Lazy Sunday: Museum Retreat

This Sunday I retreated to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts for a heaping dose of culture and a double shot of inspiration. The new Art of the Americas wing was great, and they had several rotating exhibitions I was excited to see (Japanese woodblock prints and the Art of Tea, to name a couple) which did not disappoint. I find venturing off to museums on my own to be so enjoyable - it can be really nice to take things at your own pace, not worry about whether anyone else is enjoying themselves, and skip the rooms you are simply not interested in.

A few important factors to keep in mind for ANY museum visit:

• Wear comfortable shoes - After about 5 minutes the floors become terribly hard on your feet, and you don't want sore tootsies keeping you from enjoying your day. Opt for some cute sneakers with serious cushioning.

• Bring a notepad - Jot down the names of artists (or scientists, archeological sites, what have you) whose work you want to learn more about. You'll see so much in one museum it's impossible to recall all of the items you wanted to do some more research on, so go prepared with a little notebook.

• Take a pen - Of course you'll need something to write on your notepad with, but I recommend taking a pen for another reason as well... to write on the museum map! The glossy pamphlets they typically provide at museums are hard to write on with a pencil, so take a pen with you to mark on the map as you go. Star the exhibits you absolutely must see, cross out rooms as you go along, make notes of where you found a surprising treasure you want to recommend to a friend, even draw arrows to plan out your attack.

• Rest frequently - Museum going can be exhausting. Most of us aren't used to standing on such hard floors all day in the low lighting, and all the intellectual stimulation can be downright fatiguing if you don't take things at a slow enough pace. Be sure to sit down at regular intervals, and scope out a cozy corner where you can relax between exhibits to jot down your thoughts about what you've seen. You'll be happy to have a record of your trip afterward, and you'll have more stamina to enjoy the rest of the museum.

• Eat - Take healthy snacks with you to power your visit. Trail mix, like raisins and almonds, always packs well and the combination of natural sugar and protein is a great combination for short-term and long-term energy. Many museums offer dining options should your visit span over a meal time, but bringing a sandwich can be a good way to cut the cost of your trip dramatically ($12 salads from a box or a $6 PB&J? Supply and demand, I guess).
  

• Take a layer - You never know how cool or warm it will be in museums, and it tends to vary from one room to the next, so dress in layers. You'll be glad to have a cozy cardigan tucked in your bag in the drafty European portraiture hall, and equally as glad to peel it off when you reach the small contemporary collage room filled with people putting off body heat.
  

6 Ways to Beat the Winter Chill

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It is painfully, perpetually freezing here in New England. In fact, it's a whopping 6 degrees outside as I type (six!). I have never been one for the cold, and the past few weeks of nonstop snow have reaffirmed my dread of wintertime. Since it's going to be cold for months to come, I'm brainstorming up ways to stay warm and sane until we start to thaw out. Here's 6 ways I'll be beating the winter chill...

1. Hot Tea - A steamy mug of tea (or coffee, hot chocolate, chai, insert your favorite boiling brew here) is the perfect way to combat that cold to the bone feeling.

2. Hot Yoga - My local studio offers hot yoga classes where the room is heated to a toasty, but not overwhelming, 95 degrees. Wearing shorts and sweating like mad will make your body forget it's been shivering for days on end.

3. Spicy Feasts - Cooking up some spicy fare is another great way to raise your internal fire. Make it simple by adding some spicy salsa to beans, rice, and sauteed veggies or go all out and whip up a spicy Indian curry or three alarm Thai dish.

4. Drier Power - Nothing beats PJs fresh from the drier. Pop 'em in with a pair of socks for a few minutes on high heat and savor the warmth as you immediately slip them on and make a mad dash for the covers.

5. Light Candles - They may not give off heat like a fireplace, but for those of us without working fireplaces candles can create a similar cozy, warming effect - even if it's more psychological than it is physical. Light a few clusters of candles, maybe some with warming scents like vanilla or cinnamon. All that flattering natural light may even put you in the mood for some other warming activities...

