5 Apps to Make Cleaning Easier

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Cleanly App (Photo Credit: darnellthenewsman.com)

Cleanly App (Photo Credit: darnellthenewsman.com)

I’ve always had a love/ hate relationship with cleaning. Being tidy and organized helps increase your productivity and makes you feel less stressed—but the process of cleaning is never fun! As a kid my mom even nicknamed me “the mess maker.” Even though I would make a big mess – I would always clean it up!

Especially when you have a lot on your plate, it’s easy to push cleaning off to the bottom of your “to-do” list.

Not wanting to clean isn’t something new either. It’s always been a burden on everyone from someone living by themselves, a stay-at-home mom or business owner.

Here are a few of my favorite cleaning apps:

1. Cleanly: If you’re in New York, and have ever dragged your laundry down the street…this app is for you. It allows New Yorkers to schedule laundry pick up and delivery at their own convenience! Cleanly users can schedule a time for pickup, including directions on how to wash their clothes, and a “Cleanly Valet” will come pick up the clothes and drop them off at a local laundry mat or dry cleaner! Fresh, clean clothes are then delivered within 24 hours.

2. Handybook: Users can book a company certified maid, plumber or handyman on their mobile phone by filling out an online application in less than two minutes! You fill out what type of cleaning you want done, how many rooms need to be cleaned and choose from a list of available time slots. In just minutes, an e-mail confirmation will provide you with a housekeeper’s name and phone number.

3. HomeRoutines: No list is complete without a cleaning “to-do” list! This app lets you create thorough to-do lists and then rotate tasks by day or week, so you can develop a routine that makes keeping your house clean a habit. The app splits your home into five zones and gives you a task for each area, reminding you about tasks that often get overlooked, but need to be done!

4. BrightNest: Take your lists to the next level. This app helps you build a customized list of projects based on your personal living conditions. The app asks you questions, such as whether or not you have kids or pets, the appliances you use and what your goals are. Weekly projects are then illustrated with an estimate of how much time they will take. It even lists surprising tips to help you get the job done and gives you home maintenance advice based on your region’s climate.

5. Chorma: If you’re living with multiple people that leave their space messy, this app can help. Chorma lets you create lists of repeating chores and then assigns them to housemembers, who can check-in with their progress. To encourage people to get their stuff done, the app allows you to create redeemable individual or group rewards!

Make a list of five areas that you think need to be cleaned and then download one of these apps that will help you!

8 Wines to Try This Summer

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Paula Rizzo Drinking WineSummer has always been my favorite season. First because my birthday is in the summer and I think everyone becomes attached to “their season.” But also I love cooking outdoors and enjoying great summer wines!  You know how I feel about Pinot Grigio but there are many others to choose from.

So get your spatula in one hand and your wine glass in the other and let the grilling begin! Here’s a list of great wines that I’ll be trying this summer for under $20:

  1. Enza Sparkling Rosé: Straight from Italy, this sparkling wine has a refreshing strawberry and green apple flavor. $15

2.    337 Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine offers deep and bold flavors of  grapes from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. $14

3.    Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato: Enjoy the moderately sweet watermelon, peach and ginger ale aromas with fizzy fruit flavors. $10

4.    Petite Sirah: If you prefer red wine, definitely break this out at your next barbecue! This wine tastes both smooth and silky and it’s easy to drink! $12

5.    Mt. Beautiful North Canterbury Pinot Noir: Another red wine selection that offers a taste of cranberry, black cherry and spice. $18

6.    Adega do Monte Branco Alento Branco: This white wine is perfect for sipping on the patio—it’s pure, refreshing blend tastes like ripe pineapple and zesty lime. $14

7.   Penfolds Club Tawny: A personal favorite of mine! This wine has just the right mellowness and consistency to leave your mouth watering. $14

8.    Marco Negri Moscato D’Asti: This sweet, bubbly wine is perfect to pair with any dessert to end your summer barbecue. $18

What wine will you be drinking this summer?

Stop What You’re Doing Right Now

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Take a break from your work! (Photo Credit: sitbetter.com)

Take a break from your work! (Photo Credit: sitbetter.com)

Ever have one of those days where you look up and already it’s 2pm and you haven’t eaten lunch? I hate that. I know how busy a workday can get. There’s a lot to do in a certain amount of time, so things become stressful and hectic.

I often see people running around from meeting to meeting or sacrificing their lunch break, but a college study found that sometimes a break is the very thing you need. No matter how behind schedule you are, breaks are necessary to help us regain focus and energy to make us more productive.

