DESIGN PROCESS. CALANDER. IDEAS.

After I finally decided to go with a calendar idea for one of my final pieces I started researching more facts and the designs that are already there that might help me to develop my idea further. 

• Length of the (tropical) year in 2000 A.D.: 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 45 seconds
• Time that the year has slowed since 1 A.D.: 1O seconds
• Average decrease in the year due to a gradual slowing of the earth's rotation: 1/2 second per century
• Lunar Month: 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 2.9 seconds
• The earliest known date: 4236 B.C., the founding of the Egyptian calendar
• Ancient Egyptian year: 365 1/4 days
• Early Chinese year: 354 days (lunar year)with days added at intervals to keep the Chinese lunar calendar aligned with the seasons
• Early Greek year: 354 days, with days added
• Jewish year: 354 days, with days added
• Early Roman year: 304 days, amended in 700 B.C. to 355 days
• The year according to Julius Caesar (the Julian calendar): 365 1/4 days
• Date Caesar changed Roman year to Julian calendar: January 1, 46 B.C.
• Amount of time the old Roman calendar was misaligned with the solar year as designated by Caesar: 80 days
• Total length of 46 B.C. known as the"Year of Confusion,"after adding 80 days: 445 days
• The year as amended by Pope Gregory XIII (the Gregorian calendar):365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 20 seconds
• Date Pope Gregory reformed the calendar: 1582
• Length of time the Julian calendar overestimates the solar year per year, as determined by Pope Gregory: 11 minutes, 14 seconds
• Number of days Pope Gregory removed to correct the calendar's drift: 10
• Dates Gregory eliminated by papal bull to realign his calendar with the solar year: October 5-14, 1582
• Dates most Catholic countries accepted the Gregorian calendar: 1582 - 1584
• Date Protestant Germany accepted the Gregorian calendar: partial acceptance in 1700, full acceptance in 1775
• Date Great Britain (and the American colonies) accepted the Gregorian calendar: 1752
• Length of time eliminated by the British Parliament to realign the old calendar Julian) with the Gregorian calendar: 11 days
• Dates Parliament eliminated: September 3-13, 1752
• Date Japan accepted the Gregorian calendar: 1873
• Date Russia accepted the Gregorian calendar: 1917 (and again in 1940)
• Date China accepted the Gregorian calendar: 1949
• Date the Eastern Orthodox Church last voted to reject the Gregorian calendar and retain the Julian calendar: 1971
• Length of time the Gregorian calendar is off from the true solar year: 25.96768 seconds per year
• Length of time the Gregorian calendar has become misaligned over the 414 years since Gregory's reform in 1582: 2 hours, 59 minutes, 12 seconds
• Year in which the Gregorian calendar will be one day ahead of the true solar year: A.D. 4909
• Year that Atomic Time replaced Earth Time as the world's official time standard: 1972
• The year as measured in oscillations of atomic cesium: 290,091.200,500,000,000
• Year 2000 Will Be:
  • 2004 according to Christ's actual birth circa 4 B.C.
  • 2753 according to the old Roman calendar
  • 2749 according to the ancient Babylonian calendar
  • 6236 according to the first Egyptian calendar
  • 5760 according to the Jewish calendar
  • 1420 according to the Moslem calendar
  • 1378 according to the Persian calendar
  • 1716 according to the Coptic calendar
  • 2544 according to the Buddhist calendar
  • 5119 in the current Maya great cycle
  • 208 according to the calendar of the French Revolution
  • the year of the DRAGON according to the Chinese calendar

Facts on calendars:

http://256.com/gray/docs/calendar.html

http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/timeline.html

http://www.allfunandgames.ca/facts/calendars.shtml

http://fun.familyeducation.com/calendar/holidays-and-seasonal-events/59741.html

Some innovative and interactive designs I found on the web:

http://dornob.com/iconic-design-physical-applications-of-digital-desktop-icons/

Good ideas for calendars here:

http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2010/03/11/15-unique-and-innovative-calendars/

While looking for innovative design ideas for the calendar  I came across this amazing website: 

http://www.unicorngraphics.com/calendar%20museum.asp

It has stocks so many calendar designs that I even got dizzy while looking trough them. 

