The strawberries at Smith’s is only $1.99! Get your strawberries tonight!
Strawberries on SALE at Smith’s
Moving from Provo to Dallas
I’m planning on moving from Provo, UT to Dallas, TX. I recently completed my Computer Science degree at BYU and will start a job in Dallas soon. I’m currently thinking of following this route.
I will need to move two cars and 30 boxes. I have looked on TransportReviews.com and found Montway to have the best deal. They have a A- rating with the BBB. To ship my Honda Civic 2006 they will charge a discounted price of $659. They require a $199 dollar deposit. They also have a $100 dollar fee that allows you to fill your car just under the windows. So the total was $759 for shipping the car plus some of my boxes. For the rest of my boxes I will ship using BYU Bookstore Pack and Ship.
UPDATE
I decided to hold off on the $100 dollar fee for shipping boxes with the car. Kristine mentioned that her friend used Amtrak shipping. They’re closed right now so I’ll have to call them on Monday morning.
Time Management
Why do I need to learn Time Management?
Time management is an important aspect of success and productivity. We must be aware of how we use our time so that we may be able to spend more time with our families. In my study of time management I found that time management is the wise management of ourselves and is a keystone in what I call life management. President Spencer W. Kimball, twelfth President of the Church: “Jesus … taught us how important it is to use our time wisely. This does not mean there can never be any leisure, for there must be time for contemplation and for renewal, but there must be no waste of time. … Wise time management is really the wise management of ourselves” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 482).
In our daily lives it is important to set aside each morning a quiet and prayerful moment for planning. During your planning session focus on what you need to do for the day. Make sure to write down what you do on a task list. Prioritize that list according to what is important (i.e. what is due). Once you have your prioritized list you must use your time wisely by accomplishing the most important items first.
Think about Time Management
What are the 5 most important priorities in your life?
How are goals and time management related?
How can you use your time better?
What are some activities that you do each day that are consuming your time?
Why is the wise use of time important for your eternal life?
Adapted from The Gospel and the Productive Life Student Manual
Further Study
Mountains to Climb: Exercising Faith in Jesus Christ
We all have our own mountains to climb. Each day brings its own challenges. Sometimes we are faced with incredibly difficult trials that may seem overwhelming at first. Often we feel like we can’t take another step or go on. But if we are willing to take just one more step and walk a little further on the path, exercising faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we will be able to overcome the challenges that we face. It is often when we are willing to go the extra mile until our shoes are worn through as the Lord has done for us in the Garden of Gethsemane, it is then that we grow and our testimonies are strengthened.
Continue to Exercise Faith in Jesus Christ
The Lord will not forsake us but he will let us grow and become stronger through him. It is fitting that the word exercise is used in the phrase exercising faith. When we exercise we experience immediate pain but we have faith that we will be stronger in the days ahead. It is the same with life’s challenges. If we exercise a small particle of faith, nourishing it and cultivating it, we will find the strength enough to carry on.
A Special Message
I attribute this post to the message given by President Henry B. Eyring of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I recently found the corresponding Mormon Message on YouTube. It resonated deeply with me because I felt I could relate with each of the different individuals that were depicted. This video was an inspiration to me and I hope that it will be so for you too. May you always be able to face your own mountains to climb, exercising faith in the Lord Jesus Christ along the way.
Productivity Pomodoro Technique Web Application: Rhapsody App
The previous website that I reviewed called Pomodoro Crate has rebranded as Rhapsody App. The site is a productivity web application that features the Pomodoro technique. The pomodoro technique is simply listing out the tasks that you need to complete for the day and also for the week. Then for each task it is assigning the number of pomodoros that it will take to complete that task. If it will take more than five pomodoros then you should break that task up into two tasks and etc.
What is a pomodoro?
That’s a great question! A pomodoro is defined as 25 minutes of uninterrupted time focussed on a task from the list that you created. Once you have completed a pomodoro you decrement the number of pomodoros that are left for that task. Then you take a 5 minute break. When the break is over you come back and start another pomodoro. Once you have completed that task you can mark it as complete and move onto the next task! It is that simple!
