Blog

19 Best Self-improvement Books for a Better Year (2020)

Jan 14, 2019 by Lynelle 7 Comments

Despite the tremendous benefit that we get from reading self-improvement books, they are still not part of our top resolutions for the New Year.

At the beginning of each year, we have a big desire to improve our lives. That’s why the top resolutions are typically losing weight, exercising, saving money, and traveling more. It’s okay to plan for that. I even want to achieve them too, but let’s not forget to add a few books to our list too.

And, to make it easier for you, here is a list of great books to help you have a better year and life.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure for more info.

19 Self-improvement books to read this year

1. Girl, Wash Your Face

This book first caught my attention after seeing so many pictures of women reading this book. Now, I understand why. How many times do we believe things about ourselves and our lives that are simply not true? The problem is that we keep repeating those lies to ourselves for months or even years until those lies end up affecting our decisions and ways of life. This book focuses on lies that the author believed and the ways that she suggests you can use to overcome them.

2. Make Your Bed

This book is based on a very inspiring speech given to a graduating class at the University of Texas at Austin. In this case, the author shares ten important principles that he learned during the Navy Seal training. Now, the question is, do you make your bed in the mornings? I personally like to make my bed in the mornings because it already puts me in a positive mindset. I feel that it’s something simple but powerful. This book shows you how doing little things helps you change your life, or who knows, maybe the world too, as he said.

3. Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

How many projects do you still have pending? Completing tasks, projects, and goals is satisfying but we still fail to do so. Many times, we want to believe that certain people have special super powers allowing them to be successful. The truth is that if we truly want to change our lives for the better, we must take action. And the sooner, the better. Fortunately, this book has different strategies to help you get things done.

4. The Slight Edge

This book shares simple practices that you can use to improve your way of thinking and eventually, your life too. And that’s the interesting part because many times, we skip those simple changes thinking that they are too simple to work. If you are ready to follow these steps, then this book can help you create the results that you want in life.

5. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Having things organized, definitely helps you have a better life. Because of that, here is another popular book that I discovered throughout other people’s feedback. The book is based on the KonMari Method which teaches you how to declutter and organize your home in a new and different way, using categories.

6. Atomic Habits

Because I am a firm believer of habits, I love creating, implementing, and tracking new habits that can help me achieve things in life. But, I also know how hard it is to break bad habits. In this book, the author goes over the strategies that you too can use to overcome challenges and achieve your goals.

RELATED TOOL: A pretty way to track your habits

7. The Happiness Advantage

Sometimes, we say, if I can buy that home or get that job, I would be happy. This book tells us that happiness doesn’t work like that. It’s actually the opposite way. You probably have noticed that when you are happy, everything else is better and easier. The book explains that it happens because happiness causes the rest of the positive things in your life including success. The author shows you how to retrain your brain to be more positive and how to work on small tasks to achieve your big goals. This book can be applied to your professional and personal life.

8. What to say when you talk to yourself

We are constantly talking to ourselves consciously and unconsciously even if we don’t realize it. Unfortunately, those words that come from our mouth or mind are usually infected by negative thoughts. I feel that most of us would benefit from learning how to talk to ourselves the right way. This book helps you replace the negative self-talk with a better and positive one, so you can start transforming your life.

9. Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy

The author of this book is an Engineer and former Google executive who pretty much had what many people would wish for: high salary, great job, expensive cars, etc. Despite all that, he was still unhappy. That’s the reason why he was determined to fully understand the process of achieving happiness. After extensive research and many hours of work, he created what is known as the happiness equation something that he decided to share after the sudden passing of his son.

10. The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure

This is another book that can be applied to your business or personal life. I liked how the author was very direct explaining why we fail and how to get out of it. It’s like the tough love that we all need from time to time. The book motivates you to push yourself to get results and shows you how to apply the 10X Rule to achieve massive results.

11. Habit Stacking: 127 Small Changes to Improve Your Health, Wealth, and Happiness

As I said at the beginning, every year, we have a list of resolutions that we want to accomplish. Even though we have the best intentions in achieving those resolutions, by February, we have already dropped most of them. Many times, we don’t accomplish what we want just because we haven’t been consistent in the process. This book teaches you how to create one daily routine where you can manage multiple ones. And, the best part is that the routine would only take you about 15 to 30 minutes. It’s a very small amount of time to invest compared to the benefit of completing your goals and living a happier life.

12. The gifts of imperfection

As a mom of two girls, I feel that we need more of these types of books. I always like to remind my daughters the importance of loving themselves for who they are, and not based on TV stars, social media, or popular kids at their school. This book is here to motivate and inspire you. It’s time to love yourself, accept any imperfection, and be happy with who you are.

13. The success principles: How to get from where you are to where you want to be

It’s a book that helps you have more confidence in yourself, embrace any challenge, and follow your purpose. In this way, you can be prepared to go as far as you want to go. This book was first released years ago, and due to its success, the author has published a 10th-anniversary edition with updated information including a whole new section focused on the digital age.

14. The compound effect

This book shows you a plan of action based on six strategies that are explained step-by-step, so you can multiply your success. In order to improve your life, you need to learn, understand, and implement what the book teaches. Once you are done with that, you need to be consistent with your actions.

15. Grit: The power of passion and perseverance

The author of this book started a research project because she believed that success was based on a combination of passion and perseverance, rather than an IQ score. There are always things that we want to do in life but for some reason, we don’t feel that we have what it takes to accomplish them. This book shows you how long-term perseverance can take you a lot farther and how it can change your life for good.

16. 10% Happier: How I tamed the voice in my head

An anchor from Nightline TV show kept having a voice in his head assuring him that he wasn’t good enough. After having a panic attack on national television, he realized that he needed to improve his self-talk. And, even though he was skeptical at first, he turned into meditation for help. In this book, he shares his story and journey to help you improve your life too.

17. Declutter your mind

We spend a great amount of time in our lives searching for the secret formula to success without realizing that our main problem may be ourselves. Often times, we are the ones getting in our way to reach that success because of negative thoughts, distractions, worries, etc. This book helps you understand and manage the internal and external factors that are causing the clutter in your mind.

18. The complete book of home organization

If you are more interested in how to improve your organization skills, this book can help. With more than 200 tips and projects, this book covers how to declutter, store, and organize every space in your house. And if you are like me, you will love to know that this book also includes checklists, step-by-step instructions, and even a 15-week home organization challenge.

19. Your money or your life

Since saving more money is a very common goal, I wanted to include this book to help you improve your financial skills. This book has been around for more than twenty years and due to its popularity, it has been fully revised and updated. Follow its nine-step program to improve and transform your relationship with money.

What should you do next?

Now, that you have the list of self-improvement books, it’s time to take action:

Increase the chance of transforming your life by taking notes and following up.

√ Action Step #1 – Get the self-improvement books

Determine which self-improvement books from the above list you will be reading first. Then, get the books and be ready to improve your life. With this list, you can easily read one book per month and still have a few more available.

√ Action Step #2 – Schedule some reading time on your calendar

It may sound like a simple tip, but it will help you to stay consistent. If you don’t make time for it on your calendar now, eventually you will either forget to do it or use that time for something else.

√ Action Step #3 – Take notes and follow up

We usually ask ourselves, why our situation didn’t change after reading the books. And, sometimes, we even blame the book for it. The truth is that many times, we don’t follow the strategies that we learn. It’s easy to read the books and leave it aside “for later”. To improve that, take notes and keep using them as a reference until you master the new process.

Let’s do it better this time!

Take notes and implement any strategy, tip, or suggestion that can help you improve your life and achieve your goals. And, even if you are skeptical, give it a try. After all, the results may surprise you. It’s up to you when you implement the strategies. You can wait until the end of the book or you can do it right away. But either way, make sure to do it and follow up with it.

You can transform your life

Don’t forget to be patient. We normally want our problems to be solved immediately and when that doesn’t happen, we don’t hesitate to give up. Changes take time, so give it a chance.

Be patient, work on it consistently and wait a reasonable amount of time for it to work.

Ok, that’s it!

You got all you need to get started: a list of great self-improvement books with action steps. Get ready to read, take action, and be happier!

In the meantime, which book will you read first? Is there any other book that you would recommend that didn’t make the list? Let me know in the comments!

Additional resources for a successful year:

How to Choose Happiness: 25 Solutions to a Happier life

Dec 10, 2018 by Lynelle 12 Comments

Finding happiness has been a very popular topic throughout the years since many people, including me, have been trying to find or increase happiness in their lives. It is such a popular topic that has been the focus of articles, books, TED Talks, and even Yale University offers a happiness class.

But besides all the discussion, there are still five common questions that come up over, and over again regarding happiness.

Because of that, it would be beneficial to go over those questions first.

Share it with friends and make them happy! 😀

Quick note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure for more info.

What is happiness?

I feel that the easiest way to define happiness is to talk about what it is not:

Happiness is not a one-size-fits-all solution

There’s not a simple or single answer that fits everybody. Instead, it means something different for each person.

For example, in my case, part of happiness means working from home to spend more time with my kids. While for others, it may involve riding a horse, living in the Caribbean, or starting an online store.

Happiness doesn’t mean impressing others

Even though it is usually tied to big purchases like an expensive car or big events such as getting married, that’s usually where the confusion grows. There’s nothing wrong with buying an expensive car, but if you are only doing it to impress others then that expensive car will not be the solution to finding happiness.

Happiness is not a permanent location or destination

Sometimes, people believe that they will automatically be happy for the rest of their life if they could only achieve a magic thing that they have in mind. Unfortunately, focusing so much on that magic object or event can make you overlook the real happiness that is already happening around you. A simple rule to lead by is to do at least one thing every day that makes you happy.

Happiness doesn’t have a “go big or go home” mentality

That’s another myth. It’s not uncommon to think that happiness can only be achieved by doing something big. Of course, if that’s what you want in life, it will make you happier, too. But, you don’t have to wait until then to see happiness in your life. Look around you for the small things that make you happy, daily. It could be as simple as spending 30 minutes reading a book, watching Netflix, volunteering, working on a hobby, or hugging your kids 😊.

Can happiness be achieved?

That’s an interesting question but the answer depends on how you perceive happiness and what the word “achieved” means to you.

As mentioned earlier, happiness is a continuous process. It’s not something that we can just achieve once and permanently. If you are only looking at it as reaching a milestone such as getting married or winning the lottery, then you will probably feel that it is something hard to achieve.

Something else to consider is what happens after you achieve what you want. For example, think about running a marathon. After completing a 5K, you may decide that running a 10K will actually make you happier. Or, that instead of running another marathon, now you prefer to enroll in a karate class.

It’s okay to keep setting new goals in your life, just don’t forget to be happy for what you have already achieved too.

