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Festive Felicitations!

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Festive felicitations

I wish you Festive Felicitations in this season of sparkles, generosity and peace.

Festive felicitations

I just celebrated the solstice with a lovely little ritual I have come to love, releasing anything I feel is a burden, both physical and emotional by burning them in the solstice fire. I have burned old journals, tax returns, artwork/designs and thoughts that no longer serve me. Festive felicitations

When we release something, we open up space, in our homes and in our hearts!

Festive felicitations

Festive felicitations

I want to share not just a sense of celebration but congratulations to you in all that you have accomplished this year! I hope you have everything in order to bring you great peace and comfort over the coming holidays.

Festive felicitations

Festive felicitations

Let’s not forget the magic of the season, which lives in our hearts. It’s all about love & Joy!

Festive felicitations

All photo’s are from this year’s visit to the James Island County park Festival of Lights! Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy capturing them! I love playing with light through my lens as if “painting with light”!

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Gifts to help you (or someone else!) Get Organized

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Organizing Gifts Galore!

It’s that time of year again – gift-giving time! Not sure what to get the most or least organized on your list? Here is a gift guide that will satisfy every beloved Type-A, Neat Freak, and Minimalist Extraordinaire…and those striving to be!

Organizing Gifts GaloreLabels:: Because everything has a place. Our favorites include a handheld label-maker from brother that allows you to label on-the-go. Jokari also makes erasable labels great for kitchen food containers, crafts bins, you name it.  Another great erasable option with a stylish touch are these chalkboard erasable labels from Kitchen Supreme.

Organizing Gifts GaloreElectronics:: Never lose your keys, bike, tablet, even pet again with the Chipolo Item Finder. These Container Store keychain tags sync with your smartphone to help you keep track of your belongings. Stop struggling with adapters and power strips with this handy 4-Port USB Wall Charger, and when it’s time to pack up, keep those cords untangled with a cord taco.  Also be sure that those electronics stay clean with an OXO Cleaning Brush. And because organizing is best with background music, consider a subscription to Spotify or Pandora.

Organizing Gifts GaloreBooks:: Books are for more than designing your Pin-worthy fantasy bookshelf. Your professional of amateur organizer will have a hard time tearing their eyes from these pages except for the motivational boost to get things spick and span! Check out Brene Brown’s Rising Strong: The Reckoning, The Rumble, The Revolution, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Judith Kolberg’s Getting Organized in the Era of Endless: What To Do When Information, Interruption, Work and Stuff are Endless But Time Is Not, Donna Smallin’s Clear the Clutter, Find Happiness: One Minute Tips for Decluttering and Refreshing Your Home and Your Life, and Peter Walsh’s It’s All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff.

Organizing Gifts GaloreHousehold:: This Tosca Dish Riser is ideal for minimal kitchen organization with clean lines and basic color options. And when moving from kitchen to serving try this lacquered serving tray from the Container Store. Next, get rid of the junk drawer and messy mud room. This reclaimed wood chalkboard from Houzz which makes for a great calendar or note board also features a shelf for holding onto your knick knacks and hooks for hanging jackets and scarves.

Organizing Gifts GaloreTravel + Storage:: Stop them from digging through their bucket bag with a purse organizer from MochiThings which comes in various sizes and colors. Perfect for travel, the Container Store offers different pouch sizes and varieties like these and these, or this great canvas 4-pack from Klein Tools. Expecting to get wet? Try this Dry Spell Floating Pouch!

Organizing Gifts GalorePlanning + Productivity:: Journal and map out your dreams and goals with The Desire Map Planner, a weekly planner that weekly, monthly, and yearly spreads; motivational blurbs, and weekly to-do lists. Or, start from scratch designing your own bullet journal with a class Moleskin journal. And for that daily does of reality take a peak at these #Truthbomb Card Decks from Danielle Laporte.

Organizing Gifts GaloreRest + Relaxation:: Naturally lift or set the mood for any space with an essential oil diffuser. There are a number of retailers these days, so read reviews and take your pick on Amazon. Prefer incense to oils? Try this 5-piece bundle from Shoyeido.

Organizing Gifts GaloreStocking Stuffers:: Great things come in small, and often tidy, packages. Stuff the stocking with miniemergency kits that save the day in pinch, a Guard Your ID Roller Stamp that uses encrypted ink to cover up secure information on discarded mail, a portable screen cleaner to take care of smudges on all of our touch-screen devices, MochiThings earphone organizers to keep those cords in check, or a Build Your Own Mantra Cuff to remind them to stay kind, be strong, or maybe even just breathe.

