Happy New Year!! I love the start of a new year.  So many endless possibilities, opportunities, and adventures await us.  I have spent the past couple of days cleaning out drawers, cabinets, and closets.  Clean out, donate/throw away, organize……repeat!  Seemed like a good way to end 2017 I guess. Our house looks better and we mentally feel better after we do this (even though it is not a fun job).  No pain no gain.

I have never been a new year’s resolution person (tried the diet/exercise resolutions in the past, um let’s just say I never usually got past day 3).  But this past year, I really spent a lot of time thinking about simplifying my life.  Small town living definitely is a more simple, easier, and slower paced way of life.  I want to be less busy and enjoy life more instead of watch it pass by in a blur.  As we get older, I think this becomes more important.  It definitely has for me.

One of the things I want to talk about on our blog is slowing down and enjoying life.  There are many different ways to do this.  What this looks like for me may be completely different than what it looks like for you.  Even Sydney and I have different ways to accomplish this due to our age and family dynamics.  Please share your ideas with us on how you slow down and enjoy the small moments.  It won’t be an everyday topic, but I will be talking about it sometimes.  We will post these ideas in between cooking recipes/videos, visiting small towns/businesses, planner/crafting ideas, trying little mom and pop restaurants, our love for photography, traveling, and all the other things we get into.  Many times our posts will be things Sydney and I are doing together.  Other times it may be Sydney and Austin or Jim and I with a mix of our family and friends.  We will try and give you guys some variety!  And of course we can’t forget Bentley (our standard poodle) and the adventures he enjoys getting us into!

So, today I am going to start off the new year with a simplifying your life idea.  Organization!  As I mentioned above, I have been cleaning out, donating/throwing away, and organizing.  Being organized saves time and stress (panic sets in sometimes when you need something now and can’t find it!). This process will continue for the next couple of weeks (did I mention I haven’t done this much at all in the past several years, yikes!).

Do you ever look around and wonder where all this stuff comes from?  What on earth was I thinking when I bought this?  How did I let all of this stuff over take my life?  And the worst one is, the items you have never used that still have the price tags on them!!

I tend to accumulate crafting supplies.  This is my weak spot!  We all have that weak spot and can’t help ourselves.  It is on sale! I have a coupon! I know I will need it in the future, so why not get it now at a really good price?   That being said, I am going to try to be aware of this weakness of mine and really think about what I am purchasing.  Do I truly have a need for this item?  Is there another item I can use in place of it that I already have?  Do I have room for it?  Or am I going to have an organization issue because I don’t really have anywhere to put it?  I have shared my crafting supplies weak spot with you, what are some of your weak spots?  I really need to know I am not alone in this!

Organizing for me also means keeping track of appointments, bills that need paid, projects that need done, etc.  For the past couple of years I have used the Mambi Happy Planner.  I love it!  You can decorate it, which is so much fun (see, I told you crafting supplies is my weak spot!).  This year, I am going to use it even more to keep me organized.  I will be posting different layouts, supplies I use, and before and after pictures.  I am going to be more diligent in how I use my planner compared to the last couple of years.

My husband has even gotten into the organizing thing the past couple of days.  He has been organizing the garage.  Anything construction/remodeling is his weak spot!  He has been putting things out in the front of our house with “Free” on them.  Almost everything has found a new home with someone else.  Another great way to organize is to give what you don’t want to others!

I know a lady who “blitzes” for 15 minutes every, single day.  She picks a drawer, cabinet, closet, etc and cleans it out.  She says you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in 15 minuets.  If she has extra time she will work a little longer, but most days she just puts in her 15 minutes.  What a great way to get in the habit of organizing without spending loads of time at once!  All of us can carve out 15 minutes a day to be more organized and productive!  I am going to give this “blitzing” thing a try as I go into 2018.

Have a happy, organized, and productive new year!!