Organization

The Perfect Planner/Calendar

by Kat on 01/05/2012 · 110 comments

Today, reader D wonders if she has to make her own Franken-planner to find the absolute best planner out there…

I realize this may be a bit too late to be useful for the upcoming new year, I would love to see a post regarding the various paper calendars/planners Corporette users prefer. I was digging through archives and read the entire post/comment thread regarding notebook and legal pad preferences, and I thought a similar thread about planners would be just as interesting. A girlfriend and I struggle every year with finding the “perfect” planner, to the point we try to cobble together some sort of Franken-planner on our own. We’ve actually discussed starting our own company to remedy this problem.

Actually, for people who can afford to wait, mid-January is a great time to get planners and calendars on deep discount — so let’s talk about it. Readers, what is your favorite planner/calendar system? (Pictured: Super cute custom day planners by Erin Condren, available at Tiny Prints (get 20% off any order + f/s when you spend $99, offer ends 1/10).)

Personally, I use a number of systems… so maybe a Franken Planner is needed!

Daily planning: As I mentioned, I recently gave up my Palm Pilot and switched to an Android phone. I looked around for a good calendar program, and came up with the following solution: I use Google Calendar (for free) and sync it with Pimlical (which cost about $25 if I remember correctly). Google Calendar is great because it gives me notifications on my Android, my iPad, by email, and more — it’s very hard for me to forget appointments or whatnot with the system! Pimlical is great, though, for a more permanent record of what I was doing and when. I tend to take a lot of notes in my calendar program — for example, every time I see a doctor I record my vitals and any topics discussed on the appointment in Google Calendar. Oh: another thing that’s nice about Google Calendar is that I can invite Outlook users to events — so when we book an airline flight, for example, I can instantly give my husband the details and put those on his calendar as well.
Longer distance planning: Something I’ve done for a few years now is to use my Palm Pilot software to print a yearly calendar, with each month getting its own page. I liked Palm because each day was a big enough block that you could write in it, but with only 12 pages the whole “packet” wasn’t too huge or crazy to actually use. I always put all vacation days on it — federal holidays and the like — and would primarily use the packet to plan vacations. (When vacation details are finally set I put everything relevant into the Google Calendar.) When I was planning my “maternity leave” for Corporette I used the planner to keep an eye on which posts I had scheduled for which day, which needed more editing, which days still needed a post or two.
I also have a big monthly calendar (for 2012 I used Snapfish to make baby-centric ones and then gave them as gifts to my parents, my in-laws, my grandmother, and my brother) that we hang on the wall — I also write friends’ birthdays on that one (and, um, decorate it with stickers, because I like to indulge my inner 8-year-old). It’s great for glancing at the calendar occasionally to see whose birthday is coming up, what the date will be next Wednesday, etc, etc. Something I really liked about Snapfish was that I could select individual dates to recognize — and so, for example, I have a picture from our wedding album on May 30 to commemorate our wedding anniversary… for each grandparent’s birthday I have a picture of him or her holding my son… it came out really nice. (After coupons and the promotions they had going on, each calendar only cost about $9, so it was more about the time invested to make it… but I’m really glad I did.)
Finally: I have a little teeny calendar at my desk that I got through Vistaprint — basically each day just shows me the monthly calendar (just the big numbers) and a picture (of course this one is baby-themed as well). (Just an FYI: Vistaprint is offering 50% off all custom-printed calendars, including little desk-sized ones like the one I got.)

The other big aspect to planners are tasks, I suppose. I’ve written before of my love for Remember the Milk, but I tend to use that for longer distance planning rather than actual things like “remember the milk” (it seems more efficient to either a) directly add it to my cart in Fresh Direct, b) head out to get some, or c) text my husband to pick up on his way home). I use it for TPS reports (if I see a cute dress for a Splurge, or in a certain price range), as well as to manage my growing addiction to ordering things online (i.e., remember that X is to arrive in Y days, you should get a refund for $100ish in 3 weeks, etc). Beyond that I use Post-Its, to be honest. I know my brother just spent a fair amount of money on a good iPhone app to implement the “Getting Things Done” system, but I can’t remember the name of it now — I’ll update this when I do.

