My Daily Joys

The month of January seems to be clipping along at such a fast pace so my challenge of taking a picture a day of something that brings me joy has helped slow it down a little.

I can look back at my photos and just remember the moment it was taken.

I would like to share the last couple of days with you, if you follow along on Instagram then I apologize as you will have already seen these.

Day 5:

My baby girl, well she is 7 but she'll always be my baby.  She is maturing right before our very eyes and it is amazing but it also breaks my heart just a little.  I love having conversations with her and enjoying her sense of humor and love of sweets.

Day 6:

We had a little snow this past week and enjoyed about 8 inches of the powdery stuff.  I love seeing it when it is fresh and untouched...it is so serene.

Day 7:

Since it was a little chilly the kids wanted hot cocoa and you can't have that without a little whip cream.  It is really satisfying to whip the heavy cream by hand and watch it all come together.  In a day and age where there is a tool/appliance for every little thing it is rewarding to get back to basics.

Day 8: 

Watching my boys play games together.  They are 5 years apart and I love listening to them discuss why one hand was better than the other while playing Texas Hold Em.

Day 9: 

I have a basket full of all sorts of yarn.  My daughter asked if we could make a blanket out of it and I think it is coming together pretty nicely.  She picks out the color order and I crochet away.  Like the whip cream I love being crafty and making something useful.

Day 10:

I had plenty of time to read while snowed in and luckily had this wonderful book from the library.  Maman's Homesick Pie is memoir written by Donia Bijan that chronicles like with her Iranian family and the delicious recipes that her mother made for her.  She does a magnificent job of pulling you into her story that you just don't want to put the book down...unless it is to go to the kitchen and make one of the recipes included.

Day 11:

It's important to take a moment and slow down.  Do I had a delicious cup of hot tea with milk and a slice of homemade banana bread.  It was a terrific treat before bed and allowed me to sit peacefully and savor the day.

Several of my photos were related to slowing down, which given the recent weather was a necessity.

What do you do to slow down and reflect?

Do you wish you could create more time for yourself to sit and be still?

Final Thoughts on Minimizing

The first 30 day challenge is complete

                                                      

Right now it kind of feels more like saying goodbye to a good friend than a party.

I realize I can go through my items and eliminate them at any time...but that devotion of the daily purge won't be occurring.

So how did I do?

Well I tried to keep count of everything that I got rid of, and within a small margin of error, I calculated it at:

98 individual items

It seems both like a small number and also like a large number...is that even possible?

It seems large because I think "Holy Crap did I really have almost 100 things I didn't need."  

Then in the same breath I think "Holy Crap did I ONLY have almost 100 things I didn't need...maybe I didn't look enough."

I think the main lesson I learned, aside from the best way ever to fold your clothes (thank you Marie Kondo), is that this is a process that doesn't have a definitive end.  I will be coming back at intervals to check in with my "stuff" and see if it still deserves a place at my proverbial table.

I must say that I am most pleased with my closet.  When I walk in I don't feel overwhelmed and I can easily see everything so that I can more easily pick out what I am going to wear for the day.

I enjoy having less choices.  I am not left feeling that perhaps I made the wrong wardrobe decision and I'm also not standing there for fifteen minutes trying to figure out what I want to wear.

I read a great book on this topic called "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg McKeown.  I don't want to ruin the book for anyone who  may want to read it (and you don't have to buy it you can get it through your library) but in it Greg gives you great ways to say "No" and ways to weed out those things that are "nonessential."  So he may illustrate his point with a reference to a business...but it is totally applicable in everyday life.  

So think about what things you can say "No" to and what you can weed out that will help your life focus more on the essential/important things.

Well that concludes October...on to November and challenge of exercising each day.

Won't you think about joining me?

The End is Near

Just two more months till Christmas

That phrase packs a big panic punch for people with children, or perhaps your last minute shoppers.

                                 

I cannot even imagine the claustrophobic feeling of being in a crowd like that...but yet people do it year after year.

Do they feel full of Christmas spirit?  

Chances are probably not.

Like those last minute shoppers I have a bit of a frantic feeling as I am nearing the close of my month of giving items away.

I want to make sure that I've gone through all of my areas (both at home and at work) to ensure that I've taken stock of my possessions and that what is left is truly something I want to hold on to.

However like kids on Christmas morning I am also excited to kick of the next month, November, and a new challenge:

100 push-ups, 100 crunches, and 100 squats everyday

This is probably the perfect time for this one with Thanksgiving falling in November (I promised my husband I wouldn't do the vegan challenge during November less any relatives think I didn't like their cooking).

I have tried all month long not to dwell on the money that was spent on the items that I have put out of my home.

I did spend some time thinking "Why did I buy this stuff?"  And it leads to feeling a little bad about the money I spent and the time I invested in bringing the items home (not to mention the physical space they occupied for so long).

But a few moments of mindful breathing and I'm ok.  I'm letting go of the negative and focusing on the positive...like how much I love my closet now that it is neat and only has items in it that I enjoy wearing.

This weekend a friend of mine told me about a coat she purchased.  She said the first time that she wore it a friend told her she looked like the Michelin man and she has never worn the coat again.  That was 8 years ago...and she still has the coat.  I wanted to go into her house and take it away, but that is a personal decision for each of us to make about our stuff.

I hope she knows that she is a beautiful woman and doesn't need to hang on to any of these negative vestiges.

Do you have an item that you hang onto even though it only brings up negative feelings?  If so think about  moving it on and out of your life.