In other words, no matter what the word happiness means to you, it’s something that you can start working on today. Right now. And, every single day.

What is the formula for happiness?

If you are trying to find a secret recipe, then the answer might be simple: the happiness formula.

As it’s understandable, many people are constantly looking for ways to become happier in life. Because of that, throughout the years, many people have been interested in understanding it more.

And even though there’s no magic solution to find happiness, some people like Mo Gawdat and Deepak Chopra have come up with formulas or equations to help us understand it better.

Of course, each formula is different. Some formulas may take into consideration your expectations, life events, mindset, temporary pleasures, living conditions, purpose in life, or even genetics.

But there are two aspects that these formulas have in common: the search for happiness and the importance given to the person’s actions or decisions. Which take us to the next section…

Is happiness a choice or an emotion?

There has been a continuous debate to determine whether happiness should be considered a choice or an emotion.

Let’s start with happiness as an emotion.

Some people consider that it’s unfair and unrealistic to even think that happiness is a choice. Some of the reasons are that it:

is based on your state of mind
doesn’t take into consideration external circumstances which can be too strong and uncontrollable
is difficult to achieve, people should focus on being positive rather than happy

On the other side are people who support that happiness is a choice. In this case, some of their reasons are that you:

can control your actions
make the choice of focusing on the negative or positive things of your life
choose how to react to your problems

I remember studying Maslow’s theory in most of the human resources trainings and college classes that I attended. Many years ago, Abraham Maslow created a theory called the Hierarchy of Needs which consists of a pyramid with five levels of needs. He explained that once a need is met, the person moves on to the next level.

But, look at the top three levels of Maslow’s hierarchy…

Those top three levels are:

love (social, sense of belonging)
self-esteem (achievement)
self-actualization (reaching full potential)

If you notice, each of those three levels involves an emotion.

So, what do you think, is happiness a choice or an emotion?

Well, I see a combination of both because you need to take action (make choices) in order to achieve what makes you happy (emotion).

I am not saying that it is easy to do. But like Albert Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”.

In this case, if we want to see changes (be happier), we need to change how we have been doing things until now, including our habits. And the process of changing habits alone takes time and effort.

Plus, you need to take into consideration the complexity of what you want to achieve.

For example, if you want to achieve financial freedom, depending on your current situation, it may take years to be where you want to be. Even opening a home daycare may take you months since you need to prepare the area in your house, submit all the paperwork, get the permits, take the required training, pass the inspections, etc.

In summary, make the point to take baby steps every day towards your happiness. No matter what you want, there are always small steps where you can start.

How to find happiness within yourself?

After talking about choices and emotions, it is time to talk about how you can find happiness, within yourself.

No matter what you do, you always have to start somewhere. The same applies here. In this case, the best place to start is by searching for that happiness within yourself. Even though, several of the 25 strategies discussed in this article help you with it, here a few suggestions.

5 Quick tips to find happiness within yourself

Be happy with who you are

I know, we are not perfect, but you have many great and unique qualities. If you are having a hard time identifying them, think of what others like about you. Consider what your family members, friends, co-workers, supervisors, etc. have said. If you can’t think of anything, ask them for some feedback. I am sure that they won’t mind helping you out.

Always keep in mind that you are the best version of yourself

This is something that I tell my daughters to remember. There’s no one single person in this world that can be YOU better than yourself.

Take time to focus on those small things that make you smile

Schedule some time every day to do something that you enjoy. You can play with your kids, watch funny videos, do some stress relieving adult coloring books, watch a TV show, do photography, walk in the neighborhood, contact a friend, and so on.

Work on those things that you would like to improve about yourself

There’s always something about ourselves that we would like to change or improve. Identify the steps needed to make it happen and take action. This will help you be the best version of yourself. Some action steps may be reading books within that niche, taking a class, conducting research, or finding a mentor (we will talk about this shortly).

Believe in yourself and how you can change your life for the better

Sometimes, we are the toughest critics of ourselves, our lives, and our situations. Here, is when you go back and focus on the previous tips.

When finding happiness within yourself doesn’t work

Sometimes, you feel that you just can’t reach the point where you want to be even after trying hard. In that case, don’t be afraid to seek help from the outside.

First, understand that you are not the only one. Many successful people have sought help too. Just give yourself another chance, and evaluate your options:

Talk to a good friend or family member

Make sure that it’s not only a friend or family member, but someone who knows you well, that can be honest with you and wants the best for you.

Coach

You can look for an experienced coach, trainer, or mentor who can point you in the right direction. That would not only save you headaches but can take you where you want to go faster.

Counselor

Talking to a professional can help you evaluate your past, understand your current situation, and help you improve your future.

Doctor

Even though we normally try to avoid going to the doctor or leave it as the last resource, the truth is that a doctor may see something else that you are missing.

In summary, keep an open mind during the process no matter if you are finding happiness within yourself or with the help of others.

The best ways to increase happiness

After having a better understanding of happiness and how to find it, it’s time to share what I consider the 25 best ways to increase happiness in your life.

Happiness: 25 Ways to Be Happier with Your Life

1- Know yourself better

2- Find the right balance in your life

3- Practice self-care

4- Develop a positive mindset

5- Create a bucket list

6- Let go of the past

7- Choose the right people in your life

8- Organize your life

9- Feel like a kid again

10- Create a reading list that helps you grow

11- Plan something different

12- Create a bullet journal

13- Get out of your comfort zone

14- Spend quality time with your family and friends

15- Create happy memories

16- Complete a gratitude challenge

17- Get rid of your limiting beliefs

18- Simplify your life

19- Keep track of your money

20- Manage your time regularly

21- Make every day count

22- Be aware of your thoughts and actions

23- Make a daily routine

24- Create a full year of happiness

25- Visualize your future

In Conclusion

Ok, let’s wrap up. Happiness is a combination of things including your well-being and doing what you really want in life.

As I said before, happiness is an ongoing process and it is not a destination or finish line. And, of course, being happy doesn’t mean being immune to illnesses, problems, frustrations, or even failures. It is just facing life with a positive mindset.

There will always be ups and downs in our lives. But, during the not-so-happy-moments:

focus on the things what you want in life
evaluate your situation objectively
adjust your action steps, process, or approach and
keep moving forward!

It’s your turn to be happier

Here, you learned 25 ways that help increase happiness. Even if you don’t like or agree with every single strategy, you still have plenty of them to choose from.

One more tip: Don’t forget to track your progress every time you try a new strategy. That’s the only way to see the real results at the end of the implementation or trial period. Here is one of my favorite trackers that you can use.

Now, I would like to know which ones were your top three strategies? And, which one will you implement first?

JoJo Siwa Fans: 13 Best Gift Ideas for Little Girls

Nov 12, 2018 by Lynelle Leave a Comment

My youngest daughter, like many other little girls, loves to sing and dance with JoJo’s videos. And if you have a young daughter, niece, or even a granddaughter in your life, you definitely need to know the best gift ideas for JoJo Siwa fans.

JoJo, whose real name is Joelle Joanie Siwa, is a successful teenager who is known for the big, colorful hair bows that she wears and sells. But, that’s not all she does. She is also a dancer, actress, and a singer too. Two of her popular most songs are “Boomerang” and “Kid in a Candy Store”.

Now, due to her popularity, there’s a large number of products related to JoJo. Among those products are clothes, shoes, electronics, and many others.

In this list, you can find 13 popular JoJo Siwa gift ideas that I am sure your little princess will love.

Make sure to pin it!

13 Best Gift Ideas for JoJo Siwa Fans (Gift Guide)

Quick note: This post contains affiliate links. You can read my disclosure for more info.

1. Bed Set

Let’s start with this beautiful 4-piece bed set. It includes a reversible comforter which allows you to keep switching the look of the bed every few months or even weeks if you prefer. It’s mainly pink and purple which is a very popular combination among little girls. I also like that it includes the motivational words “love”, “achieve”, and “believe”. Plus, it’s available in both twin and full size.

2. Curtain Set

After that beautiful bed set, why not add some curtains too? Curtains help add color and design to any room without breaking your budget, and this 4-piece set is not an exception.

3. Rainbow Unicorn Pillow Buddy

This cute and colorful rainbow unicorn pillow buddy is very popular among JoJo’s fans (a.ka. Siwanators). This pillow buddy is soft and gives your child something to cuddle with.

4. Dog Plush Pillow Buddy

I know! It’s another plush but it is too cute to not include. This adorable pillow buddy is BowBow, JoJo’s famous dog. And of course, even BowBow has a bow too.

5. Carry-on Duffel Bag

This duffel bag can be used for extra-curricular activities such as dance and gymnastics, sleepovers, and even to go on vacation. It has pretty colors, a comfortable size, and adjustable shoulder straps.

6. Handbag

Since little girls love to look like their mom, here is this cute pink and metallic handbag. It has the perfect size for little girls and helps them carry their own personal things.

7. Pink and Silver Watch

Now, your child can take JoJo wherever she goes with this pink and silver analog watch. It also has an adjustable strap which makes it easier to fit most wrists.

8. Book

I always look for an excuse to motivate kids to read. In this case, JoJo has this inspirational book called JoJo’s Guide to the Sweet Life. It’s targeted toward bigger girls and it covers important topics such as confidence, loyalty, and perseverance.

9. JoJo’s Pajama

My daughter loves wearing nightdresses. That’s why I thought of this striped pink pajama that not only has a picture of JoJo but it also reminds kids of the importance of dreaming big.

10. Colorful Socks

This is a 5-piece set of colorful socks which means that there’s one pair of socks for every weekday. That’s definitely a win-win situation.

11. Black Cap

Your child can easily use this cap during summertime, outdoor activities, and hat days at school. As expected, this cap includes a hair bow too.

12. Winter Hat and Gloves Set

Yes, there’s something for the winter too. It’s a beautiful winter set that includes a trendy beanie with matching gloves.

13. JoJo Shirt

This list wouldn’t be complete without a JoJo shirt. Especially, because kids like to wear shirts of their favorite characters or TV personalities. This type of shirt comes in different colors, designs, and sizes.

You are all set!

Now, you have a list of great gift ideas for any JoJo Siwa fan. Now, it’s your turn to choose which gift ideas are the best ones for that special person in your life. Which one was your favorite?

Don’t forget to share it with friends!

3 Quick Ways to Increase Productivity (get daily results)

Oct 8, 2018 by Lynelle 4 Comments

If you normally start your day with a huge to-do list just to end up with most of the tasks unchecked, you are not alone. The good news is that you can learn and apply these quick strategies to help you increase productivity.

I don’t want to waste your time so, let’s go over each of these three productivity strategies. Don’t have time to read it right now? Don’t worry, pin it for later!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure for information.

