sharing

1. I really enjoyed reading this article over at Super Organizer Mum all about what she learned after taking some time away from the computer to just be with her family. I actually followed some of her advice this week, and here are a few things I did in an effort to limit my time online, and to make the time that I do spend a bit more productive: (1) I deleted about 500 old emails.....items that I know I won't need to go back to and ones that should have been deleted ages ago; (2) I categorized the rest of my emails (items that I will need to reference later) into folders that made sense to me; (3) I took the time to unsubscribe myself from all of the emails that I find myself deleting over and over again.....newsletters, emails from businesses, etc...; (4) I tweaked my facebook preferences by choosing to only get status updates from people that I truly want to keep in touch with; (5) I made a promise to myself to STOP grabbing my phone at every red light and stop sign to check emails or facebook.......it's a ridiculous habit that needs to be nipped in the bud!!

2. I also really identified with this post over at Centsational Girl all about the dangers of risk taking (love her blog by the way!!). I love when she says that "Risk takers are not necessarily the most talented, but the ones who are willing to put themselves out there, and work the hardest." It's so easy to get caught up in the status quo, to start thinking and dressing and decorating and parenting and talking like everyone else, but really, what's the fun in that? We were created to be unique individuals, to chart our own course, to stay true to ourselves. This was definitely my favorite part of the entire post (couldn't have said it better myself):

"Today, I encourage you to go forth and live dangerously!  Do something that completely scares you.  Be courageous.  Go against the trend.  Bet on yourself.  It will guarantee one thing for sure, you’ll have less regrets when you look back on your life.  Paint your walls that bold color.  Sell your house.  Write that novel.  Change jobs.  Teach yourself something new.  Stretch out of your comfort zone, take a leap of faith, believe in yourself." 


3. Lately, I've been really into gallery walls (groupings of meaningful photos, signs, letters, notes, etc...), so I found this post over at Ali Edwards really inspiring.

I love the idea of getting our photos out of our computers, boxes, scrapbooks, etc... and getting them up on the walls to enjoy. I also love the idea of framing or hanging little tidbits of life that are meaningful: kid's artwork, love letters, certificates, items from great vacations, baby clothes, collections.....


I am drawn to homes with personality. Homes that tell a story. Homes that are neat and uncluttered, but that also show signs of life.....evidence of the people that live within its walls. Homes that smell good. Homes that are comfortable and inviting. I am constantly tweaking things around our home in an effort to create that type of environment. It's something I am passionate about......something I love doing, and something I hope my family appreciates :-)


There are a few things in our home right now that are pretty enough to look at, but that aren't really meaningful.....they don't really say anything about the people that live there. My goal over the next few weeks, is to go room by room and make an effort to toss anything that isn't either beautiful, meaningful or useful? I'll let ya know how it goes......