Thoughts on Time Part 5

Alright friends, today's the last day of my series on time management and it is a long one- but it's worth it! I know I've learned a lot, have you? Well, today I have four simple tips that are usually reserved for organizing and decluttering projects that are, in fact, extremely helpful for time management. But I also have a breakdown of how to apply everything we've learned so far. So, without further ado...here we go!

Apples & Oranges.

#1. Group like with like.

This helps not only with organizing your stuff, but also with your tasks. Instead of running errands on different ends of the planet all the time, group tasks, chores and errands into categories. I also like to plan a route so that I a) save gas b) save money c) save time d) save my sanity. Keep this in your mind, there will be a visual example at the end of the post!

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#2. Divide and conquer!

As with grouping like with like, dividing tasks into workable groups or sub-groups helps to take huge chunks out of your list with far greater ease than if you just made the list and started going with bullet point number one and worked your way down. Threes work for me. Three types of things that need to get done. I can look at that and take whatever is in the group I choose first and knock it out. Keep this in your head too, kiddos! It's all going to be revealed to you visually shortly.

#3. Handle things once.

This has been a huge help to me. I had a boss say it at work almost ten years ago and it has stuck with me. I've always been kind of a walks-in-circles kind of person. I live a lot in my head and when I get overstimulated especially I have a tendency to wander. It's taken a lot of hard work to teach myself to just pick that thing up and put it away where it belongs and be done with hit. In the past I would have carried it through every room of the house before I found a place that didn't bug me as much. It works with possessions, paperwork, and especially tasks on your to-do list. If you sit down and dedicate a given amount of time to a task and just get it done, it won't haunt you or grow bigger or nag you and make you feel bad or overwhelmed. It will have simply been handled, once. Handling something once can be done every day too. So instead of checking emails 34 times a day, do it once at a given time...period. Unbelievable time saved.

Cut it out!

#4. Ruthlessly cut away the unimportant.

I've touched on this a bit when I explained time thieves. However, a lot of unimportant things occupy our "to-do" lists. There are a million things we all do that aren't necessary but for some reason we still waste/piddle time away doing them! Think back to that time audit you did...where is your time going? What are the things that are unnecessary, outdated, annoying, or unimportant that you could cut from your life?

I know I waste time complaining about work. If I added up all the time I spend in a week bitching about stuff that happened at work and put it toward learning to sew (something I've longed to master for years), I'd be making a garment or decorative pillow a week (and I'm not kidding)! Or I could have put out a dozen more applications for another job in the meantime until my creative things take off more. I have to learn to cut the unimportant things too. We all do.

And don't worry, baby steps are the most important steps of all!!

So that brings me to a visual example of all the things that I have talked about these three weeks. Here's the summary:

1. Time management is energy management. AKA, Know thyself.

2. Develop a sleep routine and start getting to bed (and waking up) earlier. It's what the cool kids are doing.

3. Use the concept of "control" a little more wisely. Time management is about working smarter, not adding more stuff to do so you have no peace. Peace and joy are the goals here, people!

4. Write everything down and utilize a calendar. 

5. Determine what is urgent vs. what is personal priority.

6. Get the no-fun stuff done first, freeing up more time for the stuff that makes you happy and fulfills you!

7. Plan. Plan for tomorrow, then have a contingency plan (or two).

8. Delegate.

9. Learn to say "No."

No.thank.you.

10. Eliminate (or greatly reduce) distractions.

11. Be aware of your time thieves.

12. Focus on the tasks that will accomplish the most (the Pareto Principle).

13. Do a time audit. See where your time really goes (be honest!).

14. Learn how long it takes you to accomplish your tasks and be real about that too.

15. Schedule time to relax. Leave room for the joys of life!

16. Group like with like. 

17. Divide & conquer!

18. Handle things once. Even if its every day.

19. Ruthlessly cut away the unimportant. 

Here's a to-do list for my day off as an example. Before time management and after...

