Sunday was Daylight Savings Time when we turned the clock forward an hour and even though it made that day shorter, from now on each day will gain an extra hour of sunlight.  That's great and all but what are you going to do with that extra hour.  You may as well celebrate by doing things outdoors.  So I put together some ideas of some productive ways to use that extra hour each day.


#1| Exercise
Get out and take a walk or even a jog around your neighborhood.  Not only will this motivate you to get more active but it's actually a more pleasant experience because you get to see how Spring is evolving in your area.  You will start to see flowers and more critters and even more people outside. 


#2| Wash Your Car
Winter can be really rough on cars with all the salt and road dirt and mud so make sure you wash your car at least once every other week depending on the weather in your area.  Road salt can eat away at paint over time so it's never a good idea to let it sit on your car's paint.  That's why I always encourage people to at least rinse their car from time to time.  And if you don't feel like dealing with the physical aspect of all that, by all means just take it through an automatic car wash.


#3| Read
Reading is good for the brain and what better excuse to read than when it's warmer and sunnier and you can sit outside and enjoy the world around you while getting submersed into a whole new world.  I always read on our screened in porch in the evenings.  I try to stay outside as long as possible especially when I'm reading a really good book!


#4| Prepare Your Yard
This is a great time to tidy your garden beds and flower pots so that they are ready for new seeds and plants in the Spring.  Also a great time to clear any debris like clumps of wet leaves.  I love prepping my yard for Spring and even though pulling weeds isn't fun, it's productive so I feel good after I finish doing it.


#5| Grill
Grilled food tastes so good this time of year and it's a great way to save money by eating at home rather than eating out.  Plus you can grill meats rather than frying them and it's also a great excuse for entertaining. Throw some meat on the grill and ask your friends to bring a side dish.


What are you looking forward to doing with your extra hour of daylight this Spring?

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5 Guaranteed Ways To Be More Productive With Your Time

Have you ever started reading something on the internet and then an hour later you snap out of it and pull yourself back up from the Google hole you went down, only to find yourself wondering how you possibly just lost an hour of your time to the internet?  Well, it happens.  Many of us struggle to meet deadlines, are always running late, and forget things that we were supposed to have done.  The key is time management but you can't manage your time if you don't know how to be productive with it.


Even though I'm a very organized person that thrives off a daily routine, I still find myself getting distracted by something and then I end up scolding myself because I didn't finish the original task I started.  So I wanted to put together 5 guaranteed ways that you can be more productive with your time.  These aren't hard things to do either, it's just that sometimes we don't think of these tips unless someone else is telling us.  So you're welcome!


#1
Use Lists
I have a list for everything.  I have shopping lists, daily to do lists, weekly task lists at work, and even an ongoing Things To Do list.  A list not only helps you put all the things spinning around in your head down on paper but it can allow you to prioritize them.  Some people always feel like they're in a tizzy because they have so many things running through their mind.  "Don't forget to pick up the dry cleaning." "Remember to add sugar to the grocery list." "Ask hubby if he can fix the broken door hinge in the basement." 


Make a list of everything that needs done each week.  These are the recurring things like work assignments, chores, and tasks.  Use a planner or calendar to house these items.  I have a weekly planner on my desk at work.  Each day I come in, I see a list of the regular tasks and assignments I need to complete and on which days they need done.  I also have a weekly calendar for my personal life that I carry around in my handbag. It contains things like reminders to workout, return library books, groom the dogs, etc.

#2
Establish A Routine
This goes hand in hand with making lists.  You can't do all of your weekly tasks in one day so break them apart and assign them a day of the week.  Some people just wing it which is great but if you're like me you won't feel organized that way.  For instance, Fridays are always grocery and errand days, I work out on the same 4 days of the week, and the dogs are groomed every other Thursday.  I also have a routine that goes minute by minute too.  Like I do things at the same time every day.  This keeps me constantly moving forward in a routine and I end up making a better use of my time. 


#3
Put the Phone Down
So before cell phones, computers and TV were huge time suckers.  And when social media came about people were spending too much time chatting.  But now, thanks to our phones, we can have the internet and all social media channels right at our fingertips which means we'll waste a ton of time because one click leads to another.  Have you ever found yourself on someone random's Facebook page exploring through old photos and then you ask yourself how you even got there? Yeah, exactly. So put down the phone.  Lately, I've been keeping my phone in my purse so that when I get home from work I can focus on getting stuff done around the house instead of plopping down on the couch and getting lost for 2 hours.


#4
Set A Time Limit
Time limits are a great way to keep yourself disciplined.  Maybe you want to take a break from life and read a book before you start dinner, so go ahead and do that but make sure you determine a time that you need to stop and move on to the next task.  This is especially useful at work.  I will start working on a big project and I know that it can suck me in and I will get behind on checking my email for other incoming tasks so I sometimes will tell myself that I can work until say 10:30 and then I need to take a break and check emails. This is also great for simple things like watching TV.  Allow yourself to watch only until a certain time and then commit to doing some cleaning around the house.  You still deserve down time just don't let it consume you when there are other things that need done.


