January 28, 2015
How to Make the Most of a Blizzard
photo: theexaminer.com
If you are wondering what to do with your snow day, like the one we New Englanders are currently enjoying, you might benefit from this post. Snow storms bring with them lots of opportunities:
1. You get to leave work early! And spend an hour competing for a spot on the highway with what seems to be the largest collection of Massholes in history! But, tomorrow is a snow day and you are singing shamelessly to your favorite songs, so you hardly mind.
2. You can make hot cocoa with marshmallows and take a long bath when you finally get home. Ahhh. Sweet Relaxation.
3. If you are like most New Englanders, you probably went to the store and bought enough food for a month, which means you can justify eating three days worth of your favorite munchies in one sitting. Speaking of which,
4. It might be time to catch up on all of your recorded shows and binge watch to your heart’s content. For me, that looks looks like lots of HGTV, followed by Nashville or Once Upon a Time. (Or, if the husband gets his way, a deeply meaningful, vaguely historical, close-your-eyes violent “man movie”, and lots of documentaries about outer space.) Take your pick, but make sure to soak up your unexpected freedom.
5. After all of those very important things, you realize it is probably time to do something useful with your lazy self. However, the list of all the things you have been meaning to do when you get a chunk of free time escapes you. So, I am here to suggest ONE THING that will help you simplify your life and make a step in the direction of becoming more organized. Plus, doing it can benefit others. Win Win!
I hate having to rummage through a closet of stuff I never wear in order to find my real clothes. I mean, I know I am probably not the only person who goes to the store, sees the manikin, and thinks “Yea, I could totally see myself in that!…I will have lost 15 lbs by next week, and I can be edgy. I am totally edgy….I will have loads of opportunities to dress like a sexy biker chick in between taking the kids to play group and meeting with clients….”
Then it hangs there in your closet, and you get so used to pushing it aside as you look for the wearable clothes that you stop noticing it is there, collecting dust.
The reality is, you normally dress like this:
(photo: http://poshglam.com)
Get it gone!
Take a box, or bag, weed out the things you don’t need, and donate them! I think the closet/dresser is a great place to start. My general rule is that if you haven’t worn it in a year (with the exception of years in which you were pregnant and simply didn’t fit into it), it’s not worth the space it is taking up in your life.
(photo:huffpost)
Having less stuff will reduce clutter and help you find the things you do wear more easily. Plus, the less stuff around to add to the mess, the more calm and peaceful life at home will be, and you might just find yourself feeling extra cheerful and productive.
(photo:lorensworld.com)
If you are feeling inspired to keep going with the de-cluttering, check out these blogs for more practical approaches to home organization.
http://smallnotebook.org/start-here/
http://lifeasmom.com/category/homekeeping/cleaning
And when you are done, you can reward yourself by sitting down and browsing for the house of your dreams, the one you would buy if you win the lottery. For me, it looks like this:
(photo: http://planovdomov.net/2011/09/02/southern-plantation-style-home-plans/)