Using Spreadsheets to Organize

Organization. It's what gets my blood pumping. It's what gets my heart racing.

Ok, I exaggerate, but not by much. 

I love organizing stuff. If something can be organized, it will be organized. (Disclaimer: this does NOT mean I'm not messy...) One of the best ways you can use excel spreadsheets is to organize ideas, thoughts, or items. 

In my previous posts about spreadsheets, I've discussed Using Spreadsheets to List and Using Spreadsheets to Schedule. Now we all know, that these tasks can also be completed using a word document, and a virtual planner, respectively. But the absolute BEST way to ORGANIZE is by using Spreadsheets. 

Essentially, a spreadsheet is a pre-made table that you can merge and un-merge cells as needed. Additionally, you can change or update it indefinitely, color coordinate, or add bolder lines for categories or sections. 

Organizing for Planning Purposes. This is sort of a mix between organizing and scheduling. I use the spreadsheet shown below to help me stay on track at work. Each month I update our website based on specific safety topics. At the beginning of each month, I simply refer to my spreadsheet and determine what needs to be changed, updated, or deleted on the website. It makes this task very simple. Using Spreadsheets to Organize takes more time on the front end, but saves you time in the long run. 

Another example of Organizing for Planning Purposes is when you are in need of "filling up slots." (Sorry, I'm not very good at thinking today.... Let me just give you an example, and it will make more sense). When we were planning our wedding, we spent a lot of time picking out the specific songs we wanted played at specific times. To make it even more complicated, we both have pretty strong ideas about what "good music" sounds like. So, we decided that our music picks would be equal. This specific spreadsheet was on Google Drive so that we both had access whenever we needed it and could add songs as they came to us.

You will notice that this spreadsheet is a more common format of "the table" as opposed to "the matrix" style (shown in the spreadsheet above).

Organizing for Knowledge Purposes. One way I use spreadsheets is to gather information from different sources online and keep it all together in one document. These types of spreadsheets are perfect for a quick reference for a topic that you are extrememly interested in. 

A good example of Organizing for Knowledge Purposes is this spreadsheet that lists all of the Books of the Bible. Of course, I could look up all of these facts in my Bible concordance, or Google, as I need them. But instead, now its all in one place for me.

This type of spreadsheet is great if you are really into facts, or if you are interested to know how things are categorized. A normal person probably wouldn't make a spreadsheet just to have random information on it that you could look up anyway, but I say, why not cut out the middle man all together and create your own reference. #SpreadsheetsAreFun

Organizing for Trending Purposes. Another great way to use spreadsheets when it comes to organizing stuff is, to organize in order to visualize trends. I personally don't do this frequently, but when I do, its always beneficial and satisfying. Ok....so don't judge me on this example.

This example shows all of the seasons of Survivor with random things that have happened in each season. The show has been on the air for over 15 years, so obviously some things have changed and evolved, both with gameplay and "twists" that production adds. The spreadsheet shows the presence of said gameplay or twists, and it shows ME the trends. 

For example, as a Survivor fan, I can see that for the past 18 seasons, there have been 15 "final 3" situations, and only 3 "final 2" situations (The first 12 seasons were ALL "final 2" situations). SO I know that, at this point of the series, it is the most likely that there will be a "final 3" as opposed to a "final 2."

Sorry everyone for the nerd overload.... The last installment of this series will be coming before 2015 ends. It will be Using Spreadsheets to Calculate.

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

Using Spreadsheets to Schedule

One interesting thing about me, is that I like to have a plan. Always. Its not that I'm not spontaneous, its just that having a plan reduces the likelihood of being anxious about stuff. I really like to plan and schedule and I sort of think about it as if it is a puzzle to solve. 

Anyway, that leads me to this blog post: Using Spreadsheets to Schedule. Spreadsheets are not typically used as a scheduling assistant, and I'm not advocating that this is the best method to plan an event, especially when it involves many people. But I will say, that I use spreadsheets to schedule quite often. 

1. Scheduling for a Month. First off, I'd like to say that using a spreadsheet to plan or schedule your month is the least helpful method. However, it is helpful if you're just trying to keep track of one or two specific things.

