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Try Adblock Plus. It blocks banners, pop-ups and video ads, even on facebook and YouTube. It's a free product with more than 200 million downloads.

It's available at: https://adblockplus.org/en

Phil Bradley in CILIP's Information Update.

Storing Cheeses

The best way to store cheese sold in sealed plastic wrappers is to remove the plastic wrapping as soon as possible. Then wrap in greaseproof or waxed paper and place in food bag but don't seal it completely.

More Too Much to Do?

Here are some more ideas for getting more organised.

• Put everything you need to deal with (could be work, household or fun) in your in-tray. If there is no paperwork, write a note for it.
• Go through each item and bin or file anything that doesn't need action, delegate where possible and deal at once with anything that will take less than two minutes to do.
• Put everything else on an 'actions' list. Write time sensitive actions (those that have a deadline) in your diary.
• For jobs with multiple parts, set up a project folder and put one task from it on your 'actions' list. 
• Review the list daily.

From Getting Things Done by David Allen.

Stop putting things off

•  Instead of setting yourself unrealistic targets, aim to do no more than 30 minutes of work at a time.
• Schedule sleep, meals, leisure and appointments in your diary and don't feel guilty about enjoying that time. 
• Don't schedule in work - it just creates stress. Only add it in after you have completed it, so you can record what you have achieved.
• Set a reverse calendar. Think back from the goal (a party, a wedding, an ambition) and set deadlines to the present.

From The Now Habit by Neil Fiore

[Both in a feature on self help books in Good Housekeeping July 2013]

Digital File Extensions

We probably all recognise the most common file extensions (.doc, .ppt, jpeg, etc) but there are thousands of different extensions around.

Try using Wolfram | Alpha. Put in the extension, with the full stop, and it will tell you what the full name is, the type and supporting applications.

Alternatively point your browser to: http://pc.net/extensions/ or www.file-extensions.org/

Phil Bradley in CILIP's Information Update.

Too Much To Do?

Life can get very busy, so how do we cope? Here are a few ideas.

• Prioritise: Choose three jobs each day that you must get done. Anything else you achieve that day is a bonus.
• Concentrate on one thing at a time: Multi-tasking is a myth - you are actually flipping from one task to another. Each time you switch activities, you brain takes a moment to catch up - which slows you down.
• Control your email checking: Only check emails twice a day. Keep replies to five sentences.

From The Power of Less by Leo Babauta

Successful people cultivate useful habits, such as the following:

• Get up early - you'll feel less rushed and less likely to forget things.
• Keep your phone charged.
• Watch the news - but only once a day.
• Schedule appointments (e.g. haircuts, dental appointments) well in advance and note in your diary or on your phone.
• Keep receipts and minutes of meetings or lists.
• Service things before they break rather than fix them when they go wrong.

From The Edge by Michael Heppel (he calls successful people 'Edgers')

[Both from a feature on self help books in Good Housekeeping, July 2013]