Oh no! It's Mother's Day very soon and you forgot to get her a gift? Mother's Day is a very important date to show your mother that you love and appreciate her, so you should make an effort to do something for her, even if you don't have much time left. No ideas? Have no fear: this article is here to help! Just read on for some simple, quick and cost-effective ways to show your appreciation to your mother this Mother's Day.

Readers offer their best tips for keeping your emails short, navigating to other pages in pinned tabs, and mounting USB ports in your desk. More »

Pockie Ninja is a browser game that lets you control characters from the hit Manga/Anime titles Bleach and Naruto in completing quests and winning fighting matches against other online players.

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Windows: Pulse is a free program that downloads and cycles through wallpapers based on any keyword you give it. More »

Searching Cydia, the App Store for Jailbroken iPhones, can be a frustrating process. Planet-iPhones' Cydia Search function lets you search the Cydia store right from any desktop browser. More »

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Post written by Leo Babauta. Make one change today. If you’re overweight and unmotivated to change your life drastically, just make a tiny change. You’re not alone. There are more overweight people today than ever before, as a percentage of our population and in sheer numbers. I’ve been overweight (65 pounds heavier than I am [...]

Tweet The art gallery Spoke Art officially opened their doors for the first time this week in San Francisco. Till May 28th, Rod Luff will take the stage with The Moleskine Project, where the Australian artist will show his entire Moleskine notebook collection of oil paintings, sketches, notes, doodles, etc. As a clever touch, the works have been [...]

Muscle memory is not a memory stored in your muscles, of course, but memories stored in your brain that are much like a cache of frequently enacted tasks for your muscles. It's a form of procedural memory that can help you become very good at something through repetition, but in exactly the same way it can make you absolutely terrible at that same thing. Here's why. More »

Reader OB wants to know if it's safe to store digital scans of her tax returns on Google Docs.

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I wanted to let you know that the GTD & Outlook 2010 Guide is coming in May. We are in the final production stages and will be making this available to GTD Connect members as soon as it's available. It will also be available in the DavidCo Store, but Connect members can get it for free from the Docu...

If you're moving with a pet and you're considering traveling by air, your pet may not be small enough to travel in the cabin with you. The cargo area of a large jet is a controlled environment. The cargo area of a small regional jet or turboprop aircraft might not be a controlled environment. It depends on the aircraft type. However, there are precautions you can take to reduce the likelihood of injury and stress of your pet.

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In honor of Mother’s Day, a post that we’re sure many moms can relate to…

“I can’t believe she left her room such a mess!,” my frustrated client lamented following the exodus of her first child to college. As I looked around the room littered with books, clothes, memorabilia, shoes, old school papers and various forms of trash I could certainly understand her reaction. Since that time I have worked with other frustrated parents left reeling from the emotional upheaval of their children leaving home and then feeling burdened with the mess of belongings left behind. What’s a parent to do?

When children leave their belongings in a mess when they leave home, I believe parents have the right to take action to restore order in their home. When children leave physical chaos behind them it communicates to parents that those things aren’t very important. Since their belongings are subject to scrutiny by parents, they could be thrown away if they are deemed unimportant. Hmmmm. . . I wonder how many children have considered that what they have left behind could be tossed in the trash.

Parents have several choices about what to do with their children’s belongings once they’ve left home. The option that is chosen often depends on how often the child will be returning home to visit.

1. Leave as is. This is the path of least resistance. Just shut the door and walk away. Since feng shui teaches that everything is connected, however, you may not see the mess and chaos of the space every day, but its negative energy will have an effect on the energy of the home and on everyone living in the home. And, you’ll still know that the mess is there. Many women in particular find a stagnant mess very disturbing.
2. Box them up and store them. With this approach you just throw everything into boxes and move them to the attic or a storage unit. The benefit is that you are able to reclaim the room for your own use. The downside is that you are either paying for a storage unit to house things that don’t belong to you or your valuable storage area at home is consumed with things that are meaningless to you.
3. Go through them and keep only those things that seem to have value. Many parents have a good idea of what might be important to their children and are able to do a first pass through their belongings, whittling the mass of stuff down to the most precious and valuable belongings. Items commonly kept are seasonal and formal clothing, audio-visual equipment, musical instruments and memorabilia. Items deemed unimportant can be sent to a charity or thrown in the trash. Those items left behind are organized and ready to present to the child on their next visit home.
4. Give children a deadline to go through their belongings before you get rid of them. Some parents are either unable to deal with their children’s belongings or just don’t want to do it. I’ve worked with many frustrated parents who just want their space back. They have asked their children to make decisions about their things and take what is valuable to them, and have been completely ignored by their children. It’s as if the parents are being held hostage by the things. My advice to them, after they have informed their children of their wishes for them to take ownership of those things that still matter to them, is to give their children a deadline. Let the children know that they have until the deadline to go through and take those things that still matter to them. After the deadline their belongings will be taken to a charity or the dump. And, it’s essential that parents honor the deadline and take action once it is reached. Setting a deadline is a way for them to take their own personal power back and not feel victimized by their children’s disregard for their request and their feelings. It can also be a very important lesson for children about taking responsibility for their things.