I'll put some examples of the work that I came across on the website:

A meat calendar? Ow yeck, I'm a vegetarian. Only the Germans can come up with this kind of thing:D (joke), tho it is designed based on a christmas meal in Germany. 

A t-shirt calendar. Now that is wicked. 

DESIGN PROCESS. PACKAGING.

I started thinking about packaging for the clock and the t-shirts. I'm not sure will I have time to create the packaging for the t-shirts might only do labelling. But I'm sure  I need packaging for the clock.  I looked at some simple layouts for the packaging but something more innovative would work better. 

http://www.paperbag.com.my/blog/?p=6

http://antiqueystar.wordpress.com/page/2/

http://the-seventh-letter.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html

I found this amazing branding studio which work is just amazing. Simple, clear and innovative. 

http://www.studioh.co.uk/

Worth checking them out. 

DESIGN PROCESS. PHOTOSHOP BRIEF.

For my photoshop brief I chose BLUE. I will start by doing a bit of research about the color. 


The first thing I found when I typed in 'blue' into google search was:


Blue are an English pop vocal group, whose members are Simon Webbe, Lee Ryan, Duncan James and Antony Costa.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_(group)


Than I found an sms site that I don't think is what I really need but the design is quite good:


https://hashblue.com/


I finally managed to find some facts about the COLOR blue:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue

Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal mixture of red and green light. On a colour wheel based on traditional colour theory (RYB) where blue was considered a primary colour, its complementary colour is considered to be orange (based on the Munsell colour wheel).^[2]

In Modern English, "blue" is one of the basic colour terms, and one of the seven spectral colours, intermediate between violet (purple) and cyan. It comprises a considerable number of identifiable subcategories that can be identified with descriptive terms like navy blue (a dark blue), cyan blue (or "blue-green", on the boundary to the green range), or sky blue (azure).

The word itself was loaned into Middle English from the Old French word bleu, blo " "pale, pallid, discoloured; blue, blue-grey", itself from an Old Frankish*blao.

• In the English language, blue often represents the human emotion of sadness, for example, "He was feeling blue". In German, on the other hand, to be "blue" (blau sein) is to be drunk. This derives from the ancient use of urine (which is produced copiously by the human body after drinking alcohol) in dyeing cloth blue with woad or indigo.It may also be in relation to rain, which is usually regarded as a trigger of depressive emotions.

• Conversely blue, a very popular colour can represent happiness and optimism as days with clearer, blue skies tend to be considered times where these emotions are more easily expressed. Many artistic contributions have been made referencing clear days with blue skies as part of the happiness or as a symbolism of the happiness the artist felt, such as Tony Bennett's Put on a Happy Face. If this were untrue there would obviously be more complaints about days with clear blue skies.

• Blue is commonly used in the Western hemisphere to symbolize the male gender in contrast to pink used for females, although in the early 1900s, blue was the colour for girls (as it had traditionally been the colour of the Virgin Mary in Western Art) and pink was for boys (as it was akin to the colour red, considered a masculine colour.)
• In Thailand, blue is associated with Friday on the Thai solar calendar. Anyone may wear blue on Fridays and anyone born on a Friday may adopt blue as their colour. The Thai language, however, is one that has had trouble distinguishing blue from green. The default word for Blue was recently สีน้ำเงิน literally, the colour of silver, a poetical reference to the silvery sheen of the deep blue sea. It now means navy blue, and the default word is now สีฟ้า literally, the colour of the sky.

Calm and Cool, the Nature and Meaning of Blue:

Blue is calming. It can be strong and steadfast or light and friendly. Almost everyone likes some shade of the color blue.

