What Do Rotten Produce and School Shopping Have in Common?

I'm sure you've seen that Staples commercial with the joyous parents, leaping around the store to the tune of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year", haven't you?  Summer is nice and all, but getting back to our regularly scheduled programs is a huge relief.

But, with the end of summer comes back-to-school shopping (THE HORROR!).  Well, no need to freak out.  If you've been trying to live more frugally (like I have), just think of this like grocery shopping:

• It's okay to buy necessities now.  Some schools are on top of it and send home school supply lists along with end of year grades, but many wait until school starts.  Either way, you know certain things like backpacks and lunchboxes are essential.  So, don't wait until they're picked over or cleared out on the first day of school. 
  
  (FYI: Thirty-One Gifts is having a great 15% off everything sale until the end of August.  It would be a great time to buy one of the cute new backpacks, lunch totes, pencil pouches, or organizing products to get students, parents, and teachers ready for the new year!)

  

  Save 15% off All Items (Sale ends August 31st)

• Stock up on staples while they're on sale.  They won't go bad.  Every week leading up to the start of school, different stores will have crazy sales on some items. 
• Don't drive yourself bonkers trying to go to every store, and don't fall for the trap of going in for the sale and then paying full price for the other items on your list.  Just pick 1 or 2 stores and load up on their weekly deal items. If notebook paper is 25 cents a pack, stock up so you won't find yourself paying full-price mid-year. 
• Many stores (like Staples, Office Max, and Office Depot) have price-matching policies, so if there's a sale on a name-brand item, bring your circular and save money, time, and gas.
• If you get a few items each week for the next 3 weeks, you'll find your list complete in no time!
• Don't buy your kid's whole fall wardrobe now.  In most areas of the country, your child won't need that wool skirt or those sweater vests for at least another month.  Buy a few transitions pieces to layer over their summer clothes, then pick up those cute fall outfits when they go on sale at the end of September.

For more great tips, pick up the August 26th issue of All You magazine or check out their website.

Ethics for the Not-So-Extreme Couponing

If you haven't watched TLC's hit show Extreme Couponing, you've more than likely heard about the antics of these ladies (and gentlemen), some of whom dumpster dive for coupons, stockpile things they don't need (like the unmarried man with a stockpile of maxi pads), or fill every room in their home (including bedrooms) with the spoils of their grocery hoarding. 

TLC's Extreme Couponing

You don't have to be extreme to be an effective couponer.  As a matter of fact, being a good citizen of couponing only requires some basic couponing ethics.  But why is it better to follow the rules? 

• Well, karma for one thing.  If you're the type to clear out a shelf just because you can, don't be surprised when someone else does the same to you.  Experienced couponers know that sales come in cycles (usually every 2-3 months, depending on the store).  So, get what your family can likely use in that time period and leave the rest for others.
• Also, when you exploit the rules, outright break them, or even break the law, there are consequences for you (being banned from stores, fines, lawsuits, or jail) and for other couponers (more restrictions and less savings).

Whatever your reasons for couponing (saving money for other things, a hobby, or a necessity), it can definitely be worthwhile as long as you approach it with some sanity.  Moderation is the key.  To get the 90% savings that some extreme couponers claim, you really do need to devote more time and energy than most working folks have, but that's no reason to give up.  You can certainly still get at least 30-50% savings with a modest 1-2 hours a week investment.  That's certainly doable, right?

First on Your To-Do List...

"For those of us with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), a little worry can quickly escalate to full-blown anxiety. When stress levels rise, we procrastinate, which only exacerbates ADD/ADHD symptoms. We become more forgetful, disorganized, and distracted." (Reduce Anxiety Naturally: Six tips for treating anxiety without medication, ADDitude Magazine)

I'm learning not to let things build up to the point of feeling overwhelmed because my brain can easily go off line if I do.  Then I'm no good to anyone.  One thing that has helped me get a handle on life is having a to-do list.  Here are some tips (some of which I learned the hard way):

• Keep all your tasks in one location.  (You may be tempted to jot down notes on scraps of paper, but fight the urge.  I use a Franklin-Covey planner, for my personal tasks and Outlook at work.)
• Break large/complex projects into bite-sized tasks.
• Consult your list throughout the day (Just because you wrote it down at 9 am doesn't mean you'll remember at 3 pm.  Don't "set it and forget it".)
• Be conservative with estimating how much you can accomplish each day. (It's disheartening to have 20 things listed and only 5 checked off.)
• There's nothing more satisfying than checking off or crossing out an item on your list.  Be proud of your accomplishment!

