or even a jar with all the blessings of 2016. Keep going. Prepare yourself: this act can dramatically un-stuff your heart of negative and hopeless feelings.

My goddaughter helps with Thanksgiving Dinner, circa 2013

Apparently, we aren’t supposed to stuff our turkeys anymore. Food safety experts say it increases the risk of food poisoning, plus it just looks better and tastes better when cooked separately, in my opinion. I fully intend to stuff myself with at least two healthy helpings of stuffing this week. But I like this idea of stuffing and un-stuffing a few other areas of my life, too, especially that gratitude jar – I have many, many blessings for which to be thankful. How about you? 

Can You Prove You are You? 3 Ways to Protect Your Identity if Disaster Strikes

Imagine a fire, a flood, a tornado taking everything – your home and all of its contents. Imagine your laptop, smart phone, files and wallet - gone, too. Could you recreate your identity? Could you prove you are who you say you are?

Could you prove you are YOU?

Victims of Hurricane Katrina faced this complicated form of “identify theft” when flood waters washed away everything they ever owned, as described in this story.

·         Passports and birth certificates: gone

·         Keys to bank deposit boxes: gone

·         Driver’s licenses, utility bills, credit cards: gone

                             

      

September was National Preparedness Month and we heard an awful lot about emergency kits and safety plans. Indeed, I wrote about three different kinds of kits here. But perhaps the most important kit of all is the Identity Kit – a collection of all the data needed to rebuild one’s life – should disaster strike.

The Identity Kit

Like any emergency kit, it’s better to have some kind of Identify Kit versus no kind of Identity Kit. Here are three options for safeguarding your important information (a list of vital documents follows):

Old School: take TWO front and back copies of all important cards and documents. Keep one set in a safe location in your home. Make sure you remember where it is and that it’s accessible in an emergency. Secure the other set with a trusted person in another state or city.

Tech All the Way: use spreadsheets, inventory software, or password managers to track account numbers, usernames, and other important data. Upload pictures and photocopies, too. Store everything in the cloud for easy access anywhere.

Diversify: if Old School seems too limited, and Tech All the Way too risky, a combination of paper copies, electronic docs and cloud storage will cover all bases.

THE IDENTITY KIT
IDENTITY DOCUMENTS	Birth Certificates Marriage Certificate/Divorce Certificate Passports Social Security Cards Driver’s Licenses/State Issued ID Cards
FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS	Bank Accounts Credit Card Accounts Investment Accounts Securities & Trusts Last Tax Return Loan Documents Outstanding Debts Safe Deposit Box Key
PROPERTY	Mortgage Papers/Deed Other Properties (rentals, vacation homes) Car Title(s) Other Titles (boat, motorcycle, RV) Inventory of Home Contents
INSURANCE DOCUMENTS	Home Insurance Policy Car Insurance Policy Life Insurance Policy
MEDICAL DOCUMENTS	Health Insurance Cards Medical Records List of RX Medications
LEGAL DOCUMENTS	Wills Medical Directives Powers of Attorney Business Documents
DON’T FORGET	Phone Numbers (lots of people don’t know these anymore) Cash (small denominations) Complete List of Passwords & Logins

Richard Kline said:

Confidence is Preparation.

Everything else is beyond your control.

Emergency Preparedness brings peace of mind.

Build your Emergency Kits.

Make your Emergency Plans.

Everything else is beyond our control.

The following websites have loads of information about disaster preparedness:

The American Red Cross

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Ready.gov (a part of FEMA)

EmergencyKits.com

Survival Supply

NAPO2015 Expo Fun New Products

The National Association of Professional Organizers held their Annual Conference and Organizing Expo last week. Though I found no shortage of new and innovative products to keep us productive, these four simple items spoke to me as they addressed some of my own organizing challenges.

The NEET Cable Keeper by NEET Products

Tired of that tangled mess of charging cords? This handy new product – like a zippered sock for cables - actually serves a dual purpose. It keeps your cords knot-free and separate from one another; while an internal wire (think wire-edged ribbon) allows you to “shape” your cables and protect their connection sites.  My recommendation: zip a different colored one over each charging cord for tangle-free organizing.

The Time Timer Watch PLUS by Time Timer

The Time Timer is much revered by those who:

·         overestimate task completion times

·         underestimate task completion times

·         struggle with ADHD

·         need to “see”  the passage of time

·         like to focus for short periods of time

The watch version keeps the amazing Time Timer concept “on hand” at all times – and who can resist the lime green? My recommendation: try the Watch PLUS if you’re already a Time Timer fan; newcomers can get acquainted with Time Timer via the APP. 

The Wrap iT Gift Wrap Organizer by Wrap iT

Rolls of gift wrap are unwieldy at their best, boxing partners at their worst. This gift wrap organizer is the best I’ve seen. The deluxe version will even tame those longer 40” rolls! Plenty of pockets hold cards, tags, bags, ribbon, bows, and of course, scissors and tape.  The bag has a slim silhouette and hangs nicely in a closet. My recommendation: by two – one for all occasion and the other for the holidays.

