How to Keep Breakfast Interesting

Photo by Celeste Lidell

Breakfast is a big deal for us. We get up early and are active from the first minute, so we need solid fuel to keep the engine running. But having the same ol' cereal for breakfast can get boring pretty quickly, not to mention unhealthy. That's why I included breakfast in our meal planning schedule, and it's a different breakfast each day of the week.

When you plan what, doesn't really matter. But to keep it simple and save time, you can stick to the same plan for each week. That way you can also alternate between high protein and high fiber breakfast meals.

Our schedule is as follows:

Monday: pancakes
Tuesday: oatmeal
Wednesday: toast & eggs
Thursday: crepes
Friday: cold cereal/muesli
Saturday: French toast
Sunday: yogurt & fruit

When you make crepes & pancakes often, it become a routine and goes much faster than the first time around. I usually put at least half whole wheat flour for each of those.  By the way, making crepes is simpler than making pancakes.

Keep your breakfasts diverse by adding small little extra's to your regular meals. Pancakes become an extra nice treat if you add a fruit, or chocolate chips. I'll have more tips on how to spice up your oatmeal in a future post!

If you're short on time and need some quick options for breakfast: check out my post on 5-minute breakfast options.

Do you eat breakfast? Or skip on it altogether? What's your favorite breakfast food?

My 5 Best Time & Money Saver Tips for Future Parents

Breastfeeding in public: always ready and always free!

Alright, so after 6 months with a baby, I feel that I've learned quite a bit about what helps to save time and worry. These are tips I either heard, or wish I had heard, before having our little girl.

1. Breastfeed!
   If you can, of course. I know a lot of women who've tried and where it didn't work out. But if you're still on the fence and there's no physical or practical impediment you can't work around, go for it! It will save you lots of time and money! And it's pretty much hassle free.
2. Diaper bag ready to go.
   It's been really handy having a diaper bag ready at all times. There's wipes, a few diapers, some burp cloths, a change of clothes and some plastic bags to take dirty clothes home. I just toss in a few of her favorite toys before we leave the house and I'm good to go. No need to worry about forgetting anything.
3. Use a baby carrier.
   It's extremely handy to have your baby with you at all times so you don't have to worry about not hearing him/her cry or whether or not they're still breathing. Baby loves it too, by the way.
4. Shop online.
   Supplies like diapers and wipes I buy online and have delivered to the door instead of going out for them. I buy disposable diapers for going out and use cloth ones at home. I use www.diapers.com.
5. Buy used gear/clothes/etc.
   So much cheaper and you're sure to get stuff that stands the test of time and the test of baby-gums! I actually asked people for used stuff as birth gifts as well and got some incredibly useful and unique items. 

I'll blog about some of these issues again, I'm sure, but for now that's what I want to leave you with. If there's anyone out there who might be interested in this advice, feel free to steer them this way.

If you have advice to offer on the subject, as I'm sure all Mom's out there do, share share share!

Take Time to Set Up

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I love to do a whole range of different activities. I enjoy writing, crafts, reading, playing board games, to only name a few. Each activity comes with its own set of necessary tools, and the tip I want to give today is one that will save you time whatever it is you need to do or enjoy doing.
One of the most important things for me when it comes to a task, is getting a proper start. I don't want to start making dinner only to have to head out for onions 10 minutes later. I don't like to start ironing only to find I forgot to get water. You get the idea.

So how do we avoid this? You make sure to take the time to set up properly. It only takes a couple of minutes (provided you don't have to run out to buy onions), but saves you lots more time and will make you much happier.

When you think of the activity you want to do, try to mentally run through the different steps in your mind. With each step, try to see in your mind what you're using and get that ready. If there are a whole lot of steps, take time to write down a list of what you need now so you can always refer back to it later.

It also helps to keep your materials together. If you enjoy knitting (like I do), don't keep your yarn in one room and needles in the other. Make sure you have it packed together so you can just take out the whole package at a time. 
It can help to keep a bottle of water next to your iron board, keep your cleaning materials together, your pencils and erasers. Organization is key here. 

