When I returned from BlogHer ‘08, I questioned what was the best way to organize business cards.  I settled on managing my new friends in the very tool I would use to eventually contact them – Gmail!
Should you use Gmail as your address book?
Pro: It’s flexible enough to let you fill in only those fields [...]

Quick Idea: Sometime a simple change is also a big change.
Check out Danni Brancaccio’s blog about her quest to go all summer on one tank of gas, simply by changing her habits.  Granted, she sometimes borrows her mom’s car (per CNN).
Resources
Simple Human 101 ways to use less gas
Freakonomics on The New York Times Hurray For [...]

Summer’s ending, but the fun will go on

As Labor Day approaches, most of us in the Northeast start dreading the cold winter days ahead. Well, I have good news: There are still a bunch of great months ahead, and lots of fun things to do. For instance, here are 10 fun things [...]

Quick Idea: Buy yourself some toasted sesame oil.  When making savory meal, substitute it for olive oil.  Trust me, you’ll love it!

Salmon, Bok Choy & Eggplant with a Sesame-Honey Glaze
(I am a “some of this & that” kind of cook – sorry this isn’t more exact)

Mix even parts honey, soy sauce & sesame oil [...]

Quick Idea: Unclutterer recently talked about the high cost of too much stuff – I totally agree!
Even more, I think too much stuff also complicates life – both literally and figuratively. Not only does it take time and money to deal with my excess stuff, but having my stuff scattered about also weighs me down [...]

Photo Source: Martha Stewart Living

Quick Idea: Martha Stewart Living posted this idea for keeping a Decorator’s Pouch in your car.  Having paint swatches, fabric samples & home measurements on hand will definitely simplify shopping for home decorations.
I can even imagine extending this to shopping for clothes – snip a string or a tiny piece [...]

Quick Idea: For those of you without a garage: Don’t leave your car under a tree for more than one night!  … nuff said.

Resources:
LearnHowToRemove.com Is it Honeydew or Tree Sap?
wikiHow How to Remove Bugs, Tar, and Sap from Your Car
What are your parking strategies?

Fun & Cheap in Beantown

As summer comes to a close, I thought it would be nice to take a look at all of the fun activities that Boston has to offer. And, in the vein of simplicity, they all cost $5 or less:
View Larger Map

Crane Beach in Ipswich: Take the bus from Boston & [...]

So much to do, so little time.
Lynn Truong’s recent post at Wisebread talks about our obsession with productivity & questions whether it really helps us in the end…  It’s an interesting idea to ponder.  Being that I am always seeking balance in my life, I have decided to take action to fight the stress that [...]

It’s totally rad…

So far I love the Strida. It is a beautiful example of industrial design. I marvel at the little details. For example, when you fold the bike it seems as if one of the bars could scratch the other, but then you notice the small piece of transparent rubber that protects the bike [...]