Project Girl 2 Woman

11 AMAZING CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS FOR PERSONAL GROWTH LOVERS

Are you looking for a present for yourself or for someone who could use a little boost in life? Are you looking for the perfect Christmas gift for a friend? Something that also helps with personal growth?  I know gift giving can be really hard and stressful, but you don’t have to look any further here are 11 simple and sweet self-development Christmas presents: 

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1.      For the booklovers – Books

When you have a bookworm amongst your friends, or you are one yourself you can call yourself lucky. You can’t do wrong with a new book. And there are plenty of amazing self-development books out there.

Usually, we make a wish list before Christmas, so no one buys things double. Make a list of optional books and show your bookworm friend, which ones you might buy to keep a little suspense. If you want the present to be a complete surprise take a peek into his/her private library.

Here are my favorite/ most wanted self-development books for 2020:    

      

Be careful not to buy double. Keep the receipt in case you don’t check beforehand, which books your bookworm friend already has. Sometimes even I don’t know which books I already got that’s how many books I have at home.

2.      For the movie lovers – An inspirational movie

I know not everyone likes reading. No worries there are plenty of movies out there that make you feel really motivated after watching them. You could also get them a Netflix or Amazon subscription. If your friends/ family don’t like reading here are my recommended inspirational movies. 

      

3.      For the always busy – An Audible Membership

Your friends never have time to sit down and read or watch a movie? In that case, you can’t do wrong with an audible membership. Audible offers thousands of audiobooks with a wide variety. Perfect for people who want to listen to something inspirational while doing the dishes or while driving to work.

4.      For the active- Sports Equipment

You have wanted to start living healthier for a while? Ask for sports equipment. It’s a bit dangerous to buy sports equipment, especially for female friends unless you know exactly that they want it. If you get the wrong stuff the conversation might go like this:

  • Here Love.
  • Oh, what’s that. Oh my god, weights? Did I get that fat?
  • No honey just for your health. You wanted to work out.
  • OMG you say I got fat.

Well, maybe that’s exaggerated. What I am saying is just be careful. You know them the best.

5.      For the always stressed – A Self-Care Package

Do you have a friend who is always stressed? Someone who is always working really hard? In that case a self-care package might be just the thing. Some things a decent self-care pack might include:

  • Candles
  • Face Masks
  • Tea / Coffee
  • Hand cream / Foot Cream
  • Massage Oil
  • Wool Socks
  • Hair Ban
  • Bath Bombs
  • Eye Masks
  • Snacks
  • Perfume
  • Lip Balm
  • Body Scrubs
  • Soaps
  • Body Butter
  • Essential Oils and a Diffuser
  • Cozy Blanket
  • Bath Robe

There are many DIY options for the above-mentioned ideas. Check out Country Hill Cottage for some DIYs.

6.      For the confused – A journal

I have been journaling since 2012. It’s always funny rereading events from the past. Journals are also an amazing tool to organize your thoughts, plan your future, scribble down ideas. Basically, you can use your journal for whatever you need. You can use it for recipes, to plan activities. I think one can never go wrong with a journal unless that person is more into tech and apps in which case you can buy a journal app.

I like ring notebooks because they are easy to fold, but you can buy whatever notebook you think looks nice.

7.      For the sleepy heads – A Sunrise Alarm Clock

We all know getting up on time makes us more productive. But the bed is just so comfortable, especially during winter. If you want to be woken softly without getting a heart attack in the morning a sunrise alarm clock might be just the thing for you.

8.      For the dreamers and achievers – A goal planner

Do you have a goal in your life? If not it’s time to make one! A good way to plan your goals and how to achieve them is a goal planner. There are many incredibly cute goal planners out there. Check out the ones I wish I had:

9.      For the curious and open-minded – a New Hobby box

Have you ever thought about gifting a new hobby? There are plenty of hobbies out there to try. If you know your friends or family are curious why not gift them with a new hobby? You can pack a little gift box with tools necessary for the new hobby.

Like a Yoga Box with:

  • Yoga Mat
  • Yoga Pants
  • Elastic Band

Or a Watercolor box with:

  • paintbrushes
  • paint
  • watercolor paper

There are so many varieties for this gift. Think about what your friends might like to try and adapt. You can also buy courses and classes.

