Less is Less...and that is not always a bad thing

When my Husband and I purchased our home my first instinct was to fill up with as much stuff as possible. Over time, I realized maintaining all these items were becoming quite the task. Once I had children I quickly decided less is less: less cleaning, less organizing, and less time spent over menial tasks. I initiated my new philosophy by pairing down my decor by removing large furniture pieces and boxing up nick-naks. I have however, held onto many of these pieces in our garage which has now led me to declutter the place I sent my clutter in the first place.

My approach is, if I haven’t looked at it since I boxed it up I don’t need it. I open the box and decided Trash, Sell, or Donate. I try to sell anything I can first, then after my gallant attempt at making a dollar I pack up the items and immediately take them to goodwill. This is very important for 2 reasons. First, if I pack them up and leave them in my garage I will never part with them, I will lock them away in the back of my garage and my mind. Secondly, there is no better time to donate your items then right after a sale. You already know what you have and you will not need to go through the boxes again. This will save you valuable time.

Another important tactic I used to declutter is to give myself a goal. This could be a monetary goal or a space driven goal. My goal is usually, if I sell $X then I can take my kids to Y. I have also used the goal of clearing space to create a craft area or reading nook, etc. I try to create goals that will motivate me to complete the entire process. My long term goal for no clutter is:  The fewer items in the house, the fewer items I need to dust, pick up, or eventually get rid of. I use this goal to evaluate if I want to bring something new into the house. This method has saved me a lot time and endless amounts of money

I will be sharing some of my favorite techniques for declutter throughout the week. Best of luck to anyone trying to keep their less clutter resolution this year.

My Coffee Addiction

Hi! My name is Elizabeth and I am an Addict….a coffee addict. OK, so all jesting aside, how do I know when I need to stop. I LOVE coffee, but it has not always been this way. It wasn't until I went back to work after my first child that I found a new appreciation for coffee...go figure! I have to say I like my coffee full flavored and always with a taste of Chocolate. I began by making hot chocolate and pouring in a touch of coffee. Then little by little I was only adding a touch of cocoa. I found myself racing to the break room to be the first one to make coffee…I use to pour out the first pot if someone beat me to it. I had a special blend I hid in the back shelf, thinking back, as a new mother it was the most exhilarating part of my day. Now, being at home most of my days I find my obsession has taken a turn. My counter is cluttered with all things coffee. I have 2 Aerolattes, 2 coffee machines, 1 espresso machine and boxes of capsules and k-cups.

My  new prized possession is my Nespresso Machine. The elite feeling it provides me renews that exhilarating sensation.  Each Morning I concoct the perfect blend of chocolaty smooth caffeine that will jolt me into my day…at least until 3:30 when I need a cup of coffee again. I usually reserve this time of day for an iced drink typically brewed by my Keurig or straight from the carton of International delight. For a while I considered buying stock in International Delight as I was surely spiking revenues with my multi-carton purchases every time I walked in a grocery store. At one point I was bringing iced coolers with me in the car so I could purchase more ID while picking up my kids from school, it was all becoming too complex. I am glad to say my Nespresso has helped me cut down my coffee purchases outside of the home and at a mere $.70 per cup I am very satisfied with this option.

So, yes, I am an addict such that my life does revolve around when am I going to get my next cup of coffee but I can stop at any time…I CAN

How do you take your coffee?

Traditions - Holding True or Letting go

I have always been one for strong traditions: creating, keeping, and holding true. However, as a mother myself and seeing how my children are growing and evolving I have noticed the same needs to be applied to our Traditions. As a mother it is hard to separate yourself from decades of tradition and still make way for new ones with your children.  I have learned the art of alternate planning and providing options to my extended family. My husband and I both have large families; at least I think 30+ family members at every event are considered large. We have made many compromises over our past 8 years of marriage. We started out doing it ALL, which wore us out real quick, but once we added kids to the mix I started alternate planning. In this method I offer the family in question (his or mine) alternate plans. These options offer our family the ability to keep a tradition but in a new way. It sometimes takes some getting use to but compromise helps keep our family traditions going even if they need to be celebrated in a new way.

Thanksgiving is a great example, our hosting families are fortunate to be a mere 35 miles away from each other. We have instituted a switch for each year such that we spend the morning with one family and then dinner with the other. Yes, we still see both but we are not asked to consume two meals like we did in our “honeymoon” years. Alternatively, on Easter WE now host both families. I found a Holiday that was a bit bare in traditions and made it the centerpiece of our year. Everyone gets to be together and I don’t have to leave my house, talk about a win-win.

Alternatively, some traditions do not need to be changed but  let go. As hard as it is to let go of a tradition it is necessary to give up something to allow for change. This year a fairly new tradition had to be forgone due to circumstances beyond our control, instead we found an alternate plan to better accommodate our circumstance…But, the question remains: From here where do we go? Do we go back to the old tradition, make a new one, or just go one with life before the tradition was started? This is where I find myself throwing my hands up and saying whatever will be will be…I am not going to think today I will think about that next year. How very Scarlet O’Hara of me but nonetheless I think it fits this situation.

The best tradition is one that brings family together no matter how long it has been upheld. It is helpful to be open to change and stay flexible, but if you are bending over backwards to keep a tradition alive maybe it is no longer possible. Remember life is made up of traditions but traditions cannot dictate life. Regardless of what the tradition is, you do not have to be a slave to the past, try to incorporate your mom, wife, and personal style in old traditions because that is one way to ensure they live for years to come.

Let’s make this a week of Traditions, what traditions do you uphold without change and what new traditions have you created for your family?

 

Tradition: Tree Decorating

What is in a name?

I have had many titles in my life: Daughter, Sister, Student, Coordinator, Lead, Manager, Analyst, Administrator…but none have proven to be more complex and comprehensive than MOM. My husband and I met in 2000; we dated for 6 years before getting married at the historic Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, CA. A little less than 3 years later we welcomed our first little girl Isabelle Aurora, from that moment I took on the ambitious title of Mom.  Just shy of 22 months later we were overjoyed to add Samantha Addison to the family and I was now a proud mother to 2 little girls…aka Double Trouble. Over the past 5 years I have learned no matter what kind of mom I think I need to be, I need to remember to be ME and not to lose myself in my titles. This blog is to help me share my approach to the Adventures of Domestic Life and how I am Mom, Wife, and ME every day.