January 2023
Clickable January Newsletter by Ashley Evans
Using Notion to Help Organize Your Move
Welp, it's happening again...I'm moving. I have moved over 11 times in the past 6 years. I know what you're thinking. How is that even possible? Well, when you work in the apartment industry and get transferred between properties - let's just say you get pretty familiar with cardboard boxes and moving trucks. But, this move is different! My boyfriend and I are making a leap and moving in together and I could not be happier. We've found the perfect house for rent in Lakeland, TN. It has tons of natural light and MORE than enough space for the two of us and our little dog Roo. Most of my stuff has been living in a storage unit for the past year while I lived at home with my parents. I was so excited when I went to visit my stuff for the first time once we got approved for the house. I said "Hey stuff! You have a home again!". Now with all the pleasantries out of the way, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty and actually start getting organized for this move. Recently, my lovely boyfriend (and soon-to-be roomie!), told me about a software application called Notion. Notion is an organizational tool equipped with the ability to take your note-taking & even database entry to a whole new level. Seriously you guys, this app has changed my life. I am now using it to organize honestly every part of my life, from a degree progress tracker, social media planning for Mem2Arl, and now my move! The best part? IT'S FREE! Here's how I am using it to keep my head straight during this stressful (but super exciting) time. Disclaimer - I am still a newbie at Notion. There are some seriously impressive templates out there. You literally just have to google "Notion Templates" and you can find pretty much a template for anything. The first thing I wanted to create was a Task List. I am a to-do list queen, and I get it from your other favorite realtor, my mom. I have to break down big projects, like a move, into bite-size chunks in order to not get overwhelmed. With Notion, you can create tables with different types of clickable columns. You see I can create custom tags to set priority levels and even put in a status tracker as well. The other great thing is I can add deadlines to items and then change to view to a calendar and BOOM! There it is in a calendar view. You can also create a plain ole checklist. That makes a super satisfying noise when you check something off! I also was able to make a Moving Expense Chart as well. Notion has some very similar features to Excel where it can do basic calculations and even more. Now that I'm organized I can finally start focusing on what really matters - filling up those cardboard boxes. You know "the fun part". If you want to see a real pro use Notion to organize her packing on a WHOLE OTHER LEVEL check out this video here: Ready to check out Notion for yourself click the link here: Download Notion For Free
August is Vacation Time!
August is my and my husband’s anniversary month. Every year we try and take a trip big or small to commemorate, celebrate and connect. This year we went to St. Simons Island in Georgia, then up to Highlands, NC. Beach to mountains in one trip! Personally, I am not a beach person. The sound and view, I freely admit being very relaxing, but the SAND is a nightmare to me. Oh, did I mention the HEAT? Shopping and food were the draw for me. St. Simons did not disappoint on the food. Seafood was abundant and fresh. My favorite place was Fiddler’s. They have bowls with coconut rice and seafood that is take on Japanese in a southern way. It was delish. My lunch became my supper as I had leftovers. They also made a mean margarita. Check them out if you are ever in the area. (https://fiddlersat410arnold.com/) Shopping was about what you would expect of a beach town with all the t-shirts and towels. We found two shops that I just loved. Simons on Mallery had the best home décor items. Viola’s Market, https://www.violasmarket.com/, was a treasure of home décor and outdoor items. They had the most beautiful birds I have ever seen, think colors of a parrot but in a small Finch size. Here I found an wrought iron, sturdy rain gauge for the yard which I have already gotten to use. St. Simons Island obviously has a golf course, but the water and marsh views are outstanding. The lighthouse is a must check out even if you cannot make it up the 129 steps to the top. The history of the lighthouse was enlightening. Have you ever heard of using cabbage as a gas to burn a clean, bright light? Well for a time they did. It was expensive and the local farmers did not want to grow the crop. Cotton was king. If you want some history, take a trip over to Jekyll Island. At one time in the past, the island was the summer home to the whose who in rich society, like the Vanderbilts and Carnegie. These families built their summer cottages here. These cottages are still in existence and are available for rental. Their clubhouse is now a hotel. The south side of the island has a beautiful park that offers some great sunset views. From St. Simons, we headed to the Highlands, NC for some cooler weather and it did not disappoint with highs in the lower 80’s upper 70’s. We have been all over the Smoky Mountains and had never heard of the Highlands. We did not know what we were missing out on. The Highlands boost some great gift and specialty shopping and some majorly good food. Some of our best meals of the trip were here. Check out The Primary, https://primaryhnc.com/ , for lunch or dinner. First class margarita and delicious food. We stayed at an old motel called the Skyline Lodge, https://skyline-lodge.com/ . This hotel was designed by an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright. This is a family friendly, girl’s weekend, wedding place. Hotel rooms on each side with a center courtyard for fire pit and smores, with corn hole as well. This area is capped off with The Oak Room restaurant in the Lodge at the end. To learn more, click the link. https://www.oaksteakhouserestaurant.com/location/oak-steakhouse-highlands/ From Highlands, we headed home via Knoxville through the Tail of the Dragon. The Tail of the Dragon is a stretch of road through the smokies that has about 300 curves(turns) in 11 miles. What a ride. (https://tailofthedragon.com/smoky-mountain-loop/) If you get car sick, this is not the drive for you. We stopped and had lunch at the Tapoco Tavern, https://tapoco.com/dining/ . Loved the blue cheese chips. After surviving the dragon, we headed to Knoxville to pick up our new family member. More on that next month!
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