Readers, what is your favorite planner/calendar system? Do you share calendars/planners with multiple people, i.e. your secretary or your significant other? Do you have multiple systems, like I do?

(L-#)

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The Messy Office

by Kat on 11/21/2011 · 102 comments

in Office Decor, Organization, Polls

How messy is TOO messy of an office? I’ve worked with all sorts of people when it comes to this. There are the people with the super-bare office — completely clean desks with perhaps one photo on it. I’ve worked with folks where it was so messy that it seemed like they could film an episode of Hoarders in there. And I’ve worked with people where it was “controlled chaos” — one of my bosses memorably kept about 10 tall piles of manilla folders on her desk at all times and would have to go through each pile to find what she needed. Personally, I’ve always been on the messier side of the spectrum, but with the caveat that I can almost always find what I need in under ten minutes.

I suppose I’ve assumed something about each of these coworkers — it is, after all, a bit of a window into how the mind works. I always imagine the bare-office people sitting there grinding their teeth at the slightest noise outside their office that interrupts their concentration — the kind of people who, if their daily schedule gets off by five minutes, their day is irreparably ruined. On the converse, I’ve imagined the truly messy office people (the “how did they get that pile of papers so high?” people) always think a clean office is a good idea in theory… when they get around to it, right after they finish that novel and those other 3 ambitious projects that they never quite seem to start. That said, for my $.02, the only people I viewed as “less professional” because of their office space had to do more with decor (a big sports-related beanbag chair, an overly pink, matchy-matchy desk set) and less to do with “mess.”

But as a junior employee, are you better advised to keep your office space orderly and neat — even if clients and superiors don’t visit your office frequently? When does a messy office cross the line?

poll by twiigs.com

Readers, what do your offices look like? What do you wish they looked like? What assumptions do you make about other people based on their office space?

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Tool of the Trade: My Trick for Holiday Shopping from Afar

by Kat on 11/16/2011 · 108 comments

in Lifestyle, Organization, Travel

For those of you who live a flight away from your parents, I thought I’d share my trick for the holidays, which I use to avoid traveling with gifts. It’s pretty simple, so here goes:

I send packages to Babette.

See, my mother’s name is Linda Vogele — so we’ve worked out a system through the years where if she receives a package for Babette Vogele (and this is kind of a year-round system at this point), she knows not to open the package. She puts it aside in one of her many closets (ah, the joys of living in Ohio!) and when I come home I open all of the packages, wrap them, and slip them under the tree. If it’s an occasion for which I’m not traveling home (say, her birthday or Mother’s Day or whatnot), I can direct my father to the appropriate box and he’ll open it and package it nicely and present it whenever her other gifts are being opened. (My mom tends to open all of the mail that comes to the house so this is primarily a problem with her stuff.) It’s a simple system, but I like it because it saves me from stressing about how to get gifts home, and it also means that if I see a good deal online for something my mother would like I can act on it, without having to remember to tell her that it’s coming, what it’s for, or who gets it.

Why Babette? Well… why not? We don’t know anyone with the name personally, so there’s no confusion.

Readers, what are your tips and tricks for holiday shopping?

(Pictured: Ribbons & Bows, originally uploaded to Flickr by david_s_carter.)

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Drawer Drugstore: Toiletries to Keep In The Office

by Kat on 10/31/2011 · 66 comments

in Comfort, Office Supplies, Organization, Work-Related Pain

What toiletries do you keep in your desk drawer? We’ve talked about the clothes you keep in the office, the food you nibble on during the workday, and the tech stuff you have to have for the office — but what about toiletries? I have such an established list that, when my brother started his new job, I gave him a little bag filled with these items — they’re helpful for everyone! (Pictured: junk drawer #1, my middle desk drawer, originally uploaded to Flickr by zeelicious.)