Of course there are always extenuating circumstances that affect what you do regarding children and their belongings. For example, you most likely will cut your child some slack if they are in college, the military or overseas on a special job assignment and unable to do anything about their things. Or, your child may not yet live in a home large enough to accommodate their things.

The important thing to remember is that there comes a time when you are not only doing yourself a disservice by continuing to house your children’s belongings, you are doing them a disservice. As long as a significant quantity of their things are still in your home, energetically they haven’t completely left home. Their belongings hold their energy and as long as those things are still in your house, it’s as if parts of them are still living at home. There comes a day when it’s time for them to leave the nest completely. They can’t fully mature and get on with their lives if part of them is still hanging out at your house.

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It’s been just over two years since I got my first credit card. I now have three and I’m never looking back. Ah, credit cards. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

·         Credit cards track my spending. The problem with withdrawing money from an ATM and paying for everything in cash is that you often struggle to remember exactly where your money went. With credit cards, I can review the statements every month and reconcile each line item to my Quicken records to make sure even a few bucks here and there are properly accounted for. I couldn’t do that with cash.

·         Credit cards boost my credit score. As a college graduate with no student loan, no car repayments, and no mortgage, credit cards have helped me ‘get into the system’ and build a strong credit profile. By using them wisely, I’ve already qualified for lower rates that I can take advantage of when I eventually buy a house. If it weren’t for credit cards, I’d pretty much be off the financial grid.

·         Credit cards give me awesome rewards. Each of my credit cards rewards me in a very useful way. One gives me up to 33% off food. Another lets me earn interest on any positive balance at a rate banks would only offer if I locked in a far higher amount for a far longer time. But my favourite is a 90% discount on my monthly membership to an amazing gym. This includes free wireless internet, not to mention unlimited classes like yoga and FUN’k off (don’t ask), for just $7 a month! When’s the last time cash treated you so well?

At this point, you might be feeling uncomfortable. Heck, you might be downright appalled. But please put down the pitchfork and step away from the comments. Allow me to offer some clarification before you write me off as yet another 25-year old on the road to disaster and destitution:

·         I am NOT advocating excess spending. Most people avoid credit cards because they’re too much of a temptation to overspend. Given that the key to wealth is to spend less than you earn, this makes perfect sense. Credit cards should NEVER be used to spend money on things you can’t afford. In other words, NEVER buy on credit what you can’t already buy using cash. Period. I’ve never been a particularly extravagant person, which is why I actually like the fact that I’ve had the same pair of All Stars for about five years. My credit cards are only used for things I can already afford (mostly things I have to buy anyway), which is why the charges only amount to around 25% of my income every month. Nothing gets charged that cannot be paid.

·         I am NOT advocating getting into debt. Another reason people avoid using credit cards is because they fear debt. This makes sense too. Debt. It’s a horrible word that conjures up images of shackles and a burdened life. But not all debt needs to be portrayed so negatively. One of the key things I learned at Rich Dad Coaching (and wrote about in The Beauty of Debt) is the distinction between good debt and bad dad. Good debt, like that used by Robert Kiyosaki to buy investment properties or that used by Bill Bartmann to become one of the 25 richest people in America, puts money in your pocket. Yes, credit card debt is bad debt, but it won’t cost you a cent as long as you ALWAYS pay the balance off in full (and can negotiate waived annual fees). This means your cash can stay in the bank longer (earning interest as it does so) and only be used to pay off the debt when the due date arrives. In some cases, that can be as far as 55 days away. Score!

