Scarf Organization

I love scarves. Therefore, I have a lot of them. So many, in fact, that I forgot what I had because most of them were in a bin in our closet. Then I also had some on a hanger in our coat closet. So, they were in 2 places and not organized.

On a recent trip to Container Store (one of my faves), I scored this scarf organizer:

Not only does  hold all my scarves, it is much simpler to see what I have. It was like Christmas because I discovered some long lost favorites. A bonus is that they take up much less room stored this way.

Ah...the mission to simply my life is in full swing:)

~Angela

Blog Critique

My new friends over at Truly Lovely hosted a blog critique.  

I was matched up with bloggers that had not read my blog before and they gave me feedback. Being that I still consider myself new to blogging since I started a few months ago, (I still consider myself a "new" mom too and my daughter is almost 2) I welcomed the feedback. From the feedback, I gathered great new ideas for this little blog of mine. I blog because I love to write and, like my journals, this will be fun to review later. Since my blog is out there for people to see, I do enjoy it when someone has found my own little corner of the world and sticks with me! 

Positive Remarks (Yes I high-fived myself on each one):
1. Good photos
2. Interesting Blog Subjects (yeah!!)
3. No ads
4. Fun to read writing style
5. Good mix of photos/text

Room To Improve/Some of the recommended changes:
1. Choose a font that is easier to read
2. Change the blog description to describe the blog (it was just a quote before)
3. Move the follow by email and search up higher on the blog
4. Choose a photo for the header. (still trying to figure this out)
5. View more than one blog per page.

I've already implemented several of the recommended changes, most of them were fairly subtle,  and am still trying to figure out the rest:)

Another bonus was discovering these gems:

Veronica from Life in the Thrifty Lane:



Jane from Look What Jane Made:

 


Thanks, Jane & Veronica for all your tips!
                                                                                                                    
~ Angela

5 Simple Rules

I found this from the blog Show & Tell and added it to my pinterest board because I love, love love it.
Therefore, I had to share.

                                                                                                                            

~Angela

I Know what It Means to Love

This has been an emotional week for me. I have been prone to tears on several occasions: while flipping through our family scrapbooks, while on the phone, while singing songs in church, while reading books and snuggling with my little girl, after skyping with my Grandma, and when someone complimented my shirt. If I didn't know better, I would think I was pregnant. I'm not. I just have a lot running though my mind. And it all comes back to me realizing how much love there is in my life.
I thought I knew what love was when I was growing up, and I did. I grew up in a loving home. Then I thought I knew what love was when I met my husband. And I did. He shows me that every day. Then I became a mom and everything changed for me. The love I had for others was not diminished because I had this other little person that I had so much love for, but this little person expanded my heart, my ability to love and it magnified those feelings that were already in place. Which means, when someone I love hurts, I hurt with them. When someone I love is soaring with positive energy, I soar with them too. These emotions are difficult at best to put into words. I have always cared and always loved. But not like this. And as much as it hurts some times, I cannot imagine life without LOVE in it.

My grandma is in the hospital and things don't sounds too optimistic. I've blogged about her before and although she will likely never see my blog, I wrote it for me and not for her anyway. She knows how special she is to me. I make that known. My grandma is a fighter, but I wonder how much fight she has left in her. I am thankful for the technology that allows us to communicate across the miles that separate us, like speakerphone and skype. It tears me up inside each time I talk to her and only by some miracle, am I able to hold myself together until our conversations are through.  I am so, so, so grateful for the time my little girl and I spent with her just a few weeks ago. I knew that trip was special. The time we spend together always is, but I savored every moment in a way that was different during that stay with her. More hugging, more pictures, more quality time together, just her and I. I don't know that I will get a chance to replicate a visit like that again. As I type through my tears, it is hard to admit that and actually put that thought to words. It is because of the love she has always had for me and my family (and I for her) that my heart aches as much as it does. As much as I wish the pain, the worry, the compassion wasn't so absolutely heart wrenching, I feel these emotions because I understand what it means to love.

And then there is my little girl, who at 21 months old is so much more perceptive than I could have imagined. We were snuggled in a chair yesterday afternoon, reading a book before naptime. And I lost it. As in tears-streaming-down-my-face-gasping-for-air-nothing-pretty-about-it crying. I get choked up every time I read this page aloud in the book  Let Me Hold You Longer by Karen Kingbury:

                        I've watched you grow and barely noticed seasons as they pass
                             If I could hold the hands of time, I'd hold onto your lasts

The book has never caused me to be quite this emotional before. My little girl knew I needed to be hugged a little tighter and gave me one of her "super hugs" with both arms around my neck.  And in church today while we were singing and a tear slid down my cheek, she said to me "Mama, tissue."  Yep, Mama just needed a little tissue to wipe that tear away. The tear that reminded me how much love there is in my life.

