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Gardening in High Heels

cultivate a beautiful life

September 6, 2015

Sunday Lately, 36?

September 6, 2015

I’m skipping a few weeks between Sunday Lately posts and I don’t know if I should number based on the weeks or based on what week I’m on.  So that’s why you get the ? in there.  I have no idea what day it is or what week it is half the time anymore.  I used to use that brain training app and honestly didn’t see much of a difference, but I am noticing a difference when I don’t do something cerebral.  Or maybe I’m just a little scattered with other things lately?

"Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."

Anyway…onward!

Planning

I am planning a huuuuge weekend of cleaning.  Friday, September 4th was the official closing day on my father’s house, so Thursday, September 3rd was the panicked, “Oh shit we have to haul everything out of here; I don’t care where it goes, but it can’t stay here” day.  So I’ve been playing a fun game called How Much Stuff Can You Pack Into a Ford Focus.  Angelica: 10, Car: 0.

How much can you fit into a Ford Focus?

Well it ended up in my garage.  And my basement, my office, my bedroom.  Basically my house is full of things that I couldn’t bear to part with from my childhood and Christmas decorations.  My dad loves his Christmas decorations, which is ironic because I hate decorating for holidays.  I definitely didn’t get that gene.

Loving

This weather!  Yesterday morning while I was cleaning, it was warm and sunny and dry (important because I was chucking empty boxes into the driveway in victory every time I emptied one).

Yesterday afternoon, I finally caught a summer thunderstorm.  I have a covered back porch and my favorite thing to do is sit on the porch and listen to the rain.  I was moving a few things around and I got rained on, so I figured, “Hey I’m already wet, why not go play in the rain.”  So I did.

Reading

The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.  Of course.  I got sucked in.  Probably because I need a cubic shitton of some magical tidying up help.

There are some things in this book that are so useful.  Her advise for storing clothes or how she advises you to keep an item if it brings you joy and let go of those that don’t (sound life advise overall, don’tcha think?)

But there are certain things like, “Your house will tell you where to store it,” that I’m like……”Really?  Really, Marie?  It will?  Yeah okay…”

Wishing

For long weekends all the time.  I would get so much done and feel so much better.  Or I’d just be happy if I could wake up at 7am every day.  I think that’s my sweet spot.  Any earlier and I feel like a zombie.  Any later and I feel like I’ve wasted the morning (my most go get ’em time of the day).

Feeling

All the feels.  I don’t like change.  I’m not a person who can roll with the punches.  I sit there and freak out and cry and then I can think clearly and reassess.  But to reassess it on the fly?  Nope.

For example: Jonathan and I were installing a new floor in my father’s house back in January.  I was getting so worked up and frustrated that I couldn’t see or think clearly.  It wasn’t until I banged some things around, got angry, and cried a little did I get back to work with a solid plan of attack.

So I just need to throw some things around a little first, but I’ll be alright.

What have you been up to lately?

Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup with Katy, Nicole and Meghan. Use their themes or use your own. Just remember to link up with them so we can see what is happening with you lately!

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2 Comments · Labels: Life, Right Now Tagged: link up, moving, organizing, summer, sunday lately, the life-changing magic of tidying up, weekly wrap up

June 11, 2015

Be a Better…Organizer

June 11, 2015

I have a hard time letting go of things.  If there’s a possibility of saving it, I will.  (Just ask all of my DIY projects.  I’m the queen of saying, “I can make that instead of buying it,” buying the supplies, then never making it.)  So I have to practice great restraint when I try to get rid of items that no longer serve me.

Everyone has heard “If you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it,” or, “If it was in the back of the closet, clearly you don’t remember you have it, so get rid of it.”  But I have a different set of criteria when I’m organizing.  I think they help me to be better organizer.  I don’t know if anyone who has been in my house would agree, but I say it works for me!

Not everyone is born with an organizational gene. Some people are just messy or hold on to things. I have 5 questions that will help you to be an organizer.

When I need to organize and pare down, I ask myself these five questions.

Can this be used for its intended purpose?

At some point, I adopted an Alton Brown-ian philosophy that everything I bring into my house should have multiple purposes.  If you don’t know, he has an adage, “The only uni-tasker in the kitchen should be a fire extinguisher,” meaning everything else should do at least two tasks.

If it can be used for its intended purpose, and you still have use for that intended purpose, keep it.  Just make sure it has a place to live and you put it back in that place.

Can I do something with it?

This is the question I struggle with the most.  I feel so bad getting rid of something just because I’ve upgraded or no longer am using something for its intended purpose.  If you’re looking at something saying, “Well, I have a new wine rack, so I don’t need this old one anymore, but it’s good so I don’t want to get rid of it…” see if it can fit elsewhere.

For a long time, I used a 12-slot wine rack as a shoe organizer.  It was small and compact and it provided some extra storage space on top, too.

That said, if you can’t re-purpose it naturally and it would be an even bigger hassle to tinker with it to turn it into something else, get rid of it.

Would someone else want it?

On the other hand, if it’s a good piece and you just don’t have a need for it, see if someone else wants it.  Put it online, ask your friends, or do what I did and send an office-wide email saying, “Hey, I have a houseful of stuff that’s gotta go.  If you need something, let me know!”  I felt so much better knowing that items that were perfectly good just no longer use to me would be taken home with someone who needs it.

They save money, we both get to practice Reduce, Reuse, Recycle…win-win, right?

Do I have space for it if I save it?

This is a biggie…  Let’s say your wine rack is perfectly good, but you don’t use it anymore and no one wants/needs it.  Maybe you want to try to re-purpose it elsewhere, but it’ll take some time to figure that out.  Do you have space to store it?

Trying to pare down my father’s house is proving such a challenge and storage space is going to be at a premium if and when he moves.  This is a big question when trying to figure out which serving platters are staying or going.

Do I already have these?

Okay, I know I can’t judge here.  I have backup pairs of my favorite jeans so when one wears out, I can jump right into a new pair.  But, if you’re looking at something and debating whether to get rid of it, see if you already have something that does a similar job.  If so, keep the one you like better and try to let go of the others.

No one will get me out of my gray t-shirts, though; yes, I need multiple pairs.

What are your organizational rules?

Be a Better Blogger is a weekly link up dedicated to helping you be a more intentional blogger. Want to be a better blogger but don’t know where to start? Head over to the Be a Better Blogger page for daily prompts and a weekly linkup to help get the creative juices flowing! Oh, and use #beabetterblogger on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook to keep the fun going even after you hit Publish!

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2 Comments · Labels: How To Tagged: be a better blogger, blogging, five things, home improvement, how to, organization, organizing

Who’s Angelica?

Life Un-styled Blogger, Gardener, Shoe Lover..among other things

I'm here to encourage and empower you to grow where you're planted and embrace the weeds that sometimes pop up. I'll share inspiration, products I like (and you may too), and stories from the garden.

Gardening In High Heels is for badass babes who aren’t afraid to get a little messy. Want to learn more? Start here.
           

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