BUT don't make the mistake of always taking out ALL the materials that are kept in one place. You don't need a meat cleaver to slice tomatoes. You don't need a head set to write an email. 

Getting your stuff ready ahead of time especially matters in activities like cooking, baking or painting, where your hands get too dirty to start rummaging around for stuff once you've gotten yourself all messy.
Are you someone who takes time to set up everything or do you find yourself running back and forth for the first fifteen minutes?
Feel free to comment below!

Final Five Review

Photo by Michael Coghlan

Wow, it's been a while, right? My last post dates from around Christmas, but I don't want you thinking I've been sitting on my bum doing nothing for the last two months. In that time we rounded up our lives in China and flew across the Pacific. Now we're living in Los Angeles, setting up for our lives with a new baby, only to fly to Belgium next week to actually have that baby.

Being focused, driven and productive in a time like that is not easy, but all the more important. There are so many things to get done and the lack of structure means that without concentration some tasks keep falling through the cracks.

So what we did was take the last minutes of each day and go over what we had accomplished and what was still left to do.

The best time to do this is right before going to bed. I suggest taking pen and paper to write down anything you might need to remember. Go over the day by yourself, or with your significant other, and congratulate yourself and each other on what you have accomplished. Even if it was a lazy day and all you did was go out to lunch with the in-laws, acknowledge that this is an important part of life too!

Then go over the tasks that you still have left to do and think of a time to do them. It could be as simple as planning to do them the next day or later. Just keeping them in mind is what helps. 

Doing this and reminding ourselves of our responsibilities ensured that we got a lot done but were still very flexible. More on the importance of flexibility later!

Hire Someone Else - Trade Jobs

Picture by Iain Farrell

There are some tasks which are more suited to some people than to others. I actually know people who enjoy cleaning, and I'm one of the few people I know who doesn't mind ironing. But I'm sure there's plenty of things that you don't really like to do. How about hiring someone else to do them for you?

When I say 'hire' someone, I don't necessarily mean paying someone else to do your chores for you. You could also trade tasks with another member of your household or a neighbor.
Do you know that your neighbor or friend really loves gardening but hates cooking? How about trading responsibilities and asking them to help you out in return for a home-cooked meal?

If you have no one to trade with, and can afford it; consider actually paying someone to do those things for you you don't enjoy.
My mom recently hired a cleaning lady and really loves it. It has helped her free up time for things she enjoys doing. I once worked for a place that does people's laundry for them (I helped with the ironing, naturally.)I have a friend in China who pays a student to help her out with errands, and loves how much trouble it saves her.

Thinking that spending an hours wages on an hours pay is not a good use of your money only makes sense if you don't enjoy your job. If you do, wouldn't you rather trade one hour at a job you enjoy for the hour of chores that you hate?

Do you employ anyone or use a service to help you out with stuff? Do you ever regret the money you spend on it? How about chores in your house?

5 Ways to Keep Bed Rest Interesting

Picture by Ahmad Ridhwan

So my doctor put me on a mild version of bed rest for the time being. I'm choosing to see it as a forced holiday instead of the drag it's usually made out to be, and am planning to make the most of it. How do you do that?

The internet has made it much easier these days to do a whole bunch of things even if you're not allowed to go out or get out of bed except for bathroom trips and showers.
This is how I plan to get through the next two weeks and what I would suggest to other people. These tips can all be applied in 5 minutes or less, but will be worth so much more:

1. Plan your day
   Even if you don't have to do anything, no work, no responsibilities, it will make your time much more enjoyable if you have something planned to do. Think of a rudimentary schedule so you have an idea of what you will do when.
   
2. Start a project
   Having something productive to do can make you feel less helpless and useless. If all you need to do is rest, but you're otherwise in good health, then it's easy to get restless while resting (as contradictory as that may sound). Having a project to work on, such as a craft, writing, or other assignment, can make you feel like you're using your time well.
   