#5
Streamline Tasks
Some people just feel like they have too much to do but not enough time to do it.  That's when I tell them to streamline where possible. Are you constantly running late in the morning because you are scrambling to pack your lunch, get dressed, and get your work stuff together? Then do some of it the night before. My lunches are always packed and in the fridge the night before.  I decide on outfits for the week every Sunday night.  And all of my stuff I need to take with me to work the next day is ALWAYS sitting next to my purse. 


What's your biggest struggle when it comes to being productive and time management?

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5 Ways I Save Time Every Day

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone.  #UnrollMeNow #CollectiveBias

A lot of people ask how I'm able to do it all.  I mean literally I am up at 5:30 am and I don't settle down till 9 pm.  When I'm not at my full time job I'm either blogging, cooking, or cleaning.  I used to lose my mind with my life like that but over the years I started doing little things each day to get some of my time back.  

Today, I'll be sharing those tips with you. 

[1] Calendars & To Do Lists
My life revolves around my calendar and my to do list.  Every day on my calendar has whatever is going on that day so I never need to worry about forgetting something. Every day I write in little things I need to do as they come up. If the thought hits me, I write it down.  I even write down my budget every month.  This way, I don't forget important tasks like bringing something to work, paying a bill, etc.   I keep a hard copy calendar and to do list so that I never have to worry about losing my info if my phone or computer crashes.  The best part is...when all my tasks are done for the day I can do WHATEVER I want.  I don't have to worry about cleaning unless it was a scheduled task for that day. I can literally sit back and relax with a glass of wine!

[2] I Use Unroll.Me
Emails can take up a lot of my time and the mail notification on my phone can be a constant interruption. The more I get distracted, the more I lose track of time.  But what's even worse is the amount of junk mail and pointless things that clog up mine and many other people's inboxes on a daily basis. I now use Unroll.Me to do the obnoxious task of managing my emails.  Unroll.Me lets me unsubscribe from emails in just one click and if there are any I want to keep getting I can combine them all into one email.  I highly suggest you sign up for this amazing service; it's super easy! It's so convenient and it really saves me a lot of time when it comes to emails. Instead of having to check a ton of emails first thing in the morning I can actually just sit and enjoy my coffee while I stare out the window.  It couldn't be any easier to use Unroll.Me. They even have an app which launches today!

[3] Own Less Stuff
The less stuff I own, the less stuff I have to clean. And organize. And manage.  And see.  I only buy stuff that I need. I focus more on experiences than on products.When you don't buy things on impulse, and collect things you don't need, you have more space in your home, you can see all the things you like, and you don't have to feel so crowded and cluttered.  Cleaning my house is so easy and simple now.  All of my home maintenance tasks take much less time.


[4] I Say No
I used to say yes to everything.  I would help every person with every favor they asked of me.  I ended up having no time to myself and I always felt rushed.   I have learned to say no.  I don't commit to every event I'm invited to, I put myself and my needs first so that if I really can't help someone I just say no, and I think realistically with time.  If someone wants to do something and it's going to mess up my daily schedule or make me late to work, etc. I just say no.  I have taken back my time and made it mine! 






[5] 9 PM Shutdown
I'm always multitasking throughout the day, on social media, replying to emails, and knocking things off of my To Do List but once 9 pm rolls around I am done for the day.  It's time for me to relax and watch my TV shows.  Allowing myself downtime every day is a great habit and it does a lot for my mental sanity.  I get tired around 10 and go to bed and get 7 hours of sleep usually. I never toss and turn and I don't have issues trying to fall asleep anymore because my electronics are already shut up. There are no distractions. In life, you really have to schedule the things you want. And if you want free time - SCHEDULE IT! 


Where can you better manage your time in your day to day life?  Will you try Unroll.Me to assist? 

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5 Ways to Save Time in the Morning

Many of us wake up and are rushed around from the moment our feet hit the floor to the moment we walk out the door to head to work.  A hectic morning can be very stressful and can set a negative tone for the day so I put together 5 ways to save time in the morning.

1 | Choose Your Outfit the Night Before
I personally plan my outfits a week in advance,


2 | Have a Morning Routine
Establish a routine of things you do every morning. When you do the same thing every day you make a habit of it.  If you get up, read the paper, feed the dog, check emails, THEN get ready for work, you'll continue planning enough time (hopefully) to do all of those things.

3 | Keep Keys, Purses, and Work Bags Near the Door
Keep your keys, purse, and any work bag you may have right near the door that you walk through to leave in the morning so that you can grab everything you need on the way out.  This is also great because you can put a sticky note on your items to remind you of something else, like getting your lunch out of the fridge.

4 | Don't Hit Snooze
Hitting snooze just make you more groggy when you finally get up and it gets you into the habit of procrastinating.   Set your alarm for a time that your feet MUST hit the floor.  If you have to, sit your alarm across the room so that you have to physically get out of bed to get to it.

5 | Pack a Lunch the Night Before
Having a lunch packed and ready in the fridge the night before can really save you meal prep time, trust me!


Which of these tips are you going to use to save some time in your mornings?

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