Productivity @ Home

Pinterest: A Productivity Tool or a Massive Time Dump?

For the past few weeks, I have been having an awesome time experimenting with the popular new social networking tool Pinterest. Some call Pinterest nothing more than a passing phase or a place for chicks to post photos of new purses. I think they are missing the boat...

As a webmaster and blogger, I have already seen the huge capability of Pinterest to drive traffic to my sites. As with any social networking site, there is a learning curve to figuring out how much is too much, and how to use the tool effectively without becoming "that guy" -- you know him. He's the one you end up blocking or hiding because his stuff is constantly in your face. You wonder how he can even get any work done because he's always on that site, "sharing".

So here are a few rules of thumb I have set for myself when it comes to using Pinterest:

• Limit my time on the site to a few regular check ins per day. Close the Pinterest tab in my browser when it's not one of those times.
• Establish a separate Twitter presence for my Pinterest tweets. Allow friends who are interested in Pinterest to follow me there without forcing the rest of my Twitter buddies to be overwhelmed by tweets about pins.
• Be a good neighbor by liking, commenting or tweeting about other people's items as much as I do my own.
• Establish a limited number of boards that are directly related to my work and interests, but don't branch into to many additional, extraneous boards.
• Don't "follow all" when connecting with other Pinterest users, but rather study their boards when invited to connect and make careful selections to avoid being overwhelmed with information.
• Educate myself about Pinterest's terms of service and the current copyright information that is buzzing around the web. Only pin items that do not infringe on others' rights.

I'd love to hear from you if you are enjoying using Pinterest for work or pleasure. Do you have any tips or techniques that seem to be working well? What have you learned from your use of Pinterest.

Connect with me on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/lisahendey/

Lisa Likes: Game of Your Life -- Family Movie Night

Every Friday, I blog about stuff I like in my Lisa Likes feature. 

I was lucky enough last week to have a sneak preview of Game of Your Life, the newest installment of Family Movie Night which will be airing Friday, December 2nd at 8/7 pm on NBC.

Like many of the other Family Movie Night features, Game of Your Life has something for the whole family. The characters are compelling, the story will draw you in and the gaming-related technology featured in this film is sure to please the “wired” members of your household. Here’s the blueprint:

When industrious high school gamer Zach Taylor lands a prized scholarship to the prestigious Digital Institute of Game Design (DIGD), his future breaks wide open. The opportunity to study under gaming legend Marcus Bentton and alongside the country’s most creative minds will certainly propel him into a successful career as a video game designer. That is, if he can pass the infamous freshman project that eliminates more than half of the class within the first three months. Paired with brilliant yet socially awkward teammates Phillip and Donald, the trio persuades Sara Ramirez – a determined and striking team leader with whom Zach has a history (and possibly a future) – to join their team. Working off-campus in the teched-out Lincoln Alley loft, the four set out to involve the entire campus in a quirky new social interactive game. But as the group becomes entrenched in the project, Zach learns that his father Billy, a widower, is facing growing financial woes at home. To help out, Zach accepts an opportunity to work directly with Marcus Bentton on a secretive side project that seems too good to be true. The effort requires nearly all of Zach’s time and energy, which he should be devoting to the project. Struggling to keep it together, Zach is torn between his responsibility to his team, his admiration for Bentton and a chance to help his father. Everything comes to a breaking point when Zach’s team threatens to remove him from the group and the deceptive truth behind Bentton’s project comes to light. With the guidance of Professor Abbie Lambert, Zach must make a decision that not only affects his future, but the lives and livelihoods of the people around him as well. It’s a revealing story that recognizes the magnitude behind the choices we make and the importance loyalty plays in making good decisions.

As a geek, I loved the concept of the film and the fantastic performances turned in by a great team of actors. Lea Thompson, looking better than ever as Dr. Abby Lambert, and the duo of Nathan Kress and Adam Cagley are bright spots in a cast filled with super performers. The pace of the story will keep you tuned in, the product placements were less apparent to me than previous FMN installments, and once again the story leaves you not only with a great morale, but a desire to further interact with these characters. Like several of the other Family Movie Night features, I would love to see this plot expanded into a series.

Be sure to tune in Friday, December 2 at 8/7 pm to NBC. Learn more about the film here and catch up on more Family Movie Night series news atwww.FamilyMovieNight.com.  

 

Lisa Likes: Google +

Yes, I'm there - I'm moved in to Google + and have been actively building circles, plus oneing (is that the correct verb?) and have even done one "hang out" with a group of friends.

So much has been written about Google +, and especially on the site itself (it's a favorite topic of conversation there!). So I'm not going to go into too much detail here other than to state a few of my immediate thoughts about this newest social media tool:

• Organizational re-do - I'm trying not to make the same mistakes I made on Facebook and Twitter. I'm carefully considering my placement of contacts into circles, with an eye towards keeping the content organized into usable streams
• Not overdoing it - I'm trying dilligently to not constantly be on the site. The fact that there is not actually a great iPhone app for Google + yet is actually helping with this - I do a lot of my "elective" FB and Twitter time on my phone... not having mobile access makes it easier to limit my time spent

Lisa Likes: LUSH Seanik Shampoo Bar

In another look at simple stuff that makes my life more enjoyable, today I want to tell you about a shampoo I'm really enjoying: the "Seanik Shampoo Bar" by LUSH.

