Top 5 Reasons YOU Need a Hipster PDA

In todays fast paced, go go go world everyone needs some kind of “pda” type system/devise. There are many electronic PDA organizers, Smart phones and even mini computers that promise to help you get and stay organized and keep everything in order so why on earth would someone chose to use a paper version? Something you can’t sink between your mobile devise, work computer and macbook pro?? There are many reasons and here are the TOP 5 Reasons why YOU need a Hipster PDA.

1. You can truly take it anywhere (except the shower and well a electronic pda cant go into the shower either) and you don’t need to worry about cords, cables, batteries or “stylus”
2. It won’t die on you when you need it most.

3. By nature It’s small, thin, flat, and can be customized to any size you wish, with many different internal and external color and template options.

4. It’s simple and effective- write it down, do it, cross it out. DONE

5. It doesn’t and will never become obselete and or need “updates” after 2 months

If that doesn’t convince you check out

DIY Planner to see some awesome examples and download templates

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<img src=”http://digg.com/img/badges/100×20-digg-button.gif&#8221; width=”100″ height=”20″ alt=”Digg!” />
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Get YOUR Home Organized!

I have never been one to have an organized home, from the outside, sometimes It may appear that way but that is only because I have a horrible habit of shoving things into closets and drawers. In my defense I can usually find what I’m looking for in a reasonable amount of time. I strive to be organized, someone who’s home has a spot for everything, simplistic, neat, and decluttered. Will this ever happen? is it too late for me? I have been clearing off the surface and hiding the clutter and disorganization for about 20 years now, can I be redeemed?

There are a countless number of blogs, websites and articles out there that talk about and give tips for organizing your home, I am searching for the best, most useful and simplistic ways to get organized and stay organized. Since different methods work for different people I should say that I am seeking the best, most useful and simplistic ways to get organized and stay organized for me.

For starters everything needs to have a home, this is the most important step to having an organized home, everything from pans and dish towels to shampoo and lines to candles and books. This is a great place to start, but lets jump back a step, look around your home, is there stuff on the floor that shouldn’t be there? if so remove all items from the floor, start room by room if you need to, then once the floor is free from clutter you can move on to finding a home for everything.

I suggest starting with the area you think has the most clutter, closet, living-room, desk, bedroom, kitchen, whatever it maybe. Take everything out of the room, if you have a spare laundry basket or bucket place items into that, pretty much do what ever it takes to clear out the space you are going to organize.

Lets use a closet as an example, clear out everything from the floor, all shoes, clothes, boxes, coat hangers, etc. Vacuum the floor if needed, wipe down all surfaces with some sort of disinfectant. Now put items back in one thing at a time, clothes wise if you haven’t worn something in 3-4 mons you aren’t going to wear it again (unless its a parka or something seasonal). Got empty shoeboxes? trash them, if you have worn the shoes outside there is no need to keep the box. The only boxes that should be kept are for electronics and or items where the boxes can up resale value or would be needed for warranty related issues. If you have alot of shoes that were flung around the closet before you emptied it think about investing in some kind of shoe rack, shoe hanging organizer or a laundry basket, they fit nicely at the bottom of closets and hold many pairs of sneakers, books, clogs, etc. As you are going though things and placing them neatly in the closet if there is something you don’t use or don’t think you need consider selling it on craigslist or ebay and or donating it. Last month when I cleaned a closet of mine I came across an old Apple desktop, from early 2000, it hadn’t been used in at least 4 years, who knows why I was hanging on to it? I put it up on ebay and made over 75$.

Everything from electronics to clothing, coats, boots, sporting equipment, bags, etc can be sold, your trash or clutter as it should be called can yield you some extra spending money, a few 100 toward a vacation, money towards reaching your savings goal or even the iphone. So what are you waiting for, go, run, clean out your closets, go under your bed, empty out your trunk (it will help you get better fuel economy) sell your clutter, organize your home and make some cash!

WAIT! before you start, here are some tips.

Again in case it wasn’t clear, EVERYTHING NEEDS A HOME!

Keep like things together, a drawer for underwear, a drawer for office supplies, a drawer or bin for pet toys, etc

Leave flat surfaces clear, counters, coffee tables, dresser tops, nightstands, etc.

Keep stuff off the floor, no piles, bins work great and can be easily stored on closet shelf’s

Place a decorative basket on the coffee table to keep remote controls in, that should be the only thing on the coffee table.

