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How To Send Voice Message Emails

(or… How To Send Friendlier and More Helpful Emails Using Voice Messages)

Have you ever spent 10 minutes or more reworking an email? Maybe you were trying to explain something in detail or wanted to make sure your tone had a good-as-possible chance at coming across as intended? Yeah, me too.

But a few months ago it got out of hand. The Dude and I were considering buying a house with a friend (it didn’t work out because of life uncertainties on our end), and I needed to communicate lots of involved thoughts and perspectives.

Being 12 hours apart made it challenging to Skype, and I quickly discovered that email was not a great vehicle for communicating subtleties. Further, a few matters at hand (like money) called for a degree of sensitivity that is better conveyed with a degree of non-verbals.

I had to come up with an option besides text email.

So I decided to send a “voicemail” instead. I began recording messages (sometimes looooong ones) when I wanted to discuss more involved things or wanted to make sure I was delivering my message with the intended emotion. It. Was. Perfect.

My emails began requiring much less time and were more solidly and sensitively communicated. And then I began getting voicemails back. And I loved it! Things were communicated clearly, easily, and efficiently. But the crowning perk was something I never expected: hearing the other persons voice was fun!

Since then I’ve sent email voice messages to a lot of people for many things; to send elaborate travel options/explanations to a friend (that would have taken me FOREVER to type), to explain complicated instructions, and to send friendlier thinking-of-yous and more personal thank yous for small gestures.

I’ve had several of these people ask me how I did it, so I thought I’d share it with you. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

How To Send a Voice Message
as an Email

[Read more…]

Simplify Blog Reading with an RSS Reader (a How To)

(This is part II of a two-part series about using RSS to clear the blog clutter. Part I explains what RSS is and how to set up an RSS reader; this part explains how to use the RSS reader to simplify blog reading.)
Developing a Blog Reading Workflow (Simplify Your Blog Reading with RSS, Part II)Do you forget to check-up on blogs you like? Spend too much time flipping between blogs? Read a few articles and then get lost in the blogosphere? Yeah, I thought so.

I love learning new things. I love the variety that blogs bring to my life. But I do not like the way my brain feels like when I’ve done too much random reading on the web. Like I’ve just had a blood-sugar dive on an out-of-control carousel. Or maybe one of those 3G rides at NASA.

If you like keeping up with your favorite blogs, but want to do it efficiently and on your own timetable, this post is for you. I’m going to share how to set up a  “workflow” with an RSS reader to get exactly what you want to from your blog reading in the least amount of time.

Simplify Blog Reading with an RSS Reader

Be Familiar with RSS Reader Basics

This article assumes you’re already set up with an RSS and have used it a little bit. (If you need some help with this, check out the previous RSS post.)

To simplify your blog reading, you’ll need two main things:

1) Subscriptions organized into sensible folders.

It may take a while to figure out what folders make sense for you. I suggest organizing (and re-organizing) your subscriptions by categories of things make sense for you to read together. I have folders for friends, food, random favorites, blogging, writing, and others.

If I’m working, and I want a little writing inspiration or encouragement to get me started for the day, stumbling upon The Best Chocolate Pudding [I’ll] Ever Have (in 15 minutes!) is not going to help me stay focused. But with my writing subscriptions all in one folder, I can keep my mind on the task at hand.

Likewise, if I want some mindless web-cruising, coming across a brainpickings’ post about writing and story is going to have me flying through the windshield.

2) The ability to skip quickly through posts (using keystrokes if possible).

One of the biggest benefits of using an RSS reader is being able to quickly skip over posts you’re not interested in. The faster you can pass by things you aren’t interested in, the sooner you can get on with living. If at all possible, don’t use your mouse.

Develop a Workflow

Once you have sensible folder organization and the quick ability to skip, [Read more…]

Getting Started with RSS (How To Set Up an RSS Reader & RSS Explained)

(This is part I of a two-part series about using RSS to clear the blog clutter. This part explains what RSS is and how to set up an RSS reader, part II explains how to use the RSS reader to simplify blog reading.)

rss finalDoes keeping up with your favorite information online give you the spins? Do you face an inbox full of blog updates, or find yourself aimlessly surfing into oblivion when you jump online to check your favorite blogs? If so, RSS might be just the tool for you.

