CrazyBusy Mama! (Dot Calm)

An interesting re-think of time management by guest blogger Cindy Dachuk. Enjoy.

If you are anything like me, then you likely find yourself overloaded with more things to do in a day than can possibly be accomplished. We use technology more to stay on top of things, and to keep in touch with everyone, than to free up our time. We try to cram as much as possible into our workday, to be as productive as possible, in the vain hope that perhaps we won’t have to work late or take work home to catch up.

Is it little wonder then that we are always on the search for the latest tool or tip that helps us manage our time more efficiently? After all, that’s the real issue, isn’t it? Not having enough of that precious commodity - time. Or… is it?

Maybe, instead of continuing to work at managing our time and tasks more effectively, we need to reframe our thinking. The issue with time is that it’s finite. No matter how you do the math, there are only 24 hours in a day. Instead of learning to manage your time more efficiently you have to learn manage the Energy you bring to your tasks.

Much of the early research on energy management comes to us from the world of sports, but it is just as applicable to our day-to-day work lives. Heck… to our lives in general! As a professional athlete, it is essential to understand exactly what it takes to achieve consistent, peak performance. Research has shown that though it is important to hone the technical skills each athlete brings to their respective sport, it is essential that they maximize the Energy output in order to increase performance.

We may not be operating our daily lives at the same physical level as professional athletes, but the machines we’re using to accomplish our work (our bodies) are the same. The challenge for us though, is that we are typically asked to ‘perform’ for 8 hours a day, a minimum of 5 days a week, without the benefit of the knowledge or training that athletes receive.

A key training method of elite athletes is known as Periodization, first introduced by the early Greeks. Periodization is the concept of improving performance through balancing periods of activity with periods of rest. Consider your typical work day though. You likely…

- Wake up to an alarm clock blaring at you

- Race through your morning routine to get out the door as quickly as possible to beat the traffic

- Move from one task to another, one meeting to another, with no pause

- Take lunch at your desk so you can continue to work… you wouldn’t want to ‘waste’ time!

- Race home, work tucked under your arm

- Fix dinner - Spend time with the kids (that all-important ‘quality’ time!)

- Squeeze in a little more work

- Collapse in front of the television to ‘vegetate’

- Drag yourself to bed so you can get up tomorrow to do it all again!

Where was the rest, the renewal, in your day? Oh… right… it’s called vacation and it doesn’t come daily, it comes annually! We live in a world where ‘busyness’ is worn like a badge of honour and where renewal and recovery get ignored. However, our ability to be fully engaged at work, to be optimally productive, depends upon our ability to periodically ‘disengage’ successfully.

Building moments of recovery into your work day will enable you to engage in your tasks more fully and passionately. Research has clearly shown that productivity increases when people build in periods of renewal into their work day. Even though they are ‘breaking’ more, they get more done than those choosing to work ‘flat out’. Some of the most creative thinkers (such as daVinci and Einstein) were strong advocates of breaks, to allow their subconscious minds to work out the problem at hand.

I have clients that will not schedule any meeting exceeding 90 minutes in length, without scheduling a break, recognizing the link of our energy levels to our body’s natural Ultradian Rhythms. And… really… most meetings run needlessly long anyway!

Consider breaking your day into 90-120 minute blocks of time. Rather than fighting these natural body rhythms, defer to them instead. A break needn’t be long in duration for it to provide you with enough of a rest for your energy and focus to improve. Potential ideas for workday renewal breaks?

- take a walk

- read a chapter of a book, or listen to one

- listen to music

- do some light stretches

- prepare and eat a light, healthy snack

- work on a puzzle, crossword, sudoku

You get the idea! Whatever activity would work best for you and relieve you of some of the physical and mental stress you’ve experienced so far. Allow your mind to switch gears, take a break from the task at hand, so that it can be more focused when you return. Odds are that the solution to the problem you were stuck on before the break, is waiting for you upon your return!

