The Ruly Blog

"Safe clothes for women workers. Illustrating what the well-dressed women in search of a war job should NOT wear, pretty Eunice Kimball, Bendix Aviation worker, pauses at the entrance to the plant employment office where potential workers are interviewed. Though clothes may not make the woman, they ARE an indication of qualifications for a job, and Eunice's sweater, high-heeled and open-toed slippers, jewelry and loose hair-do are not improving her chances of employment. To contrast the inappropriateness of her costume, note trimly-dressed Alice Tripp, Bendix guard. Bendix Aviation Plant, Brooklyn, New York." Photo by Ann Rosener for the Office of War Information (1943).

It’s the start of another month at Ruly and this month we are continuing our organizational progress by focusing on clothing and closets. The closet is an organizing challenge for many people. The simple act of getting dressed is a challenge for many people!

Clothing is an expression of who we are and whether we like it or not, our clothes tell people volumes about us before we utter a single word. Fashion is both a celebration of individual style and a sad commentary on how superficial and judgmental society can be. This month at Ruly, we are not just going to focus on the simple aspects of tossing old clothes and sorting sweaters into piles but also the reasoning behind the organization. What clothes are in your closet now? What clothes should be in your closet? What do you need to know to scrutinize your own closet and use your clothing as a tool to influence your own success?

We will start off the month looking at one of the critical clothing situations–how your clothes can make you money! Your closet as a money maker? You bet! We are talking about the all-critical job interview clothing situation. In the job interview, your clothing matters immensely. The right outfit can land you the job and the wrong outfit takes you out of the running.

How much time is a hiring manager really going to spend looking at your appearance over your credentials and experience? Sadly, a lot! In a Newsweek survey of 202 corporate hiring managers, 57% of hiring managers expressed doubt as to whether an unattractive but qualified candidate would be hired for a position. Looks were the third most important attribute to the hiring managers, just behind experience and confidence.

What is considered unattractive to an employer? Unfortunately, two of the biggest negatives are things that are hard to change. Looking much older than your potential co-workers was a negative factor for 84% of the hiring managers. Being overweight was a negative for two-thirds of the hiring managers. Is this discriminatory? Yes! Is this reality? Unfortunately, yes.

The “beauty premium” as it has been named by economists indicates that attractive people have advantages throughout their lives. They get more attention as children and young adults and earn more money throughout their lives.

The New York Times reported on a study that showed that beautiful people are more self-confident and that their confidence seems to show up both in person and over the telephone. The study suggests that confidence is what is most attractive to employers.

So, when you are going in for a job interview, your primary goals (after showing your experience and qualifications of course) are to look attractive and be confident. What does it mean to look attractive for a job interview? There is obviously going to be a lot of variation from one person to the next but there are a surprising number of fashion don’ts out there.

The following list of fashion items (compiled from numerous job interviewing sites and my own experience) are offensive to at least some hiring managers. I don’t necessarily agree with every item on this list but if I was going into a job interview situation in today’s competitive market, I would avoid as many of these items as I could. And yes, ladies, our list is naturally twice as long as the mens!

Clothing items that offend some hiring managers:

Men
turtlenecks
pink, lavender or any feminine colors
bow ties
ties with identifiable prints or logos
black suits
light colored suits
leather jackets
tight pants
jeans
shorts
white socks
scuffed briefcases
scuffed shoes
slip-on shoes (especially those with tassels)
face jewelry (nose ring, lip ring, eyebrow ring, etc.)
earrings
any jewelry other than a watch or class ring
tattoos
cologne
long hair
facial hair of any kind
ignoring instructions to dress in business casual clothes
too much black worn near the face

Women
short skirts
shorts (including shorts suits)
dresses that are clingy or have plunging necklines
pants of any description, including jeans, leggings and capri pants
black suits
light colored suits
cleavage revealing tops
strapless tops
tops with spaghetti straps
leather jackets
perfume
jewelry that makes noise
oversized jewelry
ankle bracelets
face jewelry (nose ring, lip ring, eyebrow ring, etc.)
more than one earring in each ear
hair longer than shoulder length worn down
tattoos
“No one wants to see your feet.” (sandals, open-toed shoes, backless shoes, flip flops)
heels higher than 2 1/2 inches
wild nail polish (i.e. any color other than “nude” or beige”)
wild lipstick (i.e. any color other than a natural pink)
brightly colored or printed purses
oversized handbags
ignoring instructions to dress in business casual clothes
too much black worn near the face

