get productive

this week i've been sort of fixated on time management and i wanted to share some things that help me stay focused. i find that these ten tips help me accomplish a lot more than i normally would if i just stuck to my lazy coffee mornings with regis and kelly playing in the background. i'm gonna miss regis.

my top tips for getting things done:

1. make to-do lists. i am loving remember the milk. super user-friendly and syncs with ipad, iphone, etc. you can even tweet yourself to-dos! honestly, what is better than checking things off a list?
2. set a timer and try and see how much you can get done in 30 min, an hour, etc i am amazed by how much i can get done when i'm not distracted.
3. give yourself fun things to do in between so that you feel re-charged. my favorites: yoga, walking, tickling matilda, watching felicity, etc
4. stay away from internet candy: pinterest, facebook, twitter, etc
5. cut out wine (alcohol) during the week. if i have a glass i am calling it a night.
6. make your bed! i feel ten times more organized when my bed is made.
7. put on your clothes right when you get out of bed. if i linger in my cozies, it's a lot slower of a morning (not to say you shouldn't indulge in this once in a while).
8. good jams! when i'm sewing/ crafting if i have fun music i enjoy it more and get more done. quick story: matilda is obsessed with "good jams." matilda: "mama, who is this?" me: "madonna." matilda: "turn madonna up. that's a good jam."
9. turn off notifications and hide your phone. i have to MAKE myself do this, otherwise i'm just checkin' out my instagram stats. lame.
10. wake up 30 minutes earlier. even 15 extra minutes will help your day run a little smoother if you're prepared. you won't be running late and you'll have a moment to be inspired. read something uplifting, watch the sunrise, breathe deeply in meditation.

so spill it. what are your tips for being productive?

image matchbook magazine

time, time, TIME

kinda want this.

i've been thinking a lot about time management lately. ever feel like me, that you don't have any time to yourself and that there's an endless to-do list? perfect. it's my goal to figure out a system that helps me accomplish the things that HAVE to get done, leaving plenty of room for the things i WANT to get done. also, keeping in mind the unexpected things that come up (celebrations, an extra day at work, a sick child, an unplanned act of service, etc).

1. when it comes to meals, planning them can take a little time but with a few extra steps you'll actually save time for the week ahead. oh she glows (a great healthy tasty blog found through my friend katie) has a great series on make ahead lunches. check it. also, whole living did a great piece on time-saving prep in this month's issue. my main trick with meal planning is making a menu (sticking to it) and shopping on sunday for all the necessities. i also find that i spend less money at work on snacks when i pack my lunch the night before - making sure i have a well rounded meal.

2. squeezing in exercise...ok, i admit, this is one area that needs serious help in my life. i want to know how YOU make it a priority: do you schedule it in? use the adage just do it? what works for you? my favorite way to get exercise is to have my family in tow, that way we're spending quality time together while we sweat (i'm a multi-tasker). favorite joint activities: walking trails, walking to the square and back, hiking kennesaw mountain, etc.

3. email, social media, pinterest etc.- these to me are the biggest time suck. seriously, like you don't know that hours can go by while you're pinning away. so to keep myself disciplined i give myself thirty minutes in the morning and at night to "maintain." other helpful things are hootsuite for scheduling tweets and facebook posts. works like a charm. do you use an app to manage your social media?

4. blogging - something that i take full advantage of in blogger is the scheduling setting. scheduling posts ahead of time helps me build a calendar and allows me to blog in bulk and then spread out the posts. have you tried it? this post brought to you by scheduling.

5. balancing friends and family into the mix. this can be tricky, but we make it a priority to spend time with family 3 or more times a month. working downtown allows me to visit with friends after work when matilda's sleeping, so that's helpful. we're still mastering this one...

6. running a house. i've talked about this before. i think the best trick is to do a little every day instead of just letting everything pile up and spending a whole day putting the messes from the week away. this is particularly difficult with a toddler. every night i have a basket that i fill with matilda's things. i corral them and then put them away the following morning.

other notes: to-do lists make me feel productive. i really like paper. do you use an app or jot things down? also, know when to say no. this one is a hard one for me. i had to turn down an opportunity to bless others this week. i just literally could not make it happen. also, the importance of making time for solitude. being alone and taking time to breathe makes you a better person. i truly believe this.

