The start of a year is a powerful time to assess what we have achieved and make resolutions as to what we want for our lives in the year that is about to begin. New years are like fresh, white sheets with nothing written on them: we have the chance, yet again, to imagine what we want and make plans towards achieving what we dream of.

However, it is easier to make resolutions than to stick to them. Depressing stat: 25% of people give up after only a few days. More than half throw in the towel within a few months…and fewer than 8% ever cross the finish line.

We usually begin the year with a great deal of energy and self-discipline, both of which tend to fade around March and are entirely forgotten when June begins. And then, when the end of the year is approaching, we get angry with ourselves and promise we’ll try harder next year. Does it sound familiar? If so, don’t beat yourself up. It happens to everyone. But it doesn’t have to.

This year you could be one of the individuals who actually sticks to her resolutions and ends the year feeling enthusiastic about how much you achieved. How? By using one or more of these ten, time-tested secrets for making good intentions stick.

1. Keep Things Real

Look, if your goals are not grounded in any kind of reality, they are just wishes, pure and simple. For example, if you are not used to exercise, your chances of winning a marathon within the next year are pretty much slim to none. But if your resolution is to finish a marathon, the probability is much, much higher. Stretch yourself, but don’t untether your goal from reality.

2. Own it

Make sure that achieving your resolutions depends only on you. You can get as much help as you need along the way from coaches and buddies, but in the end, you are the sole person responsible for your own success.

3. Motivate Yourself Every Day

Keep a list of your resolutions on a visible place. Create a Pinterest pinboard. Write your top goals at the top of every to-do list. You need to keep your long-term objectives visible on an every day basis to ensure your daily to-do list actually includes the steps required to reach them.

4. Break Your Big Goal Down Into Smaller Milestones

If you plan to achieve something by the end of the year, think of milestones that will help you keep tabs on your success. Outline monthly goals or even weekly targets, so you know exactly where you are regarding your final goal.

5. Track Your Progress

Keeping a journal is a fantastic way to assess what you achieve and to help you get organized. It also helps when you need to change your strategy. You are less likely to forget your resolutions if they are written, and documenting the process will help you learn about your own experiences and build for the future.

6. Enlist Supporters

Get a “resolution buddy” or two and encourage each other to stick to your resolutions. Talk about what you have already achieved and what you still need and listen to other points of view about your experience. In our experience running Buttoned Up Boot Camps (www.ButtonedUpBootcamp.com), this has proved invaluable – when people feel accountable to another person, they will usually jump through hoops to ensure they follow through on time.

7. Carve Out Time in Your Schedule

When you are dealing with million of things simultaneously, it is harder to make time for your personal resolutions. Organize your day in a detailed, daily schedule that will help you figure out how to make time for yourself. Get your free printable daily schedule tool at GetButtonedUp.com/Tools

8. Reward Yourself

Each time you complete one of your milestones, reward yourself with something you truly like. It may be as simple as a piece of chocolate or a manicure, but rewards are a marvelous way to incentivize yourself to stay the course.

9. Get Help

You do not have to do everything yourself. In fact, most people who successfully achieve their goals are quick to point to others who helped them along the way. Think about those aspects in which you may need some extra help and get it. If possible, hire people who are experts in what you don’t know instead of thinking you will be able to do it all.

10. Get Rest

Really! Tired people are not productive. If you want to do so much that you never have time to rest, your chances of achieving your goals are significantly reduced, and if you are constantly worn out, it will seem easier to forget about your resolutions.

Finally, when the end of the year approaches again, be sure to assess what you achieved and enjoy your success before making new plans.

What is on your resolution list?

Holiday cards. The only reason people don’t embrace this traditional ritual and go all bah-humbug on it is because they get behind the 8-ball. Then, when they’re exhausted from the Holiday run-around and overwhelmed with everything they have to get done…they just can’t imagine adding one more thing to the pile. So they throw in the towel, or worse, stress themselves to the max getting them done and out the door, missing the point of them entirely.

The solution to all that anxiety: get ahead of it while you can.

In one week you can take seven simple steps, one little one each day, that get you well ahead of the Holiday card madness.

Day 1: Make Your Master List

Make a list of all the people you will be sending holiday cards to this season. You don’t have to worry about their addresses yet (you’ll do that tomorrow). Today, just come up with everyone who should be on the list. If you can, set up a file on your computer (Word or Excel) and keep the list there. If you’re a pencil and paper type, don’t just scribble on any old scrap – set aside a special notebook or nice, clean paper that you can save in a folder.

