Stress Less

Take a break

Enjoy time in green space

Relax methodically- concentrating on one set of muscles
at a time, first clenching and then releasing the tension

Breathe out slowly as you release the tension

Meditate

Seasonal buying

Buy a season behind with trusted and valued outlets stores.
The savings could and will surprise you. You will be ready
for the next season in all fresh colors and clothes.

Your home will get 4 seasonal changes each year by buying
seasonal decor the same way.

This method can be used in every facet of life........ Gardening,
car buying and the list is endless.

Buy all presents for the following season during huge markdowns
and clearance sales from regular retailers to outlets. You can be
done and wrapped by May or June.

Money saving is great however, the benefits emotionally during
the season is priceless.

Remembering what the holiday season means is much more
important! You can participate in so many civic group, charities
and so on that the season can have real meaning to all.

More Tips

This came from a discussion group I belong to:

How many of these did you know about?....................

A sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then
slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.
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Use empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps
them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
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For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and
put Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They
won't refreeze.(wish I had known this for the last 40 years!)
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To remove old wax from a glass candleholder, put it in the freezer
for a few hours. Then take the candleholder out and turn it upside
down. The wax will fall out.
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Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag,
dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease
that is!).
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Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt
BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
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Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair
of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw
away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this
would be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S pads last me
indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened
this way too!
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Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen
peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood.
Works every time! Now, where to put the body? LOL
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Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal
for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks.
Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash
windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably
streak.
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Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely
light scent in each room when the light is turned on.
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Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will
smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with
towels and linen.
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Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3
hours prior to burning.
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To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the
Flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt
and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
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To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop
or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and
bring to a boil on the stove top.
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Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before
pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
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Wrap vegetables in a paper towel and then aluminum foil before you
put them in the refrigerator and they will keep fresh and unwilted for
weeks. (THIS REALLY WORKS GREAT!!!)
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When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out
the corns natural sweetness .
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Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your
forehead. The throbbing will go away.
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To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area
and You will experience instant relief.
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Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a
chalk Line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or
wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
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Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still,
Leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
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When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting
to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter,
and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and
easily.
================================================
Another splinter remedy is to apply Elmers glue to the area of the
splinter, let it dry and then peel away the glue taking the splinter
along with it.
================================================

Products to Help Organize Time and Space

Products

Use a PDA. I use a Sharp Wizard, it's small and easy to use and is about $50 from your local Target or office supply store. Better than a paper organizer since you can sync contents with your computer (so if you lose it, you have a backup; also, you can easily cut and paste large amounts of text, like driving directions, into it), and your data stays up-to-date much easier. Helps to end my paper problem.


Use a digital camera instead of film. It saves time and money.

• Never get film developed again.
• Save on developing costs.
• No waiting to finish a roll of film again.
• Who needs prints when the best way to share pictures is online??
• No scanning pictures or sending in negatives.
• Get higher quality pictures than scanned images.
• You don't need an expensive high-mega-pixel camera to achieve this.

I use a Sony Cybershot, a 3.2 megapixels, and it's about $100 on eBay (as of Jan. '06)
I use it for web photos, eBay listings, scenery, grandkids, music events, trips, and everything I can think of. (I can take hundreds on one 128 memory stick). All of my photos since mid-Aug. 2003 have been taken with this camera; those before then are scanned photos taken with a variety of film cameras. Most were made into prints (and disks after Jan 2001) at time of development.

Lazy Susans - They keep spices, bottles, cans, and condiments neatly arranged and at your fingertips. Use them in the pantry, in cabinets, on the kitchen table - they're absolutely life savers when it comes to staying organized. I'm short and so are my arms so these make me able to reach the back of even the deepest cabinets.

Plastic Basket for Lids - stop searching for the ^&*#$%^( lids!

Baskets in the Linen Closet for toiletries, towels, hair clips. Makes it look organized. Makes it easier to get what you want out in a hurry.

Plastic Baggies with Zipper Locks - perfect to store small toys, puzzle pieces, and any little items that go together in one spot. There are huge ones now for storing blankets, sweaters, pillows, and other items for a season or more.


Things to Consider

Go vertical If space is at a premium use tall bookcases which can store far more than books.

Never watch a movie alone. I came up with this rule for myself because I often feel bad for not spending as much time with my friends as much as I'd like, because our hobbies may be different. Movies, however, are one of the few universal things, besides eating, that people can do together.

Ditch the printer. It takes up space and increases the amount of paper in your home . Use a PDA instead to "carry" data. If you MUST print, use the printer at work or Kinkos.

Ditch your cable. Do you have time to watch TV? I want to prevent myself from watching TV, which is probably the world's #1 time-waster! Most shows on TV tend to feed your brain garbage.

Ditch the newspaper. It took me years to figure out I don't read it. So I no longer get a paper.

Ditch the magazines Working on this one. Maybe I can try to read them at the library.

Ditch the cell phone.

• Reception and clarity is worse than a landline (how many times cell phones have hung up on me in the middle of a conversation)
• You have to remember to charge it
• Carrying it around in public is often rude and annoying to others
• The temptation to answer the phone while driving is dangerous!