10. A gift for the learners – An online course

Do you know your friend started a new blog? Maybe there is a course for beginner bloggers. Does your friend try to learn a language? You can gift a private tutor class. 

Think about what that person might need and gift a course!

11. A gift for the adventurous – An Experience

Your friend has never been to a concert? Or you know she/ he always wanted to try out surfing? Give the gift of a new experience. I remember a few years ago I invited my sister to a musical. It was a great experience we made together!

[Read] 13 Simple Ways to avoid this years Christmas Stress

[Read] 30-Day Challenge Ideas to Stay Fit During Winter

[Read] 6 Essential Self-Care Products in 2020 – Self Love Ideas

[Read]How to create a Self-Date during Self-Isolation/Covid-19

So that’s it for today. If you want to get informed about the latest updates, please subscribe to our newsletter. Last but not least we update every Wednesday and every Saturday. So, it would be great to see you again. Also, for updates follow us on:

Love from Germany,

Julia and Carina 

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13 Simple Ways to avoid this years Christmas Stress

Heavily decorated streets are filled with hungry passengers, eagerly trying to collect their last christmas presents for their loved ones. While some of us are just overwhelmed with fighting against the huge crowd of competitive buyers, some struggle with their last minute presents or the scarily empty looking purse. In fact some might even struggle in their own four walls. Stress caused by your own family.

Causes of stress: 

  • Conflicts with family or friends
  • Time stress
  • Money stress
  • Loneliness
  • Insecurities 

 

Lets see how we can reduce the above mentioned causes of stress:

Conflicts with family or friends:

Nothing spoils the christmas season more than the quarreling of family members or friends. Have you ever experienced it? If yes, you will know how upset it can make you! Especially if you are the one who is directly involved! But it also spoils our mood if we watch our loved ones fight and can’t really do anything. Believe me, picking a side just makes it worse! So what can we do? 

1. Set rules to avoid conflicts

The easiest way is to set up rules. This way you can invite both parties and hopefully avoid them throwing each other over the dining table. 

For example, if you have a family who is split up because of politics (very interesting topic right now) , set a rule that this topic is prohibited during the meeting. There are enough positive topics that connect all of you. If they don’t know how to start the conversation, take the first step and say something positive. “Thank you all for coming! I am so glad you all are healthy and happy. How was your yoga session, Anna?”.”That’s good to hear! Maria, You also started yoga last week right? How is it?” Connecting topics can not only be hobbies, but also people they both like, great events or future plans.

2. Don't invite them.

If you know that no matter what you do won’t stop their fighting, then just don’t invite them. I know this probably sounds harsh but sometimes we need to look out for ourselves. Isn’t it better when we all have a peaceful season alone? – Instead of fighting all night! Of course this should only be your last solution. Remember to not pick a side and only invite one party all the time, it will only increase the fighting. Instead just invite them both but not at the same time.

3. Call them and make up

If you are directly involved I highly recommend you to call and make up. You are not less worthy than the other person just because you apologized. Nor did the other person “win”. It is time to stop being stubborn. Just imagine what is more important to you: Your relationship or being right?

In germany we have the saying : Der Klügere gibt nach. 

Which translates to: Better to bend than to break. 

Time stress

If you are a gift buying procrastinator or just have workwise a busy time during december: 

4. Start early:

You can already buy your gifts in September or October. Decorate in November and bake your cookies way before Christmas. There is no need to rush. You can also buy the ingredients for christmas dinner beforehand and put them in the freezer!  Good time management is key to a stress free christmas !

5. Make a plan:

If the time is already scarce, it is the best to make a plan. Are you a last minute buyer ? Have you ever bought random items or even unnecessary stuff because you were in a hurry? Ugh it happened to me so many times! Making a plan shows you exactly what you need to do and even when. What to buy for the christmas dinner and presents. Whom to call and whom to invite. You only need a pen and paper to scribble down your first ideas and it already makes it a lot easier for you to not forget important tasks. 

