Kristen's Guide Updates (Blog Archive 2008)
Content Updated on May 4, 2009
Archives for Other Years: 2006 2007 2009
Basic Weekly Calendars / Planner
Posted: 2008-12-12
I was asked if I could put together some basic weekly planner, seven rows (one for each day of the week), no fancy boxes to divide up the days (e.g. no chore or menu sections), and a place for some notes for the week.
Well here ya go. I made:
Blank Weekly Planner
2009 Weekly Planner (dated)
2009 Weekly Planner with Holidays (remember all those USA, Canadian, Mexican, and UN holidays when you're planning stuff)
Go get them at
http://www.kristensguide.com/Printables/calendars.asp
under the weekly calendars section
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New Free Printable Emergency Information Section for Household Notebook
Posted: 2008-12-08
I'm creating a new group of printables to make life a little easier (and safer): printables to help you during an emergency.
Today, I'm starting things off by giving away printable emergency information forms for the emergency section of your household notebook. This is where you would keep all of the "I need to know right now!" information, like important phone numbers, where the gas shut-off is located, and how to get to the hospital. It's a must-have if you have kids, babysitters, housesitters, etc.
Get the emergency printables at
http://www.kristensguide.com/Printables/emergencies.asp
(More emergency printables will be coming soon.)
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Lost Your Job? Start a Business!
Posted: 2008-12-04
With the economy in a slump and employment rates looking grim, you might want to look at unexpected job loss as an opportunity to start the career you've always dreamed of.
True, some business do require money and special licenses to get going, but there are many that don't. If you don't have enough money to start the business you really want to have, you could always earn money with some no/low-start-up-costs businesses while you work toward starting the business of your dreams. (And maybe you'll discover some unexpected opportunities along the way.)
To help you get started, I've updated my list of home-based business ideas (lot of them) at
http://www.kristensguide.com/Business/business_ideas.asp
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2009 Weekly Planners to Help You Focus on Your Values
Posted: 2008-11-03
I often find myself wondering if I'm devoting time to the things that are more important to me (e.g. family, health, home, work, learning, delicious food, weekly goals that help me become the person I want to be, and activities like volunteering). I hate going to bed and regretting not spending more time focusing on my kids, spending time with my husband, or not doing something to achieve my dreams.
So I wanted to make a calendar that would help me plan my to-do lists and schedule around those things that are most important to me. I spent a month trying variations until I found a layout that worked for me. I call it my Weekly Planner for Value Focused Tasks (a very plain name I know, but descriptive).
You can get your own to help you keep your values in focus at:
http://www.kristensguide.com/Printables/calendars.asp
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New Free Printable 2008/2009 Monthly Calendars with Weekly Routine Schedules
Posted: 2008-10-09
The 2009 monthly calendars are here (or at least the first two are). And these ones also include the months of October, November, and December for 2008.
They're perfect for people who typically follow a routine but may need to make note of special events and appointments once in awhile. Or you can use them as a supplement to weekly planners or daily schedules. Monthly calendars on top. Weekly routine schedules for each month on the bottom. One without holidays. One with national holidays, special days, and fun days as celebrated by the UN, USA, Canada, and Mexico. And, of course, one that's completely blank, so you can fill in your own dates if you wish.
Go check them out at:
http://www.kristensguide.com/Printables/calendars.asp
Oh! and more calendars are on the way. I'm working hard this year on creating a variety of calendar styles, dated and blank, all for free. So stay subscribed to the KG Updates to find out when they're available.
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New Weekly Routine Planning Printables
Posted: 2008-09-15
If you're trying to figure out how to juggle all the new autumn schedules, but don't want to set up or print out complicated daily calendars that repeat the same routine tasks over and over again or hope that your PDA battery doesn't die right when you need it, try using a printable weekly routine planner (or two). They're perfect for people who tend to have the same routine every week.
Print out a weekly routine planner for each group or family member you need to keep track of. (If you're lucky enough to have a everyone on a similar schedule, then you might only need to print out one.) Fill them out, post them on your bulletin board for everyone to see, and refer to them whenever you need to add something new to your schedule to avoid schedule conflicts.
Now you'll be sure that your new weekly class won't interfere with your spouse's weekly meeting, and with a quick glance you schedule your 4:30 doctor appointment, knowing that it won't overlap with picking up your children from their afternoon chess club.
To get the new free Weekly Routine Planning worksheets, go to
http://www.kristensguide.com/Printables/calendars.asp
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ALL Printables Are Now Free!
