How Not to be Late for Your Next Appointment

Leave time to get there. Leave yourself plenty of time to get to your
destination. Don’t underestimate traffic time or try to squeeze in a stop to the
bank or dry cleaners. Think in terms of when you need to leave in order to be
there on time, every time.

Be considerate. Squeaking into a meeting or event at the last minutes looks
unprofessional and insensitive to the host. Show courtesy to others by
respecting their time. If something unexpected does arise, call immediately to
let your party know you are running late.

Write down all appointments and meetings, the dates and time. Don’t
rely on your memory.

Ideas for Clutter-free Gift Giving

- Tickets to a show, game, concert, etc.

- Edibles. Coffee of the month, fruit of the month, chocolate of the month are
some ideas, or how about baking or making something edible?

- Memberships to museums, the gym, the zoo, AAA travel club, etc.

- Pampering gifts. Give the gift of massage. Lotions or bath oils. Skin care
products. For fabulous Mary Kay gift ideas, contact Louise-Annette Burgess at
www.marykay.com/LBurgess

- Organization. Give a gift certificate from a professional organizer.

- Lessons and classes. Golf, computer, art, tennis, yoga, martial arts, dancing,
personal trainer sessions, cooking, gardening, etc.

- Netflix or Blockbuster subscription for someone on your list that loves movies.

- Gifts that save time. Gift certificate for cleaning services, lawn mowing or car
wash/detailing

- Gift Certificates for a person’s favorite restaurant

- Babysitting – make certificates to be cashed in for babysitting

- Make a donation to gift recipient’s favorite charity

How to Create a Gift Wrapping Station

1. Find a gift wrapping storage container that you like. Here are some terrific ones that can be bought at http://www.containerstore.com/.

I like and use the hanging one.

2. Stock your wrapping station.

• Gift tags


• Wrapping paper


• Gift bags


• Gift boxes


• Ribbon


• Bows


• Pens


• Markers


• Scissors


• Tape


• Tissue paper
  

3. If you have out of town packages to ship, also include:

• Shipping boxes


• Shipping tape


• Stamps


• Mailing labels


• Packing materials, such as packing peanuts

Now! You have all your wrapping stuff in one place. No searching for the tape or scissors. Your gift wrapping time will be reduced by taking the time to organize your gift wrapping supplies first.

Top 10 Most Stressful Holiday Activities

1. Spending too much money.

2. Deciding what gift to buy to whom.

3. Sending gifts and cards on time.

4. Taking care of phyiscal well-being.

5. Not enough time to shop.

6. Not enough time for events.

7. Decorating for or hosting a holiday party.

8. Managing workload to take time off.

9. Maintaining relationships with family, friends and co-workers.

10. Creating a specific holiday budget.

3 Tips for Getting a Head Start on the Holidays

I know…you are not ready to think about the holidays yet. However, the key to having a wonderful and stress-free holiday is planning ahead.

Here are three tips for making your holidays a bit more organized and a bit more enjoyable this year:

Holiday Tip #1: Holiday cards and gift lists. If you haven’t already, save your Christmas card list names and addresses on your computer. You can print labels or envelopes quickly and easily. Address changes are easy to handle and won’t get messy like trying to change addresses in a handwritten address book.

If you use a PDA, save your loved ones gift wish lists on the PDA. You will have the lists with you whenever you go shopping, so you can take advantage of a good deal when you see it. Keep a list of sizes on the PDA as well.

Holiday Tip #2: Take notes. Pay attention to friends and family during conversations. You’ll be surprised at how often they mention items they would like to have or plan to buy. The person receiving the gift will be grateful for a gift they truly want.

Holiday Tip #3: Consider “experience” gifts rather than things. Try something different this holiday season by thinking of what the gift recipient might enjoy. What about a concert, play tickets, spa certificate, tickets to a sporting event or a donation to the recipient’s favorite charity in their name?

5 Ways to Remember Everything

You are busy and have so many things on your mind. Keep your memory sharp by using these ideas to remember what you need to and free up memory...brain memory, that is:

1. Believe in yourself. Attitude means a lot. If you continually say you are forgetful, then you will be forgetful. Instead change your attitude and think about having a good memory.

