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Email is so prevalent today, that it’s often a go-to communication method. In my day to day work, I’ve received so many emails that make me cringe from the email address onward. I’ve listed out a few of my favorite email tips below.

Have a proper email address with your name. Trust me.

Spell check – Emails with typos are simply not taken as seriously.

Make sure you spell all names correctly.

Refrain from using “text speak” or “Emoticons.”  Use proper language throughout your emails.  Example: “R U available?” is not as professional as “Can we speak on Thursday afternoon?”

Be sure you are including all relevant details or information necessary for the recipient to understand your request or point of view.

Are you using proper sentence structure such as first word capitalized with appropriate punctuations?  Multiple instances of !!!! or ??? are perceived as rude or condescending.

If sending attachments, please indicate so in the message.

Make one last check that the address or addresses in the To: field are those you wish to send your reply to.

Be sure your name is reflected properly in the From: field.

Type in complete sentences.  To type random phrases or cryptic thoughts does not lend to clear communication.

Never assume the intent of an email.  If you are not sure, ask so as to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

Be sure the Subject: field accurately reflects the content of your email.

Always end your emails with “Thank you,” “Sincerely,” – Something!

Ensure that you have a signature on your email with your full name, email address, phone number, and any other relevant contact information. 

I have an obsession with meal planning. By “obsession”, I mean I love the idea of meal planning, but the execution has always been a sticking point. In my experience and research, Meal Planning comes in one format.

Assign an exact meal or theme to a specific day or date.

This has never worked for me. Mostly, because life changes and I’ve never found that format to be flexible. So, I designed my own format.

Every week, I look at the schedule for the week and figure out how many nights dinner needs to be eaten at home (usually 5 – 7). Nights that I’m not home mean that my husband will be in charge of feeding our kid, which is covered by our grocery shopping “standard items”.

I would like to have a running list of 60 meals that I know my family will eat. Right now, that list is at about 40. Which means, I use Pinterest and Google to find recommendations for new things to put in front of them. Each week, I do 2 – 4 meals from this running list and 1 – 2 brand new meals. So, before I go grocery shopping, I look at what we have in our pantry, cabinets, fridge, freezer, and deep freezer. Then, I’m able to determine which meals will fit best.

With all of us being home, due to the Stay-At-Home Order in our state, I’m getting much more creative with meal planning, meal ideas, meal creation, etc. simply out of necessity. After I pick the meals I plan to cook, I make my grocery list based on what we are going to need to ensure those meals happen. Then, each day, depending on the weather, how we feel, what I feel like doing (how intense a meal is), I pick something from that list.

This way, I don’t feel pigeonholed into a specific meal on a specific day. It allows for the flexibility I need to maintain my sanity without feeling like I’m not meeting a super high expectation.

Another benefit of this style is that my husband can decide to cook dinner one night. He has a handful of meals that he can make beginning to end that are often a huge hit with our kid. I find these to be my favorite nights, too.

“Practicing gratitude is how we acknowledge that there’s enough and we’re enough.”- Brene Brown

#GratiTuesday

Being grateful is something I have always struggled with doing, making it a physical action in my day. Not that I’m not grateful, not that I don’t say “Thank you” or “I appreciate you”, but to take 5, 10 minutes out of my day to think about all of the amazing things that are part of my life and just give a little bit of love to the universe for them.

So, today, I’m starting a movement. #GratiTuesday. Every Tuesday, I’m going to talk about one thing that I am grateful for in my life. 52 amazing things in a year. You tell me, what are you grateful for today?

Today’s grateful for: Life. That I am alive today. I can’t go into all of the details, but 16 years ago, I became part of a statistic. I became one of the ones who survived. So, today, I am thankful for life.

What are you grateful for?