Acknowledging the Unexpected

What happened here? Not what was expected...

Once upon a time, long ago, I worked for a boss who struggled with time management. She took a class and worked with a time-management coach, and he advised that each person in the office keep a daily list of unexpected events. My coworkers and I started doing this right away, because we were stressed out and eager to work on the time-management challenges we were having.

We were really surprised to discover exactly how many unexpected things just 'popped up' during each day. A client would call with a problem, a salesperson would stop by unexpectedly with a new product line, our boss would suddenly remember a project that she needed finished ASAP, or the copier would jam.

Writing down these unexpected events on our To Do lists seemed to give us more power over the situation. We could compare the tasks that we had planned to do with the new task that was now staring at us in the face, and decide which task took higher priority.

Often the unexpected event took precedence over what we had been working on before (our office certainly wouldn't have been able to function if we didn't take the time to fix the jammed copier!) Instead of feeling discouraged at the end of the day because of ruined plans, we could read our lists and count the unexpected events towards our productivity for the day: I helped a client, learned about a new product, finished my boss's project, and fixed the paper jam in the copier.

I'm finding that this same strategy can be applied to homemaking: if I take the time to acknowledge the time I spend each day on unexpected events, and count them towards my productivity for the day, I feel more empowered and in control of how I spend my time each day. I cleaned up the broken glass before someone got hurt, I rescheduled our plans so that I could care for my sick child, I got the car inspected on the last day before the sticker expired and avoided a ticket.

I also apply this strategy to larger periods of time. For instance, I haven't spent much time and effort on keeping up with clutter in my house this year. I think it is important to acknowledge the events (some expected, some unexpected) that have required additional focus and that have shifted my priorities away from this project.

My sister-in-law died in December. My close friend died in January. I'm still helping to go through my close friend's home and possessions and cooking meals for her college-age son.

I completed three large projects for my volunteer work in February, April and May--and I'm working on several new projects now.

By the end of this month, we'll have taken 9 separate trips since December--4 of them unexpected to some degree, but all worthwhile time spent connecting with family, friends, and each other.

By acknowledging that all of these events are important and realizing that I don't regret the time or effort spent on any of them, I realize that I have good reasons for not focusing on the projects I hoped to focus on so far this year. I can release feeling of guilt and powerlessness, and refocus on my goals with a fresh, positive attitude.

With all that said, I am off to finish prepping my new consignment pile, and a nice large Goodwill donation is on the horizon, too.

This plan works for me. What unexpected events have occurred in your life that you need to acknowledge and release?

Flowers From My Cutting Garden

I'm excited that the zinnias and cosmos flowers that I planted are finally starting to bloom! I took the remains of a bouquet from last week, removed the spent irises and Gerber daisies, then added the orange and salmon zinnias, as well as two cosmos flowers that bloomed (the white and hot pink at the bottom).

I planted these (and some sunflowers) in a small space next to my out-of-control vegetable garden. I planted 4 different colors (as suggested here... beautiful post!) and I hope to see some of the other colors blooming soon.

I don't think that I planted enough variety to make full bouquets for the house, but I am liking the option of adding some fresh pops of color and enlarging my store-bought bouquets (which usually come from Trader Joe's). I'm hopeful that I will figure out what/how to plant more things each year.

There's nothing like a fresh bouquet of flowers! What works for you?

Discounts on Potted Annuals, Vegetables, and Herbs

One reason I love this time of year is because it's when I start seeing the 50% OFF signs at the parking lot nursery near my house.

I devoted a lot of time and energy towards installing my vegetable garden this year (which is growing like crazy!) so I didn't plant my usual containers with annuals. As a result, my back deck (The Wooden Box, I like to call it) was looking pretty dreary.

When I saw the 50% off sign, I stopped by to see what was available. I picked up two beautiful, huge hanging baskets for half-off! Each basket is extra large, approximately 14 inches across, made of metal with a coco liner. This was perfect timing, because the plastic hanging baskets that I've been replanting over and over each year finally gave out and shattered into pieces last winter.

Each of these huge baskets cost $40 full price. (See? Now you know why I didn't even LOOK at this nursery until everything went on sale! I live in an expensive area.) The 50% off sale made each basket $20. That still sounds like a lot, but when you consider that there are nine healthy plants in each basket, and each basket is reusable, I consider it to be a good deal. If you have purchased annuals for bed or container planting before, you know that the costs can add up quickly.