This is an option:

• Discontinue cell phone service, but keep the cell phone in the car, off. Turn it on to dial 911 in case of an accident or other emergency as dialing 911 does NOT require a cell phone subscription.
• Use a calling card at a payphone if you have to call someone RIGHT NOW while not at home or at work (which is rare).
• Don't let others dictate your time or interrupt you and whoever you are with right now.

Work and Financal Tips

Work

Set aside time once or twice a day to answer phone messages and email.

My personal favorite is to crochet while on a call or in meetings. WARNING do not do this without approval from the boss. Working at home allows me to multi task more than out in a traditional workplace.

If you are busy at work, don't answer the phone; let people leave a message. Also, don't return all phone calls right away (use good judgment here): often, someone will find an answer for himself with a little time. Phone calls ruin the flow of work, prevent you from getting things done, and take time you have alloted to something else. If they don't leave a message it couldn't be that important.

No personal email or web surfing at work. I estimate a savings of at least an hour of time, helping to achieve a goal of getting 50% more done in 10% less time (and getting out of work sooner). I do almost all personal email right before I go to bed or early morning, striving for a 1-day turnaround time.


Financal
Use online bill-payment. Mostly free these days. Saves a lot of time plus you are less prone to forget payments, since you can automatically schedule recurring payments such as mortgage payments. If the payee claims to not have received your payment, you will have an electronic record (plus a third party: your bill-payment online service) to prove it was sent. If your payment does not generate an email save the confirmation page to a file online.

Never buy anything you do not need or really want regardless how inexpensive it is. Avoid the sales and coupons trap.

Do not favor discount stores like KMart and Walmart. They tend to sell low-quality items that break (wasting your time and $) and are made in sweatshops. Strive to have things of high-value and quality.

Before You Buy...

• Do I really need it?
• Can I afford it?
• Could I borrow one from a friend or neighbor?
• Do I have one already that could be fixed up or repaired?
• How long will it last?
• Can I maintain it?
• What are ALL costs over its lifetime?
• How many hours or months will I have to work to pay for it?
• Is it worth it?
• Are the resources that go into it renewable?
• Is it recyclable?

Ditch your bank and use a Brokerage or Credit Union instead. Banks like to charge for almost every little service, but return very little in interest on a savings or money-market account, and usually nothing for a checking account.

Credit Unions require a very minimal (sometimes $5) balance in savings and return interest on savings and checking! They offer the same benefits as a bank.

A Brokerage does everything a bank does, plus allows you to invest in stocks, mutual and index funds, and set up an IRA account. In addition, all of your uninvested funds (dollars not tied up in stocks and funds) can be automatically invested in a money-market account yielding interest each year. You can write checks and make ATM withdrawals from these accounts too. (Check out Scottrade, eTrade, and Netbank too for even lower fees.)

Only use one credit card. Look for a balance transfer with 0% interest. In addition to receiving less statements and having to keep track of less accounts, having only one credit card makes one less prone to running up huge debts. Pay off highest interest account first! It also helps your credit score significantly (very important when you are applying for, say, a home loan). Just get a Visa or Mastercard, which is accepted in more places internationally than American Express or Discover.

Simple Tips for At Home

Simple Living

Home Life

Paper is enemy number one. It's my biggest source of clutter, so I'm trying to go paperless. (No laughing out there, it's a work in progress.) I try to handle paper only once. If I can't toss it, I ask, "do I really need to keep this" and then scan it onto my computer. Scanning often takes less time than filing, and electronic documents take no physical space, plus allow for much easier searches in the future (just do a keyword search on your entire hard drive).

Household cleaners - I used to end up accummulating a closet full of products, and most people do have a pile of products under the sink or in a closet, never being used. Instead, just use... soap and water, vinegar, and baking soda! Use a sponge, old toothbrush, or a scrubby, Scotchbrite or similar thing for more stubborn stains. Save the earth, it's less toxic and does not lead to antibacterial resistance. I like to use Palmolive dishwasher soap or softsoap. If it's safe and effective enough to use on dishes and hands, surely it's good enough to use on the counter, floor, bathtub, toilet, etc.

Vinegar and water in a squirt bottle to shine up mirrors, windows, counters, etc.
60 uses of vinegar
http://www.bagelhole.org//article.php/Miscellaneous/14/


Baking soda can be used to eliminate odors, put out fires or
61 uses of baking soda
http://www.bagelhole.org/article.php/Miscellaneous/12/


More low tech cleaning ideas
http://www.bagelhole.org//article.php/Miscellaneous/264/


Skin so Soft
Over 100 uses for Skin so Soft
http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net/skinsosoft.html


More homemade cleaning products
http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net/skinsosoft.html


Wash dishes as soon as you are done. They are easiest to clean since food hasn't dried on them yet. There will be no huge pileup of dishes in the sink latter.

Turn off the computer when you aren't using it. No checking email or browsing the internet all day. It also consumes electricity.

