MWH On Holiday - Back in October

Dear readers, due to some health concerns and wanting to enjoy the last days of summer (or early days of autumn rather) outside instead of inside, and because of the new start of the school term (excuse after excuse) I've decided to take a little break from Minutes Worth Hours.

I plan to be back full of fresh ideas in October, when I'm sure the craziness of the new term and all those fresh faces will give me plenty to write about!

For now, feel free to roam around the blog looking at some of the old stuff, or let yourself be entertained by the blogs listed on the bloglist at the bottom right. All blogs by great writers!

Hope you will use the time you'd normally spend on reading this blog in a wondrous and satisfying way!

Worth Every Minute!

It's that middle of the week again, so time for another article that I'd like to share. If you're looking for more articles to read, you can find the whole collection of Worth Every Minute here.

Today, the article I want to share is one about making friends. In our situation, as English teachers in China, the turn-over rate of other foreigners who come and go is quite high. We are faced with friends leaving every June and meeting new people the next September. So knowing how to make new friends is not a luxury.

Even if you already have great friends (like I do), making new ones can be something that opens your horizons and lets you entertain different points of view. I have learned a lot from befriending Chinese, Koreans, Americans and other nationalities here. It's been eye-opening and very rewarding.

So without further ado, here are some tips on how to make friends:

8 Tips for Making Friends by Gretchen Rubin on The Happiness Project

Let me know if you have tried any of these tips and how they worked for you! I can already tell you that nr. 7 has been a great way for me to meet new people.

No Computer Before Breakfast!

Picture by Erik Hersman

'No computer before breakfast' is one of the rules I like to live by.

Our mornings used to start with turning on the computer and checking emails or stats on the blog. My hubby would play a game or two on-line. Then we'd nag each other a bit about when to have breakfast, and take at least 15 minutes 'finishing' our computer work before getting into the kitchen. Breakfast was an interruption instead of the wonderful start to the day that it is supposed to be.

Now the habit has changed, breakfast is a very nice and relaxing time for us. It's a moment to talk, and to discuss the day ahead.

For many, the first thing we do each morning is turn on electronics. The phone (if you've taken the trouble to turn it off before going to bed), computer or TV become the automatic 'on' button for the beginning of the day. We 'plug in' for the next 16 hours.

But consider a different morning altogether for a change. You wake up (brush your teeth/get dressed/etc.) and then prepare a lovely breakfast. If you want some ideas on how to do this quickly, you can read this post. You sit around the table with your partner/family/roommate (or just take a magazine if you live alone), and enjoy the food and the company.

This is a great time to connect to the people around you before everyone goes on their way and becomes a solitary busy bee. It's also a healthy start of the day since you're eating mindfully and can listen to your body's cues about when to stop. 

So next time you get out of bed and are reaching for that 'on' button, take a moment to think about how you could start the day differently and mindfully. Look at the sky outside, taste your food, talk to those around you. Connect to the day instead of the Internet!

Do you have morning habits to help you start the day in a good way? How long does it take you to get on the computer? Feel free to share your story in the comments! I love hearing from my readers and knowing they are still out there somewhere.

Freeze Food to Save Money, Time and the Environment

Photo by Kathleen Franklin

I'm a big fan of the modern-day freezer. We don't have a big one, but it's quite alright for the two of us. Freezers actually use less energy the fuller they are, so we try to keep ours pretty stuffed. There's a lot of different kinds of food in our freezer. Not only meat and veggies, but also bread, left-overs and even cheese.

Even though I wouldn't recommend freezing cheese, sometimes the amounts of money you can save by buying big packages, is worth it.

Consider freezing everything you don't see yourself eating within the next week (when it comes to vegetables) or the next two or three days (for meat and left-overs). 
I find that sometimes we even have to freeze half a loaf of bread, because otherwise we wouldn't eat it fast enough. 