I also picked up 2 parsley plants for $1.50 apiece since the parsley I tried to grow from seed wasn't very interested in growing.

If you have extra space in your garden, something died, or if you're looking for an extra pop of color in your life, it's a great time to pick up some plants. Heading for a roadside nursery that is only open for certain seasons of the year can result in sellers who are anxious to move as many annuals as possible before the date that they are scheduled to close. I find that the quality of the plants is often better than I find at big box stores, too.

Of course, I would have saved 100% if I hadn't stopped at the nursery in the first place, as my husband reminds me, but nature and beautiful things add joy and relaxation to my life! We I am enjoying the baskets especially when we eat outside, at least several nights a week.



you can see my empty weedy containers...

 Now I'm wondering if they will reduce prices to 75% off... I'll have to restrain myself! Find more money-saving ideas at Lifeasmom.com!

10 Things I Wish I had time to Write About

I think about sharing stuff on my blog every day, but for the past few months none of those thoughts have made it into an actual blog post. This is a shame, because I have a lot of fun stuff going on!

1. I planted a terrarium. My grandmother gave me a Wardian Case for my birthday last fall, and I am finally got around to planting some tiny plants in it after reading a beautiful book called The New Terrarium: Creating Beautiful Displays for Plants and Nature and reading this very helpful blog post by the same author, Tovah Martin. My terrarium is not be as stunning as those pictured in the book (I dumped the dirt all over the leaves on the tiny African Violet!), but I will enjoy my tiny little plants just the same.

2. I made Lemon Lavender Butter Cookies, yet another recipe from Fix, Freeze, Feast: The Delicious, Money-Saving Way to Feed Your Family. To make the cookies, I first had to make lavender sugar with some culinary lavender. These cookies are lavender-scented! Because it is a freezer cooking recipe, I have several dozen more balls of cookie dough stashed in the freezer to bake when I feel the urge.

3. I'm planning a cutting garden. I love having fresh flowers in the house, and I will occasionally buy a $5 bouquet of flowers from the grocery store for my table or mantelpiece. Last summer I kept seeing these beautiful bouquets at the farmer's market--like this--which I didn't buy because they were quite costly, but the flowers were beautiful! I finally realized I was looking at zinnias, which are actually quite easy to grow in my area, so I bought some pretty zinnia seeds and planted them. I will add a few more types of flowers to the cutting garden and hopefully I'll have a nice selection of flowers for vases throughout the summer and into the fall.

4. I'm slacking off in the organizing department. I came up with a list of organizing projects at the beginning of the year, and I planned to post about a project each week. I haven't finished any of them, nor posted anything about them. I need to get motivated and knock some of these projects out.

5. I'm also slacking in the decluttering department. The spring consignment sale went on without me. I haven't sold anything on Ebay yet this year. I did manage to donate some summer clothes to collection drive for an orphanage in South America... but otherwise, nothing. All my efforts from last year will be undone if I don't stay on top of this neverending project!

6. I have been using the Motivated Moms half size chore planner to get a handle on what needs to be done and how often around my house. I also use it to track my menu plans and workout schedule, including calories burned per workout. I'll be honest--I never get everything on the chore list done, but at least some things get done and I am gaining a more realistic idea of how often things need to be done in my household. (Never often enough!)

7. We are planting a raised vegetable garden this summer.We planted a small amount of things last year, and it was so much fun we decided to get more serious about it. Like for the flower cutting garden, I've planted some seeds and we'll see how things develop. I am using this handy site here to plan a square foot garden. For now it's recreational, but I am looking forward to having a prolific supply of vegetables.

8. After many years of studying the room arrangements in The Washington Post's House Calls, I'm finally rearranging the furniture in my living room. This was the room that finally convinced me that I had enough information to improve the layout. This room was also an inspiration. We just need to paint and have the new couch delivered...

9. A friend of mine has convinced me to try growing potatoes in a garbage bag. Apparently potatoes can be easily damaged when you go to dig them up, so if you grow them in a bag, you can carefull empty the bag open at the end of the growing season (or slit your garbage bag open, which is what I'm planning1), dump the soil in a wheel barrow or container, and pull out the potatoes without using a shovel.