Before

1. grocery shop for the week (U)

2. do laundry (U)

3. get oil changed in car (U)

4. write blog posts for Monday and Tuesday. (PP)

5. make dinner (U)

6. pick up Mom's birthday gift (PP)

7. get hair cut (PP)

8. check emails and respond (U)

9. clean upstairs bathroom (full clean) (U)

10. wash the pup (PP)

11. call out of town friend to catch up (PP)

12. work on sewing project (STG)

13. call Credit Union with questions about IRA. (LTG)

I went ahead and added identifiers to the list to immediately indicate which items are urgent, which are personal priorities, and which were either short-tern or long-term goals. 

After

Morning: Out of house errands (arranged in a horseshoe/circular pattern so the first and last tasks are closest to home). Starting at 8:30 a.m.:

1. get oil changed and use the wait time to...

     *call CU with IRA ?'s (should take 5 minutes). 

     *call out of town friend to quickly catch up (5-10 minutes).

2. get hair cut

3. pick up Mom's birthday gift.

4. grocery shop for the week (30-45 minutes).

Early afternoon: In-house tasks. Starting around 12:15 p.m.:

5. start first load of laundry and...

6. prep food and snacks for dinner and lunches (30-45 minutes)

     *switch out laundry and...

7. assemble dinner in the crock pot or oven 

     *switch out laundry and put away. (30-45 minutes)

8.while upstairs and laundry is put away...

     *use the time upstairs to clean the bathroom (takes 30 minutes for full clean).

Late afternoon: In-house tasks:

9. check emails and respond while last load of laundry dries. (30 minutes or so).

10. work on Monday and Tuesday's blogs (30 minutes for Monday & 15 for Tuesday). 

11. Finish up the last of the laundry and put away. (30-45 minutes)

You are done. It's about 4:35 p.m. and the rest of the night is free to do what makes me happy like work on that sewing project I've been wanting to do or getting in a little yoga. I can have New Girl or The Mindy Project streaming in the background as I do so too! The things that make me truly happy get a chance now, all because I got all that no-fun and urgent stuff out of the way in a well-thought out manner. I bet you'd feel better with those big, urgent ones out of the way as well as those personal priorities too.

Exactly how I feel now after my to-do lists!

Do you think you'll use any of these ideas? I know I have been incorporating them bit by bit every day. I hope this series has helped, y'all! And I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

Friday Happies!!

This is Colby. He is not digging the snow & ice currently swallowing Nashville whole. This is what he listens to to keep warm! Donate today!

 Happy Friday y'all! What a week! Birthday, Valentine's AND Mardi Gras! I'm beat. I hope y'all have made it through your week relatively unscathed as well. I know there is some real scary weather out there right now (it's below 25 degrees in Florida this morning!), and my thoughts are with all of you dealing with ice and snow and cabin fever.

I'm working all weekend again, I hope you aren't- but either way, here are this week's funs, happies, pretties, interestings, and what-not's to usher you into a fun weekend regardless (it's all about the attitude, right?). Have a great weekend you guys, I truly hope it's wonderful! Here we go (and stay safe and warm out there)!

*Bless her little heart. When her baby wouldn't come on her due date, she decided to do the entire dance from "Thriller" to jiggle herself into going into labour. She did a damn good job too!! Get down girl, go on get down!

*I love this infographic/quote about time (#14). It really resonated with me.

*Cool! The 7 types of English surnames! 

*Heh. Suburban Funk (soccer mom parody of Uptown Funk).

*Oooh! I'm such a sucker for a beverage dispenser. These are so pretty!

*This sounds like a fun dinner experiment for next week...Italian-style Meatloaf. Mine's already pretty damn good (if I do say so myself), but I think this recipe sounds yummy!

*Y'all know I'm about the cosy! I'll add this to the pile of incredibly snuggly throws I'm collecting thankyouverymuch!

*I must get this book. MUST!!

*This poor fella. His guilty conscious got the better of him. So funny!

*I had never heard of Horn Island until I found this article. My husband is from Biloxi and even he has never mentioned it. I must admit, I'm super intrigued!

*I love a good themed collection! These rustic candleholders are perfect for Spring, Summer, St. Patrick's Day and even Christmas in varying shades of greens!

*From looking at these pictures, I feel I should step up my pajama and lingerie game. Seriously!

