Digital Trip Organization
Travel Series: Planning a Trip with Evernote « Evernote Blogcast
We recently took a road trip to Mammoth and having cleaned out my Evernote notebooks, I decided to get digitally organized for this trip. Years ago, I would print out all my airline tickets, rental agreements, airline car seat policies, contact information sheets. To keep it from being a mad bundle or from having to carry a folder around, I would fold each into eighths and write on the outside what each is. Stashed in one pocket, it would be easy to quickly grab the one I wanted and it was easy to keep them with me, no matter the size of my bags.
Of course, this was pre-iPhone days.
I’ve jumped onto the latest travel apps (iOS and web, even Blackberry), but other than using TripIt, I’ve rarely had an organized approach, until the last two road trips. It may not be classically crunchy, but if it helps you print out less paper, and stay relaxed while traveling knowing where everything is, I’m sure that helps in the parenting arena, too!
- Use TripIt. Really, it’s super easy. As you make your plans online, email your reservation details to plans@tripit.com. TripIt pulls all the information together into a cohesive itinerary for all your individual stays, rentals and activities. I’ll be honest that I’d only rate the email feature about 3/5. Even for major chains like Hertz, I often have to forward the email twice to get it to read it correctly. Annoying, but entering the details manually isn’t a dealbreaker for me, given the frequency of our traveling right now. Maybe later it will be.
- Use Evernote. I use Evernote as a general-purpose, but not-supersensitive filing cabinet. So I stash receipts there, but not passwords or account numbers. This trip, it was fantastic to create a travel notebook and use it for receipts and backup of the reservation confirmations. I also took pictures during the walkaround of the rental car and uploaded that, as well as taking a picture of the dashboard for the odometer and gas amount. Five days later, tired and driving home, it was easy to pull up the pic and figure out if we needed to put gas before returning. And it took me a second to do.
- Use FlightTrack. It’s available for iOS, Droid, BB and more. Gate info, delays, cancellations, maps: you name it, this will be your go-to app for anything flight-related.
Education Series: Waldorf
I’ve been researching childhood education again and thought I’d share my findings. This week, the ins and outs of Waldorf education.
My first reaction to Waldorf was disbelief and skepticism. I simply couldn’t see the importance of things like delayed academics, making your own shoes and such a heavy emphasis on arts. Yet, the more I read into child development, and the more interactions I had with the innocent curiosity of my own children, the more I became a firm believer in education that nurtures a child’s innate creativity.
- What is Waldorf education?
- Waldorf F.A.Q. (in case you’re in a rush)
- The Essential Phases of Child Development
- Preschool and Kindergarden in the Waldorf School
- Waldorf Education: Grades 1-8
- Waldorf Education: The Waldorf High School
- A Look at Waldorf and Montessori Education in Early Childhood Programs (pdf)
Hope this answered some questions you may have had about Waldorf / Steiner schools! If you’re looking for more thorough information on how to get started with Waldorf ideas with your baby, I highly recommend You Are Your Child’s First Teacher. For slightly older children, I also love Heaven And Earth.
Learning to Let Go
My darling little Ginny is just over a year and walking. Entirely gone are the days of crawling or sitting in one place. Walking is the fun activity du jour and she only asks to be carried in the evenings as she gets tired from the day. One day, that, too, shall pass.
I feel them getting older and more independent every day and I am reminded to let go gracefully. My precious children, that I try to overprotect by carefully controlling every influence and scenario; these are the signs of over-controlling. I really must learn the art of surrender.
So this week, here are some lovely articles and blogs to help you let go with love in your heart.
- Learning to Let Go
- How to Learn the Art of Surrender
- Learning to Let Things Go // … at work.
- Learning to Let Go With Love // … in relationships.
- Learning Not Just How to Let Go, But When // … of a loved one.
Keep Apples from Browning with Vitamin C Powder
I knew about how you could use lemon juice to keep apples from browning, but I have since learned that you can use Vitamin C powder instead. I love this, since it always seemed like a tragic waste of a lemon for such a cosmetic reason.
I mix a teaspoon or two in a bowl of water and soak for 15 minutes. Then drain and blot dry and pack as usual for snacks.