6. Embrace the Cold - Ok, it seems counter intuitive that embracing the cold would be a good way to stay warm, but go ahead, bundle up, and head into the chill. Move, feel the wind on your face, the sensation of the cold air hitting your throat, even that weird feeling you get when you know your boogers have all frozen (oh, I went there). Accept that winter is here, and it's hardly over yet. Then, when you've gotten a full dose of mother nature's wrath, get back inside and repeat methods 1 through 5. Trust me, they'll be all the more effective now that you're properly chilled out.

How to Shop at Marshalls

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How to Shop at Marshalls... or Ross, TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, the Salvation Army, or insert your favorite discount store here. Some people don't have the patience for the overcrowded racks, the inconsistent merchandise, or the unglamorous dressing rooms - but for those of us willing to tough it out for a deal, these stores are the holy grail of good buys. Nevertheless, there should be some ground rules taken into consideration before filling your cart with products boasting 50% off stickers. Yes, it may seem like an unassuming pile of $7 t-shirts and $25 pumps, but before you know it your closet it filled with cheap items you wear only once that have plowed a hole right through your budget. Here's a few tips for using the power of the discount merchant wisely:

• Don't go looking for a specific item - Discount stores can be hit or miss, so don't stress yourself out by looking for a particular wardrobe staple you have in mind. Save yourself the hassle, and go somewhere you know is dedicated to providing that specific item.
  

• Do know what you need - Be clear on what you already own and what you are truly lacking of for the upcoming season. Stick to those areas in the store and you might just find some treasures waiting for you.
  

• Don't buy something that isn't perfect, even if it's 80% off - Even $1.99 is too much to spend on anything that isn't right for you; particularly when it is an item that is not critical to your survival (no, those Steve Maddens are not critical to your survival even at $39... especially when they're a half size too small)

• Do pay attention to quality - Check for signs of pilling, test the seams, look for loose buttons or thread, and make sure the fit flatters you. If it passes with flying colors, and the price is within your budgeted range, then you have a winner.

• Don't let the knick-knacks fool you - Just like every retailer, these stores will bombard you with impulse merchandise at key points around the store (and particularly on the maze of shelves and displays they herd you through to get to the register). Just because they are cheap and strategically placed doesn't mean you actually want them - resist!

• Do have fun - Shopping for clothing should be fun, and hitting up your local discount store can be a great way to stick to your budget while adding a few new pieces to your Spring wardrobe. Proceed wisely, and the discount deities may smile upon you.
  

Budgets: Part II

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In Budgets: Part I we examined why budgets are so important and how they can act as a map, guiding us towards our chosen financial destination. We wrapped up part one with an expense brainstorming exercise to help us gain a clear picture of where our income is going, right now. If you haven't read part one yet, I encourage you to do so (just click here) and to complete the expense brainstorming session for yourself. Today we're going to build off of that list to create and hone a budget specific to each of our individual needs and priorities. Plus, I'm going to share some awesome digital budget resources you won't want to miss!

So you've already identified what you spend now, and where each precious dollar you possess finds a new home - be it a more permanent resting place in your IRA or in the narrow confines of the Forever 21 cash register. So now what? How does this help me, you may wonder, if my current spending habits are what I'm trying to change? We are going to use the expense template you’ve created as the basis for a more ideal monthly budget. The first step is to break down the items in your expense list into one of the following categories:

• Regular Expenses – These are the expenses that you have to pay on a regular basis, like your phone bill and rent, and are consistent in size from one payment to payment to the next (i.e. an arm and a leg this month, a similarly sized arm and leg next month…). Debt payments, should you have them, also belong in this category.

• Priority Expenses – These expenses are the couple items (try for no more than 2) you choose from your remaining list that are really important to you and you couldn’t imagine skimping on. For some of us, this might be Fido’s food fund or the best fresh produce your grocery has to offer. Others may be willing to stick to the culinary staples at home as long as they can spend the weekend out on the town.

• Shrinking Expenses – These expenses include everything that’s left over and is where you’re going to start shaving off the dollars.

