Happy National Donut Day! Let's make a air-fried d Happy National Donut Day! Let's make a air-fried donuts.

You can make donuts using biscuit dough! I used regular and chocolate chip biscuit dough here. 

Directions:
1. Take your biscuit dough out of the tubes and use a round cookie cutter (or any small round glass) to cut a hole in the middle. Put the center dough to the side.
2. Spray your air fryer with cooking spray.
3. Put as many donuts in the air fryer that will fit your appliance. If you have the Instant Pot/Air Fryer, I did three at a time.
4. Fry the donuts for 6 minutes flipping halfway through. So three minutes, then flip, and three more minutes.
5. Take them out and add your icing!
6. You can use the middle pieces to make donut holes.

#nationaldonutday #airfrieddonuts #easyrecipesformoms
Let's make the easiest clam cookies for summer par Let's make the easiest clam cookies for summer parties! These would go well with the crabby chicken salad croissants I shared a few weeks ago. 

To make these, add icing the the back of a Nilla wafer. Place a second cookie on top allowing the front to be open while the backs are touching. Add candy eyes or pearls to the icing. 

You can make these in lots of colors. I was feeling pink, but blue or purple is totally on theme for a mermaid party or a "let's shell-a-brate" party!

#mermaidparty #summercookies #mermaidcookies #easyrecipesformoms #toddlersnacks
Some of my favorite Amazon home finds! What is you Some of my favorite Amazon home finds! What is your home decor style?

Linking everything on my Amazon storefront and in the LTK app! 

#grandmillennialdecor #amazonhomefinds #blueandwhitedecor #blueandwhitehome
Let's make Piña colada fruit dip for your summer Let's make Piña colada fruit dip for your summer parties! 

Mix together 8 oz whipped cream cheese, 7 oz marshmallow cream, 8 oz crushed pineapple drained, 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Serve with fruit and enjoy!

#fruitdip #easyrecipesformoms #summerrecipe #summerrecipes
Let's make bedazzled bottles for bachelorette part Let's make bedazzled bottles for bachelorette parties!You could bedazzle bigger bottles for decor or mini bottles like this for favors.

Super easy! Just glue on rhinestones and pearls with flat backs to the bottle. You can use super glue or hot glue, but just clean up the strings.

Linking the set of gems I used in the @shop.ltk app! https://liketk.it/4a3rN 

#bachelorettepartyideas #bachelorettepartyfavors #partyfavor #bridalshowerideas #bridalshowerdecor
The school year is ending and summer is finally he The school year is ending and summer is finally here! Time to "shell-a-brate!"

Sharing some of the fun details from this mermaid/summer party! This is a great theme if you are throwing a summer birthday party, pool party or bachelorette party over the next couple months.

Planning any parties this summer??

#summerpartyideas #summerparty #mermaidparty #mermaidpartyideas
Easy DIY bridesmaid hairstyle! -Curl your hair. - Easy DIY bridesmaid hairstyle!

-Curl your hair.
-Gather the top layer of your hair and pull to the back. Make sure you leave a little hair over your ears. Secure with a clear elastic. 
-Create a hole above the elastic to flip the ponytail through for an inverse ponytail.
-Pancake the twists to fill it out.
-Take the section still over your ears and repeat the process with the second elastic being right below the first. The bottom section should be smaller than the first.
-Spray and go!

#diyhairstyle #easyhairstyle #bridesmaidhairstyle #bridesmaidhairstyles #bridesmaidhairdo #bridesmaidhair
Stocked up on basic tees and denim shorts last wee Stocked up on basic tees and denim shorts last week for summer. Which tee is your favorite? 1, 2, 3 or 4? 

Linking all tees and shorts in the @shop.ltk app! https://liketk.it/49MAR

#summerwardrobe #summerstaples #denimshorts #basictees #easysummerstyle #midsizefashion #midsizeblogger
We're with the ring bearer. 💍 We're with the ring bearer. 💍
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Blogging · October 4, 2019

Let’s Talk About Time Batching


Let me set the scene for you.

I took an Instagram poll a few weeks ago asking if you time batched. The results came in that 95% of people do not time batch. I was gobsmacked. I can’t get through my day without it. Time batching is the only way I can be productive and stay on task. So I did a follow up poll and asked if people were familiar with time batching. I waited too long to post this blog post so the poll results are gone off my Instagram now, but I remember it was also a humongous difference.

I knew I wanted to work on a time batching post where I really deep dive into the concept. I wanted to share all of my scheduling tips to keep on track and really maximize my productivity. So it’s been a few weeks, but I’m finally finishing that post!

So what is time batching?

Simply put, time batching is a productivity strategy that allows you to fully concentrate on similar tasks by doing them all at the same time.

Think about all the times you get distracted while you’re working. How long does it take you to get refocused after a distraction? By streamlining your routine with time batching, you eliminate potential distractions. Your brain will get into “we’re doing this now” mode and keep you focused on the task at hand.

