How to Jump Start your Morning Routine

I'm the WORST at waking up. Number one, I sleep like a brick. Number two, I will EASILY push snooze on my alarm clock 7-10 times every morning. Ask anyone who has ever shared a house with me, and they can attest. [At this time, I'd like to apologize to my parents, my sister, old roommates, anyone who has had to share a hotel with me on work or church trips, friends who've invited me to slumber parties, neighbors who might've had thin walls, and of course, Nathan.]

I've tried many variations of giving myself reason to wake up, and none of them stuck. But, for 2017, I set some goals for myself. No, none of the goals were to wake up early. BUT, when I realized that many of my goals could be accomplished simply by changing my morning routine, it was a no-brainer! The cost-benefit analysis is undeniable!

3 Tips for Jump-Starting your Morning Routine:

1. Have a Plan - For me, I'm a lot better at waking up if I have a plan or schedule of what I'm going to be doing; essentially WHY I need to wake up early. I keep my goals in mind and remember that waking up early helps accomplish, not just one, but many of my goals. Figure out what your goals are and work to accomplish those goals when you first wake up!

Meditate on What is Important: As a Christian, my relationship with Jesus Christ is very important. But learning more about Him through studying, reading, and praying is also important. I designate 30 minutes in the morning for reading my Bible. This gives me time to think and pray about his promises, grace, and mercy he has for us. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to and end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23. So, maybe you aren't a Christian, or you don't care about reading the Bible. Find something that is important to you and focus on that. Whether you're a Christian or not, everyone has something to be grateful for. Journaling is a great option. Thinking about these things helps to clear my mind and restart for this day. 

Be Productive: One thing we have been trying to get better at is keeping our house continually tidy. The first step for me was getting rid of some stuff, but the second step is keeping the stuff we have in an orderly fashion. I have said for most of my life that everything I own has a place and when everything is in it's place, my house is clean. Well....Nathan does not share this philosophy, and I have let myself morph into his ways. Anyway, the point is, I have time set aside to do some chores before work. For some people "being productive" could mean exercising, or working on a home project.

Remember your Family and/or Housemates: We don't have children, but we do have pets, of which all are needy.... Koba and Yuki are pretty low maintenance in the morning (they just need to be fed), but Justice needs to be let out to go to the bathroom, fed, and taken for a walk. I also make Nathan's lunch (and sometimes even his breakfast). Remembering that people/animals are relying on you to take care of them, can be a real motivation.

2. Prep at Night - I've been doing this for quite a long time, mainly because I always knew I hated getting up, so might as well do as much as possible the night before so that I could sleep longer! 

Set out Clothes: Every night, I pick out my clothes, and lay everything out. This includes EVERYTHING, even socks, long johns, undershirts, etc. Anything I'm going to wear the next day is in a pile just waiting for me to put it on.

Prep Coffee and Breakfast: Every morning, all I have to do is push a few buttons and my coffee is made. I've already scooped the grounds and refilled the water the night before. This can be applicable if you drink smoothies for breakfast also. The night before, make sure your blender is clean, and set out the ingredients if possible.

Round up Supplies: Justice normally eats in his kennel and his food bowl sometimes winds up in the VERY back of his "room." When its in the back, I have to get on my hands and knees and stick my head into the kennel to be able to reach it! Anyway, I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have to do that when I first wake up! So I do it at night. I also make sure the cat's bowls are found as well. We keep all of the pet supplies all together, so I never have to hunt for Justice's leash, harness, or sweater for his walk. Gather any supplies you will need for the next day; pet supplies or other supplies. 

Note: I also take my showers right after I get home from work in the afternoons. This gives me more time in the mornings to do other things, and allows for my hair to air dry before I have to go to bed. This won't work for everyone, but that's what I do.

3. Avoid Time-Suckers - Time-suckers are things that don't add any substance to your life. They're just something to pass the time. Sometimes, I think time-suckers are OK, if you need a break or some time to do something that requires almost zero brown power. But  wasting your life away doing [essentially] nothing is a bad habit to start or to continue. Instead, I've chosen to fill my time reading, which still could be considered a pointless activity to some people. But trust me, you'll feel like less of a lazy bum if you read.