6. Buy online presents:

This point is not only relevant for time management but also if you are on a tight budget. As for time management: Buying presents online has many advantages: 

                          1. Easier payments (no need to rush to the bank)
                          2. Delivery to your door (No more heavy carrying or driving 60 minutes to the next store) 
                          3. Find the items faster  (no more rushing through the whole store to find one item)
                          4. More variety 
                          5. Less competition (no more fighting in the store rows!) 
7. Say no:

This is also a very important time factor: Accomplishing not only your tasks but also tasks of people close to you. Principally during this stressful season, family and friends are looking for help but sometimes we just cannot offer it. As I, myself , really suck at saying NO I understand how stressful it can be to take on tasks from other people.  Especially when you are a procrastinator and are already late with your own stuff. Yet if you are already stressed or you want to avoid being stressed it is best to learn how to say no

Money stress:

8. Set up a budget plan:

Setting up a budget plan is always a great way to see how much you have and how much you want to spend on each area. Especially if you don’t have the option to spend a lot of money. You don’t have to make the budget plan complicated by creating an excel sheet –  a piece of paper is enough! What costs do you have? Where can you save money? Where can you make more cash? What has the highest priority in case the money can’t cover all?

9. More DIY presents:

A great way to save money is to craft your own presents. Not only is it a lot cheaper but you also put a lot more thoughts and effort into your presents. Of course, there are a ton of tutorials online where you can watch step by step how to dos.

10. Define who gets presents and who doesn't

If you have the option to avoid some presents (for friends or not so close family members) I would definitely take it. Especially if you are on a tight budget. Usually my friends and I buy each other presents, but there was a time when we had no income and thereby chose to either only give a small present (like 5-10€) or no present at all. Same goes for family members. If you are unsure if the other person gives you a present and you don’t want to feel embarrassed for not giving back: Just buy something small or craft something. You can also make a no present agreement with people. (Just don’t trust your loved other half when they say no present necessary lol)

Loneliness and Insecurities

Another cause of stress, especially during the Christmas season, is loneliness. Ads are full of happy families, friends that visit their families and people excitedly chatting on the busy streets.  Thereby it is especially maddening if you have no one to celebrate it with. 

11. Online events and courses

Of course there is always the chance to reach out to other people! Even during quarantine! You can look up baking classes or find a group who likes to make homemade decorations together. You can find more here! 

It is also to mention that due to the pandemic many events are online. It gives you the advantage that you don’t need to travel far but still can spend time with others!

12. Take time for yourself

“You cannot be lonely if you like the person you are alone with.”

I found this quote a while ago and it just stuck.(Sadly I don’t know who wrote this masterpiece. Do you? ) Especially during my semester abroad I was very lonely. I was very insecure and anxious. But once I have read this quote it changed my mind: I’ve put more thought on self love and took better care of myself. Bubble baths or steamy showers, working out, eating good food:  It all helped me feel less lonely and it even pushed my confidence. Plus, those steps also lower your stress level and make you feel more refreshed during the day! What I want to say is, it is always a great idea to invest in self care and it is just a perfect activity for your christmas holidays! 

13. Stop worrying and have fun

If you are insecure about presents you give or if the food is appropriate or delicious it is time to get some rest. Stop worrying. Overthinking only increases your stress level and in most cases we worry for nothing!

Instead, enjoy your christmas season, even alone! You can always turn on the radio and dance in your apartment! Bake cookies. Share them with others. Put more attention to the little joys in life.

That’s it for today’s post! 

I hope you all have a great winter season and stay safe!

 

Topics that could also be relevant to you: 

[Read] 30-Day Challenge Ideas to Stay Fit During Winter

[Read] 6 Essential Self-Care Products in 2020 – Self Love Ideas

[Read]How to create a Self-Date during Self-Isolation/Covid-19

If you want to get informed about the latest updates, please subscribe to our newsletter. Last but not least we update every Wednesday and every Saturday. So, it would be great to see you again. Also, for updates follow us on:

 

Pinterest: projectgirl2woman

Instagram: projectgirl2woman

Twitter: @girl2_woman

Love from Germany,

Carina and Julia

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7 Simple Steps to Organize and Declutter your Notebook / Laptop

Laptops, notebooks, tablets and smartphones – technical devices we cannot do without anymore. Yet one has to agree that those metal boxes might have an important advantage when it comes to work and gaining knowledge. And today we’ll take a look at our digital hygiene. Let’s  take a look at how to clean your PC and Declutter your Notebook and Laptops 🙂 

 

I am not going to lie – I, myself, have a notebook too. It is much easier to write notes, to bring your work anywhere and to even reach your family per quick call. Here is the bad side. I’ll let you take a look at my download folder: 

The longer I had the notebook the worse my organization got. Pictures were mindlessly copied from my phone and my desktop was full of screenshots and word documents. 

