How Do You Do It All?

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I’m a big Sarah Jessica Parker fan — since the days of Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and that City.” Her latest film, “I Don’t Know How She Does It” tells the story of a working mother who aspires to do it all!

I don’t even have kids yet and I know exactly how her character feels!  Trying to keep it all together at work and at home can leave you overwhelmed and frustrated. But as Sarah Jessica’s character has found — making a to-do list (even if they are in your head) will help you to prioritize and get more done. It will also help to keep you focused and save you time and money.

When you’re running on empty try to remember:

1. It’s OK to not be perfect all the time (this coming from a perfectionist!)

2. Give yourself a break! You are juggling your life, your family’s lives and all your responsibilities at work. Take some time out for yourself to recharge and do whatever you want to do. Even if that means watching the Golden Girls and eating popcorn!

3. Ask for help.  No one will think less of you if you reach out for a little assistance. Two heads are better than one — most of the time.

4. Just say no. Of course you want to help with the bake sale and take the lead on a project at work — but if you can’t do it all, then don’t. It’s OK to say that you can’t pile one more thing onto your plate right now. If that means taking a hiatus from your book club — then so be it!

What’s your secret for juggling your work, family life, hobbies and social lives?

9 Ways to Make Someone Fall in Love With You

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I’ve been out of the dating game for quite a while — but you never forget how to be polite, cute and flirty. Those are traits that you can use your whole life — dating or not. As we near the weekend and eligible bachelors and bachelorettes will be on the lookout for “the one.” Here’s a checklist from Nicholas Boothman, author of “How to Make Someone Fall in Love with You in 90 Minutes of Less.”

Checklist for Successful Dating

by Nicholas Boothman

1. A Fabulous First Impression

We’ve all heard the phrase “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” and it’s true. Regardless of whether you meet someone for a casual date through sites like LeoList or you meet someone in a club, first impressions are key! Studies by the Harvard School of Health Sciences and several other notable institutions show that we decide within the first two seconds of meeting people whether we like them or not. Since certain behaviors make people feel comfortable and others put them on guard, you actually have some measure of control over how people react to you in those first brief moments. It might also be worth while having a look at the pheromones that work best, as for men especially, your pheromones attract women in different ways. For example if a woman is ovulating, they might be more sensitive than normal. These are all interesting things it is worth baring in mind. Read more

30 Days of List Making

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It’s day two of the “30 Days of Lists” challenge!  Yesterday’s list prompt was “Goals for this Month.”

Here’s what my list looked like:

1. Put a dent in my holiday shopping

2. Get more guest bloggers for Listproducer.com

3. Finish reading “The Lost Symbol”

4. Try 3 new recipes

5. Eat more dark chocolate — it’s a health food!

After members of the group made their lists — we share them via the private blog and Flickr group. That way you get to check out everyone’s lists. Some people are really crafty and make a little art project out of it.  Others Photoshop some really beautiful lists and still others simply write them out on paper.

I’m a traditional list maker — I use my reporter’s notebook and a pencil! But seeing all these lists are really inspiring me to be a little more creative this month.

You can still sign up and participate in the full month of list making fun!  I’m looking forward to making today’s list: “I’m Happiest When…”

 

 

Nutrition Guru Makes Lists

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I love finding successful list nerds just like me! I’ve been working with Frances Largeman-Roth for several years. She’s the Senior Food & Nutrition Editor at Health Magazine, a mom and also a list maker!  She’s expecting another little bundle in a few weeks and she’s shared her Food-Shopping List for a Healthy Pregnancy and let me feature her here as this month’s List Producer.

Q: Why do you call yourself a compulsive list producer?

A: Because if I have a notebook or even a scrap of paper, a list will get made! I find that list-making helps to clear my head so that I can move on with the rest of my day and be productive.

Q: What do you make lists about?

A: You name it—I do 5-year goal lists, errand lists, packing lists, and since I have a move and a baby coming up, lots of lists related to what I need to buy and do. I also do work-related to-do lists since I work in a deadline-driven industry. Read more

To-Do List After Hurricane Irene

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We did it! We got through Hurricane Irene! I hope my checklists for preparation came in handy. Jay didn’t have to work after all (most sporting events were canceled because of Irene) so we got to wait out the storm together! Some trees were down in our Lower East Side neighborhood but nothing major. Our car survived in our garage even though it was in a flood zone. The subway system will be coming back to life slowly Monday morning so getting to work will be a task but hopefully not impossible.

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