Binge-Watching: Binge-watching Netflix or some other TV source is a bad idea on a weekday. Sure, I love a good binge watch, and there's no denying that. But watching 3 hours of TV on a day before you are trying to wake up early wastes a lot of time AND does nothing to accomplish any goals! (Unless one of your goals, is to spend as much time watching TV as possible....) Additionally, its a bad idea to watch TV right before bed, especially certain types of shows. They could cause unsettled sleep or it might give you nightmares (cue inside joke with my childhood best friend.... you know who you are).

Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Vine, Pinterest. Those are just the apps on my phone. I know for sure that more exist, and more are to come in the future. Honestly, its crazy how much time and energy we devote to staring down at our phones and/or tablets. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but I decided for myself that I am not going to look at any social media in the morning, until I am sitting in my work parking lot. I don't even look at my phone at all except to turn of the alarm, and to check my text messages right before I leave for work.


I started my new morning routine at the beginning of the new year, and I waited to publish this post to ensure my methods would work. 5 1/2 months in, I can confidently say that Having a Plan, Prepping at Night, and Avoiding Time-Suckers are key ingredients to Jump-Starting your Morning Routine. It worked for me, and hopefully it will work for you!

Book Club (with Myself) 2

Its been a while since I wrote book reviews and recommendations, and that's because I forgot that I like to read....again. No, I'm not kidding, I literally forget that I like to read, and then I won't do it for months and months. One of my New Year's Initiatives is to read 2 books a month, so hopefully, I won't have time to keep forgetting about this hobby.

Anyway, I finally finished 5 more books since my last Book Club post (4 were from 2016, and the last one was from last week) and here are my reviews and recommendations:


How to Make People like You in 90 seconds or less by Nicholas Boothman

Ok, let me clear the air before I give my review of this book. Over the past 5 or 6 years, I have really grown in my ability to talk to different types of people. Chalk it up to maturing if you want, but it was definitely sped up in the torture years of my life, working selling furniture.... But sometimes I still get conscious about talking to people because I can tell that we're obviously not connecting. This book is NOT about manipulating people, but rather learning to create connections with people almost instantly. The book talks about building rapport with people based on other's body language, listening, and sensory preferences AND how your own attitude impacts the way will be perceived. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who has a high potential to encounter first impressions in the near future (this would include going to a job interview, meeting a college roommate, making a sales pitch, etc.)....So pretty much anybody. One thing to note, if you're not interested in evaluating your own actions and your own encounters, then you should probably pass on this book.



Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye by Len Bailey

I have started this book several times, only to get midway through and lose interest. Its not that the book is uninteresting, its just that every chapter is essentially its own story, meaning its not a "can't put it down" kind of book. This story uses the Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson characters to investigate 10 mysteries from the Bible. I found it interesting because it uses known historic information to elaborate on things that are mentioned in the Bible. That's not to say its adding to the Word of God, but rather, explaining certain customs that aren't specifically spelled out in the Bible. Its a good read, I'd say, and I'd recommend it for someone who likes history or who likes Sherlock Holmes or who likes investigating Biblical stories. I will say though, that some of the stories are not ones you would learn about at VBS, both in the fact they are not "well-known" references nor should you read this to your kids at bedtime.


And Then There were None by Agatha Christie

One of the things Nathan's mom passed down to him is her love for mystery novels. So, its not surprising that many books on our bookshelves are written by Agatha Christie. Finally, I broke down and started reading And Then There were None, while we were traveling in Boston. I must say, I can now understand the obsession! This book is about 10 houseguests who mysteriously get invited to a person's house (none whom they know). They each come into the house with their own individual secrets and have to figure out how to deal with their offenses. It is a very intriguing book due to the fact that there are 10 characters to try and figure out "who done it." I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone who can read. Due to the plot of the book, it speaks about murder, but it is not what I would consider graphic. Keep in mind that this was originally published in 1939, so there may be some references that younger generations may not understand. 


How to Think Like Steve Jobs by Daniel Smith

There is something intriguing about Steve Jobs and the empire he built with Apple (and Pixar), which is why I purchased this book for Nathan. This book is a mix between a biography and a self-help book. The author uses Steve Jobs' life chronologically, to point out themes that may have made him successful. Its got the stereotypical stuff like, "Don't be afraid to make enemies," and "Develop your own Style," but it also includes some more unique themes included. Overall, I enjoyed this book, as I hadn't read articles or watched many documentaries about the man. For someone who is very knowledgeable about Steve Jobs already, this may not be the book for you. In saying that though, the primary focus by the author is NOT the biography, but the "self-help" goal. Additionally, I just want to point out that Steve Jobs was a class A jerk, so I wouldn't necessarily model my entire life on him, or this book.... BUT there are some good points made, and I honestly did like the book. I'd recommend this book to adults who have a well-established personality and work ethic, but who may just want to see how another person may approach life. 

