Fill in the vacations first!

Mini Day-at-a-Time Day Planners

If you’re like me, you block your year into semesters, either because you have a student at home, or you have that familiar rhythm locked deep in your reptile brain. So, subconsciously, every new year still brings a fresh shot at Dean’s list, or at the most outtasight spring break ever. Maybe this is why I like to break in a new day planner by filling in the vacations, breaks, and birthdays first – because in between those dates stretch the days and weeks of obligations and details I just can’t face yet. Like a trail of carrots in the path of my inner Eeyore, vacations urge me on, cheering, “Three weeks till driving Coast Highway 1! Pick it up old girl, you can make it!”

Ready to plot out the awesomest, most organized year yet? Check out the beautiful planners at PaperPosey.com »

Tie One On.

"Pebbles" cotton apron from the Iota® Collection

Have you ever noticed how putting on a cute apron turns cooking into entertaining? (OK guys, this post is perhaps not for you :-) Even if it’s Wednesday sandwich night at your house, you can elevate the proceedings with a little kitchen style.

Aprons were something our moms wore, and that I didn’t, for most of my early cooking career. Jeans were made for wiping your hands, right? Right, eew. Later, being around professional chefs who were design clients, I started to acquire chef’s aprons, and soon they were part of my “leaving the workday behind” ritual -  pouring a glass of wine to cook with, and snugging an apron around my waist.

Presenting Iota® aprons: The tie strap is adjustable, and there are pockets for your instant-read, herb clippers or iPhone, whatever you can’t be without during the dinner hour. The creative folks at Iota are surface designers first, so the prints are contemporary chic, and the fabric is lightweight Kona cotton. I have the “Pebbles” pattern on the hook at home, and it has worn well and looks great right out of the dryer.

Time to start your own apron collection? Take advantage of fresh markdowns – at these prices, order one for yourself and one for a girlfriend!  Aprons and more at PaperPosey.com »

Pretty Bird.

Arm Candy Tote in Victorian Bird from Papaya

How do we know for sure that it’s spring? Could be the delicious swish of a summer skirt around your bare knees. Or, maybe it’s the arrival of songbirds at your feeder. Best of both? We suggest a bright little songbird on a new coated canvas tote bag from Papaya. The completely capable Arm Candy Luxe Tote has a cell phone compartment big enough to fit an iPhone, a zipper pouch and two additional slip pockets. Three styles, plus beautifully made coordinating journals. Brighten up your errand running with this cute canvas bag – pocket 20% savings on Arm Candy Luxe Totes with special Coupon Code *springbird* until April 30, 2010.

Doing Our Part for the Caribou

The 'Bou Notebook

And for the planet. If you’re already a fan of EcoJot notebooks, you know they are eco-friendly, well priced, and a delight to have and to give. And, new this year – there’s a must-have special edition, both for the delightful cover illustration and for the purpose behind it: introducing the Caribou Notebook, or ‘Bou for short, dedicated to one of the most cherished denizens of the North American wilderness.

EcoJot is proud to donate $1 from the sale of each ‘Bou Notebook to Canopy, an organization that works to protect the world’s forests, species and climate. They work with companies like book, newspaper and magazine publishers to switch away from environmentally damaging papers to alternatives that are gentler on the planet.

Click here to order the ‘Bou Notebook, $15>

Learn more about Canopy’s innovative work, high profile advocates and community here>

Emergency Relief for Haiti through Heifer

For over then years, Heifer has helped families in Haiti to become self-sufficient through agricultural projects.

If your heart is breaking as you’re watching the coverage on this week’s devastation in Haiti, perhaps you are looking for a meaningful way to help. PaperPosey supports Heifer International throughout the year, and we’d like to point you to their special emergency relief appeal. Here is the word from their site today:

“Heifer International is issuing an emergency appeal for funds to help families in Haiti recover and restore their lives in the wake of the catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the tiny Caribbean nation on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010.

“Heifer is by no means a traditional first responder,” said Steve Denne, chief operating officer of the global hunger and poverty organization, “but we have projects and partner families in Haiti who likely have lost everything, and now, with this devastation, the need is even greater than before. This appeal will help us help our current families begin to rebuild their lives, and provide the chance to help even more families recover from this devastating blow.”

Donate Now to Heifer’s Emergency Appeal for Haiti»

Green Chic: Recycled Paper Notebooks from EcoJot

Creative doodler? Monster list-maker? Dedicated green consumer? Then you might take a look at EcoJot Notebooks. Designed around the tactile appeal of recycled papers, the hardcover notebooks have a true material honesty. The original illustrations, by Carolyn Gavin, are in a folksy/modern groove, some with subtle reminders to “recycle, reuse, and rethink.” All the books have sturdy wire-bound construction, and we especially like the Jumbo Jots for a hefty chunk of paper – plenty of space to spin out your next great idea.

But, the pieces with the most devoted following are the Cahiers/Notebook Duos. A fresh take on beloved traditional composition books, these pieces are lovely to write in. Sized just right- in a non-business-y format-  each set has two softcover designs. Colors are bold, but mellow out on the recycled paper surfaces. And, the cahiers are made with book quality recycled papers. Devotees search them out! Explore Cahiers / Workbook Duos »

Giving Back in Our Small Way

Field volunteer for Doctors Without Borders

Most of us find ways great and small to give back to our circle, whether simply helping within your extended family or in our wider communities. Or, maybe we take on the great big world. Although there are so many places to give this year right here in our hometowns, I find myself drawn to organizations who are focused on people in extreme need and crisis throughout the world. Dealing with problems that seem insurmountable, and yet there they are, putting their shoulder to them every day.

Whenever we receive 30 new subscribers to The Buzz, PaperPosey’s online newsletter, we make a gift of a honeybee kit through Heifer International. It’s a token gesture to be sure, but we’re reminded of the life led by those in the developing world, coping with a depth of need that we as people living in the United States can barely get our heads around.

A Place for Everything.

And everything in its place. Recently, I listened to an excellent audio book on organization techniques. David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” could be pegged the “One Minute Manager” for how we work today. Part of his message has to do with the impact of clutter on our productivity, in the context of our ramped-up information age. I think it especially applies to our creative mode, when we need unclouded focus to dream, think and plan.

Most of us understand that a clean, uncluttered project room or work environment is a productive one. We are just too busy being creative and productive in spite of the clutter to keep things orderly. If it’s time to take action, though, get started by 1) starting fresh with a really clean space, and 2) tuning up your filing system.

Recipe Photo Albums

The days of the big, overstuffed collection of family recipes in a three-ring binder might be numbered. Modern cooks call the help line on the turkey wrapper in Thanksgiving panic (been there!), or Google up directions for “Cornbread Dressing” online. So, what do we do with precious pass-me-down recipes? I like this updated take on our moms’ recipe file: mix photos of family and friends into your recipe binder or box. Then, it’s part photo album, part recipe file, all keepsake.

Diet Journals: New News is Good News

Recently I decided to lose ten pounds. Let’s just say it’s been a bit of a stop-start campaign, not exactly the barn-burner we were looking for. Maybe I should keep a food diary or diet journal. This is not a new trick, but lately it’s backed up with new numbers: you could lose twice the weight.

In an article in Time, Sanjay Gupta relates his own experience with keeping a food journal to explore the findings of a recently published paper. The findings state that people in the study who kept a food diary lost twice the weight of those who didn’t. Two times the pounds!