Simple Solution for Gift Giving

Today Jay and I are loading up the car and heading upstate for our friend’s wedding. It’s going to be at a gorgeous place called Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. Ok – so it’s not really upstate but if you live in NYC everything north of Westchester is upstate. It’s going to be a gorgeous and relaxing get away and we’ll get to celebrate with some of our dearest friends.

This weekend is also my best friend Danielle’s 30th birthday. So between this wedding and Danielle’s milestone – I have gifts on the brain. You know me – I’ve already had their gifts covered for weeks. Another reason why you should start your holiday shopping immediately – you won’t stress when the time comes! Read more

Get Ready for 30 Days of List Writing

I don’t need an excuse to make a list. I make a list about just about anything. But in September for 30 days straight someone will tell me what lists to make! I’ve joined a challenge called “30 Days of Lists” and I think it will be a lot of fun! It starts on September 1st and you’re still able to pre-register.

Every day for 30 days a list prompt will be sent out and participants can make their list however way they’d like. It can be high-tech or low-tech, simple or complicated, colorful or black and white. Then everyone shares them. The prompts will range from celebrity crushes to bucket lists. By the end of the month you’ll have a snapshot of what’s going on in your life right now.

There will also be contests and tutorials about lots of fun things like photography and crafts. I’m even participating by organizing a tutorial about “How to Make an Effective Pros and Cons List.”

Hope you’ll join me for lots of list making!

Outsource Your To-Do List

I’ve been raving about the movie “Limitless” since Jay and I saw it in the theaters. If you haven’t seen it – you need to! Not only because Bradley Cooper is easy on the eyes but also because it’s a highly-entertaining thriller. It’s also set in New York City and I love movies where I can point out my favorite streets. I guarantee by the end of the movie you’ll want the drug they’re pushing called NZT.

NZT allows you to access 100% of your brain instead of just 20%. It’s like being your best possible self but then times that by 100. Bradley Cooper’s character Eddie learns languages in a fraction of the time and recalls memories and information in a flash. He’s able to write a novel in just days and quickly becomes rich by learning the ins and outs of trading stocks.

Talk about crossing off everything on your to-do list! Wouldn’t it be nice to whiz through all the things you need and want to do? Well you actually can – even without NZT.

It’s called TaskRabbit.com. It’s a new service launching in New York City today where you can pay someone to do the things you’re too busy to do! Isn’t that just perfect for New Yorkers?! You can save time, money and be less stressed. For a small fee you can ask a TaskRabbit to do just about anything like:

  • Put together Ikea furniture (isn’t that the worst task ever!)
  • Pick up groceries
  • Research a trip (my personal favorite – you know how I love research)
  • Stake out a picnic spot in Brooklyn
  • Visit a family member at the hospital Read more

Back to School Organizing Tips

I’ve been posting about “back to school” a lot lately. I really loved school — my husband thinks I’m a total nerd. But I must confess — high school and college were my favorite. I really love learning, reading and discussing. I think that’s why I love journalism so much — you get to research and become and expert on a number of topics daily. And in a week — they don’t matter anymore and you’re on to something else. It’s great for a short attention span.

But I think being organized really helped me to succeed in college. To help out the less organized I made a checklist for back to campus and got a list from my mother-in-law for parents. And now my friend Scott Gamm, who has blogged here before giving great financial advice, has mentioned me in his slideshow on Mainstreet.com. The slideshow is all about how to be more organized when you hit the books. Check it out and let me know what you think.  I’m slide #3 if you have a short attention span.

Start Your Holiday Shopping in August

I’ve officially started my holiday shopping. Yep, I mean the holidays that come in December. Yes, I know its only August and I have four months to go. But I always begin my holiday shopping in August and so should you!

While I was in Lake George on a mini-vacation this past weekend I found the perfect gift for my sister-in-law. I can’t tell you what it is in case she reads this but it’s just her style! She has unique taste and I like to get her gifts that illustrate that. So when I saw it – I had to get it. And I was able to check her off my holiday list. Yay!

Make a List and Check It Twice

Every August I make a list of all the people I need to get Christmas and Hanukkah presents for. When you have a large family and a lot of friends it’s easy to forget someone. This way you don’t even have to think about it. This year I decided to put my list in my Evernote app. It’s an app that you can access on your computer, phone and iPad. You just make a list and it syncs up in all those places so you can see your list wherever you go. It’s great for jotting down ideas and calling up your list when you’re in different stores.

Researching Gifts is Fun

My side of the family celebrates Christmas and Jay’s celebrates Hanukkah. So I make two lists by holiday because they fall on different days this year. I put down ideas for gifts that I’ve heard the person talk about or think they might like. Shopping early and listening to family members needs is a great way to find out what they would like for Christmas.  I do research on the Internet and when I’m in the stores so I have several ideas and can price out different gifts. I’d much rather put some thought into gift giving than make it into a task that I “have to do.” Think about the shops you need to visit before you go on the shopping spree.

This becomes an ongoing task over the next few months. I like to really think about what that person will like to receive and get the most use out of. I also have a bunch of family members with November and December birthdays. I make a list for birthdays too…without one…I’m a stressed out mess.

Benefits of Starting Early

I hate shopping with all the amateurs in November. You know who you are – waiting til the last second…clogging up the mall parking lots. I refuse to do it. It’s much less stressful this way and it makes holiday shopping fun — not a chore.

Plus it helps me manage my money better. If you do all your shopping in November and December your credit card bills will be through the roof. This way you spread out the spending and you’re able to take advantage of deals throughout the year.

Think of all the cash you could save with back to school, Labor Day and Columbus Day sales. Cash in on online shopping deals too. Overstock.com and Amazon.com are two of my favorites for gift giving. They usually have very cheap shipping rates too.

Using this system – I’m usually finished with my holiday shopping and wrapping by Thanksgiving. I use the extra time to really enjoy planning out menus, decorating and spending time with family. Oh yeah – isn’t that what the holidays are all about?

Happy Shopping!