In 1999 Pantone named the sky blue color of Cerulean as the color of the new millennium. Pantone selected the color Blue Iris as the 2008 Color of the Year telling us: "Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple, Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement."

A natural color, from the blue of the sky, blue is a universal color. The cool, calming effect of blue makes time pass more quickly and it can help you sleep. Blue is a good color for bedrooms. However, too much blue could dampen spirits.

Culture and the Meaning of Blue:

In many diverse cultures blue is significant in religious beliefs, brings peace, or is believed to keep the bad spirits away.

Blue conveys importance and confidence without being somber or sinister, hence the blue power suit of the corporate world and the blue uniforms of police officers. Long considered acorporate color, blue, especially medium and darker blues, is associated with intelligence, stability, unity, and conservatism.

Just as seeing red alludes to the strong emotions invoked by the color red, feeling blue or getting the blues represents the extremes of the calm feelings associated with blue, i.e. sadness or depression, lack of strong (violent) emotion. Dark blue is sometimes seen as staid or stodgy — old-fashioned.

In Iran, blue is the color of mourning while in the West the something blue bridal tradition represents love.

People describe How the color blue makes them feel

Using Shades of Blue:

• A deep royal blue, indigo, or azure conveys richness and perhaps even a touch of superiority.
• Navy blue is almost black and is a bit warmer than lighter blues. Combine a light and dark blue to convey trust and truthfulness — banker's colors.
• Although blue is a year-round color, pastel blues, especially along with pinks and pale yellows suggest Springtime while deep blue is a colder weather color.
• Create a conservative but sophisticated look with subtle contrast by combining light and dark shades of blue.

http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/blue.htm

Some color schemes that mach blue:

http://www.colorcombos.com/blue-color-schemes.html

Blue is the coolest color - the color of the sky, ocean, sleep, twilight. The ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli to represent heaven. Blue symbolizes the Virgin Mary. A pure blue is the color of inspiration, sincerity and spirituality. Blue is often the chosen color by conservative people. Blue is the calming color. That makes it a wonderful color to use in the home, especially for babies. Blue is so soothing that is a good choice for pajamas. Dark blue is the color of truth and moderation. A blue iris means your friendship is very important to me. Wednesday's color is blue. Blue gemstones to wear to feel calm are blue sapphire and blue topaz. Lapis lazuli and azurite are said to heighten psychic power.

http://crystal-cure.com/blue.html

Why is the sky blue? 

answer:

http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/sky_blue.html

Why is the water blue?

answer:

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~etrnsfer/water.htm

Blue food?

http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-the-body/color-and-appetite-matters

Blue food is a rare occurrence in nature. There are no leafy blue vegetables (blue lettuce?), no blue meats (blueburger, well-done please), and aside from blueberries and a few blue-purple potatoes from remote spots on the globe, blue just doesn't exist in any significant quantity as a natural food color.

M&M didn't have blue color till 1995. 

Looked at some visuals for the color blue:

http://cardobserver.com/gallery/blue-bird-design

http://favim.com/image/16295/

DESIGN PROCESS. WORKSHOP. BOOK REVIEW.

We did a workshop with Amber. I think it was really useful, we looked at concepts and ways to organise our research. At the end of the workshop we exchanged our design sheets and had to write e review of a book. I had Davids. I'm not sure who had mine but he/she sure wrote a lot.

DESIGN PROCESS. RESEARCH. Books.

I looked at some books to get some idea of what I want to do. I looked at packaging, labelling, interactive ideas. I came across this book, which name I ca't recall now ;/ But I scanned some pages in. 

I thought that making a brand wold solve the problem as making it as a series. 

Looked for some ideas what could go n my clock and in what system can I arrange the hours and the things You're supposed to do. I also toned Davids magazines one page because the symbols wre so similar o the ones I am creating.

I also overcame with this strange book. And I thought this is the style of drawings that I would like to create my procrastination monster. 

DESIGN PROCESS. RESEARCH. PROCRASTINATION.