3. Invite friends over
   Being confined to the house will probably mean that you're not interacting with others as much as you're used to. No more casual conversation at the grocery store or at work. To maintain your link with the outside world, invite friends over for a cup of tea and a piece of cake.
   
4. Limit your break-time activities
   Don't be tempted to play a computer game for 5 hours or watch three movies in a row. Then you may feel that instead of relaxing you're just forcing time to go by, and time becomes your enemy instead of your friend. Remember that time, any time we have, is a gift that we'll never get back. Seeing it that way will ensure that you find a great use for it!
   
5. Start learning something new
   How about picking up a craft or learning a new language? Get a 'Dummies' book or a good tape and start studying. Find something you've always wanted to study but never had time for and do it.

The reason I sort of know what to do is that I've had holidays which resemble house arrest. I would stay at home all day and do nothing, and then feel horrible after. So I figured out ways to use that time effectively. Sure, bed rest puts a limit on the kind of activities you can do, but these days there is still so much left.

Have you ever been put on bed rest or house arrest because of a medical condition? How did you pass the time? I'd love to hear more ideas to make the most of my obligatory holiday.

Here's hoping you'll never be put on bed rest, and that if you are, these tips might make it more bearable for you.

Worth Every Minute: Productivity

I know many of you are looking for ways to become more productive. In the past, many of the posts have been about habits to become more productive, and today I want to share somebody else's take on the issue.

The post I want to share today is one about habits that are unproductive that we could let go of. It's interesting to take a look at these common activities and review them in the light of their effectiveness.

Even though the English in this post is not perfect, it's worth reading for the excellent advice it gives. For a long list, it's also pretty concise, so don't worry about having to spend too much time.
Let me know what you think! Or if there's anything else you would add to that list.

17 Unproductive Habits to Let Go by Timo Kiander on LifeOptimizer.org.

Have a little more time and want to see what else is worth reading/watching. Have a look at the other posts in the Worth Every Minute series.

Wherever You Lay Your Hat ... Makes a Difference!

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I don't like clutter. Luckily I have a husband who agrees with me, so we both try to limit the amount of stuff lying around in an unorganized fashion. One of the areas where we made some improvements is when we come into the door.
Especially in Winter, the amount of stuff you take off or put down when you enter the house is quite a lot. In addition to the usual keys and spare change, there's now a scarf, hat, gloves and thick coat. Where you put it all can affect your living space and how you function within it more than you realize.

I recommend to everyone that they keep a designated spot for the items they use every day, especially things that are easily lost and difficult to replace (keys, phone, certain papers).  
But it is of course just as important that you use those designated spots. 
When you enter the house, pay attention to putting everything exactly where it should go. I often put my coat on a chair first to then put it on the coat hanger two minutes later. What a stupid move. Doing that every day is such an inefficient way to go about it. 

So when you put down those gloves, hang up the scarf, put away the keys; try to get it right, right away. Make it a habit that you will keep for the rest of your life, so you'll never have to look for those keys, or tidy up your self-inflicted clutter.

I now understand my mother better than ever. She used to nag us every day about where we dropped our coats and left our shoes when we entered the house. She was right! She always is.

For all the Belgians and Dutch people out there: Vrolijke Sinterklaas!

Tape Your TV-Shows

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I hate commercials! I absolutely detest them. Okay, there are some which are mildly amusing, but only for the first 10 times you see them. After that they just get annoying.
I also really don't like how they take up so much of your time. Ever tried to time how much of a show/movie's time slot is taken up by advertising? Of course, without ads there wouldn't be any television, but let others spend their time watching it and save yours!

To be honest, we don't watch ads at all anymore. We watch TV shows on the Internet, where you can watch lots of them for free on websites like Hulu. Or we rent them on DVD. I don't miss it one bit.