The Grab n’ Go by Finder Enterprises

Part charging station, part personal valet, the Grab n’ Go by Finder Enterprises is a simple solution for those oft’ misplaced items like keys, phone and wallet. Available in white or smoke, the Grab n’ Go can accommodate up to six mobile devices, comes with pre-printed plus blank labels and is affordable at just $24.95.  My recommendation: declare a “no electronics in bed” rule and use the Grab n’ Go as a family charging station elsewhere in the house.

Do any of these products provide an organizing solution for you?

How a Keystone Habit Is Changing My Life...

The countdown is on.

 I’m 49 years old with fewer than 12 months before the Big 50; so naturally, I made a list of all the goals I’m hoping to reach before I hit the half-century mark.

Health goals, intellectual goals, family goals, spirit goals, financial goals.

And I want a theme – something catchy.

FreeDigitalPhotos.net - pat138241

Right now I’m feeling Fifty and Fragmented.

Sometimes Fifty and Forgetful.

At best Fifty and Functional.

I’m going for something big – like Fifty and Phenomenal.

This is going to require some serious new habits.

This is going to require a Keystone Habit.

KEYSTONE HABITS

I read about Keystone Habits in Charles Duhigg’s book The Power of Habit. A Keystone Habit is one really good (or bad) habit that spawns a bunch of other good (or bad) habits.

Those who exercise, for example, also tend to drink more water, eat more healthfully, and manage their calendars. Exercise, therefore, is the Keystone Habit.

I need one mother of a Keystone Habit – because I have a mother-load of goals.

KEYSTONE SUNDAY

FreeDigitalPhotos.net - arztsamui

I’m calling my new habit Keystone Sunday. It’s the ONE thing I simply must do every week if I want to hone all the other habits necessary to reach my goals.

This is how it works, in all of its absolute simplicity (why haven’t I been doing this for years!?)

I plan my week, in complete detail, every Sunday.

I meal plan, grocery plan, exercise plan, work plan, volunteer plan, kid plan, house plan and dog plan.

I fill my vitamin box, empty my inbox, and load up the icebox.

I do everything I can to set myself up for success in the coming week.

KEYSTONE TOOLS

These are a few tools I’m using to support Keystone Sunday.

One Note: I use this software to track my “big picture” goals and projects. Evernote would be a similar option.

Product of Microsoft

Wunderlist: This handy App tracks my to-do lists, syncs between my PC and mobile devices, and allows me to send items straight to my calendar. I check it daily and add to it constantly. Things, Toodledo and Errands are other popular to-do Apps.

Wunderlist

Outlook: I use the calendar in Outlook to track my daily schedule. I put EVERYTHING on my calendar that needs to get done on a given day. Google and iCal are additional electronic calendar recommendations.

Product of Microsoft

Focused

I’m hoping Keystone Sunday leads me to all sorts of wonderful successes. I’ve been at it for about five weeks now. I’m humbled by the habit – planning takes time and effort – sometimes many more hours than I ever dreamed. But I’m also in awe of this Keystone Habit’s potential – I’m accomplishing tasks and projects at an unbelievable pace and honing new habits along the way. 

Which leads me back to my “theme.”

Habits pave the way to success. By taming our impulses they unleash the possibilities we hold within. And it’s with this understanding I set my intention for the coming year:

Who's with me?

The Secret Ingredient to Great Habits

How are those New Year’s Resolutions coming along? It took me all the way into February to decide on mine – but I’m off to a good start thanks to The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg

Photo from: http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit

I read this amazing book last year and put Duhigg’s theory to the test with promising results. Here’s a quickie review of the book and how I used it to lose over twenty pounds!

The Habit Cycle

There are three key ingredients (well, arguably four – but I’ll get to that in a bit) to a well-honed habit: the cue, the routine, and the reward – in that order - repeated over and over. Here’s a visual:  

For example:

Cue – My teeth feel gross

Routine – I brush my teeth

Reward – My teeth feel great!

Wikimedia Commons: Photographer: Bill Branson

 Well, that seems easy. So why is it so difficult to form a habit? Why do we go to the gym for two straight weeks, then every other day, and then surrender to a bag of Cheetos?

Wikimedia Commons: By Fourohfour

The Secret Ingredient

A habit takes about 30 days to develop, right? Well, not really. It takes as long as it takes to build a craving.  The craving is what separates a well-honed habit from an on-again off-again behavior pattern. It develops when the routine is repeatedly and continuously paired with the cue and reward – the brain pays attention and forms a new neural pathway. That pathway solidifies the likelihood we will practice that habit – it’s basically hardwired into our brain.