Your goal is to create a master list that you can use year after year after year.

Day 2: Organize Addresses, Part I

Today go on a hunt for the addresses for the first half of the people on your list and put the address next to each name on your sheet (virtual or paper). If you don’t have someone’s mailing address, email, text, facebook message, tweet or call them TODAY and ask them to send it to you.

Day 3: Organize Addresses, Part II

As you did yesterday, go hunt for the addresses of the people on your list – this time for the people on the second half of the list. Again, put the address next to each name on your sheet (virtual or paper). Make sure you get missing addresses.

Do not go to bed until this task is completely D-O-N-E. You will thank yourself a million times over the coming years for having done this!

Day 4: Take a Family Photo & Upload It

If you already have a photo that you want to use, congratulations, you can skip this day! If not, gather your family (or just your kids, dogs, cats, whatever you usually photograph) and get that photo taken today. If it’s a nice day, take the picture on your front steps or outside. If it’s raining, take the picture indoors. Snap away until you get one with everybody smiling.

When you’re done, upload all the pictures to your computer and organize them in a folder titled “Holiday Card 2013”

Day 5: Edit the Photo & Upload It to a Digital Card Provider, like Tiny Prints

Get rid of red-eye and fix any other issues you might have with your best photo then upload the final image to an online photo card provider like Tiny Prints or Shutterfly. If you don’t yet have an account, set one up – it takes two seconds. Alternatively, you can

Day 6: Pick Out 5 Card Templates You Like

Set aside 30 or so minutes today just to go shopping for some Holiday card layouts that you like. Mark the ones you like as favorites so that you can compare them side-by-side. Winnow your selects down to your five favorites.

Day 7: Pick a Winner and Order

Play around with personalizing the 5 cards you have selected with the photo(s) you uploaded. Decide on your favorite look and order the cards! You might also want to consider adding an order of return address label stickers – it’s so easy to slap those on the envelope – and people who are on the receiving end love them too as it makes organizing Holiday card lists much easier.

That was easy, right? Once you get delivery of your cards, divide them into five groups. Write a quick note, address and stamp the cards for one group each night.

Are you a Holiday card lover or do you think it’s an overrated tradition? What do you think of eCards vs. paper cards?

Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013

Every New Year’s Eve is an opportunity to turn your back on the mistakes and missteps made in the past year and start fresh. That’s why so many people love this Holiday – it’s at once an objective look back and an optimistic look forward.

2012 certainly brought its ups (physicists found the Higgs particle!) and downs (Hurricane Sandy comes to mind). Hollie & Sarah are definitely among the millions who would like to put the effects of that monster storm behind them.

What do you want to leave behind in 2013?

What about you? Do you have something you’d rather just close the door on and move on from in 2013? Maybe you got out of a bad relationship, lost a job, or just had one of those years…? If so, we’ve got the perfect cure!

The Good Riddance Day Contest

Imagine an all-expenses paid trip to NYC to celebrate New Year’s Eve at Times Square and shred anything and everything that’s associated with your bad memory.

It’s such a great way to start out fresh by getting rid of the paperwork and clutter from 2012 we just couldn’t resist sharing with all of you.

Would you like to be at the official New Year’s Eve 2013 Party in Times Square? Then enter the contest!

The Prize

What would you win? Good question – does this appeal to you? It sure did to me!
• Two round trip airfare tickets
• Five-night hotel stay
• Designation as the official “First to Shred” at Good Riddance Day 2012
• Two VIP passes to an exclusive pre-viewing of the Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball
• Two tickets to the official New Year’s Eve 2013 Party on Times Square
• A comprehensive prize package of local area cuisine and attractions to cover meals and activities throughout the week, including tickets to a Broadway show

HURRY TO ENTER!

Submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, December 2, 2012. To submit an entry and to learn more about the contest, please visit www.cintras.com/goodriddanceday

Say Good Riddance to 2012, and welcome 2013 in style!

Are you in? What do you want to say good riddance to??

This is part two of my journey from slapdash meal assembler to cook. If you missed the first two posts, find the the post detailing why I made a resolution to get my weeknight cooking buttoned up and my post about the first tentative steps I took on my journey from slapdash meal assembler to organized cook.

Phase II: Mastering the Basics

After the fits and starts of January and February (okay and most of March too), I was starting to feel like I was getting the hang of cooking.