 

Organizing Gifts Galore

 

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Sentimental Saving-Maintaining Order with your Memories

by Filed Under: Organize, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized, Wellness & Mindset 3 Comments

Last week I wrote about how to downsize and purge with your family and this week I want to continue with that process and talk about sentimental saving.

sentimental saving

Sentimental Saving can feel like a way to capture time in a bottle. Click to Tweet

  • Our babies shoes or clothes
  • Photographs & Scrapbooks (digital and paper)
  • Handmade items (artwork, crafts-objects “Infused” with the spirit of the maker)
  • Recipes or instructions for handmade items (making that something helps us feel closer to our loved one)
  • Larger items of value-like furniture, entire homes etc.
  • Family “heirlooms”-stuff that has supposed “market value”

Sentimental Saving

I think the last two items can be the most tricky. Times have changed and what is valuable to one person or generation might not be as valuable to later generations. This is where having a good chat with your family about what you love, find joyful memories of and want to save can help you feel less burdened. If you have heirlooms you love, use them in your daily life! Display them (like the piece above), break out the good china or crystal or silver, let them bring you joy by seeing and using them often!

sentimental saving

But what about mom’s who save every little thing from their children’s childhood? I come across this a lot! Since I don’t have children of my own I can’t share what my personal experience is with this other than reflecting on what my parents saved for me. Even though I do offer suggestions on how to best save items and keep them stored using archival methods I do not tell my clients what they should keep.  My best advice is LESS IS MORE! Keep the best of each category, favorite artwork, favorite decorative items and take photo’s of the rest! If you feel the compelling urge to keep more than the minimum than store in bins by year and category. Don’t mix papers with textiles-they will damage one another in long term storage (crumple, discolor etc). After a few years you might realize that you don’t need so much.

sentimental saving Ask yourself why you are keeping things. Do you want to pass them on to your children? Once they are old enough (8-10) start talking to them and showing them what you are keeping. This will be a great way to learn about their “saving style” and they might share what they feel most joyful about keeping and what they don’t really care about. Find ways to honor and integrate their interests, accomplishments etc into daily life (like the ribbons above). As they go through “phases” gently say goodbye with gratitude and pack up the “best of”.

If your parents never talked with you about this topic, if you still have them around perhaps they are holding onto “sentimental” items they have saved. Generally most parents ask their children to take things once they move off after college but some parents keep things forever. If you have “stuff” left behind at your parents and don’t even remember what it is, take some time to ask them about it, look through it and take what you want. Offer to go ahead and donate or sell what you don’t want sooner rather than later so that your stuff doesn’t become a burden to them or other family members, now or later. Addressing the reason we hold onto our sentimental stuff can help release us from the need to keep the actual things.

Hold onto memories of moments that make us feel joy! Click to Tweet

Just remember that to do so you might not have to hold onto the sentimental stuff! Sentimental saving can be a beautiful way to honor our memories! Never hold onto things that don’t bring you joy. Find stillness with your stuff and honor the moment to remember and to decide to keep or let go of the mementos.

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Short Organizing “Resource” books

by Filed Under: Books, Inspiration & Education, Organize, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

Recently there have been a lot of new organizing books published

Many people liked The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (which I reviewed here) but there are some other wonderful new small Organizing Books and here are two, both excellent and quite different in their layout and approach of the same subject matter: Clutter Clearing!

Never Too Busy to Cure Clutter (More than 365 Tips to Maker Room for What’s Truly Important) by Erin Rooney Doland

Clutter Book1

I kind of feel that if I were to write a book on organizing it would be similar to this in many ways. Erin’s tone here is not one of preaching or stating that in order to successfully banish clutter you must do things in A—>B—>C order. Erin explains for some people priorities may be different, with a different emphasis on areas of the, some being more or less critical depending on your lifestyle. I love that this book is broken down by area of the home, identifying the ‘everyone’s use’ spaces and those that are more ‘private’. This brings me back to my days of doing hospitality work and maybe it would be helpful for you to also think of your home in terms of ‘Public’ and ‘Private’ spaces. Public or everyone spaces such as Entry, Living Room, Dining Room Kitchen and Bath are addressed first and more private areas in the second section. Each section (chapter) is broken down into tasks you can do in 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes or 15 minutes. In this manner she successfully makes it clear that living clutter free means always maintaining your home by doing small tasks with regularity. She reminds us that tasks will take each of us a different amount of time so to be aware of what task you choose and record it right in the book if it takes you more or less time. What I think works well about this book is that by repeating the same format of steps throughout the house but with tasks specific to those areas of the home she illustrates that there is a certain mindset behind living clutter free and she helps you to begin to identify what steps you need to take in each room on a regular basis to make lasting changes in your habits. In breakout sections through out the book she gives hints and tips on resources and tools (techniques, storage, apps, programs). Finally she concludes with some great examples of sample habits and routines including tasks and estimated time that can help us identify what we need to do on a regular basis. Maybe it helps to think of routines as rituals…like our morning ritual, house cleaning ritual, travel rituals etc. I’ve read quite a few small organizing “resource” books and find this one to be jam packed full of excellent practical advice and useful information.