10. I did some freezer cooking last week! And I got around to posting about it. Hopefully I will be able to post updates on these other projects, too.

How to Feel More Organized: 5 Little Things

I am a long way from being fully organized, but I like to think that I get a littler closer to having it all together each day. Here are a few tips that I try to follow to help keep everything a little more together.

1. Keep Dollars and Quarters on Hand
If I have a supply of dollar bills (or coins!) and quarters, it helps everything run a bit more smoothly. I'm prepared if I have to feed a parking meter, pay a toll, tip a service person, hire my son to do a project (his fees range from 25c to $1 depending on the task), or play the Tooth Fairy.

2. Charge Up the Technology 
When I take the time to make sure my cell phone, camera, ipod, and laptop are plugged and charged properly, I can just grab them and go. I need to get better about this, particularly for  my cell phone.

3. An Empty box in the trunk to hold Reusable Shopping Bags
I recently left this box in my trunk, and I think it's going to stay until it wears out! It holds all of my reusable grocery bags, which has a double benefit of clearing the bags out of my cluttered pantry along with ensuring that I never arrive at the store without my bags. I can fit two full grocery bags in the box to prevent them from falling over on the way home. I can put messy things, like potted plants, in the box. I also keep a few plastic newspaper bags in the box to cover wet umbrellas when getting in/out of the car on rainy days.

4. A 'Little Bits' Tray
You know when you are clearing things up around the house and you stumble across a small object, but you're not quite sure what it is or where it goes? This Little Bits Tray is where those items end up in my house. Along with various tiny toy parts, it holds some paperclips and other potentially useful items. It's a quick place to stow something small that I don't want to lose, then periodically I go through it and put small items where they really belong.

5. A Running Grocery List on the Refrigerator
I use a large Post-it Note pad to keep a running grocery list, right on the fridge. I keep a pen in the drawer close by so that I can quickly add to the list when I see that I am running low on various staple items--I don't wait until I run out of something to add it to the list! I put items in three columns based on the grocery stores where I typically purchase things. When I am ready to go to the store, I add the items I always buy (milk, bread, produce) as well as anything in particular I need for an upcoming recipe and I'm good to go. When I get away from this habit, I find myself going crazy running out of things that I thought I had!

I would love to hear from others about the little things that you do that make you feel more organized.

Fitness Goals Update: July

Despite being out of town for a total of 9 days in July, I managed to drag myself to aerobics class a total of 11 times, which works out to about every other day. It was 5 less that my goal to attend 16 classes and 'win' the flip-flop bag set. Supplies are still available, so maybe I will be able to win them just a bit late if I can go enough times this week. (Need to go 3 more times...)

Total Attended in July: 11 classes

Total for 2010 as of July 31st: 84 classes

I would really like to get ahead with my class count in August so that I have a bit more breathing room when things get really busy this fall. Things working in my favor:

• August is a long month with 5 weekends if you count this past weekend.
• We are NOT going out of town this month. (Whew! That's what hurts my totals the worst, I think)
• I might make it to some morning classes as I have been waking up earlier and feeling restless. (Attending 7 AM aerobics class is a rare and amazing event for me.)

I have hopes that this will be a great fitness month for me, not only for the reasons above, but also because I have started Counting Calories for the first time in my life. Ever. I won't go so far as to call it a 'diet', more an Increased Awareness of portions. I'm currently using Daily Plate, which seems to be working well thus far (for the past 3 days). I'm hoping that this food record will help me to pinpoint what I need to eat in order to keep my energy levels consistently high, since that has been a problem for me occasionally.

Fitness Goals Update for June

I'm feeling overwhelmed, but I'm still trying to stick with my fitness regimen!

Total attended in June: 14!

Total classes for 2010 as of 6/30: 73

I've already attended 6 more times in July, which takes me past 75 classes, which is half my goal for the year, so I earned the peppermint patties pictured above only a few days 'late'.

Right now I am trying to attend 16 classes total for July so that I earn a free tote and pair of flip-flops. I put this on my 'Wish List' when I cleaned out my brain,. I don't even like flip-flops, but nothing motivates me like a deadline with a reward!

What's Your Motivation? I'm Overwhelmed

Over the past few months I've been thinking about what motivates me, and so far I've written about how deadlines help me to focus and get things done. As our family has made the transition into summer, I have become completely overwhelmed trying to keep up with everything that is going on.

