The adventures of Lulu & the KonMari Method!

Progress, baby!

For those of you who read pretty regularly, you will remember that I have mentioned this book several times in the past. Well, funnily enough, my Mom bought it for herself and immediately became motivated to reduce her belongings.

Last week, she loaned me the book to read. I knew I would love it, because the book Scaling Down was a huge influence on me in the past and a motivator to do this tiny house experiment. I didn't realize how illuminating and special Marie's book would become to me (and funny too!). It has motivated me to try the "great purge" experiment, in order, and follow all the steps to find my "click point". That is the point in which you discard, donate, remove by identifying the items that "spark joy" instead of just throwing stuff out. By identifying the joyful items, "the getting rid of" becomes sooooo much easier and more rewarding and you find your personal level (click point) in which you are joyous by your home and belongings and don't feel the itch to acquire more. All I could think as I read that idea was... I want that.

I have been on the quest for balance and peace for years and most recently have made great strides in figuring out ways to make it happen for me. My favorite part of the read was where I am asked to envision the life you live in your head and solidify it. Descriptive and clear details as if you already have that life instead of dreaming of it. I did so (I won't share, as those kinds of things are kind of personal). But basically I kept finding a pattern in the words I used. Clean, peaceful, sanctuary, well-appointed, cosy, bright, happy. I felt so good reading over it that I wrote this down in my notebook: "May 12, begin the project by going through your clothing and loungewear. Be ruthless."

As the week dragged on and the book got better and better, I started becoming anxious and little kid- excited about pulling all of my clothing into one place, identifying whether it sparks joy or not then removing it if it doesn't (you also must thank each item you get rid of for teaching you something or fulfilling its duty- hokey but it totally works psychologically). Yesterday was the day (and my day off incidentally) and I happily took my hiney to the storage unit (my ultimate goal is to reduce that bad boy by 2/3 and get a smaller, less expensive unit this summer) and pulled out all of my clothes (not jewelry or shoes). I brought them to my little cabin and spread it all out on the front porch.

It was quite the ride to hold each item in my hands and find the joy (or not). It felt good to grow the pile of donations piece by piece as well. In the end I counted that I owned 154 items (scarves, belts, tops, bottoms, dresses, lingerie, layering pieces, coats etc.). Here are the stats (now be aware that I have much less than I did a year ago as I have been getting rid of stuff actively since then but even after all that, I was still shocked by the excess):

Tops: 43

Bottoms (pants, skirts): 13

Layering pieces: 15

Scarves, Hats & Belts: 24

Lingerie: 17

Dresses: 11

Coats: 3

Swimsuit/Robes: 4

The halfway point!

After I took a good look at everything, I added a few more things to the donate pile and threw a few things away too. In total, I ended up giving away 40 clothing items (and three hangers) and throwing away 21 for a total of 64 items removed from my house/storage. I kept 93 items (three of which I can only keep if I get them repaired).

I have a feeling I'll get rid of even more as the process goes on. But still! 40% of my wardrobe has been removed (in an hour and a half) and I don't feel like I am missing a single thing. Seriously! There isn't one thing I miss or have thought about since and I'm a sentimental fool, y'all! I also know every single item by heart that is in storage (fall/winter) and anything I forget about will get tossed or donated as I come across it throughout this process.

All in all, this feels incredible and I am so excited about going through more and making space for my life to blossom to new potentials (can one pluralize 'potential' I wonder?). I'll post more about it as it goes along!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

Friday Happies!

Oh Kitty. How we miss you!

Y'all. This week. This friggin' week.

It's all good, but y'all. I need a vacation and I know there's no way to get one until June. But here is everything I could give y'all considering I didn't have internet until nearly 10 pm last night. Sigh.

Anyone up for Midnight Margaritas? 

Here we go!

*I want to try this Southwestern (Paleo) Pork with lime and avocado!

*How to get what you want.

*This is so interesting. Apparently around the 1830's or so blue started becoming prominent in every "masterpiece" and has continued to stay as such even today!

*Check out this info-graphic about how houses have changed over the past 40 years! 

*Miss your old decoder ring? Here's how to access the secret hidden menus on your phone!

*How good is your eyesight? Take this (slightly freaky but cool) test!

