Productivity Archives - Page 27 of 36

Tips for a More Productive Tomorrow

Summer is unofficially over and now it’s back to school for some and back to work for the rest! Although we have all grown more than a little comfortable with the summer schedule of lazy days, long weekends, vacations, bbq’s and social engagements, one after another, it’s time to get ourselves back in gear! So, how do we transition from the slow pace of summer to the faster rhythmic grind of daily life in the fall? Well, I will tell you how we are not going to do it! We will not be drastically changing our sleep schedules to wake up even earlier and go to bed even later to shove more into our days. We won’t be working excessive overtime, or packing in the appointments, meetings, and too many tasks into our calendars. No, we need a more reasonable, sane way to go about increasing our productivity for a more efficient tomorrow, without sacrificing too much of today!

1. Lay out your clothes, pack your bag and plan your breakfast, lunch, and dinner the night before! One way to have a more productive morning may be setting the alarm clock earlier and actually waking up with enough time to do it all, but a better way around that without sacrificing pillow time is to just take care of some of your morning routine the night before. That way you wake up with a plan, and everything nicely laid out and prepared. So, prep your breakfast, pack your lunch and set up your crock pot and dinner ingredients before bedtime, so that in the morning you can breeze through your tasks with a productive pep in your step!

2. Do a brain dump before bed of all the to-dos and excess items clogging up your head, then ID your top 3 priorities for the next day. You’re never going to be able to sleep right with all that information active in your mind, so write it all down with a pen and paper so you don’t spend half the night awake worrying that you’re going to forget an important task or detail for the next day. Once you have everything out of your head, take another moment to think about tomorrow and which 3 tasks or items are your priorities for the next day. Make sure to write those down, underline and highlight them for reference tomorrow!

3. Pick up your pace in the A.M. So, you got a pretty good night’s rest and you know you have everything laid out and set up to make your morning much, much easier! But that doesn’t mean you get to sleep in an extra 15 minutes, or get to mozy around the house at a leisurely pace! Get up on time and hit the ground running! All those short cuts you gave yourself yesterday were to help you stay organized and productive today, so feel the energy and put your pedal to the metal! You will be twice as fast, and twice as productive if you make a conscious effort to hustle in the morning.

4. Look at your to-do list and tackle the scariest item first! Remember that brain dump list from last night? Now is the time to pull it out and get to work. But don’t start with some whimpy little to-do, instead go for the challenge bright and early. Whatever item on your list is the biggest, most daunting item, that is what you need to start with. Why? Because once its over and done with, everything else is going to feel like a piece of cake and you will breeze through the rest of those tasks like a champ!

5. Batch your work and to-dos on a list, tackling like items together and refer back to your list for your priorities instead of deferring and taking on new items as they come in. You have a lot of work today and chances are, much of that work was a spill over from yesterday or items you already knew about. Make a full to-do list and keep like items together so that you can do them all at once and save yourself time. Have a bunch of calls to make? Dial them one at after another. Have a pile of faxes to send? Take care of all of them at once to cut down on visits to and from the fax machine. And be sure not to start picking up new tasks and completing those ahead of tasks already on your to-do list! Unless something urgent comes up that needs your attention immediately, you can put new tasks as the bottom of the pile or slot them in a batch with other like items, but don’t prioritize them before items that have been outstanding for a longer period of time!

So, those five tips should have you kicking butt and taking names in no time! Remember, being productive isn’t about working more, its about working more efficiently! There are simple things you can do the night before and throughout your day to cut down on the amount of time you spend on your work, making your 8 hour work day as productive as a 10 hour one! It’s all about maximizing your time by strategizing your effort. So, what other tips and tricks do you use to stay productive and efficient? I would love to hear all about your time saving techniques, so feel free to send me a tweet and we can discuss!