Let me elaborate by giving examples. When we were planning to move, we also had A LOT going on because of vacations and my sister's wedding, yet we still wanted to move at the most opportune time to have less overlap between our two leases. In this instance, I simply created a small table using a spreadsheet, entered the numbers for each date, then shaded the days in which we were unavailable to move. This helped us determine exactly how many days we had to move, as well as determined THE EXACT day in which we HAD to move. The boxes greyed out are unavailable days, and the boxes with a blue outline, were the days in which our notification and end date were for our old lease (meaning we had to be completely out by the 16th). See an elaborated timeline here.... (it was a crazy month!)

I've also used this same type of setup to monitor how many days in a row I work out. The visual is a pretty good motivation to continue going to the gym.

2. Scheduling for a Week. This is pretty handy for me, and quite honestly, I use this method often. I first started doing this when I would schedule for classes in college where every day of the week would have a specific different schedule. 

What you can do is create columns (representing each day) that can be broken up into smaller blocks of time. Then you can color code based on class or building or activity. 

Above is an example of this from when we were planning our Disney World Vacation. Each color represented a different park. Darker shades represented non-negotiable parks based on the dining reservations we had made, and the lighter colors were time periods were we could decide on the fly where we wanted to go based on our moods. (Orange- Disney Springs; Red- Magic Kingdom; Purple- Epcot, Green- Animal Kingdom; Blue- Hollywood Studios). 

3. Scheduling for a Day. Now this is intense, so just get ready. The only time I can remember ever using spreadsheets to schedule one day is for our wedding. This was really helpful in making a plan for individuals or groups of people that needed to do different things throughout the day. 

A wedding is one of the very few reasons I can think of why a regular person would need to do this... But maybe if you were an event planner, you might use this often, or if you were planning something with MANY different contributors. Construction companies, for example, use a similar method when they are planning, building, and finishing a building. 

Bonus: Scheduling Over Time. This isn't really helpful in scheduling, because SO much can change over a few months or years. HOWEVER, I have some spreadsheets that monitors specific informational dates over several years. This example is included in this post because it pertains to dates, and it fits better in scheduling that it does in any other spreadsheet category in this series. 

A few months ago, I was curious about when seasons of Survivor are filmed vs. when they are aired. So, using wikipedia, I researched the dates and created this spreadsheet, simply to visualize the timeline of it all.

#DontJudge.... Tune in next time to read about Using Spreadsheets to Organize.

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

BPP #13

K + D Forever. Two weekends ago, Dustin Tysver and (then) Kaitlin Chiaventone got married! I was given the opportunity to not only be a bridesmaid, but also help out on the invitations and programs. I have to say, it was such an honor to serve and celebrate with Kaitlin and Dustin! Congratulations, you two! Also, note this was our 4th wedding (and I think last) for 2015.

USA Forever. Our biggest event for 4th of July weekend was attending the USA vs. Guatemala Soccer Game. Neither of us had ever been to a soccer game, and really did not know what exactly to expect. I'd have to say, overall, it was pretty fun and extraordinarily patriotic. For more, click here.

Weird Al Forever...? When Nathan said he wanted to go see Weird Al Yankovic in concert, I was a bit skeptical. For one, I don't know many of his songs, and secondly....well.....he's weird. Long story short it ended up being a fun concert, and an interesting night, to say the least. For more, click here.

K + Y Forever. CAT PHOTOSHOOT. No explanation needed. Leave a comment on which photo is your favorite!

Koba:

Yuki:

Koba & Yuki:

It All Started with a Hammock

It all started with a hammock.

Day 1: Our 2 person hammock, which we bought from Lowe's, was delivered to our house. It was a day with beautiful weather and blue skies. The perfect day to lay in a hammock.

Day 2: While laying in our hammock, we got to talking about the future of our hammock and imagining our future house(s). As a rule from our landlords, our hammock (as well as our patio table, grill, and fire pit) had to be on a small slab of concrete, and NOT on the grass. After a long discussion about our unhappiness of our current residence and landlords, we decided to start looking for a new place to live, even though our lease didn't end for another 7 months.

Day 4: I emailed someone who we thought might know a lot of people in the town we wanted to move and who may possibly know someone who had some rental property. This person just so happened to be the owner of our reception venue. Shoutout to Lydia and the Arling!

Days 6-8: Back-and-forth emails which soon lead to Lydia informing us that she and her husband had a potential house that we could rent.

Day 9: We went to look at the house, and decided it was perfect for us!

Days 10-13: After work, we packed stuff into boxes for several hours.

Days 14-17: Took a mini-vacation to Gatlinburg.

Days 18-21: See days 10-13.

Day 22: Moving Day!

Days 24-27: Unpacked EVERYTHING...