TIPS ON HOW TO QUIT FACEBOOK: (http://www.wikihow.com/Quit-Facebook#Steps)

#Admit you might have an addiction to Facebook. and keep track of what you actually do on [[Make a New Facebook Account|Facebook]]. After every [[Facelift Your Facebook|Facebook]] session, ask yourself: "What did I just accomplish by checking [[Create a Facebook Profile|Facebook]]?"  Odds are, you're probably just logging in to see if you've been poked, or for updates of when your [[Win Friends|friends]] change their profile image, write a new [[Make a Secret Note|note]], add a new [[Memorize a Song|song]] to their favorite [[Appreciate Music|music]], and do other little things that you can really live without knowing. But those might be the little things that keep you on a very short leash. At first you're confirming a new [[Be a Better Friend|friend]], and next thing you know, you've spent an hour looking at all the new people you're connected to. Recording your Facebook activities can help you realize how much time you actually spend getting nothing constructive done.

#[[Set Goals|Define your goals]] on Facebook. Make a [[Memorize a List in Order|list]] of what you really want from it. Why did you originally sign up? So you could remember friends' [[Write a Birthday Invitation|birthdays]]? Find and keep [[Find Old Friends Online|old friends]]? Meet people with similar interests? Whatever your goals may be on Facebook, you need to make sure that you devote your time there to accomplishing those [[Achieve Short Term Goals|goals]], instead of going off track with activities that get you nowhere. If you have no goals (i.e. if you signed up just because you had nothing better to do), skip the next step.

#  Make and follow a Facebook schedule. After each Facebook [[Accomplish a Goal|goal]], write down how much time and at what frequency you'll need to be on Facebook to achieve that goal. Then write down the total number of hours, per week, that you should be spending on Facebook. If it seems like too much time, adjust your activity times accordingly. Following this schedule might bring your Facebook addiction under control without requiring you to quit altogether. Some examples

#*Stay in touch with [[Make Friends in College|college friends]] - Check every other day, spend no more than 15 minutes responding to messages only from college friends. (1 hour per week)

#*Maintain my [[Create a New Facebook Group|group]] - Check every morning and evening for 10 minutes each, only to remove any spam or junk. Note to self: do not respond to posts, comments or messages during this time. (2 hours, 20 minutes per week)

#*Keep my group interesting - Spend 30 minutes every other day reading all of the comments and responding. (2 hours per week)

#*Finding new friends - Browse profiles for 30 minutes, twice a week. (1 hour per week)

#*Total maximum time I plan to spend on Facebook: 6 hours, 20 minutes.

#Think of other things you could be doing with your time spent on Facebook. If you [[Find Yourself|find yourself]] spending, say, 10 hours a week on Facebook, make a list of all the other things you could accomplish in that time. You could:

#*Pick up a [[Become a Part Time Caregiver|part time job]] and [[Invest in Stocks|invest that money in stocks]].
#*Teach a [[Read Aloud to a Child|child]] how to [[Throw a Football|throw a football]].
#*[[Get Fit|Get fit]].
#*[[Get a Girlfriend|Get a girlfriend]].
#*Spend real time [[Socialize|socializing]] with people really in your life.
#*Build a [[Build a Gas Scooter|gas scooter]] or an [[Build an Adobe Wall|Adobe Wall]]
#*[[Clean Your Room|Clean your room]].
#*[[Calculate Center of Gravity|Calculate the center of gravity]].
#*[[Volunteer|Volunteer]].
#*[[Read a Book|Read a book]].
#*[[Teach Yourself a New Language|Teach yourself a new language]].
#*[[Make a Papasan Chair Cushion|Make a papasan chair cushion]].
#*Listen to music and make it a routine. An album per day or so.

# Block the time you spend on Facebook. You can use a free self control program called  to temporarily disable your access to popular social media websites. Parental control programs such as [http://www.internettimer.net EzInternetTimer] or [http://www.timesupkidz.com/ TimeUpKidz] can also help.