Sources:

• “Dress for success on your next job interview,” Laura T. Coffey, The Today Show, March 10, 2010.
• “Exposed: Women’s Dress Code Secrets,” Jennifer Swift, The Hill, April 20, 2010.
• “Big Blunders Job Hunters Make,” Sarah E. Needleman, The Wall Street Journal, June 28, 2010
• “The New Power Suit for Summer,” Christina Binkley, The Wall Street Journal, June 30, 2010.
• “Business Attire,” Penn State Erie: The Behrend College.

So what is left to wear? Men have two standard “uniforms”:

Suggested male interview attire

Formal dress: dark navy or dark gray suit with a white collared shirt and a tie with an understated pattern; black leather lace-up shoes and black leather belt

Casual dress: khaki dress pants, white or blue collared shirt with a white undershirt, leather belt and leather lace-up shoes in dark brown or black

As one Wall Street Journal reader put it:

“The best way to dress for the office is to dress like you’re going to a funeral, but then put on a more conservative tie.”

–Commenter Brian McNeill on “The New Power Suit for Summer” by Christina Binkley, The Wall Street Journal, June 30, 2010

"Four Business Men," Photo by PinkMoose. From the Flickr Creative Commons.

"Men in Suits," Photo by mrsclaireirving. From the Flickr Creative Commons.

"Tokyo Subway," Photo by katclay. From the Flickr Creative Commons.

Women, how about us? As in all women’s fashion, this is a little tricky. While there are some female equivalent “uniforms,” described below, you have to be careful that you pick something that is also attractive on you. If you look terrible in gray or navy, it might be just as risky to wear an unattractive color as to wear the slightly more controversial black suit. Women also have to strike a very delicate balance to look powerful but not masculine and attractive but not sexy in order not to offend most hiring managers.

Suggested female interview attire

Formal attire: Dark navy or dark gray, knee-length skirted suit. The tough part: a fashion-appropriate shirt underneath in a neutral color. Some say a collared shirt but this can be hard for many women to pull off. Some women I have seen wear more of a shell blouse. Choose something that frames your face well. Nude colored pantyhose and black leather shoes that don’t show your feet and make your legs look their best. For most women a heeled shoe is the most attractive. Some interview sites caution that you should be careful wearing heels if you are tall. If you look terrible in flats, though, I would risk a small heel. Subtle jewelry like a simple necklace or pair of earrings (in gold, silver or pearl) can give polish.

Casual attire: If casual, it gets even more challenging for women! You could try for a feminine version of the male look: a khaki knee-length skirt with collared white or blue shirt, white tank, hose and heels. A sweater set with a skirt or dress and sweater would also work. You might also be able to get away with khaki dress slacks depending on your figure and how conservative your potential employer is. Subtle jewelry like a simple necklace or pair of earrings (in gold, silver or pearl) can give polish.

May 6, 2009: UNDP Administrator Helen Clark mets Jeffrey Sachs, Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon," Photo by United Nations Development Programme. From the Flickr Creative Commons.	"Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, co-chair of the Congressional Military Family Caucus greets Deborah Mullen at the caucus kickoff." Photo by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From the Flickr Creative Commons.
"EPA Administrator and incoming Chesapeake Executive Council Chair Lisa Jackson," Photo by chesbayprogram. From the Flickr Creative Commons.	"Proof!" Photo by slettvet. From the Flickr Creative Commons.

So, now that you know what a hiring manager wants you to wear to a job interview, it is time for a Ruly Challenge:

The Challenge: Review your closet and determine whether you have at least one outfit appropriate for a job interview, in both a formal and casual dress style. If not, make a list of what you need to purchase and make plans to acquire the items in the near future. You might go shopping, add them to your wishlist, etc.

Even if you think you will never need to interview in your life (lucky you!) these dressing guidelines apply to any situation where you are aiming to impress a wide variety of people. You are not dressing for fashion here but to please the median taste.