1. New-Skin. Yes, it’s an electronic world, but there are still far more papers to deal with than you’d think — which means papercuts abound — which means every open wound increases your chances of getting sick. My preferred method for dealing with papercuts is to apply a liquid bandage like New-Skin. It dries quickly, stays on all day (even after you’ve washed your hands), and it doesn’t leave that gummy residue on your nails and fingers.

2. Purell. This is another great way to ward off colds — and it’s particularly helpful to keep at your desk if you commute to work via public transportation (you can clean your hands the minute you get to the office), or if you shake hands with a lot of people during the course of your job. If you get one with aloe, it won’t dry your hands out as much. (And, someone recently gave me the tip that alcohol-based cleaners (like Purell) are a much better habit than antibacterial ones (such as the richly scented ones available at some mall stores). Of course, regular soap and water is best.

3. Thermometer. The higher up the food chain you go, the more you’ll find that a little head cold is not an acceptable reason to stay away from the office if work needs to be done in it. That said, it’s generally poor form to come to work (or stay at work) if you’re contagious. Obviously you’ve got a thermometer at home to know when you’re running a fever — but it can be helpful to have one at the office for those occasional stretches where you’re practically living at the office, or where you suddenly feel lousy in the middle of the afternoon. I’ve always done well with a digital one, like the Vicks Comfort-Flex Thermometer. (If you really want to get fancy, get a temporal artery thermometer, such as Exergen Temporal Artery Thermometer, available at Amazon for around $30 — you swipe it across your forehead and get a very accurate reading. The new mom in me loves it.)

4. Preservative-free eye drops. Long hours of staring at the computer = dry eyes. For some women this is a particular problem. My suggestion: invest in preservative-free drops. If you use the drops only occasionally, then you’ll be happy to open up a new vial of eye drops. If you use them frequently, you’ll be glad you’re not overloading your eyes with preservatives. I recommend TheraTears Lubricant Eye Drops, Single-Use Containers.

5. Visine, Clearasil, and cover-up. Yes, I’m recommending you get both Visine and preservative-free eye drops (because while Visine gets the red out, it can be incredibly drying for your eyes). So use the preservative-free eye drops to soothe your eyes (and possibly fix the underlying problem causing the redness). Still: Visine can be handy in a number of situations, such as when you’ve been crying and need to freshen up, and when you want your bloodshot eyes to look better (such as for a big meeting or a new date). My other use for Visine: if you have an angry red zit, dab a bit of Visine on a Q-tip (or a tissue wrapped around a pencil’s eraser) and use it to make your zit a bit less red. (I also recommend keeping Clearasil and cover-up on hand.)

6. Floss. You probably won’t use this one a lot, but you’ll thank me that rare time when you do use it — like when you’ve got something in your teeth and have to run to a partner’s or executive’s office. My favorite is Glide. (Although in a pinch, tape flags and folded Post-It Notes work as well.)

7. Eye-makeup remover. There are a lot of reasons for keeping eye-makeup remover with you in the office. Personally, I’ve always used it on those those nights where you’re stuck in the office in front of the computer for hours on end. Maybe it’s just me, but 16+ hours of wearing mascara makes my eyes feel, well, crunchy. Another big reason for having eye-makeup remover: occasionally, emotions may screw up your eye-makeup. Whether you’re crying for joy, sorrow, or frustration or anger (and hopefully you’re doing this behind closed doors), your eye makeup may need to be redone entirely in order to “save face” when you stick your head out of your office. I’m a fan of Neutrogena Hydrating Eye Makeup Remover.

8. Advil. Just give in to the idea that you’ll likely be at the office when you get a lot of headaches/cramps/aches, and invest in an economy-size bottle.

9. Tampons and/or pads.

10. Basic make-up (if you don’t already carry it in your purse). On the rare day that you can get to the gym, or when you walk to work, or when you need to re-do your makeup, you’ll be set.

Readers, what toiletries do you keep on hand at the office?

