DIY Keyboard Pad via @BethanyMota #lifehack #bartersugar #startup #workspace #creative

1:30 PM 0 Comments

After watching this video on how to create your own DIY keyboard pad for your work space, you might lose a few hours picking out your ideal wallpaper (so...many...beautiful choices!).

Send us photos of the DIY keyboards you make, and we'll feature them on our blog. :) 

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Working Moms Are The Most Productive People in the Workforce via @DailyLifeAu #trade #bartersugar #lifehack #startup

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Studies have confirmed what many of us have suspected all along - working mothers are the most productive people in the labor force.   Read more about the best people who created us all here.

Our favorite part:

A study by Ernst & Young has found women working part-time are the most productive in the workforce. Or rather, they waste the least amount of time at work of all workers, just 11.1 per cent compared to 14.5 per cent for the rest of the workforce.

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11 Methods Highly Productive People Do via @forbes #smart #startup #smallbiz #bartersugar

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Put that remote down, crumple up and put a clip on those half-eaten bag of chips, and read this article, which outlines 11 ways highly productive people maintain their efficiency.

Our favorite part:

They Go off The Grid
Don’t be afraid to go off grid when you need to. Give one trusted person a number to call in case of emergency, and let that person be your filter. Everything has to go through them, and anything they don’t clear has to wait. This strategy is a bulletproof way to complete high-priority projects.

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3D Printed Glasses By Persian Artist in Shanghai via @boredpanda #creative #bartersugar #art #culture

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What do you get when you 3D print glasses with removable covers that you can change to suit your current mood or out fit?  A lot of fun, and even more when it's on the streets of Shanghai.

See all of Nasim Sehat's 3D printed glasses here.

Our favorite part:

“We asked the people to come up with the best name for each type of biz-eyes.”

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How to Find the Remote Work Space For You via pickcrew #cowork #remote #freelance #bartersugar #startup

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Where you should work largely depends on what you're doing.  Is it in-depth research for a presentation that you need to memorize?  Is it creative - like graphic design or digital modeling?  The continued ambient buzz of a coworking space or coffee shop might work in some cases, while in others a pin-drop quiet library or home-office would work in others.

Here is how you find what remote work space is right for you.

Our favorite part:

...studies have even shown that moving closer to work and shortening our commute can actually make us happier.

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Barter Babysitting Services to Destress as Parents via @flmblog #bartersugar #parents #babysitting #children

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Some days you find yourself with enough time to relax, sip a steaming cup of coffee and look out your favorite contemplation window.

Other days, you wonder if there really are 24 hours in a day since 12 of them just passed, and you've barely made a dent in your to-do list, leaving you stressed. 

If you're a parent nodding your head to this, then read further about how this notable blogger recommends bartering babysitting services to free up time when you need it.

Our favorite part:

[...]exchange babysitting services this way you both get the break you need with out spending a dime.

Join bartersugar.com, and barter with a professional baby sitter so you have more time to relax.

Cute DIY Monster Stencils and Crayon Holders from Shampoo Bottles via @usefuldiy #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy

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Summer is here, and that means fun, easy DIY homemade crafts with the family.   For all the loose pencils, pens, crayons, stencils and everything in between, look no further than this article outlining how to turn your shampoo bottles into adorable monster stencil and pencil holders.

Just don't get afraid when you turn the lights off!

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4 Steps to Dispel a Bad Mood via @harvardbiz @JeremyHirshberg #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy

1:30 PM 1 Comments

Everyone gets into funks or is irritable on occasion.  If we're lucky, the feeling passes quickly, but if we aren't, it can boil into anger or even a panic attack.

Try these 4 Steps to Dispel a Bad Mood, and let us know if they worked for you, or if we should post a follow-up to these steps.


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Free To-Do List Apps via @rogerdooley #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy

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Part of being productive is having enough organization to know what needs to be done and ranking it in order of importance.   Of course, good ol' paper and pencil works, but in the interest of going green and promoting environmentally sustainable habits, try moving to a to-do app on your phone, specifically any of the free ones listed here.

Our favorite part:

According to research by the folks at iDoneThis (more on that app below), 41% of to-do tasks are never completed.

Join bartersugar.com, and knock off more tasks on your to-do list faster. After all, it's easier and faster for you to do what you know in exchange to receive something you don't know how to do in return rather than taking the time to learn it.

The Comprehensive Hack Kit for Hardware Hackathons via @hackaday #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy #hackathon #lifehack

1:30 PM 0 Comments

Photo from HackaDay

If you're wondering how to adequately prepare for your hardware hackathon coming up, look no further than HackaDay's coverage of Kenji Larsen's complete hardware hackathon suitcase. 

Our favorite part:

He has all the necessary tools like hemostat, x-acto blade, steel ruler, and magnifying glasses. There’s even a 3D printer in the bag

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9 Powerful Methods For Improving Your Days via @marcandangel #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy

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Starting your day right is important.  It sets the stage for how you'll perform for the rest of the day, and how happy and productive you'll be.  So before you head out the door - with a tummy full of a healthy breakfast we hope - use these 9 approaches for improving your day.

