Remember My Passwords

Ok, so I can't take it anymore. I have way too many passwords, and I keep forgetting them.

Actually, I can remember them just fine...the first time I create one.

Then I have to change them every few months.

Or what I was using no longer confirms to the "strong" password requirements. I now have to add one upper case and three lower case letters. Plus a number...and a symbol...add a frowny face.

And then the worst is when a username is assigned to me. I didn't know before how many different combinations of my name could be used. And there is no way to change a user name!

Uggg!! It makes a girl wish that all passwords were either voice recognition or bio-metrics. I would be fine with putting a thumbprint on the screen to get into my computer system at work. I can't forget that!

So how am I going to solve it?

Figure Out My Personality

I recently attended a training event where one of the speakers had all the participants take a personality test. (FYI - It was the True Colors program.)

I was a gold

 with my second color being a green.

 

 

I think it was so spot on. The speaker went on to talk about how understanding your own personality can be very beneficial. Also learning what  the color is of those you work with or interact with can help you understand why people respond in certain ways.

I thought it was a very interesting talk. 

Have you every taken a personality test? What did you think?

And here are a few personality tests that are just for fun...

Which state are you? According to this my southern born boys were both New England states...something which I find hilarious!

This one claims to be like the Myers-Briggs test...even if it is not exactly the same, it is free.

And this test is for the dogs.

Paint the Refrigerator = Chalkboard



 

While flipping through a copy of Southern Living Magazine, I came across this picture....

 

 

While this is a beautiful kitchen, what really caught my eye was the chalkboard refrigerator. What a great idea!

 

 

I could see my kids having a great time drawing on a refrigerator painted with chalkboard paint. In my house, it would look like this...

 



Via

 

 

I would use it to keep track of my lists....

Via

 

or plan out the menu for the week...

Via

 

 

If I didn't want to paint the whole fridge I could try decals like this...





Via

 

Or this....

Via

 

 

 

Or decorate it with this neat look...

Via

 

It would be a great way to revitalize a kitchen appliance that might no longer go with the décor of the kitchen. Would adding chalkboard paint to your refrigerator be something you would consider?

Pin Picks III

My pinterest boards are filling up, and I have some great pins to share this week.

Decorate

 

 

 

I was literally swooning over this gorgeous wallpaper. Be sure to check out The Glam Pad as she makes over her powder room. If this is the start, I am sure the finished room will look amazing.

 

 

 

 

Organize

 

 

Since I am currently decorating my laundry room, cleaning is on my mind. How excited was I when I found this free printable from Mary Organizes. It's a list that you check off, and then wipe off to use for the next week. How great is that!

 

 

 

Try Something New

 

 

 

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I've done a little decorating. But when I saw this, I realized I need to step it up a notch, and try something cool like this. So easy to do, and makes such an impact in the room. Check out the how-to at Life and Home at 2102.

 

 

Be sure to check out the rest of my pinterest boards here. And if you want, follow me. I've found some amazing boards that way.

Pin Picks I

Pinterest is so right up my alley. I find inspiration everywhere, and I love that I can keep it organized all in one place. Plus, when I finally get around to doing something, it is easy to find my ideas again.

To share my love of Pinterest I am starting a series, that I am calling Pin Picks.  I plan on posting every Friday.

Here are my recent pins that I picked up from around the web.

Decorate

 

Via
I couldn't find the original source, but the room was designed by David Jimenez

 

Organize

Via


Try Something New

Via

Please check out the rest of my pins by clicking on the Pinterest link on the sidebar.

What is your favorite pin that you found this week?

Improve the House List

I mentioned here about the current state of my house. It's a mess. So I made a plan to improve the house. I hope to spend about 1-2 weeks on each room, but we will see...life has a nasty habit of getting in the way sometimes.

So this is the plan...

Boy's Room
-Clean up closet
-Tidy desk
-Identify out-grown clothing

Master Bedroom
-Get rid of piles of papers
-Order new TV stand
-Get accessories to decorate the room
-De-clutter the closets
-Find art for the room

Living Room
-Make slip covers for the couch and chairs

Mudroom
-Get rid of the clutter
-Designate space for everything
-Tidy up the kid's cubbies
-Organize toys/bags/sports equipment

Kitchen
-Make curtains
-Clean out cabinets
-Organize pantry
-Find designated place for mail and other paperwork
-Edit pencils and pens
-Clean out bins of paper

Dining Area
-Add new light fixture and buffet table

Family room
-De-clutter all toys
-Organize desk area
-Decide what board games are really played with
-Add any needed decorations
-Put pictures back up


Wow that is a long list! But I need to do it. I am keeping my focus on how great my house will look once I am done.  It will be so organize that I will know where everything is at all times! A girl can dream. I will keep everyone updated as I progress.

I can't wait to start checking off these boxes.