*Strong is the new pretty. YES!! Those little girls are something else!

*I'm not usually into the celebrity culture minus a mild interest. But I thought this was kind of motivating!

*A hat. And a hat. Oh! And a hat. 

*ACK! This was so sweet it made me tear up! Okay, I'll be real- big fat tears.

*This couple "retired" in their 30's and travel the world...with their baby. Read their awesome (and wise money management) here!

*Want! Me want! Okay...sorry...use your words, Lulu. Ahem...I would really like this pleaseandthankyou!

*I enjoy Rebel Wilson. A lot.

*I like this tenacious little Irish girl. When her parents laughed at her performance of Frozen, she put them in their place. You can't understand a bloody word, but the tone is unmistakeable!

*This littler girl's papa is an astronaut. She wanted to leave him a message he could see from space, and Hyundai was happy to help. Together they also broke a Guinness Work Record. 

Have a wonderful weekend y'all!!

Thoughts on Time (Part 2)

Through the Looking Glass

Happy Monday, y'all! I hope your weekend has been wonderful! Hopefully you didn't have to go to work today (I've been told it's a holiday), but if you did- you have my sincerest sympathy and understanding!)

Well last week, I wrote this post about the more "bigger picture" aspects of time management. Today, I'm breaking down a few organizational aspects of time management. Some of these ideas are super simple, some are common sense and others are maybe not fun, but they pay off. Here we go!

Keep it simple, Sister!

#1. Write it all down & Utilize a calendar.

Contrary to popular belief (particularly in the world of "time management" research), one does not need anything fancy or expensive to do this (even that stuff seen above). It's fine if that's what helps you feel more productive, but it doesn't work for me and in reality is so completely unnecessary. To me, it is a way to distract from the real tasks at hand by occupying my mind with the project that has to occur before being able to do the real work of organizing. 

To rephrase: I can't organize my time better because I don't have a $300 Filofax organizational system. I'll spend two weeks compiling everything I need to be organized then I'll really get started."

Ugh. Just write it down. Write down all the things you need to do. Write down your daily stuff, write down your short term goals, write down your long term goals. Write down important bill dates etc. project/event/appointment dates too. Stop avoiding it. Get out a calendar and a steno pad and just do it. After you get it all down, you can organize it however you want. First things first, though. 

Also, you must remember that to manage your time better, you have to tend to it regularly. You have to sit down five minutes a day or a half hour a week (whatever works with your headspace) and update, change, move around, rearrange and re-prioritize your goals and tasks etc. Which brings me to the next point.

Dr. Evil loves air quotes just as much as I do.

#2. Determine what is urgent (versus personal priority).

Sure it will be scandalously gratifying to spend three hours tending to a project on your to-do list. Crossing it off the list feels so good! But if you did that and didn't go to the grocery store before a busy week ahead, you are setting yourself up for time management failure. Balance is paramount.

Determining what is urgent (sitting down and doing your taxes, making sure your car is cared for before a road trip, getting the week's groceries purchased and prepped for that long week ahead, getting your kid's school play costume started (instead of binge-watching House), getting a just rough draft of your Great American Novel completed etc.

Those are bigger picture items that get you to a better place so that you have the time to work on other things like: making your bathroom cabinets look Pinterest-worthy, learning how to do a perfect fishtail braid, watching the latest episode of Downton, or spending a few hours delving into the backstory of a character you're workshopping for that Great American Novel. You get my point? No? Let me put it another way:

Party on, Wayne!

#3. Get the no-fun stuff out of the way first and earliest in the day.

Otherwise said by no lesser a sage than Wayne Campbell from Wayne's World (paraphrased of course): "It's like rushing home on Friday after school and getting all your homework done early so the rest of the weekend, you're free to party."

Simply stated: You'll feel buttloads better getting the no-fun stuff done early which makes the rest of your day feel so conquerable! It is a positivity snowball that gives you piles and piles of more time at the end of the day for the things you want to do; the things that make you happiest and bring you the most satisfaction and joy! 

That's what we're all after in the end, isn't it?!

Yep.

#4. Plan. Plan for tomorrow, then have a contingency plan (or two).

I can tell you hardly no other thing about time management that helps more than this simple idea. And yes, I'm familiar with the colloquial saying "the surest way to make God laugh is to tell Him your plans".

