Bathroom Bags for Travel
What are the advantages of having a bathroom bag that is just for travel? Having a travel bathroom bag has been a big help at our house. Ever since the kids were big enough to have their own travel bags, they have had their own bathroom bags. There are so many advantages to this. When traveling, we have a packing list and instead of listing all the toiletries, it just says “bathroom bag” because we keep packed bags ready to go. We have our favorite toiletries in travel sizes, travel toothbrushes, make up, and so much more. The advantages of having a travel bathroom bag are many. It saves time when packing and unpacking and you are less likely to forget essential items. I typically restock mine when I return home from a trip, so its ready go the next time. Time savers can be bar soap that also doubles as shampoo and clothes wash, such as Dr Bonner’s Magic Soap. We buy small waterproof soap containers and cut a large bar of soap in half. There have been times I have had to pack an overnight bag in a hurry, such as heading to the hospital with a family…
Back to School Routines
What does back to school make you think of? For many adults, “back to school” conjures up shopping for school supplies like yellow No. 2 pencils and new folders. Supplies nowadays are ordered at the click of a button and homework routines involve watching YouTube while pretending to work. It’s time to get back to the healthy routines and rhythms of life. Here’s a few tips for setting your family or tutoring clients up for success. Choose a homework spot no matter if your child is 5 or 15. Give them a little say in the matter, even if it’s just what new supplies to add to their workstation. Make it easy for them to get started on school work each day. Choose a new school supply that is not on the list. Let your child choose a fun colored homework folder or a set of colored pencils for home. My kids and tutoring clients are always excited about new dry erase markers in fun colors. (Brainstorming essay outlines, math problems, and to do lists are always more fun on a dry erase board!) Draw up some back to school routines that work for your family. Consider bedtimes that allow…
Travel Review: Ultra Minimalist Travel
What products would you hate to be without if you lost your luggage? If you have been following me for some time, you know I’m a huge fan of travel and carry on bags. I have mastered the art of of packing light for a long adventure. My items multi task, and I like to think I’m a minimalist, but I see no need to try ultra minimalist travel. Turns out the airlines wanted to test that theory this summer. I had crafted my packing list and prioritized what I could fit into my backpack (weighing 18 lbs or less) and a laptop bag for a 3 week European adventure. Saving my crazy travel story of cancelled flights for another time, let’s just say “I saw Europe, I saw France, and the airlines kept my underpants!” I truly became an ultra minimalist when I had to survive with one pair of underwear, a change of clothes, and just my liquids bag when my carry on bag, checked at a destination, got lost. Of course there is travel insurance to cover lost things, but what about when you hit the ground running and don’t have time to shop for basics or…
Start Tutoring and Start Earning Extra Income
What are your roadblocks to earning some extra income as a tutor? What is standing between you and some extra cash? Time? Tools? Training? Need a few extra tools in your kit to feel confident tutoring clients? We each have unique talents and areas of expertise that others need help with. Everyone can tutor something! Now is the perfect time to get set up to start tutoring this fall. My free workshop Tutor Toolkit will push aside the roadblocks and get you going! This short helpful workshop will give you the tools needed to design and individualize tutoring sessions no matter what you teach. What’s in the FREE workshop Tutor Toolkit? In this workshop, I lay out the plan to setting up an hour long session, whether you are teaching, tutoring, or coaching. You get a behind-the-scenes look at my own tutoring sessions and learn from my years in and out of the classroom. You get customizable templates for sessions and the confidence you need to tutor or coach clients, whether you have teaching experience or not. You get tips and tools for remediation, extending lessons, and building rapport, plus games and brain break suggestions. No waiting for the workshop…
Multigenerational Travel
Planning a multigenerational family reunion this summer? Multigenerational travel is not as difficult as it sounds if you remember a few tips beyond just agreeing on the budget and location. The rewards of multigenerational travel far outweigh the planning. We are just returning from a week at the beach with multigenerational family and friends. Most of us love the beach. The rest enjoy getting away, being with family, and swimming at the pool. This beach house had something for everyone, plus lots of bedrooms and bathrooms and two main gathering spaces. My best friend and I brought our families plus our moms. Choose a location that has lots of bedrooms so everyone will have a quiet place of their own. Sometimes bunking a single grandparent and a child in a room with twin beds is quite a good arrangement. You know what works for your family. Asking the grandparent first is a good idea. Consider stairs and elevators when you are taking older generations or those with wheelchairs and baby strollers. Many things are doable for a night or two, but longer stays need more thought for mobility issues. Most rental houses now have detailed floorplans available so you can…
