Survival Tips!

Ever wonder how others get it ALL done in a day? Why they don't forget their keys until after they've locked the door, with the keys inside? How do they get the kids to soccer practice, the grocery shopping done, a meal on the table, the dishwasher unloaded? Systems! Little tiny ways of doing things every single time until they turn into the robots of our lives, thereby making our lives easier, simpler, and more productive! Below are some of the tricks I've gleaned over the years. Please email me with your favorite, and I'll add it to the page!

Important Survival Gear:

• PDA
• Cell Phone
• Case for both of the above
• Timers
• Magnetic calendar for the front of the fridge
• Wild colors of post-its, and pens
• Stikki--wax clips
• Full spectrum lightbulbs
• Reading glasses
• Kits for your briefcase, kits for your purse, kits for your car
• CD/tape holders - multiple ones
• Vacuum cleaner that carries it's tools with it
• Cleaning baskets
• Dry erase markers
• White Vinegar
• Baking soda
• Cordless Phone with headset
• A favorite corner ********

Okay, now that you've quit saying WHY?, I'll explain, item by item.

PDA: mine's a Handspring, but make sure you get one that links <it's called HotSyncing> to your computer, so no matter where you enter your information, it's backed up. Set an alarm on your PDA to remind you to hotsync at least once a week. Set another alarm to remind you to replace the batteries once every 6 weeks. Now you have a place for your grocery list to stay, the numbers of your children's school, the doctor, your office phone number, directions to Aunt Claudia's house, or the important client meeting next week, and a calendar that will remind you with a broad selection of sounds to get to your next meeting on time! I added a neat accessory called a Tale Light, so that if I'm in a meeting, the PDA vibrates rather than beeps.

Cell Phone: I hated these for years. Then I got stuck in the middle of nowhere with a broken car. I still won't talk and drive, and no one should, but a cell phone allows you to let someone know you're on your way, get directions if you took the wrong exit, or call ahead and get reservations before you fall asleep at the wheel! Now there are combination cell phone/PDA combinations that are lighter than the two separate items!

Cases for both: Whether it's color or discreet black, get cases to contain your PDA and phone. Make sure the case has a clip on it, so you can clip it to your belt, your purse strap, your backpack loop. One client clips hers into different spots in her briefcase, so they're immediately available.

Timers: Everywhere. Some hang around your neck. Some can be on your watch, sitting on your sink in the kitchen, but make sure there are also timers on your desk, in the bathroom, in the family room! The ones that you can pre-set a time, then just hit "start" are great for repeating tasks, like showers, AM routines, TV time, or regulating email/web surfing time. They can be the way to get off the phone with an annoying relative "oh! I have to be----in 10 minutes! My timer just went off! Talk to you later! Bye!" They can also be an incentive: you might think that it takes you an hour to clean the bathroom. Set a countdown timer, and clean the bathroom some time. Hit stop at the end. Gee--only 20 minutes? That's not so bad!

Magnetic calendar for the front of the fridge: make everyone put their schedules on it! If you or hubby travels, the travel schedule, including flight info, etc., goes on the calendar. So do the kids' soccer games, swim meets, your haircut appointment, the dog's vet trip, the day your sainted cleaning lady comes. The rule is that if it's not on the calendar, it doesn't happen. Make sure you put this information into your PDA!

Wild colors of post-its, and pens :Not the discreet yellow ones, except at work, please. We ADDers often have things essentially become invisible. Color is one way to keep that from happening. Use purple for appointments you need to make, green for phone messages, whatever. At work, you can use the polite yellow ones with green, pink, purple, or even orange ink to trigger the "PAY ATTENTION" switch.

Stikki-wax clips These are lifesavers! Found in the "fasteners/paperclips/glue" aisle of most office supply places like Staples or Office Depot. They're unique because these little wonders stick ANYWHERE! A wax backing allows you to stick one on the bathroom mirror to leave the kids a "remember to take the permission form!" note. One at eye level on the door out, and you can have the note about the meeting with the big new client at 2 PM right where you'll grab it on your way out! One on the computer can hold a list of all those quick shortcut keys you can't remember. One inside the cabinet door where the vitamins are will remind you that Rover needs his heartworm medicine this week. One on the dashboard of the car holds the directions to the client's office, and doesn't get lost on the passenger seat.