DIY Solutions

DIY Beauty Elixir {Facial Toner & Setting Spray!}

Hands down, one of my favorite skin care items is the Caudalie Beauty Elixir! If you’re not familiar, the Beauty Elixir is a facial toner & makeup setting spray made from all naturals ingredients that help to hydrate, moisturize and refresh your skin! Problem is, it will set you back about $50 for a full size bottle, and during the warmer months or during times when my skin is out of control, I can go through that bottle fast! So, I did a bit of research and decided that I would try my hand at creating my own recipe for a DIY facial toner spray that I could make at home for a fraction of the price of Caudalie’s! Here’s what I came up with!

Now, if you would prefer a step by step tutorial, I also made a video showing how I make this elixir so you can watch that in real time! I’ll link it below so you can take a look!

I hope you enjoyed this DIY skin care recipe I cooked up for you guys! I love facial toners and they are easy enough to make at home, but I am always up for hearing your thoughts and recommendations for similar products or alternate ingredients! Send me a tweet and let me know what you thought about this DIY!

Blogging Solutions

{Picture Perfect} The Best DSLR Camera for Bloggers?!?

I have been wanting a DSLR camera for such a long time! I’m honestly so surprised that it actually took me this long to finally bite the bullet and just buy one, but now I have one and life is picture perfect! Okay, camera puns aside, I am very excited about my new purchase and since it is definitely going to be affecting the blog the most, I thought I should introduce you all to my new toy! Here is my new Canon EOS Rebel T5i… TA DA! Feel free to start throwing confetti on your end of the computer screen!

Now, you might be wondering why I chose this camera and what compelled me to finally make such a large photography purchase. Perhaps you are also a blogger and have been looking for a nice DSLR to help you make the most of your photos as well. That’s pretty much why I decided now was the time to buy. You see, I have been making do with my Canon point and shoot camera for the last few years, and of course my iPhone’s camera as well. Now, however, I feel like with blogging being my full-time career, that I really needed to take my quality up a notch. Once I knew it was time for a DSLR, I knew I would purchase a Canon because I have always owned Canon’s. After looking at the budget I wanted to work within and scouring reviews for different cameras, the T5i seemed to be the best fit for me. Although it is technically a 2013 model, as far as consumer grade DSLRs go, this one is top of the line and checked all the boxes for my needs as a blogger.

Do I think every blogger needs a DSLR camera to take good photos? Heaven’s no! I have said it before and I will say it again, I think it is important for bloggers to make do with that they have and what is in their budget. If a DSLR isn’t in the cards for you, I firmly believe that a decent point and shoot or even your iPhone’s camera can be used to take awesome images for your blog. You may need to do a little more work making sure things like lighting and composition are on point in order to capture the best image possible, but I still know its possible. Heck, I have been doing it for years and I am always complemented on my photos!

So, for me, I am looking forward to using a DSLR, taking what I have learned about styling photographs and images for blog posts and marrying the two together to create some wonderful images for this site! If you would like more details on all the items and accessories I purchased with this camera, like the lens and a very cute camera bag, feel free to take a look at the YouTube video linked below! I did film a haul for all the items I purchased and if you are a blogger looking for the best lens for your DSLR, I talk about the one I purchased and why (Hint, I didn’t bother with a kit lens)! Also, make sure to check out my blog post on Photography Basics to help you take the best photos for your blog, no matter which camera you are using!

I hope you enjoyed this post and this video! Let me know if you use a DSLR, which one you use and which lens you prefer to shoot with. Also if you have any resources that you recommend for beginner DSLR users or any awesome, can’t live without accessories for a DSLR, please let me know in the comments below or feel free to send me a tweet about it!

Career lifestyle My Productivity Playlist

My Productivity Playlist #1

So, I thought it would be fun if I spiced things up here on the blog and let you guys in on a little more of my personal life, including the music I like to listen to throughout the day. Consider this Whistle While You Work 2.0! Without further ado, here is my first installment of My Productivity Playlist series, five of my favorite songs from various genres that makeup the soundtrack to my work day!

I hope you have enjoyed this first installment of my new feature! Let me know in the comments if you would like me to continue with this series and make sure to send me a tweet letting me know what you like to listen to while you are working!

