I have an impressive stack of books beside my bed, all of which seem to be saying, “pick me, pick me!”
I received the book, “How To Skimm Your Life“, which is basically a guide on adulting, for my birthday from one of my sisters. Everything you need to know about personal finances, travel, career, health, politics and everyday life stuff is included in this “How To” and it’s all too good not to share. Each page is literally filled with valuable knowledge and tips and I often find myself saying, “I didn’t know that, how helpful.” Needless to say, I haven’t been able to put it down.
If you are already a Skimmer (and you just might be, seeing as 7 million people subscribe) you are currently enjoying daily emails that deliver the news in an abbreviated fashion. The Skimm’s newsletter is made for quick consumption and breaks down what is going on in the world for peeps like me who know they should know more about things like Brexit or who just dropped out of the primary.
It is my job to share what I learn and love with you with the hope to inspire you to live a more meaningful and intention-filled life. This book provided all of that and more for me. I was left feeling smarter, more equipped in areas I normally avoid discussing, and armed with lots of hacks and ways to improve life. Fantastic read. Here are just a few of my faves.
These are 20 of my favorite ways to Skimm Your Life:
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The Paper Towel Trick
If you have a bottle of wine that needs to be chilled in a jiffy, wrap it in a wet paper towel and toss it in the freezer for a few. Instant crisp! Who knew?
It’s okay to be cheap
Try and avoid the 2nd cheapest bottle of wine on a wine list. Apparently, that is a popular choice and restaurants know it. Many establishments will place the bottles they are trying to get rid of in the 2nd to the last spot. Good news! Buy the cheapest bottle!
What is a good thread count, really?
Good sheets range from 200-800 thread count and anything higher than 1,000 is like 200 SPF.
The Hanger Trick
If you are trying to thin out your clothing inventory, try this approach. Turn all of your hangers in your closet the same way and every time you wear something, reverse the hanger so you know that item has been worn. After 6 months, assess the hangers and ditch anything that hasn’t been turned.
The 30 Day List
This is my favorite tip in the entire book and it is designed to curb spending and overbuying of things you simply might not need. Create a spreadsheet titled “things I want” and every time you are about to put a non-necessity in your shopping cart, place it on your spreadsheet instead. Revisit the list after 30 days and only purchase the item if you still want it.
How To Clean A Makeup Brush
This is something we are supposed to do every couple of months for the ones used on your face and once a month if the brush is used near your eyes. Wet the bristles with lukewarm water and a drop of soap and rub it in. You can rinse the brush like you would shampoo your hair and then set them on a paper towel on the edge of the counter to air dry.
The 5-4-3-2-1 Week-long Travel Packing Tip
Use this packing method if you are leaving town for a week. 5 pairs of socks/4 tops/3 bottoms/2 pair of shoes/1 hat. Boom!
The Skimmy on climate change versus global warming. See what I did there?
Contrary to what many people think, climate change and global warming are not the same things. Global warming refers to the earth’s rising temps while climate change refers to the effects of global warming. i.e. drought, extreme weather, and melting polar ice caps. As this becomes a more prevalent topic, it’s something I want to make sure I understand better.
One simple way to help the environment
Recycle your cell phone, don’t just toss it in the dump. Phones are filled with toxic material and, when they are left to the elements, they leak things like mercury and lead into the environment and damage the ecosystem. Let’s be honest, our ecosystem can use all the help it can get…
The 1-3-5 To-Do List
If you have a to-do list as long as your arm and you are feeling overwhelmed, break the items into small, medium and large tasks and do 1 big task, 3 medium tasks, and 5 small tasks and then see how accomplished you feel.
What’s the difference between free-range and cage-free?
Sadly, cage-free has no space requirement so egg-laying hens are smashed into cages and life is pretty dismal. At least free-range birds get to see the light of day. Free-range is better.
Tips for when you get hit by a tranquilizer gun at the office (a.k.a. can’t keep your eyes open)
Lift up your legs and engage your core. Hold that pose for a bit and then check your energy. Rise and shine!
The 5G Race
The U.S and Canada are in a race to dominate 5G. This is a way for your phone and cars to quickly connect to the web super duper fast. Both countries are spending billions to win this race.
The 50/30/20 Budgeting Rule
50% of you pay goes to your “needs”, 30% goes to what you want and 20% goes to debt, savings and investments. Can you dig it?
What it really means when your wine is “corked”
It doesn’t mean that your wine has expired. It means the wine has been contaminated with cork taint. Cork taint is when natural fungi in a cork interact with certain chlorides used to sanitize corks.
Insomnia much?
Have you tried reading a long biography? Don’t Skimm it, actually read it. Nighty night.
Career tips and words not to use
The A-Words: Ability and Apology Words; I’ll try and sorry. Those are words that make you sound doubtful of your own abilities and delegitimize your work before you even get started.
When your light bulb burns out
Replace it with an Energy Star – certified bulb. The majority of homes still use inefficient light bulbs. If every home in the U.S. switch to energy-efficient ones, our country would save enough energy to light 2 million homes for a whole year.
Don’t waste your day checking emails
Designate a 30-minute block a day to catch up on emails, unless its an emergency. That way you can actually get some stuff done!
Why you need to vote!
Because it is your right (if you are eligible) and responsibility. Elected people make decisions that affect your life. Important things like healthcare, taxes, and gun laws. Americans have a history of low voter turnout. SO VOTE!
How To Skimm Your Life is an informative and quick read that will leave you feeling empowered and inspired. It is a great gift too! Enjoy!
xo, Michelle
This was very interesting.