*tomorrow - my top tips for getting things done!

january 2011

1. 2. 3. 4.
it's no surprise that getting organized is on the top of the list for many a harried folk come the new year. the graham household is no exception and although i love a pretty calendar, i prefer one that's functional. i really like the idea of using clipboards to host each month's to dos and who doesn't love the use of chalkboard squares? we're planning on constructing some way to keep all of our schedules in tow. with dinner dates, meetings, and classes all coming up it helps to know that they will all be written down in one place.

do you have any favorite calendar sources?

organizing craft supplies

i searched the internet over for organization inspiration and this is what i came up with for my sewing nook (ie corner of my bedroom). i had junk all over the place and now i feel like a calm woman who just wants to stare at the peacefulness that is now my crafting zone. we began with this:



before

this picture is all i could find, but it was basically my sewing table covered in a big ole mess and nothing else. we ended up going to ikea (on a saturday...oh the horror!). sam told me he'll never do that again. we felt like cows being herded amongst plastic furniture and we were surrounded by tons of people, they were testing out beds (gross) and sitting in chairs, and running in to us with their carts. have i painted a lovely picture for you? i would equate the people watching to that of a state fair or a mcdonald's playground or even the airport. to.the.point.



after

oh quiet serenity. i got the turquoise boxes on sale at joanns.



i separated my felt and fabric scraps and also my notions and stamps. look at the labels! one of my greatest joys in life is a good label. i put all of my buttons and thread and floss in to glass jars. i like using ball jars and vintage jars. i think the trick with using an abundance of ikea is to counteract it with vintage, personal belongings, to create an eclectic look. the last thing i want is for my house to look like an ikea showroom. i'm sure you can agree.



we got the wire that i wrote about here for clips of inspiration and to show off sweet notes. the bottom rod showcases my scissor collection.



we also picked up some clear plastic bins for my fabric. so much easier to stack and sort. those will hide out of sight in our chiffarobe.

tada!

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spring cleaning

ok, so it's not quite spring, but i can't help but want to organize and purge. out with the old (er unnecessary), in with the new. it is truly astounding how much we accumulate. i suffer from a nostalgia disorder making it hard to part ways with some things. make me strong.





don't you just love succulents? houseplants keep me sane in the winter. i love bright green pops throughout the house pumping oxygen into our stale living room. ahhhh.



spring! tops! happy!



don't ever buy glass bottles. sure, they're better than bad plastic ones, just don't buy them. they're heavy and they're glass and today one made my baby bleed. i hate them.

do you have any spring rituals? any tried and true organizing techniques?



i really want to get my hands on this.

© copyright homemade grits

office Before and After

I feel like my brain releases the same hormone when I look at creative, organized spaces as men when they look at certain magazines;). My mind kicks in to fantasy overload, imagining the possibilities of my own home and my motor gets goin'!

Check out Paula Prass' office makeover at Design Sponge. Paula is an interior designer and has converted her laundry room in to craft heaven with organized bins, bright floors, and a fun color palette!











source:Design Sponge

© copyright homemade grits

Love of chalkboard paint

Ever since chalkboard paint hit the market I have been a HUGE fan. At work our entire back area is painted in chalkboard paint and it makes me very happy. Lately I've seen a lot of inspiring uses online and here they are:



canisters with chalkboard labels



storage bins



delonge boxes



playful border that you can change on a whim



Love this idea...display the evenings recipes for guests

© copyright homemade grits

Spring cleaning

So, I've decided to do a before and after piece. I've always loved these. I first developed my love of organization from a Berenstain Bears book. I loved the way their rooms looked after they cleaned them. Containers, and labels, and order oh my!


Amazon.com

So, not the same as Berenstain bears, I wasn't quite as awed by my own feeble attempts. Let me say, however that it takes a real woman to be so vulnerable as to divulge her flaws for the internet world to see. Let me also say that I sincerely doubt that my friend Jessie or my neighbor/friend Christy have ever had a closet that looked like this in their life. So, without further ado...before....YIKES







and After....







When you live in a tiny cottage storage is definetly an issue. As you all can see this is a multi tasking linen closet that does not exactly fulfill my Martha Stewart hopes and dreams. Because I can still not do a perfect fold on a fitted sheet (my Mom can by the way) I decided to bundle sets of sheets and then put them in a recycled quilt bag. I also moved some of my gift closet items to the linen closet and organized my sweet husband's tools and household items such as light bulbs, putty, etc. All in all it's a step in the right direction. As we prepare for Matilda I am trying to get as much organizing and spring cleaning done as possible. I am so excited to tackle to nursery!

© copyright homemade grits

update: the closet contains the same amount of things as before.