Clear the Clutter, Find Happiness (One-Minute Tips for Decluttering and Refreshing Your Home and Your Life) by Donna Smallin

Clutter Book2

This book is almost what I would call a “Pocket Guide” to clutter clearing. Open it to the front and you won’t find a chapter index…she dives right into small tips and motivational words to get you clutter busting any time you are in the mood. The book has a warm and cheery energy with orange and gold hues throughout …(I love a books that have creative layout’s that are different!) The whole book is loosely organized by certain areas of the home but open to any given page and on each page you will find a motivational tip, quote or thought provoking mindset topic. In a very lighthearted way she probes into the “why” behind our clutter habits. Along with mantra’s and time savers like “Don’t Just Put it Down, Put it Away” there are a variety of organizing tasks to do within one minute (aprox). By the end she is really helping you to develop new healthy habits that will keep the clutter clear for good. In summary she ends by sharing that clutter comes from our bad habits, setting things down where they don’t belong, not having permanent homes for certain items, not making decisions that will keep us clear of clutter. It really comes down to two things…Commitment to Change and repeatedly following through by acting on these clutter clearing tasks. This is a great book for anyone who struggles with small day to day clutter tasks and keeping in the mindset of changing bad habits.

What Clutter Clearing books have you read or found helpful?

Friday Fieldtrip::Wedding Bells in Norway

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Okay, so I’m sure you noticed I recently went to Norway and the whole purpose of this trip was for my brothers wedding!  He married a beautiful and sweet Norwegian woman who I am thrilled to have as my sister in law.  I was apprehensive about going to Norway because I’d heard not much more about it than how EXPENSIVE it is and that it’s a socialist country.  Well, being in the midst of a move and trying to re-launch 2 businesses in Charleston I was enthusiastic but a bit concerned (about the expenses not the politics!).

We arrived a few days before the wedding and we got straight to work transforming the Christiansholm Fort into the vision my brother and sister in law had for their reception!  The whole family got involved with decorations, preparations and set up…from ironing over 30 tablecloths to hanging over 100 paper lanterns and setting 80 something place settings!  It was a family affair and a great way to begin to know one another.

Lanterns are assembled and table scape items are grouped to be arranged.

I promise I did more than boss everyone around and take pictures! B & I hung all the lanterns as a team.

My dad puts his Navy ironing skills to work!

My mom meticulously arranges all the place setting keys (I loved this idea)!

Susanne’s Aunt created this piece for guest to sign (in addition to the guest book).

I made these magnets which were favors (not a great picture…).

Lots of special details from both sides of the family became a part of the day!

After about 8 hours of set up work (over 2 days) with at least 12 people involved, every last detail had been beautifully arranged.  My brother and sister in law put so much of themselves into this production.  Since my brother is a sound engineer there were musical themed objects everywhere, my favorite being the menus aka place settings and being in a Scandinavian country there were plenty of hearts!

Finally on Saturday the weather was perfect and the wedding was at this incredible Church called Oddernes kirke, which is over 950 years old.

A couple family members wore traditional Norwegian folk costumes called Bundas.  This costume is typical for the Stavanger area (where Kristiansand is located).  I didn’t take very many photo’s during the wedding (the only time of the entire trip I can say this!), partly because I just wanted to be there and really be present and partly because I was nervous about getting up to do this Apache Blessing,  which apparently I aced (I hate speaking in public but need to do it more!).

My brother walks with his bride down the isle in one hand and his very own Norwegian bible in the other!

Man was my husband drooling when he saw they were riding away in this beauty!  He has an old 68’s Cadillac Coupe DeVille in very bad need of restoration, this one gave him inspiration…or heartburn (not really sure which)!

Over at the fort guests were greeted with Champagne and delicious hors d’oeuvres while the couple and family had photo’s taken.

I obviously didn’t take this shot but the best man and talented photographer Guy Jackson grabbed my camera for this and a few other shots, thanks Guy!

Here he is along with the bride, groom and bride’s gorgeous sister and maid of honor!

Back inside the fort the Toastmasters prepare the guests for a few cultural traditions which included the many speeches (toasts) given by family and friends.  In this case the toastmasters were friends of the couple and served as translators and “MC’s” for the event.  They did an amazing job!

One of the traditions taken care of by the toastmaster is opening all the cards & gifts and displaying them as well as writing it all down!  I love this, makes it so much easier for the bride and groom and you don’t have to worry about gifts “walking away”!

We ate Reindeer for our entree!  It was delicious, similar to venison but also roast beef (a cross between the two maybe?).

The bride and groom kissed, a lot and toasts were made and cake was eaten and then we danced to the funky beats of the talented DJ Musa of Denver, CO USA!


I needn’t have been concerned in the least about this trip because Norway and my brother’s wedding were such an incredible experience and my sister in law’s family are truly special people.  This was one of the best trips of my lifetime and I know I’ll be back to Norway someday!  Finally, I wish my brother and his new bride a lifetime together filled with abundance, love and delight!

 

PS. If you would like to see more photo’s taken by the professional photographer she also did an amazing job!

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