Days 28-30: We accommodated 6-8 guests for my sister's bachelorette party, lingerie shower, bridal luncheon, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and wedding.

So as a review... We packed, went on vacation, moved, and unpacked in only 2 1/2 weeks (all while working at our day jobs every day), directly followed by 3 jam-packed days of wedding festivities. It was a crazy few weeks! Not to brag, but that's pretty darn impressive, if you ask me!

After the crazy was over, we relaxed in our hammock in our big yard!

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BPP #12

I don't know if anyone enjoys reading these, but oh well... ;)

1. We went to Asheville, North Carolina for our anniversary. Also, several people have recently commented to us that we sure do travel a lot. Well, duh! No denying that! We both think that people should take the opportunities to travel when you get the chance, because one day you might not get those chances anymore.! If our parents are going to invite us to stay with them at Gatlinburg, or Gulf Shores.....OF COURSE WE ARE GOING TO GO! Firstly, we love traveling. Secondly, it's a cheap vacation. And lastly, and most importantly, we get to get away from the grind and spend time together (and with our family)! 

Anyway, for our anniversary, we planned a trip alone to Asheville and it was delightful. Click here to read the Asheville blog post!

2. My dad was in a really bad wreck. You might be thinking..... "uh, why is this one of your favorite things?" WELL, miraculously everyone involved were completely 100% ok! He, my uncle, and 2 other men from their church were driving to Elizabethtown to help their new pastor move. It was raining pretty bad, and their truck hydroplaned then hit a guard rail. THEN it the truck preceded to spin around, flip upside down, and then drag across I-65 via the roof of the truck. All of them were wearing their seat belts, so they were suspended upside down as cares raced by their overturned truck. 

My dad, uncle, and one of the other guys were eventually able to help each other in getting out of the car. With the help of an ambulance, finally the other man was taken out of the car and rushed to the hospital. They thought he might have some head trauma, with the possibility of even worse. At this point, it did not look good for him...

THEN, once they all arrived at the hospital, Danny was surprisingly talking and joking, like he normally does. After a short while, and a few staples later, EVERYONE left E-town alive and well! 

There are so many variables that could have been different and made this year's Father's Day terrible for four families. Thankfully, God was watching over them as they traveled that day and gave us all a miracle. I'm so glad that everyone was ok and that I got to spend another Father's Day with my dad. I love you, Dad!

3. Another wedding happened! Well, technically, it was a reception, not a wedding. A friend from high school, Chelsea, got married on June 6 (same day as Lauren's) at the beach! The couple had their reception 2 weeks later in their hometown and celebrated with many friends and family! They had their first dance, the best man and matron of honor gave their toasts, and they showed a video from their wedding ceremony. I really enjoyed watching the wedding video and watching the wedding video to get to see their faces throughout the day: excitement during getting ready, happiness and a bit of nervousness during the ceremony, and love (and relief) after the kiss! It was a relaxed, yet very classy reception! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Alexander!

Additionally, I got to see all of my other high school friends as well!

Brown Paper Packages #11

WOW! So much has happened since the last time I posted a BPP! Holy Moly!

Memorial Day Weekend Vacation! Nathan and I had planned to go to Gatlinburg in February with his parents and brother. Well.... that was when we had the snow week and our cabin informed us that that we would not be able to make it up the mountain to our cabin. SO...we rescheduled it for Memorial Day Weekend. In February, we were bummed that we weren't able to go. But, Memorial Day weekend actually worked out better because Nathan and I were able to stay an extra day because of the National Holiday! I wrote about what we did in this post and recorded the whole thing in this video.

Lauren's Pre-Wedding Festivities! I got the opportunity to host several girls for a few days before Lauren and Blake's wedding. It was so fun getting to know some of Lauren's closest friends and enjoying the days before the wedding. Find out all of the details here.

The Lam Wedding! It was a wonderful day! The weather was great, albeit hot; the ceremony was lovely, and Lauren and Blake both looked fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed myself! The day actually seemed to go by quicker than our own wedding day! Click here to find out more details of her big day!

We Moved! Yes, amidst all of the craziness in the past 3 weeks (vacation, wedding preparation, and the wedding......also add in 2 visits to the vet, and a massive cold where I lost my voice) we found a new place to live, ended our old lease, packed all of our stuff, moved, and unpacked everything. I guess we both work well under stress. I don't know.