·         I am NOT advocating getting credit cards purely for rewards. Too many people have been tempted by the promise of low rates and other amazing benefits only to find that they were temporary offers at best. Before settling on a card, make sure you do proper research and read the fine print. Since interest rates only matter if you have existing debt that you’re trying to consolidate, you have total freedom to find a card that works for your situation. Your best bet is to find one that rewards you for purchases at stores you already use all the time and/or rewards you with benefits you can actually take advantage of. Perhaps you’ll get lucky and score a free European trip!

In conclusion, I hope it’s clear that credit cards are not the homewreckers everyone paints them out to be. If you already have a good dose of financial discipline (control your expenses by spending less than you earn) and use them with wise self-control (pay off the FULL balance every single month), they can be a really great part of your overall plan. But if you don’t and won’t, then burn this post immediately (figuratively, of course) and stick to what you know.

What do you think? Have any of you had good success with credit cards to help me build my case? Would you share your story in the comments, pretty please?

Some of us avoid conflict with our loved ones because we don't want to piss them off or rock the boat. But having healthy arguments can be an important part of a relationship. Here's how to do it. [Jezebel] More »

Google brings Street View indoors, task management service Remember the Milk arrives on the iPad, and Apple may offer the OS X Lion update to Snow Leopard users through the Mac App Store. More »

Sending SMS messages doesn't have to be a one-on-one affair anymore, and it definitely doesn't have to be expensive. A whole new category of apps and services have come to the rescue, offering conversational text messaging at low rates. This week, we want to know which you use. More »

Android/Chrome: No one likes texting on small, autocorrect-prone phone keyboards. Texty connects your phone to Google Chrome, letting you send and receive SMS messages right from the extension bar. More »

Have you ever looked at Twitter trending topics or Google Trends and wondered who the heck is that or what in the world are these people talking about? I do that every single day! HitPad explains those trending topics by giving you the relevant news, tweets, videos, pictures and web links about them. Don't ever feel left out again. More »

Ubuntu: There aren't any built-in settings or pre-existing apps to display upload and download speeds in the Ubuntu 11.04 panel, but there is an easy way to do it using a combination of a system monitoring applet, dstat, and a short script. More »

You can find out just how much your laundry is costing you in utility bills by using an online cost calculator. More »

Windows: It happens all too often with no apparent rhyme or reason — an application just stops responding. If you'l like to troubleshoot the cause, freeware app WhatIsHang can provide some clues. More »

If you've got some old china lying around, you can use it to create your own custom cake stand with nothing but a teacup and super glue. More »

This week’s Workspace of the Week is Paul's minimalist home office.

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Residing in an apartment may be a step down from owning a house, but everything comes with responsibilities. Apartment lifestyle might be more complicated when it comes to etiquette issues because of the limited space between other people, yet a little courtesy can certainly make apartment life much easier. This article offers a few helpful tips on maintaining a courteous relationship with your fellow apartment neighbors, so that living in close proximity with others proceeds well.

If you are new to 52 Weeks of Organizing, catch up here! These weeks are just flying by aren’t they?  Do you ever see photos on blogs and in magazines of immaculate homes that are so completely organized it causes drooling of magnificent proportions?  Everything in it’s place, not a toy on the floor or [...]

52 Weeks: #18 Functional Vs. Fabulous is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Google launched a recommendation system called +1 in late March 2011. It works by presenting a button which gives a certain search result, website and even Google ads your personal "stamp of approval". If you'd like to share your recommendations and see those of people you know, here's how to navigate this feature.

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After LastPass' servers went through a possible security breach this morning, many of you are looking for an alternative password solution. Here are some of our favorite programs out there that will store your passwords without syncing them to the cloud. More »

I know that the best practice is not to put a due date unless you have an external commitment. This may be answered somewhere else (I did look and couldn't find it) but how do people handle the Projects that have a specific External Due Date which have multiple sequential steps. I use Outlook and th...

Wrike’s frictionless integration with other ubiquitous tools you use in your work is one of the core things that make it so friendly and easy to use. According to the feedback that we receive from you, Outlook sync is a popular feature that many of you enjoy using. This week, we’ve enhanced it with a very important update – we’ve released a new version of the add-in for those of you who use the 64bit version of Outlook 2010.

To download this add-in, simply click on the “Sync” link in your Wrike workspace and download the Outlook add-in from that page. After you’ve gone through the download and installation process, you’ll need to fill in your login information and adjust the sync settings between Outlook and Wrike: frequency, direction, etc. If you have any doubts, these help pages will guide you through the process step by step.   

Getting your tasks automatically synced between Outlook and Wrike will connect your work into one big picture. Thus, you’ll have a clear overview of your most important tasks in both apps at any time, which will make you more efficient in getting things done.