Once you’ve identified which category each of your expenses falls into, you can begin to create a budget that reflects your current situation and your personal preferences (while identifying the quickest, easiest places to start making changes). There’s no better way to play with the actual numbers that correspond to each of these expense items than with a computerized budget. By using one of the templates I’ve linked to below, most of which are free excel documents you can download in mere seconds, you can quickly compare your fiscal bottom line should you get your hair cut at Irina the Swedish Scissor-hands’ Salon versus a no appointment necessary stop at Supercuts.

ChristianPF has 10 free excel budgets to download. I especially like the first one, but scan through them all to see what looks most appealing.

Suite 101 also has some resources and tips for using budget templates which you can tailor to your personal needs.

And when in doubt, go straight to the source! Microsoft Office has a personal budget to offer you too.

Go ahead and play with the numbers. Be open to experimenting with different scenarios - see how much you could save if you cut out those trips to the manicurist or if you ditched your gym membership for a morning jog outside, figure out what the impact would be in a year's time if you curbed your grocery budget by $7.50, and calculate out what dropping that soda habit could mean for your nest egg. The idea is to not feel tied down to any finalized budget just yet, but to get a feel for the impact that shrinking expenses can have. Be sure to stop by next time for Budgeting: Part III where we'll discuss solidifying your budget and sticking to it!

Budgets: Part I

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I've written a bit about determining your long and mid-term financial goals (if you haven't read it yet, you can read it here) and I hope you’ve had a chance to reflect on and determine what your own goals are. If you have, you might be thinking - but how do I get there from here? The answer will differ for all of us, and not just because we are each starting at a different financial location and aiming for a unique destination. While most of us probably have a plan for achieving our financial goals along the lines of “spend less save more”, that model can have a distinct look for each of us depending on our situation and our priorities.

There are likely a million and one ways to spend less on the things we need, to discover the joys of cost-free entertainment and experiences, to increase the return on our investments, and to develop a sense of empowerment and a healthy attitude towards money. Those are all topics I’m anxious to write about and explore further, but they will all be ineffective for those without the solid foundation that is a well-formed budget.

A budget is your guide to reaching financial goals; mapping out your weekly, monthly, and annual benchmarks that will keep you on track with your long-term plans. The prospect of sitting down to create a budget may be daunting to some, but the great thing is that once you have crafted your budget you can relax knowing that you have a well defined path to financial success. If you start feeling discouraged about your finances and think, “I can’t do this – I’m in over my head”, you can look to your budget as a reminder that you CAN do it. You have written proof that your goals ARE attainable.

I’ll be diving into the specifics of creating and honing a budget in future posts. Now is the time to brainstorm a list of all the expenses you have in your life, right now. Be objective and honest. You’ll want your budget to be detailed enough that everything you’re currently spending money on is taken into account – even those things that you are looking to cut out of your spending habits like costly trips to the manicurist or daily stops at the 7-Eleven. Understanding where your money is going now is key to developing a budget that will work for you and your priorities. One easy way to do this is to look over a month or two of history on your credit and debit card statements. If you pay for most things with plastic, this will give you a really clear picture of how much you spend on what. If you’re still not sure where your paychecks are going, make a log of everything you purchase over the next couple of weeks.

Below is a list of common budget items that can help you get started or fill in gaps with expenses you may have missed – print it off and jot down next to each item what you currently spend on each. Don't forget to stop by tomorrow when we'll explore how to translate what you learn from this exercise into a budget that is tailored to you. I'll also be sharing some wonderful web-resources that make developing a digital budget a breeze!

Rent or Mortgage Payment

Renters/Home Insurance

Utilities – Electric, Gas, Trash, Water

Cable/Internet Service

Phone Service

Car Payment

Gas

Car Insurance

Car Maintenance

Public Transportation Pass

Debt Payments

Groceries

Prescriptions and Medical Expenses

Personal Care - Salon Visits, Massages, etc.

Eating Out and Drinking

Entertainment – Movies, Dancing, Concerts, Shows, etc.