Filofax lifestyle organization Solutions

How to Back Up Your Paper Planner

I have to admit, one of the major benefits of using a digital planning system is that, for the most part, they are easy to back up. Using a calendar or to do app on my iPhone means I can sync with the cloud, have my information on not only my phone but also on my iPads and my laptops as well. If I accidentally delete something in one place, I always have a backup somewhere else. It’s convenient and secure, two very important things that paper planners lack. It’s a critical flaw of Filofax’s and other physical planners, but one that can’t be avoided. It’s paper after all. Paper burns, rips, decomposes if touched by water, and a paper planner can be lost entirely. Even if I lost my iPhone, I wouldn’t have to worry much about my information. Lists would be retrievable, information can be restored and my phone could be instantly whipped of all information if I was concerned about sensitive information getting out (because you know, being an international blogging sensation, I have lots of sensitive and top-secret post information that people are dying to get their hands on… LOL, please note the sarcasm!) Jokes aside, though, you know what I mean! Even though paper planners have their fatal flaws, however, there are some things we old-fashioned analog planner users can do to keep our information backed up, in case any terrible tragedy should strike our organizational companions!

The simplest and easiest way to back up a paper planner or Filofax is through the use of photos on our smartphones. It may be an extra step to take when we make important notes in our planners, but if something were to happen to our planners we would at least have some form of backup for our information. And with the superior quality of smartphone cameras these days, you can capture all the details on a planner page or spread with great clarity in case you need to refer back to it later. Since i use an iPhone, I like to use the app DocScan to back up any important lists or notes in my planner. DocScan is great because it uses the camera on your iPhone to “scan” documents, physical pictures and notes, allowing you to then save the information in a multitude of different formats. Its like having a portable scanner with you at all times! Another popular application, Evernote, does much the same. Evernote is a great note taking application, but it’s also great for storing and saving information via pictures taken on your smartphone! Evernote allows you to synch your notes through the cloud and access them from a variety of different devices, even through the web directly!

So, if you’re concerned about backing up your paper planner or Filofax, give this method a shot! Start getting into the habit of taking a quick pic of your planner pages as you fill them up or make new notes. If you ever, heaven’s forbid, loose your planner or an important page goes missing, at least you have some sort of backup stored away for digital reference.

Filofax organization

How to Start a Filofax!

Ever since I became involved with the Filofax community, I have been asked tons of questions about how to start with a Filofax or similar ring bound planner system! It’s such a complicated question, mostly because the experience of using a Filofax is so highly personalized, which is exactly why I like to use a Filofax over any other sort of planner system. You can set up a Filofax in an uncountable number of ways, whatever suits your needs. I will say, however, that there is a basic process that everyone can use to start themselves off with a new planner, and if you’re thinking about getting a Filofax and want a general idea of how to start personalizing your own experience, this should help!

1. Pick out a planner that suits you: Filofax has a number of planners in a variety of styles and sizes to suit a variety of needs. If you’re not sure where to start off, I would suggest a personal sized planner because it’s the most portable, but if you know you need tons of space to write and don’t have a problem with carrying around a larger planner, go with A5. Once you know what size planner you want, it’s up to you which style and color you choose, whether it be leather or cloth, a bright color or a neutral. That part is entirely up to you and your style!

2. Pick a calendar/diary refill: A new Filofax will come with a calendar/diary insert (different styles come with different layouts, so be sure to check which comes with yours) but if you want a specific layout you may need to buy it separately. There are all sorts of monthly calendars, weekly and even daily layouts available and if you would like the chance to try out one without committing to buying a refill pack, you can always check out the free printable diary refills from Philofaxy! Generally speaking, may people use a combination of a month on two pages calendar with a week on two pages in order to get a monthly view and a weekly view of their schedule, but if you have lots of to-do items that you need to schedule, you may require a day per page or a day in two pages layout! Make sure to check all available options to understand what’s available and how you could make use of each type.