Increase Productivity: 3 Strategies to Get Results

Productivity Strategy 1 – Create an organized task list

To increase productivity, we need to start with the basics: create a task list.

The reality is that there will always be many tasks added to our calendars for our kids, family, friends, and even the community. The key is not to do everything that comes up but to take care only of the tasks that we really need to take care of and in the correct order.

Start by creating a list of tasks or projects that you need to tackle for the day, week, or month. Arrange those tasks in order of importance and urgency because it helps you stay on top of important tasks that require your immediate attention.

You are the only one who can determine the importance and urgency of the tasks. Once you finish grouping similar tasks together, you will be able to see what exactly needs to be done and when.

There are different ways to create a task list, so let me go over that with you.

These tools help you create a task list:

– Use a task list template

Creating an organized task list should only take a few minutes and can save you more time down the road.

The easiest way is to grab any piece of paper and write down all of your tasks. Just make sure to put those tasks in order from the most important and urgent to the least important and least urgent. You can easily do that by assigning a number or a letter next to each task.

I find it easier to use this type of master task list for different reasons:

easier to group the tasks based on importance and urgency
better to visualize all the tasks
a faster way to add new tasks that you overlooked without having to re-do your list
keeps all the tasks more organized!

– Download these task list apps

If you prefer to use your phone, here are a few task list apps:

Todoist – In addition to adding your tasks, it has a feature called shared projects where you can delegate tasks. Plus, you can track your daily progress and access this app from different devices.
Tasks – Not only can you add your tasks, but you can also add details to those tasks, organize them, prioritize them, and even sort them into lists.

Productivity Strategy 2 – Use the time blocking technique

In case that you haven’t heard of this productivity strategy before, let’s start from the beginning…

What is time blocking?

Time blocking is a technique where you block a period of time on your calendar to take care of a task or group of tasks. You have to treat all your tasks as doctor appointments, company meetings, or vacation and schedule them on your calendar too. In other words, every day you assign a time to each of your tasks or projects.

Although I am focusing more on tasks and projects, make sure to schedule some time to eat, sleep, take a break, and even have fun too.

It’s something that I used a lot while working in Human Resources. I scheduled a time to review resumes, process payroll, conduct regular meetings, prepare the material for orientations, create training modules, and more.

Sometimes as moms, we keep doing what’s on the to-do list and we don’t realize that blocking different times would help us manage our lives better.

Time blocking simplifies your days in different ways:

It reduces the time spent shifting from one task to another

You already have a schedule of what needs to be done which means that once you complete the task, you know exactly what comes next.

Time blocking puts limits to complete your tasks

It can help you reduce distractions, too. Since your time for each task is limited, you would not be wasting your time on other tasks that are not related to the task that you are working on. When you start working on a task, you should know exactly how much time you have planned for that task. This should help you reduce, or better yet eliminate, the amount of time wasted on non-related tasks.

Helps you focus better

Your focus should increase due to several reasons. As I mentioned before, the limited time assigned to each task helps you reduce distractions and as a result, you should focus better on what you are supposed to do. Also, having a planned schedule stops your mind from wondering about what needs to be done and helps you focus more on your actions.

There are different ways to do time blocking

Some people set a few hours aside to take care of a group of tasks. In that case, your time blocking will look something like this:

Another option is to block time for each task which is the method that I use. In this case, you estimate the time needed to complete the task and then you block the time based on what you estimated.

Start adding your important and urgent tasks on your calendar. Then, continue adding those other tasks that are not as important or as urgent as the previous ones. That’s why having an organized task list makes time blocking a lot easier and faster.

Here is an example of a more detailed plan:

This is something that I do every night and it helps me have a clear picture of what I need to do the next day. Using time blocking gives me some sense of control and makes my day go smoother. Especially because I know that If I get behind on a task, it would make it more difficult to follow the rest of my schedule and complete my daily goals.

But, don’t get frustrated when something unexpected happens. If it happens, adjust your schedule as soon as everything goes back to normal.

Time blocking is great for overachievers who normally create a long to-do list to complete in a few hours. It helps you be more realistic when planning your days because you can see how much you can really accomplish based on your other responsibilities.

As with anything else, while performing time blocking, choose the option that works best for you.

Check out these helpful time blocking tools:

– Time blocking planner

Even though there are many planners out there, it’s important to use a productivity planner that can help you achieve your daily goals while also using the time blocking technique.

The planner that I have been using works great for me. It doesn’t have times printed on its pages but it allows me to customize the weekly pages based on my needs. Right now, I add a daily schedule from 7 am to 10 pm and I still have room for additional notes.

Examples of time blocking planners:

inkWell Planner – I use (and love) the Classic weekly planner. Now, they launched their new 360 disc-system which allows you to customize it in the way you want it.
Day Designer – it has different designs to choose from
Panda Planner – It’s a popular planner and since it’s undated so you can start using it at any time.

– Time blocking template (printable)

If you don’t have a planner, the time blocking templates are a great solution. For example, this daily planner has several sections on the left side to help you decide what needs to be done on that day. Once you are done, follow the time blocking technique by scheduling those tasks on the right side of the printable. It’s that simple! Click here to see it.

– Time blocking app

Time Tune

This time blocking app works as an electronic planner and helps you create routines, add daily activities, and set up notifications. You can also add your events very similar to the way you do it in google calendar. I like its features such as the daily timeline, tags, notifications, and reminders.

– Time blocking calendar

Google calendar

This electronic calendar is a great option to stay organized and, in this case, to block your time. You can also set alerts and even color code your tasks by family members, importance, or task type. To stay on track, I use the Google calendar in addition to my planner.

Trello

This tool is pretty much a combination of a time blocking app and a calendar. Even though it’s a tool intended for collaborations or people working together, you can still use it to organize different projects in your life. Its popularity keeps increasing due to its convenience, easy use, and modern features. Plus, you can access it from your phone or computer.

Productivity Strategy 3 – Keep a habit tracker

Forming a habit is another way to increase productivity. But sometimes, bad habits are hard to break, and new habits are hard to create too. Even popular habits such as drinking more water or doing exercises are hard (not impossible!) to commit to for a while.

To increase your productivity, you may also want to create habits such as using your planner daily, planning your day or week in advance, writing 500 words every day, completing your top three daily goals, or even creating products for your store on a regular basis.

Keep in mind that it’s easier to start with small or mini habits. This will keep you motivated during the process and increases the chance of forming a new habit.

In addition to starting small, make sure to track your habit. Tracking your habits is the best way to see your real progress and lets you evaluate how successful you have been. As human beings, it’s normal to overestimate our actions and think that our performance is a lot better than what it really is.

To successfully achieve goals or complete projects, we need to know how we are truly doing. A habit tracker can show us that information. And, of course, here are some tools for you.

These tools help you track your habits:

– Habit Tracker Printable

You can use a habit tracker printable to track your progress. To keep you motivated, choose a format that fits your needs. It could be weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.

– Habit Tracker Apps

There are different habit tracker apps available too:

Habits

The Habits app is very easy to use and allows you to set reminders. You can also see the history, strength, best streaks, and frequency.

Habit Streak

This is another easy app that you can use to mark the number of days that you completed the habit. It has a free version as well as a paid option which includes extra features such as getting an analysis, exporting and importing history, sharing your progress, and setting reminders.

Habit Bull

This habit tracker app is more colorful. You can set reminders and notes too. Unlike other apps, it sends you notifications that are more informal and even funny at times.

It’s your turn to increase your productivity

As you noticed, those three productivity strategies are not complicated or lengthy. Instead, they are quite simple and easy to follow too.

Applying those strategies in your life should not only help you increase productivity, but you should also see a difference in your “to-do list” at the end of the day. You should be spending less time between tasks and focusing more on the tasks that really matter to you and your family.

By the way, make sure to download the productivity guide that has more productivity tips for you.

Which strategy do you need to implement? Or, which other strategy are you using right now? I would love to hear about it. Let me know in the comments below!

Additional Productivity Resources

Enjoyed it? Please share it with friends

and help them increase their productivity too!

Disney Cruise Tips: 5 Ways to Maximize Your Time

Sep 17, 2018 by Lynelle Leave a Comment

If this is your first time going on a Disney Cruise, get ready to have a lot of fun. However, before you sail away, make sure to go over these Disney Cruise tips to help you maximize your time.

Even though there’s a misconception that Disney Cruises are only for kids, your entire family can have a great time on the cruise.

I bet that the person who said, “time flies when you are having fun”, took a Disney Cruise. No matter if it’s a short or long cruise, by the time it’s over, you will probably be sad. It happens so often that it’s even called the Post-Cruise Depression.

However, since I’m always looking for ways to save time and be more productive, vacationing on the Disney Cruise would not be the exception. After all, I wanted to enjoy up to the very last cent paid.

And, I bet that you want that too, so let’s get started…

A happy mom having fun in the beach with her kids after following these Disney Cruise tips

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure for information.

Contents

5 Disney Cruise Tips to Maximize Your Time
Final Thoughts on Disney Cruise Tips

5 Disney Cruise Tips to Maximize Your Time

Disney Cruise Tip #1 – Keep your documents organized

Keeping all documents organized is important even when you are vacationing.

To make it easier, I classified my documents into one of two categories: essential documents or other important documents.

Essential Documents

The essential documents are important documents that you will need to use or show in order to access an area.

While traveling on the Disney Cruise, there are essential documents that you may need frequently. Because of that, keep the documents handy and in one place.

Imagine waiting in a long line to get off the cruise and start exploring the new port of call, just to realize that you left the passports in your stateroom and can’t go anywhere ☹.

That’s why I bought a functional bag like this one. It’s easier to carry and keep with me at all times. For the most part, here is what I carried inside that bag:

stateroom cards
passports for my family
tickets for the tours
money
credit card
blank paper (to take notes if needed)
pen
an extra pacifier (only a mom knows how important it is if it gets lost!)

Disney Cruise Tip #2 – Use the cruise rotational dining

Rotational dining is something that I really like about Disney Cruises especially when you are traveling with little ones.

Here is a quick summary of how it works.

Every day, the Disney Cruise reserves a table for you to eat dinner at one of its three main restaurants. It’s rotational dining because Disney reserves a table at one of those restaurants every night. It’s a simple concept with several benefits:

The reservation is already made for you: Therefore, there’s no need to waste time looking for a table because everything is ready for you and your family. I even had a high chair ready at the table. And to make things easier, your table number is the same every day.
Scheduled time – Since it’s a reservation, you (and the servers) know exactly when to go. That’s a huge benefit because you can decide what activities to plan before and after your dinner time.
Assigned servers rotate with you: Kids feel more comfortable when they know what to expect. In this case, your kids can interact with the same servers they already met.

In addition to saving time and reducing stress, those main dining restaurants are a magical experience for kids (and parents 😉).