The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

When 2017 came, one of my resolutions was to read more. To go along with this, I downloaded Amazon Kindle on my work iPad for rainy days when its too messy outside to run during my lunch break. I was pleasantly surprised by one of my recommended books! When the Kindle app asked me the types of books I liked, I selected fantasy, fiction, and mystery, so when it randomly recommended "The Things We Wish were True," I didn't know what I was about to start reading. This book is about a group of people who live in the same neighborhood who know each other only from the community pool. One thing I really liked about this book was the author's choice on how to tell the story. Each chapter was told from the perspective of a different person (for example: Day 1-Person A, Day 2-Person B, Day 3-Person C as opposed to each person giving their perspective of day 1). This format keeps the reader on their toes! I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 16, probably. There are a few curse words  (but only a few) and some adult themes. A very good book!

How to Let Go of Clothes

Lately, I've been on a kick of getting rid of stuff. I'm not sure if its the whole, "Out with the old, it's a new year," thing or what. Anyway, I decided to do a major closet purge. I did a little bit of research, but then I just made up my own rules about what would stay and what would go.

Rule #1 - If I haven't worn it in a year, it goes. Now this can be a problem for me, but probably not in the way that one might think. Most people have not worn a lot of their clothes, and then they forget about those clothes they haven't worn and so they don't wear them, and then they keep forgetting, and the cycle continues. My problem is almost the opposite.

Let me explain with a short story about myself. When I was in the 9th or 10th grade, I had an old computer in my room. It didn't have the internet, but I could type and play solitaire. Around this time I decided to see how long I could go without wearing the same shirt (at this point, I wore t-shirts everyday). I would literally us an excel spreadsheet to record what I wore every single day, to see my progress. Yes, I know this is crazy and unnecessary, but its the truth, just ask my best friend, Maegan... 

All that to ensure that all of my shirts got equal attention.

Nowadays, I don't quite record it the same way, but I do have a specific clothes system. I organize my clothes based on type of clothing (i.e. sweaters, button up shirts, cardigans, etc.). Once I have cleaned a load of laundry, I put each item on the right side of their respective sections. In this way, I can literally see which pieces I have been neglecting. So, in short, I always make sure and wear all my clothes. 

Anyway, even with my system, I was able to discard some pieces of clothing, but only about 5! BUT, this rule did help me get rid of many of my scarves.

Rule #2 - If its damaged or ripped, it goes. Several weeks ago, I spent some time repairing about 3 shirts, so the obvious ones that would have been discarded avoided their fate. But I did find several shirts and a pair of pants which had stains that I just couldn't get out. I also had a few with small holes, which were probably from getting snagged throughout the years.

Even though sometimes I still wear clothing with a small stain, I decided to discard these to avoid feeling self-conscious when I want to wear them. I also included shirts that had uncontrollable pilling going on. All-in-all, I gathered about 10 shirts, and 1 pair of pants with holes, rips, stains, or pilling.

Rule #3 - If it's not modest, it goes. When I was younger I didn't care about how lock-cut my shirts were, or how short my dresses were. But now I do. So essentially I discarded any normal clothing that I would be embarrassed to wear to church. This got rid of about 5 party shirts and 5 dresses. I kept some of my party shirts for the beach or a date night. 

Rule #4 - If its so uncomfortable that I dread wearing it, it goes. I have this one shirt that looks great on me, it fits my personality, and it has all of the colors that look great on me. Even through all the good qualities, I avoid wearing it because it has this weird elastic thing in the sleeve that annoys me all day! I was keeping the shirt because it looks so great. But its not comfortable and I hate wearing it. 

In this rule, I included clothes that were to tight, shirts that were itchy, and button up work shirts that don't stay tucked in because they're too short. This helped me get rid of maybe 15 or 20 shirts and maybe 2 pairs of pants.

Rule #5 - If the only reason to keep something is for sentimental value, it goes. "Oh, I bought this for high school homecoming court." and "Wow! I bought this shirt for my trip to Greece" and "Gosh, this is what I bought to wear our wedding shower!" are all bad excuses to keep something. If these are your only reason to keep a piece of clothing, get rid of it! There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as a wedding dress.