Before you put left-overs or big packages of something in the freezer, break it up in usable portions. We buy 2 kg packs of bacon here at the local port, and divide it into little packages of about 6 strips so it's easy to take out whenever we need it. If we need more, we just take out two sets. 

If you're not sure how a certain food will fare under freezing conditions, you can always try a sample first. Just put it in a tiny ziplock back and check the next day. 

Freezing food allows us to make sure we only take out what we eat. It limits the amount of food that we waste because we don't use it up fast enough. I just hate wasting food when so many go hungry.
It also forces us to plan ahead and thus think more clearly about our meals. A great trick to becoming more aware of eating habits and the variation in our diet.

PS. Cheese won't change in flavor if you freeze it, but it will become crumbly when thawed. That being said, if you would grate it and put it on a pizza or in a cheese-sauce, that would work just fine!

Triple Inspiration: 9/11 Edition

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Today is the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack the world has ever seen. So many lives were lost. So many more changed forever. It's difficult to imagine how different the world would be now if those two towers were still standing.

Ten years ago, I was 16 and came home from school one day to images of utter devastation. In a couple of hours, the world as we knew it had changed forever.

I don't think anyone who saw those images will ever forget them. They are burnt on our retinas. The feelings of that day still seem as fresh and as unreal.

Today I want to share three quotes to commemorate that awful day.

"We acquire the strength we have overcome."

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant."  (Horace)

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

(Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Take a Snapshot

Picture by Rob Owen-Wahl

Photo's have become our windows into the past. We take tons any chance we get. But it's not always the moments that matter, the little everyday moments, that get captured. It's usually the big trips, the family holidays, the exciting excursions.

I love taking a picture of something I enjoy from time to time. It could be a particularly nice set of rolls I baked, or a walk we took to the beach, or a picture of my hubby in the kitchen. These everyday pictures are put together and serve as a slide show of how much our lives are changing over the years. I get to see the different hairstyles, the changes in decor, the different people who surround ourselves with.

On a random day, just take the camera and look around your house for something to take a picture of. Take ONE picture. Don't take a ton because it defeats the purpose of trying to make the picture something significant. 
Also, we take too many photographs of the same things anyways, so try to look for something different and interesting. A corner of your house you don't often pay attention to. Someone in your family doing something very mundane like washing dishes.

These pictures can also make a great selection to show your children and grandchildren someday, to show them how life was in 2011. What kind of gadgets did people use? How did they dress? That sort of thing. Just like looking back at snapshots of our parents can give us a glimpse of what life was like when they were young.

I still have pictures of my mother ironing, and doing dishes in the kitchen. I have pictures that show the house we used to live in, and the garden outside. I have pictures of old friends that I may not talk to anymore, but still cherish very fond memories of.

Do you use your camera outside of holidays and special events? How do you use your pictures?

Little Bits of Cleaning for 5 Spare Minutes

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There are some tasks that get put off indefinitely in our house, because we don't really think about doing them. They're not part of the routine, and not doing them every week doesn't really seem to make a big difference. I'm talking about cleaning those little things like light switches, doorknobs, radiators or the backs of your chairs. They are little details that can easily get overlooked in the rush of everyday life.

So next time you have a couple of spare minutes and don't know how to spend them, try to do one of these little tasks, and you're good for a while.

Cleaning light switches can be a little tricky, but I've found that using something like rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover does wonders! Apparently baby-wipes work really well too, although I've never tried that myself (saw it on TV once).

For doorknobs, you could use a bit of dish soap or a disinfectant. Both doorknobs and light switches get used daily and should really be kept clean. Otherwise they'll just turn into a germ paradise!

For dusting places that don't get dusted often, little nooks and crannies, I usually use a damp rag with some dish soap. Rags can easily be pushed into little edges and get the dust and grime that's stuck there. 

Can you think of other forgotten little places in your house that really deserve a more regular cleaning than they get? How do you go about keeping track of what to clean when? Do you wait until it gets too dirty? Until you have visitors? Or do you follow a weekly schedule?