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About the Author: As the President of the Titan Training Group, Cindy Dachuk has traveled throughout the United States and Canada delivering workshops and training programs, primarily in: Understanding Style Differences, Personality-Based Persuasion, Executive Presence, Personal Branding, Gender Differences, Personal Presentation Skills. Cindy’s work as a Personal Coach has provided her with the opportunity to work with clients on a one-on-one basis, mentoring them in the development of a personal plant of action. Her book, It’s Time Now, is based on her experiences in helping others identify and achieve their life goals. http://www.titantraining.ca

Article Source: Ezine Articles

By guest blogger Janet Davidson

What is the fish oil and anxiety connection? Well, modern science has shown that Omega 3 fatty acids can provide many benefits for the brain, including helping alleviate feelings of depression and mood disorders. That’s why many specialists recommend it as a treatment option.

In the US many of us lack fish oil in our diets and overlook the fact that for a healthy brain and heart we require a specific amount of Omega 3 fatty acids on a daily basis. The best way to ensure that we get what we need without having to eat large quantities of fish everyday is to take supplements. This also helps given the fact that those fish containing high levels of fatty acids (salmon, herring, swordfish etc) can contain large amounts of contaminants as well as mercury, which is definitely not something we are looking for.

When it comes to fish oil and anxiety, it’s best that you invest in a high quality as well as pure product. Ensure that the supplements that you take are 100% percent natural. The purer the product the better the benefits for your health and mind. Freshness also has to be considered; in this way you are sure that the nutrients are not rancid. Always purchased fish oil from a reliable manufacturer, who can guarantee that their product is effective and contains high concentrations of EPA and DHA, the two most essential Omega 3 fatty acids.

You may be asking…can omega 3 improve my mental health and emotions? Is it possible with a supplement? Science has proven time and time again, especially in the recent past that fish oils are having a major positive effect on our lives. Research has shown that there is vast improvement on our emotional state, a reduction in anxiety, depression and many other neurological illnesses, most notably bipolar disorder.

Anxiety sufferers can benefit from omega 3 and it may make it easier for them to lead a normal life. Moods will be more stable and the daily stresses of life will not seem as terrible. You should talk to your doctor and see if it is a viable option, either alone or in conjunction with other treatments.

Fish oil and anxiety seem to go hand in hand these days. Perhaps a daily dosage of natural, pure and fresh omega 3 supplements could be just what you’re looking for to help fight off that anxiety. See if it’s right for you today.

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Janet Davidson is a health researcher focusing on the benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids for overall wellness as well as treating specific health conditions. She contributes to Great Fish Oil, a site discussing the powerful health benefits of high quality fish oil. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

When I was a kid, one of my favorite snacks was what we called “cinnamon-sugar bread.” It consisted of taking a piece of white bread, spreading it with margarine, then sprinkling it with sugar and cinnamon. I’m not talking about a real light sprinkling of sugar, either: sometimes it was up to a teaspoon of the white stuff that topped the bread.

It was bad enough that the bread was white, but all that sugar…I shudder now to think of it. The poor cinnamon, in spite of all it’s redeeming properties (like balancing your blood sugar levels), was no match against white bread and a teaspoon of table sugar.

Nowadays, I’m more wise about what I put in my body, as I’m sure you are. But even the most health conscious of us consumes a lot more sugar than we realize. Many items we buy are actually made with different types of sugar with names we may not recognize.

See how many of these aliases for sugar you know:



Corn syrup
Dextrose
Evaporated cane juice
Fructose
Galactose
Glucose
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Honey
Lactose
Malt
Maltodextrin
Maltose
Maple syrup
Molasses
Rice Syrup
Sucrose
Treacle
Turbinado sugar

True, some of the above are better for us than others (like honey, molasses, evaporated cane sugar, and turbinado sugar), but it’s still wise to know the different ways sugar is hidden in the foods we buy. If necessary, take a list of all the names sugar is filed under with you to the store — it will make it easier to avoid consuming excess amounts of the white stuff.