However, rotational dining is completely optional and there are more places available to eat including ordering room service from your stateroom.

Disney Cruise Tip #3 – Packing Tips: Simplify and minimize

If you want to take advantage of many activities during your trip, you will probably be running from one side to another trying to be on time for breakfast, character appearance, tour, dinner time, pirate night, show, musical, and much more.

Getting your family ready for the next activity or part of the day will take time. Follow these packing tips to make it better:

Packing tips for clothes

For the first Disney cruise, I grouped the clothes without knowing how much it would help me down the road. After seeing how easy it was, I immediately did the same for the second cruise.

Here is what I did to save time getting the clothes:

Got the cruise itinerary and identified the activities or events for each day. It will be something like this: a day at sea, tour at the Bahamas, Castaway, etc. Also, add the three main dining restaurants if you plan to use their rotational dining.
Wrote the identified activities on index cards (the contrast makes it easier and faster to see the information).
Separated my daughters’ and my clothes based on the activities or events. You can add the dates but keep in mind that you won’t know your assigned rotational dining restaurant until that same day in the cruise.
Grouped the activity clothes together, put them (nicely) inside in a storage bag like this one, and taped the index card to the bag. I did the same for every single activity or event. For example, if I had a bag labeled “Enchanted Garden”, it included all the clothes for that restaurant: my outfit, my two daughter’s dresses, and even her hair bows.

Again, my purpose is to save as much time as I can.

Whenever it’s time to get ready, all you do is grab your already prepared outfit bag corresponding to that activity. You won’t waste time thinking about what to wear or trying to find the clothes that you left with the other things.

Since the bags that I used had a vacuum valve, it was easier to fit things inside the luggage too. There are different sizes available depending on your needs. I mostly used large and x-large to fit all the outfits together.

And speaking about the bags, here I found similar storage bags that seem to work even better based on the reviews received.

When you choose your clothes, it’s normal to take into consideration the weather of your destination. However, it’s also important to check on how the weather will be when you return from your cruise.

For example, when we went on the Very Merrytime Disney Cruise, the temperature in Texas was in the fifties. While Cozumel had beautiful sunny weather with a temperature in the mid-eighties.

A packing hack is also included in these Disney Cruise tips

Packing tips for shoes

Don’t go overboard with your shoes. Here is where I suggest you minimize.

To save time, I chose shoes that I could use for different occasions AND I only packed one pair of each:

Tennis shoes for tour days and days at sea
Casual shoes for casual main dining and musicals
Dressy shoes that can be used for both casual and fancy activities such as eating Royal Palace or attending an event with the Captain.
Flip flops for the pool or beach at the port of call

Disney Cruise Tip #4 – Use the personal navigator

Every day, the Disney cruise prints a personal navigator which they distribute directly to your stateroom. It’s a newsletter that includes all the details for a specific day such as special instructions, reminders, character appearances, movies, important numbers, highlights, shows, games, and much more.

You normally get the navigator on the previous day. Therefore, don’t just put it aside or in your luggage. Instead, use it to plan the next day ahead of time.

My strategy was simple.

Every night, I was going over every single detail included on that navigator since I didn’t want to miss anything. Especially, because some of the activities are only offered once or twice during the trip.

After circling all the activities that my family would enjoy, I made a list of those activities with their location, which was based on their time. I kept that list handy in my purse to refer to it when needed.

Download the app

After having the list of activities for the next day, I was adding them to the Disney Cruise app.

What I liked the most is that it lets you create reminders to help you stay on top of the cruise events. It also has the time and location for each event, and even the map of the ship so you know exactly where to go.

Make sure to download the app during embarkation because it has other helpful features available too.

The food at the Disney Cruises is delicious

Disney Cruise Tip #5 – Wake up early

If you like to sleep until late, this tip is definitely one that you won’t like to hear. I understand that being on vacation should be part of a relaxing experience.

However, getting up early helps you maximize your time on the cruise as well as in your daily life.

You want to get up early in the day for a few reasons:

Cabanas – It’s a delicious buffet place to have breakfast. Even though there’s a variety of food available, it gets crowded (at least during non-school days).
Castaway Cay (or any other destination) – Castaway Cay has is a pretty island to explore, play, and take beautiful pictures. Make sure you have enough time to enjoy the island.
Exercises – It gives you time to do some exercises before starting the activities planned for the day.
Nature – For some reason, the sky, sea, and the sun look prettier when you are cruising. This is the perfect time to enjoy nature and to take more pictures too!

By the way, if you want to learn more about their shows, dining, activities, and more, request the Free Disney Cruise planning DVD.

Final Thoughts on Disney Cruise Tips

You are ready to sail away! Make sure to follow the tips discussed above to maximize your time and enjoy every minute of your magical Disney Cruise!

If this is your first time, don’t forget to download the 9 Extra Tips You Want to Know Before Your First Disney Cruise.

Do you have another Disney Cruise tip to help maximize the time? Or, if this is your first time, which tip did you like the most?

Either way, leave me a comment to let me know.

Before sailing away in a Disney Cruise ship, check these quick ways to maximize your vacation time (Free printables with more Disney Cruise tips!) #cruise #tips #disneycruise #freeprintables #vacation #momlife

Best 30-Day Challenge Ideas to Improve Your Mom Life

Aug 13, 2018 by Lynelle 10 Comments

If you are here, you probably like challenges as much as most people do. And I am not surprised because challenges have become more popular during the last years. That’s why I have put together a list of the best 30-day challenge ideas to improve your life.

Here, I am giving you twelve monthly challenges to keep you covered for an entire year!

But first, let’s learn more about challenges…

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure for information.

What’s a challenge?

For the purpose of this blog post, a challenge is something that you need or want to do that may be somewhat difficult to achieve.

The difficulty of the challenge depends on the:

Nature of the challenge: this is what the challenge wants you to do or what the challenge is about.
Length of the challenge: in this case, each challenge should last for a month but in general, challenges can take minutes, days, weeks, or even a year.
Skills you have: depending on your skills, background, and personality some challenges may be easier for you than others.
Expected outcome: this is what you should achieve once a challenge is completed (the results or transformation).
Requirements: some challenges require more time, effort, and involvement than others.

Types of challenges

Challenges have become so popular that you can pretty much find a challenge for everything.

As with anything else, there are negative challenges (and even dangerous ones) such as the Tide Pod challenge, the Snorting challenge, or exiting a moving car to do the In My Feelings (Kiki) Challenge.

Fortunately, there are positive challenges that you can follow. These challenges include funny ones, such as the lip sync challenge…and the ones that help you improve something in your life.

And that’s exactly what this post is all about.

Why challenges may be good for you

The increase in popularity of the challenges is in part because of the benefits that people find behind those challenges.

Let’s talk about different reasons as to why challenges may be good for you:

Being part of a group

We all like the feeling of being part of something which can be a team, group, or community. Challenges give people just that. The sense of being part of a group with like-minded people.

Feeling of excitement

Trying a new challenge produces the same feelings as trying things that you like for the first time. You are excited about the challenge itself and the expected results.

Keeps you motivated

When you like the challenge, it keeps motivating you to achieve the expected results.

Produces satisfaction

No matter how big or small the challenge is, completing challenges usually gives people a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Helps you build confidence

Completing challenges usually gives people a sense of strength, confidence, and motivation to achieve even more things. If that’s your case, take advantage of these feelings and go for it!

Helpful Tips to Keep in Mind Before Starting These 30-Day Challenge Ideas

Focus on the challenges, not in the order – These challenges are scheduled based on what made sense to me, the seasons, and the nature of the challenge. However, feel free to complete them in a way that works best for you.

Keep doing the challenge longer if needed – Even though I am providing you a list of 30-day challenge ideas, the challenge doesn’t have to end once the month is over. For example, you may want to continue the Savings Challenge to start an emergency account, save for the holidays, or birthday gifts.

Any improvement counts – I am a firm believer that there’s always room for improvement and a small improvement is still an improvement. Just don’t feel the pressure to complete all the challenges. You may not be interested in all the challenges or you may not need to improve that particular area in your life. Either way, skip that challenge and move onto the next one or continue working on a challenge that you already completed.

Focus on the results – As you know, the purpose of these challenges is to improve your life. Because of that, I don’t want you to be frustrated. Instead, do the best you can and focus on your progress.

12 Best 30-Day Challenge Ideas to Improve Your Life

This list of 30-day challenge ideas gives you a challenge for every single month. I organized it by month just to make it easier for you, but you don’t have to do it in that specific order.

Are you ready?

Let the challenge begin!

1. Goal Setting Challenge in January

This is a free 7-day email challenge that I have created. It’s listed as the first challenge because January is normally when people think about setting goals (or New Year’s resolutions).

But, you don’t have to wait until the New Year to start. It’s actually better, and recommended, to start now. Plus, in this challenge, I’ll help you identify, plan, and set your short-term goals. Join the free goal setting challenge.

2. Savings Challenge in February

It’s time to save money! For the purpose of this savings challenge, set $5 aside every single day so at the end of the month you can have a total of $150. In twelve months, you can have a total of $1,800 saved.

You can save more with this challenge if you want to. One option is to increase the daily contribution. Instead of saving $5 per day, what about saving $10 or maybe $20?

Another option is to gradually increase your daily contribution. For example, during the first week of the month, you may save $5 per day. Then, in the second week, increase your contribution to $7.

The key for this savings challenge is to first, determine the purpose of the money saved and then, establish the amount of money needed to achieve that goal.

As I mentioned before, you may want to save that money to start an emergency account, get birthday gifts, or to cover for your kids’ school-related activities.

3. Declutter Challenge in March

March is immediately associated with nice weather, spring cleaning, and school’s spring break. Therefore, this is the perfect time for a declutter challenge.

Since clutter can cause allergies, stress, and even put you in a bad mood, this challenge is perfect for this series of 30-day challenges to improve your life.

Commit to decluttering one area for a month. The closets and drawers are two popular areas to declutter but don’t forget to include other areas too such as bookshelves, car, and garage. Plus, don’t forget that toy box which magically grows over time!

Once you are done with this 30-day challenge, you may want to re-schedule it every quarter or at least twice a year to avoid accumulating too much clutter.

4. 10,000 Steps Challenge in April

It’s time to be more active with a fitness challenge! In this case, you need to reach 10,000 steps every day.

Why 10,000 steps?

Because that’s the recommended number of steps to keep you active and healthy. But, of course, there are additional actions that you should also take to stay healthy.

If this is your first time doing this 30-day challenge, don’t let the number of steps stop you! It may sound impossible but it’s absolutely doable. Plus, it gets easier over time.

Just keep in mind that for this challenge you will need to track your daily steps. Another option is to download an app but that will only work if you carry your phone at all times.

