Simply Checklists

Dorm Life - It's All About Comfort and Technology

2011-07-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

When my generation went off to college in the 70's, there was no technology and little comfort in our dorm rooms. Today it's all about technology and comfort. At SimplyChecklists.com our College Dorm Supplies checklist may have you wondering where you'll put all the stuff, but at least you will feel confident you haven't forgotten anything.

Besides using this great checklist, check with roommates, because some of these items may be shared. For security reasons, have expensive equipment marked in a permanent manner. And be sure to check with the college or university for a list of required and restricted items.

Now, remember to use this checklist, study hard and call your parents often (not always just for money).

Less is More

2011-06-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

I look around me at all the stuff I've collected through my many years and seriously wonder how it got this way. I see past hobbies; things I thought I had to have; gadgets to supposedly make my life easier, better, more efficient; things I paid too much for and, therefore, are unable to part with; items that hold memories, sure that if they're gone my memories will go with them.

It's not easy parting ways with my stuff, to live only with those things that I truly use with just a few sentimental items thrown in. But I've started the process and already I feel ten pounds lighter. Here are the questions I ask myself: Do I use the item on a regular basis? Does it make my life better?

Divide and conquer. I take on small projects with a goal to work through my stuff one room, one closet or one drawer at a time. I've been working on this project for a year and can truthfully say I haven't missed any of the stuff I've given away, donated or just disposed of. I'm left with the things that make my life better and things I actually use. I've even found homes for some of the sentimental things and my memories of them are still alive -- they just take up much less space.

You can do this. If you need encouragement along the way just remember, less is sometimes more.

Donate to our Troops

2011-01-06T14:45:00.001-08:00

Do you find yourself cleaning out closets this month? Trying to de-clutter the bedroom or the office? It's a popular chore in January, and I bet you uncover lots of stuff that might be a perfect donation to a worthy cause.

If you are looking for that worthy cause, I suggest you consider our troops overseas. There are several organizations that can use your help and here is a short list just to get you started.

Guitars and other musical instruments:

www.guitargal.com/guitars4troops.html

Cell Phones:

www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com

New and used DVDs

www.amvets.org/taskforcedvd

Used printer cartridges:

Operation Shoebox

You can probably find other sources or you can donate to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries too.

If you need help cleaning out that closet, here's a great checklist to organize yourself : Closet Organization Checklist

Or stop by www.simplychecklists.com and browse our many categories for free checklists to help you everyday. And Happy New Year!

Make It Happen By Writing It Down

2010-12-02T04:26:00.000-08:00

December is here which means that a new year is about 30 days away. Scary isn't it? And for some of us that means Resolutions! Now that's a scary word. Don't you wish you had a nickel for every resolution you've made - and not kept?

Well here's a simple way to make this year different than the previous ones. Write it down. Easy, right? And if you are skeptical about the value of writing it down, just browse the internet or your local library for plenty of studies that back this philosophy.

By writing it down you have created a special niche in your brain that may help propel you, unconsciously, toward that goal or plan. And if you review that written goal regularly, you reinforce the desire to reach that goal.

Don't make too many resolutions; just a couple or maybe three should be enough to handle. But write it down, review it and then let us know how you are doing. Good luck!

Donate Old Towels

2010-11-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

Here at simplychecklists.com, we like to hear about new ways to Reuse, Reduce, Recycle. Did you know that November 15 was America Recycles Day? Well if you missed it, here's your opportunity to have a make-up day.

I was at the veterinarian's office when I overheard one of the office staff mention that they always need old towels. They go through lots of towels throughout the day and need a large supply. Well as it happens, I had at least 12 old towels in the garage. We use them for cleaning the cars, as a seat protector while working in the garden, and wiping hands after painting. But I didn't need to store a dozen or more towels for any of those chores. So I packed up six of them and took them to my favorite vet's clinic.

If you prefer you can donate old towels to your local wildlife sanctuary or animal shelter.

Here's the site to learn more about America Recycles Day. And if you want some help for living your life more green, see www.simplychecklists.com/GreenLiving/green.asp for tips and checklists - all for free of course.