#' If you've created a schedule and couldn't stick to it, or if you've decided that ''any'' time spent on Facebook is wasted, then you may need to quit cold turkey. This is a last resort, and is easier said than done. There are two options here. You can deactivate your account or delete your account:

#*[[Deactivate a Facebook Account|Deactivate your Facebook Account]] - this lets you take a breather without losing the information; or

#*[[Permanently Delete a Facebook Account|Permanently delete your Facebook account]] - this is the real end, everything will go!

#* If you've started any groups, transfer admin rights to someone you trust.

#*  Clear every last bit of information from your profile. Don't forget to remove your [[Create a Digital Photo Collage with Wondershare Photo Collage Studio|photo]]!

#*Send an [[Write an Email to a Friend|email]] to your Facebook contacts explaining your decision to leave. Include your current contact information so they can get in touch with you without Facebook.

#  Find alternatives to using Facebook. If you've gotten into the habit of using Facebook messages instead of [[Email a Professor|email]], update your email address book so you can get in touch with your friends next week and continue your correspondence outside of Facebook.

#Turn your profile into a pile of useless data!  This is another way to "delete" a Facebook account, and you might have fun doing it. When you wake up the next day, your profile is gone. For good. Amen.

#*Delete all your "friends" - unless you want to show the World you're quitting for good.

#*Change the profile’s name - you can do that. Be sure to choose something really lousy.

#*Fill it up with offensive content - texts, dubious pics and all.

#*State clearly that Facebook employees are just a bunch of - beep - beep - beep - fill in the beeps with the most politically incorrect insults.

#*Invite lots of randomly picked people to become your “friends”.

#Find a Facebook substitute. A lot of people get addicted to Facebook because they check it when there's nothing else to do, like in between [[Take Online Distance Education Classes|classes]], or during a [[Pack a Lunch Box|lunch]] break; then the curiosity spills over into time that should be spent doing other things, like studying or working. You need to find something to do during those little windows of time in order to prevent relapse. There are several ways to give yourself a "Facebook patch"

#*Stay away from the computer as much as you can. For many of us, getting in front of a monitor is a default activity. Try to find other things to do that'll keep you away from the computer and therefore, Facebook. [[Keep a Notebook|Keep a notebook]]. [[Meditate]]. [[Finger Weave|Finger weave]]. Learn to do [[Impress People With a Tech Deck|impressive tricks with a tech deck]]. Read a book. Call your friends on the phone or do something fun with them in person. Anything that you can do anywhere and for short periods of time is good.

#*If you're at a computer during critical relapse times, find another [[Find a Website|website]] to log onto and read instead of Facebook. Yes, you may get addicted to that instead, so try to find something that's actually a constructive pursuit, such as checking news sites like CNN, learning a new word each day, sharpening your mental skills by solving a [[Solve a Sudoku|sudoku]], practicing that [[Pass a Foreign Language Class|foreign language]] you decided to learn, or contributing to the [http://www.wikihow.com/Main-Page How-to Manual Anyone Can Edit].

#  If then you are unable to leave Facebook, nothing else can be done.

TIPS ON HOW TO STOP PROCRASTINATING:  http://depression.about.com/cs/selfhelp/a/procrastination_2.htm

DESIGN PROCESS. BRIEF 1. How to prepare a christmas meal without stress.

The Christmas lunch (or dinner)




Preparing a meal for family and friends can be enjoyable but tiring and stressful at the same time.


Some tips to reduce the stress of Christmas cooking include:


If you are cooking lunch at home, delegate tasks. You don't need to do everything yourself.
Consider keeping it simple – for instance, you could always arrange for a 'buffet' lunch, where everybody brings a platter.
Make a list of food and ingredients needed. Buy as many non-perishable food items as you can in advance – supermarkets on Christmas Eve are generally extremely busy.
Write a Christmas Day timetable. For example, 11.30am – put turkey in the oven.
You may need to order particular food items (such as turkeys) from your supermarket by a certain date. Check to avoid disappointment.
Consider doing your food shopping online. The store will deliver your groceries to your door. (Keep in mind this option is more expensive than visiting the supermarket yourself.)
Book well in advance if you plan to have lunch at a restaurant. Some restaurants may be fully booked for months before Christmas, so don't wait till the last minute.