Classes/Tuition

Gym and Club Memberships

Clothing

Organizational Dues

Donations

Pet-Related Expenses

Travel

Gifts

Blogs Worth Browsing

Photo via MSNBC

Every once in a while I like to spend an hour or two scoping out new blogs to add into my usual rotation of daily reads. Here are a few I discovered this past weekend you just might want to check out yourself...

• Mrs. Lilien Styling House

Beautiful and fun collections of themed photo inspiration. From designer do-dads to neon nail polish to swanky swizzle-sticks, Mrs. Lilien has it all... and she makes it look so good!

Perfect for: Women who'd still like to play dress up
I love Ms. Peaches and Cream
Also good for: Discovering gift ideas for your chic friends
How cool are these glasses?

• A New Dress A Day

Marisa decided to make it an entire year without doing any traditional clothing shopping. She's spending only $365 for 365 days and creating 365 outfits out of thrifted goodies... and they are so cute! You have to see the blog to believe it.

Perfect for: Salvation Army regulars and do-it-yourselfers
Have you ever dyed clothing?
Also good for: Anyone trying to make their mom's old clothes cool again
Perfect example

• Missed Connections

Sophie Blackall paints renditions of the missed connections section of Craigslist (where people write about brief encounters they had with strangers they'd like to meet again). I originally found out about Sophie and the blog Missed Connections on another blog I adore, Cup of Joe.

Perfect for: Believers in the interconnectedness of us all
This one's so sweet
Also good for: Anybody who needs a good laugh at life
LOL

2010

Photo via Pistol Pete

Welcome to 2010! With any luck you are through nursing the post-celebratory hangover and have already written the date incorrectly once or twice. If you didn't have time to reflect on the past year before the ball dropped, not to worry. This weekend is just as good a time to do a quick recap of what made the last year great (or what made you happy to bid it adieu) and dream up what you like to do more of in the months to come.

Here is what I have decided I need more of in 2010...

Writing
Smoothies
Walks
Patience
Spontaneity
Homemade Meals
Scrabble
Swimming
Dark Chocolate :)

And what I need less of...

Checking Email
Television
Comparisons
Clutter
Misunderstandings

New Years

Photo found here

Whether you're feeling prepared or not, 2010 is nearly upon us. And what would New Years be without the guilty murmurings of resolutions... "This year I'm going to learn how to speak Yiddish!" "This year I'm going to lose 75 pounds!" "This year I'm going to be a better brother/father/son/grandparent!" "This year I'm going to finally realize my dream of professional yodeling!"

I used to be kind of down on New Years resolutions. Why should an arbitrary holiday be the turning point for realizing our dreams? Most people don't keep their New Years resolutions, so what's the point? Isn't it better if we all worked towards our goals right now? After all, progress is generally made when we carve out time to work towards our dreams each and every day... one piece at a time... not jumping into them until we're over our heads and then give up.

But lately I have begun to see that many of us require that extra little push to feel like we are ready to begin a new journey, a new challenge. The promise of a new year and a clean slate provides the backdrop for a fresh undertaking. The post-holiday motivation can be the perfect catalyst for developing new habits and taking the first steps towards a goal.

Whether you choose to usher in 2010 with a resolution or simply look forward to your continued growth over the next 365 days, new years is a great time for some honest reflection. If you're still not sure what you hope for the start of the 10s, here are a few tips for kicking off the new year in the right frame of mind.

• Make a list of all the things you hope to be doing in the next year, no matter how ludicrous or optimistic they may seem. See how detailed you can be. Go through the list and circle, star, highlight or bejewel those that are top priorities, and get started on making them a reality.

• Pull out a stack of old magazines and clip out all of the images that appeal to you, arrange them into a collage and post it somewhere you'll be sure to see it everyday. What images spoke to you? What does your visual taste tell you about what you're looking for in your life? Let your collage be your inspiration.

• Grab a calendar and, for each month, vow to do one thing that you really want to do... Write it down and, if you can, set the time and date now - being specific will help you to stick to your plan. For example, maybe you want to go apple picking in September, or spend a night at a bed and breakfast in June. Perhaps you're counting down the days to see the next installment of Harry Potter (midnight showing, anyone?) or would like to host a theme party in March... The idea here is to plan 12 different activities that are fun for you, whatever that may be, and end up with something special to look forward to each month for the entire year.

