The Library

Yes they have books, but I'm not advocating getting a million books to read...though I strongly encourage it.  

No I'm just making a pitch for using a library for your internet needs

Reasons

1. It is cheaper than paying for it in your house or phone
2. There is a time limit so no life wasting (Yes I'm talking 'bout you Pinterest)
3. It's out of the house...you may notice the world out there and be happy about it!
4. The temptation to grab a new book to read is real...and strong...so strong
5. You may enjoy a coffee and bagel on the way to, or from...maybe with a friend

Basically I'm saying...if you have to work a little harder to get that access...maybe you'll spend less time mindlessly scrolling through funny cat videos and more time purposefully using a valuable tool and finding that you have time for other fun and interesting and interactive things too!  

This is a challenge I'm going to try this fall...yes out of need because I have no house...but I've found it's pretty cool to be efficient and feel good after an internet session instead of drained.

New Year's Decluttering {A Closet Story}

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The wrapping paper is gone, the food coma has worn off, the relatives have evacuated, the New Year approaches and your closet/house/under your bed/spare room/every room is full of new things, presents, the old clutter and and it's overwhelming.  

It's smothering.

It's asphyxiating.

HELP!

I was about to go bonkers with how full my bedroom/home office/living space was getting.  

NO MORE!

Those blogs about minimalist living were calling to me in sweet, steady, simple whispers promising freedom from stuff and methods to dig out from the pile of unnecessary stuff.

This was one of my favorites with some great step-by-step ideas.  I'm not a lock stock and barrel minimalist...but I'm borrowing some practices.

I chose to start at the Achilles heel of most women's accumulation.  

The closet {Insert dramatic Phantom of Opera music}

My first step was to empty the whole contents of closet and shelves onto my bed and line up all of my shoes.  

1} Get everything out where you can see it.  EVERYTHING. no cheating.

2} Get rid of duplicates.  I did this with tennis shoes {and a few other things}.  I have two pairs...old nikes from college, and new-ish trail running shoes that I use now that I live in the boondocks again.  I only use one pair.  So the other goes bye-bye.

3} Hold the garment up and ask honestly. "Do I wear this?"  Don't ask if it's a good brand, a quality piece.  Do you wear it or do you reach past it consistently for something else?  I have a perfect white cardigan, Eddie Bauer brand and everything.  But I ALWAYS reach past it for a gray cardigan I found at a second hand store in Alaska.  It has no tag and the buttons were broken so I took them off...but it's my favorite sweater...it goes with everything...and it doesn't need friends that never go out hanging next to it.  Bye-bye unworn white cardigan.

4} Give question mark garments a trial period.  I have a few really interesting pieces that I never wear but they would make the CUTEST outfit {so I imagine} but somehow those "cutest" outfits never happen. Like the red knit top pictured above...perfect details, so many possibilities...yet still unworn. I took photos of the question marks and gave myself one week to work them into an outfit.  If they don't get worn in that week...off they go.  

5} Bag up the rejects right away.  Don't let the pile be visible or hang about.  Put it in a trash bag by the door on its way to a second hand store or charity.  You'll be surprised how you can't even remember what was gotten rid of.  I can't recall right now and it's been only a few days.  

6} Enjoy your extra space and decreased clutter!

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PS TIP

Make a rule to help yourself not have to do this grueling and emotional process again...or at least not as soon.

Closet Rule: If something goes in, something comes out.  

I'm surprised how well this has already worked.  I received a new scarf and pitched and old one.  Hopefully I can keep up with it and stay disciplined!

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North to Alaska!

Well after the baby boy that is positively precious arrived, I packed my bag and zoomed off to Alaska to visit family and ski. I had intended to go before boy was born but he decided to be early and keep everyone on their toes! 

So here I am in the frigid North, the Last Frontier, the land that Robert Service wrote many a ballad about. 

Yes that is correct. -1.5 degrees. 

On the road sometime I feel like my brain gets behind. I've so many ideas or thoughts or a marketing strategy for my Dad's ranch or a pattern idea for a clutch out of old wool or a new herb garden skematic...how do I remember the gems to be used later when I'm going, going, GONE?! 

PS TIP

Keep a journal. Not a "dear diary" journal or even one with deep content regarding life and eternity. A scratch book. One that can be beat up, pages torn out, things stapled in, one that can go everywhere and handle everything.  

This is mine. 

Picked this Eco-recycled-earth friendly book up at a book shop in Prescott, Arizona. 

I took notes while watching "Band of Brothers" to use to teach leadership.

Ah and here is the map I drew for my Sister-in-law's baby shower. I knew the venue and planned the room and decor from 1,000 miles away by scratching it out on my journal. 

This is guy goes with me everywhere so I have the opportunity to use my ideas or share them at later times because we all know how hard it is to remember that keen idea on the spot when you need it.  

Write. It. Down! 

Enjoy your warmth wherever you are and Happy Monday!

And then it was Saturday

Have you ever had a week where you were trying to catch up on all the things you missed the week before yet no matter how much you accomplished the to-do pile seemed to grow?

That's my week in a rather paper strewn nutshell.

Returning from the hospital and NICU duty and food runs to my little home office...I found myself quite buried in laundry, bills, iPad updates, dirty floors, messy mail folder, prescription pick-up, meetings...GAH!  

This was a wretched beginning.

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{PS Tip}

Make your bed in the morning.  Just do it. Even if your room, house, yard is a mess. You've no idea what the day may hold.  Coming home from a trip, the hospital, or just walking upstairs after supper with the fam...the calming visual effect of a nicely made bed and the restful joy of crawling into that well made bed is beyond compare.  Laundry may be scattered, desk may be heaped, but that place of rest and recharging is ready for you.  Pretty sure that made bed was the only thing that kept me from crying overwhelmed tears upon my return home was seeing my cozy cloud bed all tucked in for me.

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Moving on...

My organized self developed an eye twitch just looking at my desk.  Ugh.  How did neat little me end up with this disaster after just a weekend of absence?  

Instead of starting at the top of the pile and working down, I figured visually seeing all the paper things that needed to be addressed was better. 

This is close to the end of the week...I dare not show how it looked on Monday

ENTER: Old second hand bulletin board painted with chalkboard paint.  Using pushpins, I stuck every bill, sticky note, receipt, insurance card, stencil, safety pin {my random findings knows no bounds} to the board. Put a calming verse at the top, my budget and to-do list on the bottom and then...starting with my now clear and calm looking desk, I pulled one thing at at time down, dealt with it, and moved on.  Ah the joy of no clutter!

Having my to-do list displayed aesthetically and where I could see it easily helped me make use of my time instead of pawing through stacks to find that random sticky that told me that vital insurance info or knitting needle size or meeting time.  Less pawing is less stress!

Here's hoping your week was productive and absent of stress!