3. Purchase refill scrap paper or to do lists: Like I said, Filofax planners come with a variety of paper already depending on the type of planner you buy, however, I love to find additional pads of paper to use as scrap paper in my planner since refills from Filofax are usually pretty expensive. Once you know the paper dimensions of the planner you are going to use, you can easily find notepads that are compatible with your planner. These may require you to do a little hole punching on your own, but I find the effort is always worth it because you save yourself money and open yourself up to a variety of different paper for your planner. I love scouring the Target dollar bins for paper pads, as they often have ones closely compatible with a personal sized Filofax that I can punch and use in my own planner!

4. Get yourself a nice pen: Technically, you don’t need any sort of fancy pen to use in a Filofax, however, many planner enthusiast prefer to use erasable ink pens in their planners in case they need to remove scheduled events or to do items. The Frixion Pen is a very popular option and comes in a variety of ink colors and pen sizes! I love the .38mm Frixion Slim Pen shown above!

5. Find yourself some decorative sticky notes and cute stationery accents: I love cute sticky notes, page markers and paper clips in my planner, although you can technically use any old stickies and clips! I find that with the variety of affordable decorative stationery available online and in craft and hobby shops, you can really personalize your planner to the next level with very little effort. Cute stationery extras are a simple way to keep yourself motivated to stay organized with a planner, while also playing a functional role in your planner system!

I hope these tips help you to get started with your first Filofax planner system! The sky is the limit with how you can set up your own planner and all the different additions and personalizations you can put into your planner to make it unique and functional for you. If you need more inspiration for starting your first planner, feel free to check out my Filofax and Planner series on my YouTube Channel where I show you my own planner set ups and hauls filled with different stationery and accents I use in my planners!

Solutions

Apps for Your Summer Vacation

We’re getting into that time of year when most people are headed into their summer vacations. Whether you’re backpacking through a foreign country, discovering a new city in your own, or taking a staycation in your own hometown, these apps will help you travel with ease and may even save you from a sticky situation!

Uber: I think everyone has heard about this awesome ride-share site that’s located in over 100 cities in over 30 counties. So, no matter where you are, you can get a ride in a snap with this handy app. Low on cash? Don’t sweat it! You can pay via the app so you never have to worry about being without a ride when you need it most!

Airbnb: The whole Airbnb scene has been booming for the last couple of years, and although you need to be smart when searching and booking Airbnb reservations, it is a pretty sensible way to find affordable accommodations if you are in a pinch!

Word Lens: If you are traveling abroad, and even if you’re not, you never know when you will need a quick translation tool. I love this handy app because you just hold it up to any sign or text and it quickly translates it for you. Great for information signs and even menus!

Google Maps: If you don’t already have Google Maps installed on your smartphone, you need to remedy that asap! Even the most seasoned traveler gets lost every once in a while and there is no greater mapping software around this!

Urban Spoon: In an unfamiliar city and don’t know where to eat? Rediscovering your own town and want to find something new? Urban Spoon is a quick and easy way to find a wide variety of food around you. Search by cuisine type or location, read reviews and even browse the menu, right from your phone!

Tiny Death Star: The one constant with traveling, no matter where you are headed is the inevitability of delays and traffic! If you find yourself stuck in one place for a significant period of time, you’re going to need a fun, yet stimulating game to pass the time. I love Tiny Death Star because I’m a Star Wars geek, but it’s basically a Lucas Films Themed version of Tiny Tower. A great time waster when you have a lot to spare!

What other apps do you have stocked up on your phone for your summer vacation? I would love for you to share your favorites with me via the comments, twitter or instagram!

Productivity

Desktop Favorites

My Productivity Necessities!

I feel like I have been arranging and rearranging the desk in my office all summer! I filmed a desktop tour video in June, but almost immediately after that went live, I made changes to my set up. When it comes to the way I like to organize my desk, I am far from a minimalist. I love having little gadgets and accessories all around me when I work- it helps keep me productive and filled with inspiration! I do follow a general rule that when it comes to my desk, all the items on it should serve a purpose while also looking like decoration. So, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite desktop necessities that are useful as well as lovely!