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Tech Fun: Slightly Geeky Things to Keep at the Office

by Kat on 10/24/2011 · 88 comments

in Office Supplies, Organization, Tech, Tool of the Trade

Not only do I consider myself a bit of a tech geek, but I specialize in a weird subset of tech geekiness: tech for the office. These are my top techy things to keep at the office — readers, what do you keep? (Check out our prior discussions on clothes to keep at the office, as well as food to keep at the office.)

Gadgets

1. Refrigerator — This was one of my all-time favorite tech purchases for my office (and it lasted forever). I bought a super, super small fridge for my office — so small it could barely fit a six-pack of Coke. I kept water and soda chilled, as well as cheese sticks, lemon juice, cheese, salad dressing — even leftover food. You can find them for around $50 (look up “mini refrigerator,” “portable refrigerator,” “travel refrigerator”) and up.

2. Extra chargers for your phone, Blackberry, and any other personal gadgets. I’ve never regretted the $40 or so the extra cord cost me.

3. Speakers for your iPod or iPhone. This doesn’t need a lot of explanation, but you may want to brush up on the etiquette of listening to music at the office, particularly when other people can hear it. For my own $.02, I think it’s fine to quietly listen to music if it’s after working hours, but “quietly” is the key — the person in the neighboring office should never have to come over and ask you to turn it down.

4. Phone headset. If you log lots of time on the phone — on conference calls or in meetings — a good headset might be worth an investment.

5. USB heated gloves (pictured above). If you have poor circulation and are always freezing, you may want to prepare for those long stretches in front of the computer by purchasing these USB-heated gloves. They plug into your computer and warm your hands as you type and click your way through the day.

Download

6. Leechblock. I’ve written before of my affection for Leechblock to help keep you focused.

7. RescueTime. Seriously consider signing up for this service if you’re wasting a lot of time and wonder where it went — it logs every online activity.

8. Consider installing a bookmarklet for ShoppingNotes — if you see an item of clothing that you wish were on sale, you click the bookmarklet, and the free service monitors the price for any adjustment. I’ve gotten some sick deals by using this service!

9. LogMeIn. Talk with your boss about this, but LogMeIn lets you log into your office computer from home (or your home computer from your office).

10. XMarks. As someone who alternates between multiple computers, I love XMarks — it syncs my bookmarks across all of my computers (and browsers). This is handy for me, both because I have a crazy folder/filing system for some bookmarks, but also because I now don’t need to remember what device I originally found a new website. If you upgrade to the premium (paid) version of Xmarks, it will even sync your bookmarks to your iPhone, Android, or Blackberry.

Software

Most businesses supply you with all the software you need. Still, I’ve had great success with a few programs and had to recommend them.

11. PDF Factory (or something similar). This program is hugely helpful if you sit far from the printer, if you want more control over picking up your printouts, or if you email a lot of PDF’d documents. (For the lawyers out there, it’s very helpful if you frequently review documents in .tif format, as well as if you print cases from Lexis or Westlaw.) Basically, when you click “print” you can choose to print to PDF Factory. The program opens a new window on your computer, and begins to compile a PDF. When you’ve finished printing, you can save the PDF to your hard drive, e-mail it to a coworker, and/or print it to your local printer.

12. Microsoft OneNote 2010 (or Evernote, if you’re comfortable with the cloud). This allows you to create “notebooks” that will be word searchable, printable, e-mailable, and so forth. I primarily find OneNote helpful in working on a project — planning a vacation or a wedding, decorating an apartment — but it’s also helpful in keeping track of restaurant reviews, recipes, articles full of gift ideas, and more. (I also find it useful on an organizational and environmental standpoint, because we now have a single place to put all those articles we used to just print out and leave in various places in our apartments.) (I prefer OneNote, but I know a lot of folks out there prefer Evernote for this kind of thing.)

13. Dragon NaturallySpeaking. This is pricier than the others, but this software is extremely helpful for those of you who practice the lost art of dictation. Dictating is a great skill to pick up for a variety of reasons — it’s much easier to summarize notes from all-day meetings via dictation, or to make sense of documents as you review them without constantly toggling between screens to be sure you’ve gotten the numbers and quotations exactly correct.

Readers, share your tech must-haves for the office!

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