That said, let’s turn our attention to sweeteners that are easier not only on your body, but on your conscience, as well:

Turbinado Sugar

Turbinado sugar (a popular brand name is “Sugar in the Raw”) reminds me of the decorative sugar crystals used to embellish sugar cookies at the holidays. But turbinado crystals are slightly bigger than those, are not refined, and are a natural amber color…no food coloring required.

While table sugar has been refined and stripped of any nutritive value whatsoever, turbinado keeps some of the natural molasses (giving it its golden color) and moisture. It also has few calories than regular sugar — 11 per teaspoon compare to 16.

Turbinado is considered healthier than table sugar because it undergoes far less processing. Try it in iced tea, hot cereals, and pretty much any recipe that calls for white sugar. It costs more than white sugar, but the health benefits (like avoiding diabetes) are worth it.

Agave Syrup
The agave plant is a large, spiky succulent native to Southern Mexico. Its spikes strangely resemble those of the aloe vera.

Also called agave nectar, agave syrup is produced in Mexico from several different species of the agave plant (most often, it’s the blue agave that is used). The syrup is made up of fructose and glucose, though it’s glycemic index and glycemic load is lower than that of table sugar.

Darker agave syrups has more of a caramel flavor and color, so it’s most often used in foods that also have a stronger flavor (the color largely depends on the amount of processing it receives, but is also due to how much iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium that it contains). Some people even use it on pancakes in place of store-bought pancake syrup. The lighter, more filtered agave syrup can be used in more delicate recipes.

Stevia

Growing up to six feet tall, stevia is a perennial native to the northern areas of South America, where it’s been used for centuries for its sweetening and medicinal properties. It’s a member of the Asteraceae family, which includes sunflowers and dandelions. The flowers of the stevia plant, however, are white, not yellow like its cousins.

Recently, the powdered form of stevia has been under some scrutiny due to the processes it goes through to get its sweetness from the plant to the box. Powdered stevia is probably fine in small doses, and is, of course, preferred to sucralose (Splenda) and other artificial sweeteners.

A friend of mine recently told me of the ingenious way he sweetens his tea (I’m sure this will work for either hot or iced): He keeps a stevia plant on his counter top, and when he makes his tea, he drops in a leaf. The tea is sweetened naturally by the leaf, which is about 15 times sweeter than table sugar (stevia extract is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar). I can’t wait to grow some stevia of my own this spring and summer and try it in my iced tea. Might have to grow some mint, too.

Want to learn how to make your own stevia syrup? You can at The Herb Garden blog.

©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.

By guest blogger Danny Lewis.

Knowing how to get essential fatty acids into the diet that you have is of vital importance to your health, and the best source of essential fatty acids to do this is omega 3. Unfortunately not enough people are aware of this which leads to omega 3 deficiency being the sixth most common form of preventable death in the US.

There are different types of essential fatty acids to be found in different types of omega 3’s though, and some of them are more beneficial to you than others and this should also be reflected in your diet. For instance flax seed and walnuts contain the fatty acid ALA, whilst oily fish contains DHA and EPA fats. Whilst the ALA fats can still be beneficial for your health, you really want to increase the other two fats in your diet, particularly the DHA fats.

The reason for this is because medical and scientific research has come to a resounding conclusion that DHA fat is essential for your good health in many different areas. For instance it is known to help protect the heart from disease, it is also proven to reduce inflammation which not only reduces the likelihood of joint pain from conditions such as arthritis but also reduces the risks of aneurysms and strokes too. In addition to all of this DHA fat is also known to be essential for a healthy brain because the brain is actually made up from this fat and if there is a lack of it then this can lead to mood swings, mental health problems as well as forgetfulness and lack of concentration.