For more information about using to-do lists effectively, check out Tackling To-Do Lists with ADHD: Combat adult ADHD by using this time-management system to turn your stagnant to-do list into a daily action plan (ADDitude Magazine).

Train Up a Child

"Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

We have a household filled with ADD tendencies, so it's no surprise that our house is usually less than immaculate.  That said, we've been making an effort to be more consistent about having our 6 year-old daughter take responsibility for certain age-appropriate chores. 

To encourage this, we've hung a chore chart in her room.  We tried using it many months ago, but when it was on my husband and I to be responsible, her task completion was seriously lacking.  Lately however, my husband upped the weekly goal, and she's been on top of things, exceeding that goal by competing against herself.

I'm not sure if it's a matter of her being more mature or us setting a challenging goal, but whatever the case, I'm certainly happy to see her becoming more responsible and independent.  Do you have any tips for how to get the whole family involved in keeping the house clean?  I'd love to hear them.  Please, leave a comment!

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

When I was in college, trying earnestly to plot out my future, I was shocked by the answer I received from my mother when I asked, "How did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up?"  She replied simply, "I still don't know."  I'd just assumed that my career-woman mom who seemed to have it all together must have had some master plan for achieving success.

Well, more than a decade later, I still couldn't tell you exactly what I want to be when I "grow up".  My resume definitely shows the marks of ADD (though I was undiagnosed until recently).  I've been a college professor, proposal writer, web designer, high school math teacher, and am currently a software engineer who is also an independent consultant for Thirty-One Gifts.  Whew, I'm tired just thinking about it!

Whether you're an ADDer or not, statistics show that you're much more likely to change careers today than did generations past.  So, if you're considering a switch because of the bad economy or you're just looking for a new challenge, a great website I came across called My Plan (myplan.com) can be a useful tool in exploring your options.  It offers detailed descriptions of different careers (including any required training and salary ranges) and also has the following career assessments:

• Career Values Assessment (Measures your underlying needs and motivations) - FREE
• Career Personality Test
• Career Interest Inventory
• Career Skills Profiler

Give it a shot.  It may help point you in the direction!

Let's Talk About Sex (and ADD)

When most people think about ADD, sex probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind.  However, the ADD can have a major impact on a sufferer's sexuality.

 

If you have inattentive type ADD like myself, sex is probably the last hing on your mind most of the time.  It's not that you aren't interested, but it's hard for your mind to focus and stay in the moment.  So maybe you don't get around to having sex because you're too distracted by clutter, overwhelmed by your to-do list, or drained by the inefficiencies in your day.  Or when you do have sex, you're thinking about your kids' schedules or mentally compiling your grocery list. Again, it's not due to a lack of interest in your partner.  Your brain just won't behave.  Also, some of us ADDers are hypersensitive to sensory stimulation meaning certain sounds or touching may actually feel extremely irritating.

For those with hyperactive or combined ADD, your sex life may be affected more by impulsivity.  When you're not enjoying sex, you may be in a rush to get it over with or may bluntly call things off (at the risk of hurting your partner's feelings).  Or perhaps you self-medicate with sex.  You may be frantically pursuing sexual encounters and arousal-inducing situations in order to relieve an inner tension.  If you're experiencing hyper-sexuality, you may find yourself engaging in sexual relationships that are not beneficial (such as affaris or promiscuity) or drawn to more and more edgy sexual practices.

For more information about sex and ADD (and how treating your ADD can improve your sex life), see Managing Your Sex Life With ADD and Sex Drive and ADD.

We're Just Different (Girls/Women & ADD)

When I tell people I have ADD, they often don't believe me.  "No.  But you did so well in school!  Plus, you've never been hyper."  Or if I admit that my daughter has symptoms they're quick to tell me, "Oh, don't believe that.  People just want to label her and force her on meds."  But if someone had high blood pressure, would we say seeking an accurate diagnosis and treatment was a matter of being labeled?  Of course not.

So, if you're having difficulty functioning at an optimal level, you owe it to yourself to find out why.  Since ADD is under diagnosed among women and girls, I thought it would be helpful to share some information on common symptoms. 