I love learning new things. But I hate the feeling I get when I wake up from a web-surfing-coma. I also don’t like spending my life on the internet instead of, well, in my real life. So I’m always looking for strategies to make sure I’m using the internet the way I want to – as a tool – and make sure it hasn’t become the master around here.

A few weeks ago I shared how to configure Facebook to maximize it for your intended usage while minimizing the undesirable side-effects. To do the same for blogs I use is an RSS Reader. Using it smartly, I can minimize the time required to stay informed and in-the-loop, leaving more for time things that matter.

In this post, I’ll explain [Read more…]

January Favorites

Remember that killer bookstore I mentioned earlier this week, “Bookzilla”? Well, thanks to a visit from my favorite Mother-in-Law, I’m writing to you this morning from their cafe. Which happens to have a balcony that overlooks the Dubai Fountains. Nice view, right? Since most of my writing is done overlooking the construction adjacent to our flat, I’m certainly not complaining.

January has been a pretty full month. Besides travelling and hosting visitors, I’ve been trying to inject more fun into my life, and reading more than I have in a very long time. Even though I haven’t yet completed an annual review, 2013 is off to a promising start. Here are a few of my favorite things from this month. Please share your own January Faves in the comments!

Evernote (App)

When I first downloaded Evernote several years ago, I couldn’t figure out what to do with it. Sure it synced my notes between devices, but my notes were all jumbled into to one big mushpot of data, and it seemed completely nonsensical to me.

Then I read someone, Michael Hyatt probably, who said that although Evernote requires some devoted learning, it is a game-changer when it comes to organizing data. Well, I always need help bringing order to my world, so I invested in Evernote Essentials and dove in.

Hyatt was right, I just needed a little organizational hand-holding. This app is changing my life. It syncs to all my devices, and the desktop app allows for drag and drop from nearly anywhere: Web pages, email, you name it. I’m still exploring its capabilities and my own organizing preferences, which I plan to share once I get a little more settled in.

The Happiness Project (Book)

The Dude and I (and several friends) have really been enjoying The Happiness Project this month. Full of research on the science of happiness and encouragements to act toward a happier existence, The Happiness Project is giving us a lot to talk about. The “trying to have more fun” I referenced earlier? Inspired by The Happiness Project.

(Note: Because it stems from the things the author is experiencing in her thirties, I’d wager that it resonates best with the thirty-and-older crowd.)

Nashville (TV)

Sure I’m a little late to the game here, but having just discovered it this month, the Dude and I are already caught up and can’t wait for more. And I’m aghast that such soul-stirring tunes are flowing from a TV show. Sure the majority of the songs have a pop-country thread to them, but then you get gems like this one. Whaaaaat? High recommendations for Nashville, friends. You should definitely check it out.

(I owe both the Nashville and The Happiness Project discoveries to my friend Keri; don’t you just love getting great recommendations from friends?)

Pearls Before Breakfast (Article)

This Pulitzer Prize winning article washed through my mind for days after reading it. Gene Weingarten’s article overflows with humanity, beauty, and the arts. I can tell you it’s about a beyond-famous violinist playing a D.C. metro station during rush-hour, but it’d be kind of like saying Harry Potter is about a boy wizard going to school.

Carve out 15 minutes this week to read Pearls Before Breakfast. Let me know what you think.

(Super thanks to Trey Hill for this one.)

…what about you?…

What things did you love in January?

How to Get Beautiful Books Delivered Free Anywhere in the World

Free Delivery on all Books at the Book DepositoryThe dude and I have a favorite bookstore in Dubai. Her name is unnecessarily complicated, some amalgum of the phrase “Book World” and the name of its Japanese owners. We call it “Bookzilla.”