Fortunately, once you get the job, you can add a little more personality into your clothing choices. I think we would all go crazy dressing “interview appropriate” every single day.

Please share in the comments your favorite interview attire as well as any mistakes we should all avoid. Is your closet interview ready?

"City Car." Painting by Ray Langele. From the Wikimedia Commons.

It’s the start of a new month and a new theme! In July we are going to be discussing how to organize your driving and car.

According to a recent study by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, 76% of the U.S. population age 16 and older drives a car every single day. Only 12% are “nondrivers.”

The University of California Berkeley found that Americans spend approximately 101 minutes of every day in their cars. The only thing we spend more time doing is watching TV (170 minutes).

So, with all this time spent in the car, this month at Ruly we are going to look at ways to make driving fun, safe, and perhaps even share a few tips to minimize the time spent in traffic.

We will start the month with a bit of a sobering post. We are about to head into one of the busiest driving weekends in the United States for the Fourth of July holiday and unfortunately one of the more dangerous times to be on the road as well.

There were 34, 017 fatal crashes in the United States in 2008 killing 37,261 people.  Holiday weekends are when a large number of fatal crashes occur with the Fourth of July weekend frequently showing the highest number of fatalities. In 2008, 491 people died in fatal vehicle crashes over the 4th of July weekend.

Driving is probably one of the most dangerous activities we undertake on a daily basis. If you are concerned about traffic safety and want to know how you can best avoid accidents, you may be interested to know that the number one cause of driving fatalities is entirely preventable!

Alcohol-related traffic fatalities accounted for almost 40% of all fatalities in 2004 and drivers taking to the roads while intoxicated is the biggest risk factor to all drivers. Most alcohol-related crashes occur between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Drivers age 34 and younger are the most frequent drunk driving offenders.

The law in all 50 U.S. states is that it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or higher. How much alcohol does it take to reach that level? According to MADD, it is roughly 4 drinks in one hour on an empty stomach for a 170 pound man and 3 drinks in one hour on an empty stomach for a 137 pound woman. How much would that mean for you? The University of Oklahoma police department has a calculator here where you can plug in your weight and the type of alcohol you consume to get an estimate of how quickly you could reach the .08 limit. I hope that you take a moment to check this calculator and find your own limit. Note that even before you hit the .08 limit, your judgment can be severely impaired.

As you head out to celebrate this weekend, please use a designated driver, know your own limits and please do not drive if there is any question about your sobriety. Many states offer free “Sober Ride” programs. You can Google “sober ride [your state]” to find a program near you. In the Washington, D.C. area, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program offers a free taxi ride home (up to $50) on July 4th from 10:00 p.m. on July 4th to 6:00 a.m. on July 5th. All you have to do is call 1-800-200-TAXI during those hours.

“A first time drunk driving offender on average has driven drunk 87 times prior to being arrested.”

–Statistics from Mothers Against Drunk Driving

I also encourage you to take 5 minutes to support an initiative sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to improve road safety. MADD supports the use of ignition interlocks for any convicted drunk drivers. The devices connect with a car’s ignition and require the driver to blow into a device to measure their blood alcohol content. (BAC) If the BAC is too high, the car won’t start. MADD has a video showing the device here:

MADD is pressing for a federal law requiring any convicted drunk driver to use an ignition interlock device. You can send a note to your Congressional representatives requesting they support this legislation through MADD’s website here.

Wishing all my readers a wonderful weekend and my U.S. readers a very safe and happy Fourth of July!

"Valerie was busy, exceedingly busy, arranging matters, in view of the great change impending." Illustration by Charles Dana Gibson (c. 1911). From the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

We are at the mid-point of 2010, which is still hard for me to believe! The school year is almost over and summer vacations are upon us. Given the whirlwind of activity, June seemed like the right month to step back for a moment, reflect on what we have already covered so far and catch up on any lingering projects. I know I have plenty.

While we are reflecting, we are going to address motivation generally, how to stay motivated and more importantly what to do when you have relapsed back into comfortable patterns and you need a boost to get you back on track. We will look at this issue from a variety of perspectives at the business and personal level.