• Try picking just one theme for the upcoming year. Perhaps this will be your year of independence, of delight in everyday things, or of epicurean adventures. Maybe you'll decide on an affirmation, motto, or mantra to carry with you this year, such as "I am learning everyday" or "I will be open to the opportunities the world presents". Perhaps you can even boil your intentions for the year down to one word, such as embodying simplicity, balance, or honesty.

Winter What-to-dos

Photo via Learning How To Cook

I'm not generally one to get excited for Winter, what with it meaning months of cold feet, soggy mittens, bad hair, icy commutes, and sniffles. However, its presence is undeniable, and since the month of December is already more than half-way through it seems appropriate to celebrate the chilliest season while it's here. Need a little inspiration for getting into the snowy spirit? Give some, or all, of these tips a try.

• Bake a tray of gingerbread people cookies and decorate them to look like people you know or famous folks. Then host a festive party and display said cookies for your guests - use them instead instead of place cards or turn it into a game and see who can guess the cookie's likeness... then enjoy!

• Suit up and enjoy the snow like you did when you were a kid. Grab a friend and make a snow man, build an igloo, make snow angels, have a snowball fight... you get the idea. Once your fingers are frozen and you've got snow in your boots (or perhaps down your pants), change into something comfy and make a heaping mug of hot cocoa.

• Pop some corn and settle in for an evening of holiday films. Mix up some old favorites with something you haven't seen yet. On my list: A Charlie Brow Christmas, The Holiday, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Shop Around the Corner, Love Actually, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Elf, and of course, A Christmas Story!

• When you make it home from a long cold day, pop your pjs and some fluffy socks in the dryer for a few minutes before hoping into them. You'll be warmed-up and relaxed in no time.

• Catch your favorite winter sports on TV, or better yet live! There's the X-Games, competitive ice skating, ski racing, snow mobile racing... Once you're feeling up to the challenge head to your local mountain, rink, track or trail and get in on the action yourself.

Photo via Fun Ski Vacation

• Of course, you don't need to be an adrenaline junkie to enjoy winter sports. Both snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are great ways to take in the changing scenery, no prior experience required. You can make either sport as leisurely or vigorous as you like, so bring your camera to capture the sights or plenty of water to rehydrate while you burn off that fruit cake.

• If you're of the crafty persuasion, get busy hand-making thank you cards. Draw, paint, stamp, glue, weave, bedazzle, however you like; with all the thank yous there are to send out this time of year, you'll be glad to have a stack of personal cards to help deliver a heart-felt "thanks".
  

• It may seem like your culinary choices are limited during this rather dormant growing season, but there are many options for seasonal produce yet. Citrus fruits, and more specifically Clementines, are my favorite whole-foods winter treat. Food and Wine, Real Simple, and Chow all have some great ideas for delicious meals made with Winter produce too.
  

So Grateful For

Photo via Zedo Max

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you enjoyed a special day with friends and family, however you choose to celebrate the start of the holiday season. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner followed by a never-ending game of darts and plenty of laughter. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to remember all of the things we're fortunate to have and grateful for in our lives. This year I'm especially thankful for:

• My wonderful (and growing!) family
• Squash, in every form
  
• Friends, old and new
• Flannel pjs
  
• Employment
  
• Massive bowls of popcorn
• Hairy siblings
• Fresh starts
• Nights the pool is warm
• Raw food potlucks
• Muscles sore from use
• Simplifying
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Foggy fall mornings
• Our fellow creature-kind
  
• Someone special to share it all with

What are you thankful for this year?

Lazy Sunday: List Style

Play List

Mute Math - Electrify
Florence and the Machine - You've Got the Love
Snow Patrol - Just Say Yes
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll

Lunch List

Waffles
Fresh Blackberries
Maple Syrup
Tempeh Strips

To Do List

Groceries
Laundry
This Project
Snuggle
Smile

Mid-Week

Yikes! This week is getting away from me. What have you been up to? I've been...