March Madness College Spreadsheet
Does March Madness bring thoughts of basketball tournaments or college tours? Without a college spreadsheet, brain overload accompanied my first college visit with my daughter, but it got easier after that. What did not get easier was the amount of information we got and how to keep track of it all. We ended up creating a shared spreadsheet of information. This useful college spreadsheet planner tool helped us track the information, prioritize colleges for application, and organize the application process and products required for each one. We chose to make it a shared document which was also super helpful as we could both add information or check due dates. Having gone through this process several times with my kids and clients, I find myself suggesting a collaborative spreadsheet to others time and time again. While the decision is highly personal, the process is quite standard. Now available for sale, is my College Planner Spreadsheet tool. This College Spreadsheet Planner tool will help organize all the information you gather, even suggesting categories you may not have thought about. You can edit the form to fit your needs. This information will be helpful when visiting colleges, narrowing down which ones to apply…
Agendas
How can you have more time in your day? Using an agenda (paper or digital) to schedule your week will help you have more time for the things that matter. It really is a magic trick and an insomnia cure! It just takes a few steps, and you’ll be on your way to increased productivity and less mental stress. I’m a big fan of Google Calendar and Asana for my scheduling. (Read this blog post for details.) Write a list of weekly routines, fixed appointments, and regular errands Write a list of weekly and monthly home projects Write a list of habits or hobbies you wish you had time for Write a long-term goal or two, and break it down into small tasks Prioritize the events and lists Add them to the weekly and monthly calendar Regularly go over your agenda and make adjustments Rediscover and reclaim pockets of time First, write out a list of your weekly routines, fixed appointments, home projects, and regular errands. Continue the list with a few habits or hobbies you wish you had time for (book reading, exercise class, coffee with a friend, photography class, etc.). Then add a long-term goal or two, broken…
Season’s Greetings
Remember that amazing hostess gift you got last Christmas that you thought you could make for others this year? Remember that amazing hostess gift you got last Christmas that you thought you could make for others this year? Nope. You forgot. Me, too. I hate it when that happens! You have a great idea, and you forget to use it. I have a tip that has helped me out many times when I want to remember Christmas gift ideas. Open your calendar app or paper calendar and choose a date early in next November. I create an event called “note to self” where I type things in the event notes such as “remember you have plenty of tree ornament hooks” or “make spice mix jars for teacher gifts this Christmas” adding links or pictures when appropriate. This little tip replaces sticky notes that get lost on the counter. You can use it to remind yourself to purchase and mail a birthday gift ahead of time or to schedule an appointment for the car inspection next year. This tip will only work if you actually use a calendar, but that’s a whole other topic! Speaking of those amazing little Christmas gift…
Product Review: ASANA
How many sticky notes are on your counter or desktop on any given day? Asana is an application designed to help you organize, track, and manage your work. It’s a game changer for teams! If you are unfamiliar with ASANA, it’s a work management tool. I love the project and task features where I can see what I need to do and check it off when I complete it. I use Asana for home and for work. I LOVE it! All my EVENTS go on my Google Calendar and all my TASKS go in Asana. There’s a free version (called the Personal version) that you can begin using today, plus lots of tutorials such as this one from Louise Henry or these from the Asana Academy. When a friend shared an Asana board with me a few years ago, I was instantly intrigued. We used Asana to manage event planning for a church conference. I felt a bit overwhelmed by all I didn’t know about Asana. After the event, I took some time to watch tutorials and become an Asana Ambassador. Even now, there’s so much more I could be using Asana for. I just keep adding to my knowledge…
Carry-On Bag Adventures
Are you more like a carry-on bag or a checked bag? Traveling the world with just a carry-on bag and collecting sim cards as souvenirs is one of my life goals that I’m slowly fulfilling one adventure at a time. It IS possible to live several weeks out of a carry-on bag and a personal item like a purse or backpack. Smart packing on my recent trip to Bulgaria and Albania proved it true once again. Most airlines have a size or weight limit to the carry-on bags so check before you go. Use a capsule wardrobe; take multi-tasking items; and take a few thank you gifts which will leave room for a souvenir or two. Add my bathroom bag, my tablet or laptop, and my coffee thermos, and I’m ready for my next adventure! Capsule wardrobes are a small collection of essential items and accessories that can mix and match and allow you to pack less clothes overall. For most trips, I try to take 4 or 5 tops, 3 bottoms, 2 shoes, 1coat/sweater, and 1 accessory like a necklace or scarf. All of the tops and bottoms should be able to be worn together so choose a…