~Angela

I used to be a Shopaholic

When I was in college, I worked at a retail store in the mall, Old Navy. Not only did I get a fantastic discount there, I also got the same discount at all Gap and Banana Republic stores. These were some of my favorite stores. I used that discount. I acquired a lot of clothes. And what else is there to do on a break besides eat and walk around the mall and shop? So I did a lot of shopping at the other stores too.

Retail therapy helped me through breakups, college exams and stress at work. Therefore, I shopped. And shopped. And shopped. I worked 60-80 hours a week all through college and felt like I needed to reward myself with stuff. I was maybe even a little materialistic.

Fast forward to now and I am in a purge mode. I put less value on things. I still enjoy shopping, more for other people than myself. Of course I have a little girl that is very fun to buy for (have you seen the adorable little girls clothes!) and grows quickly, but I shop much more out of practicality than because it is something to do. And I don't go overboard. I do laundry often so she doesn't need a closetful of clothes. I think about purchases before I make them. I research. I price compare. And then I buy. I have found that it is much more rewarding to have fewer items that I absolutely love than a lot of stuff I don't need/want.

I think of the money I wasted on things that I did not need and never used. And I feel guilty about that.  I am a much more conscientious shopper and no longer have guilt because I feel good about the purchases I make.  Not by any sacrifice have I decided to do this, it just makes sense.  Although, what's done is done, I have learned my lesson and have a few tips if you want to be a conscientious shopper:

1. Make a list and stick to it

2. If you are undecided about making a purchase, think about it a few days and then decide if you still want to buy it or not.

3. Read reviews, ask around, research so you are an informed consumer.

4. When you decide to make a purchase, get what you really want rather than your second choice, even if it is more expensive. You will ultimately end up buying that item anyway so just get it over with. And if you buy the item you really want, you will likely have it a long time.

5. Think ahead to where you will put the item once you bring it into your home.

6. Don't be fooled by clearances and sales. If you would not buy it at regular price, why should you buy it on sale? It is only a good deal if you need or want it.

7. When you make a purchase of clothes, try them on again at home before you remove the tags or wash the item. Mirrors in stores have a way of making you look great in everything. The realistic mirrors in my home don't have the same magic.

8. If you don't love it, bring it back.

9. Save receipts. This is a critical process I learned from my husband after buying things at full price and returning them for next to nothing.

10. Don't shop when you are upset.

Happy Shopping!

~Angela

Super SIMPLE baby toy

Bundle spent time with my Grandma and Aunt about a year ago, when they babysat her on New Year's Eve 2010. While we were gone, they made a new toy for her and she has love, love, loved it ever since. She has only recently lost interest in it, which means that for one year, this homemade "toy" has entertained her.
I have spent money on toys that came highly recommended by magazines, family and friends. I have found this to be true: the more expensive the toy, the more likely it is to be lost. But the toy below has proven to be the IT toy for her:)  It is a water bottle with egg noodles inside. Yep, likely a whole $.03 was spent to make it and we have gotten our monies worth. I recommend making one for all children under 2. Please note, you want to b sure the lid is on very tight as that could be choking hazard.

Few toys have kept their appeal like the water bottle; the exception being Marty the sock monkey and his friends, the other sock monkeys.

Although this box kept her occupied for awhile, but I had to ruin the fun and take it away because I needed it.

~Angela

I needed a little break

Like everyone else, I have a thousand things to do today. I have a list of projects I need to accomplish and those I would like to accomplish- and both lists keep growing. After a morning that REALLY tested my patience (My Bundle decided she must wear her snowman pajamas to church and when I told her no, she was less than pleased, to put it lightly), I needed a break. Desperately. The solution to this was curling up with my Bundle and rocking with her as she fell into a peaceful slumber. Listening to her peaceful breaths and heart beating against me as she relaxed caused me to do the same thing.  My to do list could wait.

I followed that with a brisk walk outside on this winter afternoon, taking deep breaths feeling the stress of the day falling off my shoulder. I started thinking how lucky I am for so many things today: a daughter who is very strong-willed and determined (even if her determination is not always for what is best for her; I do hope she always sticks up for herself) and is usually even-tempered and loving, a husband who understood my need to leave the house and helps out at home, a beautiful day to be outside, a community that provides me with fresh air to breathe and a warm house to come back to. 

I really needed that break. And I feel SO MUCH better.

~Angela

One Word: Simplify

To describe my life currently, using only one word, I would say "exhaustingly fun."  Ok, that was two words, but it really sums things up. We are enjoying everything we do: traveling, spending time with family and friends, hosting guests at our home, our workouts, playing with our little girl, taking fun classes, weekend trips here and there, projects around the house and our hobbies (which are extensive). My husband and I both have more hobbies than we have time for and are never bored. We actively seek out new adventures, love to eat out and explore other cities. We look for things that our daughter would enjoy and look to find fun new date night activites. We are on the go more than we are home. It is fun. But exhausting.