Another visual:

Here’s an example:

A woman comes home from work tired and grouchy (cue). She goes for a 30 minute run (routine). She feels better (reward!) She continues this cycle, even when she doesn't want to, and actually starts craving the half-hour run. The craving makes it easy to continue – and a good, healthy habit is fully formed.

Wikimedia Commons: By Peter Van Der Sluijs

Conversely, the same woman comes home from work tired and grouchy (cue).  Each day she relaxes in front of the TV with a bag of chips (routine). She feels better (reward!) Guess what she craves?

Forming New Habits

Last year I put “The Power of Habit” to the test. Intrigued by my daughter’s love of fresh fruit – she’ll order it instead of French fries! - I wondered if I could manipulate my own eating habits. I liked fruits and vegetables, I just didn’t crave them. Cheese and crackers were more my thing when hunger struck.

So every time I was hungry (cue) – and I mean every single time - I ate a fruit or a vegetable (routine). I waited for the hunger to dissipate (reward) and then I would eat the rest of my meal. My goal was to train my brain to crave healthy foods when I was hungry – and it worked! Not only did I develop a craving for fruits and vegetables, I found myself filling up on them prior to eating anything else, and I dropped twenty pounds in three months.

Wikimedia Commons: By PDPhoto.org

This year I’m working on a more comprehensive habit, something Duhigg calls a Keystone Habit . I’ll write about that next time. Meanwhile, consider working on a new habit for 2015 – and don’t give up –success will come if you hold out for the craving!

Pinterest: www.LivingWellSpendingLess.com

Do these 5 Holiday Prep Actions Today!

Our long, lazy Thanksgiving weekend will be here in the blink of an eye - followed by twenty-four days of complete holiday frenzy. Who’s ready? Not me – not by a long shot (despite my Christmas obsession confession I wrote about here.) Certainly the decorating and shopping and wrapping can wait, because they concern your own schedule; but here are five connections you might want to make TODAY, as they concern someone else’s schedule – someone whose holiday calendar might already be booked.

The Lighting Guys

Exterior illumination, as evidenced by Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, can be time consuming, tedious, and downright dangerous! Enlisting the help of a professional Christmas Lighting company is the perfect answer. Sometimes landscaping and house painting crews add this to their service listing during the holidays. These guys have been at work for a month already, so call now to get on their schedule.

The Hair Stylist

Hopefully you scheduled your next visit at the end of your last visit, but if not, you should give your stylist a call right away. Her regulars have already nabbed all the good times, but she might be able to squeeze you in for a festive up-do.  If your cut and color is already on the calendar, book your manicure and brow wax while you still can.

The Babysitter

Teens and college kids are eager to earn some extra spending money over the holidays, and rest assured they are already getting calls for Friday and Saturday nights in December. Lock in your favorite sitter ASAP, even if it happens to be your in-laws. They have a social life, too, you know!

The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker

Hosting a party this year? Caterers and party planners started filling their holiday calendars while most of us were enjoying summer fireworks; so if you’re hoping to enlist the services of anyone related to entertaining – bartenders, deejays, and even housekeepers – make sure to do so right away. Already too late to the game? Teens and twenty-somethings are great at taking coats, serving apps, and even parking cars.

The Pet Hotel

The bird, the cat, the dog and the gerbil will all need care while you’re traveling over the hills and through the woods. Kennels, pet hotels, dog walkers and pet sitters can be extra busy during the holiday season. Make sure your reservation is confirmed with Fido’s favorite caretaker – so his stress doesn’t turn into your stress!

 Thanksgiving comes with its own timeline and checklist; so it can be difficult to focus on some of these Christmas tasks when you have centerpieces and sage stuffing on the brain – but lock in these reservations now and you’ll be plenty grateful come Thanksgiving Day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Priorities: The Real Ones...

I witnessed a SKID Presentation (Stop Kids’ Impaired Driving) this week. The students of Jesuit High School huddled on rainy bleachers while a graphic drunk driving dramatization played out before them. The reenactment gripped their every sense - ambulance sirens, helicopter vibrations, blood soaked bodies, a sobbing mother – and absolute silence as the Medical Examiner arrived – a sight almost too unbearable to watch.

Hopefully the full-of-life teens will reflect on the message. The adults certainly did – many brushing away tears as they shuddered at the thought.

Organizing, productivity, time management – the desire to be more efficient –they’re all about priorities. And we often experience discomfort, pain even, as a result of disorder. Perhaps these feelings are so powerful because intuitively we know our priorities are out of whack - that we’re spending too much time on the wrong things.

I hadn’t planned on attending the SKID program. I was facing a lengthy list of tasks and projects and was feeling decidedly disorganized. I wrestled all morning with focus.

And then something interesting happened. I watched the SKID demonstration and was reminded of my priorities – my REAL priorities – and the rest of my day was the picture of productivity. Perhaps it’s not the organizing that makes room for priorities; but rather, the focus on priorities that leads us to be more productive. Thoughts?