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The Haute Hydrangea

fashion / home / beauty / life

New Year, New Goals

February 5, 2016

Belated happy new year!  I cannot believe that it’s already February!  Between getting back to work after a long holiday break & the start of Mardi Gras season, I’ve been incredibly busy.  Even though it’s a full month into 2016, I want to start this blogging year with my goals for 2016.  I don’t want to spend too much time on the nitty-gritty of yearly goal setting right, but I do want to share what works for me.

Last year, I used Whitney English’s “Well-Designed Year” program to evaluate 2014 & make some long-term goals for 2015.  It is an amazing program & I highly recommend using the worksheets to identify your strengths, weaknesses, & passions.  Using those as guidelines, you can set goals that align with what matters most to you.  There are countless other similar programs out there & the trick is to find the one that works best for you.  I am using the “Well-Designed Year” again.  I also used Year Compass’s “Close 2015 – Plan 2016” booklet & Emily’s Ley’s free “Family Meeting” printable to review what worked last year & what I need to improve on.

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Rather than make a long list of goals, which are usually just a million things that I wish I could accomplish this year, I like that the “Well-Designed Year” takes you through discovering your strengths, passions, & values.  For some reason, the hardest part for me is always discovering my 5 passions.  It’s a time consuming process, but it’s so worth it.  You then come up with 3 “Big Ideas,” which are the 3 most important things you wish to accomplish or focus on for the coming year.  I love that the process allows me to focus on what is really important, instead of what I think should be important.  It’s no surprise that narrowing down your goals & focusing on your passion helps to set you up for success!  Here’s where I am so far in my planning:

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Now I need to break down my 3 focal areas, or big ideas, into smaller & more manageable steps.  Last summer I shared how I plan my week & I’m continuing the same process in 2016 using the new mini-Day Designer.  I really love that the planner is designed to work with the “Well-Designed Year” & I can keep my goals, broken down into manageable steps, in mind as I plan my days, weeks, & months.

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Here are some more great resources to help you make the most of 2016:

  • 8 Habits of Successful People That You Can Master in 15 Minutes – some of the best habits that help really successful ladies keep track of their tasks & stay on top of everything
  • How to Recharge and Find Happiness in the New Year – 10 tips for coming back stronger in the new year
  • How to Make a Great Plan for Success in 2016 and Actually Stick To It – tricks for putting plans into action in the new year
  • 6 Habits from Successful People Under 30 – you don’t have to be under 30 to learn something from those who found success young
  • Great Expectations: Setting Intentions for 2016 – just because resolutions aren’t your thing doesn’t mean you can’t lay out some goals
  • The Coveteur’s interview with Leah Chernikoff – career advice from Elle.com’s editorial director? yes, please!
  • The Definitive Guide to Setting Successful Goals – the 5 steps to achieving your goals this year

BY Amy 2 Comments CATEGORIES: Life, Making It Easier

Weekly Planning Routine

July 8, 2015

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I am a people-pleaser by nature & find it very hard to say no to people & opportunities.  I find myself involved in many different organizations, in addition to finding time for family & friends.  It can be hard to keep all of the balls in the air!  It’s easy to become overwhelmed & anxious if I don’t have a good system in place for organizing my schedule & to-do lists.  Today I thought that I would share how I organize & plan my week.  It’s taken time to discover & fine tune what works for me.  My method may not work for everyone, but hopefully you’ll find something to incorporate into your own routine to make keeping yourself on schedule a little easier.

I use a combination of a paper planner & Google calendar.  My paper planner is heavy, so it doesn’t go everywhere with me.  Every appointment goes on both calendars, so I have access to my schedule regardless of whether I have my paper planner or my phone.  I typically take 5 minutes at the end of every day to be sure that all appointments are reflected on both calendars.

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I schedule a planning session every Sunday.  I used to go through several paper planners every year, searching for the perfect fit.  Then I found the Day Designer & I am hooked!  I especially love the yearly goal setting section & the online community of support, but more on that in another post!

I begin my planning session by syncing Google calendar and the monthly calendar in my Day Designer.  I use a color-coding system for all appointments, so I can easily tell if a category (work, personal, volunteer) is out of balance.  I use the “monthly to-do” section to list what my book club is reading for the month & any other notes/reminders for the month.  Erin Condren’s customizable event stickers fit perfectly, so I use them for important birthdays & holidays.  It’s important to keep your long-term goals in mind when planning for the week, so I love the “goals for the month” section as a daily reminder of my top 3 monthly goals.

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Next, I move on to the daily pages.  I transfer any appointments to the daily pages.  The highlighted time is my workday.  I’ve found that highlighting the numbers, rather than blocking out time allows me to add in meetings or appointments.  I don’t use all of the boxes in the upper right of each page – I cover “dollars” with a hydrate sticker to track my water intake & I use “don’t forget” for any upcoming activities/events that I need to keep in  mind.  I try to use “dinner” to meal plan for the week, but I’ve been pretty lax on that recently.  Maybe that will be one of my top 3 goals for August.  I often use the “download” section to jot down notes, thoughts, etc. each day.  There’s also a space for writing down your “gratitude” each day, thought I’ve been falling behind on that too.  Another August goal?