It took me awhile to choose just one word, so I've put this off awhile, but finally I've settled on one, which is rather fitting with this blog.  Using only one word to describe what I am focusing on in 2012, I would choose:

 sim·pli·fy  (smpl-f)

tr.v. sim·pli·fied, sim·pli·fy·ing, sim·pli·fies

To make simple or simpler, as:

a. To reduce in complexity or extent.

b. To reduce to fundamental parts.

c. To make easier to understand.

As a matter of fact, this was a perfect time to dig out the sign I made a few years ago and display it in my home as a visual reminder of my goal for the year. The sign is made from a piece of barn wood that came from a farm that has been in my husband's family for many years and was torn down a few years back. We were able to salvage a few scraps (including this one) before the demolition.

To simplify my life, I plan to:

Get more sleep

Spend more time at home with my family

Travel less

Cook at home more

Allow things to wait until later (this is going to be my biggest challenge)

Take in nature, especially in the area that we live

Purge things that I no longer need and really use the things I already have

Take the time for the hobbies I enjoy

Finish organizing my home

Enjoy the simple things

~Angela

Fun with Blankets

Over the weekend, Bundle and I had a reading corner, which isn't even in a corner, but that's what we called them when I was a little girl and that's what we'll call them now. Basically a Reading Corner consists of a blanket (any blanket will do, but this one was big enough for both of us) to lay on-cuddling is encouraged- and books to read. Simple, yet we had an afternoon of reading together.

A favorite book "Goodnight Minnesota"

Bundle was quite interesed in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Today, Bundle was not feeling well and was up most of the night so she had little energy. Since we both stayed home together, it has been a very low-key day, but we did make anothe reading corner. We also made a tent in our dining room. She really loves it. Who am I kidding, it is pretty fun to hang out under the table:)  As much as I wish she felt better, it has been a relaxing day at home together.

This sums up how she felt this morning.

Little legs in the tent

I see you Momma!

Momma, are you coming in?

Ah, what a day of rest can do...Happy Little Bundle is feeling much better!

~Angela

I Remember When 30 Seemed Old

I remember when 30 seemed old. And now I am thirty! Of course it isn't really that old after all. Age really is just a number, but I still can't believe I am 30. Although, maybe I really am getting old as  everything I wanted to do for my birthday was very SIMPLE and low-key.

Birthday brownies with 30 candles...I don't much care for cake

I have always been a fan of my birthday and as I get older, people say that will fade. So far, it hasn't. I love a reason to celebrate so I suppose that is part of it, but it is also the one day each year I think about doing what I want to do. I like to do things for others and that is a huge part of who I am, but the one day for me is special, because I have no guilt about making the decisions to spend my day however I please. After all, I am entitled to be selfish for one day, right? I rarely work on my birthday as I typically take the day off. This year, my birthday even happened to fall on a weekend.

Here are a few hilights from my birthday weekend (even though I've been celebrating for quite awhile):

My coworker made a brie cheese spread in honor of my birthday and we all enjoyed some of it at work. It was delicious!!!

The brie had a carmelized pecan sauce in it. The picture does not do it justice.

We had pears to eat with it. A SIMPLE way to cut pears is using an apple slicer.

I celebrated with a group of friends and my mom and brother also came to visit. It meant a lot to me to celebrate with people I care about.

The day of my actual birthday was filled with some of my favorite things:

1. Sleeping in (don't worry- I'll spare you the photos of me sleeping!)

2. Reading. Currently I am reading these books. I often read several books at one time.

3. Playing with my daughter and husband. Bundle Bowling was the game of choice

4. Date night with my husband to see Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Because we have spent so much of our time in the last few months away, it was a treat to enjoy the relaxed time at home.

~Angela

Homemade Christmas Gifts Reveal

Now that everyone has gotten their Christmas gifts from me, I will reveal what I created in my goal of making homemade gifts for all of those on our list this year.

This is the dollhouse bookshelf that I made for my daughter.

I made this necklace for a friend

Made this wooden box for a coworker. I cut the pieces for the box from wood, painted and decorated it.

This necklace was made for my cousin

This is a growth chart for my Godson.

I cut this ornament from wood and painted it.

I made this memory book for my mother-in-law and father-in-law. Inside are photos from a trip we took with them.

I created this wooden flower for a friend of mine out of a branch then painted it pink.



Other gifts I made that I did not photograph:


1. CDs with Christmas Music
2. Photo calendars
3. Scarves
4. Scrapbooks

~Angela

Twenty Twelve

The start of a new year does provide a good time to refect on oneself.  I think a New Year's resolution may even be in order. Or, rather, a lifestyle change.

Now that the holidays are over, it seems like the right time to start getting some extra sleep. Those of you who know me, know that my 4-5 hours of sleep a night have gotten me through most of my life.

Now seems as good of a time as any to try to simplify my life with an earlier bedtime. Maybe I'll even create a little time each night to read before bed. This could be a whole new lifestyle for me.

We'll see how this goes...