Eliminate Small Annoyances to Boost Productivity

1_525527379346252552737934a0We all experience them, those little everyday things that get in our way.

But you deal with them even when they set you back. I do it too.

I’m sent tons of magazines and books at work and they are good resources for story ideas. However they take up so much space.

I keep them on my desk because I always plan on looking at them. But in the end they just get in my way and slow me down and create clutter.

They topple over onto my keyboard.

They spill onto my notes and pencil and often I can’t find what I’m looking for — but there they are…under that stack of magazines.

So why don’t I just move them! Right? We’ll it’s a lot easier said than done. These types of irritants are only slightly annoying so we let them slide. Read more

An Organized Closet Organizes Your Mind

pantry I’ve already revealed the challenges that I had buying my first apartment and moving into it in New York City. However – one of the highlights was being able to organize the space from scratch so it works efficiently for me and my hubby Jay. He shares my affinity for everything having a place. Of course, looking for an apartment in New York City is a lot more straightforward than it is now and we didn’t really have coliving spaces similar to Urbanests to call back on.

When we were searching for an apartment we would get so excited when we found one that had really organized closets. So we vowed that when we got a place of our own we would do the same.

So one of the really great improvements we made during the renovation of our apartment was to go totally wild in The Container Store.

If you don’t know about this store — you must. It’s a staple for anyone who loves organizational stuff or simply needs a little bit of help keeping things together. They have a line of closet shelving called “elfa” and we used it throughout our home in every single closet.

Here are my highlights: Read more

Not another Secret Santa! Unique Ideas to Spruce up Your Office Gift Giving

christmasI’ve been at my job for over seven years and have had mostly the same people on my team. As a result we developed a routine for how we dealt with Christmas in the office. However, recently we’ve hired a few new people and it’s quickly becoming clear that the Christmas status quo will have to be changed.

Now I don’t want to get to ‘Bah Humbug’ here, but sometimes I feel like office Christmas celebrations at the office can be a bit of a chore.

Here are some unique ideas: Read more

Checklist for Bringing the Suburbs to the City

Dalas skyline and suburbs

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I grew up in the suburbs so moving to the city was a bit of a culture shock for me. It’s always a bit of worry when you’re moving to a completely different town or city. You have no idea what to expect.

Grow your own vegetables – My dad has a garden that is his pride and joy in the summer time. He grows tomatoes, kale, basil, peppers, zucchini and lots of other veggies. So going outside to grab an eggplant or a squash was super easy growing up. But now in the city it’s a bit more challenging to grow a garden.

Host a garden party on your fire escape – Okay, so it won’t be your typical garden party with gazebos and fancy hats – but it is possible to bring a relaxed, outdoor vibe to a fire escape or roof deck near you.

Sign up for a farm share – To get that home grown feel in the city, why not join a CSA. Farm shares work with family farms to deliver organic and naturally-grown produce from a small local farm directly to your door. The shares allow you to become a “member” of the farm for a season. It’s great because as the harvest changes you get to discover plenty of new tastes and foods.

Watch an outdoor movie – You can’t get much more suburban the laying in the grass, stargazing and watching a movie with friends. Now you can experience this in the city too. Bryant Park runs a summer film festival every year showing all of your favorite classics.

How do you bring the suburbs into your life?

Declutter Your Closet in Time for Summer

DeclutterThe sun is coming out and so are the shorts and sandals! It’s time to check out trendy online boutiques to start creating your wardrobe for the summer!
The start of summer means packing away your coats, hats and gloves for hopefully the next few months, but it’s also a good time to clear out your closet. De-cluttering can often be a painfully time consuming task. Some people like to get it over with in one afternoon (with good music to motivate them) while others prefer to split it up into phases. You know one day doing pants, the next day doing shirts. You’ve got to find what works best for you. I’ve got so many old clothes I need to get rid of since I’ve bought a load of new clothes from this site. It’s time for a new style!

As you go through every item in your closet consider the following:

  • Have I worn it in the past year?
  • Do I love it?
  • Is it uncomfortable? Does it itch/scratch?
  • Does it project the image I want to present?

Read more