It's okay to dream.....

Keeping The Big, Bad Wolf Away

Now days, it seems like everything we do is done online.  We talk to Grandma in Colorado, we send flowers to our pregnant sister, check our bank balance and pay our bills all via the world wide net.  Sooner or later, a "big, bad wolf" will try to come along and put a damper on your life by hacking into one of your accounts and obtaining access to everything simply by figuring out your password and log in.  

There are several ways that you can protect yourself from this happening to you.  Here are just a few:

1.  Use different user names and passwords for each account.  Could you imagine if someone got a hold of the log in that you use for all of your accounts?  I know, it's tough to remember each log in for each site, that's why I have a spreadsheet with all the information stashed away securely in my home.  If someone breaks in, well, that's a whole other story.....

2.  Change your passwords often.  This should be done every couple months.

3.  Obtain a credit card that you use just for making online purchases.  This way, if that card is compromised, you can shut it down quickly.

4.  Check your credit report often.  This will give you an idea if anyone is using your identity.  There are even some credit reporting companies that offer a free credit report.

5.  Secure your computer with updated virus protection, firewalls and all that "techy" stuff.  You never know when someone is trying to get in....

Delegation - How To Be Effective REPOST

Picture by KM Photography

We all get to be the boss sometime in our life, whether it be with our work, our school, in our homes or with our children. Being a leader has it's challenges. There is a job that has to get done and you either need help with it or you need someone else to complete the task. There is a certain way the project needs to get done and usually a time frame that has to be met. Knowing how to ask for that help and see that the project gets carried out is a skill some people need a little help with.

#1: Describe the job and the outcome that needs to be reached. For example: "Today, we need to get this mailing out to all of our clients."

#2: Specify who's responsible for meeting this goal: "I would appreciate your help in spearheading this project and seeing that it gets completed today. Can you please take care of this?"

#3: Describe the steps that need to be completed so that the project is successful: "It's important that we make enough copies of this memo so that all of our clients receive it. We will need to put it on letterhead, prepare labels and envelopes and tri-fold the memo so that it fits in the envelope. Then, let's make sure that the correct postage gets applied and that the mail is done before the carrier arrives at 4:00 pm."

#4: Ask if there are any questions or concerns with accomplishing the task: "Do you have any questions? Do you think that you will be able to get this mailing out by 4:00 pm today?"

As the employee being given the task, this would be the time for you to clarify the instructions to make sure that you understand everything that is being asked. Far too many times, employees feel intimidated and they proceed with a project without fully understanding what needs to be done. This leads to mistakes and delays in completing assignments.

#5: Make yourself available to the employee and check on their progress.

#6: When you see that the job is completed, praise your employee: "I see you got those memos out. Thank you so much for taking care of that, you did a really good job. Those memos were really important."

The steps above can be applied to any sort of delegation, whether it be asking your kids to do a chore or working with groups for community service. Following these steps will help make you an effective delegator.

Moving And The Race Against Time

Have you ever moved around the holidays? Let me tell you from experience, it's not any fun. This is probably the third time that I have done it in my adult life and you would think I would have learned my lesson.

Not only did we move 5 days before Christmas, but here it is, the day before Christmas Eve and I still have tons of shopping to do! The good news is that we are in our new house, after lots of hard labor (mine, Dan's, my mom's and some helpers) and we have lots already put away.

Next step: shop for gifts and groceries for Christmas dinner (oh yes, we are having it at our house). We have the tree and decorations up, so that is a huge plus!

After Christmas, but before the end of the first week in January, we have to clean our old house and get it looking presentable for the owners to regain possession.

My goal for next Christmas: Start shopping and saving money 6 months early, bake, actually make and mail my own cards (maybe even do a family picture card), get a tree early and put decorations up long enough to enjoy them.

Were you prepared for this holiday season? Have you ever had to move during the holidays? Tell us your story......

The Art of Organizing A Party

Call it my Virgo nature, but I have always been an organizer. Sometimes my organization even HAS organization. I am forever cursed with this blessing. A person should share what they are good at, so I thought I would throw out a few hints, tips and pointers to some of my "not so organized" friends. Here are some ideas for planning a party or get-together.

Before sending out your invitations, you will want to sit down with a piece of paper and map out your event. Write down the date, time (start and finish) and location. Keep in mind, if you are having a party at your home, you will need somewhere for your guests to park, along with directions to your home. If there is a theme for your event, such as a luau, baby shower, 50th birthday, etc., you will want to note that.

You can't have an event without guests, so the next step would be to determine who should be invited. Your list should be divided into two columns, the first column should be labeled "adults" (this would include anyone who you think would consume an adult size portion of food/drink). The next column would be for the little guests who don't eat or drink much. This list will be used for your invitations, this way you will have a good idea of how many people you have invited. When you begin receiving your RSVP's, you can put a check mark by those that confirmed their participation.

In the meantime, a menu should be developed based on what theme you have chosen. Remember, the time of day your party is given will determine what kind of menu to have. Once you have decided on a menu, you will want to mark it on your event map in a list format so that you can use it to go shopping or contact caterers.

In planning for your party, there is almost always something that is forgotten, so don't stress. Take a mental tour of your party and begin another list; anticipate silverware, plates, napkins, cups, center pieces, table coverings, decorations, condiments, side dishes, appetizers and desserts. You will need plenty of serving bowls and dishes along with utensils to serve. If you are having a bar, you will need to remember the entire bar equipment needed. Don't forget to make sure you have places for your guests to sit as well as a place for them to eat. If you don't think you will have enough chairs or tables, see if any of your friends or family can help out or as a last resort you can contact a rental agency.

If you are having some form of entertainment such as a disc jockey, clown, inflatable, or a dance floor, you will want to make sure to book early as professional entertainment is popular. If you are opting to use an IPod, CD player or the radio, you will want to stage an area close to the right amount of light and outlets.

I know that the worst part of a party is the cleanup. To help with planning for this, make sure that you have several places for people to throw their trash and or recyclables. To cut down on a large amount of paper cups being used, you can provide a marker for everyone to put their names on their cups. This helps with kids not wasting and provides them a sense of ownership of their drink (not to mention this helps grown-ups too).

I am sure you will think of other things that I have left out, but I hope that this helps you to get the ball rolling with planning and organizing your party.

I was inspired by I Help You Blog's 101 Great Posting Ideas For Your Blog to write this post about organizing a party.