However, planning has gotten a bad rep. It seems to be associated with mouse-eyed Type-A's that can't seem to remove the stick from their ass no matter how badly they need to. Real life planning isn't like that.

This is what planning is:
*Making a meal plan for your week, allowing for wiggle room in case a last-minute celebratory outing with friends, family or kids pops up. This kind of planning frees up major money so more fun life stuff is possible.

*Planning is keeping a bag in the trunk of the car that has bottles of water, granola bars and a change of clothes in case there is an emergency or your car breaks down in July and AAA is delayed due to a bizarro pickle truck flipping over on the opposite side of the interstate.

*Planning is keeping a spare box of pasta noodles and spaghetti sauce in the pantry in case one week you have an unexpected bill and can't afford your typical fare. Or a friend is sick and you want to do something for her family while she's stuck in bed. Boom. No extra money needed and you've done a nice deed for someone you love.

Planning isn't filling every single moment of every day and evening with some task, project, event, sport, hobby, etc. The goal of planning is to simplify- to quiet. Not to occupy or busy oneself.

 And that's another thing! Planning is just taking the time to anticipate what can't be anticipated so when life happens (AND IT ALWAYS DOES, Y'ALL!), you aren't derailed. You aren't standing on the side of the interstate waiting for AAA in 100 degree weather, ready to pass out from dehydration (I use this example because I've had that happen and thank goodness I had water in the car)!

If you plan properly, you can be super flexible and enjoy all (or at least more) of life's little curveballs. Sometimes curveballs are the best thing ever, but only if you can manage your stuff enough to be able to glean the positive from each situation!

Alright, okay. That's enough of a lesson for today. I do have a lot left to say on the topic though, so stay tuned for Wednesday's update. Time management doesn't have to be daunting if you approach it with good headspace. Seriously. A little goes a long way toward having the life you want. I know because I'm doing it myself after years and years of struggling.

Check ya later, pals! I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

Thoughts on 10 minutes...

The other day I saw something on a blog I read regularly (Yes & Yes) about the first ten minutes of anything you do. Something about it really stuck with me. Here's how it goes:

              "The first ten minutes of any part of your day - when you get up, when you get into work, 

               when you get home - often set the pace for the rest of it. Pay attention to your choices; 

               create a routine that serves you."

I love it! It's such a simple concept and it rings true (for me at least). My husband and I are pretty bad about getting on our respective computers as soon as we get home (for example). Yes, we have multiple online outlets that we utilize for business purposes and that's all well and good. I noticed, though, that when we come home and don't open the computers for a while, the vibe is generally better for the evening. Then we feed off each other's productivity. I noticed it just last night when I got home from work! 

So I'm going to make an effort to be better with all of my first ten minutes'. When I wake, when I get to work, when I take my lunch, when I get home from work etc. Even if those ten minute increments are the most productive of my whole day, that's a lot of minutes! It's a hell of a lot better than paying no attention to it at all; and I have a sneaking suspicion that productivity wouldn't stop with that first ten. Positive stuff is super contagious! 

Will you try it with me, y'all? Try to be mindful of the first ten minutes of all you do? It's so easy and it really shed a light on how we spend (and waste!) our time. 

And sometime or another, take a few moments to check out Yes & Yes. Her blog is quite enjoyable!

I truly hope you have a wonderful day!

Thoughts on waste...

Cornucopia

I don't know about y'all, but I seriously had a few moments over the past week where I was a little stunned at the amount of food I had to throw out because of surplus and it going bad. I can't stand the idea of wasting food. It makes me mad, not only because I've been in a "can't afford to waste it" place before and never want to go there again. I feel, quite honestly, that there should be no reason, without planning and vigilance, that one could not save a tremendous amount of money on not wasting food.

I spring for the organic, free-range products. It's important to me and after sacrificing that value out of sheer necessity in years past, I celebrate that privilege whenever I can. Some people place value on quantity, some on brands, some on gourmet items etc. Whatever is right for you and your family is what is right for you and yours. I'm already spending the dough though, so there is no reason why I should throw anything away without consuming it. There is no reason that its happening other than laziness and disorganization! Humbling admission, y'all.