*I'm a sucker for a good buddy movie, particularly once that looks slightly cheesy. Hot Pursuit looks like  it may fit the bill I will go alone, and laugh super loudly in a partially-empty matinee theatre.
That's how I roll, y'all. Don't hate.

*I was given a beautiful white hyacinth bulb for my birthday this year and, having never cared for them was unsure how to care for it so I can enjoy its magnificence again for years to come. Since this is the time for hyacinths, I thought I'd share some tips with y'all too! It's such an enjoyable blossom!

*Did y'all know this trick for drying a load of clothes faster if you're in a hurry? I didn't and I'm totally going to try it!

Friday Happies!

Southern Belle vintage Valentine!

Good Friday, kiddos (and a Good Luck Friday the 13th too)! I cannot believe how fast the weeks are flying by these days! Geesh! I hope you have a nice relaxing weekend planned, I'll be working for part of it and celebrating ValenGras (Valentine's + Mardi Gras) for the other part! Woohoo! So, without further ado, here's this week's list of sweets, funnies, pretties, happies, interestings, and what-nots to get your weekend off to a great start!

*The hubs and I enjoyed this speed dating prank...and how awfully cheesy these guys were on a supposed blind date. Ouch.

*Photographs of sweet pits with flower crowns to help people see the sweetness there beneath the bad reputation (it's the people who hurt them, not the pups themselves, y'all!). I think Mr. Fantastic is thinking "Yeah, that's right- I own this look!".


*I go nowhere on Valentine's Day on principal (traffic, crowds *shudder*). However, this would be a beautiful number to wear for a romantic dinner for two any old day of the week.

*Dear Potatoes...Will you be my Valentine? I love you so!

*While we're at it...Valentine's Day is apparently totally different for "Millenials". Technically I am a part of the "Millenial" generation (though I definitely have some thoughts on that), but I have to say...it's totally true!

*Y'all know I loved Anne of Green Gables in 2015! Check out my girl Lizzy Bennet in 2015...totally nailed it!

Mardi Gras beads in the trees!

*Oooweeoo! A DIY Mardi Gras statement necklace (that doesn't have to be so tacky or "I think I have too many beads" suffocatey").

*Sniff! Oh my goodness! This commercial is so sweet and so heartbreaking! I couldn't even remember what it was for! Whoopsie!

*I'm in big-time need for stationery and thank you cards these days. I really liked these. Call me old-fashioned but I am a bit turned off by cards that say "Thanks". Is it too much trouble to say "Thank You"? It's like saying "Yeah" to the Queen or something. I guess it's better than no thank you note at all thought, huh? I've totally been guilty of that before!

*What a cool little birdhouse! This would make a good gift for my Mama. We both have a thing for acorns.

*I thought this was kind of cool. Three woman of various ethnic backgrounds get transformed to look like a royal ancestor.

*Who knew John Reilly could sing like that?! The hubs and I have been listening to this over and over for a few days now!

*Y'all know I'm a candle whore. Every candle on Terrain needs to be at my house right now.

*Well, if this didn't come along right when I needed it. Geez Louise!

*I don't have the best track record for baking...but I wanna make these. Should I even try? I miss New Orleans right now (because that means I can eat them but don't have to attempt to make them)!

Have a great weekend, y'all! I hope it's an awesome one and super relaxing and lovely!
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pssst...And here's one for only those with a slightly foul sense of humor. You have been warned (I no likey to upsetty).

Okay, so obviously I'm a movie trailer nerd. But, I love a romantic comedy that's not a romantic comedy, and Amy Schumer and Bill Hader are both my jams, respectively. Enter "Trainwreck". Super not safe for work because of language and hilarious raunch. It looks so funny!!

Friday Happies - Birthday Edition!!!

How was your week, friends? Mine was a little off, but good. I worked a lot and spent a lot of time trying to "get ahead", whatever that means. Amiright?

Well, I'm off for the weekend because  IT"S MY BIRTHDAY (on Monday)!!! I love my birthday. It's all red and pink and tulips and chocolate and chilly pretty weather in all its swirly February-ness! Heh. I digress.