Reference: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Christmas_tips_to_reduce_the_stress


A 1997 Gallup poll found that 29 percent of Americans found the Christmas holidays more stressful than enjoyable. I doubt these numbers have gone down much in the last ten years, but you do not need to let stress ruin your holidays! By making conscious decisions and setting priorities, you can stay in control this holiday season.



Boss Yourself


At back-to-school night this year, my first-grade daughter’s teacher told us parents that she frequently tells a tattling child to “Boss yourself.” What this means, she explained, is that the child should make sure she is doing the right thing instead of paying so much attention to what the other children are doing. I loved this saying and have been using it at home with my children as well.



Ummm, so what does this have to do with Christmas stress? Well, the same guidelines can apply for Christmas as well. Don’t worry about what other people are getting their kids for Christmas. Don’t worry that the neighbors across the street already have their lights up and you can’t even remember where yours are. Don’t worry that the cookies you are bringing to the cookie exchange are store-bought instead of homemade. You and you family need to decide where you want to spend your time and money this holiday season and don’t worry about what anyone else is doing.



Give Yourself the Gift of Time


Christmas was not meant to be packed into a day. The “Twelve Days of Christmas” is more than just a song, after all. Christmas is a season that goes from December 24-January 6. That gives you 12 more days to get your Christmas cards sent out!



You can also give yourself the gift of time by cutting out activities no one really enjoys. Ask everyone in you family to pick on or two Christmas activities they really enjoy, and then focus on getting those activities done. Let everything else go.



Set a Budget and Stick to It


Extra expenses can certainly make you feel stressed out. Don’t judge the success of your Christmas by the number of packages under the tree. If you have a large family you buy presents for, suggest some ways to help reduce costs for everyone:
Buy gifts just for the children
Draw names so everyone buys a gift for only one person
Set a limit on the cost of gifts
Give homemade gifts


When you do go shopping for gifts, shop early in the Christmas season to avoid the last-minute crowds. Also consider shopping online. Many retailers offer free shipping during the holidays.



Cook Up Some Memories


So many memories involve food! Food plays a very important role in Christmas celebrations, from cookies to candies to Christmas dinners. If you enjoy cooking and baking, you’ll love this part of Christmas. If you don’t…remember our Christmas rule for this year: Boss yourself. Buy goodies, trade with friends, or just decide to be healthy and skip the treats altogether.



Even if you enjoy baking, it can be hard to find time to get it done at Christmas. It’s fun to set aside one day and have a marathon baking day with a friend. You enjoy special time together, and at the end of the day, you split all the goodies. Another option is to have a cookie exchange with a group of friends, where everyone brings a treat and you all share the goodies.



What about Christmas dinner? Growing up in my family, Christmas dinner was basically a repeat of Thanksgiving dinner. This meant that as soon as the presents were opened Christmas morning, it was time to head to the kitchen and start cooking. When I wanted to play with my new toys, I was peeling potatoes instead. To get yourself out of the kitchen this year,
Start a new tradition and change your menu. A crock pot full of soup, tacos, or lasagna can make a great Christmas meal. You don’t have to eat turkey or ham.
If you do want a more traditional meal, make it a potluck and ask people to bring items.
Order some items from a restaurant or grocery store.


Take Care of Yourself


You know the rules for taking care of yourself – get enough sleep, eat right, exercise, drink plenty of water. It’s just following the rules that is tough. The busier you are, though, the more important it is that you take care of yourself. You won’t be any good to anyone if you get sick.



