Weekend Wind-Down: Everyday Purchases

It’s finally Friday! I hope you have had a good week and are ready to have a wonderful weekend! I hope it is relaxing for all of you.

Without any more ado, here is the Weekend Wind-Down, Everyday Purchases edition! Each one of these links takes you to one of articles that I found to be the most interesting or helpful to fit with this week’s theme! If you get the chance, please go visit them and enjoy someone else’s writing!

• 1. Weakonomics – The Weakonomist has put a great, fresh perspective on the concept of saving money by cutting down on drinks, like coffee. Not everyone has an undeniable addiction. Some people may only buy something from them once a month. How much does coffee cost people like that? Read this and find out, from a witty, opinionated writer.

• 2. Pets Best – The start of this entry is extraordinarily disheartening for pet owners. 80% of new pets in shelters and pounds were given up because of job loss or other economic reasons. The article has 8 ways to cut back costs of pet care. They are well thought out, and although one of them deals in coupons, which is not my personal goal, they are all worth reading.

• 3. Adobe – This blog entry by Scene7 highlights the part of brand loyalty in the realm that I never touched – the internet. He explains how much easier it for consumers not to have brand loyalty while shopping online. It’s a different perspective (since it is told from the perspective of someone inside a corporation) and really interesting to read.

• 4. 24/7 Mom - Did you know that mosquito bites will stop itching after you put a small dab of toothpaste on the bite? Trisha @ 24/7 Moms does. She also has creative ways to use salt, newspaper, dryer sheets, and random other things that can be lying around the house. You know the 3 R’s. No, not Reading, Riting, and Rithmetic (although as a future teacher those are important), but Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!

Come back tomorrow to see some great craft ideas made from material that I 100% guarantee is in every single person’s home! Have a wonderful weekend!

I'm a Coke Girl, Myself

In a manner of speaking, that is.  If you remember, I do not drink soda, but…

If I were to post a picture of the dining room area in my apartment, you would see exactly what I mean.  I have bright red and white Coca-Cola placemats.  Bright red Coca-Cola coasters.  Bright red Coca-Cola glasses.  Red Flowers in the middle of the table.  And yes, I am nerdy enough to even have red and white bendy straws.

One of my weaknesses is brand loyalty.  You probably know what that is: consistently choosing one particular brand over another, no matter how difficult it is to find or how expensive it is to purchase.  Besides for the Coca-Cola decorating fetish (Super Chill will not do), my main object of brand loyalty is toothpaste and toaster pastries.  I have to have Colgate and Pop-Tarts, respectively.  The generic brands are just not the same.

I am the perfect example of what not to do.  Companies and associations have entire departments and conferences on how to create brand loyalty.  Here is an entire document written by someone at Cambridge University on how to create brand loyalty.  Is it manipulation?  That’s up to you.

Check out this YouTube Video.  It’s from a documentary called The Corporation.  The goal of the filmmakers was to discuss the corporations using personification.  They created a person from the characteristics of one.



Luckily, in the current economic times, price is actually starting to trump brand loyalty.  The store brands are becoming more and more popular.  Consumers are becoming more involved in the pricing of their purchases.  They want more choice.  This is for you!  You get the choice!

Use it!  When Coke is $4.88 or Aquafina is $6.00, I’m positive that store brands will be $3.00 and $4.00.  It may not seem like a lot, but think about all those Wal-Mart receipts… wouldn’t it be great if the totals on the bottom were a lot lower?

Don’t be me.  Be willing to try Super Chill.

My All Time Top 10 Tips for Organizing!

Good Morning, everyone!  As promised, today I have my top ten ideas for organizing.  Granted, these are not all the ones I use, but they can definitely get you started!

1. Clean Sweep Twice a Year.  Back in the day, there was a TV show on TLC called Clean Sweep.  It was the start of an entire series of shows, like Clean House on the Style channel.  The people on those shows take everything out of their house and sort through it, making piles of "keep, sell, and trash."  Now, I'm not recommending you empty your entire apartment or dorm, but think about the areas where junk gets built up: closet, desk...  Clean it out.  If you're worried about getting rid of something important, put everything in a trash/donate bag and store it.  In a couple weeks, if you haven't opened the bag, it's time to get rid of it.
   
2. Think About Your Personal Needs.  Every household is different.  For example, I don't have a mud room or even really an entry space in my apartment.  So... I don't need some intricate theory as to how to organize one.  I also don't have kids, so I don't need a toy box.  Make sense?  Think about it before you get started.
   
3. Use All Your Space (even the walls).  No furniture that I've seen goes anywhere but the floor.  If there is anything out there, please let me know.  Use hooks, shelves, and anything else your creative mind can think of.  Get the stuff off the floor; you do need to walk.
   
4. Understand Your Personal Trouble Zones.  Where do you spend most of your time?  Where is there the most foot traffic?  For me, it's my living room and desk areas.  Those are the places that will gather the most clutter and are the places where I lose the most stuff.  These are areas that you should spend the most time concentrating on.  If you focus on these, you shouldn't get too overwhelmed with organizing a whole house.
   
5. Use An Outbox.  After you figure out your trouble zones, use an outbox.  It can be a decorative basket, old Amazon shipping box, or anything else that can store things.  The idea of the outbox is to throw everything in there that doesn't belong: textbooks in the kitchen, plates in the living room, etc.  Just grab the Outbox when leaving the room sometimes and put everything away.  Easy as addition to a math major.
   
6. Divide and Conquer.  This idea came from All*You Magazine.  It was something I'd already intuitively done, but the magazine did a great job of explaining it.  Think about all the office supplies or toiletries you have scattered about in a drawer.  Remember the drawer from yesterday's post?  Now add in old Altoid tins or something else to put all those rubber bands and Q-Tips in.  Voila!  You now have a clean drawer where you can find everything at your fingertips!
   
7. Know the 20% Rule.  On average, we only use about 20% of what we have on hand.  For example, I have 10 pens sitting in my desk right now.   I only use my favorite 2.  Just something to think about...
   
8. Write it Down.  Most people tend to make grocery lists... why?  Because it keeps them organized when they go to the store.  The same rule applies to everything else - that's why there are so many different types of planners in Borders and Barnes and Noble this time of year.  Invest in one.  Make a To-Do List.  You'll be surprised how much else you can get done.
   
9. Nothing Should be Homeless.  My roommate is constantly losing her keys.  We have a big sign right above the handle to the front door that says "SHANNON!  KEYS?!"  It was out of hand - in one week she called me 8 times to let her into the apartment because she had forgotten/lost her keys.  We now have a bowl on a table by the front door.  She drops her keys in there when she walks in.  Similarly, I have a specific shelf for textbooks.  Give everything a home and it is hard to lose them.
   
10. Utilize Specific Spaces.  Like Number 9, use specific spaces.  Here are mine: Couch for TV watching or reading for pleasure.  Desk for work.  Kitchen table for eating.  I rarely let myself cross the boundaries, partially because humans like to compartmentalize and partially because it helps me get into a certain mindset.  When I sit down at my desk, I know I have to work.  I get stuff done quicker.  Also, I tend to stay away from bringing contraband to its wrong area.

There are my Top 10!  They might not all work for you, but at least they'll get you starting to think about 'em.  If you want more ideas, check out HGTV's Organizing Website, they have their own Top Ten and so many more ideas, it's kind of ridiculous...

Organize Your Desk!



Organize Your Closet!