Posted: 2008-09-03
Sometimes the best thing you can do to help the world is to do something little, something to help people take a little more control of their lives, so they can work toward achieving their dreams and in turn help somebody else achieve theirs. During the last few months, I've been wondering how I can make more of a difference in the world, and I came up with a small idea.
Kristen's Guide is well known for all the free printables, but I've also offered higher quality printable and hard copy organizers, calendars, workbooks, planners, forms, and customized documents for sale. To ensure that people on a budget could afford such items, I've always set low prices, and even with those low prices I still made a respectable amount of money from those sales. Then I started thinking about people who couldn't even afford to buy those low priced items: kids, people without bank accounts, people who were counting their pennies.
I grew up poor, so I know what it's like to be limited to only free items offered by libraries, schools, government programs, and non-profit organizations while my more financially secure friends got to go shopping for high quality products whenever they wanted. But that was before electronic media. Of course we needed to pay for paper, printing, the overhead for the store that sold it, transportation, materials to produce tapes or CDs, storage space, etc. Those kinds of resources are limited. But in today's electronic age, it just doesn't seem right to keep an electronic document, a bunch of binary code that can be reproduced and distributed infinitely and easily, from financially challenged people.
So I'm no longer going to sell electronic printables. I'm giving them all away for free.
Go to
http://www.kristensguide.com/Printables/index.asp to find out more.
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Free 2008-2009 Weekly Planner for Students is Here!
Posted: 2008-08-17
It's finally here. The 2008-9 Weekly Planner for Students, and I'm offering it for FREE.
It's a weekly calendar (for the school year), time schedule, and assignment planner all on one sheet.
Help kids keep track of their project deadlines as well as events, appointments, extracurricular schedules, and study schedules. Four subjects (language arts, math, science, and social studies) are filled in, and there are still four more slots open for other classes and activities. Time (6am to 9pm) is in one-hour increments. Space beneath the date allows room for writing in holidays and special days. Each page also includes the week number and season.
This printable is designed for two-sided printing. (Print odd pages first, flip them over, then print even pages.) The back of each weekly planner page contains sections for writing down goals, to-do lists, and quick notes.
Get this free printable at
http://www.kristensguide.com/Printables/student_schedule.asp
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Skip Your Morning Latte... Save a Life
Posted: 2008-07-31
Kristen's Guide is making an effort to stop cancer, and I need your help.
My father died of pancreatic cancer. My maternal grandmother died of brain cancer. My maternal grandfather died of throat cancer. My paternal grandmother had skin cancer and breast cancer. My husband had mouth cancer. The son of a good friend of mine had leukemia. One of my favorite English teachers died from brain cancer. My neighbor has brain cancer.
I'm tired of cancer stealing away my loved ones and raining misery on our lives.
Please help me fight cancer by donating your spare change to the American Cancer Society. Don't have any spare change? Then skip your morning latte (or afternoon soda, etc.) and spend the money on fighting cancer.
Every $1 makes a difference. Don't believe me? I've set up a group page, called Families Fighting Cancer, at the American Cancer Society events sites. I plan to gather up loose change, skip an indulgence once per week, and donate a tiny bit of money here and there to the ACS. Plus, I'm going to ask other people to do the same. The goal is to see if a few tiny sacrifices can really make a difference by eventually reaching a donation goal of $1,000.
$1,000 in spare change.
Want to help?
Go to
http://main.acsevents.org/goto/familiesfightingcancer
and donate $1 or $5 or more if you can.
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It's Time for School Printables Already
Posted: 2008-07-10
July means that it's time for me to make some printables for the upcoming school year. If you are a student, a parent of a student, or a teacher and have a need for school-related printables, please tell me your ideas, wants, needs, and dreams (as they relate to printables, of course).
Just go to http://kristensguide.forummotions.com/printable-suggestions-for-kristen-s-guide-f3/ and start a new topic (or add to an existing topic).
And FYI, I'm already planning on adding some assignment sheets and calendars for students, and those will be available in the printables section of Kristen's Guide http://www.kristensguide.com/Printables/index.asp in August and September. (Subscribe to Kristen's Guide Updates to find out when they become available.)
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New Workout Planning Printables
Posted: 2008-05-15
In my ongoing effort to find an easier way to get healthy, I've put together two new free workout planner printables.
There's an 8-week workout planner, which lets you put together an exercise program over the course of 8 weeks.
There's also a comprehensive weekly workout planner that lets you plan out many of the most important fitness components necessary for a well rounded workout.
Get the printables at
http://kristensguide.com/Printables/health.asp
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Stop Legalized Murder in the USA
Posted: 2008-04-02
Last night I saw a documentary that drove me to action. The Innocent is about ordinary people, just like you and me, who were arrested, convicted, and sentenced to death row. The problem is that they didn't commit the crime. They were completely innocent. They spent years in a tiny cell, missed watching their children grow up, and had their dreams destroyed all because of a flawed legal system. Some are fortunately exonerated before their execution date, but there are many who are only found innocent after they've been killed.
