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Dry Erase Calendars

by on 27. Mar, 2013 in New Products, Organization

Are you looking for that perfect calendar with just a touch of cute and color but with plenty of room to write? If you really can’t find something you like in our amazing selection of wall calendars, maybe you’ll love our new dry erase calendars! We have a great new selection sure to appeal to anyone looking to keep track of to-dos and stay organized.

WallPops offers several cute options of thin dry erase monthly or daily calendars that peel and stick wherever you need them. These boards look great, erase easily, and can be moved anywhere in the house or office that you may need them. Calendars.com has four-month sets, monthly boards, daily dots, and even blank dry erase boards for notes and lists.

 

Havoc Gifts specializes in canvas-like hanging dry erase boards. These high-quality, reusable calendars come in 12 x 12 or 16 x 24 monthly grids in various color schemes. Each calendar includes three matching magnets that can stick on the calendar, or anywhere else you might need them, and a black dry-erase marker. These are perfect for adding a bit of class to any area that requires organization and possible schedule changes!

 

 

If you are looking for something a little more plain but just as functional, then Mead has exactly what you need. This dry erase calendar line features simple white backgrounds with easy to see black lettering and lines. Take your pick from three different sized monthly grids, a weekly grid, or two sizes of blank writing surfaces. These are great for any office or in any area of the home that simply needs function, not fashion.

 

 

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We’re On Pinterest!

by on 03. Feb, 2013 in Organization

Is your household using Pinterest yet? If so, are you among the nearly 10,000 people who follow Calendars.com on Pinterest? You ought to! We’ve tried to compile items you would like to see through 24 boards and more than 7,700 pins.

To make it easier for our customers to stay organized, we’ve also added a ‘Your Organized Life’ board. This board is full of pins that showcase how our customers organize their lives and the fun gadgets and ideas that help them stay that way.

Use this board to find out how to turn plastic rain gutters into a fun reading corner, learn fun ways to keep your pantry organized, and even find your favorite calendar!

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5 Awesome Personalized Calendar Ideas

by on 06. Dec, 2012 in Calendar News, Calendar Thoughts, New Products, Organization

You’ve heard about our Custom Photo Wall Calendars, and you’ve seen how easy it is to create one. If you’re struggling to come up with a theme or choose worthy photos from the hundreds you’ve taken over the years, have no fear – we’ve put our heads together and we’re ready to share our ideas with you. Go ahead…pick one (or two, or three) and get customizing!

1. Baby’s First Year – Your best friend welcomed a little bundle of joy to the world just about a year ago, and you want your gift to outshine all others at the upcoming 1st birthday bash. So, gather a picture of the little guy/girl from each month of the first year of his/her life and help your bestie relive that precious year all over again. Don’t forget the bathtub and spaghetti face moments. The other party guests have no hope (mwahaha).

2. My Best Instagram Photos – You’ve spent way too much time choosing the right filter and the most promising hashtags for those oh-so-artistic cell shots just to let them fall off the feed and never be seen again. You have like 200 followers and National Geographic ‘liked’ your #bestnatureshot for crying out loud! Put them together into a calendar and enjoy them on your wall all year long. Or better yet, try our new Personalized Social Photo Booksand let our app pull your Facebook or Instagram photos into a photo book instantly!

3. Best. Vacation. Ever.– You love vacation- everyone does. Whether it was that long and torturous road trip from New York to Florida, or that Mediterranean cruise that left you on cloud nine, there are memories from vacations you don’t want to lose. A calendar with your best vacation photos would make the perfect gift for your travel buddies.

4. My Favorite Dishes– You’re a regular ol’ Bobby Flay. The only reason you watch the clock all day at work is because you can’t wait to get home and heat up the kitchen. Because you’re such a culinary genius, you obviously snap a shot of every single one of your mouth-watering creations. Now those would make a perfect kitchen calendar!

5. I Am the 12th Man – You’ve held season tickets for the past 8 years, your tailgating parties attract everyone parked in lots A and B, and your closet looks like a team store. Everyone says it, but you really are the biggest fan. We know you’ve been to way more than 12 or 18 games, but put yourself at the stadium every day with a calendar featuring photos from the most memorable ones. Sure, you and the mascot can go on two months.