Taking Time Off When You're Sick

Picture by Courtney Carmody

Dear readers, my apologies for the missed posts yesterday and the day before. As you can see, scrolling down, I have made them up. They are now posted. I haven't been feeling my best lately, and may continue to feel crappy for a little while. Nothing serious, so says the doc, but it does mean I have a difficult time getting everything done each day.  Some days are better than others.

As I mentioned before in my post on cutting yourself some slack, I don't really believe in forcing yourself if you don't feel 100%. You're better off getting back to your usual self as quickly as possible, and the best way to do that is by taking care of yourself. If you drag out sickness even longer, it'll only cost you more in the long run.

So my advice for today is to take some time off and to do that in the right way, so it really makes a difference.

First of all, try to clear your schedule as much as possible. If you're feeling under the weather or overly stressed, you won't be performing at your best anyways. The people who work with you will surely understand that a healthy employee/colleague is much more valuable than a sick one. 

Secondly, there are a couple of quick things you can do to help yourself get the rest you need. If you feel sick and find it hard to eat, try eating small, bland snacks: toast, raw fruits and vegetables, crackers, etc. Drink little sips of water throughout the day (not so much that your stomach feels full, otherwise you'll end up feeling sicker than before.)
Have a cup of herbal tea or green tea if you like, but stay away from things like coffee and black tea. The acidic nature of those can upset your stomach, and they won't make you feel sleepy either.
Preparing these snacks and drinks is a matter of minutes but will make your time off feel like what it's supposed to be: A moment to recharge your batteries and get all the rest you possibly can.

Last advice: Put some music or an audio book on your mp3 player before you go to bed. Close your eyes while you listen. The sound will distract you from how bad you're feeling, and you'll drift off to sleep before you know it!

I hate feeling sick, so throughout the years I've tried to come up with the best way to get over it as quickly as possible. Invariably that has been to try and sleep my way through it, occasionally waking up for drinks and small snacks. Luckily I don't get ill very often, but when I do, it usually takes me about two days at most to start feeling better.


What do you do when you're feeling ill? Do you try to push yourself and work as long as possible? Do you hold to the 'mind over matter' idea and try to push through the physical discomfort (like my hubby)?
Let me know!

Worth Every Minute!

I love libraries! Whenever I do the 'Describe your favorite place'-exercise with my students, I give the library as an example. I love the smell of old books; the sound of pages being turned; the neat, endless rows of book cases.

And yet, I have to admit, I haven't set foot in a library in China yet. Why? I just haven't seen the point, really. I don't read Chinese. Period. Unfortunately, my love for books only goes as far as I can actually comprehend them to a degree.

But not for the writer of the following article. She talks about the other reasons why visiting a library can be wonderful. It's not only a great place to get books (usually free and very environmental!), it's a place where you can get 10 more great advantages.

Read for yourself!

10 Ways to Use the Library by Tiffany Larson on SimpleOrganic.net

For more articles that are worth every minute, check out the full series here.

Learn to Say 'No!'

Photo by Horia Varlan

Our time is not our own. No matter how much we may think we are in control of our own lives, we rely too much on others and let them rely on us to fully be our own boss. Think of the things you do for your boss, your partner, your children, your friends. You may spend hours a week, or per day, taking care of others' needs instead of your own. There's nothing wrong with that, of course. You get the same in return from those around you, it's a give and take system. And your time is a gift to those you love.

But sometimes the people around us require too much. More than we can give. They may ask you for a favor you don't want to perform, or for time you simply don't have. In those cases, it's best to just come out with a plain old 'No.'

Saying 'no' is not easy. We are confronted with a lot of feelings, such as guilt or shame, that we would prefer to avoid if possible. So, instead of saying 'no', we opt for 'yes' despite the fact that we may not really have the time or the ability to give in to the request. 