Do you have any tricks to preventing food waste? It just hurt my heart and my conscience knowing that I was not only wasting money and food, but I was wasting it while there are people in my own town that would have loved that food (or the equivalent in money- SERIOUSLY!), you know? Ugh.

Anyway, I found a few resources I wanted to share with you guys. I already do some of the things on this list, like plan meals and have even done the pantry surprise aka "use it up" nights every now and then. I still feel like I could do better. Could you? I feel that with a little diligence a lot could be spared. Check out these links and see for yourself!

*6 habits to prevent food waste.

*How to store leafy greens (so they don't turn into that icky green slimy cess pool by the end of the week *shudder*).

*12 ways to prevent food waste at home.

*How to maximize your freezer's potential and prevent freezer burn/food waste.

*34 ways to waste less food (did you know breaking apart your bananas increases their life exponentially? I sure didn't!)


Have a truly wonderful  (and non-wasteful) day! P.S. I'm a total nerd.

100!

100

Happy Monday, y'all! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was a pleasant blend of work and fun. The decluttering and organizing kick I'm on has done wonders for my psyche. Seriously, I never knew I could get so much done. I'm being very careful to make sure to leave room for fun and nothing-doing (two of my favorite things) and so far the balance is working out so very nicely!

Well, today is my 100th post! I can't believe it! It seems like just yesterday I logged on and created this blog to help me mentally escape and try to grow out of a tough situation at work. Already this has evolved and continues to. I love it. I look forward to writing this posts every day and it still is providing me with an "excuse" to do more, be more and strive for a positive, abundant and balanced life. Whew! Awesome!

Today, I thought I would share a philosophy that the hubs turned me on to. It's No Zero Days. He found it here on Reddit (the column to the right of the page), and I've found myself going back to this idea over and over and over again for a few months now. It's great for when you don't know how to start to make changes, or you are someone who is suffering from depression and needs a ladder rung to cling to (I love the bit about the 3 "you's" too).

Basically the paraphrased, Reader's Digest version of the idea is this: do one thing a day, no matter how small, that moves you closer to your goal. For example: I want to lose five pounds. Today I did a few sit-ups and passed on french fries when I went out to lunch. It isn't much but those little things add up. Imagine what it could do for you if you're trying to tackle a big project like writing a novel, or rebuilding an engine in a classic car!

Take some time to read more on No Zero Days, there's more to it than what I shared. It's fantastic and it's a little something that can reignite inspiration, motivation and therefore change. Change is good, y'all! Try a little something today to be better, smarter, healthier, happier, and more positive!

I truly hope you have a wonderful day and thanks for swinging by!

Project 3: Jewelry

Happy Thursday, y'all! I hope your week has been awesome. I'm day three (well, technically today is day 4, but- y'know) of the declutter challenge. So far the week has been awesome and inspiring, however, day three didn't go as great as I had hoped. That was mainly because I was absolutely exhausted after a closing shift at work while simultaneously training two new employees. Geesh. I'm still tired, to be honest.

However, miracle of miracles! I did manage to take a half hour or so to go through the house and harangue all the jewelry that I have strewn all over the place (I can admit I can be a hurricane at times- in fact, I have strategically placed bowls in every room to corral it all). I didn't get all the jewelry organized, but that's because I have a few boxes of sentimental and/or family heirlooms that will take a day. I did go through all my everyday jewelry and weeded it out a little bit then figured out about how much I had so that I could get all the supplies for...

...the awesome new jewelry hangers I'm going to make!!!

Aren't these cool?! I showed them to the hubs and he said he'd totally help me make them (i.e. he'll totally make them because he's cute when I start a project he wants to help then he ends up doing it himself). Regardless, I'm so excited!!

Now I know I said I'd be working on pi's and accessories etc. too, but I just couldn't. Tonight maybe!

Any great crafts or DIY storage ideas that have made your organization journey a little easier? I'd love to know!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Project 2- Linen Closet/Master Bathroom

Look at this beautiful afternoon sky! I love the funky clouds, they make my head feel all swimmy.

Happy Wednesday, y'all!! I'm on day two of The Great Declutter! I began this blog in July as a way to find and hold onto positivity after a couple of years of depression. I've found so much gratification and inspiration and happiness in this project and I'm only two days in! I have to say I was a little surprised at how good it felt. I even daydreamed about yesterday's project at work the whole day before!