Photo via Chappaqua Crunch Granola

Making this yummy granola recipe and eating it with bananas and almond milk (my favorite cruelty-free milk) for breakfast, mmmm.

Joining a new gym right next to my office so I can get a workout after work and miss all the rush-hour traffic; win-win, no?

Photo via Twelve

Trying Twelve and being pleasantly surprised by how light yet flavorful it is. You can find this gently carbonated tea and juice infused non-alcoholic beverage at Whole Foods, Wegmans, Food Emporiums and more.

Shopping (well... more like window shopping in the digital sense of the word) at Scandinavian Design Center. One of my favorites? Trond Svendgård's Snowball Lamp.

Lazy Sunday: Possibilities

Photo by Melvin Clark via Melvin Clark Photography

Today was a lazy Sunday filled with daydreaming and pondering of possibilities and making lists of all I plan to accomplish and enjoy- the sort of day that excites you for what's to come and motivates you to make it happen. I hope to spill more details soon... For now, it's time to wind down and fall asleep thinking about all the good things yet to come.

Fall Wardrobe Updates

Just because the mercury’s begun to drop doesn’t mean your account balances need to follow suit. It may be tempting to splurge on a new wardrobe to stay warm (and look cool) through the chilly fall and winter months, but you don’t need to run up your credit cards to fashionably brave the frost. With a little creativity and a few modest purchases, you can transition some of your mid-weight wardrobe staples into fresh, winter-worthy pieces.

A warm, charcoal grey cardigan is a great investment that can top any number of ensembles. Fastened over top of a basic collared shirt for work, worn open but wrapped with a belt over a colorful dress, or tossed on over a t-shirt for running errands, this old school sweater gives you endless options. The charcoal hue is more forgiving on paling skin than black, and the color pairs just as well with virtually everything.

Consider stockings and leggings your partners in crime. These leggy layers are key to staying warm and looking sleek. A previously warm-weather-only dress has a new lease on life when layered over a worthy pair of leggings and cute boots. Slip a pair of stockings on under your pants for the worst winter days to stay extra toasty.

Buy a few scarves to incorporate into you all-day wear. You can find these neck nuzzlers in beautiful colors and patterns to top off your favorite outfits. Wrap one loosely around your neck in lieu of a necklace. If you get a chill you can always wrap it around your shoulders instead or put it over your head for a trek outside

Miniature Pumpkins

Photo from Delish

A couple weeks ago I wrote about ways to celebrate the awesomeness of autumn (check it out here) and I realize now that miniature pumpkins really do belong on the short list. Never mind trying to grow a prize-winning 1,500 pound behemouth of a gourd, mini pumpkins win the cuteness prize every time. But what to do with these petite pumps? Here's a few suggestions. At about $1 a pop, why not try them all?

Photo from Southern Living

Toss a few into your fading window boxes or barren flower beds to liven up the landscape

Bake a teeny, tiny, pumpkin tartelette
*or just eat one
** not necessarily made from your teeny tiny pumpkin

Leave one on your neighbor's doorstep, at your mom's house, for the mail-person...

Make a photo holder by hot gluing a paper clip to the back-side of your mini-pumpkin's stem - slide a photo into the clip and display!

Make a Mini Pumpkin Centerpiece, a la Martha Stewart

Photo from Martha Stewart Living

Priorities, Part 3

Photo via Chris Bell Online

Over the past few days I've written about why prioritizing is an important tool in today's information age and how to take stock of where your personal resources are going. Today I am going to provide some guidance on aligning your priorities with your personal resource allocation. If you are not clear on what I mean by personal resources, check out Priorities, Parts 1 & 2.

Now that you've taken a clear look at where your time, energy, and funds are going and made note of what your priorities seem to be, it's time to sort out what you want your priorities to be and take action.

Carve out a good half hour to sit down and make a list of your priorities, what you want your priorities to be. What is important enough to warrant your precious time, your limited energy, and your hard-earned dollars? Don't censor yourself - jot down everything that comes to mind.