• Is your Daughter a Daydreamer, Tomboy or "Chatty Kathy"?
• ADD Symptoms in Women
• ADHD in Women
• How Might Hyperactivity Present Differently in Adults with ADHD v. Children?

Also, because we tend to cope with our symptoms differently, it's important to realize that there is a higher rate of depression, addiction, obesity, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders amongst ADD girls and women.  It's better to treat the ADD first before trying to address the symptoms.

• ADD/ADHD in Women — Special Issues

Great Resources for Saving Money & Getting Organized

As you've probably guessed it, I'm a lover of all things organized.  I just got into couponing thanks to my cousin-in-law, Erin (is that even a real term?), so of course I had to get my coupons organized.  In the process, I've come across some great resources for learning to coupon and just organizing in general.  You know me -- when I learn something cool, I want to share it with everyone.  I guess that's just the teacher in me.  So here are just a few:

• All You Magazine: A great place to find tips to organization, saving time, and living frugally while still enjoying life to the fullest.  I love how many "normal" ladies they feature.  Plus this a great place to find manufacturer's coupons.  The most recent issue had over $70 in savings
• Raining Hot Coupons: The first website I visited when I wanted to learn about coupons.  She has lots of videos teaching newbies the ropes, and she matches up weekly sales with coupons for you.
• The Krazy Coupon Lady: Another great place to start with tips for beginners to advanced couponers.  Another good place to find weekly sales matched up with coupons.  If you're a fan of the TLC show Extreme Couponing, one of the founders of this site was on the show.
• Swagbucks: You earn "swagbucks" for web searches, playing games, and even printing and using their free coupons.  Once you get enough points, you can redeem them for cool stuff, Amazon.com gift cards, or even a cash deposit into your Paypal account.  Sweet!

Accentuate the Positive

No one enjoys hearing a laundry-list of their shortcomings. Yet most websites and books I've encountered as a newly-diagnosed adult ADDer take the approach of, "Hey, it sucks to be you. So sad. Here's some ideas for how you can try to be more like 'normal' folks.'  But don't get your hopes up."  Yeah.

So it was refreshing to encounter the book Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder by Drs. Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey.  They treat ADD less as a disorder and more as a type of brain with both benefits and disadvantages.  Here's their "Seven Habits if Highly Effective ADD Adults" (p. 37):

1. Do what you're good at. Don't spend too much time trying to get good at what you're bad at. (You did enough of that in school.)
2. Delegate what you're bad at to others as often as possible.
3. Connect your energy to a creative outlet.
4. Get well enough organized to achieve your goals. The key her is "well enough." That doesn't mean you have to be very well organized at all -- just well enough organized to achieve your goals.
5. Ask for and heed advice from people you trust -- and ignore, as best you can, the dream-breakers and finger-waggers.
6. Make sure you keep up regular contact with a few close friends.
7. Go with your positive side. Even though you have a negative side, make decisions and run your life with your positive side.

Pretty good advice for anyone if you ask me.

Lost and Found

My household is full of folks who could lose their heads if they weren't attached.  Here're a few examples.  Our daughter constantly loses thing: her scissors, her crayons, the microscopic clothes for Barbie, and most recently her SHOES!  My husband is slightly better: he only occasionally loses his cell phone, keys, or WEDDING RING.  Lest you think I'm singling them out, I've been know to lose the glasses on my face and even the baby's pacifier in my hand.  Aren't we a motley crew?

Thankfully, I read some great tips in ADDitude Magazine and realized I'm not crazy (or even unusual) in the ADD community.  Losing things just goes with the territory.  But the article had some great tips about how to make life easier for yourself such as:

• Give everything it's own specific place.  (For me, if I don't drop my keys in the basket by the door or plug my cell phone in on my nightstand, I'll spend 15 minutes the next morning looking for them).
• Use the trash can liberally.  (How can you find the important stuff if it's buried beneath a bunch of junk?)
• Ask for help.  (Clearly my family is ADD-challenged when it comes to finding things.  A system is only great if everyone's on board.  And when things go MIA -- and they surely will -- recruit everyone for your search party.)