If you haven’t used it or worn it in a few months, you don’t need it, sell it or donate it

Set aside 3- 5 mins a day to make sure things are still in their places.

More specific tips, broken down by room:

BATHROOM:

Place a shelving unit above the toilet for storing extra towels, washcloths, and other accessories

Use shower caddies to place your soaps and shampoos in, tuck them away when not in use.

Throw away old make-up, lotions, prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, old razors, sunscreen, and perfume.

Install hooks on the back of your bathroom door or wall space for towels and robes, great place for towels to hang and dry also.

CLOSET:

Categorize your clothes by purpose, such as work, casual, and formal.

If you have an excessive amount of unused wire hangers and take them to the dry cleaners to recycle, if they are plastic donate them to a friend.

Put hooks on the back of the door, 2 fit well, this is great for coats, hats, belts, scarves, extra towels.

KITCHEN:

Purchase a spice rack that works best for your cabinet, they come in many sizes and shapes. Place frequently used spices on the front of the rack and all others towards the back of the rack.

Put all Tupperware items into  one cabinet or drawer, if you need new ones try to purchase the stackable ones.

Do you have mounds of plastic bags from the grocery store? If you don’t use them like I do to scoop up dog waste place about 10 bags inside of 1 bag and throw the rest away, better yet, don’t use them, get recycled cloth bags or the vinyl ones, they cost about 2$ each and will help save the environment and your pantry space.

Clean out your refrigerator every time you bring home groceries. Dispose of any food that is no longer edible or your family is not going to eat.

If you have any suggestions or input or tips that have helped you please feel free to share.

Take YOUR Name Back

We’ve all done it, we’ve all googled ourselves to see the results, in my case nothing shows up, which for me is double edged sword. What can you do if you are not impressed with the results? or if say you share the same name as a porn star ? (as one of my friends does) Is there anything you can do? With all the reports, articles and information out there telling us that hiring managers are “google-ing” prospective employees a picture of you drunk at a party can hurt more then you ego.

The first thing to do is delete your MySpace account (or modify so you cannot be found by your name). Remove all photos that you wouldn’t want a recruiter or HR Rep to see, at the very least, any and all posts or comments that you’ve left on MySpace that include your actual name. Then if possible ask your “friends” to do the same.

Got some embarrassing pictures posted on Flickr or Smug Mug? time to delete them. If someone else posted a photo of you, ask them very, very nicely to take it down or remove your name from the tags, descriptions, comments, etc. If for some reason they won’t oblige, try sending the company an email and explain to them that you wish to have a picture of yourself removed. You will need to provide the exact URL to the picture and explain why you’d like it taken down. There is absolutely no guarantee that they’ll accommodate you, they probably will not but it’s worth a try

I have been told more then once to never, ever, use an email address when applying for a job (or on your resume) that you’ve used to sign up for online forums or social networking sites. I’m not to sure how i feel about this one, I tend to use the same email address for everything and I am not a point where I feel the need to change that. I post on forums, I have typical social network pages but I do not post anything that I wouldn’t want my parents or a HR Rep to see. I have heard that Recruiters will search for your email address right after they search for your name. So before you post that image or reply to that comment think: Do I really want <fill in blank> to know that I agree with <blank> or spend a lot of time on this <insert offensive site here> forum?

After removing or modifying the bad stuff there are a few sites you can use to create more positive links to your name. LinkedIn is a good starting point. It is a business oriented social networking site and due to its high pagerank, creating a LinkedIn profile is a great way to get your name higher in search results. After you create an account and fill out all of the profile information (which can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, depending on how detailed you want your profile to be), you’ll want to make sure your profile (or at least part of it) is public. To do so, click the Edit My Public Profile tab.

You can also register for a ZIKI account, they are a newer site and Ziki makes a pretty bold claim – “Ziki members are guaranteed to appear in the first position of Google, Yahoo & MSN search results when their name is searched, given that Ziki buys sponsored links. Ziki community members can therefore create, manage and optimize their online presence while controlling their image.”

Just be aware that what you post to the internet can and will be seen by many many people, some who may want to be “web friends” and some who may want to offer you a job.