Our favorite part:

Tracking and measuring your progress.

You are always moving toward something, but YOU have to decide what that something is.  Don’t let someone else decide for you.  From where you stand now you can go anywhere.  There are paths leading in every imaginable direction.  What matters the most right now is the next step you take.

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Reports Show Bilungal Speakers Are More Creative and Smarter via @elitedaily #language #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy

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If you haven't picked up a second language by now, do it.  It has never been easier.  You can use phone apps and video chat to practice with a native speaker from anywhere in the world.  Beyond gaining a new perspective and broadening your horizons, it turns out that a dearth of studies are showing people who speak more than one language are prone to creativity, higher intelligence, and a few other advantages this article lays out.

Our favorite part:

Psychology Today reports people who are bilingual can fluidly respond to challenging tasks and come up with more creative problem-solving techniques than those who only use one language.

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24 Incredibly Healthy Life Hacks for Today via @techeblog #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy

1:30 PM 0 Comments

We guarantee you do not know all of these really creative and healthy life hacks unless you've read this article before, but you should know them.

Our favorite part is the photo above about how to get rid of neck and back pain, which we get all the time from having turtle posture most of the day.

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25 Things Creatives Pick Up Instantly via @lifehackerorg #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy

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Consider yourself a creative or are hunting the digital streets for your perfect artistic match?  Here are 25 things that come up on the creative's radar.

Our favorite part:

Facts will never move the human heart like storytelling can. Highly creative people, especially artists, know this and weave stories into everything they do. It takes longer for them to explain something, explaining isn’t the point. The experience is.

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When Staying Is Actually Settling via @elitedaily #travel #startup #bartersugar #nomad #lifehack #diy

1:30 PM 0 Comments

Wanderlust...something we can never quite get rid of as entrepreneurs.  Maybe it's the continued new challenges, and unknown twists that is the most appealing part of starting your own business.   Once you've overcome one challenge, another awaits.

This article reminds us why a constant change is not only desirable, but is what helps us redefine ourselves.

Our favorite part:

Whether it’s a new apartment or a new city, starting over isn’t about changing your scene, but the way you’re living in it. It’s about opening your eyes again, walking to the ledge and looking up, down and across, once again comprehending the vastness of life that sits openly waiting for you.

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6 Habits of Optimists via @marcandangel #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy

1:30 PM 0 Comments

A wise sugar cube teacher once told us that if we were unhappy with our lives, that all we had to do is change one tiny habit, and it would ripple throughout our days, weeks and eventually, change the entire direction we were headed.

When we read this article, it reminded us of our teacher's advice.  Hope you find these useful as well.

Our favorite part:

An optimist believes in the optimal usage of all the available options, no matter how narrow the supply.  As a result, optimistic people are able to better see the bigger picture.  They can more accurately visualize and mange the present possibilities.  In other words, an optimist is simply a positive realist.

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Scientific Study Behind Messiness Being the Sign of a Creative Mind via @elitedaily #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy

1:30 PM 0 Comments

Sometimes the only time you really feel the irresistible urge to clean your desk or living space is when you know your parents are visiting, because deep down you know they still get disappointed at the clutter.   Fortunately, we found this article that you can cite to defend yourself as simply being a creative that is thriving in the natural environment of creatives.

Our favorite part:

Consider this from Albert Einstein, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, then what are we to think of an empty desk?”

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DIY Frame Shelves for the Summer via @shanty2chic #startup #bartersugar #lifehack

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Need a DIY project that you can complete in a day?

Here is an article that will teach you how to make those stylish frame shelves in the photo above.

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Google Translate Just Got Better for Travelers via @huffpost #bartersugar #startup #traveler #lifehack

1:30 PM 0 Comments

As a sugar cube family that has tried translation apps on the go, we are excited to read that Google Translate will now automatically support text translation by pointing your phone's camera lens at the text.  Further, Google Translate will automatically detect the language.

You can read more here. 

We can't wait to try this out on our next international adventure, let us know what you think!

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25 Life Facts to Remember When You're Down via @marcandangel #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy

1:30 PM 0 Comments

It's hard being a startup or small business owner.  Seemingly impossible sometimes.  Keeping perspective on the larger picture is pivotal to avoiding being downcast for long periods of time.

Here are 25 things to remember when you are feeling low, that will pick you back up again.

Our favorite part:

Where you are right now is a necessary step. – Sometimes we avoid experiencing exactly where we are because we have developed a belief, based on our ideals, that it is not where we should be or want to be.  But the truth is, where you are right now is exactly where you need to be to get to where you want to go tomorrow.

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5 Ways to Make Your Video Stream Faster via @mashable #startup #bartersugar #lifehack #diy

1:30 PM 0 Comments

Waiting for a video to buffer is so common it almost seems like a permanent toll you have to pay to stream video on the web.  Luckily, we found this article that shows you five hacks to speeding up your video stream speed and shortening your buffer time.

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