6 Tech Tips for Holiday Organizing

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tech tools for holiday organizing

 

Holidays can be merrier with by adding some tech help.  It’s these little ways to add organizing using your computer, tablet or smart phone.  Technology can help you with holiday organizing like lists, recipes, coupons and more.

 

Evernote for Christmas lists

Make it easy to keep all your lists with you all the time with Evernote.  You can add an item after each purchase, match up your purchases with those you are giving to, and keep up with what you gave last year.

 

Pinterest for holiday recipes

No need to keep paper recipes again! Search pinterest with the ingredients and you find all sorts of recipes for holiday baking and entertaining.

 

Genius scan or DocScan to scan and print receipts

Having trouble keeping up with holiday receipts?  Not sure where to keep your receipts? It’s easy with these apps. You can store them on your smart phone and in the cloud.  It’s easy to make returns this way too.

 

Bank app for keeping up your budget

Your bank app helps you stay on track for your holiday budget.  You can access funds, make deposits, and see where money has been spent.  It’s great to keep up to date with what you spend each day for gifts, entertaining and decorations.

Pandora for holiday music

I love Pandora! It gives you instant, free access to all the genres of the holidays. Download this on your smart phone or computer to enjoy holiday themes like holiday traditional, holiday country, or Today’s Christmas.

 

ShopSavvy or Amazon app to check prices

Want to be sure you are getting the  best deal? ShopSavvy and Amazon compare prices so you can check what the lowest price for your item is.

 

holiday tech apps

 

More holiday apps of all sorts!

What are your favorite holiday apps?

 

More holiday fun on Pinterest Happy Holidays!

 

 

10 Organizing Gifts for Everyone

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organizing

 

 

It’s gift giving season. While we often think of giving gifts of experiences, you can also give gifts for organizing.  The gift of organizing is a functional, practical and fun way to share.   Here are my top 10 favorite organizing gifts.

 

Vera travel bag Travel time is the best time to be organized. Give a gift of a Vera Bradley travel accessory to help keep makeup and jewelry organized on the go. It’s also a great gift for people who exercise and get ready at the gym.

 

little black dress jewelry organizerEnjoy all your favorite pieces of jewelry with this Little Black Dress jewelry organizer.  It’s easy to find your earrings, necklaces and bracelets with slots for each piece.

 

lay and go lego organizerGifting legos this holiday season?  The Lay and Go Lego organizer is for you!  It’s easy to store and play with all your legos this year.

 

binToo many stuffed animals or blankets in your child’s room? The Sprouts bin is the perfect place to organize and store these.

 

electronics organizerOur families have lots of technology! Make it easy to store and access with this Kbag electronics organizer.  The zipper section is great for cords or flash drives.

 

password directoryStruggling with all the passwords we have? Give the gift of a password directory.  It’s easy to store at your computer desk.

 

table topics for dinnerMake dinner time special with table topics.  Every one will have a chance to share.

file toteMake it easy to file with this stylish file tote.  Everyone has paper and everyone needs paper storage.

 

men's organizerA spot for watches, phones and more with this men’s valet.  Keep receipts in the drawer and you are all set!

 

label makerEveryone loves a label maker!

 

 

10 organizing gifts

 

BONUS     Top 10 non clutter gifts

  1. Once a month cleaning lady at home
  2. Lawn maintenance or semi annual landscaping clean up
  3. Tickets to an event, such as a baseball game, play, or concert
  4. Season passes to amusement park, zoo or museum
  5. Baby sitting for your adult kids to have a date night
  6. Subscription to streaming online tv shows and movies
  7. Donation to a charity of choice
  8. Gift certificates for clothes, music, sporting goods or other items
  9. Spend the day together just being spontaneous.
  10. Professional organizer or productivity consultant

 

Do you have a favorite non – clutter or organizing gift you love? Share it here!

 

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Simple Holiday Traditions

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10 holiday traditions

 

Family traditions are part of what makes every family special. Your kids will reflect back to you what are existing traditions you may not realize your family has already.  It’s in creating tradition that we connect with our family.  It’s the simple holiday traditions that are memorable. Here are my top 10 holiday traditions.

1.Purchase a personalized ornament with the year on it for each child

Each year I add a new ornament to our kids’ collections. It’s a special reminder of the year gone by.  I love that our kids will take these on to use on their family trees in the future.

2. An evening holiday walk to see Christmas decorations and sip hot cocoa

There’s nothing more fun that a walk to see the holiday lights in  your neighborhood.  Bring hot cocoa to keep warm.

3. Celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with 12 donations to local charities

Your holiday will be especially meaningful with donations to those who have little.  Choose little ways you can contribute with either goods or funds.

4. Add Christmas songs to your Pandora channels

The music of the season brings a smile to our faces. Your music is always with you too!

5. Organize your Christmas cards by binding them together in a book

I love this small way to cherish the holiday cards we receive.

6. Purchase ready-made gingerbread houses to decorate and host a hot chocolate buffet

Assemble your gingerbread houses the day before so they are sturdy.  Decorate and display for a week.  Be sure to decorate your own too.

7. Host a holiday movie night and invite a family to join you

Whether it’s Charlie Brown Christmas or Christmas Vacation, all families have their favorite movie to watch every year.

8. Host a hot chocolate buffet and crazy Christmas sweater get together

Get crazy with hot chocolate mix ins like marshmellows, candy canes, cinnamon red hots and whipped cream for a hot chocolate buffet.  Add in the crazy Christmas sweater phenomenon.  It’s an evening full of laughter.

9. Gather up gently used family coats and bring the donations as a family

We all have coats, scarves and gloves we have not used in a while. Bring these as a family to donate to share the joy of giving.

 

10. Drop off treats for fire department, police station or other emergency responders in your community

We are supported by many in our community who keep us safe.  Remember them this holiday season with homemade or store bought treats.  It will bring joy to you and those you meet.

 

holiday organizing holiday traditions

 

 

What are your holiday traditions?  It takes just a few minutes of planning, a spot on your calendar and communication with your family to share the joy of holiday traditions.

 

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Wishing you an Abundance of Blessings!

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happy thanksgiving

Wishing you an abundance of blessings this holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fuss Free Thanksgiving

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fuss free thanksgiving

 

 

Thanksgiving can be less stress and less mess.  It’s all in how you organize your preparation and meal.  Here are a few tips on making your day fun, festive and a fuss free Thanksgiving.

 

Beverage station

Make it easy for your and your company to help themselves.  Set up a beverage station with ice, your choice of adult and kid beverages, and glasses.  If it’s a cool day you may decide on a hot cider with a ladle and mugs too.  Place your station in an area that will bring traffic away from the kitchen and into a gathering spot.

 

Nibbles

Take a tip from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, and have a few nibbles out before the main meal. It will keep kids and adults from being underfoot in the kitchen.  A plate of fruit and cheese and a bowl or two of nuts is a great starter for the holiday meal.  If anyone wanders into the kitchen, put them to work!

 

Disposable plates

There’s already a lot to wash and dry, why not go with biodegradable dishware for the day?  Available from LeafNFiber, these lovely plates will add to the natural decor of the day and make clean up easy.

 

It’s all about timing

Make a list of what’s for dinner. After this, create a time line for what goes into the oven at what time.  If your list is the same each year, consider creating this in Evernote or a notebook to keep and save.

 

Add entertainment

Everyone’s stress level goes down with a soundtrack.   Have a guest create a playlist as a back drop for the day.

 

Leftovers

Plan ahead to keep and share leftovers.  Purchase inexpensive plastic ware to give away as leftovers leave.  Everyone loves this gift!

 

Go team!

Take a trick from  football and other team sports that are on television on Thanksgiving.  Get your team in gear.  That means everyone has a part to play or a job for dinner, clean up and other activities.  There are many small jobs that can be done throughout the day, including ones specifically for your kiddos.  Help everyone pitch in by giving everyone something small to do to be a part of the festivities.

 

 

What ways do you make it a fuss free Thanksgiving at your home?

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Thanksgiving Dinner Organized

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organizing thanksgiving dinner

 

Thanksgiving is a one of my favorite holidays! It brings together all that I love! It’s our family sitting together, lingering, chatting and enjoying each other at our dinner table.  It’s a food festival with special seasonal treats like noodles, bread dressing and gravy.  It’s a day of thankfulness, blessings and mindfulness.  Here are a few tips for Thanksgiving Day Organized.

 

It’s also a day to be especially organized!

 

Invite guests

Make your plans and invite your guests two weeks ahead.  Knowing who is coming is a blessing to you and your guests.

 

Decide on your meal plan

It’s fun to share the day and share the cooking. Who will bring the turkey? Who will bring what side dishes? Who is bringing the pie? Share the responsibility and also get some help from Mrs. Kroger.

 

Grocery shop and prep early

There’s a lot of food to buy and veggies to prep. Start early with both of these to be sure you have enough time and energy.  Turkeys need time to thaw and cook properly.  A great timeline helps you stay organized.