A sample of my thoughts:

• School's Out! My son is finally home from all-day kindergraten as of 3 weeks ago. This is great, because now the kids are around more to go out and have fun together. At the same time, hanging out and having fun with the kids takes up a lot of time, and sucks away any inclination I have to be productive.
• The Landscaping Project: Our big household project for 2010 is focused on the outdoors. We have replaced the front stoop, buried rain gutter runoff pipes, raised and adjusted grade levels to improve drainage, installed rain barrels, enlarged the driveway, etc. I've been working on this project for almost a year, and for the past 3 weeks our yard has been a noisy, dusty construction site. Although the stonework and grading steps are finished, we have yet to plant any actual landscaping. I hope to post more about this project in the coming weeks, as I'm really excited about it, but recently it has been incredibly stressful and time consuming!
• Beach Trip Preparation: We are off to the beach near the end of the month, and I need to get a few things ready, including a meal for 24 of my closest relatives.

These are just a few of the highlights of all of the problems, projects, and plans knocking around in my brain (and my house!). Lately I've been feeling like I've been running in place; I've been lost between a long list of possibilties and feeble attempts to make plans for implementation.

Finally I had to sit down and just clean out my brain. I took a small calendar and started making lists. Not just one list, but numerous lists. Whatever came into my mind that I needed to do, wanted to do, or wished I could do, I put it down. I didn't try to schedule it for a particular day, I just put it all together on an older page. You can see a picture of what I ended up with above.

One list is the official 'Things to Do' list, literally listing all of the things I need to do in the next few days, whether calling or emailing someone, errands, or things around the house. I also came up with a 'House Projects' list, which had more detail about things I need to do around the house that are more than basic upkeep. I also had a 'Wish List' which simply listed things that I wish I could have or do, from the beautiful flower bouquets I saw at the farmer's market to making my own flower garden for cutting flowers.  I even had a list of 'Things to Buy', including anything from household items to birthday gifts. If something occurred to me, I wrote it down. If it didn't fit in any of the lists I had started, I started a new list.

Writing all of this down was such a relief, because it took the pressure off me to remember everything, and it allowed me to prioritize and consider everything that I could be doing to help  me decide where and when I need to spend my time doing things. As a result, I had a reasonably productive day yesterday and made quite a bit of headway in a number of different areas.

There's still a ton off stuff to do, though!

What's Your Motivation? Deadlines

One thing I know about myself is that I am really good at thinking up and starting projects. Finishing them is a different story altogether, and I am always trying to get better at finishing what I start.

Finishing projects around the house can be especially challenging because there aren't always specific deadlines around the home. Will the world end if the bathroom isn't cleaned today? Will daily life really be impacted if no one goes through the boxes down in the storage room? The exception would be meals (lest the ravenous hordes revolt) and emergencies, because yes, life will be impacted if nothing is done regarding the flood in the basement.

I've found it helpful to fabricate my own deadlines to help me move through tasks more efficiently. A few strategies I use include:

• Entertaining: Somehow household tasks move up the priority list if I'm expecting people over, so when I'm feeling behind and unmotivated, sometimes I'll just invite some people over. It doesn't have to be a big party or anything; even a simple playdate will motivate me to vacuum and wipe down the bathroom. (You can ask the people who visit me: when they come to the door I am often finishing up the hall bath!)
• Time Sensitive Rewards: I promise myself a reward if something gets done before a specified time. More on this later.
• External Rewards: The latest example is that I reserved an energy efficient appliance rebate through our state rebate program. We have talked about buying a new refrigerator for years now, but we haven't followed through. Why? Because despite the fact that the fridge that we had was not meeting my needs AND using much more energy than newer models, it wasn't broken. I kept wishing it would break, but it wasn't cooperative. I'm happy to report that the rebate prodded us into moving forward with the appliance purchase.

 Whatever deadlines you fabricate for your household, be sure that they are realistic and doable for you.

 

What's Your Motivation? An Exploration

I am still trying to get back on track after being derailed last month. I feel like there is so much I want to get done, but at the same time, I don't want to do any of it.

It doesn't really make a lot of sense!

