A random list of things I’ve been grateful for lately:
Google Calendar. Seriously. I didn’t use it much before, but it is now a life saver. I have several calendars within my Google Calendar. Dave also has a calendar and we share with each other. So, I have a personal calendar where I schedule appointments and such that concern only me. Dave does the same with his calendar. Since we share, I can see his schedule in my calendar and coordinate things as needed. We also have a calendar for Events & Appointments that we use to schedule events and appointments (creative, right?) that involve at least two family members, i.e. dentist appointments, family outings, dinner dates, and such. I also have a calendar for church stuff, task lists, meal planning, and so on. All the calendars are really just one calendar that is color coded with each category. I can set up reminders with pop-ups or emails. In Gmail there is also a Lab shortcut where you can see your agenda on the side of your email. It sounds complicated, but it’s not. It’s like explaining how to make a PB&J…”first you go to the fridge, open the door, locate the jam, remove the jar and place it on the table. Open the drawer containing butter knives, locate the knife and remove the knife. Locate the bread in your home – if sliced, open the bag and remove 2 slices….” and so on.
OCM – Oil cleansing method. I researched this off and on for two years and finally decided I believed it and could implement it. I love it. No moisturizer needed. Good starter info at Simple Mom and The Oil Cleansing Method site. Warning – I keep my mixture in an old lime juice bottle. Ari found it once and took a sip. She decided it was nasty and dumped the whole thing down the drain. Later that night she had a very mild case of the runs. KEEP YOUR BOTTLE LABELED AND OUT OF REACH of inquisitive hands.
Keyboard shortcuts. The basics (on PCs) “Ctrl +c” to copy, “Ctrl+v” to paste, “Ctrl+X” to cut, “Ctrl+f” to Find a word/phrase on a webpage. Lovely, lovely, lovely keyboard shortcuts. Mac users know how to translate all that, right?
Right click. Try it wherever you are. It’s beautiful. Especially when you’re on a webpage and want to open a link but not lose the page you’re on. Right click on the highlighted link, select “open page in new tab” or “open page in new window”; though opening it in a new window completely confuses me, which brings me to…
Tabs in my internet browser. I use Mozilla Firefox. And I love it. Dave uses Google Chrome and loves it. My brothers get all crazy excited about Apple Safari. Whatever. Tabs. I love having only one window open and multiple tabs. I can flick about from page to page, getting rid of and starting whatever I need to. It takes multi-tasking (or lack of focus) to a whole new level.
No ‘Poo. Dear me, I hate that phrase, but that’s what it’s known as. And that’s “No ShamPoo”. I have been shampoo free since April and my hair has never been healthier. Yes, we all know I color and cut and highlight and do all sorts of other crazy things to my hair but it’s in fabulous shape now. Here is a post for a start on the topic and here’s another, if you’re interested. I’ve also enjoyed Kate’s post found right here on “Or so she says…”. I love my DevaCurl products. I haven’t touched my straightener since November and I’ve never loved my hair more
Scentsy room spray. Kids + Food = odors. This season my favorite scents are Camu Camu, Autumn Sunset, Cinnamon Bear, and Citrus Orange. I mix them up, melting some, spraying others to find a scent I like. If I’m assaulted with over-much fragrance, I flick on our….
Ceiling fan! I don’t care what HGTV designers say about them. They are a wonderful invention and I’m lobbying to have Dave put one in each of the rooms of our house – except maybe the laundry room and the bathrooms. That would probably be too tight of a fit.
Persuasion. BBC’s 2007 version. Oh my. I think I sang praises when it finished. I did wonder about the kiss though…
These things make my life a little bit smoother and a lot more fun.
~ Jill