Ghost Stand by Twelve South: I recently purchased this Macbook stand in order to give my desk a more ergonomic balance. I love lucite desk accessories because they provide structure without adding to the appearance of clutter. This stand makes my laptop look like its floating on air, which is appropriate since I use a Macbook Air!

Retro Phone Handset: I know these were a fad from a few years back, but since I only use my iPhone for phone calls, I find it way more comfortable to use a handset like this, as opposed to talking on my iPhone for anything longer than a quick chat. It just plugs right into the headphone jack of my phone and the audio quality is great, so it comes in handy to have on my desk!

Kate Spade Paperclips: I have a thing for paperclips. I know its odd, but I try not to staple papers together unless I know they need to be permanent bound. These are such a cute departure from the standard paperclip, and relatively inexpensive, so I think they are a desktop must have! Plus they are infinitely cuter than the standard paperclip when dropped all over your desk!

#GIRLBOSS: You probably already know that I love this book. I love it so much, in fact, that I purchased it in hard copy just to keep it lying around on my desk! Its major motivation whenever I look at it, and I think it adds to the overall positive mojo going on with my desk!

Acrylic Drawer Organizer: I keep one of these on my desk filled with lovely stationery supplies! I like how I can see everything inside the organizer so I know what I have and it inspires me to make use of my abundant collection of paper goods and accessories!

Anthropologie Monogram Mug: Confession, I don’t use this for beverages! I use this adorable “A” mug to hold my favorite writing instruments! Pens, pencils, markers, even my chevron scissor! It’s a cute yet personal addition to my desk that serves a noble purpose!

Macaron Sticky Notes: What is there not to love about these adorable macaron sticky notes? I love leaving myself notes on these little guys because my eyes are always drawn to them whenever hey are sticking around (haha, pun much?).

Kate Spade Bluetooth Speaker: This little speaker cube packs some a major audible punch! Since I love listening to books on tape (currently, Game of Thrones, Book 1) while I work, its great to have this little portable speaker on my desk because I can take it with me all over my house while I’m working, eating lunch, relaxing, whatever!

So, what are you’re desktop favorites? Let me know with a comment below or feel free to tweet me or tag me in an instagram pic of your desk! I would love to see your set up!

lifestyle organization Quirky Uses Solutions

5 Quirky Uses for a Filofax

5 Quirky Uses is a new periodic feature for Strange & Charmed. For each post, I will select an everyday item and suggest five alternate uses or ways to upcycle the item in a fun or unusual way. Keep up with these posts with the Quirky Uses category!

True story, everyone! For some reason or another (all completely legitimate in my mind) I own four Filofax style planners. Two are actually Filofax brand name, one is my lovely Kikki K Time Planner (discontinued) and one is my personal sized Kate Spade! Now, the thing is, although I bought each planner with some grand idea of how I was going to use it in a slightly different way, I have recently woken up to the idea that these planners need to be repurposed or sold. Since, I like many other Filofax enthusiasts own more than one planner and refuse to sell any of them (are you kidding me, they are each beautiful and unique!) I have opted for repurposing the extra three I never use. So, I came up with a list of very useful ways to use a Filofax style planner, so we can all justify our obsessions and have them all!

1. A Home Binder: This would be perfect for any extra A5’s lying around because you can store documents folded in half and punched! A home binder is a place where you can keep all the important information for your home and items in it. Warranty information, insurance paperwork, schedules for regular maintenance and even home decor information (like the color paints and types of flooring used in case of repair). Anything that refers to your home (owned or rented) can be stored away inside in case it needs to be referenced.