I know you have been there. Actually I think everyone will reach that point of disorganization at least once. 

But don’t worry! I have found the perfect 10 Steps to organize your Notebook / Laptop. By using them and cleaning up the mess I made – I boosted my productivity massively. 

Now let’s get started! 

Contents:

  1. Plan your Set-up
  2. Delete Apps and Programs
  3. Delete and Sort out Files and Folders
  4. Clean your Desktop
  5. Empty Bins and Caches
  6. Move Files to External Hard-drives or the Cloud
  7. Set up your Important Folders

Plan your Folder Set-up To Declutter your Notebook

How do you want to set up your folders? What are they called? Personally, I would recommend you make a quick mind map to start your digital declutter. Write down your current school or work projects, goals you want to catch up to, and activities you plan to do. Folders you need and how you want them to be set up to start organizing folders.  

 

I keep pictures and videos in the already set folders and organize them by event and date, but I do have some I need quick access to, so I have some folders on my desktop. 

 

The first thing you should do after setting up your folder structure is to organize them. You want to make sure they are organized in a way that makes sense to you. If you have a lot of folders, then you may need to create subfolders to keep things organized. There are many ways to organize your folders, but here are some examples:

 

Here are some Folder Ideas to Declutter your Laptop

Sort your Folder by Project:

  • Project A 
  • Project B

Organize your Folder by Date:

  • 2021
  • 2022
  • etc.

Sort your Folder by Category:

  • Pictures / Photography
  • Finance/ Banking
  • Invoices
  • Videos
  • Writing 
  • Presentations
  • Music
  • Applications
  • Work
  • Contracts

Deleting Apps and Programs

The next point is to uninstall unnecessary software. This could take some time based on how much you have actually installed. Sometimes we do have to install programs for school or work that we don’t use after completing the task. 

 

We install a lot of rubbish for our personal enjoyment. I can still remember the time I downloaded heaps of Sims 3 mods.   I clogged up my notebook terribly and wasted loads of GB. Once I kicked out all the unnecessary software I’ve also found several games I didn’t play anymore, picture editing softwares, weird programs I have no idea what I installed them for. I even had a safety program for online banking installed – I’ve not once used any sort of online banking on that laptop once!

The deinstallation process in simple: Just type program into your search bar and click “Add or remove programs” . Now you only have to click on the program you want to remove  and choose deinstall! I can only show you the German Screenshots, but the symbol should be the same. 

Deleting and Sorting out Computer Files and Folders

Once all unnecessary software is deinstalled you can move on and sort your messy folders. Those folders include Videos, Pictures, Downloads, Music and Documents. I would recommend you to start with the least chaotic one. It will be less overwhelming, believe me.

 

Usually I start with the document folder. I have all my important documents on my desktop so this folder can be sorted out the quickest. Then I move on to music, pictures and videos.

Last but not least your disorganized download folder. I can feel the frustration! 

 

When I organized my notebook for the first time, I almost screamed at the download folder. It was a chaotic mess with no end!  And because I immediately copied the content from the download folder into the preset folders (Videos, Music etc), those were a mess too!

 

Best Tip: Don’t let your download folder get this messy in the first place. Sort everything right away. Or delete the files when you don’t need them anymore. 

 

Now nothing can stand in your way and a clean computer. You can also use a program to clean up computer. Here are some free cleaners for your PC. 

Give your Computer Files Easy & Searchable File Names

Decide on how you’ll name your files. Consistent file names help you find your documents faster. You can organize them easier and you’ll know at one glance what the document is about. E.g.:

Name-22-07-01.pdf

 

The file name should clearly describe the content of the file. A bad example would be: 

12mgsf34-copy.pdf

What did I learn about decluttering notebooks ?