So first, to keep the month on track . . . your Ruly Challenge.

The Challenge: Complete the Ruly Motivation Worksheet, which you can download here. Identify how much “free time” you have this month to accomplish your lingering tasks. Identify from your budget how much “free money” you have. Then, make a list of the items you want to accomplish along with the time or money required for these tasks and your personal level of interest in those tasks. You may wish to revisit your 2010 goals. Rank the final list and come up with an action plan for the month.

The point of the Ruly Challenge this month is not to be superhuman but to give yourself a slight push to use your time more effectively. Don’t overschedule yourself and don’t feel bad if you can’t get to everything. You may discover from this exercise that there are things on your to do list that are realistically never likely to get done. If that is the case, you might need to just let it go, drop it off the list and know for the future that you are unlikely to be successful committing to that type of project. If it is a project that has to get done, come up with an alternative way to accomplish it, perhaps through outsourcing or simplifying and accepting a less perfect solution.

I am going to keep things brief today so you can focus your energies on the worksheet. Please share in the comments the tasks that are bugging you the most or your strategies for getting through a massive to do list.

It is spring here in Washington and we are enjoying the most gorgeous weather possible! It’s sunny and bright but not hot or humid. We have blossoms and daffodils and the great weather seems to be rubbing off on people, making them a little more cheery and optimistic. Spring passes so quickly here in Washington, transitioning in a blink to the hot, sticky summer weather, that we have to celebrate it while we can.

Here was the scene at the National Mall yesterday afternoon. It was fun to see all the tourists enjoying themselves and the locals out running, biking and lazing on the grass.

We fought the crowds to peek at the cherry blossoms. Unless you live locally, it is kind of hard to catch the cherry blossoms at their peak bloom. Mother Nature sets the bloom time and it is always different every year. As a treat for my readers, I wanted to share the cherry blossoms with you virtually.

It is somewhat amazing that a bunch of trees has the power to captivate all of Washington for about a week each year. The snowy pink blossoms contrasted with the classical lines of the monuments is truly stunning.

So, while it pains me to sit here typing when we need to be outside, I need to introduce the theme for April. We have done a lot of heavy lifting in the themes recently: goals, perfectionism and money, so April is going to be a bit lighter and more fun. In the month of April we will be discussing design, specifically how you can spruce up your own home without spending a lot of time or money. It’s spring cleaning with a twist. It’s not just throwing out, washing, and organizing, it’s giving a fresh look to your living space and creating spaces that inspire, relax, and cheer.

Today, in light of my outdoor-oriented mood, I thought it would be appropriate to focus on ideas for sprucing up your outdoor living spaces. How is your patio, deck, backyard, balcony, etc. looking? Is it an inviting space? Do you like to spend time relaxing in those spaces? If not, why? What can you do to change things?

For our part, we have a tired patio with a tired set of metal patio furniture we inherited from the previous occupants. The space is functional, but not really all that inviting. In the long term, we hope to remodel it and put in something wonderful like a nice deck but for now we have to settle for smaller changes.

I looked to the Internet for some suggestions. HGTV has a wonderful series of videos transforming a variety of outdoor spaces featuring designer Angelo Surmelis that you can watch here.

While most of these ideas are beyond the small budget I have in mind, there are a lot of concepts here we can all use. Below are my 10 tips for creating a great outdoor space.

