Sonya's blog

I’m sure many of you will be participating in one of the most time-honored traditions of summer – the family reunion! I myself am looking forward to catching up and spending some quality time with my extended family during our own reunion later this summer. As the party planning continues up until the big weekend, I’m going to share some of the tips I’ve come across for planning the perfect family get-together.

First up: the invitation.

Let’s say you have decided to be part of the planning committee for this year’s reunion. First, decide on a date and location and compile the guest list. Remember to check that you’ve included new additions to the family, name changes or updated addresses for anyone who might have moved. Once these major items are set, you can start thinking about how to get the word out!

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We hope all of our readers are enjoying this day with the special “dads” in their lives!  Happy Father’s Day!

- The Out of Office team

What’s better than spending a rainy afternoon coloring? How about baking chocolate chip cookies? 

I thought both sounded pretty satisfying and came up with a way to combine the two for the ultimate Father’s Day craft project – a colorful and custom mailing tube, filled with homemade cookies!  Whether you’re shipping the cookies or just using the tube as a fun wrapper, this is definitely an affordable, fun and delicious Father’s Day gift idea that adults and kids will surely love making.

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Remember the old days when transparencies, flip charts and 35mm slides ruled meetings? These days, presenters have countless new options for helping an audience understand and engage. With all the technology and tools available, I’ve found several favorite ways to stand out and make a great impression – and some have even been inspired by the overhead projector era! 

Some things to think about include:

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• Always keep in mind that the materials or slides you feature in a presentation are visual aids – rely on your own, more detailed notes rather than reading your presentation materials to the audience
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• Use props that catch the audience’s attention and make a statement
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• Leverage the power of multimedia like photos and videos – or create drawings on the spot that illustrate the points being made<?xml:namespace prefix = o />
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• Incorporate presentation boards to drive home core points that underpin the discussion

You might remember a post from fellow Out of Office blogger Adam a little while back, where he mentioned that his mom used to run a daycare center out of her home. When she wanted to bring more business in to the center, she would ramp up her marketing efforts with brochures or postcards. Like many small business owners, Adam’s mom understood the importance of having her marketing materials professionally printed so they would create a good first impression with current and prospective customers. She also knew how important it was to keep her style consistent across everything she made, building her brand with each flyer she distributed or business card she handed out. 

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Guest blogger Stephanie over at Ketchum was recently telling us about how she moved to a new office space and was shocked by the amount of stuff she had accumulated in her six years in the old cubicle. Boxes and boxes of annual reports, press kits, news clippings, files from folks who had long since left the team on projects that had long since ended. In short, she was a veritable archive of PR program paraphernalia. 

Was all of this stuff necessary to keep? No. Did she? Yes. So why did she keep it all? In my mind, it always comes down to “what if.”  What if I need it in the future?  What if someone else (gasp, the boss!?) needs it in the future?  What if, what if, what if.  Well, she was drowning in the stuff those “what if’s” created, and I bet a lot of other office workers are too!

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One of my favorite local cafés here in Dallas keeps me coming back for more with frightening regularity. It might be that the food and coffee is awesome when I’m in need of a quick pick-me-up, but I’m sure it also has something to do with the “buy five coffees, get one free” loyalty card they stamp for me every time I visit. And while there are certainly plenty of other eateries in the area I could visit, that one free meal sure is a good incentive to keep coming back to this one. And with that one simple punch card – and some great food – this café has built a seriously devoted, repeat customer.

So why aren’t more businesses doing it? Good question, I thought. And while I really don’t have the answer to it, I do know that these cards are just as easy to make as business cards. In fact, for most businesses I’ve seen use them, the cards double as both. 

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As someone who is meticulous about organizing at home and on the job, I can admit there is room for improvement when it comes to reducing my paper clutter. In fact, right now I have a stack of papers sitting on top of my paper shredder just waiting for my attention. Whether its copies of credit card statements and tax returns, cards from friends, or stacks of receipts – there’s a lot of paper to keep track of and its cluttering up my very small apartment! On top of that, I’m moving soon and I want to get it all organized before the movers show up. If you’re in spring cleaning mode like me, here are some quick tips to help you get this issue under control once and for all.

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Is it just me or are you tired of looking at the same old stuff on your cube (or office) walls??? The only thing I’ve changed in my work space in the past six months is my wall calendar. And while I love the picture of my sweet dog Oreo, it has to be at least five years old. Sad, I know. So, I think it’s time to give my cube a makeover. I found the following resources on how to jazz up your cube. Check them out and let me know what you think.

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• In Small Spaces shares ideas for giving cubes some personality.<?xml:namespace prefix = o />
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• There are many photo databases out on the Web and the best part is many can be printed for your personal, non-commercial use. Add in a few inexpensive frames and your cube is well on its way to a total make-over! Try searching for images on your favorite search engine. Just be sure to read the terms of use.

As a follow-up to Jenny’s post from last week, I thought I would share with you some fabulous shower ideas I’ve come across. Whether you’re planning for a boy or a girl or need to keep the party gender-neutral, Creative Party Place has some wonderful inspiration and ideas to create a perfect party experience. From themes and decorations, to games and spreads, this site is adorable. I love the variety of themes they offer like the “Bumble Bee” shower or “Nautical” shower. MyPunchbowl is another amazing one-stop party planning site worth checking out as well.  ...read more