Go through your closets and drawers. Get rid of items you have not used in a year, preferably by selling them on Ebay, half.com, etc. or donate items and clothing to Goodwill, St Vincent de Paul, or the Salvation Army, books to the local library, etc. (Get receipts for your tax-deductions).

Other places to donate items:
http://www.savekaryn.com/PayItForward.htm

Failing that, give them away, or as a last resort, throw them away (preferably, recycling them). Try Freecycle throughout the US, Canada, Germany, and the UK.
http://www.freecycle.org/

Only check your mail once or twice a week. Most of it is just bills or junk mail, and can wait until a dedicated day. Sort mail near a wastebasket. Throw away Junk mail immediately without reading it, and pay bills promptly via online bill payment. To reduce junk mail: check out these tips--http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/wasteprevention/junkmail.asp
I tried them; they work! Also: to stop getting the Pennysaver or Stopwise ads, call the numbers on the address postcards that come with the ads, and leave a message asking them to take you off their mailing list.

Mom always insisted we take off our shoes when we came home! I still do it. The docs want me to wear something so I have flip flops everywhere. (Even in the car.) This reduces the amount of dirt brought into the house, (we had light beige carpet) saves the carpet, and dramatically cuts down on the need for vacuuming. Taking off your shoes takes 10 seconds tops and, personally, I think it is MUCH more comfortable to walk around the house in socks or barefoot than in shoes! My kids do it too and they are all grown up.



Food
Drink water, not coffee or soda. Water has no calories or caffeine, and is arguably healthier than the other beverages (it also doesn't stain teeth like coffee, tea, and cola, or cause cavities). Secondly, water from the tap is free but if you live where water is softened like I do get bottled water. (If you don't like the taste of tap water, get a filter). If you replace your morning coffees and, other drinks (Coke, juice, etc.) during the day, that's already a substantial savings right there. (Add it up!) What I do is buy bottles of water by the case (they deliver), when I fill the teakettle I leave 1/3 to 1/2 in the bottle and stand it up in the freezer. Then when I want ice cold water, I open a new one and taking a frozen half full bottle from the freezer I fill it with water, returning the bottom of the fresh bottle to the freezer. That keeps my supply ready for the next time I need an ice cold water. It helps me drink the 8 glasses of water my doctors recommend I drink each day.

Grocery shopping is a big time-waster. Get enough groceries at one time so you don't have to do it more than, say, once or twice a month. Get groceries on your way home to conserve time and gas. Go with a friend. Make a list! Keep it in the kitchen to note what you need to replenish. Do other errands on the way.


Make one pot meals. Less clean up. Leftovers can go in the fridge in the pot


Personal Growth


Stay in-- have a potluck, play a game, bake bread, write a letter, cuddle a loved one.

Meditate

Quiet Time if you can't get into meditation just stop and concentrate on breathing, filling your lungs, and totally expelling the air. Or sit outside and look at nature unfold. Or have a silent quiet reading time set aside.


Don't watch or listen to the news. News fed to you is largely "bad news" or impacts your life in no way except stir up paranoia, depression, or insecurity. If you must get your daily dose of news, read a newspaper, news feed, or web news instead: at least you have greater control over what you read, in contrast to being fed whatever a TV or radio news reporter feeds you.

Reserve books from the local library. Instead of buying books from the bookstore you will only read once (or not at all) and that will clutter up your home, use a free resource that has many times more books than any bookstore: the public library! Go to the library's online web page, search for a book, and the place an online reservation for it. Then after work stop by the library, go directly to the circulation desk, present card, and the library staffer gets the book. Done within 2-5 minutes. The lending time usually is ample enough for one book and if not, just renew it (or be a little late paying a fine per day, which is still a whole lot less expensive than buying a book even if you are 10 days late!)

The library also stocks music and movies. So instead of buying them or renting, order them and run over to library and pick them up!

John December offers more tips:
http://www.december.com/simple/live/

6 Ways to Simplify Your Life

From Fast Company Issue 15 - June 1998 - Page 156
By: Michael Warshaw

Advice from best-selling author Elaine St. James.

Elaine St. James's best-selling books are themselves
marvels of simplicity. They are short, well designed,
and organized for quick reading. They offer hundreds
of techniques - some modest, some radical - to simplify
your life. Here are six of our favorites. Here are six
of our favorites.

1. Resign from any organizations whose meetings you dread.

2. Learn to live with less information: Stop watching TV
news. Cancel half your magazine subscriptions.

3. Work where you live, or live where you work.

4. Be in bed by 9 p.m. one night a week.

5. Live on half of what you earn, and save the other half.

6. Keep asking, "Is this going to simplify my life?"

Find it

Find the straight line!

What do I want?

What do I want do?
This sounds easy but obviously is more complex than it sounds.

What kind of work would make me happy?
Always it will involve computer and people but my experience is in analyzing numbers, analyzing paper and workflow, accounting, and teaching new methods of working with new programming.

What do I want to do with my other time?
Read, build websites, learn more programming skills, and keep building my business so that I will not have to work for someone else forever.

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!
from the chapter "Where I Lived and What I Lived For"
in Walden
Thoreau