I hope y'all all have a nice relaxing weekend planned (and even if you have to work), here is a list of pretties, funs, happies, feel-goods, interestings, and what-nots to at least put a smile on your face! Here we go!

*This is Rami. He is a love child (obviously) of a dachshund and a pit bull. I love him, but there is a wait list at the shelter in Moultrie (just an hour or so from me!) for possible adoptive parents. That is a good thing, because I would totally take him home tomorrow otherwise.

Rami

*Woah. The cost of things in the U.S. after living abroad for fourteen years! Wowsers.

*Heh. Perfect for a birthday girl!

*I love all the ladies on Saturday Night Live. They are incredible from A to Z (Aidy to Sasheer Zamata). This article on Aidy made me smile. She's interesting and funny and smart and I just liked it so there!

*I like practical things that are beautiful. These scissors would be so beautiful on my (one day) desk.

*Peonies and tulips are two of my favorite flowers. But, I never heard of Peony Tulips until yesterday! What the what?! They are the prettiest flower I've ever seen!!!

*Workouts you can do according to how the characters on your favorite shows act! Love it. It's the perfect balance of totally lazy and getting exercise.

*What a pretty garden thermometer! It'd be so pretty outside a screened-in porch (I want a screened-in porch so badly!).

*I got two great records from my dad for my birthday and they have been on constant rotation on my record player since. This one makes me dance around like I'm James Brown!

*Hmm! Coming out as "anxious".  Super duper interesting article!

*Now these are some par-tay shoes!!!

*A really pretty blog about gratitude and other lovely things. The Garden of Eating.

*What a hilariously dark, weird, funny looking movie. The Voices.

*And a beautiful, chilling and charming movie. Woman In Gold. 

*Ahmahgah! I wish I had found these before Groundhog's Day!!! I could make them for myself for like- a regular Tuesday in the future, right? Right?!

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! How could you not after seeing that groundhog cookie? P.S. If the image is no longer moving, refresh the page and scroll down and be prepared for utter joy!

Fleur 101

February is a special time for me. Not only is it nice, chilly and crisp weather- it's also the month of my birthday, Valentine's Day, and Mardi Gras (all fun & festive days of food and flowers... yay alliteration!).

Anywho, I've always been intrigued by beautifully arranged flowers. Though never really had them in my house or gardens until recently (very recently). I've started adding fresh flowers to my house about once a month, but they never look particularly "arranged" when I get them into their little vases/containers.  I try, but usually it just looks like I dropped them into the container willy-nilly even though I actually try to make them look nice. It's amazing how some people just have that gift to see an arrangement in their mind and just make it happen. That floral je ne sais quois. I don't have it necessarily, but I do think I'm capable with a little nudging (and many online tutorials and magazine tear-outs) to pretend like I do!

So for funsies today, I thought I'd share some tips and things I found to make store-bought grocery store flowers look beautiful and expensive.

From My Soulful Home:

        *Filling the base of the container with something to stabilize the stems. Der. I've never done that.

        *Using tape to create a grid for keeping the flowers in place. (Totally works, I have used this trick).

        *Adding a bit of sugar to the water. It makes sense, though I've never tried it. I've heard of an aspirin being used. Don't know the science behind it. Would love to know if any of y'all do!

        *Three types of flowers make an arrangementt: Line, Mass & Filler (as well as a focal flower...so technically four types of flowers).


Some tips for single flower-type arrangements from A Cup of Jo.

How to make fancy-schmancy centerpiece-y arrangements. I would totally put something a little outlandish like this in a teeny powder room just for giggles.

My personal favorites: loose, asymmetric arrangements. It's oh-so Rosemary & Thyme!

Having beautiful flowers in my home is a small luxury in my life, but I want to make the most of it. It doesn't much and it makes me smile every time I see their little flower faces.  Do you have any tricks or tips to make cheapo blossoms look better?  I'd love to know!

It seems like a pretty good metaphor for the P&PPS anyway, you know? Taking what you have, recognizing its inherent beauty then figuring out a way to make it really stand out in all its glory!


I hope you have a truly wonderful day, little blossoms!