Penelope Loves Lists » Clever Solutions

Places for Penelope’s Purse : why public restrooms must be designed by men

Meredith — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:00:26 +0000

I went into a McDonald’s the other day (for the sole purpose of going to the bathroom on a road trip) and was annoyed to find that there was no place whatsoever to put my purse while I was in the stall. What do they think we’re going to do with our bags? Put them on the floor? Of a McDonald’s restroom? One shudders.

I ended up managing to do what I needed to do with my bag never touching that floor, but I was so irritated when I left that I forewent a cheeseburger. That’s me taking an intense stand because I love me some McDonald’s cheeseburger. I railed on to my husband for 5 minutes about this afterwards and today, he brought home this handy little item for me:

Over The Door Hooks from The Container Store

So smart! It’s the Over the Door Hook from the Container Store. They come in packs of two so I was able to slip one into my purse and give one to a Penelope friend. Somehow I feel empowered knowing I’m no longer beholden to the designers of bathrooms in restaurants and movie theaters.

This made me remember that my sister-in-law carries The Handbag Hook with her so that she doesn’t have to put her purse on the floor when she’s in a restaurant. Clever.

The Handbag Hook from the Container Store

I’m not usually germ-phobic, but I do care about where I put my purse.

And I’m also weird about shoes. I obsess about what I’ve stepped in while I’m out and about and don’t want to track that into my house. Ick. I get the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.

Tell me you feel the same way.

I love a tool that does it all

Meredith — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:00:33 +0000

I happened upon the Post-It Flag Pen/Highlighters during one of my “shopping for the kids’ school supplies” trips to Office Depot. (Any excuse to fawn over office supplies, right?)

I love these little guys! As the name so aptly suggests, they are a pen, that’s also a highlighter that also includes Post-It flags on the cap.

And the cheerful, slightly 80’s design makes me giggle.

Post-It Flag Pen/Highlighters

My favorite uses for these All-in-One Wonders:

1) My day job is in publishing, so when we’re in “proofing mode” these pens are life-savers. Being able to quickly jot a note, highlight a line of text and flag that page for our editor is such an efficient, time-saving way to work.

2) For Penelope Loves Lists, I’m often reading books that I want to review later for the blog. I can make sure not to miss any unmissable nuggets with this tool.

No question that we ALL can find uses for this kind of pen, right?

Three cheers for the 3M company! They’ve brought us so many useful things – Post-Its, Scotch Tape, I could go on. Don’t you just bet 90% of their workforce is full-fledged Penelope?

Tip for small space living: the Quarterly Cleanout

Meredith — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:00:54 +0000

Given that my family and I live in only 1,100 square feet of teeny tiny house, we have to consistently work to keep our home uncluttered. In order to do that, once a quarter, we dedicate a Saturday morning to the “Quarterly Cleanout”.

What is the Quarterly Cleanout?
It’s about one hour, once every 3 months, where every member of the family (our kids are 11 and 15) participates in thinning out and re-organizing his or her space.

How does it work?

First and foremost, I actually put the dates for these Cleanout Sessions on my calendar.
A week beforehand, I let my family know that the date is approaching so they can not make plans elsewhere during that time. They must be at home. If it weren’t for these first two steps, this whole process wouldn’t happen. Truth.
On the day, each of us makes 2 piles in the hall: one for donation, one for trash. We each spend 30 minutes in our rooms grabbing anything we’re not wearing, using or loving anymore. It’s always surprising to me how things pile up in just 3 months. {By the way, notice I said to take just 30 minutes. The time element is key here. Loyal readers, you’ll note this is almost always part of my strategy. You set a timer and move fast. If things take a hugely long time, you’re apt not to do them. So, set the clock and boogie. Don’t get distracted. Don’t answer the phone, don’t talk with each other. Just do it.}
At the end of the 30 minutes, we gather all items for donation, bag them up and put them immediately into the back of the car. All trash items go immediately outside to the big trash or recycling cans, awaiting collection.
After we’ve finished, we head out to the nearest Goodwill, donate our items and only then reward ourselves with a lunch at our favorite Greek place.

Why does this work?

