5 Reasons I Gave Up Black Friday Shopping

I treat shopping like a sport. I love to sniff out the best deals and values by clipping coupons, collecting discount codes and doing my homework before making a purchase. I’ve battled my way through the crowds on many a Black Friday but this year as many of you gear up to take advantage of shopping’s biggest day…I will not be going to the stores.  I’ve officially retired from Black Friday shopping for several reasons:

1.  It’s Stressful: Fighting crowds, waiting in line, finding a parking spot and possibly not even getting the item I came to get makes me anxious. It’s so much easier to just get some online shopping coupons on sites like retailmenot.com than fighting my way through the shops! There is nothing exciting about putting yourself in a stressful situation. Sure you might save some cash but is it really worth your sanity? I’ve decided it’s not. I’ve done too many stories working in news about people getting trampled while getting the newest Elmo doll. I’m serious! Read more

What is Your Biggest Productivity Killer?

We all fall victim to distractions that kill our productivity.  You know — phone calls or people walking into your office that pull you away from what you were working on.  But what about the time eaters that we do all on our own?  I’ve compiled some of the most frequent time killers using a list maker from List.ly.  Which ones do you spend the most time on?

iPad App Compiles All Kinds of Lists

I found the coolest iPad app the other day.  It’s called Time Populist and it’s an amazing time killer for pop culture lovers…and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

It’s broken up into categories: movies, books, music, TV, games and you can even make your own lists!  It contains a photo view of lists like the “Top Books You Were Forced To Read in School,” or the “Top 10 Terrible TV Moms.”

You could literally spend hours flipping through all the fun lists they’ve compiled. It’s my new guilty pleasure.  I’m always giving you tips on ways to be more productive…this isn’t one of them.  I’ll admit it can be a time suck BUT having a little fun and relaxing should always have a place on your to-do list.  Happy flipping!

I’m Going Back to School With Oprah

Visit to The Oprah Winfrey ShowWhen Oprah went off the air in May 2011 no one was more upset than me. OK, well maybe my best friend Danielle. And OK…maybe lots of other people all over the world too. Danielle, our friend Jessica and I were fortunate enough to be in the audience for one of Oprah’s last shows.

Through the 25 seasons we learned valuable life lessons, makeup tips and met characters we would never have known existed without Oprah to show us. Not being able to check in with her everyday has left a huge void.

But thankfully that void will be filled today. I’m going back to school…and my teacher, once again, is Oprah. Danielle and I have planned a viewing party to watch the first episode of Oprah’s Lifeclass on OWN. We are two of the over one million students who will attend class. There’s still time to join the class by signing up online.

Here’s why you should join us:

1. It’s Oprah! You know people will be talking about this tomorrow — so why not be a part of history?

2. You’ll reconnect with the show you love. She will use portions of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to teach lessons that matter most to her.  If you were a fan of the show — this is a great opportunity to see a bit of insight into each episode. Read more

Website Makes Your Life Easier With Lists

List nerds rejoice! I’ve found a website where you can upload all sorts of lists and share them with others all over the Internet.

I’m all about this site because I share the exact same philosophy. Give me what I need to know in easy, bite-sized blurbs.  They make it easy to share and add to lists.  You can even embed them on blogs and in emails.  And it’s lots of fun to make these lists and get suggestions from other people.

There are lists about just about anything on the site like:

“I Don’t Know How She Does It” List

Ways to Observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month

12 Tips for Packing for a Move

I even made one of my very own! Check it out and please add your own secrets for getting more accomplished at work.