I think it’s the easiest hack to be productive! I plan my entire day ahead of time and schedule what tasks I want to accomplish during the day in one big block. So let’s break it down. As a blogger, here are some typical tasks that come up for me weekly: emails, blog posts, photography, video filming, video editing, image editing, Pinterest, and other social media. Obviously there are administrative tasks and other aspects of running a business, but for this post we are going to focus on these things.

 

Here is a specific plan of how I break it out.

Emails: emails are always coming in so this ends up being a daily task. I put this block in the morning and try to breeze through it in an hour. If I have a break during the day, I might open my email back up and check it out but I try not to be a slave to my email. There are so many other things that need to be accomplished.

Planning: I’m not really a wing-it kind of girl. I’m casual in my blog, but I do have a strategy and a calendar of when I want posts to go live. I spend a block of time planning out the entire month of blog posts. They may not all get posted and, of course, things come up and shift but I do have a plan going into the month.

Write blog posts: A lot goes into a blog post. It may come off that it’s just a write and push publish situation, but there really is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. So I split this into several blocks. If I’m planning to publish three posts in one week, then I plan a big block of time to write and craft all three posts. I turn on Spotify, get a Diet Coke, and crank out the content portion of the blog post. This is purely writing, no photography, social media, or plugins.

Photography: I don’t know about you, but getting dressed is exhausting–especially when it’s still 95 degrees in Atlanta. So I like to get the tasks that require me to look human crossed off the list in one swoop. Since I have already planned which posts I want to go live and sometimes have already written them, I know what imagery I’m looking for in the post. So I plan a shot list and then go through the motions to get my images captured for all blog posts and Instagram.

Video: Similar to photography, I block my video content take care of all the filming while I look like a human being. I sometimes shoot two or three videos in one block.

Photo Editing: All of those photos need to be edited for the post. I also need Pins, thumbnail images, YouTube thumbnails, and Instagram images. I take a large chunk of time to go through the photos from the shoot and create the images I need.

Video Editing: Since I’ve filmed more than one video, I go ahead and edit more than one video. This makes uploading so much easier and having these checked off my list is always such a huge relief.

Pinterest: Pinterest requires a whole strategy and it takes a long time. I schedule one hour a week solely to schedule pins on Pinterest. For me, it usually falls on Tuesday and then I schedule through the following Tuesday.

Other Social Media: I have an editorial calendar for my social media as well. I go ahead and plan what posts I want to go live on each platform and schedule those out as well.

time batching

So how do I stay on task?

Here are a few strategies to stay on task.

Time yourself – I legitimately set timers all day based on the blocks I set for myself. If I say I’m going to do blog posts from 11-2, then at 2 I have an alarm go off. I have to be done by then because I will have another task ready to start at 2. This turns into a game for me to see if I can complete it by the time limit. Obviously, some things take more time and that’s ok to get a little off track, but it’s a good starting place to keep my focus.

Hide your phone – Put your phone in a different room, on a different floor, in your car. Every buzz of the email app, every text message ding, and every notification or Tweet will tempt you to pick it up and look at it. If your phone is an easy distraction, get it as far away from you as possible while you work.

Take a break – I do jam-pack my time, but I like to take mental breaks. Go for a quick walk, watch the show you recorded last week, get a cup of your favorite caffeine, go workout, just do something to give your brain a break. It helps with burnout and you just saying “screw it” to the rest of your afternoon and going to take a nap instead. Take a block of time to recharge.

I hope this helps with productivity! I was shocked that so many people were unfamiliar with time batching, so I really wanted to take the time to explain what it is, how I use it specifically, and some tips to make the most of the strategy.

Do you time batch? What are some of your favorite tips for productivity?

In: Blogging

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Comments

  1. roxyturtle says

    October 4, 2019 at 7:53 pm

    Oh wow! This post is such a godsend, I’d been thinking just two days ago that I want to try a different way to structure my blogging time but hadn’t found the right answer yet. And I think time batching might be it! Truth be told I kind of do this anyway but I’m not good about sticking to my given task and I think enforcing time limits would help a ton! Totally gonna try this. Pinned too.

    • Helen @ Hel On Heels says

      October 4, 2019 at 9:52 pm

      Thank you for sharing!! It totally changed my life and my business.

  2. Emily Bendler says

    October 4, 2019 at 9:33 pm

    I love batching. I use it for home stuff too like paying bills all at once or going through all the kids school papers at once or the mail.

    • Helen @ Hel On Heels says

      October 4, 2019 at 9:52 pm

      Yes! Me too. I use it for everything including chores and admin tasks! I’m so glad you love it!

  3. Indya | TheSmallAdventurer says

    October 5, 2019 at 6:51 am

    Whilst the actual activities change per day, I LOVE time batching. It has completely changed my rate of productivity for the better as I’m only focused on the one task I’m doing. It also helps get rid of worry about all the OTHER things I need to do, as I know I’ve already noted down a future block of time to do those things in! Everyone should give time batching a go.