Advantages of the Pomodoro Technique
The advantage of the pomodoro technique is it is very simple to understand and to start using. All you need is a timer, a sheet of paper, a pencil and the items required for your task. Originally the timer was in the shape of a pomodoro (meaning a tomato in Italian).
Disadvantages of the Pomodoro Technique
If you are interrupted during a pomodoro session then that pomodoro has to be voided or discarded and you have to start another pomodoro. I think the reason why this is the case is to discourage you from being distracted or allowing yourself to be distracted. It helps to let those around you know that you will be doing a pomodoro and to not disturb you until afterwards. The difficulty behind doing so is that you may experience moments of social awkwardness.
Another disadvantage is that if you find yourself in a groove after 25 minutes you have to stop and take break. I personally prefer 50 minutes for my pomodoro. The Rhapsody App allows you to set the pomodoro time under “Settings”.
Conclusion
The pomodoro technique is a very useful tool to help you get started if you need a little push. However, once you have found your groove or are in the zone then you may want to extend your time of concentration. I personally feel that doing so is not a problem because the purpose of the tool is to be more productivity. At my university they use 50 minutes for a lecture period. So to help train me to focus better in class, I set my pomodoro time to 50 minutes when I use the Rhapsody App. I did this tonight when I was preparing for my Physics exam and found that I was able to concentrate and complete a lot of what I wanted to get done. Once I had finished the 50 minute pomodoro, I realized the library would close before the end of the next pomodoro so I set the pomodoro time to 15 minutes. Rhapsody App makes this very simple and easy to do. I would highly recommend that you start using Rhapsody App to get more things done. It’s easy and free to sign up for an account today.
Quick and Easy Broiled Chicken
This is a recipe that is fast and quick for families with newborns. We just had our second child so this recipe was a life saver. My mom showed us this recipe when she was helping us out. Broiling takes half the time and gives the barbequed look as you can see in the picture. Since broiling usually is done on the high temperature setting you’ll have to check on your chicken every few minutes.
To start off, you marinade the fresh or defrosted chicken in Mr. Yoshida’s sauce and chopped garlic for a good 15 minutes. You can get a jar of chopped garlic at Costco. Next, you prepare you broiling tray with nonstick oil. Place the chicken pieces onto the tray. Then put the tray in the oven on the middle rack so that the chicken is not too close to the top flame. Now you’ll want to constantly check the state of your chicken probably every 2-3 minutes. The cooking time approximately 7-8 minutes on each side for a total odd about 15 minutes. Note: cooking time will depends on your oven. Remember to brush on some Mr. Yoshida’s sauce on your chicken when you flip your chicken to keep it from drying out.
New Site Chinese Immersion Schools launched
At the start of the new year, I launched a new website called Chinese Immersion Schools. This website allows you to search for a Mandarin immersion school in your area within a maximum radius of 20 miles and a minimum radius of 5 miles. Mandarin immersion programs are growing in popularity in the United States. A Mandarin immersion program is a program where children can learn their regular classroom instruction in the Mandarin language. Some programs are 100% in Mandarin while others are 50% Mandarin and 50% English. Other language immersion programs are available across the United States such as the Spanish immersion program. The Chinese Immersion Schools site features a map of the United States which contains all the Mandarin immersion programs throughout the nation. The list of the Mandarin immersion schools was provided by Elizabeth Weise of the Mandarin Immersion Parents Council. I really appreciate her providing the list of schools.
Newest Feature Added
Last night I also added a Forum for visitors to talk about their experience with Mandarin immersion programs and to receive any help with the website. My goal in creating the Chinese Immersion Schools website was to provide the mandarin immersion community with the opportunity to unite together and find the best information in regards to a Mandarin immersion program for their children.
Future Feature
In the next release, it will feature a “Submit Your School” function which will allow schools across the nation to submit their school to the searchable database. Users will need to login with either a Google Account or a Facebook Account.
My hope is that if the Chinese Immersion Schools site is a success then I will build a Spanish Immersion Schools site.