If you're having trouble getting started, imagine yourself the way you've always wanted to be. What do you see? Who do you spend your time with? How are your days spent? Where do you go? What does your living space, wardrobe, and community look like? I find this exercise really helpful for getting my creative juices flowing.

Once you've got a solid list of priorities, read through it a few times and see what really jumps out. Go ahead and start circling, starring, and crossing out as you wish. When you whittle it down a bit, it's time to take a second look at the personal resource log you made. How can you reallocate your resources to make the priorities you chose to focus on a reality? What activities are sucking up your time and energy now and preventing you from living the life you have imagined? Be bold, and if possible, cut them out of your life entirely. Now you can put your newly found resources to much better use - Towards the priorities you've deemed truly worthy of your time, energy, and funds. Towards the priorities that comprise your ideal life.

You might not have the time, energy, or funds to do everything you want, all the time. But by being honest about where your personal resources are going and prioritizing your desires for the future, you can be sure to make the most of your personal resources, and take a big step towards the life you've imagined.

Priorities, Part 2

Photo via Mental Health

Yesterday I wrote about priorities and why prioritizing is such an important tool in today's world of endless opportunities. So how can you make prioritizing work for you? And where do you begin?

For starters, taking time to set our priorities can help us take stock of where our time, energy, and funds - I refer to these as our personal resources - are going, and recognize where they could be better utilized. When we take the time to consciously prioritize our desires and commitments, we are giving ourselves the power to redirect where our life is headed. That's powerful stuff!

An easy way to take stock of what your current priorities are is to make a personal resources log. You can do this by creating a journal, chart, or spreadsheet where you log everything you do over the course of a week. Your log doesn't need to be too detailed, but it should include each activity, how much time you spent on it, whether it was energizing or energy zapping (this will vary for each of us), and the cash result (either inflow or outflow). Here's a couple examples:

Watched TV, 1.5 hours, energy zapping, $0 (you could prorate your cable bill here if you wanted)
Worked, 9 hours, energy zapping, $500 inflow
Dinner with a friend, 1 hour, energizing, ($40)
Played soccer, 2 hours, energizing, ($10) on a new team shirt
Showered, .5 hours, energizing, $0

Photo via Ask Miss A

The purpose of this log is to give you a snapshot of what your personal resource allocation looks like right now. Feel free to alter these categories or add more categories as you wish - maybe noting how you felt after each activity or who else was involved.

Once you have a week's worth of information in your log, it's time to tally up where your time, energy, and funds went. Take a look at which activities took up the most time. Recognize where the most money was spent, and earned. Note which activities zapped your energy and which revved you up. Finally, after looking at only your personal resource allocation, what do your priorities appear to be? Try to answer this question as analytically as you can, without letting your personal bias answer for you. You might realize that watching television or working overtime has become more of a priority than you'd like to admit, and that's important to be honest with ourselves about. Or perhaps you realize that where your personal resources are going is just where you want them, and that's important to see as well.

So what do you do now that you have an accurate picture of your personal resource allocation (and what your actions are telling you about your priorities)? It's time to reassess if your actions match you desires. Stop by next time to find out how.

Fall Fever

Photo via Chinadaily

It's nearly October, and since Autumn seems to become more fleeting with each passing year, it is only right to celebrate this colorful season while we can. How do you like to enjoy the crisp air, the comforting flavors of the marketplace, and the visual display of harvest-time hues? Here are a few suggestions for how to make the most of this special time of the year:

• Make fresh apple juice
• Buy some non-pasteurized apple cider from a local orchard and let it turn into homemade Apple Jack in your fridge. If you're so inclined, warm the cider and add a little butterscotch schnapps... yum!
• Make an apple dessert - pie, crumble, cake, whatever your desire. I'll be trying Ani Phyo's American Apple Pie recipe
  
• Go on a hunt for the most beautiful fallen leaves, string them together with a thin twine or string and decorate your doorway

• Set this leafy wallpaper as your computer background
  
• Swap in the usual baked potato for a baked sweet potato or yam - you'll enjoy a more autumnal flavor and color while benefitting from more fiber and nutrition
• Plan a trip to a corn maze. You can find one in your area here
  