Yeah, it feels really good. Truly. I tackled the linen closet and bathroom cabinets last night. It took about an hour and a half. I did it all, man. Even folded the fitted sheets. That's right, I'm a fitted-sheet folding, decluttering badass! I didn't do it well, but I did it and that's the participation ribbon I'm going for, honestly.

I threw out a giant bag of garbage, recycled a ton of empty product bottles and boxes, streamlined the first aid/medicine and daily use stuff. I found all kinds of stuff I thought I'd lost (go figure). I cleaned it all up and then washed those two stinky dogs of mine on top of it. I'm telling you, when you get on a roll- decluttering and organizing- it's like crack.

Check that glory out right there. Sheets all folded and bundled. Spare blankets too. Corded things like heating pad, space heater etc., extra toiletries (never knew I had extras, just kept buying, I guess). Awesome. I'm going to bronze that picture.

And...not to brag, but I mean- hello! Look at that pretty bathroom counter! That is making the best out of a pretty pitiful little bathroom. I'm so proud. Aaaand I'm a nerd. Tonight is all about organizing & decluttering my jewelry, accessories & pj's (etc.). Boring, I know!

Have you done anything to make you feel particularly awesome lately? This is mine, what's yours? I'd love to know!!

Project 1: Kitchen

My little helpers.

Happy Tuesday, y'all! I hope you all got out there and voted!

Well, I'm still on the organization train and yesterday I found this cool infopraphic-y thing that really inspired me to jump headlong into decluttering/organizing/cleaning my kitchen. My kitchen has always (I've realized) been my starting point on any projects, so it had been sized down quite a bit earlier in the year. However, it is always super cluttered and my fridge is a friggin' nightmare. So, I dove in headfirst and removed ancient artifacts as well as bizarre multiple purchases and fourteen (14!!!!!!!) containers of various mystery items.

It took me about an hour, plus an hour of the hubs and I washing all the dishes in the kitchen. Yikes!! But it looks so awesome and it feels so good and I got rid of some stuff (even hitting the pantry and pulling out viable food donation items). I can't wait to hit the next project tomorrow (the upstairs linen closet, medicine cabinet and bathroom counter/cabinet- yikes).

Progress, baby. Maybe if I can keep this up for a whole week I can make the plant stand for my kitchen!

I feel I should have more food. If there's ever a major disaster/what-not, I got nothin' but pineapple and collards!

On a sad side note, RIP Tom Magliozzi from one of my favorite public radio shows, Car Talk, passed away. Sad but he left a hilarious legacy with his brother.

Little Victories...

Hey y'all! It's a beautiful autumn morning here in North Florida. Warm with a lovely breeze and brilliant blue skies. Magical. Well, I had a fantastic weekend. I visited a dear friend and her new baby, then the hubs and I caught THE BEST Jason Isbell & John Prine show. Fantastic.

So anyway, around here on Mondays we celebrate the little victories that make progress possible. When your in the mire of change sometimes it's hard to realize how far you have come. I share my little victories in the hopes you will recognize your own and perhaps even share some of yours with me!

*Vitamins. I'm so bad about taking them regularly usually. I've been taking them regularly for a few days now and it has made a nice difference (even if its the placebo effect). But feeling good is a big deal and something I want to feel regularly. Go vitamins!!! I'm a complete and total nerd.

*Kept on the bright side. I don't like driving in big cities. I'm not a huge fan of the city we went to for the concert to begin with and it was tough. Hours of traffic and our valeted car got broken into. I didn't let it ruin my mood. In fact, we looked at all the bright side things like our seats got upgraded at the concert (like six rows closer!) and so did our hotel! It makes everything better when you acknowledge the little gifts.

*We got a big dose of inspiration and motivation from the show. So so good. The first step when overwhelmed with inspiration is to do something about it. And I am. No zero days, I'm doing one small thing every time the wind of inspiration blows. Getting that snowball effect going, you know! This is kind of vague but so far its been things like unpacking my bags immediately instead of living out of them for a month. Getting the laundry done before we went to bed yadda yadda. It all adds up!

What little victories did you achieve this weekend or week? I'd love to know!

I hope you have a beautiful day!