So what's my advice for today? Instead of watching a show the very day it's on television, tape it and watch it the day after (or whenever you feel like it). That way YOU are the one who decides when you spend your time on it, and you can fast-forward through the commercials.
It's also quite likely that you'll watch less TV if you record the shows, because you'll be thinking about what is actually worth watching instead of just popping on the couch and flipping through the channels. Watching TV used to take up quite a big part of my life, and I couldn't believe the change after getting rid of it. 

Want to read more? I wrote previously on turning your TV off and on donating your TV to charity.
Do you watch a lot of TV? Do you stay home to watch your favorite shows or prefer to tape them?

Jumping Back on the Wagon

Picture by Odense Bys Museer

Since last summer, I've been slacking off a bit when it came to productive and life-improving habits. Sure, we were still eating healthy and I'm still finishing all of my class preparations, but that's about it. I haven't really been focusing on the long-term goals and the house-hold and my blogs have suffered too.

This has been bothering me, and maybe some of you too.

My hubby and I have been waiting for paperwork to get out of China and finally see our US family again. This being in-between where we were and where we want to be has left us feeling like we don't really care so much about the present anymore.
But just sitting around waiting is a waste of time. Especially if it just goes on for months without any idea of when it might get better.

Well, I'm done with it. And for those of you who have started hibernating and letting go of some of the great habits you've built up: this is for you too.

Over the months from September 2010 to August 2011, I started some great habits. I built them up slowly, but by June 2011 we were getting up early, getting daily exercise, eating well, blogging daily, and feeling great about all of it. I loved that time, but when I got first trimester morning sickness, it became impossible to keep up with. 

Now I want it back, but it seems like so much to do at once.

So what do you do? Start with one thing. Build up the habits the way you did before. Today I started with one of the first habits that I picked up before, and the easiest one for me: making a daily plan. I take out my diary (which has been gathering dust on the messy desk in the never-used office) and wrote down a rough outline of what I plan to do each hour. I left some space open to fill in later, but that'll slowly get filled up too. 

It worked pretty well. My day was much more productive than they have been this week, and I felt a lot more energetic. 

When we give up on a habit, we often think that's it. We tried it and clearly it didn't work. But it doesn't have to be that way. An ex-smoker who falls off the wagon doesn't have to settle for smoking for the rest of their life. A busy mom who's gained weight doesn't have to forget about exercising forever.
We each have our times when it's difficult to do the things we know are good for us, and make us happy.

When the time is right, however, you will feel the urge to get back into gear and you can feel confident knowing you've already succeeded once before!  

Worth Every Minute

In my limited reading last week, I came across an article on Re-Psych, a blog I read even if I don't have time for many of the others. It was so eye-opening for me, that I want to share it with all of you. Angeliki talks about little moments we often forget about.

I don't want to give too much away and just gently nudge you in the direction of the post. All you have to do is click the link.

Watch out for the spaces in between by Angeliki on Re-Psych

 For more articles and videos worth reading/watching, click here.

5 Tasks that Take More Time than You Think

Instant Noodles (source)

We're notoriously bad at gauging time. If you've been with this blog for a while, maybe you remember the post I wrote about Time: a User's Guide by Stefan Klein. You can read the post here if you haven't yet.

We overestimate and underestimate how long something takes all the time. When we overestimate we end up with extra free time we didn't expect, which is nice, or put something of we could've done, which is not so nice. But when we think a task is much shorter than it really is in reality, we can end up planning too much and stretching ourselves too thin.
To avoid that, have a look at these 5 common activities that may take more time than you think. Next time you do one of them, try to time or pay attention to how long you spend on them to get a more realistic idea.

1. Getting ready, whether it's in the morning, to leave work or to go out, always takes time. My hubby and I often find ourselves rushing out the door because we turned off the computer at 7:15, which is also when we have to leave. Gathering your stuff, putting on coats and shoes and checking you got the keys are all tiny time-consumers not to be forgotten!
   
