Oh man oh man oh man.
You know when you finish a major project and you’re all, “Woo! Now I can relax! I am going to have SOOO much free time!” and then a few days go by and you fill your time with so many things that you’re excited to be able to do again that… you are still exhausted!
Welp, that is totally happening to me right now. Today I had NOTHING to do after work, but after some quality roomie time, watching the new What Not To Wear show (it’s the ONLY show I enjoy that is NOT available ANYWHERE online, which irks me), cleaning up my room, and settling in to bed only to discover all these productivity/organization tools take serious time to set up… here I am after 10pm and still going strong. In fact, I’ve had to pee for about 30 minutes and am so caught up in what I’m doing that I haven’t had the time to stop and go down the hall to my bathroom.
So. A few things I’d like to share out of sheer excitement at their existence!
#1: Evernote.
I’ve just discovered this, and already am super psyched about it. Basically, it does everything I’ve known was possible for years but have never found one program that is SUPER INTUITIVE and super easy and super fast that does all those things. Short reminders, longer notes for reference, web links (I’m going to move all my Google Bookmarks there, since they are discontinuing lists (which is the ONLY reason I was using them in the FIRST place!), etc., etc., &c.
I’d love to use it more for work, since it is so exactly perfect for my crazy busy Administratvie Assistant/Copywriter/Scheduler/Gopher/Social Media Manager/Keeper-tracker-of-everything-er job, and I am somewhat using it, but currently I’m at the bottom of a long totem pole of computers, and I’ve got what I’m quite positive is the last of the non-Intel, PowerPC Macs (a G5, pretty good speed, but… no bueno for being able to upgrade any programs, use anything Mac App-related, Chrome, etc., all won’t run on a PowerPC processor), so although thankfully Evernote is available for PowerPCs, it’s got a disclaimer that it’s a non-supported version and upgrades aren’t available, so it makes me nervous to rely on it much…
BUT. Super amazing life program! 🙂 Maybe, just MAYBE, when my Franklin Covey Classic 7Habits planner refils run out in June, I’ll go all digital with my life planning. We’ll see.
Here’s an adorable video promoting it. I have to say, the ad style, the voice, the elephants in the sky… all convinced me to try it.
Oh, also it’s free. You can pay $5 at any time to boost your upload limit/amount for that month, but your cumulative upload/memory size is unlimited!
#2: My desk fetish is fueled by this image from a random spam-mailed ad:
Le sigh. Right?
#3: Shoeboxed.
Dude, it’s like the Netflix for cluttery paperwork! You sign up for a certain level of membership, starting at $9.95, and then you can just cram reciepts, bills, etc., into these envelopes and send them off, and someone scans them and they appear in digital forms online, and– get this– there’s an auto-import option to your Evernote account, which also contains text-recognition, which means even notes you jot on recieipts will be searchable on your COMPOOPER! Amazeballs, right?
Now, I don’t know if my trust level is up to snuff with this. I’m sure the Shoeboxed folk are fully certified and professionals who deal with important papers a lot… I think I’d be more worried about mail-handlers. I mean, I love every single USPS employee I’ve ever known. They have to go through all sorts of background checks, have to sign all sorts of things and swear by all sorts of gods, and have super cushy Federal jobs I’m sure they don’t want to risk, but… ever since my Mom warned me that she heard that some post office employee told her that some guy that one time would steal checks if he could tell they were in envelopes, I’ve always wrapped rent checks in other paper to make them look like letters so it’s less obvious.
This is a ridiculous fear for several reasons: a) nowadays, people can’t really steal from you with a check, as most places require ID, and fraud is so easily reported and you get your money back when someone obviously rips you off, and b) my mother is paranoid about everything, even to this day, and c) I’m pretty sure that just doesn’t happen anymore… it has NEVER happened to me or anyone I’ve ever heard of.
But. This envelope screams “I HAVE IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS IN ME!” To anyone who might be familiar with this company at all, and I’m assuming it’ll grow in recognition if it does well … so it just seems like tempting fate to me. Although… everyone knows that Netflix envelopes have DVDs in them, and they NEVER get stolen. At least, that I’ve ever heard of. So. Silly fear.
And anyway, I just think this is a great time-saving idea. And that’s the kick I’m on lately, so this was right up the alley of eye candy por moi!
Okie dokles, kids, I’m off to bed. Let’s see if showering tonight will help my morning routine be less rushed tomorrow (I keep trying the “waking up earlier” route and… it just doesn’t happen for me! Suggestions welcome…).
xoxo
—Crystal