But even if you have spared yourself from the awkwardness of the situation, and of those undesirable feelings, you are now stuck with a promise you made that you may have to break. As I wrote before, breaking a promise is much more damaging to a relationship than turning down a request right away. Once you have committed to something, you should try your very best to follow up on that commitment.

So how do you say 'no' without all these negative feelings? How do you just deny your loved one what they ask for without it eating up you inside? Try to keep the following questions in mind when you're deciding on what to say:

1. Is it of vital importance to this person that I agree?
2. Is there anyone else who could take my place?
3. How much will my refusal or denial hurt the relationship?
4. Am I breaking a previous commitment by either saying 'yes' or 'no'? (to this person or to someone else.)

 If you need more time, you can always say you need to check your schedule. But I do recommend giving an answer as quickly as possible. It's no use fretting over what you're going to say for days, and feeling miserable the whole time. Just get it over with.

How do you feel about saying 'no' when someone asks you for help, or when you are invited to a party? Do you ever want to refuse but end up going anyways? 

3 Reasons to Make Your Bed in the Morning

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Growing up, we spent a lot of weekends at my grandparents' house. In their house, it was the rule that you made the bed every morning. Not an easy feat, since all the beds were double beds and they still used sheets and blankets instead of a comforter.

But seeing the nicely made-up bed after we finished always made it worth it. And being able to snuggle underneath the blankets pulled tight, helped out quite a bit in the cold winters (they also didn't have heating in the bedrooms, brrrr).

Here are my main reasons for making our bed every morning. Perhaps they can convince you to try the same and see if it has an effect on you too.

1. Neatness. Starting out the day in a neat way may help you carry on this habit through the rest of the day. It doesn't take much to make the bed, but knowing your bedroom is neat and tidy can help you keep your house the same way too.
2. Inviting. A neatly made bed is inviting in the evening and makes going to bed so much more pleasant. There's not late-night irritation at the mess you left before.
3. Unexpected guests. Alright, I know what you're thinking! (And you're right, in those cases it IS good to have an inviting bed). But there could be times when you have visitors and you want to show them around your house. Or if you live in an apartment (like we do) and the bedroom is clearly visible from the living room, it's much less embarrassing if you have to fetch something and don't need to hurriedly close the door behind you. 

 These days, with comforters and quilts, making a bed is a matter of seconds! Really! Just straighten the blanket and put the pillows in the right place. Voila!
It's the first step toward a day of paying attention to the little things that make your environment more enjoyable to live in.

Triple Inspiration in a Single Minute

How was your week? Mine has past quite relaxed with lots of extra rest. I hope you've been able to find enough time to rest as well. It's one of the most important things you can do for both your physical and mental well-being.

But I'm pretty sure you don't need any inspiration on how to sleep more. For those other things we tend to overlook: like how to stop procrastinating, how to be happy, and how to get inspired, here are three more quotes for you to take to the next week.

You can find the whole series of Triple Inspiration here.

Get Productive!

“How soon 'not now' becomes 'never'.”

(Martin Luther)

Get Happy!

"The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself"

(Benjamin Franklin) 

Get Inspired!

"I shut my eyes in order to see."

(Paul Gauguin)

Creativity First Thing in the Morning

Photo by 李思明

Creativity can be a slippery little eel. One day you're overflowing with new and exciting ideas; the next you're trying to dig into the depths of your brain but nothing at all comes up. Still, if you're in a position where creativity is a necessary part of your work-day (and these days, who isn't?) you will require new and fresh ideas on a day to day basis.

Take blogging, for example. I need a new idea to blog about every day, and after over 140 posts, that can be tricky sometimes.
How about those moms trying to find original snack ideas or interesting ways to cook vegetables? Those teachers coming up with exciting lesson plans? Students looking for a new twist on an old essay topic? Accountants finding a creative way to avoid taxes (just kidding)?

The point is, we could all use a bit more creative energy. So I want to urge you not to wait until your mind is clouded with mundane problems, but to get your creative juices flowing first thing in the morning.