Either way, it’s time to move and track your steps!

5. Water Drinking Challenge in May

Drinking enough water is always difficult for many people including me. That’s the reason why I included this water drinking challenge. However, before starting this challenge, you need to calculate the amount of water that you need to drink every day.

It’s okay if you don’t like math because it’s a very easy and simple calculation. Just get your weight and divide it by two. That total is the number of ounces that you need to drink daily.

After calculating how much water you need, make sure to work on this habit daily!

6. Reading Challenge in June

Summertime is the perfect time for a reading challenge. Even though, sometimes it’s hard to find time aside from the responsibilities, let’s make the point to read this month.

The goal of this 30-day challenge is to read two books this month. Make sure to schedule a minimum of 30 minutes every day to avoid falling behind. By the way, check out this list of books to get you started.

Want to read more? Instead of reading every day for 30 minutes, schedule an hour and finish one book per week!

7. Fun Activities Challenge in July

Take advantage that your kids are out of school and enjoy this Fun Activities Challenge. After all, I am pretty sure that your kids will like it too!

During the entire month, have indoor and outdoor family activities. Choose a different activity every day such as crafts, sports, board games, etc. Make sure to choose a variety of activities to keep all family members happy.

8. Journal Challenge in August

Journaling has become pretty popular. You can find many videos on YouTube that teach you how to journal. You can start a journal on anything that you want: frequent ideas, a summary of your day, or anything else that you prefer.

As UJ Ramdas said in an interview, journaling is like a toothbrush for your brain. You are pretty much dumping the information from your brain to your journal. It may sound basic or even silly, but journaling helps you in different areas including your mindset and well-being.

The best part is that you don’t have to spend too much time doing it. Ten or fifteen minutes is more than enough.

For this 30-day challenge, get ready to write!

9. Zero-Spending Challenge in September

September is the perfect month for a zero-spending challenge.

That will give your pocket a relief after back to school shopping done last month. Plus, it gives you a break before Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The purpose of a zero-spending challenge is, well… that. Not to spend any money this month which should help you save money too.

It’s normally used to reduce your spending on groceries but, for this 30-day challenge, pick an expense category where you are currently overspending or one that you would like to reduce or improve. For example, you may be spending too much on groceries, cosmetics, eating out, or buying clothes.

Pick a category and apply this zero-spending month to that category. Just keep in mind that after choosing a category, you may need to adjust other areas. If we use the example of not eating out for a month, you may have to cook more and plan your meals better.

But, here is something that I want you to keep in mind: Even if you can’t go the whole month without spending on that category you chose, cutting the spending amount in half is already an improvement!

10. Self-care Challenge in October

As a mom, you are probably taking care of everything and everyone, except for yourself. Therefore, this month is dedicated to you!

Many of us take our health for granted and don’t realize the importance of taking care of ourselves. But self-care has several benefits including reducing stress. That alone is a huge benefit!

This time you have 30 days to focus on yourself with this self-care challenge. No excuses allowed! 😊

In this case, think of indoor and outdoor activities that you like, make you relax, or entertain you. Don’t forget to add things that you have never done but have always wanted to do.

This would be a perfect challenge to continue even after the month is over.

11. Gratitude Challenge in November

With the month of November comes Thanksgiving and the gratitude challenge.

Even though many stores are fully decorated for Christmas right after back to school, it’s still important to stop for a moment and be grateful for what we have. Especially because gratitude helps us in different ways including an increase in happiness and better health.

To complete this 30-day challenge, spend a few minutes every day to write down a list of things that you are grateful for and positive things that happened that day. Write a minimum of five things (even though ten would be better) and avoid repeating the same reasons.

The best part is that at the end of the month, you should have at least 150 positive reasons to be grateful for.

12. Say Something Nice Challenge in December

There’s something about the holidays that make most people happy. That’s why this is the perfect time to add the Say Something Nice Challenge to the holiday festivities.

It shouldn’t be that hard, right?

Well, there’s a twist. Go the entire month without repeating a person AND stay outside of your comfort zone.

In other words, even though you may feel more comfortable saying something nice to your friends and family members, make sure that you also include strangers and those with who the relationships are not at its best.

Now, get ready to make this December extra special.

Bonus: Minimalism Challenge

If you skipped one of the challenges mentioned above, here is a minimalism challenge to complete in its place.

Some people take the word minimalism as a synonym for sacrifice, while others focus on the state of mind. And, that’s the direction that I prefer to take.

One of the reasons is because I am pretty sure that you already have a lot on your plate. Plus, as I said before, my goal is for you to improve your life and not to get frustrated.

Use this minimalism challenge to help you simplify different areas of your life throughout the month. There are different activities that help improve the state of mind. Some of these activities include meditation, yoga, and even reducing the use of technology.

Choose a combination of your favorite minimalism activities and enjoy your month!

Get ready to complete your first 30-day challenge

Now, you have a list of the best 30-day challenge ideas to improve your life for an entire year!

Keep in mind that to achieve better and long-lasting results, you need to keep working on the challenges longer than 30 days. But, these challenges should get you started in the right direction.

Now, it’s your turn. Which one of the challenges will you work on first? Let us know in the comments below…

Take care!

Enjoyed the post? Please share it with your friends!

Top 10 Cash Back Apps to Get Extra Money

Jun 11, 2018 by Lynelle Leave a Comment

If you are looking for ways to bring extra money, you need to try these top cash back apps.

In the past, it was so complicated to get rebates, refunds, or any other type of cash back that many people preferred not to get their money back. Customers felt that all the effort just wasn’t worth it.

Fortunately, the cash back apps have arrived!

Note: This post contains affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase through my links, I may receive a small commission from the company at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Mom Succeeds.

I still remember all the headaches:

filling out the official form
making a copy of your receipt
cutting the proof of purchase from the eligible product’s box or package
trying to put everything together in an envelope, and sometimes that alone was an extra challenge!
finding a stamp or even stamps!
driving to the post office to mail the envelope
waiting “patiently” for about 4-6, and sometimes even longer, for the check to arrive
once the check would finally arrive, going to the bank to deposit it

If following all those steps was a pain, doing it for every single rebate was even worse. Even though few companies are still using the traditional process, many companies have moved away from it.

Thanks to the technology, requesting money back through these cash back apps is a lot easier to process and a lot faster at getting the money back.

Cash Back Apps for Receipts

In this section, I am listing the cash back apps that require you to scan or take pictures of your receipts in order to be rewarded.

Some cash back apps also require you to buy specific brands or shop at specific stores, while other apps just want a copy of your receipts.

Cash Back App #1 – Ibotta

Ibotta is a very simple app to use and offers three ways to get money back. You can submit your receipt, link it to your loyalty cards, or make mobile in-app purchases.

Since they are currently supporting more than 280 stores, chances are that your favorite store, or stores, have joined too. Some of the participating stores are Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Dollar Tree, Amazon, Hallmark, Priceline, Etsy, Groupon, iTunes, and 1800Flowers.

One of my favorite features is the “Check Product Barcode”. It’s very convenient because I can double-check the eligibility of a product right at the grocery store before purchasing it.

There are also offers for “any brand” where you can get money back for different products regardless of the brand. It could be products like antacid, bananas, or milk. Sometimes, they literally accept any item on your receipt.

Ibotta adds the money to your account in 24 to 48 hours. In my case, I have used the method of submitting the receipts and I have seen the cash added into my account faster than that. Keep in mind that once you reach a minimum of $20, you can request a payout through PayPal or venmo.

In summary, I have been using Ibotta for a while and have had a great experience with them. They keep growing and adding more stores, which means more cash back opportunities for all of us.

And guess what? You can get a $10 welcome bonus just by using my link and scanning your first receipt. Click here to join Ibotta and don’t forget to use my referral code lgkgveb.

Cash Back App #2 – Checkout 51

Checkout 51 is another app where you can submit your receipts. You can search by product, categories, or stores such as Walmart, Target, Aldi, CVS, Costco, Family Dollar, and more.

Depending on where you live, you may also be able to add loyalty cards since it’s not available in all states. If you live in Texas like me, it’s not available yet.

Their offers go live on Thursdays at 12 am and expire the following Wednesday at 11:59 pm. Therefore, make sure to submit your receipts early. There are some offers that you can redeem only once, while there are others where you can claim more. Check the limit for each of your products before buying them. You can find all the information in the product description.

It’s also important to note that quantities are limited for all offers. Therefore, make sure to check the offers on Thursdays and to submit your receipts as soon as possible. Don’t learn it the hard way as I did.

I have been able to redeem all the offers I wanted except for one. It was a hot item and unfortunately, I waited a couple of days before purchasing it. I double-checked the app before leaving home and the offer was still available, but when I scanned my receipt from the store’s parking lot, the offer was already gone ☹

You can request a check once you reach a minimum of $20. After the request, it takes about 15 to 30 business days for you to receive the check. Even though PayPal is not an option at this moment, Checkout 51 is currently testing it with some members.

If you ever have a problem processing an offer, contact their support desk. I did it in the past and they quickly took care of my situation. Click here to join Checkout 51

Cash Back App #3 – Fetch Rewards

I heard a little bit about Fetch Rewards before and decided to download it. Then, I just kept it on my phone for a while without checking it. Now, I regret it.

Fetch Rewards is like several cash back apps combined in one app.

With this app, you also need to scan your receipts, but you earn points based on the brands you bought instead of the store where you shopped. Since the points earned are not based on the stores, you can scan the receipts from any store you want. So far, they have more than 250 brands which include Dove, Suave, Capri Sun, Kraft, Heinz, Oscar Mayer, Tropicana, Coors, Miller, and more.

Fetch Rewards accepts receipts within 14 days from the checkout date on the receipt and you can submit a maximum of 14 receipts in a rolling seven-day period. You can redeem your points for an e-gift card from places like Amazon, Applebee’s, Best Buy, Walmart, Chili’s, Kohl’s, Panera, Target, and many other great places!

There’s also a special offers section that gives you the opportunity to earn more points if you purchase the required products of the offer by the deadline listed on the description. There are not too many offers but hopefully, they will continue adding more over time.

This app has a Smart List section where you can create your shopping list to keep it handy. Not just that, it also has a Recipe Inspiration section. Since I don’t like to cook, I try to get inspiration from any place I can.

You can find plenty of recipes which are sorted into 13 sections including For the Kids, Main Dishes, Pasta, and Beverages. Each of the thirteen sections has at least hundreds of recipes if not thousands. I immediately saved the Bacon ‘n Eggs Pie recipe!

Click here to join Fetch Rewards and get 2,000 points added to your account when you use my referral code PV2AY and scan your first receipt!

Cash Back App #4 – CoinOut

The name, CoinOut, may sound familiar to you since they were on Shark Tank. It’s a very easy app that allows you to scan your receipts in exchange for coins.