Every time I'm in San Francisco or Cambridge, I treat myself to a visit to the LUSH store and try to pick out a new product to try. My last experiment was to pick up this gorgeous little solid shampoo. Honestly, I was initially sceptical. The price ($9.95 for a 1.9 oz bar) seemed higher than what I typically spend on my hair. Also, I tend to be a shampoo shifter - I don't typically use one particular brand. I also wondered if what looked like a solid (albeit pretty) blue lump could really lather sufficiently to cleanse my oily and very thick hair.

The nice thing about actually being able to shop IN a LUSH store is that they will test the product with you. No, I didn't actually wash my hair in the store - but the associate who helped me did instruct me on how to use the shampoo, how little it truly took to clean my hair (which helped take the cost factor out of the equation) and how nice the Seanik smells.

Going Mobile

I am a lucky early adopter of the iPad. For the past several months, I've used her (she's a "she") mostly for entertainment, bringing her along on my many trips as someone who kept me entertained and amused on long flights and in lonely hotel rooms.

Sure, she had Keynote and Pages apps. Friends told me I could use her to blog and to amp up my productivity, but I continued to set her aside in favor of her cousin, my big MacBook Pro (he's a "he"). He did most of the heavy lifting, containing my monster-sized talks which held big video files. For silly reasons, I favored his larger keyboard and trackpad for blogging, so I never put HER to work even though she likely had all the skills. Mostly, I was just too busy to really put her through her paces and work out the bugs.

On my last trip, as I was slogging through the airport with Him, Her, plus my iPhone, I decided enough is enough. So today, I've been working on giving iPad the wings she needs to become my "go to" girl when I'm on the road. I've spent a few hours testing out (and driving myself crazy with) iPad blogging apps. Since this blog is hosted on Typepad, I tried their app but since it's really just one of those blown up versions of their iPhone app (and I hate those), I've decided to test out BlogPress for a few days. BlogPress worked for me when the WordPress app wouldn't, and although it's fairly stripped down, it seems to work well with photos and will be a quick fix while I'm on the road.

Still on my "to do" list are getting Keynote working well, mastering pages, and using iCal or some other Calendar app to its full potential.

How about you? Is you iPad a toy, or are you using it to really get things done?

Be a Busy Body

The kids are back in school, we're almost mid-way through January, and it's time to get busy on those resolutions - or even just back on track after the busy holiday season.  If you're looking for the perfect calendar to help you keep it all together, please check out my favorite planner:  the Busy Body Book. 

I'm an iPhone and Google Calendar girl, but I also can't do without my Busy Body Book - I've been using it for the past several years to keep my personal life, my faith life, and my professional responsibilities in order all in one place.  I love the BBB's multiple columns, which help me track my daily food log, my prayer intentions, my "to do" list, the 100+ contributors to CatholicMom.com, my travel schedule and much, much more.

If you're looking for a great planner, please visit www.BusyBodyBook.com and take a look at the varying options.  They also currently have some great specials, as well as free printable home organization pages.  

Send It Over, Steve

Dear Mr. Jobs,

I know you’re likely getting a lot of fan mail today, what with the release of your new iPad and all.  You likely have all kinds of folks falling over themselves to tell you how much they love the new gadget you Apple guys shared with the world today… its sleek curves, its many features, its reasonable (well, for some…) pricing…

Well you can put my letter on the top of the pile.  You probably don’t have many Catholic mom bloggers who would proclaim themselves geeky enough to actually throw their hat into the ring as reviewers.  So I’m offering my services.  Send over that new gadget of yours, and I’ll put it through its paces.  I’ll hand it to my teens and their friends and let them watch YouTube videos via 3G.  I’ll go to unknown places and test out its map features.  I’ll use it to respond to the tons of emails that are currently clogging my inbox.  And I’ll do it all with a smile on my face…

I’ll admit it - I was hoping not to like your new iPad.  I didn’t know what you’d call it until you unveiled it today.  I’d been listening to all of the speculation and reminding myself that I needn’t fall prey to coveting whatever gadget you introduced.  I have my iPhone - shouldn’t that be good enough…

But Steve, you did it again.  You have me coveting my neighbor’s iPad and trying to figure out how I can save up my pennies to splurge on a 64GB 3G version.  So you could help me out by simply sending one over for review - I promise to tell the moms and dads here at Faith & Family how cool it is!!

I’m sure your staff will be getting in touch with me any day to request my mailing address, so until then I’ll be clipping coupons and giving up Starbucks to save for apps and a cool carrying case!

Congrats on your cool new iPad!