Enjoying Family Time! Because of Lauren's wedding, we got to spend time with several family members who we don't get to see that often! We spent several nights having fun with Rita, Dennis, and Sydney, complete with last night's 2nd annual Talent Under the Stars!

Matron of Honor Toast

It was requested for me to post my Matron of Honor toast in a blog post. I wasn't going to post it, but I feel like it is a good summary of my feelings, a good memory of the wedding day, and a good conclusion to this series. 

So, here it is:

"The Man for Lauren

As Lauren’s older sister, I have always felt an underlying responsibility to ensure her safety. I got my first taste of this feeling when we were on a vacation when we were in middle school. Our family had decided to do something fun and different, and we were going to go for a parasail ride in Panama City Beach.

As the boat revved up, we were lifted up into the air higher and higher into the sky. For several minutes, we were able to see several miles of the coast, waves crashing below, and the blue sky off into the horizon.

In the middle part of the parasail ride, the boat was going to slow down a bit, and dip our feet into the water. Long story short, our parachute, the ropes attaching us to the parasail, and our entire bodies were submerged under the ocean water.

I quickly untangled the ropes above my head and pushed back up to the surface, yet Lauren was still under the water. Luckily, she was connected directly in front of me, so I knew where she would be. I pulled up her lifejacket. Up popped her lifejacket, but no Lauren. Frantically, I pulled waved my arms beneath the water until I felt her and pulled her up.

Like any 10 or 11 year old would be after a traumatic event like this would be, she was obviously crying. I asked her if she was ok. “NO!...” she cried. When I asked her what was wrong, she exclaimed, “I lost my sunglasses!....” I just laughed.

Eventually, the parachute was pulled back onto the boat, the ropes were collected, and we were safe with our parents again.

THEN, like any sane person, we tried it again. And, it was great!

Although, this happened several years ago, it’s still pretty vivid in my memory, and a pivotal point in my life. It was the first time that I realized how much I cared what happens to Lauren. Whether it was subconsciously “protecting” her with my arm during white-water rafting, or telling off some friends who who were being mean to her in Disney World, or listening and giving her advice about boys, I’ve felt a responsibility to keep her safe (to some degree). So, when Blake came into the picture, it was only fitting to analyze him. After all, a man for Lauren has to meet specific criteria!

Criteria #1: The man for Lauren has to be someone who will go on adventures. When you get the chance to go on a parasail ride, take it! Don’t be afraid to have a new experience, do new things, and visit new places! Considering they’ve already traveled to at least 7 states together so far, I’d say they have this covered!

Criteria #2: The man for Lauren has to desire to see the world and appreciate God’s creation! See all the coastlines you can, watch the waves crash, and stare off into the horizon! More importantly, he needs to love God and love people. I have seen Blake’s compassion for people, and specifically his students. He and Lauren could not be more perfect for each other, in this way.

Criteria #3: The man for Lauren has to protect her always. When the ropes get tangled, set her free. When it gets hard to breathe, give her new wind. If you’ve ever met Blake, you know that his patience and understanding is unbelievable at times. He’s consistent and he’s steady, which will be perfect for Lauren.

Criteria #4: The man for Lauren has to have a sense of humor. When the sunglasses get lost, listen and sympathize, then you can laugh together. And trust me, there will be a lot of laughter, because Lauren will say a lot of hilarious stuff, whether she means to or not. So far, it seems that Blake is just as silly as she is.

Criteria #5: The man for Lauren has to be determined. If the the first parasail ride is a disaster, be crazy and do it again… ok, bad example. But seriously, if at first you don’t succeed, try again. Nathan and I only have one year of experience, but I can tell you that marriage takes not only love, but also determination!

In short, Blake has met all of my criteria for the husband of my only sister. I am so happy for them, and I could not be more excited to see their relationship grow as the years go on.

Here’s to the Lam Fam."

Thank you everyone who has read the posts in this series! It has been fun to write. If you would like to start from the beginning, follow this link.

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Pre-Wedding Shenanigans

The 2 days leading up to the Lam Wedding were very full and fun! We had a bachelorette party, a bridal luncheon, and of course a rehearsal dinner!

The Thursday night before Lauren's wedding, I hosted a bachelorette party. It was a relaxed, Italian-themed party, where we ate homemade Italian cuisine, "painted like Michelangelo," and had Gelato (AKA regular ice cream sundaes). Later in the evening, Lauren opened some lingerie gifts and we all stayed up and talked late into the night!