Because I kept making and re-making “standards,” I now could prepare the likes of a very basic baked ziti, red lentil dahl, and baked fish without consulting a cookbook. Not to mention rice, barley, and couscous, which were (and still are) my go-to starches.

As far as vegetables were concerned, I found my boys gravitating to salads, green beans, and broccoli. Dark leafy greens like spinach and kale were not ever well received when I experimented with them. So I didn’t fight it and focused on keeping the things they liked rotating in and out. My default prep for veggies is still to this day steaming.

Here are two of my “standard” menus from around this time. They are basic, basic, basic – some might even say boring. But they weren’t frozen or take out. That meant I was, in the words of Charlie Sheen, “WINNING.” The rest of team Welch loved them too.

Super Basic Baked Ziti Dinner

• 1 lb of dried ziti pasta
• 1 15 or 16 oz tub of ricotta cheese
• 1 jar of pasta sauce (sometimes I make my own by sautéing a little garlic in 1-2 TBSP olive oil, after a few minutes adding a can of diced tomatoes and some Italian seasoning or fresh herbs if I have them like parsley, oregano, and basil. I let it simmer for 5 min or so and voila. Done and look ma, no preservatives! Now if they’d only start canning tomatoes in glass jars rather than BPA lined cans…sigh)
• 1 Cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Italian seasonings
• Salt & Pepper to taste

To make, just boil the pasta until it is al-dente. Once you drain it, return it to the pot and add the ricotta cheese, pasta sauce, and about 1 1/2 tsp of Italian seasonings. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then dump the coated ziti into a 9×13 baking dish, top with the cheese and put in the oven for 30ish minutes at 350. Sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese and serve.

While the pasta is cooking, use the time to make a salad or steam some veggies.

As I promised yesterday, here is the story of the first part of my journey from someone who relied heavily on packaged goods, frozen dinners, and take out to someone who cooked healthy dinners from scratch at least 6 nights a week.

Phase I: Fits & Starts

Of course I started strong out of the gates.

On January 1st, I think I pored over the 10 cookbooks in my stash for about two hours while I made a detailed menu and shopping list. I carefully printed or copied recipes for the week and organized them in a plastic sleeve that I boldly labeled “Recipes” and kept on the countertop. I dragged the family shopping at Whole Foods, embracing my new Mother Earth image with aplomb. Dinner the first night took me a full 3 hours to get on the table, half of it hands-on prep. I made an absolutely delicious vegetarian lasagna from the delightful cookbook The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil & Rosie Daley.

My husband, a meat lover, thought it was delicious. My oldest shouted, “THANKS FOR MAKING SUCH A BAWICIOUS BRAZAGNA MOMMAY!” My youngest slurped it up too, occasionally grinning at me from across the table between fistfuls of spinach and noodles.

Lights twinkled and the angels sang. My chest swelled with pride.

I can DO this!

And then the weekday hit. I got something resembling the dinner from scratch I had planned on the table the second night. But by the third, my usual chaos was back. Conference calls, immovable deadlines, and revisions, revisions, revisions kept me in a frenzy until 5:55pm. Oops. Thank heavens I still had some frozen Bertolli dinners in the freezer. Three more days like that and my pride-filled chest was nothing more than a deflated sac.

Who am I kidding?!

The image of my mom was a powerful motivator though. The next Sunday morning I got right back in the saddle, poring over the cookbooks, making my menu and shopping lists, although this time I shopped at my local Stop & Shop. The second week went much like the first: three real meals, four quazi-ones.

And around and around I went in fits and starts through most of January and February. I can DO this! Who am I kidding?! I can DO this! Who am I kidding?!

Fortunately, I had done two things right when I framed my resolution. 1) I had given myself plenty of runway to figure this out – 12 whole months. Even though I was technically “failing” in this stage, December still felt far enough in the future that I believed I could crack it if I stuck with it. And (2) I had tied one hell of an emotional motivator to my resolution. How could I not want to carry my mom’s legacy forward for my boys?

I cannot understate the importance of having a massively important emotional reason to keep you going when you want to give up.

Suggested Reading

As my interest in healthy foods/cooking grew, so did my appetite for books on the topic. There were two books I read during this period that made a lasting impression – and strengthened my resolve to make this resolution stick.

The first, Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer, the acclaimed novelist and author of Everything Is Illuminated.