It happens regularly. The calendar tells us when to do it. We do it. Period.
Every member of the family helps and is responsible for his or her own area.
Everyone sees the benefits of living in less clutter. (Or, maybe it just jazzes the heck out of me and they do it to put me in a good mood and keep me from being Stabby Mommy. Either way is ok with me.)
We do the whole thing in one fell swoop. We don’t leave bags of stuff hanging out to be dealt with later. This would prolong the task and make it feel much more arduous and annoying.

What’s the point?

Not only does this keep our house uncluttered, but it creates a habit of “thin living” for our children that we hope they’ll carry into their adult lives. (Fingers crossed!) And, I gotta say, it’s kinda fun, working together as a team.

How To Stick It to the Ink Cartridge Companies

Meredith — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:00:12 +0000

Did anyone see this little goodie in the August issue of O Magazine?

Turns out, simply switching your default font will save you money in printer ink.

Using Century Gothic instead of Arial, for example, will save you up to 30% in ink cartridges over time. This makes good sense if you notice the thickness of the letters in Arial vs Century Gothic.

Given that I think that printer cartridges are one of the most annoying necessities of the modern world, I love this money-saving tip.

I was further heartened by the news that my signature font, Calibri, is also a money saver. Score!

By the way, it’s normal to have a signature font, right?

Two tips for stopping those “doh!” email moments

Meredith — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:05:32 +0000

I hate doing simple things wrong. Even occasionally. And, given that 90% of my work life is spent in my email application, that’s a place where I really despise making dumb mistakes. Here’s how I minimize two of the most common (and embarrassing) errors I make in email.

“Doh!” Moment Tip #1: Stop forgetting to attach your attachments:

When I’m writing the body of the email, as soon as I type the word “attach” or mention the document at all, I stop typing and attach it right then. Mid-sentence.

Then, after attaching the document, I go back and finish writing the email. This has cut down my attachment forgetfulness by more than 50%. It’s simple yet effective.

“Doh!” Moment Tip #2: Stop hitting the dreaded “reply all” button:

I moved my “reply all” button to an inconvenient place on my toolbar by customizing my menu in my email application. I’ve kept the “reply” button easily accessible on the left side, but I place my “reply all” all the way to the right. Over in No Man’s Land. I really have to want to “reply all” now.

Not only does this keep me from looking like an idiot, it also keeps me from littering the inboxes of people who don’t really need to read my reply.

Here’s how to do this:

In Apple’s Mail application: click on the gray toolbar on the top of your screen and then right-click. Pull down to “Customize toolbar”. You’ll then get a screen showing lots of buttons you can add to your toolbar, but, you can also, in this mode just grab and move the items in your existing toolbar.

In Outlook: go to View-> Toolbars-> Customize…

Blow Your Electrician Away: how to create a bid sheet for work done on your home

Meredith — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:00:12 +0000

My husband and I have to have some electrical work done on our home. Not a huge job, but sizeable. Big enough that we’ve put it off for five years and realize our circuit breakers ain’t gettin’ any younger.

May I say here that having work done on my home is one of my least favorite things to do as a homeowner? Mainly because most companies just don’t provide the level of organization and service that I expect. And then I end up being the “foreman” on the job and have to chase the contractor to make sure every small thing gets done properly and on time. Like I don’t have enough to do already, right?

I have found some great companies over time (and I Yelp the heck out of them when I do!) , but I’m constantly surprised by how frustrating it can be to go through the home improvement or repair process.

Well, not all home repair companies are organized, but I sure am, so, in my normal Penelope style, I created what I’m calling a “Bid Sheet” for my job. This is a short document that lists all the items we want to have done as a part of this job, along with our contact info and a couple other salient points.

Click for the PDF version of this document

This bid sheet enables me to go over the list with the electrician while he’s here doing a walk through of the job and then jogs his memory when he’s back at his office actually writing up the proposal. It also helps me get detailed estimates from each potential company, and that means we can compare apples to apples when making our final choice as to whom we should award the job.

I was delighted when I greeted one of the electricians and handed him the bid sheet and he looked at it, then looked at me and said really sincerely, “Thank you so much for this. No one ever does this and it’s incredibly helpful.”

Well, he’s obviously never met a Penelope before.

Just for giggles, I’m attaching a sample of the bid sheet I used, in case you might find it helpful, either now, or in the future.

You can also click here for more detailed info on the nitty gritty of putting together the bid sheet and here for many, many other helpful articles on doing work on your home.