Whether or not your regularly write in a journal, try keeping a holiday journal. A journal will help you next year remember what you enjoyed and what you didn’t enjoy. You can also use it to reflect on your blessings and your spiritual journey through the Christmas season. By adding to your journal each year, you will create a wonderful keepsake for your family as well as a record to help you make Christmas better each year.







Link: http://www.more4kids.info/569/christmas-tips-to-reduce-stress/









The Christmas lunch (or dinner) Stress reduction strategies include:
If you are cooking lunch at home, delegate tasks. You don't need to do everything yourself.
Consider keeping it simple - for instance, you could always arrange for a 'buffet' lunch, where everybody brings a platter.
Buy as many non-perishable food items as you can in advance - supermarkets on Christmas Eve are generally extremely busy.
You may need to order particular food items (such as turkeys) from your supermarket by a certain date. Check to avoid disappointment.
Consider doing your food shopping online. The store will deliver your groceries to your door. (Keep in mind this option is more expensive than visiting the supermarket yourself.)
Book well in advance if you plan to have lunch at a restaurant. Some restaurants may be fully booked for months before Christmas, so don't wait till the last minute.






Link: http://www.new-you.tv/portal/web/new-you/tips_christmas_stress

DESIGN PROCESS. BRIEF 1. Group: Cooking. How to save time.

1. Order a meal

Instead of cooking we can of course order a meal from numerous sources. For example – home delivery from local restaurants, weight loss meal providers, and gourmet meal providers.
When you order home delivery, you are not just saving on meal preparation time; you are saving time on grocery buying, and saving time on cleaning up. (These extra savings should be factored into any price concerns).

2. Bulk cooking and using leftovers

Cooking in larger quantities reduces the average preparation time per meal. This strategy involves cooking enough to supply two or more mealtimes.

3. Set up an organized and well-stocked kitchen

Some items to consider:

• Is your kitchen organized in such a way that you can easily find things and start cooking? Perhaps you need to rethink the way your kitchen is organized. A good test might be if someone else can find things in your kitchen.
• Are the most used items in the most accessible locations? Are items logically grouped? (e.g. –the bowls are all together)
• Is your fridge and pantry stocked with all the ingredients you need to cook? How often do you need to do random shopping trips for missing ingredients?

4. Share the preparation work

“Many hands make light work” (old proverb).
Obviously there is a lot more to meal preparation than cooking. So if you want to save time consider getting others involved in (say) the shopping, chopping, preparation, table setting, and of course the cleaning up afterwards. Train your kids when they are young.

5. Weekly meals with extended family or friends

A number of households I know (including ours) have a weekly meal with the extended family. In addition to the weekly catch up, there is the benefit of a reduction in (or sharing of) the meal preparation time.

6. Advanced meal planning

If you plan most of your meals in advance (say weekly or fortnightly) then you can save a lot of time. Planning in advance may involve some or all of the following - Deciding in advance what to cook; preparing an appropriate shopping list and doing the required shopping in one trip; package and label the groceries to facilitate the meal planning; and pre-cook or pre-prepare some items. Some websites also offer on-line meal plans to aid the process. Read more about advanced meal planning.

7. Buy Time-saving kitchen tools to get the job done quicker

Do you have the necessary equipment in your kitchen to get the job done quickly? For example – can-openers, food processors, dishwasher safe items (if you use a dishwasher). Read our top time-saving tools in the kitchen.

8. Buy pre-prepared food items

Buying pre-prepared food items will save you time in getting a meal ready. For example - marinated meats, pre-shredded cheese or carrot, cake mixtures, etc.

9. Build a repertoire of quick meals

Building a repertoire of quick and healthy meals will save a lot of time. Do you have some quick and healthy meals you can prepare in (say) 15 minutes? For example, 15 minute pasta dish. If not, consider spending some time to find a few dishes to enable minimal cooking time in the kitchen. Here's our list of 15 minute quick and health recipes.

10. Simplify what you eat

The last option is to simplify what you eat. Perhaps a cooked meal could be replaced by (say) some bread and fruit, or perhaps a soup. Eating light and simple meals can also give your digestive system a break.