I am expecting this app to continue growing over time but for now, it’s a simple, easy, and straight-forward app.

At this moment, it doesn’t seem to require a minimum amount to cash out to a bank. I even tried cashing out my balance of .35 cents and it let me go through the process. The only downside, as expected, was that the small local credit union I use was not included. Therefore, I couldn’t use the bank option.

But, don’t let my situation discourage you because they do have big banks such as Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and USAA.

In addition to the bank, you can cash out your balance by requesting an Amazon gift card which normally takes 24 to 48 hours to be processed. The last option is to donate the money to a charity. Just keep in mind that it requires a minimum of $10 in your account. Click here to join CoinOut.

Cash Back App #5 – Receipt Hog

Receipt Hog is another app where you can get money back for receipts. In this case, you scan your receipts and you can earn either coins or spins. The number of coins depends on the receipt’s total dollar amount. The spins are just for fun but still give you the opportunity to earn more coins.

You can also earn more coins by linking the app to other accounts such as your email, Amazon, and Facebook.

Once you reach the necessary amount of coins, you can redeem them for cash sent to your PayPal account or an Amazon e-gift card where a code is sent to your email. The cash out amounts vary by country but for those in the United States, the minimum required is 1,000 coins.

The cash-out process is similar to the other cash back apps. After you submit a request, it takes up to 7 days to be approved.

Receipt Hog accepts receipts from different stores including Costco, Walmart, Walgreens, Kroger, 7 Eleven, and Ulta. Download the app now and start searching for your receipts because you can submit receipts that are up to 2 weeks old! Click here to join Receipt Hog.

Cash Back App #6 – Walmart

Savings Catcher is a program created by Walmart. All you do is scan your Walmart receipts with your phone and then, Walmart scans the circulars from competitors in your area to see if they advertised any of your purchased items for a lower price. If Walmart finds it, you get the difference on a Walmart eGift Card.

The Walmart eGift Card doesn’t expire which means that you can keep accumulating your balance until you reach a maximum of $1,000. However, the maximum that you can earn per calendar year is $599.99 which is still great!

It normally takes Savings Catcher up to 72 hours to process your receipt. I have received over $200 by only scanning my receipts. And, I would have received more if I wouldn’t have forgotten to scan many receipts in the past.

By the way, you can scan any receipt with the purpose of keeping a digital copy of it on their system, but Walmart only compares prices from receipts that are less than 7 days old.

Let me also mention that you can submit up to 7 receipts per week. In the beginning, seven receipts per week may not sound enough, but it hasn’t been a problem for me and I am always at Walmart.

Quick Tips:

If I feel that I may have more than seven receipts at any given week, then I scan the longest receipts with the highest dollar amount first. Since those receipts have more items listed, the probability of getting money back is higher.

What I also like about Savings Catchers is that it acts as a digital recordkeeping for your store receipts. Since it keeps the receipts on their system, you can use them whenever you need to return an item. Click here to join Walmart Savings Catcher.

Cash Back Apps for Shopping

The following cash back apps let you shop and get money back without having to scan any receipt.

Cash Back App #7 – Earny

How annoying is it to buy something only to find out that the price dropped a few days later? Annoying, right?

It would be much better for us to track all our purchases in case the prices go down. But, who has time for that? Not me and probably not you either. But, Earny does it for your online purchases.

The Earny app lets you earn automatic rebates if prices drop for your online purchases. For it to happen, the app gets the receipts from your inbox, searches for lower prices, and claims the difference for you. It also tracks your Amazon purchases if you link the app to your Amazon account.

It’s literally a one-time setup and Earny tracks your online purchases for up to 90 days. It even lets you know when a refund has been approved. At the end of every month, Earny has an Earnings Summary that includes a list of refunds that you received for that month. Based on that information, Earny collects 25% of your refund for the work. In other words, they only get paid when you get refunds. Click here to join Earny.

Cash Back App #8 – Ebates

Ebates is a program, mainly for online purchases, that has been growing in popularity during the last years. Right now, they have more than 2,000 stores participating including Kohl’s, Walmart, Macy’s, Target, Groupon, and eBay.

The benefit is that you can use either your computer or the phone app as we are focusing on here.

With Ebates, you can also get money back for things that you would normally purchase. Just be completely sure that you click on the Ebates link before making any purchase and that you get a quick confirmation letting you know that you are ready to shop. At that moment, you can move forward to complete your purchase.

Once you are done, the store will let Ebates know that you made the purchase. Just keep in mind that it might take hours or even days for Ebates to receive that notification. Ebates pays every three months through a check or PayPal.

You can also use their In-Store Cash Back to save even more. Just add the card that you are planning to use at the store to your Ebates account. Then, find the offers in the Ebates app or site and link those offers to the card you added. Finally, when you go to the store to make the purchase, and make sure to use the same card you added to your Ebates account. The store’s notification period and the payout process will remain the same.

Want more reasons to join? Click here to join Ebates using my referral link and get a $10 bonus after a qualifying purchase.

Cash Back App #9 – Walgreens

Walgreens has a program called Balance Rewards that gives you the opportunity to earn points when you purchase different products (including photos and prescriptions). You can redeem those points for dollars off on future purchases as soon as you reach a minimum of $1 or 1,000 points.

There’s also an opportunity to earn additional points per month by making healthy choices. In my case, it has been as easy as linking my Walgreens account to my Google fit account. After that one-time quick set up, I have been earning 20 points for every mile walked or ran with a maximum of 1,000 points per month. Which means that you can easily score a free cereal box, toothpaste, or toilet paper every two to three months. Click here to join Walgreens’ Balance Rewards program.

Cash Back App #10 – Do$h

Dosh gives you the opportunity to get money back for eating out, shopping, or staying at a hotel. For the offers, you can find both, online stores and physical places located near you. To be eligible, you need to shop through the online offers in their app.

In this case, you don’t have to take any pictures of your receipts. Just complete your purchase through the Dosh app and wait up to 90 days for your money to be added into your account. Why so long? Because Dosh considers the transaction completed when the return period for the products purchased has expired.

I wish they would have more offers available because even though I have many places around, I only have few of them participating in this app.

To cash out your balance, you need to have a debit or credit card linked to the app and a minimum of $25 on your Dosh account.

Let me give you two quick tips:

After linking your card to the app, wait at least 24 hours to make sure your card has been registered.
If you linked a debit card, use it as a credit card during the purchase otherwise Dosh won’t have a way to confirm your transaction with the credit card companies. Click here to join Dosh.

Scanning your receipts for the cash back apps

I was only using the Walmart app at the beginning. Therefore, it was easier to scan my receipts at the parking lot or even before even leaving the store.

Now that I am using several cash back apps, I do it a little bit different. I keep all the receipts together for that day and then I take few minutes to scan them all at once. I work on one app at the time, and then once I am done processing all the receipts, I go to the other app and so on.

Just remember, if it’s a hot item, you may want to submit your receipt to Ibotta and Cashout 51 as soon as you can. If that’s the case, make a mark on the back of the receipt to keep track of where you submitted it.

Over to you

As a reminder, these are only cash back apps. In other words, don’t expect for them to replace your job or even to become your side job. But, they are definitely a way to get some extra money. Money that you can use for Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, or to go on vacation.

Don’t get disappointed if you just get few cents here and there. Remember that those cents will accumulate over time.

If there’s an app that you are currently using but wasn’t included on the list, let us know!

Are you ready to get money back? Let me know in the comments section which of these cash back apps you are going to try first?

Pin it for later!

20 Best Summer Books for Preschoolers (free activities)

Apr 23, 2018 by Lynelle 8 Comments

Summer is the time for fun…and summer books too! For years, experts have talked about the benefits of reading to our kids when they are little.

In my case, I love reading non-fiction books but reading to my toddler at night is even better! That’s something that I have done with both of my kids since they were little.

Several of my daughter's favorite books are included in this list! #summerreading #summerkids #preschoolers #momsucceeds

Quick note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure for more info.

This article covers the following summer books for preschoolers:

Best preschool books of all time
Newer popular books for preschoolers
Picture books about summer
Children’s books about the beach

Best preschool books of all time

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar – It’s a very popular book among kids, including my daughters, that has been around for years. This book explains the days of the week in an interesting way for kids ages 3 to 5.

Caterpillar Book Activities:

2. Llama Llama Red Pajama – I love Llama Llama books and even though, I am only mentioning one book in here, there are many more Llama Llama books available. These books are easy to read and understand and talk about common behaviors in kids. They also use rhyming which is something that is covered in the early years of school.

Llama Book Activities:

3. Don’t let the pigeon ride the bus – Through this book, a pigeon interacts with your child by pleading to be allowed to drive the bus. After reading the book at school, my daughter warned me to not let the pigeon drive our car! And like Llama Llama, there are additional books available to entertain your child.

Pigeon Book Activities:

4. If You Give a Moose a Muffin – This is the classic book of a very hungry moose that stopped by to visit, but after eating a muffin, he kept asking for more muffins until they were all gone. After that, he had the idea to get some muffin mix!

Moose Book activities:

5. Green Eggs and Ham – Like always, Dr. Seuss has a unique way to present his stories. This book reminds kids about the importance of trying new things. If you have a picky eater at home, you may want to get this book! And, the question is: do YOU like green eggs and ham? 😉

Green Eggs Book Activities:

Green Eggs and Ham Pretzel Bites – another kid recipe!
Seuss Green Eggs and Ham Maze
Seuss Green Eggs Sight Word Game
Green Eggs and Ham Coloring Page

Newer popular books for preschoolers

6. What should Danny do? – I discovered this book while doing the research for this blog post and I have to say that I loved what I saw! It’s one book with nine stories focused on kids ages 3 and up. This interactive book follows the “choose your own story” style giving your child the opportunity to decide what Danny should do next throughout the story.

7. Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site – This is a great bedtime story since in this book the construction trucks are ready to go to sleep after a day of hard work. This is a way for kids to see that after working hard, there should be some time to rest and get ready for the next day.

8. The Most Magnificent Thing – This is a book that shows little kids that it’s okay if things are not perfect and encourages them to look at things from a different perspective. It shows how a girl struggles, gets frustrated and even quits when trying to build what she wants. But at the end, after trying and trying, she is satisfied with her invention.

9. When I imagine – This is a story of a girl named Andie with a great imagination like many kids. Even when she is told that her dreams will not come true, the sweet girl still makes her dreams come true in her mind.

10. The Day the Crayons Quit – In this very popular book, the crayons had enough. They got tired of doing/being used for the same purpose and decided to quit. However, the boy works with the crayons in order to come together in a new way.