• Go scarf shopping, or better yet, knit your own! (I'm not crafty enough to make my own, but it would be nice)
  

So Grateful For

Photo from The Eclectic Garden

Since it's Thursday (the day Gala over at iCiNG posts Things I Love Thursday) and I'm bursting with good vibes it seems only appropriate to share a few things I'm so grateful for. And when I say bursting, I mean the kind of gratitude that you feel pounding in your chest that makes you want to hug people you'd typically rather slap and jump into a lake to feel completely enveloped by the world. At one point today, without any intention of doing so, I heard a song on Pandora that caused a major dance session in my apartment; air guitar was involved and I will not apologize to any bystanders who may have caught sight of this horribly embarrassing scene through my open windows. 

• Surprise Mail - Nothing beats finding real mail hiding beneath a pile of grocery store fliers and Comcast ads. I think I smiled for an hour straight after reading my surprise delivery.  Thank you, Gram :)

• Random Coffee Dates - I met with a prospective student IMBA program this week and had no expectations, but it turned out we had a ton in common. I love meeting people who totally amaze you and remind you who you are. Seeing pieces of yourself in someone else is such a little lightening bolt of enlightenment. 

• Midterms - Grateful for the tests themselves? Hardly. Grateful that they signify a mere 5 weeks of classes to go? That I am. 

• Acceptance - Even when they don't last, moments of acceptance - of everything that isn't just right or the way I thought - are so liberating. I know things are going to be just the way they need to be when they need to be.

• Weekend Adventures - I am so ready for a good dose of unfamiliar territory and a few uninterrupted hours of airplane introspection, and both will be involved when I head out of town tomorrow. I am so grateful for my boyfriend. He's perfect. Photos and more to come!

Was that an especially heavy list? I am in a major period of transition right now - forget a new chapter, I'm ready to start a whole new book. It's bringing on some definite highs and lows, and lots of anticipation. What are you grateful for today? What's making you burst with bravado and has you air guitaring on the floor? 

So Grateful For...

Since I have been feeling so grateful lately I thought I'd make my own list of gratitude to share. 

• I am so grateful for the health of my family. I realize this tends to be at the top of most people's gratitude lists but it certainly isn't to be overlooked. Recently a close family friend has been experiencing a period of very serious health concerns and it pains me to think what she and her family must be experiencing. With her in mind, I am especially grateful for the health and happiness of my own family. 

• The end of the quarter is finally here! As of 6 pm tomorrow, following the completion of my last final, I will be a mere 9 weeks from graduation. Woohoo! How will I be relaxing before my last quarter of school begins?

• After finals I'll be off to New Hampshire for a week with my parents and my hairy siblings - that's a photo of my sister Edie above. I loving call my parent's adopted racing greyhounds coma therapy dogs as they make you perfectly content to sit on the couch for hours on end without moving a muscle... well maybe just your forearms for a pet every now and then.

• Fantastic fruits and veggies are in season and so delicious. Since I have been working to incorporate as much whole produce and scrumptious raw foods into my diet as I can, it's perfect timing. Speaking of raw foods, I'm so happy to have discovered...

• Kristen's Raw Blog. For those not familiar with the raw foods lifestyle, it's all about eating loads of uncooked, unprocessed, luscious vegan fare in the form nature intended it. Raw foods are the best way to get major nutrition into each bite and feel fantastic while doing it. Kristen's website is a great source for more info about raw foods and she herself is a tremendous example of how to thrive with a high raw lifestyle (and look fabulous!).

• And last but not least for this list is my love affair with cycling. For a while I had gotten out of the biking thing in favor of time at the gym, but these days there's nothing that gives me a more fulfilling workout than speeding around the park on two wheels. Being out in the spring air, the whole panorama illuminated with an early evening glow, it is so enlivening. 

So what made it on to your gratitude list? Now is the perfect time to try leaving a comment to share your thoughts - just click the "comments" link that appears below this article and leave your input.