Give More, Live More

2010-11-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

We are officially on that high-speed ride that starts right after Halloween and is aimed directly at the New Year. For the next two months many of us will combine our regular daily routine (which is sometimes frantic) with even more frantic activities like shopping, decorating, visiting relatives and consuming lots of food at various gatherings. It's a fun time of year although it can be exhausting.

And because we get so busy, we may neglect the people who depend on us every day: our immediate family. But I have a co-worker who has found one little way to offset the busy-ness of the holidays by combining charity and giving with her family members.

She volunteers at a soup kitchen of sorts and the whole family participates. Her husband helps set up tables and chairs for dinner and the kids help with serving and cleaning up. This solution lets the family work together, and it provides a great opportunity for her kids to help others in need.

Are you interested in volunteering? If so you can check with your local charities, schools, places of worship, hospitals and shelters. You can also give blood (see http://www.redcrossblood.org/), help build a house (http://www.habitat.org/) or improve your vocabulary and donate rice at the same time (http://www.freerice.com/).

The benefits of giving to self-esteem and confidence are well documented and if your family can be involved together, then your family benefits in a big way.

When Your House Gets Robbed

2010-10-31T12:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my stepson came to visit for the weekend and he told us that a few days prior, his house had been burglerized. He was travelling when he was notified that his next door neighbor had interrupted the theft in process. It seems that his neighbor (a fireman) had noticed a strange SUV parked in his yard in the middle of the day. At first the neighbor assumed that someone was doing house repairs, but the location of the car just didn't look right. So he walked over to the car only to surprise 4 young men in the process of loading the house contents into the back of the SUV. They bolted as soon as he called 911. Two were apprehended within 30 minutes while the other two were expected to be caught.

So now my stepson has the tedious job of trying to find out what is missing. The insurance adjuster has visited, and he will be compensated for most of the material possessions. But the insurance company cannot compensate him for the feeling of violation that he's now left with. He has also had an alarm installed.

Most of us can recount a similar story for ourselves or someone close to us. It's been over 20 years, but I returned home one evening to find the house wide open, the cats scared to death and lots of jewelery and other items missing. We never got any of those possessions back, but we learned how to make our house less inviting to burglary.

Putting lights on timers, making sure that old newspapers are not left lying in the driveway, and locking all windows and doors are basic rules. Keeping shrubbery low and well trimmed makes it hard for a would-be thief to hide while trying to bust open a lock. And making friends with the neighbors (especially one that is home during the day) is a great advantage. But there are lots of other tips I see from time to time and http://www.simplychecklist.com/ will soon have a checklist that you can use to guide you. If you have tips you want to see included, please leave comments on this post.

In the meantime, you can find a useful checklist for protecting your identity at Identity Theft Protection Checklist and tips for leaving your home temporarily empty. Stay safe!

Do Busy People Get More Done?

2010-10-23T14:30:00.001-07:00

I have heard over and over that if you want something done, give it to a busy person. And that is probably true. I know when I have an extended time to do something chore-like, I will often wait until I feel a deadline looming before jumping on it.

It seems that when we have lots of things to do and a specific deadline for most of those items, we know how to turn on the gas and get stuff done. And my experience tells me that you can generate that burst of energy and focus when you have a clear picture of what to do. The perfect way to create that clear picture is with a checklist.

I like to start my workday with a short list of things that need doing. The items might be simple quick tasks like schedule a meeting, or it might include more involved processes like researching different software applications. But a short list provides a guiding light that really helps me focus.

On days off when I have shopping, cleaning, appointments, etc to accomplish, another list helps me organize those items so that I can plan my driving route to save time and gas.

And while you are making a list of things that need your attention, don't forget to include an hour for browsing at the library, some computer time to explore your favorite web sites or maybe even a nap.

We are surrounded by new electronic gadgets to help us stay connected and informed. Many of those gadgets will also help you create a checklist. And if gadgets aren't your thing, there's always pencil and paper!

Trick to Save Veggies longer

2010-10-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

Since everyone I know is getting ready for Trick or Treat, I thought I would pass along a cool trick my mother discovered. No frightful masks or gory goblins - just a cool trick to prolong the life of your cut veggies.