My list of things to do typically includes two types of tasks: fun things that I want to do, and boring things that I don't want to do. I can usually motivate myself to do the unsavory tasks by 'rewarding' myself with the opportunity to do the things that I want to do (which are often a lot of work, not leisure activities). This system falls apart when I don't even have the motivation to do the tasks that I want to do.

For instance, sometimes I will assign myself a project to do and motivate myself to do it by planning to blog about it afterwards. I've pushed myself to work on a lot of things as a result of this blog! The problem is when I get so restless and unmotivated that I can't focus on writing--instead I go and read everyone else's blogs, then feel discouraged because my own blog is sitting idle.

I'm hoping that consciously acknowledging this struggle will help me to reconnect with my enjoyment of keeping my home and making progress on my goals and projects. I'm going to keep thinking about this challenge and explore what keeps me motivated (and what throws me off course) in future posts. Feel free to join the discussion in the comment sections!

Have an Empowering Mother's Day

When you are making preparations for Mother's Day coming up this weekend, don't forget the most important person you should prepare for: Yourself. If you have children, of course.

Some people don't do much of anything to celebrate Mother's Day, and that fact doesn't concern them too much. Some are married to enthusiastic holiday planners or giftgivers who never fail to express their love and appreciation. Others approach Mother's Day with secret anticipation, hoping their partner or children will acknowledge them and thank them in some way, yet end up feeling vaguely disappointed if their needs for appreciation aren't met.

I used to do this, and inevitably I would end up feeling dissapointed and unappreciated. This wasn't because my spouse and kids didn't appreciate me, but because they didn't know what I wanted for Mother's Day! This was because I didn't know what I wanted for Mother's Day, either. My kids are too young to take initiative on their own, and my husband has major psychological issues surrounding potential gift-giving events. (Hmmm... I'd better check and be sure I'm allowed to write that. He says yes!)

Things have gone much better since I thought out what it was that would be meaningful to me on Mother's Day; in a sense what my ideal Mother's Day would be like. Once I had a clear image of the day in my mind, I could share that with my family and put a plan in action.

• Plan in Advance. The best plans, even if they are simple, seem to go more smoothly if they are thought out in advance. Don't wait until Sunday to let your family know what you have in mind, especially there is a possibility that they have an alternate plan in the works. This also gives time for advance preparation, such as food, day trip packing and planning, reservations, child care arrangements, mailing cards to mothers/grandmothers, etc.
• Celebrate with extended family (grandmothers, etc.) on a different day if possible. Can you tell that we like to celebrate Mother's Day in my family? In years past I've figured out that it can be too much to try to celebrate at a family get-together AND celebrate with just my own kids on the same day. At the same time, I don't  want to forget my grandmothers nor my own mother. This year my grandmother's will receive Mother's Day wishes in the mail, and I will see my own mother on Saturday.
• Make it Doable and Fun. It may be tempting when your spouse asks what you want for Mother's Day to annouce that you want him to finish that home project he's been dragging out for 6 months, or for the entire family to help you clean out the garage. I think it's better to keep expectations moderate and make your request more about being a celebration and family bonding time. (Unless, of course, you your family booked a spa appointment. In this situation, defer family bonding time to a more convenient time, such as Father's Day, and head to the spa immediately.)
• Make it a Tradition. If you celebrate in at least a similar way each year (remember, first you have to decide how to celebrate so that the day is meaningful to you) at some point your family members will notice the pattern. They may start spontaneously adding to your plan, or be willing to do more of the advance preparation since they know what to expect.
• Do for Yourself. Do you want your children and spouse to give you cards on Mother's Day? What's stopping you from purchasing them yourself? I have done this in the past. Everyone signed their names on the cards and 'gave' them to me, and it was cathartic to open them and read them despite having selected each one out at the store. (Amazingly, each card said just what I needed to hear!) What can I say? I was feeling hormonal that year. Don't feel embarrassed about doing for yourself what you need. Think of it as teaching your children your Mother's Day traditions. If you don't care about cards, don't buy/make them. This is just one example. Bake a cake with your kids, or pack a picnic, or whatever it is that is meaningful and enjoyable to you that you would like to pass on to them as a tradition or memory.
• Do for Someone Else. It goes without saying that you should do something for your own maternal relations on Mother's Day. In addition, if you know a mother other than your own who is unlikely to be acknowledged on Mother's Day, do something meaningful for them. Usually the unacknnowledged mothers are the ones who need a Mother's Day gift the most.