What rooms need improvement in your house?

Check out the link up at Not Just a Housewife, and I Heart Organizing.

Fill Up the Calender

Via

The lazy days of summer are over.

I am already starting to miss my favorite day on the calendar...

 

See how it is blissfully empty. Not one thing planned. It was a day for us just to do whatever we wanted.

Now that school has started, this is what a day on the calendar looks like.

Sigh.....

The craziness has begun.

For years I used a paper calendar that was small enough to fit in my purse. I still prefer this method. But as the kids got older, and the schedules got more jammed packed, I needed other people (namely my husband and possibly a babysitter) to also have access to the calendar.

So I switch to an online version. Currently, I use the free version of www.keepandshare.com. It works very well for me. I can easily add events that repeat on the calendar, and I can color code each person to keep it all organized. I also like that when my husband is making his own plans, he can easily look up the calendar on the website and see if it works into the family schedule. It was a great improvement  in our household to at least attempt to tame some of the craziness.

And confession...I do still print it out on paper monthly and hang it on the refrigerator. Old habits are hard to break.

What form of calendar do you use?

Check up the link up on Serenity Now

Find New Uses for Binder Clips

 

A friend of mine recently gave me several binder clips as a small gift. I was definitely intrigued when I first saw them. Before I always thought of these as utilitarian things that held stacks of paper together. But these were really pretty! I quickly set to work thinking up all the ways I could use them.

I started using them to hold close opened bags of food.

Then I got the idea to clip them to the sides of the trash can to keep the bag from slipping down whenever I put something inside.

Next up was using them to clip together envelopes that I needed to remember to put in the mail.

The best use was clipping together the various items for my children's outfits...one binder clip per child. This made it so easy to find the dry change of clothes in my normally chaotic pool bag after a day spent swimming.

It was amazing how a few colorful binder clips made such an improvement.

What are the ways you would you use these clips?

Check out the link up on Serenity Now, The Dedicated House, My Love for Words, The Pink Pagoda and I Heart Organizing

Read for Improvement: Part 2

This is a continuation of the series highlighting books that could inspire small changes to improve your life.

This book kept popping up in my scope lately. First, there was an article about the author in my sorority alumnae magazine. Then, she came to speak to a women's group I belong to. Finally, it was in a featured display at my library. At this point I had to pick up and read this book.

The author's year long journey to make friends really hit home with me. I've moved several times in my life, and each time had to start over with making friends in my new town. I could relate to the anxiety of entering a room, and not knowing anyone, and at the attempts at starting a conversation with someone you just met. Of course, I have gotten pretty good with doing it now...practice makes perfect...and I do have a good group of friends. It was nice to have a reminder though that sometimes it is worth it to put yourself out there. You never know who you might meet!

Read for Improvement: Part 1

This is the first in a series about books that discuss making changes to improve one's life.

First up is The Happiness Project.

This book, written by Gretchen Rubin, details a year in her life where she works on increasing her happiness. She is already pretty happy, but just needs slight improvements. I like that this project is done within the context of her current life. With my busy schedule, I often don't always have time for anything extra. Jetting off to some meditation retreat for a week of contemplation is just not going to fit into any plans. All of her suggestions can be done within the current state of my own situation.

There was also great information, that the author included, about others in history who have also set out on the quest for happiness. Sometimes it is nice to hear what people thought about or how they approached something they were faced with.

After reading the book, I was inspired to try my own project. I made up my list of what to work on  based on the author's resolutions. And just like the book was set up, I will work on a few goals at a time, adding new ones every four weeks. I plan on doing short updates once a month as I make these small steps to improve my life. Stay turned for future posts.

Read a Good Book: Twitterature Link Up

 

 

Today I am participating in a link up with the blog Modern Mrs. Darcy. In this link up, called Twitterature, bloggers are asked to create short, Twitter-style reviews of their recent reads.

 

There are times when something I read in a book...from the way a character handled a situation to a line that really spoke to me...that did have an effect on the way I responded to or thought about an event in my life. That is why I am such a sucker for these books I recently read. In all of them a book has a big effect on the main character, changing the course of the character's life.

 

 

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

 

I was at my bookclub when this book was mentioned, and five of the women there swooned over how good it was. Of course I had to read it. It is about a boy who is taken to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and allowed to choose one book. The story continues, as the child grows into adulthood, as he searches for the author of the book and finds mystery, romance, and many haunting elements along the way.

 

 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 

 

This book is about a Germany girl during WWII. She can't resist stealing books. The story is interestingly narrated by death, and it contains a few books with in the book. It was a memorable story leaving me teary eyed at the end.

 

 

 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

 

 

 

The main character's journey begins when she gets a letter from a man who got her name out of a book. This starts a letter exchange between her and a small group of people who live on an island. I listened to this as an audiobook and loved all the different characters.