Click here for the PDF document :: HowtoCreateaBidSheet

Fox Splitter: a useful Firefox browsing tool

Meredith — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:00:06 +0000

Recently, I installed the suggested upgrade for my Firefox internet browser and, in doing that, stumbled upon this very cool “add on”, called Fox Splitter.

Fox Splitter allows you to tile your tabs in one window. Very useful for working in two websites at one time.

For example, I like to have my live blog and my WordPress Dashboard open simultaneously as I write new posts or futz with sidebar content. The image below demonstrates one way you can do use this tool, but you have lots of options.

I’ve been using this add-on for a few weeks now and love it. It saves me time switching between tabs and having to reorient myself each time.

Tell me. Do you have any tools or add-ons that you use that make your browsing time more fun or efficient? If so, let us know!

By the way, please, please, please…if you still use Internet Explorer, switch to Firefox. I beg you. Read here why your web designer will love you forever for making the switch. But, even more, you’ll be amazed at how many fewer problems you’ll have as you travel the internet. Promise.

How Penelope keeps herself sane when the kids are out of school

Meredith — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:00:32 +0000

Today’s post is brought to us by one my favorite commenters, a SAHM Penelope named Melinda. She’s got so many great ideas for keeping her home running smoothly and herself sane, that I asked her to give us some insight on how she handles summertime with 4 kids at home.

Melinda doesn’t have a blog – yet! Let’s hope we can convince her she needs one.

Summertime is here! For some, this means afternoons lying in the sun with an iPod and the latest issue of Real Simple. For others, namely mothers, it elicits terror as our Penelope plans fly out the window and the kids tumble in the door…for three long months.

School's Out!

Enter the Summertime Game Plan.

Some ideas are born out of inspiration…others out of complete desperation. I admit that my summertime plans were born out of the latter. Having 4 kids ranging in age by more than a decade, I needed a strategy…quick! Over the years we have altered it due to ages, interests and growing number of children, but the backbone remained the same. Each day has a loose schedule to it, and every morning, I communicate that schedule to the kids, so they know what’s on the agenda.

The goal: keep Mom and kids happily engaged without spending a ton of money. Here’s what we’ve done:

1.) The Calendar: Everyone has one, ages 4 and up. Print one off on-line (here’s a good one from Simple Mom) and have the kids decorate it with markers and summertime stickers. Whenever a plan comes up, have them all write it down on their own calendar. This builds anticipation and satisfies the desires of your need-to-know munchkins (the mini-Penelopes).

2.) Your Own Little Literary Society: Make reading a priority.

Stock up on books at second-hand shops, library book sales, garage sales or neighbor-swaps and have the kids choose a new book each week. These should be fun and age-appropriate, not a chore.
Couple this with a daily read-aloud time (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" target="_blank">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 2)" target="_blank">The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe are two of our faves.) You may also work this in with a book-on-CD. This builds all-important listening skills and is a fantastic and stress-free bonding activity.
Finally, put a weekly trip to the library on your calendar. Let the kids stock up and take part in the summertime reading program that your local branch organizes. There are free magic and puppet shows and prizes to win along the way.

Image courtesy Charlotte's Fancy

3.) A Trip to the Theater: most communities host free summer movies throughout the summer. Yep, I said FREE. Showings are at 10am and feature previously-shown G and PG films. We can’t wait to see Clifford the Big Red Dog. Anyone else? Find one in your community here.

4.) Tantalizing Tickets: head to your nearest office supply store and grab a roll of raffle tickets. Then, let the kids decorate a big glass jar and place it somewhere showy. Throughout the summer, hand out the tickets when the kids are doing a fantastic job. Helping out a sibling…here’s a ticket. Emptying the dishwasher, here’s two more. Anytime I caught my kids with a great attitude or helping out the family, I’d reward the behavior with a ticket. The catch? They couldn’t ask for them. Their behavior had to be noticed. They all worked together to earn 150 tickets at which time, we headed to Sunsplash water park (or your big prize of choice). That trip was worth every ticket!

5.) Treat of the Week: Have each child write down three to four fun activities that they’d like to do over the summer that cost no more than $15 total (out for ice cream, a trip to Border’s, roller-skating on 2 for 1 Tuesday, a Slurpee at the 7-11). Then, stick all of the dreams in a jar. Each week, choose one (feel the excitement??) and schedule it into… you guessed it…the calendar.