Next time you suffer from writers block or become so frustrated with a task, take a breather to give your brain time to rest and reenergize– then dive back into the task. You’ll notice a difference. Here’s a list of ideal ways to spend your break time to recharge:

1. Go to the dog park nearby: Getting some fresh air is important– and what better way to spend it than with dogs? Going outside helps improve your productivity and focus… and dogs are a bonus to the trick! It’s good to get fresh air when you can as it can be that bit of relief that you need before getting back to your work.

2. Go for a tea run: Not only will your co-workers love this, but it’ll give your brain just enough time to relax and reenergize. You’ll get the caffeine you need– and who knows, maybe next time your co-workers will do the same for you!

3. Drink a green juice: Green juices are proven to improve focus and energy levels. By taking a few minutes to prepare this snack, you’ll boost your productivity, as well as your health! (It’s my new favorite thing!)

4. Find inspiration on Pinterest: Rather than scroll through your Twitter and Instagram feeds, switch things up by searching for career inspiration on Pinterest. Whether it’s resumes you love or awesome companies you want to work for, this will allow you to return back to your work fully motivated.

5. Send a thank you: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again– gratitude is key! Even if someone helped you out in the simplest way, write them a quick note to let them know you appreciate it. It’ll help make your day and theirs!

6. Make a phone call: Step outside and call up a friend or relative. A short chat to see how their day is going will help boost your energy and mood before returning to your work. You may even schedule plans, which will encourage you to finish up your work as soon as possible!

What are you going to do on your next break?

Read Faster with the Blinkist App

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Blinkist app (Photo Credit: allmyfaves.com)

Blinkist app (Photo Credit: www.allmyfaves.com)

There are so many books on my reading list, that are sadly still waiting to be read. I’ve been reading a lot of non-fiction lately like “How to Make Every Man Want You” by Marie Forleo and “Less Doing, More Living: Make Everything in Life Easier” by Ari Meisel. But between work and my day to day schedule, it’s hard to find the time to sit down and enjoy a book in it’s entirety.

However, I recently discovered a new solution to my problem– the app Blinkist!

Blinkist works the same way as sites like Cliff Notes by providing a quick and short synopsis of a book—this time on your iPhone or iPad! The app takes the full text of a non-fiction book and turns it into quick snippets of information. Rather than scrolling through pages and pages of text, Blinkist gives you the most important information from a text in just fifteen minutes! Here are some of the perks Blinkist has to offer:

1.     The books are put into categories, helping you to find what book you’re searching for easily. There’s even a productivity and self-help category! Read more

5 Time Wasters to Get Under Control

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(Photo Credit: www.fitlike51.com)

(Photo Credit: www.fitlike51.com)

I go to a lot of conferences and meetings and when I ask people “how have you been?” they often say “busy.”  I get it – we are all busy but some people are addicted to this idea and this mentality.  They say busy as a place holder and it becomes their story.  But when you really think about it — all that busy time could probably be a lot more productive if you canceled out the time wasters.  While those extra commitments can help fill up your time, it doesn’t always mean that you’re using your time wisely. Most people waste time each day without even realizing that they’re doing it!

Here’s a list of time wasters that tend to sneak up on us:

1.     E-mail: While e-mail can be a quick and easy way to communicate, there are times when a phone call can get the job done quicker. I love e-mail, but sometimes it can be a pain waiting around for someone to respond—and sometimes people forget and never do! When needed, it can be more effective to pick up the phone or meet in person to get a question answered faster.

2.     Multi-tasking: It’s great to be eager and take on as much as possible, but there comes a point when enough is enough. When you take on too many projects at once, it often results in nothing getting done. By prioritizing your tasks (with a to-do list!) you’ll be able to focus and plan out what task to do when to make sure it gets accomplished. Plus, I don’t believe in multi-tasking, it’s impossible.

3.     Meetings: Nothing is more frustrating than unproductive meetings! There are so many times when meetings lose focus and nothing gets accomplished. It’s important to make sure there is an agenda that is being followed at all times. If you’re going to be using any kind of technology in the meeting, be sure to set that up ahead of time so people aren’t waiting around. Plus, write down a few key points that you hope to get across so when it’s you’re time to speak you can be succinct and efficient.

4.     Using your computer mouse: Who knew that something as simple as reaching for the mouse can waste your time! By using keyboard shortcuts, tech experts say you can save two seconds per minute. While it may not seem like a lot—believe me, it can add up! When the clock never stops ticking, even the smallest things make a difference.

5.     Social Media: Probably what we’re all most guilty of– wasting time on the Internet. Quickly checking your notifications on Facebook or Twitter can lead to hours of wasted time—even when we don’t mean for it! It’s natural to click from one thing to the next and end up with no progress on your work at the end of the day. If you find yourself guilty of this, there’s an app called SelfControl that lets you block specific websites for up to 24 hours.

What’s your biggest time waster?