Posts Tagged ‘a new leaf’

Committing Your Dreams to Paper…and Beyond!

Posted on: December 20th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

“Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time, to figure out whether you like it or not.”
   –  Virgil Garnett Thomson

Is there one improvement—even a small one–to help your business run more efficiently or effectively? If you have an Oprah Aha! moment (“a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension”), make note of it, so you can take action in the New Year. Once you commit your brilliant idea to paper, your brain will begin to percolate some next steps.

When you see friends, don’t be afraid to verbalize your ideas or share your hopes and dreams. Your holiday cocktail conversations will be more stimulating! Good friends will support you and tell you that you’re not crazy. They may even hold you accountable, but don’t let that scare you. It will keep you moving forward and help you take the next step–whether it’s big or small.

So start thinking about what you need or want to accomplish in 2013!

DON’T FORGET!

If you use a paper planner or family calendar, remember to pick up a new one for 2013. Mark down new appointments now, so they’re not forgotten.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST!

It’s OK to say NO to a request–especially during the holidays–if you’re already too busy. And DON”T FEEL GUILTY



A Word of Wisdom from Richard Bach

Posted on: December 18th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

“The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is the way one uses them.”                                                                – Richard Bach



Ideas for Clutter-free Gift Giving This Year!

Posted on: December 13th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

The holidays are here, and the big day(s) is(are) edging closer and closer. If you want your preparations to run smoothly, your objective should be to accomplish the priorities on your list. Don’t let your perfectionist tendencies keep you from completing your tasks. There’s no reason why that can’t happen.

So let’s get started and turn over another leaf!

CLUTTER-FREE GIFT GIVING

“The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.” Charles Dudley Warner

We have become a country (along with our neighbours to the south) that likes to accumulate stuff. Why is there such a high value placed on having so many possessions? Are you trying to keep up with the Joneses? Are you drowning in debt in order to do so? This compulsion to accumulate causes clutter.

Getting Started

One of the first steps in dealing with clutter is to reduce it. Think Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Given the state of our economy, many people are out of work. The holidays aren’t supposed to be about who spends the most money.

Family Traditions

Schedule a family meeting, and review your family traditions. Consider eliminating the least favourite. You don’t have to do something just because you feel it is expected. It might not be as important to others as you think.

Gift Giving

When you give a gift, give it without any strings attached. If you are concerned that the gift may need to be exchanged or returned, include a gift receipt.

Regifting

The decision whether or not to regift is a personal one. If you decide to regift, the item should be in mint condition. Make sure you aren’t returning the gift to the person who gave it to you.

Gift Ideas

Ask for suggestions. Don’t assume everyone likes what you like. Listen carefully to people; they often give you ideas without even realizing it. Jot down ideas as you think of them.

Be creative. A membership for car services can be appreciated at any time of the year—whether someone’s stuck in a snow bank or has a flat tire. A magazine subscription—decorating, crafts, health or sports—can be a thoughtful gift. Tickets to a play or concert are also another idea.

Give gifts that are kind to the environment. Check out the many church bazaars and shows which showcase talented local artisans.

Gift Cards

Give a gift card to a person’s favourite store. A gift certificate to treat themselves for lunch or dinner at their favourite place will always be appreciated. For someone who loves gardening, a gift certificate to a nursery makes a great gift.

Make your own gift certificates—several hours of babysitting for a friend, a home-cooked dinner, shovelling snow for a neighbour, etc. Let your children have some fun suggesting ideas and creating the gift certificates.

Homemade Gifts

Homemade baking, jams, soup, pickles or canning wrapped in a festive tea towel, basket or cookie container are always appreciated–particularly by someone who doesn’t bake or can.

Organize a cookie exchange. If you have a friend who loves to bake, ask her if she’ll bake for you in exchange for wrapping gifts or another task.

If you knit, scarves, hats and mittens in a person’s favourite colour will be appreciated on a cold wintery day.

Services

Give a gift of your time. Running errands for a friend or having afternoon tea with a senior are just a couple of ideas.

Donations

For those people who have everything, make a donation to their favourite charity. Make a donation to your local Community Services Christmas Goodwill program in their name. Or give them a card stating that you have purchased an Angel Tree gift, so that a child has a gift to open on Christmas morning.

Instead of another mug for your child’s teacher, ask if you could donate classroom supplies.

Holiday Clothing

When you’re going through your closet deciding what to wear to your holiday get-together, think about donating the outfits you no longer wear.

The Princess Project provides young women who may not have the means to afford a beautiful dress for their graduation or prom. All dresses, accessories and shoes are provided at no cost to these young women. For more information, contact Kelly Steiss.

Make it Meaningful

Make time to volunteer. Involve your children. Whether it’s serving a meal at a soup kitchen, helping at the Food Bank, delivering Christmas hampers or visiting with someone who lives alone, there are numerous ways to get involved in your community. Volunteering is a reward in itself.

The important thing about the holidays is that you allocate some time to do whatever means the most to you.

Remember–clutter-free gift giving can apply to the whole year, not just the holidays.

ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS!

I invite you to share our newsletter with your friends and family. As well, I welcome your feedback and suggestions.



Plan to Balance Your Holiday Food Intake!

Posted on: November 29th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

JANE’S NUTRITION TIPS — Plan to Balance your Food Intake during the Holidays

For some people, holiday eating means abandoning sensible everyday choices while overeating. You can have the delicious tastes at Christmas time by going for quality and not the quantity of food. These four simple planning tips can help you keep your calories in check over this busy time of year.

