link love

the simple . . . mom?

(no, i am not pregnant.)

at claire‘s recommendation (missed you this week, claire, and i need your email address!), i decided to check out the simple mom, which proclaims the following on its about page:

“Simple Mom is a productivity blog for home managers. It’s like Zen Habits wearing an apron.”

at first glance, one might wonder what i could possibly get out of this website. i am not a mom; instead, i’m a 20-something (shut up and let me enjoy it for 7 more months) pediatrics resident married to an overworked surgeon in training. this sort of life, riddled with its intertwining call schedules and high expectations, is far from simple. also, i don’t wear aprons (although i probably should — martha can get messy).

but i do love productivity and zen habits, and i at least sort of consider myself a home manager . . . after all, someone’s got to do it! our living quarters may consist of a one-bedroom apartment (currently littered with IKEA boxes), but it’s still HOME, and every home needs managing to some degree.

anyway, i was very impressed with the content on tsh’s website (yes, that is her real, actual name — and every time i see it i think ‘thyroid stimulating hormone’). here are some of the posts i found interesting and/or useful:

☑ steps for organizing life. step #1? focus on one thing at a time! see, simple mom (tsh!) and i even think alike.

☑ daily docket: written layout of just one day’s worth of tasks and appointments. she even has cute little templates that you can use (available for free on her downloads page). i’m more of a blank page sort of girl, but i already use this method, especially on weekends. checking off little boxes? SO. INCREDIBLY. SATISFYING. just like everyone else, i acquired this habit during intern year . . . but i will never let it go.

this is her pared-down version. the name ‘pocket docket’ makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little, but i like the concept!

☑ 8 ways to find motivation at home. i find that her tips apply similarly to those who do NOT work at home. i like her (simple!) ideas such as getting hard tasks over with early in the day, or setting a timer when reading blogs/magazines/whatever for inspiration (or, procrastination, as the case may be).

lala: another internet find
LMNOP is a blog i’ve followed for a long time. writer lauren won me over 3 years ago with her top 7 list of america’s worst fonts, and i’ve been enjoying her hilarious posts ever since. just check out her recent analysis of the latest snuggie commercial!

in lauren’s latest list of links (lots of Ls there!), she mentioned pitchfork’s top 200 albums of the 2000s, which is interesting and cool in and of itself. however, through this link, i discovered lala. this is a website where you can sign up for free to listen to albums in their entirety — for free! the catch: you can only stream them once. however, i still think this is pretty awesome.

right now i’m streaming LCD soundsystem’s sound of silver, an album i’ve always wanted to check out but never did. there is also an option to buy tracks for internet listening only for just $0.10 a piece — a great option if you have a desk job that allows you to listen to music while working.

and LCD? so far i like it! sort of sounds like a more ambient, less theatrical version of the arcade fire.

off to follow simple mom’s advice
. . . and get some of the less pleasant tasks off of my list early. ie: time to clean the bathroom. oh, i lead such a glamorous and exciting life!

daily reminder: giveaway
3 days left to enter this giveaway for a 2010 rhodia planner! don’t delay!

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10.10.09

workout: 14 mile run on the trails of duke forest (ie, moderate rolling hills) in too-warm-and-humid temperatures. average pace 9:15/mi. i ran the first 11 miles of this with a local statistician training for her first half marathon — allison, if you are reading this, thank you for the awesome company and for preventing my pace from deteriorating!!

doin’ time: my little martha break did the trick — i’m excited to get back to her recipes this week! i’ve already picked some good ones out (on the sidebar) and created a shopping list.