I really enjoyed hosting and having everyone over to our new house! It was a pleasure having all of these awesome girls stay with me!

On Friday, my aunt, Melissa, and I organized a Bridal Luncheon, that took place in my parents' back yard. I'm so thankful for all that Melissa did for both my wedding, and Lauren's wedding. She is literally one of the best people you will ever meet...

Of course, we had girly food. We had chicken salad and pimento cheese on crescents, veggies, chips, cherry salad, cookies, and lemonade. It was delicious!!

The of course we took pictures, cause duh.

It was a pleasant afternoon with many wonderful ladies!

Friday night was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner was phenomenal!!!! I could not get over how perfect the venue was and how delicious the food tasted! 

The cherry on top was getting to hear all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen give toasts about Lauren and Blake. I was amazed at how studly all of the groomsmen were and how their stories showed Blake's admirable character. The bridesmaids had so many nice things to say about Lauren as well! The Lams are truly blessed with (at least) 12 awesome people who believe in them, will support them,  and will hold them accountable! It was amazing to hear everyone speak!

It was a fantastic couple of days, and I feel so privileged to be a part of it!

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Lauren Lam

Well, my sister is officially married! It was a fun, stress-free day! Here's a run-down of some things that happened from the Matron of Honor's perspective!

Lauren and I left to go to her hair appointment. This was a good time to chit-chat and catch up with our beautician that we've had since we were little. In all honesty, I was a little bit nervous about the hairstyle Lauren had picked, but supportive anyway. But when Mrs. Denise was finished, it was beautiful! Mrs. Denise, if you're reading this, it looked beautiful and held perfectly all day!

Next, I drove us to the church where all of the bridesmaids had arrived and started getting ready and excited. We all painted our nails, got our hair curled and fixed, and got our make-up done. My mother-in-law did most of the hair and make-up. It was fun to have her there, and she did awesome! My hair is the curliest its every been in my entire life (which still isn't super curly, but getting my hair to curl at all AND HOLD is a feat)! Thank you, Melanie for taking on such a large task with the hair and makeup!

Before we knew it, the ceremony was due to start in 15 minutes! We prayed together. Then, we squealed together. Then we walked over to the church to take our places. It was game time. 

The ceremony was perfect! It went so smoothly and it was truly a worship service! Lauren looked beautiful, and Blake simply beamed! It was an honor to hold Blake's ring, hold Lauren's bouquet, and adjust Lauren's dress. My only regret is that I didn't memorize the words for the song that was included in the ceremony ;) (photo credit: Sarah Baldauff)

Directly after the ceremony, we took immediate family photos, bridal party photos, and relaxed while The Lams took couple photos. 

Then, we all caravanned to the reception location. I had never been to The Rawlings (the reception venue), so when we arrived, I was in for a special surprise! The Rawlings is beautiful, inside and out, and perfect for Lauren and Blake's wedding decor. I wish I had taken more pictures of the outside because the trees were tall, green, and luscious!

Things like Grand Entrances always make me feel awkward, but thankfully, the Best Man, Demetrius, agreed we should just walk in normal. Also, the DJ completely botched my last name, which was really funny, and made for several jokes throughout the night!

The Lam Fam danced their first dance, my dad and Lauren danced theirs, and Blake and his mom danced theirs. THEN the DJ forced all of the wedding party to come out and dance (which was completely unplanned, but ended up being really fun and hilarious).

The DJ, was legit. Thats all I really have to say about him! He was really good at knowing when to change it up and what songs to play!

My last responsibility came at 6:25, when I gave my toast. I was very nervous, which made me opt read it, instead of try to memorize it. As I predicted, I choked up. BUT, I think it was still good! Demetrius and my dad both gave their speeches, and they were both great!

The rest of the night consisted of eating, dancing, and laughing! It was a great reception and everyone seemed to have a great time! 

I'm so glad to have Blake as my brother-in-law and I'm so excited to witness Lauren and Blake's relationship grow! June 6, 2015 was a great day!

#LamFam15

For all of you new readers, click here to start at the beginning of the Secrets of the Matron of Honor series!

**NOTE: This is NOT the last post in the series. I will be posting tomorrow and the next day to finish up the Secrets of the Matron of Honor series! Then on Thursday, we will return to the normal Monday/Thursday rotation, and Friday will feature a new Brown Paper Packages. Yes! You're reading this correctly; there will be a new blog post EVERY DAY THIS WEEK! 

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