Do you have any questions or suggestions about Wrike’s Outlook sync? Don’t hesitate to drop us a note in the comments or email our Customer Care Team anytime at support@team.wrike.com.

Every mom would love to take a break from everyday worries and chores. Spread some love and show it on paper with a collection of coupons that can help her, even make her day more worry-free.

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Like Google Latitude (and other apps), Footprints tracks your location and shares it with others so you can find your friends or track your kids. What Footprints does better is provide easy sharing, less drain on your battery, and the ability to report your location to multiple sources. More »

Bill paying should be as simple as, well, paying someone money, but when it comes to your car and house payments that isn't always the case. Personal finance and consumer rights blog The Consumerist points out that when you make more than the minimum payment, you may need to call your bank and tell them exactly what to do with that extra money. More »

Do your to-do lists need an overhaul? Is it time you started a list (or two or three) of the things you need to do? Reduce your stress levels and get your lists made and in order.

Like this site? Buy Erin Rooney Doland's Unclutter Your Life in One Week from Amazon.com today.

Get Your Free Copy – Details Below. By popular demand, the hugely successful 5-minute decluttering and organizing program is now available in the 30-Day Organize-athon Pack. It includes a 128-page e-workbook plus a 30-day email series automatically delivered to your inbox each day. What Is The 30-Day Organize-athon? Make a fresh start and get better organized in just 30 days with the easy and motivating 30-Day Organize-athon. Over 30 days [...] Related posts:

1. Get Organized For Spring: Join The 30-Day Organize-athon!
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3. The 30-Day Organize-athon Starts Tomorrow!

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Mother’s Day is just around the corner, prompting us to reflect back on parents and parenting.

If I asked you, “What is the main purpose of a parent?” I’d probably get the following responses:

1. To be their child’s guide in life
2. To love their child unconditionally
3. To teach their child good values
4. To protect their child
5. To offer their child support through life

Although all of the above are important and offer a beautiful image of what a loving parent/child relationship can look like, I would like to suggest that the REAL goal of any parent should be to teach their child to become their own parent.

We need a new generation of kids – ones who rely on themselves, who avoid emotional letdowns, who know they have skills and the ability to use them and who lead happy and fulfilled lives without needing to consult their parent (You) forever.

How can we accomplish this? There are some specific ways that I teach, however the most powerful way is to allow our children to make choices based on how each choice makes them feel and how their choice will make others feel.

From as early on as possible, probably starting at around 3-4 years old, teach your child that when they make a choice – any choice at all – they should ask themselves two things:

a. What are the consequences of this choice?
b. Will this choice I’m making now bring happiness to me and/or those around me?

I used to have a very large poster hanging on the wall in my classroom that read: If you make a choice you must be willing to accept the consequence of that choice.

I referred to this poster over and over again and it became one of our class mantras. The children became very conscious when they were about to make a choice and therefore behaviours and classroom dynamics were incredible. In addition to this, children began feeling better about themselves and more confident. Even the students who came in with a “bad kid” legacy changed. They began to see that they were in control of their lives, that they had a choice and that good choices led to positive outcomes for themselves and the others around them.

When teaching your child how to consciously make a good choice, state the choices then say,

“Think about the choice you are about to make. How does your body FEEL inside? Is it one of comfort or discomfort?”

I tell children that most people feel these sensations in their heart/chest area or in their stomach. Making this a concrete/feeling experience is the perfect way to help kids understand the concept as well as get them to connect to their inner voice more often.

Train them to say to themselves, “If I make this choice, what happens?” If their body sends a message of comfort, that’s the right choice. If their body sends a message of discomfort, then it’s probably not the appropriate choice.

Kids really tune into this and it makes sense to them when you put it this way. The added benefit of this is that you’re teaching your child to stop and tune into themselves – what an invaluable and forever giving gift you’ll be giving!

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Erin Kurt, B.Ed, spent 16 years as a teacher and nanny around the world. Now, she applies her expertise as a parenting expert and author of Juggling Family Life. You can learn more about Erin and her simple, loving parenting method, and subscribe to her weekly parenting tips e-zine at ErinParenting.com.

LastPass noticed a possible security issue with one of their databases and is now requiring some users to change their master password. If you haven't seen the notice yet, this may explain why you might be having issues with the service. More »

The next time you plan a party or other social event, you may want to try using a combination of Dropbox and QR codes to get attendees to share their photos online. More »