Popular books activities:

Tools Shadow Matching
Construction Zone Printable
Crayon Coloring Page (click on the image to print)
Create a Crazy Crayon Craft

Picture books about summer

11. Curious George Goes Camping – Summer is also a popular time for people to go camping, and Curious George won’t be an exception. As it happens in the tv show, George’s curiosity makes things get a little out of control. But at the end, he always manages to save the day.

12. The Berenstain Bears Go on Vacation – Since it’s summertime, the Berenstain Bears are ready to have fun through all the activities available at the seashore. They do a little bit of everything such as swimming, fishing, museum, and more.

13. The Night Before Summer Vacation – This family is getting ready to go on a vacation, but they overlook something. Sounds familiar to you?

14. A Day at the Airport – If you have plans in taking your child to the airport for the first time, this book can help you prepare your child for the experience. This story takes into consideration different areas of the airport for your kid to understand better.

15. Daniel Goes to School – After having so much fun during the summertime, it’s hard for kids to start/go back to school. If this is their first time away from you, this book can help them feel more comfortable with the transition.

Summer books activities:

Children’s books about the beach

Biscuit’s First Beach Day – I always like Biscuit’s sweet stories. In this occasion, he is going to the beach for the first time and, as expected, he is very excited about all the things that can be done at the beach.
Pete at the Beach – This is just one of Pete the Cat books. He is good at finding shells and building castles, but when it’s time to go to the water, don’t forget that he is still a cat!
Wild Sea Creatures: Sharks, Whales, and Dolphins! – Like in the PBS show, the Wild Kratts are in another adventure while teaching kids about those awesome sea animals.
Hide and Seek Harry at the Beach – Harry is a hippo that likes to play hide-and-seek everywhere including the beach. It’s funny for the kids to see a big hippo trying to hide behind smaller things such as a hammock or an umbrella. My daughter was entertained looking for Harry throughout the story.
Bats at the Beach – Bats deserve some time off too! That’s why one night, they decide to pack up and head to the beach for some fun.

Beach books activities:

Related post on summer arts and crafts:

25 Easy Summer Arts and Crafts for Preschoolers

It’s time to read summer books with your preschooler!

I am always looking for great books. Which other summer books would you add to this list? Let us know in the comment section!

Make sure to pin it for later!

25 Easy Summer Arts and Crafts for Preschoolers

Apr 9, 2018 by Lynelle 2 Comments

If your child is starting preschool soon, don’t panic! This list of easy summer arts and crafts for preschoolers has the purpose of keeping your child entertained while practicing concepts covered in preschool.

Just keep in mind that even though these activities are labeled as easy arts and crafts for toddlers, your child may still need you to read the instructions, cut some materials, or any other step required to complete the craft. And, for your kids’ safety, make sure to keep an eye on them while making they are making or playing with their crafts.

Now, get ready to have fun with your child!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. You can read the disclosure for more info.

Beach crafts for preschoolers

Let’s start this summer arts and crafts with a variety of cute beach crafts that include a jellyfish, flip-flops, and going under the sea.

Colorful Jellyfish Craft for Kids – In addition to being a colorful, easy-to-do craft, you probably already have most of the materials needed.
Under the Sea Ocean Paper Plate Craft for Preschool Kids – If your child hasn’t eaten all the goldfish yet, grab some of them for this under the sea craft experience.
DIY Ribbon Flip Flops – I love ribbons which is one of the reasons why I started Colorful Bows. If you like ribbons too, this flip flops craft makes it the perfect time to use those ribbons that you have around the house. Or, better yet, it’s the perfect excuse to stop by your favorite craft store. 😉 Also, tying the ribbons up will be a good exercise for your little one’s fingers.
Handprint Wooden Spoon Butterflies – Since it’s easy to do, your child can make at least a couple of these butterflies to play with.
Under the Sea Graham Crackers – This is more like a cooking craft and these crackers are absolutely adorable! (There’s a video too.)

Hand arts and crafts

Since preschoolers love playing with their hands, here are some hand arts and crafts for them to enjoy.

Handprint and Footprint Flowers and Vase Craft for Mother’s Day – This cute craft is suggested for Mother’s Day but it’s something that kids can still do during the summertime.
Paper Plate Frog Craft – This is a paper plate craft where you need to trace your child hands for the frog’s legs.
Summer Kids Craft: Footprint Flip Flops – This is a fun summer craft for kids, and it’s the type of craft that you can keep it as a memory too!
Handprint Fish/Footprint Seaweed Tote – Here is another 2-in-1 craft for kids. After completing the craft, your child ends up with a cute tote to keep toys or something else.
Handprint Hermit Crab Craft – This crab craft helps kids learn/practice a variety of skills needed in preschool.

Paper plate crafts for preschoolers

Paper plate crafts are always great. Not only during the summertime but for crafts in general. They are inexpensive, entertaining, and foster creativity.

Paper Plate Umbrella Craft for Preschoolers – My little one had the opportunity to do many crafts during pre-K and this umbrella was one of them. Her teacher planned to do this craft during the weather unit and my daughter enjoyed making it and decorating it her way.
Easy Paper Plate Watermelon Craft – A refreshing kids craft that requires very few materials. Take it beyond the craft and give real watermelon to your kids, too!
Paper Plate Ice Cream Craft – Your child may need some help with a few steps but overall, it’s a cute and creative craft for them to enjoy.
Easy Paper Plate Jellyfish Kids Craft – Have your kids do this simple jellyfish craft and you can even use it as part of your summer home décor.
Paper Plate Pizza Craft Idea – What about some yummy pizza? Have fun designing a pizza. The design can be simple or complex depending on the type of pizza and your child’s age.

Weather craft for preschool

This list of summer arts and crafts can’t be complete if we don’t include the weather. After all, that’s a strong characteristic of summertime.

Toothbrush Painted Rainbow – Your kids can enjoy making this super easy summer craft while creating a rainbow (something they love).
Simple Spring Flower Craft – This is an opportunity for kids to get very creative while creating their flowers. Just grab different embellishments and let them use their imagination.
Weather Chart Kid Craft – My toddler loves checking the weather after learning about it in pre-K. You might need to help your child with the paper fastener and to make the lines on the plate. But other than that, it’s an effective way to learn and play at the same time.
Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars Craft for Cloud Observation – If your child loves to look at clouds like mine does, then you definitely need to try this is cool craft. That may also increase their desire to learn more about clouds.
Spring Windsock Kid Craft – This is another craft that my toddler did and liked. Since it worked, I am sharing it with you!

Websites with summer worksheets for preschoolers

Kindergarten Worksheets is a site that has tons of worksheets to prepare your child for Kindergarten. The worksheets are sorted by sections such as counting, more or less, patterns, addition, and much more. Each category has worksheets for different levels. Here are some of those categories:

Planes and Balloons has many beautiful and educational printables available. Here are just some of those printables:

Summer Preschool and Kindergarten Worksheets – Include patterns, words tracing, word search, problem-solving, and more.
Preschool Worksheets – Include worksheets for different activities such as big and small, matching, and tracing.
Kindergarten Worksheets – This section includes more than 100 printables to help with number order, addition and subtraction, shapes, letters and much more.
While there, check out the Halloween worksheets, Thanksgiving worksheets, and fall theme worksheets

Worksheet Fun has plenty of worksheets for preschoolers and there’s also a section for kindergarten. Here are only a few of those worksheets available on the site:

24. Teachers Pay Teachers is another website with many worksheets for the little ones. Here are some of those worksheets to get you started:

25. Education.com also has great worksheets for your toddler. This site includes worksheets for other purposes too such as learning their phone number and address. I purposely chose the following worksheets based on what my daughter had to learn during pre-K:

Sort Out the Five Senses
First, Next, Last
Hot or Cold?
Insects or Not Insects, Cut and Categorize
My Phone Number (mom’s or dad’s phone number)
What’s your address?

Bonus Section: Activity books for preschoolers

There are activity books available that you can use too. They are normally sold by grade. Some books cover all the classes, while other books only focus on one class or one area such as math or writing.

I love these types of books and have used them with both of my daughters. I use them all year round, including summertime, as a practice and to teach them new concepts.

These preschool workbooks can be found at different popular stores including Dollar Tree, Walmart, and Target. If you want to check them out, here are great activity workbooks at Amazon.

It’s time to create summer arts and crafts!

Now, you have a list of fun summer crafts for kids and more than twenty-five links to access worksheets for preschoolers.

If you haven’t yet, it’s time to click the links, get the materials, and have some fun with your child!

Let’s keep helping other moms!

If you know of another easy summer arts and crafts that weren’t included on the list, share it with us in the comments section!

5 Common Productivity Killers for Busy Moms

Mar 12, 2018 by Lynelle Leave a Comment

You can’t add more hours to your day, but you can be more productive just by eliminating one productivity killer at a time. Remember that your time is something that will never come back.

Once it’s gone, it’s gone. Forever!

That’s why this post not only discusses five common productivity killers for busy moms, but it also provides you with solutions and resources to help you maximize your time and days.

As moms, we already have too many things on our plates. We help our kids with their homework, take them to extracurricular activities, attend games, and watch concerts, among many other things.

That’s why it’s so important to improve our productivity. That way, we can still achieve our tasks and goals.

Quick Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure for more info.

Quick note before moving forward, as a Mom Succeeds reader you can:

Save 97% on this productivity bundle for busy moms!

Productivity Killers & How to Eliminate Them

Productivity Killer #1 – Believing the myth of multitasking

For years, we have been told to multitask but studies have shown that multi-tasking is not the best approach towards productivity. There are two main factors involved, focusing and switching tasks.

When you multitask, you are not giving your full attention to any of the tasks you are working on. That means that it takes longer to complete each task since your brain continues switching from one task to another.

A study shows that switching tasks can decrease your productivity time by up to 40%. In other words, if you are multitasking to be productive, you must realize that you are achieving the opposite.

Switching between simple and familiar tasks may not seem like a big deal. For example, you probably won’t notice it much if you are making your bed while on the phone having an informal conversation with a family member.

But, the story may be completely different with more complex tasks.

Just imagine calling your insurance company regarding an expensive procedure not covered by your plan while cooking a broiled double-thick lamb rib chops with slicked-up store-bought mint jelly sauce, for the first time! You would probably have to call the insurance company back or stop working on the recipe until you are done with the call. By the way, that’s a real recipe that you can find here.

After all, multitasking is a huge productivity killer. It takes you longer to complete tasks, your focus decreases, and the probability of making mistakes increases, affecting the quality of the results.

Before going to the solution, check out this short video about what happens to your brain while multitasking.

Solution:

Start by focusing on one task at a time. Once you complete the task that you are working on, then move on to the next one. Then, start the next task, complete and repeat. Plan your day (discussed under productivity killer #2) and keep a master task list to help you keep track of what needs to be done. A great resource is a book called The One Thing which covers the disadvantages of multitasking and the benefits of focusing on one thing at a time.

