The Posh Blog

In Texas this weekend, August 15-17^th, is a Tax Free Holiday on clothing and apparel.  IF you are going to brave the crowds here are a few tips to help make your shopping trip a more productive one and help you keep your sanity. 

1.  Visit Texas Sales Tax Holiday Site for a complete list of items that are exempt from sales tax this weekend. 

2.  Shop early.  Call your favorite stores now to find out what time they will open so you can arrive right when they open.  This will help save you time fighting the crowds.

3.  Know your child’s school requirements and restrictions.  Call your child’s school or visit the school district web-site to find out if certain clothing is not allowed before you make your purchases.  After all, we want to keep returns to a minimum with the high gas prices!

4.  Take a quick inventory of what your child currently has that still fits, is still in good shape, or that he or she will still wear.  Then make a list of the things you need to purchase.  Estimate how many pants, tops, sweaters, shoes, socks, etc. that you would like to find.

5.  Last but not least, determine a budget.  AHH…the dreaded “B” word!  Having something to aim for is a great way to keep you and your child focused on what is important and to keep from being easily swayed by the illusive “SALE” signs.   

One more bonus tip:  Don’t forget to bring a bottle of water and a few protein snacks like a protein bar or even Peanut M&M’s.   

Happy and productive shopping! 

P.S. Don’t forget to donate any clothing that does not fit your child anymore, this is critical to maintaining an organized home. 

Enjoy the good life,

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. Angela Ploetz

Have you had a chance to be inspired by the Last Lecture:  Achieving Your Childhood Dreams by Randy Pausch?  If you are not one of the more than 5 million people who have viewed the Last Lecture on YouTube I hope I can inspire you to watch it.     

Randy delivered the traditional last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University in September 2007 after learning that his battle with cancer would soon be coming to an end.  In his lecture Randy talked about the life lessons he had learned and the importance of living your childhood dreams.  In fact Randy was passionate about inspiring others to live their dreams.   

Randy talked about how sometimes on the way to a dream we run into a brick wall.  He says “The brick walls are there for a reason.  The brick walls are not there to keep us out, the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.  The brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.  They’re there to stop the other people.”   

How have your dreams and challenges impacted your life?  Have you run into some brick walls?  How did you handle them?  What can you do today to make some of these dreams possible?   

Take a few minutes to think about what your childhood dreams were.  I did and it was fun and enlightening.  I thought about things that had not crossed my mind for years.  I update my goals annually and after revisiting my childhood dreams I realized how relevant many of my childhood dreams were to what I do today and what I want today.  Isn’t that funny?  All those tests you take in school to determine what you should be when you grow up are really relevant.  Who knew?!  So for me this has sparked me to add some of my childhood dreams, which have not been accomplished, to my current day goals.   

Are your dreams still relevant?  Can they still be achieved?  Is it something that you want to achieve?  What is one action you can do today to help you reach your dream?  Are you are brave enough to post a comment with five of your childhood dreams?  The first person to post a comment with five of their childhood dreams will receive one of my “Favorite Products Guides” (a value of $24.95).  If you are the second or third person to post a comment I will send you a Levenger Recpeit Holder (a value of $3.20).  

I hope you take a look at Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture; it may be just what you need to achieve one of your childhood dreams.   

In case you want a good chuckle, here are a few of my childhood dreams:

1. Become an Interior Designer (no surprise there)
2. Have two children and a wonderful husband-Yea!
3. To own a label maker (mission accomplished!).
4. Become a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader (I was going to audition in 2002, but decided to race in a triathlon that took place at the same time as the auditions-sometimes we find new dreams)
5. Become a New York City Rockette (do you see a theme here?).
6. Own a Gucci purse (I know it’s superficial, but that goes way, way back).
7. To surf in Hawaii
8. To be the woman in the “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan…Because I’m a WOMAN…” commercial.  I wanted to bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, wearing heels and look fabulous doing it. (Similar to I’m A Woman by Peggy Lee)
9. I wanted to be the first woman to own a major league baseball team.  (I know that one is not possible now, but maybe I could be the first Hispanic woman to own a baseball team).
10. To have a bear as a pet.  (not a teddy bear, a real live bear).
11. To be a public speaker (Go me!  I’m still looking to expand this if anyone’s interested)
12. To be an entrepreneur.  Although I didn’t know what an entrepreneur was or how to spell it for that matter, I was functioning as one at a very young age.

 Enjoy the good life,

Angela

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

I was recently working with a client sorting through her old medications.  Many of her prescriptions were expired and would need to be disposed of, and I recalled that there have been many reports  on the news stating that traces of prescription drugs have been found in the public drinking water supply.  There have also been reports regarding the rise of the abuse of prescription drugs among teens. 

With that news on my mind, I wondered “what is the safest way to dispose of expired prescription drugs”?  Coincidentally, I know someone who is in the medical waste disposal industry.  He told me the best way to dispose of expired prescription drugs is by removing the drugs from the original containers and placing them in a different container with old coffee grounds, kitty litter, or something that would discourage a person from finding and taking the drugs.  He also sent me a link to a Press Release from the Office of National Drug Control Policy regarding what to do with expired prescription drugs.  The Press Release also states that you should only flush prescription drugs down the toilet if the package specifically instructs that this is safe to do. 

 So as you are clearing out your medicine cabinet, keep in mind how you are disposing of your old medications.  You can still dispose of old or unused prescription drugs in a way that is safer for the environment and to your community.   Enjoy the good life,Angela  Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

   Don’t forget this weekend we will turn our clocks forward because of Daylight Saving Time.  The change happens on Sunday, March 9^th and at 1:59 a.m. you should move your clock to 3:00 a.m.  If you are not planning on partying like it’s 1999, then you should just move your clocks forward one hour Saturday night when you go to bed.   

You can also visit Time and Date to find the current time anywhere in the world!  

Enjoy the good life,

Angela   

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

    Have you ever looked at your watch, your cell phone, and your computer to find that each one is showing a different time?  This is especially frustrating if you are trying to be on time for a meeting or conference call.   

Next time this happens you can go to www.time.gov and get the exact time with a 0.2 second accuracy.  Now that’s good!  You can also check the time for each of the time zones in the US, which I find to be extremely helpful because I have many telephone conferences with people in different time zones.  Everyone always gets confused, “do I add two hours or subtract an hour?” and this web-site helps us keep it straight.   

Knowing I can rely on something to give me the right time when I need it, now that’s a relief.   

Enjoy the good life,

Angela   

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.