My early visits to Bookzilla were spent sighing and wimpering with joy as, over and over again I found the most remarkable beauties of everyday books alongside countless volumes I’d never heard of before. I ran my fingers along new looks from Penguin Classics, I marveled at the classic poetry section. I delicately purchased a copy of Boxen, which I didn’t even know to be in print.

I think I am so wrecklessly delighted by Bookzilla because she carries books from presses all over the world, whose beauty often eclipses that of the American Press. And the majority are displayed face-out. More a book gallery than a bookstore.

So imagine my delight when I discovered Book Depository, the online Bookshoppe from the UK that delivers FREE anywhere in the world.

Why You Should Be Friends with Book Depository

Because you give great gifts.

You’re a clever gift-giver. And someone you know loves unique books. Like the illustrated-for-adults version of the Harry Potter books, or this obviously superior-looking edition of George Orwell’s Burmese Days (see Amazon-available editions here).

Or, perhaps a more practical example, let’s say you know someone who wants to re-read the Great Gatsby before it arrives in the theater this Spring. Would you rather buy them one of these editions from Amazon, or one of these editions from Book Depository? Exactly.

Beautiful, right? Your friend will think so too. And no one else will have it. Score one for the gift-giver.

Because you know someone who lives abroad

Expats are usually pretty good about sharing trade secrets, so I’ve been astonished how few of them know about Book Depository. If you know someone who likes books and lives abroad, they will love you forever for sharing this gem with them.

It’s also an affordable way to send an overseas friend a small gift. You could buy AND ship two paperbacks for the price of the shipping alone from the U.S. to most international destinations. That’s a pretty big win. Does your friend keep a booklist on Pinterest or Amazon? Get ideas there and send them something they’ll love.

So…

Next time you want an unusual book for yourself or someone else, you know where to look. And you can put expat friends in your debt for life. What’s not to love?

(If you have friends living abroad, consider sharing this using the handy buttons below.)

Free Delivery on all Books at the Book Depository

The Cheater Latte (in 3 minutes)

Is there anything afternoon coffee can’t cure? I doubt it. And this beaut is ready in 3 and 3.
(Three ingredients and three minutes. I mean, how often do you get the opportunity to reference defunct dating shows?)

the Cheater Latte

Back to business. The Cheater Latte is exactly what it sounds like. It tastes like a latte (and with minimal experimentation begins to taste like a really good latte), but takes a fifth of the effort. What’s not to love?

Here’s the quick 3-step process for making your own. I’m giving you the technique, just keep tasting and adjusting until you find the perfect “recipe” for your taste. I never measure mine. Ever. So I would have no idea what measurements to give you, anyway.

Try it out this week and let me know what you think!

Cheater Latte Ingredients.

How to Make a Cheater Latte

  1. Heat a cup of milk in the microwave. I often heat mine in a glass measuring cup and then pour it into the mug. Sure it’s an extra step, but it solves the oops-I-let-the-milk-heat-too-long-and-now-it-has-a-film-on-top problem. (You can also do this on the stove, but not in 3 minutes.)
  2. Add instant coffee or espresso. More for a bigger jolt and richer taste, less for the opposite. You’ll see I use VIA Decaf so I get the taste without the jolt.
  3. Stir in some flavored syrup. I make my own vanilla syrup by dissolving 1.5 cups of sugar into a cup of water in a small saucepan over low heat, and then adding about a teaspoon of vanilla after removing the pan from the flame. I make other flavors, too, but that’s for another day.

And that’s it. Drink ‘er up and think of me. I’ll be drinking mine and thinking of some place cold enough to warrant a warm drink every afternoon.

My lovely M-I-L is coming to visit next week, so it remains to be seen whether regular posting will return next week or the week after. In preparing for her arrival, I’ve realized that though I love experimenting in the kitchen, I lack a repertoire of quick, crowd-pleasing yums to prepare after a day of adventure. I’ve cried for help on the Facebook Page;  I’d love to hear your go-to guest foods if you can spare a sec! (And thanks in advance ;-))