If you have another awesome personalized calendar idea, please share it by commenting below! Remember: You can start a Custom Photo Wall Calendar on any month of the year, and they are printed on quality paper stock. So, you don’t have to throw those calendars away when the 12 or 18 months are up. Consider framing each image to create a wall collage, for example. Hmm…perhaps another blog post for the future?

A big thanks to our guest blogger for the day, Christine D., for her awesome ideas!

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Organizing your Gmail Inbox – With New Priority Inbox

by on 01. Sep, 2010 in Organization

When it comes to sheer numbers, Hotmail still has the ranks. However, Gmail has always been superior in terms of features and pushing the digital envelope. Yesterday, they released “Priority Inbox” to help with email overload.

Let us know what you think of the new feature as it rolls out throughout the coming weeks. It hasn’t hit my inbox yet, but I’ll be sure to keep hitting refresh until that time comes.

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5 Steps to Organize Your Mind Without Computers

by on 10. Jun, 2010 in Organization

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This post is in lieu of the recent and popular article in the New York Times entitled Your Brain on Computers: Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price about a family who is digitally connected beyond the average American. Their lives are absorbed within technology, and every possible moment is filled with some form of screen stimulation. This is characteristic of many of the Gen Y and Millennium kids. From the article:

Mr. Campbell loves the rush of modern life and keeping up with the latest information. “I want to be the first to hear when the aliens land,” he said, laughing.

In his defense, he probably will be one of the first. As connected as he is, it will take only moments for the message to get to him. Is that really the goal of life though? To be the first to know? The article continues to discuss the effect of multi-tasking, both positive and negative. It’s a fascinating read for those who know someone like Mr. Campbell.

The connectedness of the Campbells is my segue into purposely disconnecting your harmful habits and putting order into the way your mind works.

How do we stay organized without computers?

I’m writing about organization in a broad term. The following steps will help you get to the organization of your honest thoughts and true feelings. It may (but most likely may not) give you tips on how to organize your closet.

Step 1: Unplug

Entire sites exist to help your kids unplug, and there are efforts to go as far as setting up an intervention for those addicted to staring at a screen (Unlplugyourfriends.com).


Step 1 removes anything that provides entertainment or social connections. Phones, computers, and televisions should be turned off and unplugged. Simply turning off your device will not work. You may already do that a couple times a day. The step of unplugging, removing the battery, or donating means you are taking this extra serious.

It must be a decision from the inside, or you will quickly resort back to the clicks and the stares.

Step 2: Decompress

Here is where the withdrawals start. The goal is to un-froth your mouth of digital rabies and revert back to a simpler way of thinking.

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A Simple Trick for Effective To-Do Lists

by on 28. Apr, 2010 in Organization

The Problem?

You come across a task on your calendar, and since you are not in the same mindset as when you scheduled it, you may forget the importance of the task and postpone it or ignore it altogether. This is an extremely easy problem to identify, but a much harder problem to correct.

Update: Ruben from the comments brought up a great point. This is most crucial for dates that are far enough into the future that you could forget the importance.

solution

A Possible Solution

Define the importance of every item on your to-do list.

Whenever you mark your calendar with a to-do item, put a small blurb about why it is important. These can include phrases that inspired you to take on the task, reasons why it is important, or anything else to jolt yourself back into the mindset surrounding that to-do item.

Remember, your past and present selves may not always have the same point of view.

problem

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What is a Tickler File?

by on 27. Apr, 2010 in Organization

Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Oprah, and any other successful entrepreneur has the same 24 hours in a day that we all do. One thing that most of these people have mastered is time management. We don’t all have personal assistants to keep us on our toes. Despite Tim Ferriss’ attempt to have us outsource our life, it isn’t realistic for most.

It Starts with You

No one can convince you more than yourself. Any self driven person doesn’t rely on everyone else to keep things organized and ready to go. Being both organized and passionate is a dangerous combination. Only when you have mastered both, with a hint of money management, can you put your head down and charge at the world.

What is a Tickler File?