So, now we know that we need this fat for good health we just eat more oily fish, right? Well not quite. The problem is that for this to be really beneficial to us we will need to consume a portion of this kind of fish on a daily basis, but there are a couple of drawbacks to this. Firstly fish such as salmon are quite expensive and eating it every day would quickly increase your weekly food budget. Secondly these kind of fish are high in their food chain and due to this fact means that they contain a lot of pollutants such as mercury, arsenic and PCB’s which if you consumed daily would bring you adverse health not good health.

The best way how to get essential fatty acids into the diet is to use fish oil supplements, however even here you still need to urge caution. I say this because unfortunately the industry is not heavily regulated and as a result of this it means certain manufacturers produce supplements that still contain the pollutants that we have mentioned. In addition to that some suppliers also use rancid fish which will increase oxidization in your body when you consume their oils, which again is something you do not want to occur.

So, when you go to buy fish oil supplements the first thing you need to check for is that the product has been purified by a process known as molecular distillation and also that the fish used has not been frozen at sea and is still fresh when it reaches the processing plant. And if they can produce proof of this then even better, and whilst you might pay a bit more for these kinds of supplements, they are definitely worth it to your health in the long run.

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Find out more about essential fatty acids and how you can protect your health and increase your longevity by getting Danny’s FREE report. You can get your copy by going to http://best-supplements.info. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danny_Lewis.

Some time back, my husband picked up a box of hot chocolate packets at the store. Nothing unusual there — we almost always have hot chocolate in the house. This box, however, was a sugar-free, 25-calorie variety by Swiss Miss. What made it sugar-free? It was sweetened with sucralose instead of sugar.

I’d gotten in the habit in recent months of relaxing with an almost-daily cup of hot chocolate: it is — as the name implies — chocolatey…it’s creamy, and it’s soothing. But I began to realize that the extra daily dose of around 200 calories (I make it with milk) was probably not doing me a whole lot of good regarding my continued weight-loss/weight-maintenance goals, so I decided to try a 25-calorie packet just for the heck of it.

Well, it tasted like regular hot chocolate to me. I could taste a very slight difference, but it certainly didn’t have that tinny diet flavor. I quickly polished off the box, and my husband bought more. Of course, being made with nonfat milk makes it more like 115 calories instead of 25, but I figured that was still better than 200 or more.

But some things are too good to be true.

First, let me say that in our family we’ve had some heavy-duty situations and experiences that have been causing our stress level to soar, along with anxiety and depression that both my husband and I have been feeling. (Into each life, right?) But when I began feeling additional symptoms of depression over this last week or two that would just whomp me out of nowhere, I wondered if something else could be causing it.

Knowing that what we eat or drink can have a huge impact on how we feel, the first thing I looked at was my diet…and what came to my mind before anything else was the hot chocolate. Even more specifically…the sucralose.

At first, the hot chocolate hadn’t affected me at all because I’d been drinking it at night just before bed. But then I began having it in the afternoon, and that’s when I noticed the mood changes.

So, just what is sucralose, and what’s so bad about it? Maybe more succinctly, is there anything bad about it?

Sucralose (a common name brand you may recognize is Splenda), is a non-nutritive sweetener that is 600 times sweeter than sugar. Because of its extreme sweetness, much less is needed, resulting in a lower calorie count per use. That’s good, but what’s the bad?

Derived chemically from sucrose, a.k.a. table sugar, sucralose was found rather by accident, as the process used to discover it was originally intended to produce a new insecticide, not a new sweetener for your coffee.