Learn more about The One Thing Book>

Productivity Killer #2 – Not planning your day

Not planning your day has several disadvantages. When you start your day without knowing what to do, it’s easy to get caught up on everything and any little thing that comes your way.

Life is not perfect and last-minute things will occur often. But, when I plan my day the night before, I achieve more. That’s because planning your day gives you purpose and direction so you can focus on what’s really important to you.

You may choose to plan your days in the morning, but doing it the night before gives you the advantage of knowing exactly what to do as soon as you wake up. There is no room for excuses. But, the times that I have tried to plan my day in the mornings, I got distracted by other things and ended up not planning at all (and wasting my time ☹).

I am a huge fan of productivity planners to plan your day. Plus, they are like your personal assistant keeping everything organized and in one place.

There are many cute paper planners out there such as the Happy Planner and Erin Condren. However, my favorite is the Classic InkWell Press Planner. I find its layout easier to customize, neater, and more organized. Especially now with their new 360 disc planner. You can take a look at it here.

But, the planner itself can’t do the trick. You must use your planner for it to work.

Motivate yourself, otherwise, you will end up not using it. Start by making it easy for yourself. Get a planner that matches your personality. For example, my brain pictures the tasks better when the week is arranged vertically. It looks more organized and it’s easier for me to quickly understand what needs to be done during that week. If you prefer a daily or horizontal layout, then choose that one instead.

Also, decorating your planner will probably motivate you to use it even more. Add family pictures to make it more personal and decorate the pages based on the season, holiday, and upcoming events. To make it easier for you, I have created a list of 130 free printable stickers to get you started.

Solution:

Get a planner and make it a habit to use it on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter if you choose the Happy Planner, Erin Condren, or the InkWell Press. What really matters is to plan your days.

Learn more about the InkWell Press Planner>

Productivity Killer #3 – Not tracking your time

When you are not tracking your time, you don’t know if you are on track to complete your tasks or meet your deadlines. Even worse, at the end of the day, you won’t know where your time went.

Tracking your time gives you a better idea of the tasks that are consuming your time. Knowing that allows you to make quick changes to be more productive the next day.

Once you start tracking your time, you might find out that you are spending a lot of time on things that will not help you reach what you want in life. For example, you might realize that you are spending too much time watching tv or playing on social media, instead of starting a blog as you wanted for the last two years.

Track your time with productivity apps

RescueTime can help you track your time and it’s available as an app and chrome extension. There’s also Brain Focus Productivity Timer. It’s a popular app that follows the Pomodoro technique.

If you are not familiar with the Pomodoro technique, it was created by Francesco Cirillo in the late ‘80s. The purpose is for you to focus on working on a project without distractions. After choosing a project, set the timer for a 25-minute session.

Once the session is over, you take a short break of 5 minutes. After the break, you start a new 25-minute session until it is time for another quick break, and so on. You have a total of four sessions before taking a longer break of 20 minutes.

Before starting a project, plan how many 25-minute sessions that project will require. By doing so, you are tracking your time and pushing yourself to meet a deadline. If you don’t set a deadline, you will find yourself moving from session to session without being productive.

In my case, I have noticed the difference from when I am tracking my time and when I am just looking at the time itself. I tend to focus better since I am on the clock. When I only check the time, I tend to be more relaxed and as a result, I take longer to complete the tasks.

Solution:

Start tracking your time. You can download one of the apps already mentioned, or you can do it yourself by using a regular timer. But, if you haven’t been tracking your time, I wouldn’t suggest the latter. If you want to learn more about the Pomodoro Technique, his creator just published a book. Click here to learn more.

Learn more about the Pomodoro Technique book>

Productivity Killer #4 – Lack of organization

This year, I am focusing on this productivity killer because there are so many things to learn and it is easy to start collecting articles, books, and magazines.

Disorganization has negative consequences.

That’s why recently, I got tired of a very disorganized area in my house and ended up transforming it into a simple command center for kids. Not only does that area look pretty and clean, but now my kids can easily keep all of their school materials in one place.

Disorganization highly affects your productivity time. Spending time looking for things won’t help you complete your projects on time. And it will get worse if you have to do the work all over again.

Not finding the required tools or materials can delay the completion of the tasks. And that may cause stress, frustration, irritability, and a decrease in motivation to complete the project.

Solution:

There are different solutions depending on your situation. First, go digital or paperless. If you are keeping many newspapers or magazines, try switching to a digital subscription. Make the point to only print what is absolutely necessary.

Second, transfer your documents to your computer. If you are keeping documents such as invoices, think about investing in a scanner where you can transfer those papers to your computer.

Another solution is to designate an area for every item which is something that I am working on right now. If something doesn’t have a “home”, then make a quick decision to sell it, trash it, or to donate it.

Productivity Killer # 5 – Not taking care of yourself

I am pretty sure you saw this one was coming. As moms, we take care of our kids, work, home, and anything else except for ourselves. Just remember, to be able to take care of others, we should take care of ourselves first. Not doing so may result in higher levels of stress, tiredness, and other health issues.

When I do yoga and meditation first thing in the morning, my attitude towards the day changes. I see myself more focused, patient and handling unexpected challenges in a better way.

Every day, set aside some time where you can get involved in activities that energize you. You could have a combination of reading, running, and meditation. Just make sure to include at least one activity that keeps you active.

Make it a habit to take care of yourself and follow through. Quitting after few days will just put you back where you started. It’s not enough to choose activities and schedule times, you should track them too.

A habit tracker allows you to see your progress. It motivates you to keep moving forward or shows you that you need to work harder. You can track your habits on your cell phone with apps like Habit Streak, Habit Bull, or Loop.

If not, check your planner for a more traditional pen and paper method. Some planners like the InkWell Press, have dedicated sections to track your habits regularly.

If you don’t have those type of planners, don’t worry because there are other options such as these printables.

Solution:

Decide how you want to start taking care of yourself. Specify the activities and the amount of time you will dedicate to each activity. For example, you could plan meditation for 15 minutes, reading for 10 minutes, and running for 20 minutes.

To make it work, try setting up a specific schedule (for example: from 7 to 8 am). Block that time on your calendar and start a daily morning routine.

As discussed in the book titled The Miracle Morning, having an early morning routine gives you time to take care of yourself and other important projects in your life. That allows you to be more productive before life gets in your way.

Learn more about The Miracle Morning book>

Get rid of your productivity killers

After understanding the five common productivity killers, it’s time to take action. Make sure to choose one productivity killer that you need and want to work on first.

Download the productivity guide and don’t forget to create a plan of what you want to achieve, along with the action items and deadlines.

Remember, not all your days will go as planned but they can be better if you have eliminated those productivity killers.

In the meantime, which productivity killer are you struggling with right now? Leave me a comment!

Blog

19 Self-improvement books to read this year

<img class="lazyload" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=momscd04-20&amp;language=en_US&amp;l=li2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B072TMB75T" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" />1. Girl, Wash Your Face

<img class="lazyload" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=momscd04-20&amp;language=en_US&amp;l=li2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B01KFJGT50" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" />2. Make Your Bed

<img class="lazyload" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=momscd04-20&amp;language=en_US&amp;l=li2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B01N4VVT1Z" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" />3. Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

<img class="alignleft lazyload" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&amp;ASIN=B00KK0PICK&amp;Format=_SL250_&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;WS=1&amp;tag=momscd04-20&amp;language=en_US" border="0" />5. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

<img class="lazyload" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=momscd04-20&amp;language=en_US&amp;l=li2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B07D23CFGR" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" />6. Atomic Habits

<img class="lazyload" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=momscd04-20&amp;language=en_US&amp;l=li2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B003F3PMYI" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" />7. The Happiness Advantage

<img class="lazyload" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=momscd04-20&amp;language=en_US&amp;l=li2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B01H0IOZQ4" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" />9. Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy

13. The success principles: How to get from where you are to where you want to be

<img class="alignleft lazyload" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&amp;ASIN=B01KU04K5A&amp;Format=_SL250_&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;WS=1&amp;tag=momscd04-20&amp;language=en_US" border="0" />17. Declutter your mind

What should you do next?

√ Action Step #1 – Get the self-improvement books

√ Action Step #2 – Schedule some reading time on your calendar

√ Action Step #3 – Take notes and follow up

You can transform your life

Additional resources for a successful year:

What is happiness?

Happiness is not a one-size-fits-all solution

Happiness doesn’t mean impressing others

Happiness is not a permanent location or destination

Happiness doesn’t have a “go big or go home” mentality

Can happiness be achieved?

What is the formula for happiness?

Is happiness a choice or an emotion?

So, what do you think, is happiness a choice or an emotion?

How to find happiness within yourself?

5 Quick tips to find happiness within yourself

When finding happiness within yourself doesn’t work

The best ways to increase happiness

Happiness: 25 Ways to Be Happier with Your Life

In Conclusion

It’s your turn to be happier

Make sure to pin it!

13 Best Gift Ideas for JoJo Siwa Fans (Gift Guide)

1. Bed Set

2. Curtain Set

3. Rainbow Unicorn Pillow Buddy

4. Dog Plush Pillow Buddy

5. Carry-on Duffel Bag

6. Handbag

7. Pink and Silver Watch

8. Book

9. JoJo’s Pajama

10. Colorful Socks

11. Black Cap

12. Winter Hat and Gloves Set

13. JoJo Shirt

You are all set!

Don’t forget to share it with friends!

Increase Productivity: 3 Strategies to Get Results

Productivity Strategy 1 – Create an organized task list

These tools help you create a task list:

– Use a task list template

– Download these task list apps

Productivity Strategy 2 – Use the time blocking technique

What is time blocking?

Time blocking simplifies your days in different ways:

There are different ways to do time blocking

Check out these helpful time blocking tools:

– Time blocking planner

– Time blocking template (printable)

– Time blocking app

– Time blocking calendar

Productivity Strategy 3 – Keep a habit tracker

These tools help you track your habits:

– Habit Tracker Printable

– Habit Tracker Apps

It’s your turn to increase your productivity

Additional Productivity Resources

Enjoyed it? Please share it with friends

and help them increase their productivity too!

5 Disney Cruise Tips to Maximize Your Time

Disney Cruise Tip #1 – Keep your documents organized

Essential Documents

Other important documents

Disney Cruise Tip #2 – Use the cruise rotational dining

Disney Cruise Tip #3 – Packing Tips: Simplify and minimize

Packing tips for clothes

Packing tips for shoes

1. Girl, Wash Your Face

2. Make Your Bed

3. Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

5. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

6. Atomic Habits

7. The Happiness Advantage

9. Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy

17. Declutter your mind