2. Checking e-mails (or online networks) is an activity that can take anywhere from 3 seconds to 3 hours. It all depends on where you let the e-mails take you. If you're going to click through links and check out stuff online, you're on the dangerous path to losing track. Instead, try to focus on responding to important personal/business e-mails before diving into newsletters and notifications.
   
3. 'Preparing instant food' is a deceiving name for an activity that is usually anything but instant. It takes time to get stuff together and unwrap/put in bowl/heat up/or whatever else you have to do to prepare your meal. I've found very little difference between heating up instant stuff and making a salad in the amount of time it takes me to get the food on the table.
   
4. Shopping without a list is dangerous. Not only will you undoubtedly spend much more than you planned and buy lots of stuff you don't really need, you'll also need more time as you remember things in random order and find yourself running back to the produce section 5 times in one trip. Use a grocery list instead!
   
5. When it comes to dealing with people there are no quick fixes. Whenever you need to discuss something with another person, make sure you have set out enough time to do it. Relationships don't benefit from being rushed, so show your love and respect for those around you by not underestimating the time it takes to communicate with them.

Time is precious and knowing how much time you need to spend on anything can be the difference between feeling frustrated and rushed or feeling calm and in control. Do you find yourself often losing track of time? Or do you notice that the time you've taken out to do some thing just doesn't suffice?

The "Right Time" Will Never Come

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There is no such thing. The 'right time' does not exist. Sure, you may have had those moments where everything just clicked: the work went great, you felt like you were exactly where you were meant to be, everything just happened naturally. But I bet your own mind played into it much more than you realise.

Waiting around for the right time can be a great excuse to procrastinate when you don't feel like starting a task. The typical movie-example is of a character waiting for the right time to tell the truth, which of course always backfires because by that time, that character's already been lying for so long it doesn't really matter anymore.

The idea that a single moment is better than a whole lot of other ones, and that we should instinctively be aware of this one moment, is a useless and paralyzing notion. Waiting around is a waste of time. The only time we ever have is NOW. We don't have yesterday anymore, that time has come and gone. We don't have tomorrow, that time will be ours later (or may not be, you never know) and it can never be ours this very moment. So the only time you ever have to do anything is right now. 
That makes right now the only right time you will ever have.

Are you postponing an important task? An annoying chore? A vital decision? Don't wait around for any other time but now. Make the most of the present moment and use it to the best of your ability. 

And that's my cue to get up and get to that pile of clothes to iron that's been waiting for me to decide the time is right.

Worth Every Minute!

Every Wednesday, here on Minutes Worth Hours, I share something from around the web that I found truly inspiring or informative.
Today I went to share anothe article from SimpleProductivityBlog.com, one of my favorite blogs. This is an article about clutter and collections, that I know will ring true to some people in my life.

Moving from country to country has forced both me and my hubby to give up on the idea of collecting pretty much anything, although we both will have to face collections that we have at home when we return to our countries.

In this post, LJ Earnest talks about taking a good look at the different items in your collections and asking yourself whether 'being part of a collection' is really a good reason to keep anything.

You can read it for yourself!

Get Rid of Clutter by Weeding Out Collections by LJ Earnest on SimpleProductivityBlog.com

Go ahead and check out LJ's blog for more advice on productivity, simplicity and organization.

For more articles and videos worth every minute, check out the other posts in this series.

Mind-map It in 5 Minutes

As a teacher of writing, I'm often confronted with students who are full of good ideas but just can't seem to get them down on paper properly. Usually they just start writing an essay from the top, and the reader has to dive into a stream-of-consciousness-like monologue that ends somewhere totally unexpected. Since college professors and test center examinators usually don't have much time to appreciate students' writing artistically, it's my job to hand some tools to these students for writing more effectively, more goal-oriented and overall much faster.
One of the things I teach them is to start with brainstorming and writing down all their ideas as quickly as possible. The easiest way to do this? Make a mind map.