Your favorite Catholic Mom fan

Giving Thanks for Tech Tools this Thanksgiving

In the overall scheme of things I’ll be thanking God for this Thanksgiving, technology falls fairly low on the list.  Number one will always be my relationship with Him, closely followed by my abundant gratitude for my incredible family.  Also on the list this year is my successful breast cancer treatment, and thanking God for His hand in the developments related to my book, which will be released in February.  The bounty of things I have to say “Thank you” for is astounding, and tech toys feel a bit frivolous.

But there on Productivity @ Home, I feel compelled to pause and give thanks for some of the many tools that make my life so much more simple and fruitful.  So in the spirit of giving thanks, the following are my top ten tech related thank you notes this year:

10.  My Amazon Kindle – This little six-inch piece of hardware has revolutionized my reading habits this year.  It’s always tucked in my purse and ready to go.  I love the fact that I’ve downloaded dozens of Catholic classics for free or very low prices this year.

9.  Skype – Skype and I got off to a bit of a rough start, but I’ve grown to know and love it this year.  I use it for podcasting, for keeping in touch with friends around the world, and even occasionally for videoconferencing with my boys.

8.  Podcasts – These simple mp3 recorded files from SQPN.com and other content providers have entertained me, inspired me, and educated me – and all for free!

7.  YouTube – I love learning, so naturally I love YouTube.  It’s helped me out of many a pickle this year, including one “emergency” situation where we needed to learn to tie a double Windsor knot immediately.  I’ve even become a video producer myself and am now creating a series of children’s videos related to the Sunday Gospel readings.  Again, all for free!

6.  My Solar Panels – This year, after so many years of paying exorbitant electricity bills, we were able to save up enough money to purchase a small solar system for our home.  We have not been able to completely replace all of our electricity usage, but we’re making a dent!  It also just feels like the right thing to be doing…

5.  My MacBook Pro – I was able to upgrade my computer this year and have fallen in love with my new MacBook Pro.  I’m also eternally grateful to the geniuses at the Apple Store who have trained me on how to best use this amazing tool.

4.  Twitter – In 140 characters or less, I’ve vented, communicated, learned, laughed and prayed with thousands of friends around the world. 

3.  Facebook – My favorite social networking site helped me to write a book this year!  Honestly, without my Facebook friends, I would have had a very difficult time coming up with many of the rich examples that will be shared in my upcoming book.  Additionally, I love Facebook for keeping in touch with my “real world” friends who are scattered across the country.

2.  My DVR – I’m not a big television watcher, but I do love being able to watch the few shows I enjoy exactly when I want to view them, and without commercials!

1.  My iPhone – It’s so much more than just a telephone!  My iPhone is basically a computer, an entertainment system, a camera, a prayer tool, and more.  And oh yes, it makes phone calls too!

What tech tools and gadgets make your world simpler and more enjoyable?  Are there any on your “wish list” this year?

Saturday Stuff - Links Lisa Likes

On Saturday, we share a roundup of links from around the blogs during the past week - stuff we enjoyed and thought you would too!  Have a link to share?  Drop a note in the comments below with your favorite post of the week.

Lisa Likes:

How Lifehacker Readers Find Value at Fancy Restaurants
5 Tips for (Almost) Free Travel
Use the Bubble Test to Get Your Grill Ready for Fall
Get Less Done: Stop Being Productive and Enjoy Yourself
Start Your Christmas Planning in August

Humorous Speakers Bureau

Amid depressed economics, the Humorous Speakers Bureau is experiencing a call to the comedy front.  People still need and want to laugh.  The Humorous Speakers Bureau was founded by Catholic mom, Sally Edwards, who is a clean humorist and comedian who brings her fun, interactive, one-woman performance “Family Laughter!” to churches across the country.

Sally Edwards started The Humorous Speakers Bureau (HumorBureau.com) to fill a need for good clean fun.  The online booking site provides names, videos and biographies of the professional humorists and comedians who offer intelligent and relatable clean humor.  In addition, Sally Edwards offers consultation and contract writing services to secure the ideal comedian or humorist for your party, meeting or event.

“Clean comedy is being greeted with open arms,” says Edwards.  “The comedy audience is tiring of the constant use of four-letter words on the comedy cable channels.  People are seeking a higher form of humor dependent upon clever thinking, wit and insight.”  Chase Bank, UPS and the Business Aviation Association are just a few of the businesses who welcomed laughter at their holiday parties.

Clean comedy is welcome in the corporate workplace where senior advisers and human resource directors are seeking a way to elevate the mood of employees who have witnessed layoffs.  The Humorous Speakers Bureau provides stress relief through laughter. It is the ideal solution to bringing clean, customized and non-offensive humor to your place of business in order to raise the company spirit.  And best of all, it’s “mom friendly.” Now that’s a positive change!

For more information see http://HumorBureau.com.  To visit with Sally Edwards, visit her site at http://SallyEdwards.org. Thank you to Sally Edwards for submitting this article!