I’m Way Behind on My Holiday Shopping!

Christmas gifts.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As many of you who follow this blog know — I always start my holiday shopping in August. And I remind everyone to do the same because it just makes us less stressed once the actual holidays come around.

However, I have a confession to make – I have not bought one single gift yet! Not one!

We’re closing in on the week before Thanksgiving and I’m sort of in a panic. I think that the reason this is happening is because I’m a little bit preoccupied with the excitement of my book Listful Thinking coming out in January and I’m putting together my VIP Launch Team (which I’m still accepting applications for until November 24) and I just have let my usual plan for getting stuff done slip through the cracks. 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

3 Solutions for Shipping Headaches

Avoid the -Shipping Headache- (1)I know people don’t want to talk about Christmas in October, but there are only nine weeks left. If you want to send presents in time for Hanukkah and Christmas you realistically only have about seven weeks left to find the perfect gift. (Even less if it’s international!)

If you follow this blog you probably know that I like to prepare for the holidays early to avoid the last-minute rush. I’m actually way behind on my shopping. I’m usually done by now so I need to get back on track myself. While I find that online shopping has made some things easier, it brings it’s own form of problems and headaches – mainly shipping. For many companies, finding auto transport leads is not too much of a problem. However, occasionally, we run into shipping issues that are simply too much for us to take.

Fortunately this year I have found a few shipping sites that can help ease the burden:

Shyp* – If you’ve found the perfect gift for your aunt but don’t want to be bothered going to the post office to ship it — no worries. Shyp will pick up your items, package them and send them anywhere in the world for the lowest cost. It’s currently only available in San Francisco and New York, but they plan to release it in Miami soon too. Read more

What’s a ‘Listicle’ Anyway?

ListiclesThe word listicle, a combination of the words list and article, has officially made it onto OxfordDictionaries.com. It is defined as ‘An article on the Internet presented in the form of a numbered or bullet-pointed list.’ While it may have only recently come into common use, I’ve been writing listicles on this blog for years now. So to celebrate the new dictionary entry I’m making a listicle of my favorite listicles from ListProducer.com!

1. 10 Gluten Free Grains For Everyone – I spoke with Leslie Cerier from ‘The Organic Gourmet’  and she gave me list of grains everyone should try. This is one of my most popular lists, especially as more and more people are going gluten free. Read more

4 Things You Never Knew About Labor Day

labor-dayHappy Labor Day!  When you think of this holiday — what comes to mind?  A three-day weekend? A chance for a brief vacation?  A trip to see family and eat BBQ?  The official end of summer?  I know — me too.  But actually — it’s meant to be a tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of America.

Here are some lesser-known facts about the holiday:

1.  Labor Day was almost on May 1st

Labor Day signifies the end of summer, but it nearly could’ve been the start. In 1884, the American Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions declared that by May 1, 1886, all employers institute an eight-hour workday. However employers didn’t respect this, causing workers to strike, which lead to the Haymarket Riot in Chicago. President Cleveland was worried that the tainted history of the date would lead to more riots, so in 1894 he moved the holiday to the first Monday in September. Read more