Flackrabbit

I adore the first few weeks of January. That magical time when my blog traffic spikes with Googling visitors newly resolved to “get organized” in the new year. That makes me so happy. You know how I love talking to-do lists, productivity and Moleskine.  So, without further ado, here are my top tips to help you get and stay organized in 2012:

Keep one to-do list: you only have one brain, which frets over everything from that memo you need to write, to the dentist appointment you keep forgetting to make and the day care check you that OMG-YOU-MUST-MAIL-TODAY. Your brain doesn’t keep separate “work” and “personal” to-do lists, so why do you? Consolidate all of those calendars, post-its, napkins and lists into ONE. Then, prioritize the lot. This works; trust me. My to-do list of choice is Good To Do. That said, you may be like my husband and find a paper to-do list more productive. Whatever floats your boat. Just use ONE.

Clear your inbox(es): this one always gets me the crazy-eye. But I’m serious. Your inbox is not a filing cabinet; it is not a to-do list. Watch this video or read this book. Then, take a deep breath and start taking action, delegating, filing or deleting! This one is super-empowering, though it does take a while if your inbox has 5,500 emails in it. One great way to keep the clutter from returning is to unsubscribe from all that junk email you get each day; feels so good!

Write it down: you know how you wake up in the middle of the night, freaking out over something you forgot to do that day? Some email you forgot to send? The dog’s medication you forgot to give him? Keep a notebook beside your bed. When you wake up fretting, write it down. Then, go back to sleep. You can’t do anything about it at 3:35 a.m. anyway–without looking like a crazy person. I keep a notebook in my purse, too. And for a while, when I was really stressed with work and personal stuff, I kept a notebook by the shower! Hey, we do what we need to do. When you wake up/get back to your desk/dry off, you’ll then transfer those random thoughts and to-dos to your ONE LIST. See how this works!

Create a file system: you don’t have to go 100% David Allen with your files, but you do need a system for work and home. I use colored file folders and keep two cabinets: one in my office; one in my home closet. Every project and meaningful task gets a folder. This keeps my desk clear of clutter, while enabling me to hoard relevant notes, business cards plans, receipts, agendas, etc. When the project/task is done, the folder gets filed away.

Use an RSS reader: point all those blogs, news sites, job postings, friend’s baby pictures, critics’ Tweets, Google Alerts and time wasters to ONE PLACE. I use Google Reader. But there are many others out there. This way, my inbox is free of “alert” clutter and I don’t have to spend time surfing the Internet to get caught up on news, tech, gossip and flickr feeds. This technique may or may not work for you. Some folks find an RSS reader more trouble than it’s worth, but it works for me!

What organizational tools do you swear by? Share your suggestions in the comments!

Pinterest

Sometimes, I’m a little late to the party. Exhibit A: I just discovered Pinterest. Even my relatively non-techish friends are obsessed with the site, yet I could not have told you what it was until this week. Anyway, I’ve set up my “boards,” have installed a “Pin It” button in my browser toolbar and am giving it a go. But lest my self-esteem suffer from the endless pictorial perfection, I will heed the good warning to peruse Pinterest in moderation. You can “follow me” here.

Tumblr

The good geek news is that I’m really enjoying getting to know Tumblr. Though WordPress will always be my first love (I’m really digging the “drag and drop” images capability in the newest WP update), Tumblr is an excellent home for my Preggers blog. Most of my posts are pictures uploaded from Instagram. It was frustrating for a while because I could not get the comments to work. But a quick change of the template theme and Disqus was working like a charm. If you are into cute baby stuff, odd things people say to pregnant women or over-sharing, check it out.

 Spotify

Okay, so when it comes to the beloved music platform Spotify, I just don’t get it at all. Maybe it’s because I am a Pandora girl and using Spotify feels like cheating. I don’t know. But I’ve tried it several times and finally just uninstalled it because I couldn’t find a use for it. Am I crazy? Folks seem to be obsessed with it; maybe I’m missing something?

What geekery and gadgets have you guinea pigged with lately? 

Oh, the times I’ve preached to bloggers-to-be about the importance of regularly scheduled posting. Yet, weeks have gone by since my last FlackRabbit musing. I’m sorry.

I have a fabulous excuse though: I making a tiny human. Squeal! I know, I know! And it’s a girl! Squeeeeee!