An article about sucralose on MedicineNet.com paints the sweetener’s alarming family tree:

According to the book Sweet Deception, sucralose is made when sugar is treated with trityl chloride, acetic anhydride, hydrogen chlorine, thionyl chloride, and methanol in the presence of dimethylformamide, 4-methylmorpholine, toluene, methyl isobutyl ketone, acetic acid, benzyltriethlyammonium chloride, and sodium methoxide, making it unlike anything found in nature. The Splenda Web site even states that “although sucralose has a structure like sugar and a sugar-like taste, it is not natural.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m not so calorie-phobic that I’m going to eat something created with chemicals just to avoid gaining weight. And what about those side effects — like mood swings — that I’d mentioned earlier? Here’s a longer list:

• diarrhea, intestinal cramping, and other gastrointestinal symptoms
• skin irritations, including swelling, rashes, flushing, and hives
• mood changes like depression and feelings of panic
• muscle aches and headaches
• heart palpitations
• runny nose and cough

Additional reading:
Sugar Substitutes and the Potential Danger of Splenda
Sucralose: What is the Positive Side?/What is the Negative Side?
Sucralose Side Effects on Buzzle.com
Sucralose Side Effects on iloveindia.com

Stay tuned…I’ll be introducing you soon to a couple of natural sweeteners that will do the sweetening job just fine.

©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com,
a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by
clicking here.

I have a love/hate relationship with my laptop. It’s old, heavy, and as stodgy as an old man. It takes naps when it wants to, works when it feels like it, and generally just acts like it needs a big helping of prunes.

Today is one of those days, which provides the perfect segue into today’s iPhone app review: the WordPress app.

The cool thing about this app (okay, one of the cool things about it) is that it doesn’t matter if your blog is hosted (you pay for hosting and have your own domain name, in other words) or if you have a free WordPress.com blog (which would be the name you’ve chosen for your blog followed by .wordpress.com).

There are a few other things I really like about this app:

• The app can handle as many WP (WordPress) blogs that you have a username and password for. I currently only have access to four WP blogs (two are mine), so I haven’t been able to test how many it actually holds. If you are able to test that feature, well…you may need to get out more, my friend.

• You can blog “unplugged” — when you’re unable to get to a computer, for example (or would simply rather leave it at home). I can totally see myself blogging this summer while sitting out in the sun. Bring on the iced tea!

• Problems with your computer won’t keep you from blogging, like Harry tries to do to me. (Harry is what I just named my “old man” laptop. What do you think? Does it fit?)

What I don’t like is that when using this app, I don’t have access to pictures and other needed items that are on my laptop. Those can be added later — as long as Harry cooperates, that is. I’m also not sure how to make words bold or italic, or if that’s even possible. (You may notice that I have added in some words in bold and italics; I was able to get on my laptop after writing this post to do a little editing.)

But if you’re in the position of having to write an entire blog post using the iPhone WordPress app (as this one has been), beggars can’t be choosers, right?

All in all, I think I like it…and am even grateful for it, especially today. Saunter on over to iTunes and download it. You never know when you might need it.

It’s yet another free iPhone app I highly recommend.

As a somewhat recent iPhone fanatic (I got mine last October as an early anniversary present), I’ve been having a lot of fun trying various applications (”apps,” for short). My new favorite, which I love and will rave about always, is an app called Balance.

Balance was created by Connor Wakamo and has a rating of 3-1/2 stars — pretty good for a free app. According to the app’s description, Balance is:

…an application designed to help you keep track of the balance of one of your accounts. Intended to replace a paper-based checkbook register, Balance maintains a list of credits and debits to your account. When you enter a new transaction, Balance automatically recalculates the account’s balance. You can protect your information with a password. Balance also allows you to export your transactions to your computer. With Balance, you’ll always know how much money you’ve got in your account so you can avoid overdraft fees.

An upgrade to Balance, Version 2.0, is also available if you’d like this app to keep track of multiple accounts. I may upgrade to that soon.

In the meantime, can you keep a secret? I don’t use Balance to keep track of my checking account. I should, considering I’ve been the queen of overdraft charges in the past (much to my husband’s chagrin), but I’ve found a use that works better for me. The way I use it gets to the root of what’s caused my previous overdraft charges: overspending.

Every single time I go to the store, I whip out my iPhone, open up Balance, and plug in the amount I’ve given myself permission to spend. I only go over if I know I’ve got the extra cash in my purse to cover the overage. Step by step, here’s how it’s done:

Open the app.