The author was motivated to explore the topic by the arrival of his own son. As an on-again, off-again vegetarian his whole life, he felt he needed to come to terms with the issue as he would be making dietary choices on behalf of his child – a responsibility he took very seriously. Just that notion alone reminded me that I hadn’t been making the best dietary choices for my boys (because I was “too busy”). It made me want to redouble my efforts.

Mr. Foer is a wonderful storyteller, so even though this is very much a non-fiction book, it reads more like a fast-paced novel. For me, by far the most compelling portions of his book involved his dive into the horrifying world of factory farming. I honestly had never really thought much about how the animals that I ate and fed my family were raised, slaughtered, and brought to market. But his chilling accounts of the mass cruelty as well as the biological and ecological ramifications stopped me in my tracks. His findings have been reinforced by other books and articles I have read since, so I don’t think anything is fabricated or exaggerated. The book provided a wake up call that has profoundly affected how we think about and consume meat and dairy products. We’re still omnivores, but we only consume meat and dairy products that have been pasture-raised and we made the shift right away. Yes, it’s more expensive, but you offset that by eating less of it, which is healthier anyway.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone who is in the process of making a transition to eating healthier.

The second book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michal Pollan brought me even deeper into the world of agriculture.

This book posed exactly the same questions that I was seeking, which is what compelled me to pick it up in the first place, namely: what exactly am I eating? Where does it come from? Why should I care?

Much has been written about this book, so I won’t bore you with another book report. Yet, I feel compelled to say, his analysis of the various elements that create our modern food chain has profoundly and permanently changed how I purchase the ingredients that go into our meals. For example, I no longer equate organic with sustainability and I buy almost exclusively from the Farmer’s Market when it is in season.

Literally, not a day goes by where I don’t think about something I learned in this book.

Have you read any compelling books about food? If so, please share them! Have you read either of the books I mentioned here? If so, what did you think about them?

Continue on to read Part 2 here.

PS – I just love this poster. Even though I no longer AM that woman, it still makes me crack a smile. You can buy one on AllPosters.com.

At the beginning of 2011, I decided to switch up my typical approach to making New Year’s resolutions. Rather than chasing five or ten different goals (and accomplishing maybe two-thirds of one of those), I decided to switch gears and make one big resolution — one that honored my mom and enabled me to keep her presence in my childrens’ lives.

The goal

My one resolution was to go from someone who at dinnertime relied heavily on this…

…and this:

To a mom who whipped up some healthy goodness like this at least six nights a week…

{image via: Little Yellow Kitchen}

…and even bakes her own bread.

A tall order to be sure.

But I figured that, given the time horizon, it was within the realm of possibility.

As it turns out, I stuck with it and have become one of those people I used to eye suspiciously, if not downright incredulously: one who genuinely enjoys cooking dinner. But you know what I enjoy even more? Three boys who actually inhale quinoa.

I swear it makes me want to break out into song every time I see it happen.

Rest assured, my path to culinary glory has not been a straight one. No significant behavioral overhaul is though, which is why I thought it might be helpful to share some of the key lessons from my journey. I know I can’t be the only person who relied too heavily on packaged, processed foods in order to get dinner on the table, right?

The Journey

While I wasn’t conscious of it at the time, I gradually worked my way through four distinct phases between January and December. During the first phase, I flailed around and generally stumbled more than I succeeded. In the second phase I started to get my sea legs. By the time I got to the last two stages, I was really having some fun.

Over the next few days I am going to share with you the details from each stage of the journey. I’ll dole it out in bite-sized pieces because, as my mom always said, a little bit of chocolate every day is SO much better than a pound of chocolate all at once. Start here for the embarrassing recap of the first phase of my journey from frozen dinner queen to healthy weeknight cook.

Have you ever made a significant behavioral change? What was it? How long did it take to stick? Did you go through “phases?”

The statistics on setting New Year’s resolutions are pretty dismal. Most people won’t make it to the end of the month, let alone the end of the year. In fact, we’ve heard that as few as 2% of resolution-setters actually achieve their goals by year’s-end. Making a change stick is hard work. But it is possible.

No matter what your goals are for the year ahead, we want to help you achieve them. Organize yourself for success with these helpful tips.

1. Take time to evaluate 2011.

Consider the things that went well for you last year as well as the things that didn’t. Make a list of each. Take a moment or two to consider why you were successful or not. In addition, take a moment to celebrate your successes.

