[cgr] opens up an interesting discussion on the use and consequently the 'make-up' of whiteboards for organizing activities in the home on [Lifehack.org] called ['Using Whiteboards for Home Organization'].
This was back in August, but I have revisited it many times, just thought that it would be easier to post it here on my blog.
If you’re like me, organization somehow always revolves around lists. It has gotten to the point that the lists themselves have bogged my fiancé and me down as much as the activities themselves. I have had great organizational success using whiteboards at work, so I brought one home in an effort to combat the list problem. We live in a 2 bedroom apartment, so we got a whiteboard which is roughly 3' by 4' and we installed it on the wall of our kitchen.
Great uses of the varitions
Submitted by memorykeeper on Tue, 2005-08-02 14:36.
Great ideas, all.
Shopping List
Submitted by memorykeeper on Tue, 2005-08-02 16:11.
The
way I have it working right now is a pad with long paper, stuck on a
convenient side of refrigerator with ordinary magic tape. Everyone in
the house has be told to write down what they used last. So if junior
used up the maple syrup, he writes it on the list. Senior used up the
butter, it goes on the list. The shopper then tears the list off and
does a filter of the list.
In conjuction with the whiteboard, stick the pad in the lower right hand corner along the bottom and right edges [why right???? hmmm just feels right!!!:)], reachable if there are juniors around the house!
Not wierd,. Just working!
Submitted by memorykeeper on Wed, 2005-08-03 15:16.I did it the way I did because:
* got the juniors involved into the whole scheme of things
* One person doesnt not need to carry the full responsiblity of
'making' the list. Only filter it. Usually it is one or maybe two who
would do the shopping, so he/she would know if anything is double
listed.
* Allows 'shoppers' without PDA knowledge, to tear off the list and go on her/his merry way to the stores.
Honestly speaking, the PDA route would be my preference. Much easier. No bits of paper. No extra pen to carry.
Call me finicky, but I make up my list based on the location of the items in the store. If in a normal walk through of a store, I hit the dairy aisles first...that goes on the list first. Saves a lot of double backing with a cart, weaving in and out of other'raged, exasperated' shoppers' cart.
At the checkout, I lump similar items together. The chilled stuff, milk, cheese, frozen gets into the checkout scanner first, thus get into the bags together, making the storing away easier and less time consuming once you get home.
(I'm begining to sound like Monk!!)
The stores tend to keep changing the aisles and the displays. But should they standardise the location, then it would be a good idea for the stores to print the aisle locations for all shoppers to carry. The shopping lists would be more organised, much 'peaceful' (can shopping be peaceful????) and they would need less of the 'May I help you's' who dont really know how to help, around the store!!!!
Here's my drawing on a napkin
Submitted by memorykeeper on Thu, 2005-08-04 14:39.
cgr:
this wouldnt be a bad idea for some open source software developers to
work on. however, for your idea to work, the stores need to standardize
the product display aisles. but an idea worth thinking about.
sysadman: the pegasus lights are pretty neat. flourescnet back lighting is the best for backlighting and would work best as backlighting a frosted plexiglass or frosted glass.
the restaurants board, personally, I dont find appealing because of the overly bright colors that end up on the board.
when i have the time and its my turn, I punch in the shopping list into the Handyshopper in my palm. However, I have not got used to the aisles bit yet. that is a handy bit of software for palm and shopping.
Here's a budget version of a backlit board:
1. Use the plexi glass from Ikea, as suggested and recommended by arnoutdrenthel.
2. Fixed mount it about 2" off the wall. Would look good if brushed aluminium studs can be used as the stud spacers.
3. Place one or two Microfluorescent T4 Light Fixtures (as seen on pegasus lighting) either in line with top and bottom long edges or the left and right short edges of the board. These, of course would need to be mounted on the wall. The T4s are 1⅜" high, so the 2" between the plexi and the wall would allow for the light to diffuse well across the board.
Alternatively, mount the glass, and lights on a thin sheet of white plexi sheet..same size as the Ikea Plexiglass...giving you a neat looking open sided light box..and that in turn could be screwed to the wall.
Now let me get back to the drawing board!!
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