Now that I've empowered myself and figured out what is meaningful to me on Mother's Day, we are building a tradition as a family. Since I do almost all the cooking, it's nice to have a break and go out to eat. We have young kids, though, which makes it difficult to deal with crowds and long waits, so we go to brunch first thing in the morning right when the restaurant opens. This leave plenty of time for a family bike ride for most of the day. After that, things are less structured, but usually some sort of carryout or delivery is involved at dinnertime. I haven't decided on cards yet; I might take the kids to pick out cards for me as my son is reading now. Or maybe we'll make some?

Whatever works for you on Mother's Day, I encourage you to empower yourself and make it happen!

Fitness Goals Update for March

Goal for the Year: more than 150

Classes Attended in March: 14

Current 2010 Total as of March 31st: 39!

I'm technically on track to meet my goal, thinks look ominous when I look at the calendar and see our upcoming schedule--I need to get ahead sooner rather than later. I'm going to try to attend class 4 times a week this month to see if I can get a little ahead.

A Menu Plan for Julia Child

My book club is reading My Life in France by Julia Child, and it is my turn to host. I had this wild idea that I would make some of Julia Child's recipes to eat at our meeting (the host provides snacks). After some brief research, I've decided that I don't have the time or concentration to attempt Julia Child recipes at this point in my life. Sorry, Book Club folks.

 

But I'm going to make it up to you! Check out the recipes for these Salted Caramel-Chocolate Cupcakes! I have been thinking about this recipe for weeks now, but I didn't have a good excuse to make it until now, I've been too busy making cookies anyway. Also, I first had to obtain a new mini muffin pan after that unfortunate catastrophe with the last pan.

 

I'll also have some various savories as this menu will also serve as dinner for my family. Hmmmm... let me take a look around and see what we have on hand.

• Cranberry Goat Cheese log with various crackers
• Assorted fresh vegetables with dip
• Turkey Tortilla Wraps
• Mini Stuffed Potatoes
• Strawberry Bread
• The hopefully delectable cupcakes as mentioned above.

There! That should feed everyone. They probably won't miss the Julia Child recipes if I use plenty of butter, right?

Decluttering: The Basement Attack Plan

Since I've gone and entered my laundry room basement in an organizing contest, I thought I'd better sit down and come up with a plan of action--before I have to go put on some extra layers and actually spend some time down there!

I have a lot of stuff to move around, so I will start by sorting items into various piles, ideally in large, empty containers or boxes. My pile list:

• Goodwill
• Consignment Clothes
• Baby Equipment
• Baby Toys (no longer used)
• Other toys not currently in rotation
• Books
• Gift Wrap
• Photos, momentos, and scrapbooking items.
• Giftwrap, boxes, ribbons, gift bags, etc.
• Items to sell online
• Items to consign/sell at yard sale
• Extra Bedding
• Laundry Supplies
• Beverage Stockpile

Items in boldface are those that will require a permanent storage place, even in the actual items in that location rotate.

My next step is to find some boxes and bags to use so that I can start sorting everything out. After everything is sorted, I will need to clean the storage spaces and come up with a plan for where everything should be stored, then start putting everything where it belongs.

I think I am going to have some free time this weekend to work on this. We are supposed to host our Brunch, but we are expecting a foot of snow, and transportation comes to a standstill when it snows in this area, so we may have to reschedule.

Declutter Inspiration: I'm Entering my Scary Laundry Room in a Contest!

I admit it. I am a procrastinator. I have gotten amazing things done recently while working to avoid focusing on my Declutter Challenge for myself. I've planned brunches, planted paperwhites, read books, cooked delicious food, provided elaborate answers to my son's neverending questions... the list goes on and on.

'I'm an Organizing Junkie' is hosting a 28 Day Organizing Challenge for the month of February, complete with Before and After pictures. I immediately thought of a great set of Before pictures I just posted the other week: My Laundry Room Basement!

Just in case you haven't had the experience of viewing my Disaster Area:

Oh, my. I have my work cut out for me. It's so scary that I don't like to go into my basement unless absolutely neccessary, such as when we are all out of underwear and I need to do laundry (just kidding, I keep up with the laundry before underwear emergencies occur, but you get the idea!).