Rule #6 - If something is not your style anymore, it goes. I remember in college, my wardrobe was essentially thermal shirts. Although thermals are great, its not really my style anymore. Its one thing if I was going to class every day, but these days I don't need 15 thermals! It just doesn't fit my lifestyle anymore. I need professional clothing, dresses for church, cute clothes for date night, and PJs! 

As rule #1 states, if you haven't worn it in year, it goes, but because I'm obsessive, I was wearing everything. Rule #6 really helped me with getting rid of stuff that should have been gone from rule #1. Basically, if its something I should have not worn in the past year, it goes. hahahaha

I got rid of 3 huge bags of clothes and am still left with plenty of things to wear! I have been working to sell my stuff because most of it is still in great condition! So far I have made $52.22! Not bad! I also decided to reorganize my closet to try and kick the obsessiveness noted in rule #1. I'm not sure if I like it or not though.

Why New Year's Resolutions Don't Work

On one hand, I think New Year's Resolutions are dumb. What is stopping people from starting new things at any point, regardless of the month or time of year? For example, we made some resolutions in November, but you can't really call them New Year's Resolutions....So instead we started calling them initiatives, which just cracks me up because it always reminds me of the Dharma Initiative from LOST.

On the other hand, I always make New Year's Resolutions, even if I don't voice them out loud. So that's the situation. 

Anyway, instead of telling you my New Year's Resolutions, I'm going to tell you My Initiatives, which I made at the start of the beginning of 2017. Trust me, resolutions and initiatives are not the same thing.

My Initiatives

Initiative #1: Read the Bible from cover to cover. Several years ago, my parents gave me a chronological Bible. I've attempted doing this before, but sadly, unsuccessful. I think 2017 is the year to start doing this every year. I'm pretty resolute on achieving this, and continuing it every year.

Initiative #2: Stay on top of the laundry. I hate laundry. Its not that I hate washing, drying, or folding. It's that I hate the actual putting up of the clothes. I don't know what it is about this specific chore, but I will put it off for weeks until there is nowhere for us to sit in the living room. It's terrible.

Initiative #3: Become less attached to my phone. This has bothered me for quite some time, but I didn't have the willpower to make it happen yet. Now, though, I have decided to follow through. Step one is not having the first thing I do in the mornings and the last thing I do at night be looking at social media. Its crazy how dependent people are on their phones and they don't even realize it! 

Initiative #4: Read more. I made a personal goal to read two books per month. Reading is a strange thing for me.... I truly like to read, but honestly, I FORGET that I like to read. So then, I don't read. I guess there are just too many distractions to remember that I like to do this (see Initiative #3).

Initiative #5: Watch less Netflix. I always pride myself that we don't have cable and that the only show that I religiously watch is Survivor. But who am I kidding, I binge watch on Netflix and sometimes it gets way out of hand. In 2016 alone, I watched the complete series of Parks & Recreation, Friends, LOST, and Gilmore Girls. Add in multiple seasons of Survivor, House of Cards, Fuller House (don't judge me), The Walking Dead, Grey's Anatomy, and Veronica Mars. So, my initiative is to only watch one episode at a time, unless Nathan and I are watching it together.

So, the problem with New Year's Resolutions, at least for me, is that a plan isn't made. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the definitions.

Resolution: a firm decision to do or not do something

Initiative: an act of strategy intended to resolve a difficulty or improve a situation, a fresh approach to something.

A resolution is a decision. An initiative is a strategy. So what are my strategies?

My Strategies

Strategy #1: Get an actual alarm clock. I'm terrible (and I mean terrible) at waking up when my alarm goes off. I blame this, in part, because my phone alarm clock is not annoying enough and too easily accessible. So, I moved my phone charger on the other side of the bedroom and found an old alarm clock to put on my bedside table. I still use my phone alarm clock, but I use the more annoying normal alarm clock as sort of a "pre-alarm," as if to say, "ok, your phone alarm is about to go off in 2 minutes so get ready to get out of the bed." 

Not only is this great for actually waking up fast instead of pushing snooze 7 times (sorry Nathan), but it also helps with many of my initiatives. Waking up early (2 hours before I wake up), gives me plenty of time to spend time in the word (initiative #1) and do some chores (initiative #2). It also gives me plenty of time to walk Justice before work, make lunches for us, and eat breakfast. Additionally this helps with getting less reliant on my phone (initiative #3). As a side note, I have a rule with myself to not check my phone until right before I head out the door (and only for the purpose of checking texts or reminders). That gives me 2 hours of phone-free time!