  4. Irene Tjia | Club Coconutti says

    October 5, 2019 at 2:46 pm

    This post was SO helpful! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all that needs to get done during a day, as there are so many things that come up. Thanks so much for sharing your approach to time batching, drew a lot of inspiration from it!

  5. Dara @ The Southern Thing says

    October 7, 2019 at 1:59 pm

    Time management is so important! These are some great tips!

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September Favorites 2019

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Welcome to Helengbailey.com, a digital lifestyle haven where I share the best in affordable style, beauty, food, DIY, family and home decor. As a former certified event planner, I also offer lots of tips and inspiration to plan the perfect party.

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Happy National Donut Day! Let's make a air-fried d Happy National Donut Day! Let's make a air-fried donuts.

You can make donuts using biscuit dough! I used regular and chocolate chip biscuit dough here. 

Directions:
1. Take your biscuit dough out of the tubes and use a round cookie cutter (or any small round glass) to cut a hole in the middle. Put the center dough to the side.
2. Spray your air fryer with cooking spray.
3. Put as many donuts in the air fryer that will fit your appliance. If you have the Instant Pot/Air Fryer, I did three at a time.
4. Fry the donuts for 6 minutes flipping halfway through. So three minutes, then flip, and three more minutes.
5. Take them out and add your icing!
6. You can use the middle pieces to make donut holes.

#nationaldonutday #airfrieddonuts #easyrecipesformoms
Let's make the easiest clam cookies for summer par Let's make the easiest clam cookies for summer parties! These would go well with the crabby chicken salad croissants I shared a few weeks ago. 

To make these, add icing the the back of a Nilla wafer. Place a second cookie on top allowing the front to be open while the backs are touching. Add candy eyes or pearls to the icing. 

You can make these in lots of colors. I was feeling pink, but blue or purple is totally on theme for a mermaid party or a "let's shell-a-brate" party!

#mermaidparty #summercookies #mermaidcookies #easyrecipesformoms #toddlersnacks
Some of my favorite Amazon home finds! What is you Some of my favorite Amazon home finds! What is your home decor style?

Linking everything on my Amazon storefront and in the LTK app! 

#grandmillennialdecor #amazonhomefinds #blueandwhitedecor #blueandwhitehome
Let's make Piña colada fruit dip for your summer Let's make Piña colada fruit dip for your summer parties! 

Mix together 8 oz whipped cream cheese, 7 oz marshmallow cream, 8 oz crushed pineapple drained, 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Serve with fruit and enjoy!

#fruitdip #easyrecipesformoms #summerrecipe #summerrecipes
Let's make bedazzled bottles for bachelorette part Let's make bedazzled bottles for bachelorette parties!You could bedazzle bigger bottles for decor or mini bottles like this for favors.

Super easy! Just glue on rhinestones and pearls with flat backs to the bottle. You can use super glue or hot glue, but just clean up the strings.

Linking the set of gems I used in the @shop.ltk app! https://liketk.it/4a3rN 

#bachelorettepartyideas #bachelorettepartyfavors #partyfavor #bridalshowerideas #bridalshowerdecor
The school year is ending and summer is finally he The school year is ending and summer is finally here! Time to "shell-a-brate!"

Sharing some of the fun details from this mermaid/summer party! This is a great theme if you are throwing a summer birthday party, pool party or bachelorette party over the next couple months.

Planning any parties this summer??

#summerpartyideas #summerparty #mermaidparty #mermaidpartyideas
Easy DIY bridesmaid hairstyle! -Curl your hair. - Easy DIY bridesmaid hairstyle!

-Curl your hair.
-Gather the top layer of your hair and pull to the back. Make sure you leave a little hair over your ears. Secure with a clear elastic. 
-Create a hole above the elastic to flip the ponytail through for an inverse ponytail.
-Pancake the twists to fill it out.
-Take the section still over your ears and repeat the process with the second elastic being right below the first. The bottom section should be smaller than the first.
-Spray and go!

#diyhairstyle #easyhairstyle #bridesmaidhairstyle #bridesmaidhairstyles #bridesmaidhairdo #bridesmaidhair
Stocked up on basic tees and denim shorts last wee Stocked up on basic tees and denim shorts last week for summer. Which tee is your favorite? 1, 2, 3 or 4? 

Linking all tees and shorts in the @shop.ltk app! https://liketk.it/49MAR

#summerwardrobe #summerstaples #denimshorts #basictees #easysummerstyle #midsizefashion #midsizeblogger
We're with the ring bearer. 💍 We're with the ring bearer. 💍
It's the greatest privilege of my life to be your It's the greatest privilege of my life to be your mama, Ben Bailey. 

📷: @keikilaniphotography

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