2. Ask yourself: “what lessons can I extract from my previous failures?”

I recently posted about the power of a failure wall. As one reader commented on Facebook, “often what we consider huge failures in our minds actually were great learning experiences and have brought us to where we are today – almost a backwards confidence booster.” Take the time to articulate the lessons learned from the stumbles you took last year. The wisdom you gained from making them will serve you well in the year ahead.

3. Get a notebook and write down your goals.

When you physically write something down, the few minutes that it takes for you to review and think about what you are trying to learn is the minimum length of time that neuroscientists believe is necessary to allow thought to go into a lasting, more easily retrievable memory. It also helps you focus your attention and keep track of where you are. Cement your goals by writing them down.

4. Forget about yesterday, last week, last year.

All that matters is what you do in this moment. Don’t paint yourself into a corner as a “failure,” because it is not a permanent state.

5. Start each day with a commitment to your goal(s).

Keep your goals in a spot where you can see and review them at the start of every day. I like to keep a laminated copy taped to the inside front of my to-do notebook, which I look at as soon as I sit down at my desk each day. I know Alicia keeps hers in the drawer of her bedside table and goes over her goals before she even gets out of bed for the day.

6. Script your moves for the first 30 days.

Shifting momentum is often the most difficult part of making a fresh start. Make it easier on yourself by assigning one to-do for each day of the first month so all you have to do is follow the path you’ve already charted.

7. Start small.

As Jonatan Martensson said, “Success will never be a big step in the future, success is a small step taken just now.” Even if it’s just exercising or decluttering for 5 minutes, the important thing is that you start.

8. Make one goal for each week.

Break your big goal into 4 weekly goals for each month. Then forget about the big goal and simply focus on the bite-sized one you need to achieve this week.

9. Plan to Fail.

That sounds depressing, but it’s not. Nobody is perfect. The key to success is expecting failure…and planning ways to bounce back from it. Consider your “weak spots,” like getting out of a warm and cozy bed early. Then brainstorm ways to overcome them, such as going to bed in your workout clothes or investing in a Clocky (that alarm clock that runs away from you).

10. Try some if/then statements.

Psychology researchers from NYU have verified the power of simple if/then statements in getting people to follow through on their intentions. For example, if weight loss is your goal, repeat a statement like, “if I go to a restaurant tonight for dinner, then I will order a salad,” to yourself. You might just surprise yourself when you order a salad as if on autopilot.

11. Stoke your emotional attachment to your goals.

Cut out quotes and images, keep a Pinboard (if you need an invite, just email sarah at getbuttonedup dot com and she will get you one). Keep them handy so that when you are tempted, you can look at something and immediately feel a strong sense of connection to your end goal.

12. Measure your progress.

Pick one or two metrics to measure and keep track of your progress every, single day. Look back at your progress each week and month and celebrate!

13. Make a public statement.

There’s nothing like committing to a goal publicly to keep you honest. Post on your facebook wall, send an email to friends and family, or tell all of your colleagues what you are going to accomplish, by when. Encourage them to check in on you and heckle you if you are not living up to your end of the bargain.

14. Get an accountability buddy or community.

We all need one person who can hold our feet to the fire. If all of your friends and family are pushovers, hire a coach or trainer instead. Or consider joining or creating a Meetup group that will accomplish the same thing.

15. Keep a daily gratitude list.

When you are filled with appreciation for what you have, your mental state shifts dramatically in a positive direction. Start each day by noting all the people and things in your life you are grateful for and take note of how the tone of your days improves.

16. Pat yourself on the back once a week.

It can be easy to get swept up in busyness. But celebrating your progress each week is critical to staying on track. Take 5 minutes every Friday afternoon or Sunday evening and write down at least 3 things you did (or learned) that brought you closer to your intended goal.

17. Reframe what it means to fail.

A teacher once told Sarah that the only way to fail was not to learn. It transformed how she looked at her progress. If you fall down, pick yourself up and ask yourself what you can learn from the experience. Learn how you can prevent the same thing from happening in the future.

18. Stop the comparisons.

Goals are personal. Don’t compare yourself or your rate of progress to anyone else. Focus instead on doing the best you can do today.

19. Sign up for a challenge.

There is something about working towards a big challenge that keeps you focused and on track. Find a relevant one to you and sign up.

20. Reward your self-control.

Keep a little sticker or star chart going for yourself on an index card you can keep your wallet. Every time you exercise self-control as it relates to your goal, give yourself a star. Each time you hit a certain number of stars, say 10, reward yourself with something like a manicure or a yummy smoothie.