Indeed, the newest addition to Team Newman will arrive March 10-ish—which is like, tomorrow. Yikes. Yes, we are acutely aware this due date means we cannot attend SXSW Interactive. There’s always 2013…

Despite this awesome baby news that has taken over every fiber of my being, loyal FlackRabbiters need not worry: FlackRabbit will not become a mommy blog. I promise. I just wanted to publicly let you know that my blogging absence isn’t because I don’t love you; it is because I have been kind of busy trying not to vomit at work. Or I’ve been sleeping. I’ve also been preoccupied with red meat, oatmeal cream pies, sweet tea and Zulily.

Yet, in the spirit of “this is one of the only times I’m going to blog about pregnancy on my public relations blog,” please accept (or excuse) my tiny contribution to the Internet’s generous provision of resources for the first-time-pregnant, working gal: 

FlackRabbit’s Pregnancy Guide | Months 1—5

Read:

Alpha Mom’s Pregnancy Calendar, Zero to Forty, by Amy Corbett Storch: I will not attempt to articulate its awesomeness, because I will fail.

The Girlfriends’ Guide to PregnancyGirlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy, by Vicki Iovine: laugh out loud funny and so very helpful—but not scary. Have now read it twice.

Pregnant Chicken: informative and hysterical. Plus, there are give-a-ways!

Buy:

A fun pregnancy iPhone app: although I have seven of them on my phone, this one by Smiles Factory is my favorite. I like this one, too, by OB on the Go; it has a fun hydration counter thingy.

This maternity pillow: girl, I know it’s $100; worth every freakin penny. Do it.

Dresses: lots of them. And this from the gal who likes to wear suits every day.  But about six weeks into your pregnancy, those fitted suit pants of yours will.not.button. And there is nothing as awesome as a cotton dress when you’re pregnant. Well, besides eating an entire bag of BBQ chips…

Cocoa Butter: your skin gets dry, stretches, and itches. The cocoa butter makes it all better and you smell like summer.

Prenatal vitamins: a no-brainer, yet difficult for many women to take because they often make nausea worse. I had a good experience with these. But you should consult your doctor before ingesting something you read about on a PR blog, obvs.

Ginger Chews: saved my life (thanks, Krissi!). When the smorgasbord of smells and the heat of mass transit threaten to make you toss your cookies, pop a ginger chew.

Maternity pajamas: it never occurred to me that I’d need preggo pj’s, but by my fourth month, my ever-expanding hips and belly weren’t comfortable (or fitting) in my normal pj pants and tiny t-shirts. Same goes for maternity underwear; you’ll be so much more comfy when you buy it!

Avoid:

People with scary/negative stories: they will hunt you down—and seem nice at first—but do not engage in conversation with these people: “You are pregnant?! That’s wonderful! My daughter just gave birth—she nearly died and the hospital bills have forced her family into bankruptcy…but I’m sure you’ll be fine. Congrats!”  This was said to me last month by a well-intentioned, self-absorbed person. I just smiled and offered up prayer of thanks that I’m not her caliber of crazy.

Acidic beverages: oh, the nausea! It took me a couple of months to figure it out, but coffee (my beloved!) and orange juice (good for baby!) were nearly the death of me. Good Lord, I wish I had come to that realization before the third month of pregnancy.

The Internet: when (not if) you experience something that causes you concern, stay off the message boards. When (not if) you have a scary symptom—even if it is at 2 a.m.—don’t hesitate to call your doctor. If you Google said symptom, you’ll likely find a message board where hundreds of folks will confirm that you A) have three hours to live and B) have killed your baby. The Internet is helpful like that. Back off it, sister. It’s for your own good.

Listen to:

Your body: I know, business lady, I know! You are a go-getter. A hard-working, social media obsessed, strategic, networking, happy-hour loving professional! And pregnancy is not gonna change that! But the truth is, pregnancy does change that and there is nothing you can do about it; thank the Lord. Listen to your body; it will tell (not ask) you when it needs to eat, sleep, slow down, take a walk, avoid stress, etc. It’s magical, really. Embrace it.

Supportive, positive women: many business ladies I know prefer—or need—to keep the news of their pregnancy a secret for many months, but I don’t know what I would have done in the first trimester without the encouragement of and advice from an inner circle of co-workers. You spend the majority of your day at the office; you deserve to have a support system there—especially when you’re vomiting in an office trashcan.

And finally:

Savor every moment of your pregnancy, even the sucky ones. This is an honor and there are so many women who would give anything to have your current “medical condition,” even on your most nauseous, toilet-hugging day.  Keep those women in mind as you create this tiny miracle; I know I do.