Check Off Your List With Gifts That Give Back

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One of the great pleasures of my job is working with Chris Kilham, Medicine Hunter. Chris is an alternative medicine expert who travels all over the world and has changed the way I think about medicine. In the three years that we’ve been working together on video segments I’ve also become friends with his fabulously savvy wife Zoe Helene. Like Chris she loves the outdoors and has a real respect for our environment. I thought she’d be the perfect person to help us find gifts that will give back this year.

Gifts That Give Back

by Zoe Helene

When Paula suggested I come up with a list of Gifts That Give Back, I knew the challenge would be to keep that list short. After collecting pages and pages of great stuff, I decided to keep this one focused on high quality traditional Christmas gifts that are also earth-friendly.

In the natural products industry we call that category ‘premium sustainable’. You might have heard it called ‘Luxury Eco,’ which is basically the thing. In a nutshell, these are high-end products that have produced in ways that are healthy for all parties along the chain of trade; and not just people, but planet, plants and critters too. Now that’s what I call true Christmas spirit. Read more

Checklist to Break A Boring Routine

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Ever feel like your days are becoming carbon copies of each other? You get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, get to bed and then do it all over again. So boring! I know — it happens to me too sometimes. But I’ve made a checklist to make sure I don’t fall into the land of monotony:

1. Break your Routine: Try something different, anything! Take an alternate way to work, eat something new for lunch, read a newspaper you would never ordinarily pickup or visit a unique website. We are creatures of habit — but if you change just one thing in your day you will feel refreshed. Read more

Give Your To-Do List to Someone Else

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Each month I feature a fellow list producer who has used lists to succeed. This month Leah Busque, CEO of TaskRabbit.com is my featured list producer. The first time I heard about her company — I fell in love! It’s an amazing tool for getting your to-do list done!

Basically you sign in and name a task that you need accomplished — then a “task rabbit” will help you out for a fee! It’s like a personal assistant, guru and friend all in one! A while back we exchanged guest blogs and Leah wrote about why it’s important to outsource your to-do list so you can get more done. She’s absolutely right — giving up a few tasks to someone who can do them better will make your life so much easier!

1. Why do you call yourself a compulsive list maker?

Is there really any other way of being? I need to stay uber organized and prioritize the millions of things I have going on each day as founder and CEO of TaskRabbit (a mobile and web marketplace for getting things done). Read more

My List-Making Secrets in Whole Living Magazine

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Does your to-do list work against you and stress you out? Do you have post-it notes all over the house?  Or endless to-do lists that never seem to get crossed out?  I have a solution for you! Go to the bookstore or newsstand and pick up the December 2011 edition of Whole Living Magazine!  I’m really excited to announce that some of my list-making secrets are published in this Martha Stewart magazine!

Lists are not difficult to make but if you go about it wrong — they end up being counterproductive. The act of listing is simple but it’s how you do it that matters. The important thing is knowing how to make an effective list that will set you up for success.

I worked with senior editor Terri Trespicio since July hatching this idea for the time of year when most people’s lives are ruled by lists…the holidays! I’m grateful to Terri for her advice, collaboration and master editing skills. Check out her brand new blog: Best Decision All Day for some simple ways to get the very best out of life.

Please buy the December issue and let me know what you think — my piece is on page 109!  Thrilled to share my compulsive list making tips with all of you!

Trimming Your Holiday Gift List

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We’re back from our refreshing vacation — the weather was warm, the cocktails were cool and we had a great time.  It was just what we needed to relax and recharge. While we laid by the pool though, holiday music was piping throughout the resort! It was very strange to be basking in the 85 degree sunshine and hearing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer playing in the background.

But it just reminds me that everyone will soon join me in their holiday shopping efforts.  If you remember — I started my shopping in August.  I do it every year and sometimes I’m even done by the time Thanksgiving rolls around.  I’m halfway through with the buying and mostly done with the brainstorming now.  Now that I know what my plan of attack will be — it will be easy to get all the shopping done.

One reason I start my shopping early is to stretch out the spending throughout the year so we don’t get one huge credit card bill in December or January. But what do you do if you want to scale back on your holiday gift list but don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings?  I was recently quoted in this BankRate.com article, “How to Trim Your Holiday Gift List With Class.”  Check out some of my tips about list making, of course, and some other secrets too.