What’s On Your Desk?

Make yourself number one! Keep in mind that when you are happy and taken care of, you are able to do much more efficient and focused work. Not to mention warding off the temptation to feast on the chocolates at your neighbor’s desk or the donuts in the break room. The ideas shared by Danielle, a contributor to apartmenttherapy.com, in her article, Be Happier at Work: Try This Simple Desk Update Today make sense. Who doesn’t enjoy drinks and delicious snacks at his/her fingertips, as well as a little beauty added to the space?

Shall we give this a try?

Tell us your experiences in the comments section and we’ll share ours too. Now, get to work!

Men, Women and Sportscasting

In honor of National Women’s Day, an article about being in the public eye as a female sportscaster. Such a male dominated arena from both the commentator and fan perspectives, it offers more focused attention on the women who work the fields than any other anchor position. Richard Sandamir and John Branch for the New York Times, share the stories of these women and how important personal awareness and safety is in this profession. The Dangers of Being a Female Sportscaster. Not to mention the reminder that males should strive to behave as gentlemen.

Beg, Borrow or Buy?

Invest or borrow? Kim Myles offers great advice about when to purchase or borrow eight key items in her article, Save Money, Save Space: 8 Things to Borrow Instead of Buy. From air mattresses to tools to serving dishes, consider her wisdom about storage space and necessity before you make that next impulse buy for a weekend guest or dinner party.

Thinking it’s About Time For a Snack?

Are you sitting at your desk right now wishing you had a big piece of chocolate cake? Ever wondered why you feel the overwhelming urge for a sugary snack each afternoon? In their article, The Science Behind the 3 p.m. Snack Slump, thekitchcn.com offers scientific facts about the late afternoon slump as well as ways to curb your desire for sugar and fat with healthy options. 5 Healthy Ways to Beat Your Afternoon Snack Cravings. They even mention that sleep may play a big part in this daily crave. Instead of willing yourself to not eat junk, maybe you should just go to bed!

Parents, Kids and Healthy Eating

Children tend to be picky eaters and for most of us this only means a little wasted food and some frustration at the dinner table. But what about the parents who cannot afford to throw away food? The working poor who must stretch to make ends meet often have the same nutrition goals for their children but lack the financial resources to introduce their children to new foods and flavors. Statistics show that children must be given a new food 8-15 times before it will be accepted. Imagine how much discarded food that amounts to in a week, a month. Caitlin Daniel reinforces the idea that many parents share the same health desires for their children in her article, A Hidden Cost to Giving Kids Their Vegetables and offers possible ways that schools and organizations may help support a healthy lifestyle for all.

Spend More Now, Save In The Future

Ever stood in the store comparing two items; the one you truly want and the one that is similar but much less money? Ever considered that if you buy the more expensive, higher-quality version you might have it for years to come and not need to invest more at a later date? Carl Richards, in his article, Spend the Money for the Good Boots, and Wear Them Forever for the New York Times, Your Money section gives a very compelling argument for this theory. Definitely worth consideration the next time your gut says, “spend the money.”

Just Who Are You Paying?

How many recurring charges are on your credit card at the moment? You may be surprised. A new service, Trim, will scan your bills, produce a list of these payments and cancel ones you wish to no longer utilize. This is a free service from Trim as they attempt to build a client base for their personal finance assistance business. Even if you choose not to employee Trim, taking a look at their ranked, most common charges list can be helpful and may inspire you to take the initiative to keep more money in your own pocket.

Cutting Off Those Recurring Charges You Forgot About

The Dog Ate My Tax Receipts?

Every year people spend hours searching madly for those few missing receipts that will substantiate a tax deduction. An IRS audit is a real fear in the United States, one that is portrayed in television shows as a horrific experience. But did you know that receipts aren’t always a requirement when proving your deductible expenses? Thanks to past Broadway pioneer George M. Cohan, who paid in cash and fought the system when they denied his claims, we have the Cohan Rule. Not the easiest rule to use, you might wind up in court, but good to know in case you ever end up in this situation. Still, probably better to just keep saving your receipts.

No Receipts For IRS? Key Tax Case Says They’re Optional

Join The Crowd

Ever seen the internet ad for ThingCharger? A current, large-scale crowd-funding campaign that promises a space saving, re-charge station for all kinds of electronic devices. These offers appear in your inbox and all over the internet, urging you to share your wealth for inventive ideas and charitable causes. On the opposite side of the spectrum from funds seeking venture capital, are sites such as YouCaring, an online compassionate crowd-funding community. Check it out today and see all the ways you can make a difference in the world!

Want to start your own crowd funding site? Try this article.
19 Psychological Tactics for Successful Crowdfunding Campaigns

These Shoes Were Made For Walking

You may remember this post from July, Bureaucracy, Autocracy, Holacracy? Online shoe retailer Zappos was ditching a traditional business plan for the more free-form governance known as holacracy. In theory, the plan offered each employee an equal say in various parts of the business. Flash forward to January 2016 where employees have left the company in droves due to this new found “freedom.” The Zappos Exodus Continues After a Radical Management Experiment.