It Starts Today

I sat down for the first time to attempt blogging on January 14.  I had no idea how to go about this, but I knew it was something I wanted to do, and just put down my thoughts  in a Word document.  Here is how it began.

Today I start blogging.  I have to start my life today, and I’m the only one who can do it.  This is a whole new world to me, but I like to write (although preferably with pen and paper), and I am hoping that this will be a way to connect with the outside world.

 I don’t really know how to start this.  They say just put some words down and it will come.  And I know it will.

 I should really start this out with a joke to get your attention.  How do people start reading blogs?  I have only read one.  It started a few years ago, and the woman who wrote it was an acquaintance.  She was REALLY funny.  I actually thought she could be the next Erma Bombeck.  But then I noticed that her writing was changing.  After a while I quit reading because it didn’t seem to be the same person writing it.  As it turned out, it wasn’t.  She kind-of flipped out.  Really surprised me.

Anyway… the only other experience I have with blogs is from watching the movie Julie and Julia.  And, like the girl in the movie,  I’m at that crisis point right now.   The big difference was that when I was her age I was too busy raising kids, managing a home, and working, to have a crisis.

So, I start today.  Welcome to my world.  I am hoping that together we can change it for the better, and in the process I will make some really good friends and be able to be there for them as well.

Carrie

Focus

We read about methods, practices, rituals, etc., that are supposed to help change our lives:

• make us happier
• make us wealthier
• enhance our love life
• clear the clutter, in our homes and in our minds

I am a big proponent of these ideas.  I have a whole library on Feng Shui, positive thinking, organizing, gratitude, clearing your clutter, happiness, and more.  Many times these things work.  But I believe that the key in all of this is focus.

When you focus on the situation you are trying to change or improve, things are going to happen.  You are more aware of what’s happening in that situation, how you are reacting to it, and what you are or aren’t doing to make it better.

I will touch more on these specific areas in later posts.  The time I have spent implementing the guidelines from these different books has been enjoyable, and definitely helpful.  I feel the more information you have about a situation, the better equipped you are.  And I do get results.  But a lot of the results come from the fact that I am really focusing on that particular situation.

Quote for the Day

“The grand essentials of happiness in this life are… something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”              – Joseph Addison –

Tip for the Day

If you are a coffee drinker, like me, you probably open your utensil drawer a dozen times a day.  I like the canned, instant, flavored, coffee, so I need the spoon to measure and stir.  I also brew a pot, to which I add no-fat milk and sweetener to each cup, and need a spoon to stir.  Then I have to open the drawer when they are washed to put them away.

I now have 4 large and 4 small spoons in a pretty glass container on top of my microwave, which eliminates the constant opening and closing of the drawer.  After I read this idea in a magazine, I remembered that  my grandmother (another heavy coffee drinker) had all of her teaspoons in what was then called a “spoon jar.”  It looked like a beautiful cut glass short vase, but was made for the express purpose of holding spoons.  The container needs to have some weight to it so it doesn’t tip over.

Hope this idea helps.

Carrie

My Favorite Things

WRINKLE RELEASE SPRAY

Most of my life I have been a person who ironed her clothes every morning before going to work.  The ironing board is still up all of the time in the laundry room, but for a different reason.  I discovered Wrinkle Release Spray! (That’s not a brand name, just what the product is.)  If you are an ironing freak like me, this will change your life.  It doesn’t work on everything, but it’s great on denim, t-shirts, and even cloth purses that get wrinkled.  I use it on comforters when I first take them out of storage.  Lay the comforter on the bed, spray with wrinkle release spray, and gently pull the fabric in both directions.  When it dries, most of the wrinkles will be gone.  Now, every evening, I spray my jeans, capris, shorts, whatever, pull the wrinkles out, and lay them neatly over the ironing board to dry.  They are all set to wear again in the morning.

I never go on a trip without it, except when flying now.  But before 9/11 I would always have a spray bottle in my luggage.  I used to hang most of my clothes on road trips, but now I put almost everything in the suitcase.  When I arrive at my destination, I start spraying!  My tops I hang to dry.

If you can’t find it in a store, put a small amount of fabric softener in a spray bottle and fill it up with water.  It works just as well.  I would use a ratio of 8 parts water to 1 part fabric softener.  And always test it on your fabric someplace where it won’t show,  just in case it might stain.  I have never had that happen.

AUTOMATIC SOAP DISPENSERS

These are great because you don’t have to touch the dispenser at all.  And here, again, when the original bottle is empty, use your liquid soap of choice and mix it with water.  I use some of my favorite fragrances from Bath and Body Works and it’s so refreshing.  The soap container is a little harder to remove on some and have to be pried off, but the tops go back on and they work fine.

CANDLE WARMERS (COFFEE WARMERS)

These originally came out years ago as coffee warmers.  You would set your cup of coffee on them and it would keep the coffee warm.  Now they are sold in the candle department as candle warmers.  They melt the wax in small jar candles, and you can use them over and over again because the wax doesn’t burn away.

I use mine for both, but because I am a coffee addict, I mostly use them for coffee.  I have one on the night stand next to my bed (Yes, I actually go to bed with a cup of coffee!), one in my studio, one in the living room, one next to my chair in the family room, and when I worked in an office I had one on my desk.

I hope you enjoy these products as much as I do.