1. Function First. Think of all the uses for your outdoor space and create a design that serves those functions. In our case, we want a place to eat meals outdoors in good weather as well as a place for our children’s water table and splashing pool.
2. Indoor-oriented. When designing your outdoor space, keep in mind the same sensibilities you use to furnish your indoor spaces. The most inviting outdoor spaces blur the line between indoors and outdoors. Try to use at least one element in your outdoor space that you wouldn’t expect to find outside. Rugs or carpeting are a common choice. I saw a gorgeous design once where they hung a chandelier from a tree! Of course, be prepared that whatever indoor elements you bring outside are going to take a beating from the elements so they might only last one season or you might need to bring them inside at night.
3. Choose good furniture. Keep the same comfort standards for your outdoor spaces. You wouldn’t choose uncomfortable furniture for your living room so don’t furnish your outdoor spaces with uncomfortable furniture either. Have a wonderful place for people to sit (or lie down to sunbathe or nap). If your budget does not allow for new patio furniture, can you update your existing furniture? Outdoor Living Ideas has a fantastic feature called “Plastic Surgery” where they give several ideas for transforming the boring resin lawn chair. Maybe you just need more comfortable cushions? Is there an indoor chair that you could store near the door to the outside space and drag it outside when you need it?
4. Use color. Outdoor spaces can tolerate more color than your indoor spaces. Color is fun and inviting. Don’t be afraid to use it!
5. Make Shade. One of the biggest obstacles to outdoor spaces is keeping the environment comfortable. A way of making shade is important. If your outdoor space is open to the sky, a portable umbrella with stand is a good investment.
6. Control bugs. Mosquitos and moths are a huge problem here in the summertime. When the weather finally cools down at night to a more comfortable level, it is no fun to be outside getting eaten by bugs. Although bug repellent works, it is not my favorite choice of perfume and is a pain to put on my children and wash off at bedtime. This year I want to try the ThermaCELL outdoor lantern, which is supposed to be an odorless mosquito repellant.
7. Have a lighting plan. One of the treats of summertime is dining outside, whether at home or your favorite restaurant. When you see a restaurant patio area, one of the first things you will notice is its great use of light. There might be candles on the tables, strings of Christmas lights around the decking or tiki torches. Lighting creates a wonderful ambience. Think about how you might light your outdoor space.
8. Don’t forget the plants! With all the focus on furniture and color, don’t forget that the reason you are outside in the first place is because of nature! You want wonderful, healthy plants to surround you. This is a huge challenge for us as we are “blessed” with clay soil which is nearly impossible to grow anything in. This year, I think we will try some semi-invasive plants like mint, lavender and maybe clumping bamboo. The spaces we are planting in are self-contained with brick and cement borders so we don’t expect the invasiveness to get out of control. If all else fails, some nice container plants add a good punch of color and life.
9. Incorporate Water. Several years ago I attended a gardening seminar where they indicated that of all the landscaping features, water is the one that captures our imagination and attention the most. I have wanted to find a birdbath for some time. Maybe this is the year we actually do it!
10. Keep it Fresh. Sometimes the best makeover is just to incorporate change into your standard set-up. Looking at the same old furniture over and over again is not very interesting, even if it is lovely. If you already have a great outdoor living space, challenge yourself to do at least one thing to change it up.

I am now brimming with ideas on what to do with my patio. I hope you are similarly inspired. Please share in the comments your favorite outdoor living space ideas or the ideas you are trying this year.

Have a wonderful weekend!

In the month of March, we will be discussing a fascinating and difficult subject . . . money!

Women Inspecting Currency at the U.S. Bureau of Printing and Engraving (c. 1907) From the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

While we might not like to admit it, money is as essential to life as air, water and food. Money can’t buy health, happiness or love but one thing money does is give you options.

I have never been too concerned with how much money I have and I don’t think anyone really should be. In our young marriage, my husband and I decided that our goal for money was always to have enough money not to have to worry about basic things like paying the rent, buying groceries and paying the electric bill. Any more than that was a delightful bonus. As we have grown and added children, “basic things” keeps expanding to include more and more things like retirement savings, preschool tuition, and insurance, but our basic philosophy is still pretty much the same.

I can’t tell you how to make a million dollars, how to pick stocks or how to make your credit card debt disappear but I can help you get your finances organized so that you know how much money you have, where it is going and how to gather the information needed to evaluate various financial decisions. You will then feel more confident when you evaluate the advice from your accountant, attorney, broker or other financial advisor.

Stock-picking guru Jim Cramer has a classic quote:

“[Y]ou have to learn to be either a better investor or a better client; there is no other choice.”

–Jim Cramer, Jim Cramer’s Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World

What I like about this quote is that it lets us know clearly and plainly that you can’t just choose to throw your hands up and say, “This is too complicated. I can’t understand my 401(k).” or “I don’t know anything about taxes.” There is too much at stake to be uninformed.