Two Birds with One Stone

Some might call me lazy, but I prefer to think of myself as conserving energy. Why do more than is absolutely necessary, right?  That's called working smarter, not harder!  Well, when it comes to accessorizing, I want items that are multipurpose.  Why have 5 purses for work, 4 for the weekend, and 3 more for evenings?

Enter one of my best sellers since starting my Thirty-One business: The Fitted Skirt Purse.  This is one time that having multiple personalities is an asset!  One purse plus multiple skirts solves all kinds of problems:

• It saves time from not having to transfer everything from one bag to another.
• It saves headaches from not remembering which purse contains an important item that was left inside the last time you used the bag.
• It rewards you with multiple looks without the high cost.  Plus you don't need as much space for storage since the skirts store flat.
• The skirts are easy to personalize to create your own unique look.

Purchase Here


This is a great time to by The Fitted Skirt Purse, additional skirts, or any of Thirty-One's great handbags.  As I mentioned last week, March's customer special is for every $31 you spend, you can buy any purse (or skirt) for 50% off!  That means if you buy:

• A Coin Purse Wallet for $35, you can get a Fitted Skirt Purse for only $21! 
• Or, a Mini Zipper Pouch for $10 plus $6 for embroidery, a Mirror Compact for $10, and a Wristlet Key Fob for $5 to get your Fitted Skirt Purse for only $21! 

There are just so many ways to take advantage of this month's great deal!

Encouraging Others, Rewarding Yourself

Thirty-One is all about Celebrating, Encouraging and Rewarding Women. The special for March is for every $31 you spend, you get one purse for 1/2 off!  This month's special on purses makes it a great time to freshen up your purse wardrobe with great Spring colors and patterns. And why not let your good fortune benefit others too?

This month I'd like to encourage disadvantaged ladies by donating gently used professional-looking purses, totes, attachés, briefcases, and scarves to Dress for Success (http://www.dressforsuccess.org/).  The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

For each item donated, you'll receive an entry into a drawing on March 31st.  If you don't see me on a regular basis, feel free to call me (301-919-1787) or email me (KimSells31@gmail.com), and I'd be happy to arrange a day and time to pick up your donations.

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Counting the Cost of Clutter

Every year, getting organized finds its way onto the top ten list of American New Year's Resolutions.  It's a lofty goal that many of us aspire to.  I'm sure I'm not the only person who drools over the perfectly organized, color-coordinated, clutter-free photos in the home magazines.  Unfortunately, (like most other resolutions) the goal of getting organized is often abandoned within weeks of the new year's start.  But why? 

Well, wanting the end result isn't the same as knowing what it takes to achieve that goal, and knowing what it takes doesn't necessarily translate into having the desire -- the will -- to make it happen.  Inspiration is nice, but sometimes it takes desperation to get us over that first hurdle on the path to success.  So, here are a few statistics that will hopefully light your fire:

• The American Cleaning Institute (formerly The National Soap and Detergent Association) says 80 percent of household clutter is the result of disorganization, not a lack of space.
• The American Cleaning Institute also believes getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40 percent of the housework in the average home.
• Harris Interactive reports that 23 percent of adults say they pay bills late (and incur fees) because they lose them.
• The average American wastes 55 minutes a day looking for things they know they own but can't find according to a Boston marketing firm.
• The Wall Street Journal reports that the average American executive wastes six weeks a year searching for important documents that have gotten lost in clutter.
• The Small Business Administration (SBA) estimates that 80 percent of filed papers are never looked at again.

Bottom line: yes, getting organized takes some effort, but it takes a lot more effort than we realize to live amongst clutter.  Think how much more time and energy we'd have for the things that matter if we weren't busy looking for the keys or straightening up the mountain of mail that accidentally fell over.  Imagine the financial freedom we would have if we weren't racking up late fees.  Darn it, we can't afford to stay disorganized!

Take Control

Getting out the door in a reasonable time frame is a daily struggle for me.  I keep wondering why it takes me an hour to get out of bed (even though I'm already wide awake).  I chalked it up to just not being a morning person or not looking forward to going to work.  But seeing our daughter struggle with getting ready really opened my eyes to the situation.