Before you go to bed, take a minute to think of a problem that might arise tomorrow morning and that will require you to come up with a creative solution. If you can't think of anything, you could also try to think of a movie you just saw and how it ended. 

The next day, when you wake up and go to brush your teeth, before starting your everyday tasks, just have a look at the problem and try to think of any old idea you can come up with. It doesn't have to make sense. Part of being creative is thinking of solutions that are stupid, crazy and worthless, so that you can get to the good stuff eventually. 

Take advantage of this morning time when your mind is setting its pace for the rest of the day. Starting off creatively could affect you throughout the day and leave you more open to new perspectives.

Do you sometimes struggle with creativity? What do you do to get around it? I'm dying to know!

Shiny Shoes Make All the Difference

Picture by Jay Springett

I have a friend who once told me that whenever she meets someone for the first time, she always looks at their shoes first. This is not some weird kind of shoe obsession. She says that she can tell whether the person is neat, organized and productive, from looking at how well they attend to their shoes.

Since then, I try to throw a quick glance at my feet before I leave the house, and keep some wipes nearby in case I need to clean them real quick. But really looking after your shoes doesn't have to take that long either. Especially with leather, frequency is more important than how careful you are about polishing your shoes.

Cleaning your shoes is a matter of minutes. First of all, brush them off with a dry brush. Then, if need be, wash with a damp cloth (only lightly, don't get them wet!). After that you can use some polish and rub it into the leather of the shoe. Let it sit for about three minutes to dry, then use a clean brush to get a nice shine.

About once a month should do the trick. Be sure to protect your clothes, furniture, pets, children, etc. Shoe polish is sticky stuff!

In the long run, taking care of leather shoes will make them last MUCH longer! I've had pairs of shoes last me over 5 years, and others waste away in less than 2 (depending on how hard my mom wagged her finger at us). So it's not only a good use of time, but a money saver too!

Do you polish your shoes? Do you notice when others do(n't)?

Five 1-Minute Back to School Organizing Tips

Picture by Christopher Webb

It's September 1st today, and in many countries that means the beginning of a new school year. I used to love these days when I was a student. Obviously, the end of the summer holiday is no feast, but it's a great time to take a new start at being efficient and productive.
If you want to make your year a success, it's important to start off the right way.
Maybe these 5 tips below can nudge you in the right direction.

1. Plan your time.
   Unless this is your first year in school, you'll have some idea of how much time you need to take for homework (doing or correcting), and other assignments. Set aside a specific time every week (or ever day) in which to do this. Write it down now! It's much nicer to get an unexpected afternoon off than to have to cancel a fun activity because you didn't have time to do your homework.
   
2. Organize your notes.
   Do this every single day. When you get home from school, put all your papers in order when you take them out of the bag. This doesn't take more than a minute, but saves you soooo much time at the end of the term when you're trying to get everything ready for the pre-exam cram sessions.
   
3. Keep supplies up to date.
   Nothing quite as annoying as running out of ink for your fountain pen, or staples for your stapler. Buy a double supply and keep it in a designated drawer of your desk. Keep it neat so you can see what you need to fill up on when the time comes.
   
4. Start a study/work log.
   A great way to motivate and track yourself is to start up a log of all the time you spend working/studying. Write down what you're working on each time. You can use a notebook for this, or a diary if you have one that provides ample space.
   Just jot down in short what you did so you can go back later and know how far you've progressed. Also a good way to find out what your high-maintenance areas are in terms of required study time.
   
5. Write down your goals.
   Think of what you want to accomplish this year, this semester, this month, this week. Is there something you need to work on? For me, self-discipline and clutter were big issues (long live this blog, forcing me to figure out ways around my own flaws). But it could also be balancing study and fun, or paying more attention.
   Paste your goal above your desk. Write it in your school diary. Keep it in mind.

I hope you have a wonderful new school year, and can find joy and excitement in figuring out this amazing world one small piece at a time.