Link: http://www.cravetime.com/save-time/household/save-time-cooking-meal-preparation

TOP 9 time-saving tools in the kitchen:

1. Microwave

For heating up frozen vegetables, melting butter or defrosting meat, the microwave oven remains a staple for the time-savvy cook. Who would try and live today without a Microwave?

2. Sharp Knives

A collection of frequently sharpened knives will not only save time but they are also safer.

3. Immersion blender

When it comes to making soups and sauces, nothing saves time more than an immersion blender, also known as a hand or stick blender. This item allows you to turn solid foods into puree in just minutes and can be cleaned by briefly rinsing in the sink.

4. Mini food processor

If you’re pinched for time and have lots of vegetables to cut, a miniature food processor can do the job in just seconds with the press of a single button. Smaller units are especially great because most of the parts are dishwasher safe and take up only a small amount of room.

5. Digital cookbook or laptop

Thanks to the Internet, we now have thousands of recipes at our fingertips, and having a laptop or digital cookbook in the kitchen brings new recipes directly to you, without having to waste paper or worry about organizing cookbooks. Careful not to splatter, though!

6. Slow cooker

Your grandmother’s favorite method of cooking big family meals is regaining popularity in modern times as a great time saver for busy families. Slow cooker recipes require you to just chop and toss ingredients into the cooker and then let it do the hard work throughout the day, ready for you to enjoy when you get home.

7. Dishwasher

Saving time isn’t relegated simply to the process of cooking meals. A quality dishwasher can save you hours of dishwashing after dinner, when you most want to be relaxing.

8. Bread machine

Homemade bread not only tastes much better than store-bought bread, it’s also far healthier. As much as we’d all love to have homemade bread in the house every day, most of us do not have the time to make it. Bread machines offer a simple alternative by making homemade bread a fast and easy process.

9. Rice cooker

For perfectly cooked rice with minimal effort, a rice cooker is a great option. Set it and then carry on with preparing other parts of your meal. In twenty minutes your rice is ready.

Quick and healthy 15 minute meals: 

http://www.cravetime.com/save-time/household/quick-healthy-meals

Save Time Cooking by Planning Your Meals Ahead

2 February, 2011 - 14:24 — CraveTime-Team

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Image: winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

No matter what you do, planning ahead will save you time. This is especially true when it comes to grocery shopping and cooking for your family. Planning ahead means that you don't have to waste time trying to think of what you will cook tonight. It also avoids the annoying situation where you decide to cook something but then realise that you're missing an important ingredient and have to make a last minute dash to the grocery store. I've done that before.

Planning your family meals a week or two ahead of time will also reduce waste - think of all those veggies that have gone moldy. It also helps when a meal needs additional preparation for example you need to take something out of the freezer or marinate some meat.

If you think that advance meal planning might work for you and your family, here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Pull together a selection of trusted recipes – Whether they are from your personal collection, from a book or from the Internet, pull together all of the recipes that you are sure your family will eat and enjoy. Including fast and easy recipes such as spaghetti with frozen meatballs, tacos, pasta bakes or pan-fried fish with frozen vegetables into your regular meal rotation will aid in timesavings.
2. Organize a pattern to your meal plans – You don’t have to eat the same food every Sunday or Monday, but if you set a basic pattern to your meal schedule, you’ll find it even easier to stick with the plan. For instance, if you cook a roast on Sunday, Monday’s meal will include the roast leftovers in fajitas. Fridays may always be pizza, but you can switch the ingredients every week. Thursday may be ground beef night or vegetarian night. Set the pattern in way that works for you

If doing all of this on your own seems overwhelming, there are some great online sites that can assist in creating meal schedules for you, including detailed shopping lists and with the ability to alter ingredients to include more of your family’s favorite foods. Try MealsMatter.org

With a little preplanning, you and your family will have extra time to enjoy together.