2. Write it down. No one can remember everything. Writing down everything - your appointments, your schedule, your families schedule, your work schedule, your grocery list, things you need to do, tasks you need to delegate, etc., frees up your mind to think about whatever is happening in the present.

3. Record your thoughts. Sometimes you want to remember something, but can't write it down at the moment. Record your thoughts. Carry a little hand-held recorder or check to see if your cell phone has recording capabilities (many do).

4. Call yourself. Call your voice mail and leave yourself a message. Then you can listen and write it down when you get home or are in a place to be able to write down the message.

5. Set timers and alarms. Alarm clocks are not just for waking up. Use the alarm clock, the microwave timer or computer alarms a reminder.

Thankful and Organized for Thanksgiving

When I was single and living in Austin, Texas, my family was far away in North Carolina. I had a lot to be thankful for and having a lonely pity party was not on my Thanksgiving to-do list. So I found other ways to enjoy Thanksgiving.

I love to cook. I found a service agency that paired me up with a family that needed a helping hand for Thanksgiving. I was given the family’s name, their situation, how many to cook for and directions where to drop off the Thanksgiving dinner. That first Thanksgiving I was paired with the Johnsons, a family of five, the youngest being about two years old.

I cooked the traditional turkey, dressing and veggies and had picked up a couple of pies at the store. (As much as I like to cook, I don’t bake.) Almost as an afterthought, I picked up ice cream, some fall flowers, and some inexpensive candles and candleholders.

I made my delivery that afternoon. When I knocked on the door, Mr. Johnson and his oldest son came out to help me carry in the boxes of food. Mr. Johnson was quick to tell me that his family didn’t usually take hand-outs, but that he had been injured on the job. I told him he was doing me a favor…giving me somebody to cook for because my family was far away and that was all that talk we were going to have.

Inside the house, I was helping Mrs. Johnson unpack the boxes and the little two-year old spotted the ice cream. Her eyes got huge and she said, “Mommy, look! I-queem!” About the same time, Mrs. Johnson was unpacking the candles and candleholders and we both got emotional. We cried and hugged and the Johnsons’ insisted that I stay and eat with them. I wasn’t supposed to. I was supposed to just deliver the food and leave, but how could I refuse such a gracious family?

I signed up to do this for the five years I lived in Texas and it was some of the best Thanksgiving holidays I ever had. Now I have a wonderful husband to share Thanksgiving with. No matter how you celebrate Thanksgiving, the holiday can be less stressful if you use some of the following tips:

- Make a plan: Decide what you are going to do for the holiday now.

- Start a tradition where each guest or family member shares one thing they are thankful for.

- Get the house cleaning out of way early in the week. Book now if you plan to have a professional clean for you.

- Prepare side dishes and desserts ahead of time and freeze.

- Plan a menu. Decide what you are going to serve, write it down and stick to it.

- Frozen turkeys take 3-4 days to thaw in the refrigerator. Don’t forget to take your bird out of the freezer in time to allow for the thawing.

- Consider inviting a single friend or neighbor to join your family.

- Have some games on hand for the children to enjoy so the adults can watch ballgames, converse or nap after dinner.

- Make a grocery list and shop for non-perishables early.

- Have some disposable containers on hand so everyone can have a “to go” snack.

- Get out your serving dishes several days ahead of time. Label them with sticky notes. Others can help you dish up just by putting the stuffing in the bowl marked stuffing and so forth.

- Set the table the day before or at least early Thanksgiving morning.

- Mashed potatoes or other vegetables can be made ahead and kept warm in the crockpot.

- Cut up vegetables the day before and store in the fridge in zip bags.

- Consider just fixing the turkey and make the rest of the meal potluck.

- If you are terribly busy, most grocery stores sell ready made holiday meals. If you decide to use this option, keep in mind you still have to put in your order several days to a week ahead of time.

- Start yet another new Thanksgiving tradition by taking a walk after the meal.