If there is one thing we have learned from the current financial crisis, it is that we have to be educated enough to make financial decisions based on facts, not feelings. It is not enough to make a complex financial choice, like taking out a mortgage, just because your neighbors and friends are all doing it. You need to be able to evaluate if it is the appropriate choice for you.

If you aren’t willing to learn yourself, then you need to learn how to pick a qualified person to make these decisions for you. Note that money confusion is not just a problem for the poor and middle class. Just ask any of the wealthy victims of the Bernie Madoff scandal about the consequences of being too trusting and not doing the difficult homework of evaluating a financial decision.

Yes, this month you will have to do a little math, but don’t be anxious about it. Many financial decisions can be evaluated with basic adding and subtracting. Spreadsheets are great when things get more complex. I will walk you through some of the tools I use to stay on top of my own finances.

When delving into a new topic, it is nice to get an overview from a recognized expert. Fortunately and amazingly for us, Professor Niall Fergusson has taken on the incredible challenge of providing a history of the world from the perspective of money and finance. You can view his excellent 4-hour documentary, The Ascent of Money online at pbs.org. He takes on such questions as “What is money?” and how the stock and bond markets work. For a one minute preview of the series, click below.

The world is complex and the the world of finance is complex but it is not too complex to understand with a little effort. Don’t give up and join me this month to explore how to bring some order to your finances!

Do you have a burning question about money you want to see answered this month? Please share in the comments.

It is the first day of a brand new year! Although really today is much the same as yesterday and the day before, because it is New Year’s Day, it is infused with hope, promise, and a fresh start. Today is the day when many people resolve to make big changes in their lives.

In a world where there is a lot to worry, obsess and become depressed about, it is kind of amazing that the calendar turning one page is enough to get us to leave the past in the past, think big, dream new dreams and believe that our lives can be fundamentally different going forward. It is probably one of the best traditions we have!

Of course, some people get a little jaded about New Year’s because they have failed to achieve the resolutions they have made in the past. In January at Ruly, we are going to be discussing goal setting in general as well as the process needed to make progress toward a goal.

As for me, this year I am thinking a little differently about setting my goals. I have been really interested to view The Wall Street Journal’s “Lessons in Leadership” video series, where CEO’s of various companies are answering questions on everything from time management to motivation. While some of the answers are what you might expect, some are a little shocking. One of the more eye-opening quotes that stuck with me was:

“Don’t do stuff that you know you don’t like.”

–Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, in The Wall Street Journal “Lessons in Leadership” video series

It’s a very simple concept but a powerful one too. How much time do we spend setting goals to do things that we don’t like doing but for whatever reason, we feel that we “have to” do them. What I liked about this concept is that Mr. Roberts seems to be saying, when you have a million things to do, prioritize your own happiness first, then look at the needs of others in your business or personal life. The result is a list of priorities that you will enjoy doing and that will satisfy others as well. Since we naturally put more energy into things we enjoy than things we detest, this seems like a winning solution to get optimum results.

For 2010, my personal resolutions are all about doing more fun things in my life . . . places to travel, experiences to have, etc. When I sit down to write my business goals for Ruly, they will similarly be focused on maximizing the enjoyable moments. When it comes to doing things I don’t enjoy doing, my goals will be to find ways to minimize those unenjoyable moments either through outsourcing to others, rethinking an unenjoyable process to inject more fun into it or streamlining the unenjoyable to take less time.

On Monday, we all get back to business as usual after a long holiday break. Routines and schedules resume. As you go about your normal activities, start to consciously ask yourself, “Do I like doing this?” If the answer is no, you may have an incredible opportunity to learn something new about yourself and make a change for your own happiness.

What are your resolutions for 2010? Please share in the comments.

It’s the month of December and this month at beruly.com is all about celebrations!  Many people are running a bit ragged this time of year trying to fit in all the “errands of the season” as my mother-in-law likes to call them.  Ruly will be here for you with ideas to organize your time during the holidays as well as inspiration to help you get through when you are feeling overwhelmed.

