Using Time Wisely

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Archives for 2011

Using Time Wisely: Counting my Blessings (11-23)

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I am so glad to be back into a routine after struggling with illness for over a week. Thank you for your patience with the posts as I took a little break to heal and then wrote with a vengeance over the weekend. Back on track, I am so thankful to be doing the mundane things that required so much work a week ago. Here’s my grateful report:

11. A healthy body that allows me to work and help others;

12. Garbage disposal that saves me so much time while cooking in the kitchen;

13. Patient husband, who tripped and stumbled over the piles of toys, clothes, and shoes that cluttered our house during my stay in the recliner;

14. Cool weather and lots of sunshine, so my kids could play outside away from the germs;

15. Friends, who prayed and checked on me during my illness;

16. My husband’s supervisor, who understood when Paul needed to take our son to school and arrive at work a little late;

17. Comforting words from the Scriptures to uplift my spirit;

18. My youngest daughter’s little hands sneaking up to tickle me;

19. Help from my oldest daughter matching the socks from the clean load of laundry;

Concentrating on finding the matching socks

20. My son’s quick wake-up in the mornings to get ready for school;

21. The uncontrollable laughter and giggling of my children before bedtime;

22. Thanking our Lord for our family while praying together each night; and

23. Wonderful Readers, like you, who keep me accountable.

Reflecting back to count my blessings encourages me as I see the progress made in the last few days. I may not be as far along on my To Do list as I would like, but thankfully, I am not where I started last week. Baby steps while using time wisely will help us reach those goals. Just remember to count your blessings along the way.

Question: For what are you thankful today? Please add your answer to the comments.

Event Planning: 2011 Fall Festival

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The Fall Festival event raised $10,000 for our great school! Seeing the end result makes all the money, energy, and time invested in this project worth it. Having addressed this event in the My Upcoming 2011-2012 Events post, I also shared how distracted I became while planning in the Event Planning: Changing my Focus post. After concentrating on the framework, sections, and details, all the miscellaneous items came together for a great event by following a simple plan:

Handpicked Volunteers

With a reliable core group of volunteers, who were knowledgeable and ready to work, we pulled off an almost flawless execution of the plan. These volunteers were well-prepared, arrived on-time, and led by example.

   

Written Schedule

Having every delivery, payment, and setup location on a written schedule distributed to the core volunteers kept the setup and tear down process timely, accurate, and complete. The process was smooth as there was additional time scheduled in case problems arose or changes needed to be considered.

   

Relaxed, Controlled Atmosphere

Knowing that the plan was set and all volunteers were apprised of their responsibilities, the execution of the plans for the day were not stressful or ordered around. When all were relaxed and knew the plan, all the volunteers seemed to enjoy helping, chatting, and enjoying the event. Working in an organized framework helps all involved to stay on task while using time wisely.

   

By preparing in advance with all the details written and all volunteers informed, our event was a great success! Though there were items that I will plan better for next year (more on that to come), I was very pleased with the event and look forward to improving the KidZone for next year’s Fall Festival.

Question: When you volunteer to assist with an event, what can a coordinator do to make your service enjoyable? Please add your answer to the comments.

Organizing: Children’s Clothing – Applying the Process

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After completing the organizational project of my youngest daughter’s clothing, I proceeded to follow the same five steps to organize my older children’s closet and dresser. I started with their summer clothes and shoes, and began the process one step at a time.

Step One: Prepare

The totes were brought into the hallway by hubby. The sharpie, labels, and plastic bags were already in the hallway.

Step Two: Purge

All the out-grown and summer clothing was taken from the closet and dresser and neatly folded and placed in piles.

Step Three: Pack

The piles of clothing were neatly packed into totes labeled with the gender, size, and type of clothing (i.e. Girls, 3T, summer).

Step Four: Place

The winter clothing was then unpacked, washed, and placed in the closet and dresser.

Step Five: Preserve

Any remaining items were stored in labeled totes and preserved in storage for a future date.

The process went much quicker for my older children than it did for my youngest daughter. My guess is due to all the totes and supplies previously gathered, and my mindset was already in an organizational mode.

   

Before                                                                         After

After completing the project, I decided to improve their closet space by adding the storage bins I found on sale at Target. I loved the transformation. This project concludes the clothing swap for my children from summer to winter. Now to decide what my next project will be. Happy organizing!

Question: What is your current household organizational project? Please add your answer to the comments.

Vehicles: Miscellaneous – Incident Reports

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (Hidden Horsham)

The end is in sight. Only one more week before concluding the important documents housed in file box 1. Last week, we began the twelfth file opening and covered our driving records. This week, we continue adding miscellaneous vehicle documents to this file slot.

Incident Reports

Included in this file is a copy of a police report from vandalism to one of our vehicles. Though we did not submit a claim or receive any response from the police department, I keep the record in the event we need it in the future.

This incident report is placed behind our set of driving record documents. And next week, I will conclude the last set of documents housed in this file and in this box of important documents. Until next week, keep on organizing!

Question: Have you had to file a police report relating to your vehicle? Please add your answer to the comments.

On-Line Shopping: Promotional Codes – Part 3 of 5

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Photograph Credit: Flickr (ideas4Christmas2010)

In using time wisely, stacking saving strategies while shopping on-line will help in stretching your dollars. In this series on stacking your savings while shopping on-line, we have looked at using cash-back sites (Part 1) and checking for free shipping codes (Part 2). Another option for increasing your savings is utilizing promotional codes.

#3: Utilize Promotional Codes

My favorite savings strategy is through the promotional codes. If you wait for a promotional code, you can save an additional 20-50% off the sale price. The key is to find these codes and use them before they expire. To access these codes, start with these options:

1. Check the offers through your cash-back site. Both Ebates and Shopathome.com include promotional codes with and without free shipping offers. When you select your store, scroll down the page to see the available promotional codes. If you find a great one, then click on the offer to be directed to the company’s web site.

2. Visit retailmenot.com. This web site lists the best promotional codes currently available. To find the promotional codes for your desired store:

    • Type in your store name in the SEARCH field – i.e., J.C. Penney – and press ENTER.
    • If your store has codes, a list will display.
    • The promotional codes are listed in ORANGE.
    • Copy the code to be used during check out.

3. Sign up for your favorite company’s e-mail newsletters. By receiving e-mail notifications, many companies send coupons, promotional codes, and sale flyers in advance to their preferred customers. To add your e-mail address to the company’s e-mail list, visit the company’s web site to sign up. (I use my junk account for newsletters, coupons, and freebies.)

4. Look on the company’s web site. Oftentimes the company’s web site advertises a promotional code. Look on their HOME page under their header to see what deals they are offering.

By using a promotional code when purchasing Paul’s waffle iron, I saved an additional $10. The full price was $59.99, the sale price was $29.99, the shipping was free with store pickup, and the promotional code subtracted $10 bringing the price to $19.99. Stacking the savings continues to bring the cost down. Though you may not be able to use every strategy on every purchase, you can research your options while using time wisely and stretching your dollars. Happy savings!

Question: What is your favorite on-line shopping company? Please add your answer to the comments.

Disclosure: Affiliate links for Using Time Wisely are included within this post.