Although I’m rugged up in a faux-fur hoodie and ugg boots on this cold and rainy winter’s day in Sydney, my northern hemisphere friends are enjoying the start of summer.

So I thought I’d pull together some of my posts on getting organized, having fun, and making the most of the holidays for you lucky, sun-drenched peeps.

1. Be Happy & Have Fun

11 Great Reasons To Be Happy

Happiness isn’t a selfish goal. In fact it’s related to giving more in our world. Here are 11 of the advantages that go along with happiness – and 11 great reasons to be happy!

Your Happiness Depends On Your Thoughts

Can you trace the way you feel back to the way you think? I sure notice a cause-and-effect relationship between my thoughts and my happiness…

3 Strategies For Having – And Being – More Fun

Do people tell you you’re no fun? After working in large financial institutions for over a decade it took a long time to get my feeling-groovy groove back. Here are 3 strategies for having, and being, more fun that I learned along the way.

How To Feel Happier Now? Face It!

A number of studies suggest our feelings are strengthened, perhaps even stimulated, by the faces we make. What face are you making now?

How to be Happier: A Scientifically Proven Strategy that Costs Nada

Psychologists have scientifically tested (yep, we’re talking unwitting participants, experiments, statistical analysis, peer-reviewed journals) whether appreciating good things leads to greater happiness. And guess what – it does!

2. Get Ready for School

Student Success: How To Become A SMART Student Before Summer’s Over

To get a jump start on a great academic year, set some college or school goals – and make them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Framed – SMART. Follow these 5 easy steps and you’ll be on your way.

Successful New Year’s Resolutions: 3 Things You Must Know To Achieve Goals and Change Habits

Important lessons for making changes – and they apply any time of the year.

Your Child’s School Progress: How to Stop Worrying and Start Organizing

Get that worry out of your head and do something useful with it. By thinking constructively about things you can do and making a plan for actions you can take, you save yourself stress and improve your ability to help your child.

3. Get Organized and Declutter

52 Organizing Missions – Join the Movement that’s Changing Lives

Join the thousands of people who’ve committed to completing just one 30-minute organizing mission a week. Easy peasy! Missions include decluttering, personal organization and goal-setting across life areas.

My Partner is a Hoarder. Help!

Lots of ideas for living with a hoarder and helping them to change – if they’re ready.

Organize Your Evening Ritual: 10 Things To Do At Night For A Good Morning

The way you bid the world adieu each night affects the way the world greets you the next day. Here are 10 simple things to do before bed that help to make the morning a good one.

4. Make The Most of Your Holidays

Getting Organized for Happier Holidays: My Top 3 Tips

To help you to get things done, keep your cool, and have a good time, here are my top 3 happy-holiday tips.

How To Be A More Organized Traveler – Around The World or In Your Car

Helpful tips on getting organized for travel, at opposite ends of the travel scale.

5. Don’t Overindulge

Organizing Q & A: A Morsel a Day Keeps the Bingeing Away

Some ideas to help you avoid overdoing it on holidays.

Get Organized for Better Quality Rest/Recreation: Have a TV Viewing Policy

In a world where the options run from the sublime to Jerry Springer, you need to protect yourself from crap TV that slowly and painfully sucks your soul out through your eyeballs. Here’s how..

More Good Stuff for the Family

My friend Susan Heid (@ConfidentMom) has just released a nifty family calendar for the summer holidays. There’s an activity to do with the kids for every day, with a link to more instructions for each activity. Very practical and fun!

[Image: by h.koppdelaney]

Related posts:

1. A Postcard from Summer in Sydney…
2. 11 Great Reasons To Be Happy
3. Design Your Life UPDATE: Cool New Stuff For Members