Tap the button in the top left that says, “Account.”

Name the account or just leave it as “Cash.”

Type in any notes or just tap “Done” in the upper right corner.

Back on the main page — it should say “Cash” at the top, or whatever name you’ve chosen — tap the plus sign at the bottom, to the left of the word “Balance.”

You’re now on the “New Transaction” page. Ignore the “name” field. Tap the line that says “amount,” and enter in how much you have to spend ($50, $100, etc.).

Tap the “type” field. Tap “Received,” then “Done.”

Back on the “New Transaction” page, tap “Done” once more. On the “Cash” page, you’ll see you now have the amount you designated on the top line. Everything you enter after that will be subtracted from that amount.

From your shopping list (you did bring a list, didn’t you?), find your first item. Let’s say it’s a gallon of milk at $2.49. Tap the plus sign at the bottom, then tap “name” on the next page. Use the keyboard to fill in the word “milk,” and tap “Done.” Tap “amount.” Use the number keypad that comes up to enter in your price (the decimal point is taken care of for you). Tap “Done.” Tap “Done” again.

At the bottom of the page, you’ll see that your new balance is now $47.51.

What I also love about this app is that I no longer buy things I don’t need. If it’s not in the budget, it’s not in the budget, period.

By the way, if you use coupons (and you should), remember to subtract those from the balance, as well.

You may feel a little silly using your iPhone this way in a grocery store, but I’ve yet to have a manager or other store employee ask me what I’m doing. Just try not to block the aisles when you’re typing in your purchases!

A few final tips for when using Balance:

Don’t forget to add the sales tax for your area for non-grocery items.

Use Balance when shopping for clothes, gifts, and other items.

When done with your shopping trip, just tap the box with an arrow in it at the bottom of the screen. On the half screen that comes up, tap “Delete all transactions.” This will clear Balance for the next time you need to use it.

Remember to use the iPhone calculator if you’re buying multiples of certain items.

Have a favorite app? Tell me about it. If I think it’s a good thing for crazybusy mamas, I’ll review it and give you an honorable mention!

©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.

My three year-old is a puzzle freak. For Christmas this year, we bought her the Disney Princess: Pretty Puzzles and Sweet Stories book, and she will not let it out of her sight.

Her fascination with puzzles began when she discovered she could put together a wooden jungle animals puzzle all by herself, and then a wooden numbers puzzle. Each one of the puzzles in the Disney Princess book is just 24 pieces, so we gave it a go. There’s a puzzle on each thick cardboard “page,” along with the accompanying story.

Besides teaching my child valuable problem-solving skills and satisfying her fascination with the Disney princesses, there’s one really big reason why I love this puzzle book: The back of each and every puzzle piece is color-coded to make sorting the pieces a snap. Snow White is pink, Beauty and the Beast is yellow, etc.

(At this point in my post, please envision a video of me smacking myself in the forehead.) Now why didn’t I think of that?

I have thrown away many puzzles with missing pieces (left over from when my teens were small) because I never really knew how to organize them. Oh, I would try to — by putting them in zipped plastic bags once their boxes got crushed — but the kids would get into them and the pieces would be here, there, and everywhere. If the pieces were small and indistinguishable, I wouldn’t even know which puzzle they belonged to.

Which leads me to today’s CrazyBusy Tip:

Assign a different identifying mark to each puzzle in your home, putting those marks on the back of every single puzzle piece according to which puzzle it belongs to.

Yes, that sounds like work, but who said you had to do it? If your children are old enough, put them to work — they’ll probably think it’s fun. (Though you should do the same to your puzzles, if you have any.) Give each puzzle it’s own symbol, shape, number, or color. That identifying mark will go on the back of each puzzle piece AND on the box or zipped plastic bag.