Full spectrum lighbulbs : I love the OTT lights, for their clean, clear light, long life, and dependability. Yes, they're a bit pricey, but we have some over 5 years old--they've long since paid for themselves in electric savings. Other good brands are Chromalux and Verilux. All these give a light closer to true sunlight than the average incandescent, and far less flicker-prone than normal fluorescent bulbs. This combats the tendency to feel droopy and sluggish on dark, rainy, winter, or just bleak days. The effect isn't all that obvious, until you try the experiment of putting normal bulbs in one room, and full spectrums in another. For a week, see which one you want to spend more time in.

Reading glasses Get several sets! One for your briefcase/purse, one for your desk at work, beside your favorite chair, beside the bed, on or near the table if you read the paper while you eat. You can save an hour a day just by not playing "where did I leave the glasses?"

Kits for your briefcase, kits for your purse, kits for your car:Into a small zippered bag, put the things you use every day in each. If you carry a briefcase and a purse, one kit goes in each! Suggestions: briefcase: small stapler, roll of tape, 2 pens, post-its, scissors, paper clips, comb, safety pins, spot wipes, business cards, highlighter. Purse: doubles of your mascara, a lipstick (yes, just one!), eye shadow in a neutral shade, compact, tiny hairbrush, mirror, hair clip or bobby pins, safety pins. Car: handy wipes, spare sunglasses, change purse for tolls (feed from change at the drive-through), bandaids, antibiotic ointment, hammer, knife (or one of those car survival tools), flashlight, mylar blanket. **Note: that many folks are allergic to or highly sensitive in negative ways to perfumes, cologne, aftershave. Please be considerate--don't use them, or use just enough that someone 4 feet away cannot smell it! .

CD/tape holders--multiple ones: One holds music to work by, one for relaxing or driving, one for cleaning/physical work. Using the same music for separate tasks actually programs us that "okay, that's Satie--work time" "Chieftains! Down the road we go" "Country western--look out bathroom, you're getting cleaned!"

Vacuum cleaner that carries it's tools with it:No hunting for the floor brush--it's already there. A rubber band will hold the dustcloth to the handle, and maybe the dusting spray can get held with another rubber band! If your vacuum is a favorite and doesn't have a tool carrier, put the essentials either in a small tote that lives with the vacuum, or rubber band the needed things to the vacuum.

Cleaning baskets: One for each major area of the house. If you have 2 bathrooms, put one in each bathroom, with cleaning implements, solutions, the glass cleaner, etc. Make one for washing the car, brushing the dog, cat, llamas, get all the dusting stuff together and have it live with your vacuum. Make a little one for your desk, with ONLY 2 pens, a couple postit pads, and a white out pen.

Dry erase markers: Another favorite! I use them to write "I love you" notes (or reminders) to the hubby or kids on the bathroom mirror, or a sudden note to myself on the driver's window of the car, or a "remember to order more llama chow" on the window of the door to the barn.

White vinegar: A most useful goodie, and cheap, too! In the rinse cycle of the wash, takes out the excess soap, substituting for fabric softener. Cleans mirrors without streaking. Wipes up spills off the floor, grease off the stove. With baking soda, makes a great drain cleaner/deodorizer. Put in little dishes in the kitchen, will eliminate cooking odors.

Baking soda: Another much-used goodie. A handful in the washer boosts the detergent and softens the water. A handful in the bath allows a wonderful soak. A dab on a mosquito bite takes the itch out. In a paste with water, makes a great scrub for pots, pans, bathtubs, sinks, mysterious sticky spots on floors or walls. Use 1/4 cup baking soda, followed by about 1/3 cup white vinegar, to keeps drains clean. (the fizzing amuses small children and cats, too!)

Cordless phone with headset: A lifesaver! Put the dog out, empty the dishwasher, get a drink of water, check the mail, find the number you need for the catalog order, all while you're on the phone. NOTE: unless you have a good mute switch, don't try to use the bathroom and talk. It just doesn't work.

A favorite corner ********* Absolutely essential. Have it as your sanctuary. Equip with a good light, a comfortable chair, reading materials or whatever you do to relax. A remote control for your stereo is a good addition, too. Spend time there every day, recharging your batteries, resetting the pace of the day. Declare it off limits!

I currently do not have a reliable phone, so please either email me or write to me at
Kris Paige
721 Weaverbird Way
Livermore, CO 80536