The first one to ever introduce the concept of mind maps to me was a professor at Ghent University (Professor Martin Valcke, for those who know him). He taught about the science behind instruction, the different techniques, systems, different ways of testing, and so on. 
He also taught us, and showed us, the value of mind maps. 

To make a mind map, start with the most important concept or idea which you put in the middle of your page. Then, by association, link other ideas and concepts to it, and then again do the same for those new ideas. You'll end up with a system of nodes that will show you the relationship -and degree of importance of that relationship- of each concept to the other. The picture at the bottom shows you a very elaborate example of a mind map on time management.

Mind maps are a great, quick way to get your thoughts, ideas, plans or feelings down on paper and to create room in your mind so you can start using it more creatively instead of for storing information. It's a great learning tool as well! 

I'm just getting back into studying about mind maps and how to use my brain more effectively with the help of The Mind Map Book (Amazon link) by Tony (and Barry) Buzan. It's a fascinating read!

Picture by Jean-Louis Zimmerman

5 Ways to Cut Back Facebook Time

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I've betrayed myself. Only months after I wrote this post on how and why to quit facebook, I went back. Now, since this is my blog, I have exclusive justification rights which I plan to exploit to the fullest! You may call me a hypocrite in the comments below, but up here, I'm the only one talking.

All kidding aside, I do have (good) reasons for returning to facebook. One is that I have awful friends who don't know how to keep an email conversation going beyond 3 emails. The other is that I am pretty much the same. Other reasons include all those pictures I didn't get to see of my friends and family: Kids growing up. great places to see, etc. And of course, facebook is a great (read: free) marketing tool for things like, um, this blog?

Still, my reasons for quitting in the first place haven't changed. I'm still worried about spending too much time on there instead of doing stuff that'll matter in the end, so I've thought of some ways to keep myself from spending too much time getting lost on the profiles of friends-of-friends I hardly know.

1. Unsubscribe from e-mail notifications.
   It's much easier to stay away from a website if there's nothing that's drawing you back there. One of the things that gets me on a website (facebook, couchsurfing, blogger) is when I get emails that alert me to some kind of change. I've now unsubscribed from every single notification on the website, and now only log on when I feel like it.
2. Limit the flow of information.
   There is more information floating around on facebook (or the web for that matter) than what we possibly could or would ever want to process. Use those little arrows that let you unsubscribe from the stuff you don't really care about. Lots of facebook contacts are acquaintances of mine. It's nice to know when something important happens, but I really don't need to know what each one had for breakfast.
3. Set a specific time.
   Control yourself by setting a limited time on which you will look around facebook stuff. I suggest doing this for most activities because it will make you more focused and involved with the activity at hand. A limited time means that the time you spend on your activity becomes more valuable. You can use the tool I mentioned in this post to help you.
4. Set priorities.
   If you know what you want to see, who you want to get in touch with, what you want to do; then you'll be able to focus on that one thing and do it quickly and efficiently. Don't just 'go on facebook', do something specific like 'looking at friends' holiday pictures', 'updating your status' or 'sending a birthday message'.
5. Quit the games!
   No further explanation needed, I'm sure. When I quit it was the height of Farmville. I see that has come and gone to make room for other, similar stuff.   

A great way to motivate yourself is to track how much time you spend on facebook for a week, and see which other goals you would be able to accomplish within that time (or part of that time).

Keeping Note Paper Nearby

Picture by Matt Reinbold

One of the things that always bugs me is when I have to write something down, but I can't fine a scrap of paper anywhere to do it. It happens in the house, when I'm on the phone, when I get an idea, or in class when a student talks to me and I need to remember to do something.
Since I get a lot of old notebooks from my students, I've now started keeping them in different parts of the house and in my school bag.

You can buy notepads, or you can make your own from scrap paper you have lying around. We used to staple together the last pages in school notebooks at the end of the year to make a new 'notebook' when we were kids. It's environmental and it saves you money!