 

Enjoy your day

Enjoy the day with family friends.  A game of charades, snooze on the couch, afternoon walk, or color pages can make for a little extra fun.  It’s the little touches that add to a special event and make family memories.

 

What makes your Thanksgiving Dinner organized? What tricks do you use?

 

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Easy Ways to Organize Your Halloween Decorations

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organize your halloween decorations

 

Pumpkins, black cats and witches are everywhere!  It’s the first holiday of the fall season and a prelude to all other fall and winter holidays.    According to the National Retail Federation, almost 50% of us decorate for Halloween.  Make it easy to decorate for Halloween with these easy ways to organize your Halloween decorations.

 

Go orange

Organize your Halloween decorations in orange easy to spot totes.  Label the totes on two sides and on top to know exactly what is in each bin.

 

Inflatable decorations

We love those giant inflatable decorations! Store them in individual 18 gallon tubs to keep them in good condition.

 

Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins

Pumpkins can be difficult to store because of their generous size.  Keep these from crushing with extra large ziplocs.  Your pumpkins are all together too.

 

Halloween lights

Flameless candles, candle holders and strings of lights can be stored together in a small bin.  Wrap the strings of lights in circles then store in gallon size ziplocs.

 

Just like all holidays, it’s best to make a plan for when to decorate and undecorate.  Enjoy a fall afternoon outside with your family creating a spooky spot on your front lawn.

How do you organize your Halloween decorations?

Happy Fall Y’all!  Check out the fall fun on my pinterest board.

4 Smart Student Strategies

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student organizing

 

The school year is well underway.  It’s time to think about how successful your student strategies are.  Are you getting the grades you want? Are your strategies helping you work smarter not harder? If the answer is no to either of these questions, check out these 4 smart student strategies to make a difference.

 

Get in a groove

Great routines help you get the grades you want.  A routine is a daily habit or series of habits.  This includes recording your homework in a planner or on your smartphone, getting started with your homework at about the same time each day, and finishing up at a good time to get in bed.  Routines are not easy for everyone, but a timer and smart phone reminders can help too.  Be sure to have a great planner for school and a clock in your study space.

 

Study space

Your study space needs to be distraction free and inviting to help you make the most of your study time.  A distraction free environment means clear of clutter and easy to work in.  Your family dining area or office can be one of the best spots for this.  Your room is usually one of the worst spots for this.  Set aside your devices or use the tech tools below to stay on track.  Set yourself up for success by pulling together all your tools and set up a space that works for you.

 

Plan for your papers

Many schools are going paperless with online tools to learn. However, we still have some  papers no matter.  Create a paper management system that works for you.  It can be a single binder with tabbed slash pockets or an accordion file.  Have a small file box with hanging files for each subject for papers that you have finished with but need for later. Start a routine of refreshing your paper plan and filing these papers weekly.

 

Tech tools

We love our smartphones and there are many tools we can use.  Here are some of my favorites:

Know your style and know how to study.  It’s not just about spending the time, it’s about making the time valuable. Take a quick learning styles quiz to learn about your best modality to study.  You are ready to make the grades you deserve by learning more about yourself.

3 Tools to Check Your Productivity

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productivity

 

Having a great tool makes any job easier. When it comes to productivity, your tools help you become more aware of what you accomplish and help you staying focused. These are 3 of my favorites for both home and work.

 

RescueTime

RescueTime runs in the background of your computer all day every day.  It tracks time spent on applications and websites, giving you an accurate picture of your day as well as detailed reports.  The tools also permits you to block certain elements to be sure to stay on task.  RescueTime gives me an analytical view of how much time I spent on my computer on different projects.  With new perspectives comes changes in behavior.

 

StayFocsd

StayFocusd is  Google product that helps you configure your access to different websites and the internet in general.   It has a timer that helps you set amounts of time permitted online or on specific sites.  No more surfing the net or looking at social media rather than getting your work done on the computer.  It’s difficult to undo too!

 

Stickk

We all have goals, but some are much harder to achieve. That’s where Stickk comes in.  With commitment comes goal accomplishment.  Stickk has a commitment contract to help you acknowledge what it’ll take to accomplish it, and leverage the power of putting money on the line to turn that goal into a reality.  You can track your progress, post images  your journal and invite friends to commit to accountability.

 

 

These three tools are just some of the tech ways to help yourself be more productive. Not all of my tools are tech and some of my favorites are simple notebooks.  Whatever is your trusted tool, work with that.

 

What are your favorites?

 

 

Check out my pinterest page High Tech and Technically Organized.