For me, having a happy life requires that I attempt to help other people have happy lives as well, so I had to do something about it. Today I wrote my government officials, researched non-profit organizations focused on helping victims of wrongful conviction (and added them to my charities-to-support list), and updated my capital punishment essay. Tomorrow, I'll do more.
Check out my article about the death penalty
http://www.kristensguide.com/Activism/Human_Rights/death_penalty.asp
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Climbing Back on the Weight Loss Wagon
Posted: 2008-03-17
I started my weight loss journal in 2006. Back then I was 200 lbs and wore a women's size 20. During that year, I dropped 30 lbs., but I spent 2007 on a plateau. I became so frustrated with trying to get back into the weight loss habit that I completely fell off the wagon. I stopped writing weight loss journal entries. I stopped exercising. I started letting my food get the better of me again. And that's when the weight started creeping back on. In 2008, I started gaining rather than losing or maintaining. But I'm putting a stop to that now. I'm re-dedicating myself to writing entries into my weekly weight loss journal, exercising daily, and controlling those emotional food binges.
If you'd like to join me, please introduce yourself in the Kristen's Chubby Buddies forum in the Kristen's Guide Community. I'll also be using forum discussions to help me create better weight loss articles, printables, calculators, workbooks/journals, and community tools that you can use to help you on your way to becoming a healthier you.
Oh, and you can read my latest weight loss journal entry at
http://kristensguide.com/Health/Weight_Loss/Weight_Loss_Journal/2008_march.asp
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Starting Your Dream Business in Your Pajamas (This one's for Cindy)
Posted: 2008-03-05
Cindy is a mom, an artist, and a friend of mine who wants to start her own home-based greeting card business. She asked me to give some extra details about how to start a small business from her house, so I decided to update my "Starting Home Based Business" article, so everyone else can read those extra details as well.
If you ever dreamed about starting your own business (even just so your hobby can pay for itself rather than draining your savings account), then check out the article at
http://www.kristensguide.com/Business/starting_a_business_from_home.asp
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I Need Suggestions
Posted: 2008-03-02
I'm trying to brainstorm ideas for new printables, and I figured that while I was at it, I should probably ask my loyal fans and random visitors what they would like to see.
So help me help you. Go to the printable suggestions forum and vote in a poll and/or add a new post to tell me what you want to see.
Go to the forum!
http://kristensguide.forummotions.com/printable-suggestions-for-kristen-s-guide-f3/
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Going Green Saves You Money
Posted: 2008-02-29
I'm always surprised by the number of people I talk to who tell me, "I can't afford to be environmentally friendly." Too many people think that you need to buy the latest eco-friendly fad products. It's all a big myth. In fact, going green can save you money-- lots of money.
Learn how to save money by being environmentally friendly
http://www.kristensguide.com/Activism/Environment/green_saves_money.asp
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The Meaning of Life: Happiness
Posted: 2008-02-25
It's been awhile since I last posted because I've been taking a much needed break. Whenever I start to feel as if my life isn't exactly as I'd like it to be, I spend time remembering why I'm here, the meaning of life: HAPPINESS. And suddenly things fall back into perspective.
Read more about the meaning of life at
http://www.kristensguide.com/Happiness/meaning_of_life.asp
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Best Free Websites for Kids
Posted: 2008-02-06
If you have kids, take care of kids, or expect kids to visit you, you definitely need to pay attention to this: awesome websites for kids.
I know there are a lot of "best sites for kids" pages out there, but I noticed that most of them didn't actually have the "best" sites. Some sites were too hard for kids to navigate (intended more for adults). Others were so full of ads that I could barely find the content. Still others were just plain ol' boring or clunky. And, of course, any site that requires a fee is off my "best" list.
So I started compiling my own list of fun (and often educational) websites to keep kids entertained.
Check out the list: the Best Free Websites for Kids
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The Annual Best Free Software List (Kristen's Picks)
Posted: 2008-01-28
I do it every January, my free software fiesta. It involves me, a computer, an Internet connection, lots of install screens, uninstall screens, and a bowl of nachos.
I spend my time uploading and downloading, installing and uninstalling, reading reviews, testing things for myself, and putting together a list of my favorite free, free, free software to start off 2008. (I love free stuff!)
So far my list has over 50 awesome programs that are good enough to rival those expensive, professional ones (at least if you're just a small business or home user, which most of us are). The list will keep growing throughout the year.