On days when we have a plan (the backpack is packed, lunches are made, and clothes are laid out), we "magically" leave on time.  But honestly, on most days we just wing it.  I find myself fussing every day, "Why can't we ever be on time?  I hate being late!"  Then I noticed that we were usually late for church too, so I couldn't figure out why my husband would decide to load/unload the dishwasher when we needed to be out the door in an hour.  I didn't want to discourage him from voluntarily doing chores (yay for hubbies doing chores!), but that just didn't fit the routine.

Ding!  A light bulb went off in my head.  Routine!  Two things ADD folks struggle with are getting distracted and misjudging how long tasks will take.  I start to get pick out clothes for our daughter in the morning and notice clothes on the floor.  I stop to put them away and notice one of my son's socks got mixed in with hers.  I take it to his room and notice the trash needs to be emptied.  I go to empty the trash and realize I need a new bag for the can.  I...  Well, you get the idea. 

So, how in the world can I train myself to focus on one task at a time and stick to a routine?  Write it down!  For my daughter I made morning and bedtime routine checklists that I posted on the wall.  For myself, I saw a suggestion to create a Control Journal -- a "personal manual for listing and keeping track of your routines."  All you need to get started is a 1" binder and some paper.  You build it one step at a time.

I'm going to give a shot and let you know how it goes.  If you start seeing me show up on time to things, you'll know it's working!

No Need to Fear: Organizing for Tax Season

Tax season has arrived.  If that statement has you breaking into a cold sweat, you’re not alone.  People dread taxes for many reasons: not having the money to pay what they owe, fear of being audited, hatred of math, and disorganization.  If you’re an adult, I probably won’t have much luck convincing you that math is fun (of course as a former math teacher, I may be a bit biased).  That said, getting organized can prevent you for paying more than you really owe and it will ensure you maintain the documentation you need in case of an audit.

If you have an overflowing pile of mail that you are loathe to tackle, where do you start? As with most things organization-related, the keys are:

1. Convenience (If there are too many steps or everything is not within easy reach, you're not likely to follow through.)
2. Routine (If you wait until the last minute, you WILL be overwhelmed.  Doing a little at a time makes a huge difference without requiring a huge amount of effort.)

My first suggestion is to do the paperwork filing as it comes in.  Dumping everything in one bottomless box until tax time is not the way to go.  Keep separate files for:

• banking
• retirement/investment accounts
• loans
• education expenses
• dependent (child/elder) care
• medical expenses
• business expenses
• work expenses
• charitable donations
• miscellaneous (anything else that you may need to track)

My second tip is to keep your files right next to where you handle your mail (your mail table, desk, etc.)  If you have to take it to another room to file, you're likely to do what I've done in the past: put aside for later (which usually doesn't come until you need to clean for guests or until tax time). 

Hint: try the Organizing Utility Tote for keeping your tax files tidy and convenient.  It's cute, can easily be toted to your home office or your accountant, and it stows neatly under or next to your mail table/desk.

 


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You’ve Got to Start Somewhere

It’s a new year (funny how that seems to sneak up on me every 12 months), and my resolution is to be willing to step out and try new things.  One of those is my new business venture as an Independent Consultant for Thirty-One Gifts.  Another is my desire to help others (like myself) who may be struggling to bring order and beauty to their disorganized lives. 

As a woman with Adult ADD, if my surroundings are cluttered, so is my mind.  I just can’t function to the best of my abilities when my surroundings are disorganized.  Of course getting things together is easier said than done (especially with a husband, 5 year-old daughter, 8 month-old son, and a mutt who takes pride in shedding her black fur wherever she goes).

With months (or years) of clutter, it can be extremely overwhelming to figure out where to dive in.  My advice?

• Start small.  (Yes, it all needs to be tackled, but not all at once.  Break a big project into smaller, more manageable pieces.)
• Be consistent.  (If you devote 5-10 minutes every day, you’d be surprised how much of an improvement you’ll see.)
• KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid.  Don’t try to put everything where it belongs all at once.  As you go through each room separate things into 3 sections: keep, donate/sell, and trash.  As you move from room to room, unload the things that belong in that room, and put out of place items in the keep pile.  Hint: the Thirty-One Large Utility Tote can make carrying your keep pile from room to room easy.  Another one for your donation pile makes collection a snap.  Plus, they collapse easily for storage when not in use.)




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• Reward yourself!  (After you've completed your brief cleaning/organizing session, treat yourself to a cup of tea, a bubble bath, or that TV program you've been looking forward to all day.)