1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: tip is that holidays and birthdays aren't surprises. Plan ahead 4 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: and you can avoid needless scrambling. So in life, some 5 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: emergency shopping is inevitable. A sick kid needs medicine, you're 6 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: out of a key ingredient for a dinner. You have 7 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: already started making it happens. But I have always been 8 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: fascinated by those scenes of last minute Christmas shoppers, or 9 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 1: people who have to pay premium prices and face limited 10 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: selection when they are shopping on Valentine's Day for a 11 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: sweetheart who expects something on Valentine's Day? Did you not 12 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: see this coming? Is Christmas or your anniversary not on 13 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: the same day every year. Perhaps people don't actually want 14 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 1: to do anything special for holidays, and the last minute 15 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: shopping is a protest. But if you are going to 16 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: do it, best to realize that holidays and birthdays are 17 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: never surprises, so build them into the rhythm of your life. 18 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: Most electronic calendars will let you program in recurring dates, 19 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: so if you haven't put in the birthdays of your 20 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: close friends, family, members and colleagues. Go do that right now. 21 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: I'll wait. If ten years from now you are no 22 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: longer speaking with Joan from work, you can take her 23 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: birthday off your calendar the next time you see it. 24 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: But for most people who will be in your life 25 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: long term, there is no downside to making such a note. 26 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: You might also put a reminder for any holiday celebrations 27 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: where you will be expected to do something. If you 28 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: are usually the one buying Halloween costumes, you can put 29 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 1: a note in mid October to ask your kids what 30 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: they'd like to be, or give them a deadline for choosing. 31 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: I have noticed that our Easter baskets are a bit lacking, 32 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: so I put a note for a few weeks before 33 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: Easter next year to remind myself to rectify that situation. 34 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: You can also generally get in the habit of scanning 35 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: the next week or two when you do your weekly planning, 36 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: so you can build anything in. If you see that 37 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: your grandmother's birthday is in a week, you've got time 38 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: to get the card in the mail. You also have 39 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: to procure necessary supplies without extra trips. If your neighborhood 40 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: always has a Fourth of July party that you help organize, 41 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: and you are in target on June thirty, why not 42 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: just go ahead and grab those red, white, and blue 43 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: plates so you're not fighting everyone for them on July three, 44 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: or worse, the morning of July four. In any case, 45 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: a great many important dates happen every year at the 46 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: same time. They are never surprises, so think about what's 47 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: coming up and think about what you need to do 48 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: ahead of time. Avoiding just one emergency target or post 49 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: office run can probably save you an hour of time 50 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: and frustration. In the meantime, This is Laura. Thanks for listening, 51 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our times. Thanks 52 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, 53 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura 54 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. 55 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, 56 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.