Go get your free software at
http://www.kristensguide.com/Computers/favorite_software.asp
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Ummm... I was just practicing.
Posted: 2008-01-25
Failure is just a learning experience.
When something works out, it's a success. When it doesn't... well, it was just a practice run. (A good philosophy for any setbacks in life.)
So the previously version of the Kristen's Guide Community forum was... a practice run (i.e. too many people couldn't log in). So I set up a new and improved Kristen's Guide Community forum where we can all share our problems, ideas, goals, dreams, progress, ask questions, make suggestions, etc. so that we can all sort out our crazy lives and start creating the lives that we really want.
Just go to http://kristensguide.forummotions.com and PLEASE let me know if you have any problems with it. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed.)
Of course, since I just set it up, it's currently empty, so I would absolutely appreciate it if everyone just dropped on by and added something to get things started. (Doesn't need to be much unless, of course, you want it to be.) I posted my my introduction and can't wait to learn more about all of you.
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Another Tip to Reduce Computer Frustration
Posted: 2008-01-23
Have you ever suddenly not been able to access a website? Especially a website you desperately want to access? It was there yesterday, but now it's gone, and you just feel like pulling your hair out and screaming at your computer because of it.
Well, here are a few ideas to help you see those websites and restore your sense of happiness again (no hair pulling required):
http://www.kristensguide.com/Computers/Networks/cant_see_websites.asp
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"I just want to be important."
Posted: 2008-01-17
This week I've been working on an article about a key component of happiness: feeling significant.
Let's face it, at the end of the day, we just all want to know that we are important to somebody. Some of us strive to be important to others while some of us just want to prove our importance to ourselves.
Learn why we desperately want to be important and how you can develop your sense of significance (even if other people don't recognize how important you are):
http://www.kristensguide.com/Happiness/feeling_significant.asp
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This One's for You Juan!
Posted: 2008-01-14
Juan (a Kristen's Guide reader... hi Juan!) asked me to make a list of things that inspired me, helped me get through my depression, and motivated me to create the life that I wanted. Tonight I decided to do that. The list is by no means complete, but it's a start. I'll keep adding to it whenever I get a bit of free time.
Check out my favorite inspirational stuff
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Mostly Free Services that Will Help You Save Time
Posted: 2008-01-09
Let's be honest. One of the reasons why I'm so efficient is because I'm lazy. To help all of my fellow lazy people, I've put together a list of my favorite time-saving services.
Hate running errands? There are services to do them for you.
Need to multi-task? Send emails while you drive (using your speaker phone... no texting of course).
Shopping around? Get it all done in one place, and get the best prices at the same time.
You can even get people to help you get rid of your clutter.
See the list of my favorite time-saving services at
http://kristensguide.com/Organizing/Time_Management/time_saving_services.asp
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Stop Procrastinating and Start Achieving Your Goals
Posted: 2008-01-07
Have you started your New Year's Resolutions yet? Have you finished any of those chores that you've been meaning to get to? Is your deadline creeping up, but you haven't even started to work on your project?
Maybe it's because you're procrastinating.
Stop procrastinating and start moving things from your "still need to-do" list to your "oh yeah, been there and done that" list.
Learn how to do it at
http://kristensguide.com/Organizing/Time_Management/procrastination.asp
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IE7 Users Are Having Problems -- Take 2
Posted: 2008-01-05
I've recently heard from people having problems logging in at the forum. Right around the same time, my husband was complaining that he can't get his office network software to work. And then another friend was mentioning that he couldn't log in to one of his favorite sites.
What did all of these people have in common? Internet Explorer 7.
If you're having problems using the forum (or any other sites on the Internet), IE7 may be your problem. (Bummer, isn't it?)
As for the forum, I've changed it so that guests can contribute to forum posts, even if they haven't logged in.
But if you want your posts connected to your user profile, you'll need to try using a browser other than IE7 (I know it's annoying). I recommend Firefox (my favorite), so I put a link to it on the forum.
Please feel free to come on back to the forum and try again.
http://www.kristensguide.com/forum
Happy day!
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How Interpreting Dreams Can Change Your Life
Posted: 2008-01-02
Start 2008 by getting in touch with your deeper desires. You can even discover them while you sleep... in your dreams. Dream interpretation isn't about looking up symbolic meanings from a novelty dream symbolism dictionary. It's about becoming aware of the hopes and fears you may be ignoring while you're awake. Increase your awareness of your subconscious desires and you'll be one step closer to being your authentic self (which we all know leads to authentic happiness).
Learn about dream interpretation at
http://kristensguide.com/Happiness/dreams.asp
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