Strategy #2: Read instead of watch Netflix. This is pretty cut and dry. When I have the urge to reach for the remote, instead I have made an effort to reach for a novel instead. This helps me achieve reading 24 books throughout the year (initiative #4) AND watching less Netflix (initiative #5). Additionally, this helps out with being less attached to my phone (initiative #3). When you're watching TV or a movie, its so easy to text or be on social media at the same time. But it is impossible to be looking at your phone and reading a book simultaneously.

Strategy #3: Leave my phone facedown. This is sort of a generic way of me saying forget about my phone and focus on what I am actually DOING. So if i'm at work, there is no reason for me to check my phone every 15 minutes. I'm not that popular to be getting texts all the time. I've also started leaving my phone when I am planning to have social interactions. Whether its having dinner with Nathan, or attending a meeting at work, it is not unacceptable to let myself have my phone out and on the table. For one, it's rude, and for two (again) I'm not that popular.

Note: I would just turn my phone completely off during the day, but if you'll recall, I AM a safety person, so it is hard-wired for me to be prepared both at work and at home, in the case of an emergency, or if my sister is going into labor.

My Progress

So far, the waking up early strategy has been extremely helpful. Waking up and having plenty of time to do exactly what I need to do is great. Normally, I'm against getting places super early (unless its the airport) because, I mean, why? Why get to a college class to just sit there and wait for 15 minutes when you could have had 15 minutes more of sleeping. Why get to a doctor's appointment early just to wait until you're actual appointment time? There's a reason business schedule people for specific times; and its because they are busy during the other times. So my philosophy has been (and still is) "get where you're going a few minutes early, just so that you're not late." BUT, I will say waking up early has helped me be productive, not only in the 2 hours before I leave for work, but also throughout my day. When I'm productive in the morning, I'm more productive at work, and when I get home. It's a cycle of productiveness. 

As of today, I have completed 2 books and am 2/3 finished with a 3rd. The trick for me at this point is to read 3 completely different books simultaneously. So, I've got one fiction, one fantasy, and one inspirational. Additionally, I'm still on track in my Bible.

I have only watched a few things on Netflix. Doing good so far.

The phone issue is a work in progress. I feel that not sleeping with it beside me is a HUGE help. But I'm also trying to teach myself to just be aware of the times when it creeps back in front of my face. It's a struggle, but I'm working on it. 

Hopefully, at the end of 2017, I will have a good report to write about. Hopefully I'll have different resolutions/initiatives for 2018 because I've already conquered my 2017 ones. We'll see. At least I know I have a strategy.

Silver Anniversary

A few weeks ago, my aunt and uncle celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. The Big Silver. That's what they call it, right? Maybe?

Regardless, Happy Anniversary Chris and Melissa! 

My mom was the big planner, although she would probably not take the credit if you ask her. She's modest that way.  She had the great idea to plan their surprise anniversary party over a month after their actual anniversary, that way, they would never see it coming! Perfect!

The party took place at church, after church, so a major component was that they did not go into the party area. Easier said that done. We devised many plans and backup plans to ensure that the party area was not breached. 

SUCCESS!

The first initial shock was followed closely by another shock: a slide show with all of their old photos. Again, another devious maneuver my my mastermind parents and cousins (Melissa and Chris' kids). 

Next, everyone ate some potluck lunch (thanks church traditions for the hilarious excuse for Melissa to bring food to her own surprise party!) and everyone congratulated and socialized with the happy couple.

Following the food portion of the party, came the "activity" portion. First, Melissa and Chris' daughter, Kaitlynn, and my dad sang a couple of songs that were sung at their wedding. 

The next activity was a version of the "Shoe Game" commonly played at weddings. In case you are unfamiliar, each person in the couple is given a photo of themselves, and a photo of the other person. They are asked questions like, "Who is the grumpiest in the morning" or "Who has the best taste in music" or "Who wears the pants in the relationship." This game is usually very fun for the audience as it leads to both funny moments and "awwwwww....." moments. 

The last "activity" was that guests were given the opportunity to say something nice or funny or commemorative about the couple.

The party could not have gone smoother! They were thoroughly surprised and everyone seemed to have a great time! Thanks to the (approximately) 150 guests who attended this event!