I keep a running to-do list in Evernote, so I can jot down tasks whenever I think of them, even if I don’t have my paper planner handy.  During my weekly planning session, I transfer the big to-do’s to my paper planner.  These are typically tasks that must be accomplished, or completed, on a certain date .  I try to spread the big tasks out evenly over the week.  Again, I use my color-coding system as an easy way to determine if any category is occupying the majority of my time.  It’s all about maintaining balance!

Each morning, I take 5-10 minutes to plan my day.  I review my schedule for the day & the previous day’s to-do list to see what tasks were not completed.  I prioritize my top 3 to-do’s for each day.  These are usually tasks that have a hard deadline, though they sometimes get bumped to the next day if I don’t quite finish.  Then, I look to my running to-do list & fill in the other tasks that I hope to accomplish.  It’s so satisfying to see a completed checked-off to-do list, so I try to be reasonable about what can be accomplished in a given day.  If a task remains unfinished at the end of the day, I simply move it to the next day’s list.  I take a few minutes at the end of each day to review what I accomplished & note what I’m grateful for.

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And that’s a brief overview of how I keep myself organizing & on schedule!  I’m constantly tinkering with the system as I learn more about what works, & what doesn’t.  Now, on to the fun part!  I don’t decorate my planner as much as some people, I prefer a clean layout, but I do like to add a little pizazz with stickers.  Here are some of the fabulous stickers that I use to decorate & make certain to-do’s or appointments stand out.  Faye Creates has become one of my most-visited Etsy shops.  She has so many adorable options & is constantly coming up with new ones!  The hydrate, plan, and dot bar stickers are also from Faye Creates.

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**Thanks to Blog Society for the gorgeous title image!**

BY Amy 1 Comment CATEGORIES: Life, Making It Easier

8 Essentials Items in Your Purse

April 13, 2015

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Is it just me, or does your purse feel 10 pounds heavier by Friday afternoon? I start the week with a nice, clean, organized bag, and end up carrying around everything I own. It doesn’t matter how small the bag is, I try to cram as much in as possible. The result is a disorganized mess and an aching back.

1.  Phone
My iPhone is the one item that I can never leave home without. It contains my calendar, my email, my contacts, etc. & is the most essential part of my day. That being said, I’m trying to learn to disconnect from the constant inflow of information at home & spend more time focusing on my time with friends & family.

2.  Sunglasses
For some reason, as I get older, my eyes have become more sensitive to light. Instead of constantly squinting to see, I always carry sunglasses. I’m hoping that it will help cut down on the small lines that have begun appearing around my eyes.

3.  Agenda
This one is a no-brainer. Having my calendar & to-do list with me at all times makes sure that I’m over-committing myself or double scheduling. It helps me to stay on track, even on the most hectic days.

4.  Hand lotion
I’ve already talked about how much I love Aveda’s hand relief, so it’s no surprise that I always have a small tube on me. Hands tend to be one of the first areas to show aging, so it’s important to keep them moisturized. I rub in a small dot every time I wash my hands.

5.  Pen
You never know when you’ll need to sign something or take notes at a meeting. Having a pen on hand just makes life a little easier, & doesn’t take up much room.

6.  Mirror
I received a small mirrored compact as a gift years ago. One side is a regular mirror and one side has some magnification. It’s a perfect size to keep in my makeup bag for touch-ups.

7.  Lip balm
There is nothing that can ruin your look quite like chapped lips. I keep a tube of Malin & Goetz mojito lip balm in my bag. It keeps lips moisturized & protects against sun/wind. It has a great light & refreshing scent, & is shiny enough to double as a lip gloss.

8.  Mints/gum
I think that we’ve all had one of those lunches where you eat something garlicky or with onions, then get back to the office & wish you had a toothbrush. I keep mints or minty gum in my bag so that I can keep my mouth feeling somewhat clean no matter what I’m eating.

BY Amy Leave a Comment CATEGORIES: Life, Making It Easier

Sick Day Essentials

March 23, 2015

Spring is finally here.  And with it comes allergy season.  If you’re like me, you’ll have at least one miserable sick day this spring.  I’m also a wimp when I don’t feel well.  Here’s my must haves for feeling better when I’m stuck at home.

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1. Comfy PJ’s.  Nothing will make you feel better than curling up in some warm, fuzzy PJ’s.  I love the cute sheep pattern on this set.

2. Sleep mask.  This mask will help keep the light out so you can get some much needed rest.  It has a lavender scent to help soothe.

3. Lip balm.  I am obsessed with this Malin & Goetz mojito lip balm.

4. Chamomile tea.  There’s something comforting about warm, chamomile tea.

5. Netflix.  Use your time in bed to catch up on binge watching the latest thrillers.

BY Amy Leave a Comment CATEGORIES: Life, Making It Easier

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Welcome! I’m Amy - an attorney, blogger, reality TV junkie, flamingo lover, and Hydrangea Hussy. I’m a true girly-girl, attracted to anything pink and/or sparkly! This blog is my little corner to share my ideas on fashion, home, beauty, & life!

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