21. Find someone successful to imitate.

As Anthony Robbins says, “success leaves clues.” You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Speed up your progress by modeling the program of someone who has been successful in the area in which you wish to succeed.

22. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Repeating tasks is the way to mastery. You should repeat one or two of the same tasks that are crucial to the change you want to make each and every week. Before you know it you will be able to do them on autopilot.

23. Be still once a day.

If you have had a good day, consider this an opportunity to energize yourself and tap into your insight and creativity. If you haven’t had a good day, a quiet moment serves as a fresh start. Clear your mind, clean your slate, and begin again.

What are you committed to changing this year? In what ways do you like to start fresh?

Get Organized in 2012

Hoping to turn over a new, organized leaf in the New Year? If so we’re excited for you and here to help. We have just put the finishing touches on our first ever Get Buttoned Up Challenge. What is it exactly? Well, it’s one part “get organized boot camp,” one part cheerleading squad, and best of all, a serious accountability system that will ensure you follow through on your good intention.

How the January #GetButtonedUp Challenge Will Work

Each day during the month of January we have a specific organizational task for you to complete. Download 31 day calendar by clicking on the link below.

Get Buttoned Up Challenge – January

When you complete the task, let the buttoned up team know your status by commenting on the Facebook check-in post for that day and either email or Tweet the picture of your completed task. Each week participants who successfully complete all 7 of their daily tasks will be entered into a drawing for a prize.

We’ll also enter anyone who has completed all 31 days of the challenge successfully into a grand prize drawing. All winners will be selected using random.org.

Participating in the #GetButtonedUp Challenge is as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Let us know you’re in by commenting on this post below. Be sure to tell us your Facebook name in your comment!
2. Letting us know you completed your daily task by commenting on the Facebook GetButtonedUp Challenge Check-In post each day
3. Sending a picture of your completed task to Sarah – via email sarah @ getbuttonedup dot com OR via TwitPic to @SarahButtonedUp & using the #getbuttonedup hashtag.

Weekly prizes will be awarded to a participant who has completed all of the previous week’s tasks successfully and let us know by checking in on Facebook and with pictures.

Weekly & Grand Prizes

Week 1 Prize: Signed copy of Pretty Neat
Week 2 Prize: Weekly.agenda + Greetings.stash
Week 3 Prize: $20 Target Gift Card
Week 4 Prize: $20 Walmart Gift Card
Grand Prize: Hoover Max Extract 60 Pressure Pro
2 Runner Up Grand Prizes: Hoover Presto 2-in-1 Cordless Stick Vacuum

Join In By Commenting Below!

NOTE: All are welcome to join in the challenge, but all prizes except Buttoned Up products are for US participants only.

]]> http://getbuttonedup.com/2011/12/22/join-the-january-getbuttonedup-challenge/feed/ 198 http://getbuttonedup.com/2011/11/02/a-week-by-week-plan-for-staying-ahead-of-holiday-chaos/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-week-by-week-plan-for-staying-ahead-of-holiday-chaos http://getbuttonedup.com/2011/11/02/a-week-by-week-plan-for-staying-ahead-of-holiday-chaos/#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:49:29 +0000 Sarah http://getbuttonedup.com/?p=18015

The holidays have a tendency of sneaking up on you, don’t they? Before Halloween is even over, most of us already start to feel the crush of impending holiday chaos. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a guide to keep you one step ahead with your holiday to do’s? We thought so too, which is why we’ve created a week by week plan to get you from now through the end of December without losing your mind.

So if you’d rather not be left on Christmas Eve running from store to store in a panicked frenzy because you don’t have enough sugar, or forgot to get your mother in law a present in the rush of holiday activities, read on.

This Week: Design Your Holiday Cards & Organize Addresses.

There’s one thing you don’t want lingering on your list come Black Friday, and that is “holiday cards.” Take the time this week to pick out your card, get your photos in order (or take a family photo this weekend if you haven’t already), and prepare the list of who will receive a card. I’m using Tiny Prints this year – I love their designs and how easy it is to customize your own photo card. If you use a digital contact manager, like Mac’s Address Book, you can create a group titled “holiday card” and drag and drop contacts from your master list to that group. In Outlook, you can create a new “holiday card” category for contacts and then go through each contact and assign them to that category. In addition, if you are traveling to visit friends and family, make sure your tickets are purchased by the end of this week.

