"Last Pass" Password Manager

I try to do as much as I can on-line -- shopping, banking, paying bills, etc.  So of course there are hundreds of logon id's and passwords that I have to manage.  If only all the websites would let you have the same logon and password!!  But no, they all have different rules about what is acceptable...

To manage all this, I recommend LastPass Password Manager -- much better and safer than an excel spreadsheet or piece of paper.  LastPass has been around for several years and has won many accolades.

I use it to keep track of all the different websites, their login id's and passwords.  I can categorize them and search as well.  There is also a secured note function where you can enter data such as S.S. #'s, Frequent Flyer Program #'s, vaccination information...anything you would like at the tip of your fingertips.  It can also generate strong passwords for you.

All of the data is accessible to you by just remembering ONE PASSWORD.

There is a base version that is free and of course, upgrades are available.

I hope you will give this a try and that you find some peace of mind as a result!

"If Found..." Tools

The things I think and worry about...

So, if I lose my phone, I want a passcode on the phone so whoever finds it can't get all my data...

but, then a good person who wants to return it to me can't access the phone to find a phone # to reach me at... 

what to do, what to do?!?!

SOLUTION - this "If Found Lock Screen" app!  It lets you create a Lock Screen Wallpaper with a message that lets someone who finds your phone know how to reach you.  I recommend giving an email address since you won't have your phone.  Email is also good when traveling abroad since calling an international number costs $, and an email is free -- so the finder of your phone would be more likely to help.

So now, if you lose your phone and a good person who wants to help finds it, they can get it back to you!  As long as your phone still has a little battery life or if they charge it for you!

For other items like your laptop, Kindle, etc., I recommend getting a sharpie paint pen and writing your email address on these items.  

For the most part, people are good and want to return found items if they can!!  But they need to know how to reach you!

Mirrored Jewelry Armoire

I must admit I have a "good" collection of costume jewelry that I have never been able to keep organized and stored away nicely.  When searching for a new system, I came across this!!  "MUST HAVE" I thought to myself!  A full-length mirror plus all my jewelry organized and visible!!  There are several brand out there at different price points, all the way from $100 to $800+.  Reviews are sometimes mixed, so you have to go through them carefully.

I chose this brown one on Amazon from Organizedlife for about $150.  It is currently out of stock in brown, but available in black and white.  Plus several other brands have options.

My husband easily put it together.  Please also note there is probably a thin protective layer on the mirror, so make sure to remove that!

Quality seems good, especially for the price.  I wish the interior mirror was used for more storage, but many styles do not have this interior mirror.  When I filled it all up, the door closes and locks, although there is a gap at the top and bottom, but that doesn't bug me too much.  

OVERALL, I LOVE IT!!!  Can't believe how many pieces I forgot about because I couldn't readily see them!!

Upright Stacked Tee-Shirt Folding System

My husband easily has over 100 tee-shirts, and he gets more ALL THE TIME... Granted, doing laundry is not one of my strengths, but when I do finally get around to it, nothing frustrates me more than opening a drawer to put in a new pile of folded tee-shirts, only to find a jumbled mess like the "before" picture shown above.  I guess I can't blame him completely -- with the shirts stacked flat, it's hard to see the different choices, and harder to pull out the shirt you want without making a mess of the pile.

I recently came across, on Facebook, this great article:  19 Genius Ways to Organize Your Closet and Drawers. 

I saw their idea for stacking tee-shirts upright and thought -- "BRILLIANT"!!  I gave it a try and so far it is a huge success!   Ralph can easily see all his shirts and remove the one he wants without making a mess of the rest!  (Lots of other great organizing ideas in that article, by the way!)

Here's how I implemented the upright stacked tee system.  Make adjustments as necessary to fit your drawers.

1) Lay the shirt with front-side down.  Fold in sides of tee lengthwise.

a)

b)

c)

2) a) Fold the bottom of the shirt up as needed, to clear the height of your drawer after the next two folds.  b) Fold shirt up in half.  c) Fold shirt up again in half.

a)

b)

3) If you have several shirts, fold all of them like this and stack them up.  a) Put the stack in your drawer with the neck opening down.  b) You now can flip through your shirts much like a card catalog and see your tee-shirt designs.

Ta-daaa!  If you want to get fancy, you can sort the shirts by theme, colors, solid vs. design, short-sleeve vs. long, etc.  I do see one potential issue -- if you get delinquent on doing laundry and the # of shirts in a row get low, the stack could fall over...so you may need to consolidate rows.  

Good luck and I hope this system works for you!

"waze" Traffic App

I learned about the "waze" traffic app this past Christmas when our family road-tripped from Michigan to Florida and back.  This app serves as a navigation system, radar detector, traffic re-router and in-car entertainment!

Here's how it works:  waze guided tour

Here's a great test of waze vs google maps vs paper map that was aired on Good Morning America:  GMA Video

Of course, waze works better when there are more waze users around.  It's perfect in cities and on highways.  

Waze also needs your phone network to work -- so it's best to have your phone charging so the battery doesn't drain down.  There were a few times that poor reception would cause waze to not work -- so I recommend using your car's navigation system and going closer to the speed limit during those times.

But overall, it worked great!

Who doesn't love a product where you are "outsmarting" something?!

Vacu Vin Stainless Steel Wine Saver Gift Set

This wine vacuum pump and stopper system really works!  If you somehow end up with an unfinished bottle of wine, you can keep your wine fresh for up to an extra 7 to 10 days.

Currently available on Amazon for $25.17.

Additional stoppers also available, $8.95 for a set of 4.

Now you can open a bottle of wine so you can have a glass by yourself - guilt free!  And enjoy it all week!  ;-)

Vivino Wine App

Choosing a wine can often be confusing and intimidating.  The Vivino wine app, with over 7 million users, gives you high-quality data to make an informed decision.   

Just take a photo of the wine, and the app quickly gives you ratings, average price, and user reviews.  Great at the wine store or when choosing a wine at a restaurant.

Vivino has just come out with a Wine List Scanner!!  Take a picture of a wine list and it gives ratings for each wine on the list!  http://vimeo.com/112112181

Thanks to my husband Ralph for finding this great product!!