Vegetarian & Vegan Diet Facts

I have been a Vegetarian for about 15 years now and have struggled with being Vegan for past 2… Currently I AM Vegan. (Vegans do not consume any animal products, most dont wear any either… Vegetarians sometimes consume dairy and or eggs) Below are the most interesting facts that i have aquired over the past few weeks. I am sharing these just to increase awareness simply because i do not believe that enough info like this is give out and or made available to the masses. If you find any of this interesting, informative or helpful please do not hesitate to pass it along.

What is more beneficial for global warming–Switching to a Prius vs. Switching to a Vegetarian Diet: Vegetarian Diet

Fossil fuels needed to produce a meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 50 times more

Number of acres of US forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million acres

Amount of meat US imports annually from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama: 200,000,000 pounds

Average per capita meat consumption in Costa Rica, El Salveador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama: Less than eaten by average US house cat

Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pounder hamburger: 55 sq. ft.

Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 species extinct per year

Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat cheese and butter 3 or more times a week vs less than once a week: 3 times

Increased risk of ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs less than once a week: 3 times

Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times

Amount of water to produce a pound of wheat: 25 gallons

Amount of water to produce a pound of meat: 2,500 gallons

Years the world’s known oil reserves will last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13 years

Years the world’s known oil reserves will last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260 years

Number of US Medical Schools: 125 /Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30

Nutrition training received by average US physician during four years in medical school: 2.5 hours

Most common cause of death in the US: Heart attack

How frequently a heart attack kills in the US: Every 45 seconds

Average US man’s risk of death from heart attack: 50%

Risk for average US man who avoids the meat-centered diet: 15%

Risk for average US vegan man: 4%

Number of animals killed for meat per hour in US: 500,000

Occupation with highest turnover rate in US: Slaughterhouse Worker

Occupation with the highest rate of on-the-job injury in US: Slaughterhouse Worker

Cost to render animal unconscious with “captive bolt pistol”: 1 cent

Reason given by meat industry fo not using “captive bolt pistol”: Too expensive

Combining Finances with your Partner

So you have decided to move in with your partner? maybe you aren’t ready for marriage or the government doesn’t think you should marry, either way…If you are living together as part of an unmarried couple, you may face some special financial challenges, below are some tips that can make the transition into living together and sharing a life together less stressful and have you on your way to financial bliss… well maybe…

Budget for joint expenses. The first and most important thing to do is agree on a budget for monthly household expenses. It’s probably wise to open a joint bank account to cover bills that you share, such as rent, electricity and cable TV. If you aren’t ready to open a joint account split all bills equally.
Set Yours, mine and ours. Though some couples choose to split monthly bills 50-50 across the board, this approach doesn’t work for everyone. Chances are one partner earns more than the other, sometimes a lot more. If this is the case, you may opt to contribute a proportional amount of your income. Maybe both contribute 50% towards bills, that may be $1500 for one partner and $2500 for the other… whatever you think is fair and will work, just pick a system and stick to it. Remember, after the joint expenses are covered, the money remaining in your personal account is yours to spend freely, or save freely.
Set mutual goals. Even if you choose to keep separate checking accounts, clarify your long-term financial goals with your partner. Do you want to own a house together someday? Want to save for a amazing trip of a lifetime vacation? If so, you may choose to open a joint savings account to which you both can contribute either set month amounts or whenever you have excess funds.

Be straightforward about debts. Combining finances is one of the surest signs that both partners are fully committed to a relationship, but there are instances when such a combination isn’t appropriate. To avoid conflict, each person should take responsibility for the debts incurred before entering the relationship. It is unfair to expect your partner to pay for your student loans, credit card debt or auto loan, maybe your partner wants to help you become debt free? repay some loans? that would be awesome but its not a requirement and should not be expected or worked into monthly expenses.

A guide to making a Traditional Hipster PDA

The Hipster PDA is a fully extensible system for coordinating incoming and outgoing data for any aspect of your life and work. It scales brilliantly, degrades gracefully, supports optional categories and “beaming,” and is configurable to an unlimited number of options. Best of all, the Hipster PDA fits into your hip pocket and costs practically nothing to purchase and maintain.

Building your first Hipster PDA
1.get a bunch of 3″x5″ file cards
2.clip them together with a binder clip
3. there is no step 3

Consider picking up some different kinds of cards—different colors, lined and unlined.
Personally, I like the really small binder clips and a stack of 12 or fewer cards; experiment for the combination that suits you
Try using a single different-colored card as a visual separator between used and fresh cards in your stack (helps you from accidentally giving someone an old, written-on note)
Let me know how yours turns out and dont worry if you mess up or dont like how it came out you can start over….