Put your notebooks in different places. One for each room of the house works, though there are some rooms you can skip (I usually don't try jotting anything down while in the shower). 
Ideally you'd keep a pen with all the note paper too. 

I've found that taking notes on my phone doesn't really help me, because I can't do it fast enough and because I tend to forget about them once they're in there. Paper still does the trick for me.

What about you? Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to write stuff down but can't find a scrap of paper anywhere? What are your fixes?

Double-Check Your Dates

Picture by Joe Lanman

Just a short message of advice for you today, one that I was reminded of on my trip lately.

We arrived in our hotel, only for the receptionist to tell me that I had booked the wrong date. This being China, I checked the confirmation e-mail I had received, and sure, she was right. I had booked a room for 10 days later.

I still have no idea what happened, but it did teach me a lesson (for the zillionth time) that I'd like to remind you of as well.

We wasted 3 hours calling around and waiting for people to check out at our hostel, before we finally got a room. That's three hours of sightseeing that we missed. And all because I forget to check the dates when I received the confirmation. 

So take your time in checking dates. When traveling, or making plans, keep a calendar with you and make sure that you check both the DAY and the DATE. That way you can also spot if someone else made an error in thinking the 20th was a Saturday instead of a Sunday, for example.

This is literally the work of seconds, and yet is forgotten more often than not. It may not be necessary in most cases, but the one time you're off, it can cost you a lot of time!

Are you someone who usually checks twice? Have you ever booked a hotel for the wrong date? Or worse, a plane ticket?

Re-use Previous Plans

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As a teacher, one of the great advantages of teaching the same class two years in a row is the fact that you get to re-use your old lesson plans. Sure, you have to tweak them a bit, keep it fresh and up to date, but you can stick to the same essentials.
The amount of time you can save is huge! Planning classes last year took me on average about one hour for a 90 minute class, which I could then teach 7 times (luckily). Now, it's a matter of pulling up the old plans and bringing them to class. I still remember how to teach them.

But not only teachers can benefit from re-using old plans.

Think of plans you've made in your daily life. Examples that quickly come to mind are meal plans or travel plans. You've likely made a list at some point of things you need to bring, things to remember, etc.
Instead of throwing out those lists when you're done with them, file them somewhere you can find them easily. Next time a similar situation comes up, there's no need for you to start from scratch again. Just use the old plan, or use it as a basis for your new plan.

I'm sure the annual meeting covers similar topics every year. I'm sure your kids need the same stuff for their first day of school, and that the contents of your overnight bag haven't changed much. Keeping your plans can be a great way to reduce stress and save time.

What kind of plans do you re-use? How about party plans? Have you thrown a similar party twice?
You could share plans with friends too!

Organize your Medicine Cabinet

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My hubby cut his finger the other day and as I was searching our medicine cabinet for a band-aid, I was appalled at the terrible organization in there. It was a big mess with different strips of pills, bottles, creams and ointments just put together without any system to help me through it.

So after taking care of that nasty cut, I turned to the cabinet for some quick re-organizing.

Here's how I organized my supplies:

In one section I put all of the stuff that you could consider 'first-aid'. This includes band-aids, a disinfectant, and ointment for burns. Anything that I could need in case of a likely emergency. 


In another section I put all of our drugs that we use to deal with everyday ailments like headaches, soar throats and upset stomachs. In front went the stuff we use most often, which is a traditional type of Chinese cough drops. They're herbal and taste great. I sometimes take them instead of mints too.

In a third section I put all of the stuff we might take on trips. This is mostly medication that deals with digestive problems, but it also has some pills for nausea and it's where we keep the alcohol gel to sanitize.

So much for a quick organization of the medicine cabinet. As you can tell, we don't take a lot of pills. If you have to take something daily (in my case that's just a prenatal vitamin) then I suggest you don't store it in a medicine cabinet but somewhere in the kitchen or dining room where it's convenient to grab during a meal.
Getting a little pill-box that can help you prepare a week's worth of medication can be a real time saver too!