My main goal is to declutter in a more thoughtful way, but it occurs to me that it would make sense to simply go through the mass confusion in the basement and organize it based on which decluttering projects I plan on working on first. I have already wasted time to search randomly through the piles for my book and dish sales. It would be great to go through everything, sort it, and store it more efficiently so that I can focus more time in finding good homes for everything.

I'm sure that the organizing pros who enter this challenge will put together amazingly beautiful spaces and win all the wonderful prizes. I will be happy to just participate and be inspired to be more productive by the opportunity to share my experience (and 'After' pictures at the end of the month!)

My goals for the challenge:

• To use this blogging exercise to motivate me to work on this mess. Whomever is reading can hold me accountable to get at least *something* done!
• Rather than focusing on getting rid of all this stuff this month, I want to store and organize it so that I can find things when I am working on certain decluttering projects throughout the year without overlooking lost items.
• I want to clear a work space that I can use to sort/decluter, fold laundry, send packages/wrap gifts, etc.
• I want to work on all of these things without spending money. Organizing solutions are fun but since my focus this year is on decluttering, I want to get creative and see what I can do with what I already own.

This should be fun (except the part where I have to spend actual time in the basement. Argh!)

You can check out other 'Before' pictures and reports at orgjunkie.com. Enjoy!

Meet My Basement

I've been procrastinating about posting this, but thought you might enjoy a peek at my piles of stuff in the basement. (I'm going to hide my eyes because I don't think I can look at it.)

This is the dreary 'play room' with The Book Project spread around.

Stacks and mounds (including the laundry on the floor I need to do today)

Stuff

Everywhere!

This has been improved recently as we took a donation to Goodwill just last week.

Argh! There's lot of work to do. But now you all can hold me accountable to it and motivate me to stick with the project, right?

Opening your Home to Friends and Family

If you've read previous posts about my progress (or lack) in The Pantry Challenge, you'll have noticed that I had a number of food stuffs that were originally intended for/left over from a holiday party. We hosted four gatherings in the last 2 weeks of December, and there were two additional gatherings we had planned that had to be cancelled due to bad weather. I also hosted a book club meeting and several play dates in December (both involving coffee and snacks). These numbers don't include the various gatherings that we attended at other people's homes. It was a busy month!

Yes, I love to entertain. I think it is an important part of home life that doesn't happen as frequently as in the past because people are intimidated by the potential work and expense, which really aren't as bad as they may seem. It seems easier for people to meet up at a restaurant if they are getting together socially at all. Don't get me wrong, I really like restaurants, but eating at restaurants all the time can be expensive, both financially and calorically--is that a word? If you are hiring a sitter to watch your kids while you go out, the expense goes up even higher. If you are bringing your kids along, the food options for them are limited, as well as the amount of time you have to work with before your kids can't stand sitting still any longer and start running around the restaurant like maniacs (or am I the only one with this type of child?).

I also find it difficult to have a substantial conversation at a restaurant that is crowded and loud, whether my kids are there or not. The art of conversation, the opportunity to get together face to face to exchange ideas or to just laugh with one another is so valuable, and I want to do what I can to encourage people to see their home not only as the place they go to eat, sleep, clean, and relax, but a place to connect and socialize with friends and family.

With that in mind, I am going to write a series of posts that explain my strategies for entertaining. I hope that sharing what I know will inspire someone to host some sort of get together that makes them feel more connected to someone they know. An added bonus would be to help someone feel more comfortable with the idea of entertaining at home once you see how easy it can be. 

The first get together I want to share is a Sunday Brunch I am hosting the first weekend in February for my husband's coworkers. I'm expecting 8-10 adults and 1-3 kids (not including my own family--one spouse and 2 kids!)

The benefits of hosting a Sunday Brunch (that I can think of right now) include:

• You have all day Saturday to prepare (if you don't prep in advance, which is what I prefer to do)
• If you have kids, the gathering doesn't interfere with bedtimes. The kids may play better together because they are fresher than they would be at the end of the day.
• Brunch foods are often easy to prepare, easy to prepare in advance, and affordable (eggs!)
• You have plenty of time to clean up before it gets to be The Middle of the Night. (And, in this case, before the Super Bowl starts...)
• You don't need to have everyone sit down together, like at a dinner party. People can sit whereever, eat as they feel like it, and hang out!