5 Tips To Increase Productivity

1. Allocate 20% of your day – between 1.5 to 2 hours – to working on your most important objectives. If you don’t do this, you will find that the really important tasks somehow never get finished when they should.

2. Tackle the hardest things first. All of us like to do what’s easy, its human nature, no one wants to do the hard things, especially not first… But you must get into the hard stuff – and the best time to get stuck into it is first up, when you can give it all you’ve got.

3. Have a maximum of 3 major things on your to do list at a time, any more than 3 is asking for failure. Set your priorities according to what needs to be done asap, what is time sensitive ? what can wait a few hours? what have you been putting of? It is always a good idea to tackle tasks in order of priority.

4. At the beginning of each week, or day, or even month…make a list of your goals, try to refer to your list regularly, adding things that come up and taking away tasks that no longer need your attention, also make sure you stay on track. A whiteboard is a very visible and convenient tool for keeping this list going or a portable list you can carry, whatever works best for you.

5. Group ALL of your similar activities together, if you need to make a bunch of phone calls set a side one part of the day; send all emails at set times, try to aim for no more then 3 email sessions daily, also use one of these to deal with all incoming mail.

In addition try to notice where and when time is slipping away from you… do you drift off and lose focus midday? do you get distracted by the internet and reading blogs? is instant messaging your downfall? once you know what is distracting you and holding you back from being productive you can work on eliminating the distraction.

GTD (getting things done) with my Levenger hPDA

It has been a few days since i switched from a regular old clipped together hPDA (Hispster PDA) to my Levenger shirt pocket briefcase hPDA, besides the new system being more ascetically pleasing it seems to be more effective. I have been more productive and organized, wow! what a difference such a little thing makes.

I believe this system is working better for me because there are 3 separate areas to store my note cards, instead of sifting through a few to find what i need i just go right to the compartment they are in. If you are struggling to stay organized and be productive i think you should look into hPDA’s, if you have one already and it isn’t as effective has you had hoped it would be trying rearranging it, finding a way to separate your different sections, it is a small change that goes along way. If you find your self reading this and have no idea what i am talking about drop me a message or a comment and i can gladly explain in more detail.

The red color is not my favorite but for the price i cannot complain.

I LOVE Moleskines and you will 2

Although the name may be confused with a generic term for Moleskin the Moleskine i am referring to is a brand of notebook manufactured by the Italian Moleskine company. The most popular Moleskine is bound in oilcloth-covered cardboard, with an elastic band to hold the notebook closed and a sewn spine that allows it to lie flat when open. There are many other styles ranging from address books to calender planners and even City books with info on many of the worlds greatest cities.

For two centuries Moleskine has been the legendary notebook of artists, writers, intellectuals and travelers. Vincent van Gogh and Ernest Hemingway are two famous users. Beyond the fame of these great little notebooks comes the durability. Moleskine notebooks have proven they can withstand the trials of travel and abuses that ensues from normal use.

Moleskines work great with Hipster PDA’S, as hipster PDA’s, daily journals, expense records, day to day notes and more. They help you stay organized and with the strap and pocket they keep essentials together

Check out this instructables post for a great moleskine hack http://www.instructables.com/id/EPSBV5ALHREUE0JARM/

and of course Check out Moleskine products at http://www.moleskineus.com/

They also can be found at Barnes and Noble and Borders Bookstores.

distractions, my enemy and yours

are you easily distracted though out the course of the day? i know i can not be the only person who finds it hard to keep away from distractions at work, home, school, where ever it may be. Currently I am distracted most by people, friends, family, co-workers, bloggers and so on, whenever i start to work on something boom a person… its frustrating and it prevents me from getting things done. If it snot people its other distractions, TV, music, instant messagers, websites, phone calls, or outdoor noise….

I have to note that my co-workers have to be the worst distractors of them all, they will start talking to me as they approach my office and keep going and going even if i am talking to someone else or on the phone…. grrr co-workers… anyone else have horribly distracting co- workers??????????

is anyone else always distracted? have some tips?  currently one of  my favortie sites Freeleance Switch has this article out http://freelanceswitch.com/productivity/10-ways-to-eliminate-distractions/