Carrie

No Hassle House Cleaning

House cleaning usually is an overwhelming task.  And I stress OVERWHELMING and TASK.  But just like everything else, if we break it down into manageable pieces, we can make progress and maybe even be able to remove those two words from its description.  Let’s give it a try.  Believe me, I’m trying this, too.

Try to schedule two cleaning bursts a day.  This will depend on your schedule, but try to consistently do this twice a day.

Morning Cleaning Bursts

• Dishes
• Beds
• Hanging up and putting away clothes and shoes
• Garbage/recycling

Evening Cleaning Bursts

• Dishes
• Pick up six things
• Wipe down surfaces
• Pet cleanup
• Sweep/vacuum

Focus Room Cleaning

Clean one focus room every day for just 10 minutes.  Put them on a rotating schedule.  Set a timer for this.  You will be amazed at what you can get done in 10 minutes.

Bathroom:

• Clear clutter from countertops
• Get rid of 10 pieces of junk from the medicine cabinet or storage beneath the sink
• Clean toilet
• Clean vents
• Clean dust from items that are taller than you (dust you usually don’t see); medicine cabinets, mirrors, tall organizers, vanity lights, fans

Bedroom:

• Vacuum and dust
• Straighten up closet
• Clean under bed
• Straighten dresser drawers

Kitchen:

• Toss old food and wipe out refrigerator
• Clean the oven
• Sweep and wash the floor

Livingroom:

• Vacuum and dust
• Wash the windows
• Declutter flat surfaces

Don’t forget to clean the doorknobs and light switches in these rooms.

Happy cleaning!

Enjoy the Wait

It’s always been aggravating having to wait in line at stores, but now with the cutbacks resulting from the economy, there are less people to help us out.

I have a favorite craft store that I frequent, and even before the economic situation I almost always had to wait much longer than I should have had to.  With this particular store I always made sure that I wasn’t on a short schedule and I psyched myself up for what I knew would ensue.

But now it’s not just standing in line… it’s sitting at traffic lights.  There are certain times of the day when I just don’t go down the main streets.  We have more stores, places to eat, gas stations, and car lots, causing gridlocks because you can only fit so many cars between two traffic lights.  I think that’s why you see so many people running red lights anymore; because they don’t want to get caught in the (sometimes three minutes) wait for the next cycle.

What can you do?  Things are going to keep getting more congested,  but we can try to turn these inconveniences into something positive.

In the book  Attitudes of Gratitude, M.  J. Ryan says, “See waiting in line as a wonderful opportunity to slow down, to take a few conscious breathes, become aware of your body, and release as much body tension as you can.  It doesn’t shorten the wait, but you can be grateful for the chance to stop.”

Sometimes it’s just a matter of being aware.  We are always rushing here and there.  I have always been a shallow breather, and sometimes the only times I stop to take a deep breath is when I’m standing in line or waiting for a light.

I also found that sitting at a red light is a great time to pull in the abs and sit up straight, (again with the breathing).  I try to hold my abdomen in until the light changes.  Heaven forbid that I get caught by the one at the main four corners of our town, which can take up to three minutes.

New Product: Sticky Buddy

An “As seen on TV” product.  This is a pet product, and being a cat owner that has multiple rolls of packing tape in every room of the house (and car) to remove the cat hair from everything, this looked interesting.  Yesterday I saw one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and decided to try it.  It’s the best product that I’ve ever tried to remove pet hair.  And it’s not tape that you have to keep replacing.  The roller actually feels like glue.  And when you’re done with it you wash it and let it dry.  Today I was going crazy doing my furniture, the stair crevices, and the carpet along the baseboards.  Attached to the roller is a rubberized brush that pulls up the hair.  It’s also great for pulling the nap up on your carpet.  You also get a small version to carry in your purse or car.  I’ll keep you posted on how long this roller works.

Healthy Cereals

My suggested website of the Day:  SparkPeople.com If you’re not familiar with this site, you have to see it to believe it.  Just a wealth of information and support. Check it out. The following article would normally go right into my Smash Journal.  So here it is to share with you.  I must admit that …

So Much to Learn… So Little Time

There is such a wealth of information all around us, but we are usually so busy that most of it passes us by.

Over the years I have copied, clipped, pasted, and pinned information that I thought was useful.  I have notebooks, binders, clip boards, and I try to keep things separated, but I find that I seldom go back to those sources.

Now the big thing is just smashing everything you find of interest into one folder, notebook, or journal.  I started doing this with just a plain composition book.  And now I would like to share some of my findings with you.  Some may not interest you at all, but there is such a variety that I hope something will come up that will help you live a more enjoyable, less stressful life, or just learn a little something that you didn’t know before.

My smash journal contains everything from soup to nuts (literally), and even the kitchen sink (since it’s my dream to remodel).  Some of the topics touched on will be:

• positive thinking
• being thankful for what you have
• Feng Shui
• inspiration
• music
• theatre
• fashion
• quotes
• clutter
• books
• health/exercise/weight loss
• travel
• doodles
• helpful tips

I want you to enjoy my Smash Journal as much as I have enjoyed gathering the information.  This is probably one of the longest posts you will see.  I like everything short, and to the point.

So check it out often, and stay in touch.  Your input will be what makes this a success.

Until next time… Carrie