Instead of moving the computer files from one folder to another, make some temporary folders within the folder you want to empty, especially if you have to tackle a huge amount of files. Eg: create a picture, video, university, etc folder in your downloads and sorting them out within the folder. 

Going back to my example. After I started to see what I could stack into another sub folder or what I could delete my preset, already organized folders were safe from the chaos (for now). Also, it saved a lot of time to not switch folders back and forth as you only had to move the file within the same folder.

Once I had everything cleared I moved those folders to their actual place (preset folders) and started the whole progress again. 

Organizing is a very time consuming task. But once you have built the foundation and you keep your files organized it will be very rewarding for your time management

Cleaning and Setting up your Desktop To Declutter your Notebook

The next step is to organize your desktop. Usually I just follow the same steps as with the download folder. Sometimes, I also reorganize how folders and programs are aligned so I have the smoothest and fastest access I can get. I also prefer to give folders that are important a specific symbol so my eyes would spot them faster. Currently I only have 8 folders on my desktop, the bin and my marketing homework. (Update: homework was removed lol)

Tipp: less is more. 

Having less on your desktop makes you less overwhelmed when it comes to finding documents.

Here is how you change your folder icon:

Right Click on the Folder. Chose Properties (Or in German Eigenschaften).

Go to Properties (Anpassen) and click Change Icon (Anderes Symbol) . Tadaa. Super simple. 

Empty Bin and Caches When Decluttering your Notebook

Now it’s time to get all unnecessary files out of your notebook: Hit the “empty your bin button” and relax. The worst part is done. 

I would also recommend you to install and run a cleaning software to get your caches cleaned too! Microsoft offers a free version for windows 10 which is called: Microsoft Total PC cleaner. (It can be found in the app store but is only for PC!)

Your notebook is running slower lately? Running cleaning software helps you to get your laptop or notebook back on speed level!

Move Files to External Hard-drive or Cloud

Now that you only have the files you keep, you can sort out on what is relevant for current projects and goals and what might have importance on a later point. 

Long story short: Find a place where you store currently unneeded files. 

Good examples would be application documents, school notes from previous semesters, pictures and videos you won’t look at, contracts. Not only are those more safe in case your notebook dies suddenly but they are also out of sight and out of mind. (And you can access them anytime if you need to) 

A good place to store extra files are either the cloud or an external hard drive. 

Set up your important folders

What are your important folders (based on your mind map) ? And where do you place them? 

Like I mentioned earlier, all my relevant folders are on my desktop. Of course you are free to place them where you think they fit the most!

If not done yet I would definitely keep your important folders uptodate.  For example, I have a college folder with all my materials inside (sorted by subject of course). During the semester I always download new material and immediately add them, so I wont forget them at a later point! 

When you just begin to sort your files out – some files might be lost during the organizing progress (which i don’t hope!). Maybe some files aren’t just yet downloaded and added. 

Create a goal folder during your digital declutter

I also took the time to create a goal folder. I’ve spent hours to find pictures that represent what I aim for in life. Pictures that give me a feeling of excitement when I look at them.

Tipp: Keep your folders updated to keep yourself updated.

Before I am leaving you to clean up your notebook I have a quick manifestation tip for you: Take the time to edit a picture with all your goals representatives. You can use any picture editing software for this and it will help you to always have your goals in mind. 

Hope you have a wonderful rest week! 

Summing it up

How to clean your computer? 

  1. Create a folder Structure and a subfolder structure. 
  2. Delete and Organize your computer files. 

 

Topics that could also be relevant to you: 

 

The Top 5 Productivity Apps for 2020

The law of attraction – from visualization to reality

How to become Proactive – Create your “Proactive Personality”

 

If you want to get informed about the latest updates, please subscribe to our newsletter. Last but not least we update every Wednesday and every Saturday. So, it would be great to see you again. Also, for updates follow us on:

Pinterest: projectgirl2woman

Instagram: projectgirl2woman

Twitter: @girl2_woman

Love from Germany,

Carina and Juli

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