6.) Binders: We do homework in the summer. It’s not for everyone but I’m a teacher by trade, so I can’t help it. Over the years, I’d hand my kids a binder with 4 sections (math facts, reading comprehension, puzzles like Sudoku and a silent-reading chart) and a timer. Each section took 15 minutes. Each day from 1-2pm, I went on break and the kids self-regulated their work. If they did a good job, more tickets came their way. (Note: math facts and puzzles can be found free on-line. Make use of them. Your kids’ teachers will thank you.)

Samantha Mackie - The Cooks Larder

7.) Cooking Class: Grab a kid’s cookbook at the library and have the kids each choose a recipe they’d like to learn to make. Summer is the perfect time to let them get their hands dirty and give cooking a try. If they are 8 or older and the recipe seems safe, leave the kitchen while the do it. We Penelopes tend to hover which drives young cooks CRAZY. Just remind them that they are on clean-up duty and slowly back away. It’ll be okay. It might even be fun.

These are just a few ideas that have kept this Penelope sane over the summers. Hopefully, you’ll find a strategy that strikes your fancy. Here’s to a stress-free summer that just might involve a moment to peruse Real Simple after all.

How to Clean Your White Mac Keyboard- because you know it’s driving you nuts

Meredith — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:00:25 +0000

I love all things Mac. We’ve established this several times so far in this blog.

What I do not love about Macs is the way the white keyboards they send with our computers are so gorgeous when you first receive them and get so…gunky…after a while. You know what I mean: those unsightly discolorations that appear even when the user is a compulsive handwasher.

This is one of those low -grade annoyances that I’m always telling people they should take five minutes to tackle and they’ll feel so much better.

I’d tried wiping down my keyboard with a wet cloth and a wet paper towel, both to no avail. The dirt stains remained.

I finally decided enough was enough. I went hunting around online and found two pieces of prevailing wisdom. One failed miserably, one succeeded brilliantly.

What did NOT work:

Several helpful bloggers said that you could get rid of the stains by using a pencil eraser. Uh uh. Tried it. Just made a bigger mess with all the eraser crap. Stains remained.

What DID work:

The second tip I found in several places (the best post was here) was to use Glass Plus Wipes. I didn’t have any on hand, so tried a paper towel moistened with glass cleaner. Worked like a freaking charm! In no time, my keys were sparkling white again.

I then got all Penelope and ran to grab a Q-tip, sprayed some glass cleaner on that and went in between the keys.

Perfection! I hummed for the rest of my work day, grinning madly at my gorgeous new keyboard. Doesn’t take much to make me happy, does it?

Penelope Tip: One reason I hadn’t done more experimenting with ways to accomplish this tiny task was because I kept thinking I needed to do it before I turned my computer on in the morning, or after I turned it off at night. Never happened.

So, I tried this clever little app that allows you to go into “cleaning mode” while your computer is still on, making it safe to clean your keyboard without sending your machine into fits of strange typing. Genius!

Color this Penelope happy.

How I Get Myself Out of 3 Different Kinds of Bad Moods

Meredith — Sun, 09 May 2010 16:00:27 +0000

I get asked this question all the time:

“Meredith, you seem so…together and unruffled. What’s your secret?”

OK, let’s pretend I get asked this question all the time. I don’t. I’m actually quite moody. I’m definitely not an “even keel” sort of person. I’m glad, too. I find “even keel” people both puzzling and boring.

Here’s how I get myself out of 3 moods I regularly find myself in.

1) When I’m feeling a lack of control over a certain situation, I vacuum or clean my refrigerator. Both are mindless enough to allow me to think, and give me a nice, “Ah, there!” feeling afterwards. Control regained.

2) When I’m feeling a lack of energy physically, I drink an 8 oz. glass of water and then brush my teeth. Works every time. Try it.

3) When I’m just overall cranky and feeling like Stabby Mommy, I watch this video. Sends me into fits of giggles every single time.

Note that, if you’re easily offended, really, really easily offended, you might not like this. If you’re just normal, you’re gonna love this and feel much better than you did before watching it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOohBytKTU

What about you: how do you move yourself out of a bad mood?