Saving Time | List Producer

Pack These Items When You Travel

March 31, 2013/0 Comments/in Apps, Benefits of List Making, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success, Travel/by Paula Rizzo

Paula & Nicole at the Trevi Fountain in Rome

Traveling can be very stressful no matter how much you plan. People go travelling for a whole host of reasons. Some people are interested in doing something like this Cultural Care Au Pair, whilst others are only interested in being tourists. But there are some tips and tricks that I’ve found to help you out. Recently, Jay and I went to Italy and Paris with our friends Nicole and Peter. They were the ones we went to visit in Paris in July.

Anyway — Nicole is a crazy planner/researcher like me. She makes lists and is super organized. She even wrote a guest post about ways to pack for a two week European vacation in a carry on. It’s brilliant advice. We had a blast planning out every stop on our two-week Italian tour. So we teamed up with this list of travel must haves: Read more

7 Tips for Traveling Abroad

March 27, 2013/0 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Decision Making, Fellow List Producers, Increase Productivity, Learning With a List, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success, Travel/by Paula Rizzo

While traveling abroad there were a few things that made my trip even easier so I’ve decided to share my list with you:

1. Use Airplane Mode: When you board the plane – put your phone on airplane mode and leave it on for your entire trip. This way you will avoid any crazy expensive
data charges. Your phone won’t access any cellular towers this way but you can turn WIFI on if you want to check your email. I found this to be a really easy way to stay connected but also not have to worry about spending a fortune.

2. Pack a Carry-On Only: Between going through customs and waiting for your luggage – getting out of an international airport can take forever, but to make it easier for you, you could check out this carry-on luggage size guide before you jet off! As this way you won’t have to worry about bringing the wrong size luggage on your trip. My advice is to pack everything you need in a carry-on. You will save time and money this way. My friend Nicole has quite a system for this. Click here for her techniques. Read more

Best Food Apps

March 25, 2013/0 Comments/in Apps, Decision Making, Food, Increase Productivity, Saving Money, Saving Time, Shopping, Technology, Tool for Success, Travel, Wine/by Paula Rizzo

Salumi e vino lucchese. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s no secret — I love food! For someone who works in television I don’t actually watch it that often but when I do I’m always watching a cooking show. I love talking about food, eating it and planning out menus.

So when Mindy Kobrin of Meals on Heels asked me to write a guest blog for her food site I was thrilled! I decided to write about some apps that make planning, eating and enjoying much easier. Here’s a look at that blog post: 5 Must-Have Food Apps.

Bonus App

While on vacation in Italy and Paris recently I found another useful app that I didn’t include in my guest post. It’s called Delectable and it’s a wine app that is very smart. You just snap a photo of a wine that you’re enjoying and the app does the rest. The photo is sent to a database that identifies where the wine was produced, what year it was, what type it is, etc. And it even tells you where you can buy the wine. It’s a clever and practical app for wine lovers. It definitely came in handy in Tuscany. More on that trip soon. But I hope you find these apps helpful in the meantime.

A List Can Save Your Life

February 26, 2013/4 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Boost Memory, Decision Making, Fellow List Producers, Health, Increase Productivity, Reduce Stress, Saving Time/by Paula Rizzo

Turns out making a list can do a lot more than just help you remember to pick up milk from the grocery store. When I first started this blog I got a comment on one of my posts from a family friend. She mentioned that having a list actually saved her life. Yep – you heard me right. The act of writing something down reminded her to do something crucial, which prolonged her life. Amazing right!

Checklists and Your Health

The comment was from a woman named Kate — who is a mother of three and a full-time teacher. She’s constantly running here and there between her children, husband, work and personal life. But it was a to-do list that stopped her for a moment and reminded her to make her annual doctor’s appointments.

Because of that list – doctors found a precancerous breast condition. She was able to take precautionary measures to reduce her chances of developing advanced breast cancer later in life. She told me that checking off “make doctor’s appointment” from her to-do list – saved her life. The power of a simple list is amazing — it’s no wonder that doctors use them too. Read more

Start Your Day Fresh, Not Frantic

February 17, 2013/4 Comments/in Benefits of List Making, Boost Memory, Increase Productivity, List Making, Reduce Stress, Saving Money, Saving Time, Tool for Success, Video/by Paula Rizzo

Home Office Toys (Photo credit: cogdogblog)

It happens to everyone from time to time. You walk into your office and your day is completely derailed because of added meetings, ringing phones and creeping deadlines. But there is a way to tame the beast. Check out my latest YouTube video for my number one tip on how to start your day fresh, not frantic. It’s a technique I’ve been using for years as a tv producer and it’s served me well! Hope it works for you — let me know how you do.