General tips for planning a brunch:

• Keep it small. 12 adults is about the maximum for us indoors--unless we are hosting my husband's family, that immediate family totals 24 people including ourselves. Those parties are pretty busy! A brunch with only a few guests can be a relaxing get together. 
• Don't invite guests any earlier than 11 AM. This could give your guests the opportunity to attend services Sunday morning if they do so, and also gives you adequate time to set up. (Feed your kids as usual when they wake up so that the brunch is their lunchtime.)
• Serve foods that can be prepared in advance. Omelets or pancakes are kitchen intensive down to the final minutes before serving. Try quiches or casseroles made in advance, as well as breakfast breads and bagels. I also try to focus on foods that are easy to eat and that can still be enjoyed at room temperature. Be sure to check out potential allergies with guests--I usually ask people to let me know if there is anything they can't eat.
• Start planning about 3 weeks in advance. Invite your people (phone, email, or Evite) and find out who is available to come. Plan out a menu and a strategy for getting everything ready. Don't get in over your head; try to make selections that are Easy and Affordable. This is where we will start in my next post.

Selling vs. Donating: Why Bother?

After reading about my goals to declutter by selling, you're probably wondering why I'm bothering to sell rather than just donate our extra stuff. It would definitely be easier to make a pile of belongings on the driveway and call a local charity to come pick it up--and this is a great option to have access to. In fact, I already have a pile of worn out clothes ready to take to Goodwill, but I will tell you, these clothes are pretty wrecked. I'm not sure Goodwill will be able to sell most of them in their stores. I hope they find some use for them other than adding them to a landfill! I really want to keep as much stuff as possible out of a landfill. While keep it in mind as an option, I want the trash can to be the final option after I've exhausted all other options.

You see, I feel responsible for our stuff. If it's useful to someone, somewhere, I want to unite that item with that person. I could do this for 'free' by donating to charities or posting items on freecycle, and I will ultimately donate items that no one wants to pay for, but in my experience, people tend to value items that they have paid for over items that someone has offered them for free. If it's free, they shrug and take it, and figure they will decide later whether it's something they can use. If they decide they don't want to use it, the item becomes part of the 'stuff' that's cluttering that person's house, which is exactly what it was doing in MY house in the first place. If the same item costs $2, a person has to decide how much they value the item right away, and s/he may think twice about parting with their money! In this paying scenario, I think it is less likely that my clutter item will join someone else's clutter pile.

I am inspired by the Used Marketplace that is developing in our culture. I have purchased used toys, books, clothes, baby equipment, decorations, DVDs, etc. and I've been really glad to have these options so that I don't have to pay a higher price for a new item when the used item works just as well (and sometimes better!) I want to support this marketplace and get more comfortable with being a seller as well as a buyer. I don't want to make profit my highest priority, but it will definintely be fun to see how much I can earn, and having a bill to apply it to each month will hopefully keep me motivated. In the end, I hope to have less stuff and some great ideas on how I want to handle our unneeded items in the future.

Declutter Inspiration

While I am still working at packing up the Christmas aftermath, I am trying to put together a plan for attacking my Declutter Project for the year. For me, it's not just about cleaning things up and getting rid of stuff (although these are important and valid goals), but about maintaining a home that is peaceful rather than stressful, relaxing rather than overstimulating, and energizing rather than depressing.

It is also important to me that our home be efficient. Rather than mindlessly adding more space, I would like to use the space we have in creative ways that work well for our family, and I am always looking for ideas and inspiration.

One of my favorite inspiration books is Creating the Not So Big House: Insights and Ideas for the New American Home by Sarah Susanka. Sarah Susanka is an architect who has written a number of books, but for some reason this is the one that inspires me the most. Her concept is that smaller well-laid-out homes can be more efficient than larger homes while at the same time feeling more cozy and homelike. This book contains lots of beautiful photos of expensive new homes and remodeling projects, but the basic concepts beneath the designs can often be implemented in affordable ways. Check it out from your library today!

A few years back I stumbled across a slide show at flickr.com of a small, beautifully laid out, and incredibly efficient apartment space. Be sure to move the mouse over the white squares in some of the photos to see the notes about various items. Delight is such an incredible photographer and interior decorator; I love virtually walking through her home--even though she hasn't lived there for years! She has had many adventures since leaving this apartment, which you can read a little about here, if you are interested. Talk about inspiring!

Enjoy!