Here are some suggestions for marks you can use:

Colors (use markers or crayons)
Numbers
Shapes, like squares, circles, or triangles
Symbols like asterisks, plus signs, check marks, or even smiley faces

It doesn’t matter what you use, as long as it’s simple enough — and bold enough — to see clearly. A sharpie pen is probably the best tool to use to mark your puzzle pieces. Don’t make the symbols elaborate…this is supposed to lesson your workload and/or stress level.

I hope I just took one little load off your shoulders — I know that figuring out this method was a “Eureka!” moment for me. What can I say? Little things make me happy. Come back soon to read another CrazyBusy Tip!

©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.

The start of a new year always gives me the urge to make changes around my house. I’m a redecorator at heart — my interior decor style has changed often over the years and though I may not always be financially able to change our furnishings and colors at will, the desire is there.

Oh, for a few thousand dollars to switch things up again! I can dream….

Getting back to reality, I wanted to share a great link with you that I found today. Martha Stewart’s team has put together a visual list of 100 ways to get organized around your home. I usually shy away from that type of article, as the ideas are usually boring and regurgitated. These, however, are just plain fun. You’ll find yourself saying, “I can do that!” or “That’s a fun idea!” Or maybe you won’t, but I sure was.

(I particularly liked the tea cup jewelry organizer — keep an eye out for it. As the owner of way too many tea cups, it looks like a fun and girly idea to try.)

The other tips are, for the most part, much more practical — but still fun. Enjoy!

100 Easy Organizers at MarthaStewart.com

©2010 Sally Dinius
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I’m feeling a little under the weather today (another cold), so I wanted to share a treat with you. If you’ve ever wanted to start your own blog, specifically a WordPress blog, guest blogger Kelly McCausey wants to help you learn how. Settle in and read on!
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WordPress is the website building tool of choice for many business owners these days. It’s a great option. No software needed on your computer, great functionality and flexibility – and you can update your site content from any computer, netbook or smart phone. It’s no wonder that it’s become so popular.

You’ve probably heard that Wordpress is incredibly user friendly – and it is! Still, most first time users find it overwhelming at first. If you ever tried to tackle Wordpress on your own and felt like giving up, you’re not at all alone. There’s a lot to take in at first.

I was lucky though. I had several patient friends available to help me over the learning curve. Still, I wouldn’t say that I felt truly comfortable for months after. The more I got to know it, the more I realized that WordPress is both simple and complex all at the same time.

If you only want to use WordPress to publish content, it’s pretty darned simple. The visual editor operates like any basic word processor. You enter content, press publish and you’re finished.

Think of WordPress as being three things at once.

1. It’s a Content Management Script that runs on your web server, letting you enter content as easily as writing an email.
2. Your content is stored in a Database on your web server.
3. Finally, it wears a Theme, a set of template files, that determines how the content is displayed online.

Entering content is easy. The database takes care of itself. Customization, want to alter your design and manipulate the database for special needs, you have to tap a whole other area of knowledge and that’s where many get stuck.

There’s good news and bad news for those who want to learn more about managing their WordPress site. The good news is that there’s a huge resource of documents and a large community of developers and users who are willing to answer your questions. The bad news is that there’s a huge resource of documents and a large community of developers and users…

The trouble for newcomers is usually that they don’t know how to ask the right questions to produce the answers they really need. The documents and forums seem to be written in a foreign language and newbie questions are often answered with links to more foreign explanations that just add to their feelings of overwhelm.

My advice? Don’t give up. Keep asking questions. To get the best answers, provide as much information about your problem as you can. If you’re persistent, you’ll find that things come easier over time.

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About the Author:

Kelly McCausey of Mom’s Talk Biz invites you to WordPress Orientation, your all access pass to exclusive WordPress learning. We demonstrate answers to your questions during our live web conference sessions. If you’re goal is to do it yourself, Wordpress Orientation is your pathway to learning how.

(Psst! You can also listen to some great podcasts Kelly has put together by going to WAHMTalk Radio. ~ Sally)