Prioritized Living

Master your money. Get organized. Take back your time.

Stop Drowning In Your Inbox: How to Organize Your Gmail

This entry is part 1 of 7 in the series How to Organize It

Stop Drowning In Your Inbox: How to Organize Your Gmail

True story:  The other day, I had to show my tech-savvy husband how to delete a message in Gmail.  It wasn’t because he asked either;  I had suggested deleting some junk that had cropped up.

Gmail’s whopping 15 GB of  E-mail storage space is a hoarder’s playground.  With capacity like that and the constant flood of electronic communication, it’s so incredibly easy to find yourself drowning under thousands of E-mails in your inbox.  There are perhaps some special people in the world who like filing E-mails or papers, but the rest of us would rather enjoy life.

However . . . how often have you missed out on paying a bill because the E-mail notification got lost in your inbox?  When was the last time you left a message in your inbox as a reminder to do something, but you might as well have thrown it into a bottomless pit?

With Gmail’s abundant features and a little know-how, you can conquer your existing inbox without sifting mind-numbingly through each individual E-mail . . . and you can set yourself up for future success with some quick automation.  Here are 10 tips to get you on your way. [Read more…]

Getting Started with Time Management: Assess What You’ve Got

This entry is part 1 of 5 in the series Getting Started with Time Management

Getting Started with Time Management - Assess What Youve Got

Maybe you’re new to the concept of time management.  Maybe life has suddenly become more busy with a new career or a new baby and you need some tools to get on top of your schedule.  Maybe you’ve been drowning under your to-do list for a while and are looking for a way out.  Time management is the answer, and here are the first steps to getting started with conquering your schedule. [Read more…]

Who Has Time for Time Management?

Who Has Time for Time Management

I get it.  You too are insanely, up-to-your-eyeballs busy.  Even at this moment, you have five things you should be doing — three of which you probably are doing simultaneously.  The last thing you have time to do is engage in something as silly sounding as time management . . . right?

The less time you have, the more you need time management.

Winston Churchill — who ironically saved time by tweaking a quote from Benjamin Franklin — famously stated, “He who fails to plan is planning to fail.”  Often, we hear of time management from our employers’ HR departments.  (Naturally, your company wants you to get more done in less time for the same amount of money!)  However, time management is an incredible and indispensable approach to making your personal life the best it can be.  Here’s why: [Read more…]

Make It From Scratch: Yogurt

Homemade yogurt

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  Read my policy here.

Have you ever made your own yogurt?

It’s easier than you think . . . and it can save so much money!
Here’s the breakdown on savings when I look at the cost of a single serving (typically a 5.3-oz. container) of Greek yogurt:

  • Store price (on sale!):  $1.00
  • Price of homemade:     $0.14
  • Savings:                             86%

If you use yogurt as a snack, ingredient in your meals and desserts, or baby food, making your own is such a great way to save a serious amount of cash.   [Read more…]

Toddler Toy Storage

Toy Cubbies

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  Read my policy here.

It’s a fact of life that, when you have a little kid, relatives and friends will shower that kid with toys.  It doesn’t matter how much you vow to live a minimalistic toy lifestyle.  If you buy not a single toy for your child, you will still find yourself living in a toy store.  You’ll have the huge toys, the tiny toys, the toys with a million parts, the fuzzy toys, the teething toys, and — my personal favorite — the noisy toys.  If you’re not prepared to flee and let the toys run amok in your house, then you need storage solutions that work for you and for your kids.  Here are some of my current favorites. [Read more…]

5 Ways Ziploc Bags Can Make Life with Baby Easier

Baby on beach

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  Read my policy here.

Ziploc bags are a godsend when it comes to babies and their stuff.  Never much of a bagger pre-kids, I now boast a full assortment of Ziploc bag sizes in my cabinet — with extra boxes of them stored elsewhere in case I run out!  These beautiful bags can truly keep you organized and sane when wrangling your baby’s essentials: [Read more…]

Quick Tip: Having Cubed Bread Ready to Go

bread freezer bag

Now that you’ve got a homemade croutons addiction, you may be looking for a way to streamline the preparation process.  An excellent way to increase your efficiency in the kitchen here is to cube a big batch of bread, toss the cubes into a freezer bag, and store the bag in the freezer.  Then, when you’re ready to make croutons, just grab the quantity of bread cubes you need from the freezer. [Read more…]

Make It From Scratch: Fool-Proof Croutons

Make It From Scratch Fool-Proof Croutons

You know when you visit a fancy restaurant or even a Panera and you’re eating the real thing — freshly-made croutons.  They are nothing like the tiny, dry, artificial-tasting cubes you pick up in the supermarket.  They are also incredibly easy to make at home — no frying or flipping tiny pieces of bread.  Plus, these croutons are so much cheaper than those grocery-store salad toppers!

[Read more…]