Week of November 7: Set Your Budgets & Make Your Lists.


It’s very easy to get caught up in the spending spree that the end of the year often turns into. You don’t want to start out the New Year in debt though. Use this week to figure out a number in your head that you absolutely will not go over. This number will cover the cost of food, presents, travel, decorations, and everything else that comes along with the holiday season. Then use these three free Hoilday budget printables from us to help you organize your gift-buying so you stick to your budget. Additionally, write and address at least 5 cards a night this week. By the end of the week, you’ll have 35 done!

Week of November 14: Plan the Menus.


If you plan on hosting a holiday event at your house, whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or some other holiday gathering, now is the time to plan the menu. Think about the drinks, appetizers, main course, and desserts you’d like to have, and try to keep it simple. Two great resources for clipping recipe ideas online and organizing those ideas are the free notes program, Evernote and the free virtual pinboard, Pinterest. Your goal for the week is to have a complete menu selected by Friday. By the end of the weekend, print out all the recipes you need for the big day and store them in a plastic sleeve in a kitchen drawer, and make your shopping list. Don’t forget to keep up your five-a-night holiday card habit too.

Week of November 21: Get a Sparkle On.


One of the most stressful parts of having company over can end up being how clean (or not clean) your house is for your guests. Create a “gratitude centerpiece” by having family members fill out these Thanksgiving printables and hanging them on branches in a vase. On Monday and Tuesday, concentrate on getting everything in order in stages. On Wednesday figure out when each dish needs to be cooked, and if something can be prepared in advance. You might even want to get a jump-start on your Christmas or Hanukkah preparations by doubling any recipes that can be frozen. Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with your loved ones.

Week of November 28: Get Your Gifts in Order.


Armed with your printed gift list, hit the Internet and get your shopping out of the way on Cyber Monday (starting here at GetButtonedUp.com). Send back any RSVP’s you’ve been putting off taking care of, and send your own holiday cards/invitations out. Then enjoy the time you have before the rush starts again, and treat yourself to at least one day of relaxation for a job well done.

Week of December 5: Deck the Halls.


Drag out those storage bins and start unpacking those decorations! It’s time to untangle those lights, trim the tree, and dust off those holiday cd’s. and playlists Also, if you have any gifts to buy that you haven’t already ordered online, this would be the week to do it. Ditto if you have gifts to ship.

Week of December 12: Set Up a Wrapping Station.


Clear off a flat working space, like the dining room table and organize scissors, paper, tape, and if you use them, gift tags, on the surface. Wrap a few presents every evening this week. If you don’t have wrapping paper, use a green alternative like newspaper, cloth bags, or put children’s artwork to good use.

Week of December 19: Seek Peace.

Relax.

You are ready. It’s easy to get caught up in the rush, so slow down and enjoy your loved ones before the season is over.

]]> http://getbuttonedup.com/2011/11/02/a-week-by-week-plan-for-staying-ahead-of-holiday-chaos/feed/ 0 http://getbuttonedup.com/2011/02/01/hollies-new-years-resolutions-one-month-in/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hollies-new-years-resolutions-one-month-in http://getbuttonedup.com/2011/02/01/hollies-new-years-resolutions-one-month-in/#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:16:43 +0000 Hollie http://getbuttonedup.com/?p=14475

It is one month since I committed to my 3 New Year’s Resolutions and I have to admit, it hasn’t been easy nor have I been fully committed to each one.

However, I haven’t fallen completely off track and feel that I’m doing way better than any year before this one. Below is a recap of my resolutions and how I am honestly doing so far:

1) Work out at least 3 times a week and keep track of calories-in / calories-out every day – So I’ve been working out at least 4 times a week which is better than my goal; however, I haven’t been keeping track of calories-in / calories-out every day which I need to focus more on.

2) Drink less (limit 1 night/week) – I have been doing pretty well with this. I haven’t been perfect – I think I just need to replace the drink with something else to help me relax or unwind, like ice cream or a back massage! Now I just need to get my boyfriend to give me one!

3) Focus and appreciate the positive things in my life and less on the negative – This has been a lot harder than I thought it’d be! I get so swooped up in the daily grind and the little things, that I keep forgetting to look at the big picture and the great things I have in my life. Maybe I need to pinch myself every time I have a negative thought! Any ideas on how I can stop my mind from focusing on the negative?

So that’s my update. How are you doing on yours?

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