There are many people around the world celebrating different types of holidays this month and while Christmas is the tradition that our family celebrates, Ruly will try to generalize advice for a variety of holidays.  If you feel your tradition has needs that are not represented here, please post a comment and give us all the opportunity to learn!  My research shows that “the holidays” this year include:

• Sundown on December 11 – December 19     Hanukkah (the Jewish “Festival of Lights”)
• December 13     St. Lucy’s Day (Christian feast day dedicated to St. Lucy)
• December 18     Al-Hijira (the Islamic New Year)
• December 25     Christmas           
• December 26     Boxing Day
• December 26 – January 1      Kwanzaa (celebration of African life and culture)
• December 27     Ashura  (an Islamic holy day of fasting)
• December 31    New Year’s Eve
• January 1    New Year’s Day

Already, the holiday marketing machinery is at work and this year there seems to be extra pressure to get your shopping done now.  Two days after Thanksgiving, I received a catalog in the mail with “Last-Minute Gift Ideas.”  Last-minute?  Already?  On Cyber Monday, email messages came flooding in with “Hurry!” and “Last Chance.”  Unfortunately for these marketers, I am immovable.  To me, “last-minute” is the week before Christmas (or, in a particularly busy year, Christmas Eve).  Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, I am starting to get schizophrenic messages advising me to “Hurry! There is still time!”  So, my first message is to say to you and the marketers, “Relax.  There is still plenty of time.  Don’t be in too much of a rush.  Sometimes the last-minute bustle is part of the fun  too.” 

While the holiday season is truly not about shopping, it seems many people are taking the urgency of these marketing messages to heart.  There are so many holiday events front-loaded in December this year for me and, for the first year, the schedule gets lighter the closer to Christmas.  If this holds true, I am actually looking forward to some quiet evenings making cookies or crafts with my children.

This year, many people are struggling with the holidays due to their economic situation.  I have already met several people who are either not exchanging gifts of any kind or are already preparing their families that there will be fewer presents this year than in years past.  If you fall in this situation, please know first that this is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes taking a step away from the frenzy of giving allows you to have a more meaningful holiday. We will talk about this on Ruly this month.  Also, we will discuss ways to creatively stretch a budget for the holidays. 

There are some exciting new features to announce at Ruly too.   The first one is very cool and is coming this Friday so be sure to check back!   Enjoy your Wednesday!

It is the beginning of a new month and a new time system as well. With the start of Daylight Savings Time this weekend, we now run an hour “behind” where we were last week. I have always been a fan of the “fall back” portion of Daylight Savings Time and the day makes more sense to me on this schedule. If everything seems off to you, I sympathize as I go through the same struggle each spring when I am perpetually an hour behind.

Before I preview what the next month holds for Ruly, I wanted to share with you the wonderful experience our neighborhood had with Halloween this year. There are some good lessons here for how organization can bring a community together. In the past, our neighborhood had a poor experience with Halloween. There were almost no trick-or-treaters and even if you tried trick-or-treating, it seemed there was almost no one offering treats so most trick-or-treaters gave up after a few houses. There was general dissatisfaction on all fronts with the holiday.

This year, I worked with a committee of neighbors to try to change things. We came up with a plan to organize the event. We created a list of houses offering treats and a route map and distributed it to the neighborhood. We also provided an estimate of how many children would be participating so that those offering treats would have enough. While most of our communications took place via e-mail, for our older neighbors without Internet access, we created an alternative “signal” to have the neighbors put up Halloween decorations if they were participating in Halloween.

Instead of a sad, disappointing holiday, we had a wonderful event that re-energized our neighborhood. While the number of households participating was not large in absolute terms, those that did participate did so enthusiastically. We had amazing decorations, generous treats, and delighted children. The event brought our community closer together and new friendships were formed. It is wonderful to see how a little investment of effort (and a little organization) can make a big difference.

In the month of November, wonderful things are coming to The Ruly Blog. We have several exciting new features to introduce, which will stay a surprise for now but which I think you will really enjoy. Please stay tuned! In general, the month will focus on organization related to food and eating. Whether you are getting ready to feast throughout the coming holiday months or trying to stick to a diet, Ruly has strategies to help you order your eating.

Have a wonderful week! Type to you on Wednesday with the Ruly Challenge for the month.