2. A Dedicated Blog or Business Binder: If you run a side business or a blog from home, having an extra binder around that stores all your important information and schedules is a great way to repurpose a Filofax. Yes, some of your business information may also be important in your day-to-day planner, but having a dedicated place for business information, projects you are working on and specific business contacts means that you don’t have to cram it all in your daily carry and I think giving your blog or business its own binder that you leave at home and only take with you when needed is a great way to actually help you “switch gears” throughout the day.

3. A Gratitude or Happiness Binder: I am a major proponent of the importance of gratitude journaling and I think that it’s an awesome idea to repurpose a beautiful planner or Filofax into a place where you can store and write about all the things that make you happy and thankful in your life. In a way it could be like an inspiration board but instead of posting things on a single surface you have pages and inserts to decorate and theme out for each element of your life that makes you happy and grateful. You can keep gratitude lists, lists of your favorite things like books, movies, people and places. You can include pictures, sketches, or collages; the possibilities are endless, and at the end of the day it can be your happy place to help you lift your spirit and find joy in your life!

4. A Personalized Devotional: No matter what your religion or spiritual status, many people like to find peace and solice in a daily devotional. You can use a Filofax style planner to create your own with your favorite verses, prayers and inspirational stories and create your own schedule for private study. There are so many people out there who are trying on a daily basis to create a closer bond with their religious or spiritual side and creating a personal devotional is a wonderful activity that would give you time to both create and reflect on the subject.

5. A Health & Wellness Binder: If you are struggling with a health issue, trying to lose weight, or just want to keep a closer eye on your health in general, having a dedicated binder for your Health & Wellness may be a great way for you to track your day-to-day condition, the foods you’re eating and even your mood. I think a Filofax would be a wonderful place to store information like healthy recipes, exercise routines and important information about your physical and mental health so that you have all that information with you when you visit your physician. I think even expectant mothers would find this sort of binder useful as they track and almost journal their experience of pregnancy into motherhood that can then be something of a keepsake for them and their family.

I hope you have enjoyed these tips and if you currently use a Filofax for any of these purposes, please let us know in the comments below and be sure to leave your tips on getting started or elements that would be helpful for others to include if they were to start one of these binders for themselves! As always, if you have any additional uses for a Filofax, please leave those below so we get even more inspiration from the community!

Blogging Solutions

How to Connect with Me in Social Media

Hey Guys! Today’s post is something of a housekeeping update for you all! As you may have noticed if you follow me on multiple social media platforms, I have made quite a few changes over the past few weeks and I wanted to address these changes with you! If you enjoy reading my blog or want to follow more of my work and my life outside of the blog, I hope you find this post informative!

Social Media

Although I have been on Twitter & Instagram for a while now, I just recently set up a Facebook Group for this blog which you can access here. Please head on over to that page and give it a like if you enjoy reading my blog, but especially if you want to follow more of my work online because my Facebook page is going to be something of a hub for all my content!

As you may have noticed in my blog post last week, I am also active on the new Blogger based social media app, Pippit, and you can find me there on my usual handle, MissTrenchcoat!

YouTube

I have been on YouTube since 2009 and I am still going strong! Recently, I made a major adjustment to my YouTube posting schedule and I am now uploading videos daily, Monday thru Friday! I have a general schedule that I am trying to stick to more or less according to the day of the week and that is as follows:

Monday: Planner or Filofax Related Topics
Tuesday: Tip of the Week in Under 2 Minutes
Wednesday: Lifestyle Topics
Thursday: Organization Topics
Friday: Tech Topics

If you are not already subscribed to my YouTube Channel, please head over and subscribe so you can catch up on my recent videos and stay up to date with the plethora of new content I am posting daily!

Empire Building Coaching Program

If you follow my YouTube Channel or my Instagram Account, you may already know that I have officially launched a new coaching program for members of my community who are looking for guidance building their own business online. The program is called Empire Building, and it was designed by me using all the knowledge I have acquired over the past few years building my own online business from a simple blog and rarely updated YouTube channel to an online community of over 30,000 followers and another 50,000 individual users who visit my site on a monthly basis! So, if you would like to work directly with me on your blog or online business, sign up today or send me an email!