Balancing out the Calories for the Holiday Function

Often, clients tell me that they don’t eat all day so they can splurge at the holiday function that evening. Good idea? No!

  • Instead, think about maintaining a balance before, during and after the holidays. Don’t skip meals in anticipation of a feast.
  • Eating breakfast and lunch will ensure that you are not famished when you arrive at the function.
  • If the event starts late, it is wise to have a small snack (e.g., a yogurt with almonds or half a sandwich) in the late afternoon, so you don’t get to the function and start overeating.

Family Dinners

Be mindful of what you are eating and when you are full.

  • Be sure to fill one plate with the most nutritious foods including a variety of colours (green – broccoli, white – potatoes, yellow – peppers, red – tomatoes, etc.).
  • Eat slowly and focus on the task at hand…Eating! This will give the brain time to receive the “full” signal from the stomach and prevent you from overdoing it, but it will also let you savour the flavours (even your mother–in-law’s turkey stuffing…).

Alcoholic Beverages and Desserts

This may add to the festivities, but it also adds a lot of “empty” calories.

  • To reduce alcoholic calories, have a vodka with clubsoda (no calories) or cranberry juice.
  • Have only one glass of a great red wine, and then have sparkling water with lemon for the rest of the event.

As visions of chocolates, sugar cookies and other tasty holiday treats run through your head and onto your hips, remember to enjoy desserts in petite portions.

  • Indulge in a small amount of your favourite, such as homemade shortbread.
  • Snack on high fibre fruit with natural sugars throughout the holidays.

Water and Activity

  • Drink lots of water. It’ll help you feel fuller, so you’re less tempted to fill up on too much food, and you’ll generally feel better for staying hydrated.
  • Make time for staying active. Activity or exercise will help give you more energy, allow you to deal better with the inevitable holiday strain, and help you maintain your weight.

Recipe – These healthy snack bars can be made ahead of time and are a great on-the-go option during some of your busiest days of the year.

Jane Dummer, RD, is a leading dietitian for the Canadian food and nutrition industry and a long-time resident of Waterloo region. Jane offers services for corporations and media, specializing in agri-food, functional foods and workplace nutrition and wellness. Follow Jane on Twitter @janedummer and subscribe to her Grow with Nutrition Blog.

It’s never too late to eat healthy!



What’s Happening…November/December 2012

Posted on: November 27th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

CLICK HERE to find out what’s happening!



Kind words from Monica C.

Posted on: November 22nd, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

“Thank you for the insightful presentation. Congratulations! I am certain that everyone present took something away with them that they identified with and that they could put into practice right away.”         – Monica C.

Thanks for reading…

P.S. To read more testimonials, please Click Here



Help Us Help YOU to Get Checking!

Posted on: November 19th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

We all have our own Holiday traditions, which often take some planning and organization.

Take some time to create your own Holiday checklist that you can use year after year!

If there’s a checklist that YOU would like to see on our website and in the next issue of The Monthly Organizer, please contact us and let us know!

                     We’ll get to work so that YOU can get checking! 



Adding Holiday Flare to Your Website–Chris Steingart@QTWeb

Posted on: November 15th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

If you’ve been thinking about making some changes to your website, now’s a good time. Chris Steingart at QT Web Designs shares some suggestions to spruce (no pun intended!) up your website for the holidays.

Add Some Holiday Flare to Your Website

You’ve decked the halls, trimmed the tree, hung the Christmas lights… what’s next? It’s time to add some holiday fun to your website.

What better way to show your visitors that you are open for business and keeping things current than adding some seasonal touches to your site. If you’re like me, you love this time of year and can’t help putting a Christmas stamp on everything, so why not your business too!

To read the rest of Chris’ article, click here.

Chris Steingart is the founder and lead designer of QT Web Designs, a company from Kitchener, Ontario which specializes in web design, brand and identity and print media.



Eat That Frog Part 3

Posted on: November 13th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments


Have you heard the expression “Eat That Frog” before? It’s the phrase that Brian Tracy uses “as a metaphor for tackling the most challenging task of your day.”

Many of us procrastinate when it comes to getting started on tasks we don’t really want to do. I’d like to share some information from EAT THAT FROG! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (ISBN 978-1-57675-422-1)–one of my favourite productivity books.

In our September and October issues, I shared the first 14 ways on Brian’s list. Here are the last seven!

15. Maximize your personal power: Identify your periods of highest mental…energy each day, and structure your most important and demanding tasks around these times. Get lots of rest so you can perform at your best.

16. Motivate yourself into action: Be your own cheerleader. Look for the good in every situation. Focus on the solution rather than the problem. Always be optimistic and constructive.

17. Get out of the technological time sinks: Use technology to improve the quality of your communications, but do not allow yourself to become a slave to it. Learn to occasionally turn things off and leave them off.

18. Slice and dice the task: Break large, complex tasks down into bite-sized pieces, and then do just one small part of the task to get started.
Create large chunks of time: Organize your days around large blocks of time where you can concentrate for extended periods on your most important tasks.

19. Develop a sense of urgency: Make a habit of moving fast on your key tasks. Become known as a person who does things quickly and well.

20. Single handle every task: Set clear priorities, start immediately on your most important task, and then work without stopping until the task is 100 percent complete. This is the real key to high performance and maximum personal productivity.”

I hope you have found a few of Brian’s 21 ways useful to help you stop procrastinating and get more things done faster!

Take action and EAT THAT FROG!



Wise Words from Theodore Roosevelt…

Posted on: November 8th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

“In any situation, the best thing you can do is the right thing; the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing; the worst thing you can do is nothing.”