A Tickler File is a way of remembering time-sensitive material. A physical setup revolves around a set of folders that ‘tickle’ the memory.

Tickler files were used in early twentieth century to allow lawyers to remember when they needed to renew their trademarks and copyright information.

43foldersexample

What Does 43 Folders Mean?

The popular productivity and time management blog, 43folders.com is a direct reference to the 43 folders used in the Tickler File system. The 43 folders refer to the 31 days (maximum) in a Gregorian or Julian month, and the 12 months of the year.

43folders

Receipts, birthday cards, or whatever needs to be done in a following month, is placed into the months ahead. At the beginning of each month, the user of the system would distribute the articles into the numbered days.

Say it was January…

“I know this birthday is somewhere in March.”

The user would then place the birthday card in the March folder.

On March 1st, the user would move the 31 numbered folders into the March folder, and distribute whatever needs to be done into the different days. And so on…

What are your thoughts on the Tickler System?

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3 Sites to Organize your Book Collection

by on 18. Apr, 2010 in Organization

An out of control book collection leads to keeping more than you need. Use one day on the weekend to catalog your books. The sites below have made this process a piece of cake.

First, Make a Large Pile

Bring every book you have into the center of your room. It is healthy to visualize how many books you have collected throughout the years.

Then, Pick a Site

Of the sites below, pick one and run with it. They will all suffice for what you need. Don’t get hung up on choosing the tool. I have ordered them from my personal favorite down.

Google Books

Google Books gives you the extra step of cataloging. Not only can you quickly search for the books you have, but you can peek into books you may want to read in the future.

“You can flip through a few preview pages of these books, just like you’d browse them at a bookstore or library. You’ll also see links to libraries and bookstores where you can borrow or buy the book.”

Shelfari

Shelfari is unique because of the reading community. If you want to get your entire office or class on a certain site, this would be it. You can add recommendations for friends and reviews for others.

Goodreads

Goodreads is very similar to Shelfari. The one unique offering is the ability to create content surrounding a book. You can make quizzes, videos, and events surrounding specific books. They boast 3.2 million users with nearly 8.4 million books on their shelves.

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Use Binder Clips To Organize Your Wires

by on 31. Mar, 2010 in Organization

These types of things make you wonder how many organization gadgets are invisible, yet right in front of your face.

Credit: Lifehacking.nl

What other makeshift organization tools do you use?

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5 Tips for Starting a Fresh Work Week

by on 22. Mar, 2010 in Organization

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When Friday rolls around, the weekend is your only thought. During the weekend you are mentally preparing for Monday—what to wear, who to talk to, what is to be accomplished. Let Monday be your springboard for the rest of the week.

Here are some tips on how to do that.

1. Inbox Zero

Inbox Zero is when you have no emails staring you in the face and causing stress.

Many times, our email inbox is our to-do list, idea bank, and main communication. When you first turn on your computer in the morning, start with getting to Inbox Zero. This is a literal accomplishment. We want to achieve an empty inbox, and settle for nothing less.

Before plugging at your excel page, writing your blog post, or making the first call, you have to free your mind from the number that haunts your sleep; the stressing ‘emails ’ count.

Move the Necessary

An unanswered email, phone call, or contact sheet should not be in your inbox. Most of your emails have a place other than the inbox. Move the necessary emails where they belong, making sure you have not lost any important data.

Archive

References, pictures, and funny work emails should not be in your inbox. Archive them into appropriate folders and move on.

Delete the Rest

Unless it fits in the above categories, delete it. If you are afraid to lose the item, it should have been moved or archived. Delete the items you can do without.

2. De-Clutter Desk

desk

Your desk clutter does nothing good for you. An important mental step is to stop making excuses. Your desk clutter is the worst kind of to-do list possible.

Spending 10-15 minutes each Monday (or every day) de-cluttering will be a worthwhile investment in your time.

Productivity501 recently published a post called “5 Questions to Help Organize Your Desk.” The questions they ask force readers to think about the real reasons behind desk clutter. You can read the entire article here, or read my summary below:

Reading Materials

Be honest with yourself, and rid of the stuff you don’t need to read. Other tips include the use of RSS, getting a bookshelf, or listening to the audio version.

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