If you haven't already discovered those handy green vegetable and fruit storage bags, then pick some up and give them a try. I've been using them for about a year and I'm fairly satisfied with the results, but cut green peppers and onions still get squishy and yucky in a short amount of time.

My mother discovered that loosely wrapping your cut greens in a paper towel, then tucking it into one of those special vegetable bags will give you 1 or 2 weeks more than if you didn't use the paper towel. How easy is that? I guess the paper towel absorbs excess moisture which can create an ugly soggy mess in that nice re-usable bag.

So next time you use half a bell pepper, or part of a cucumber, wrap the remaining vegetable in a paper towel, place it in a green preserving bag and you are good to go!

If you need a grocery shopping list to use along with all those coupons that I know you are clipping, then take a look at this grocery shopping list right now. You can download and print it for free. And that is the "treat" part of this trick!

Getting ready for Halloween

2010-10-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

Here in Central Florida, it's not quite cool but fall is definitely in the air. And that means - Halloween. It's my favorite holiday because I love dressing up like a pirate. Arrrrr.

But this year we are hosting a Halloween Party and to get ready I am using one of our party checklists. The checklists really helps me stay organized and let's me concentrate on the fun stuff which is finding cool decorations on the cheap.

I found some great recipes for adult beverages that have spooky names so I am going to use one of them as the theme for the party. How does Ghoulish Goombay sound for a drink? So with that as my theme, I'm adding fake spider webs on the patio and some big black plastic spiders to float in our pool. And lots more of the same for the front yard. I found inspiration at the local party costume shop and several on-line suppliers.

Appetizers can be enhanced by giving them spooky names like Bar-B-Que Bat wings (really chicken wings all dressed up for Halloween) and Saucy Eyeballs (really my favorite Swedish meatball recipe). Using notecards for the appetizer names, I can mount the cards using those plastic note holders that you get in a bouquet of flowers.

Are you having a Halloween Party too? Need help? Click on Party Checklist. And don't forget trick-or-treat safety.

Jobs Checklists

2009-12-07T11:16:00.000-08:00

With today’s on-line job search and resume posting, you no longer have to spend good money on stationery and stamps. Looking for employment out of town or even in a different state is just as easy as finding a headhunter in your own city. However, obtaining that sought-after position still comes down to presenting well during an interview. To prepare for that appointment, research the company’s products or services by using the Internet. That’s just one the items on our checklists at www.SimplyChecklists.com. Not only will you make a good first impression but you will look like the highly qualified candidate that you are.

Business Planning Checklists

2009-12-07T11:13:00.001-08:00

Taking care of your finances and insurance takes planning. We’re saving our money in retirement and bank accounts for the future. We’re hoping to have enough after we pay our taxes to enjoy are retirement years and still leave money for our beneficiaries and heirs. We’ve created living trusts and wills with our attorney and we made sure we have the proper insurances. Some of us even have our own corporate entity, have rental properties or vacation homes. It’s almost a second job. But these things also provide us with feelings of pride, security and happiness. Checks () and balances - that’s what it’s all about!

Party Checklists

2009-12-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest inventions in the last century is the party store. No matter what your celebration, being it birthday, new job, new baby or new life, you will find all the basic supplies quickly and color coordinated. And once you have picked out the invitations, party favors, balloons, decorations and games, you can jump on line and get tips for menus, table settings, and beverages that coordinate with your theme. So the next time you plan a celebration, use our checklists and make it a piece of cake!

Savings Help During Tough Economic Times

2009-02-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

As we all make our way through these tough economic times, www.SimplyChecklists.com recently unveiled seven free checklists specifically to help save money. These checklists include: Save Money, Buy Smarter, Coupon Savings at the grocery store, Shopping for Savings, Cut Home Energy Costs, Save Money Playing Golf, Wedding Tips to save Money and Pet Care Cost Savings. Links to these money saving checklists are located right on the home page because we know you value your time as well.
Then browse the over 100 other free checklists provided at this website. SimplyChecklists.com gives you great ways to live ‘green,’ offers tips on interviewing for a job and provides helpful information on preparing your home for sale. Whether you’re traveling, planning a wedding or looking for a home maintenance checklist, this website offers guidance through these sometimes daunting tasks. Every checklist can be printed and is absolutely free!