Here are some more photos from the party:

Click here to see the Silver Bottle Project!

Silver Bottle Project

My aunt and uncle celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this year, so of course, we threw them a surprise anniversary party! SURPRISE!

As part of the decorations, I decided to up-cycle more bottles to create some snazzy and unique centerpieces. 

First, I removed all of the labels from my bottles. For this project, I used Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice bottles (I also used some smaller bottles form Perrier water bottles, but these are not shown in the photos of this post). 

To find instructions on removing labels from glass containers, check out my post, Blue Bottle Project.

Next, I selected a shimmer metallic silver spray paint from Hobby Lobby, and began painting.

Once I completed the painting step, I noticed that there were some visible blemishes in my painting job. But, never fear! I anticipated this happening! After the paint was completely dry, I transferred the painted bottles to continue the project. I used glitter from Hobby Lobby and some random old glue I found in my craft box to cover any messed up areas.

The finished product turned out beautifully unique, and as my mom said, "snazzy!"

Related Posts:

Blue Bottle Project

Using Spreadsheets to Calculate

Let me just say, there are MILLIONS of formulas you can use in Excel Spreadsheet. Ok... not millions.... but there are a lot. This post is going to discuss just a few ways common to calculate using a spreadsheet. So, lets get started!

First off, when you're using formulas in spreadsheets, you will have to either type the formula, or click on the formula button. I don't really want to get into the specific details of each formula and how they work, but if you have a question about a specific one, leave a comment below, and i will try to help.

Adding using a Spreadsheet. Lets just go ahead and throw in all of the basic math functions.... so addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. When you're wanting a specific cell to contain the complete formula solution, click on THAT CELL. Once the specific cell is selected either click the formula button (at the top), or type "=" and then the formula. 

I realize this is sort of confusing, but just bear with me. Take a look at this screenshot. Lets say you are planning a trip and you are trying to estimate exactly how much money you will need. You have typed your categories, and your amounts, and now you just need the total. So you would click into the blank cell, type "=SUM(" and then click and drag all the cells that you wish to add. Once you press enter, the sum of the cells will automatically appear. 

NOW for the beauty of calculating in spreadsheets. Lets say you realize halfway through your planning that your hotel will be $18 more than what you had originally thought. All you have to do is change the Hotel amount NOT the Total amount. The spreadsheet will automatically update based on what you type. As with most spreadsheet applications, there is more work at the beginning, but the result is that you have to do very minimal after the beginning.

Lets go on using the same example.... You decide to add 2 more nights to your trip. When you are doing calculations in spreadsheets, you do not have always use numbers that are in a cell. In this situation, instead of paying for 1 night at the hotel, you will be paying for 3 nights at the hotel. So you can simply click on the blank cell, type "=", select the hotel price, then type "*3". In this example you would do the same thing for food and fun (most likely...) and fuel would be the same as just staying for 1 night.

Right before you are leaving for your trip, you are doing some last minute research and you find out that food cost is quite a bit more than what you're used to. You decide to update your spreadsheet. When you change amounts in one cell, all other cells that are linked to that cell update as well! The box highlighted in yellow is the one you changed; the boxes highlighted in green are the ones that automatically updated. Pretty neat, eh?

These types of calculations are very helpful to me when I am planning vacations, reviewing our household budget, keeping up with amount paid on bills, and making general calculations that may or may not need to be updated as time goes on. 

Counting Using a Spreadsheet. "One. Ah-Ah. Two. Ah-Ah. Three. Ah-Ah-Ah." Ok, so counting isn't really that hard, right. But depending on the size of your spreadsheet, it could get difficult to keep your eyes on track and easy to get confused by all of the gridlines.

This is where the count function comes in. In a cell, you can type "=COUNTA(" then click and drag on cells on which you want it to count a text presence. In the screenshot below you can see how the bottom cells count the number of Xs in each column. This creates an easy viewing for many situations. In this example, I wanted to keep a live count on Predators games we would be attending.

There are SO many different calculations you can. As to not bore you in this post, I am going to stop here. If you have a question about a calculation I mentioned, or another calculation that I didn't mention, please feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks for sticking with me throughout this series. This was experimental to test viewership on "an informational topic." Now back to our regularly scheduled program. :)

Other Spreadsheet Posts
Tips & Tricks | List | Schedule | Organize | Calculate