Tuesday Tidy no. 3

Toys! We've done a pretty good job of keeping the toy collection down. I don't think we've paid for any of the toys as they've been mostly gifts or hand-me-downs. My son is great taking things out and while we're playing I'm all about the mess. So many fun things to do! Seriously, 8 months is fun with the crawling, furniture cruising, looking at books and examining how things make noise.

Then he goes to bed and I realize I can't see the floor. So my quite method for reclaiming the floor is simple: six small bins.

I got these bins at Target for a different purpose, initially. The two short ones fit under our coffee table and also under the fireplace hearth. With wood floors this means I can toss all the toys inside (either bin, no rules here) and then slide them underneath to get them out of the way.

The three more sturdy bins I turned on their side and placed in front of the baseboard heater as a barricade and they serve as his bookcase. It's great because he can get book out and also uses the bins to stand, since they are sturdy enough. These are in his bedroom since that is where most reading takes place.

The tall one is also in his bedroom and basically holds anything that isn't a book (although books are welcome). His small room means I can toss things into the bucket from anywhere in the room. Seriously, 30 seconds and it's all put away.

It is so fulfilling and always makes me wonder if I could have something similar for my own things. Part of the struggle with moving is needing to live in a space long enough to figure out what types of systems makes sense in the space. So far, this one is a huge hit!

Tidy Tuesday no. 2

Clothes Edition

I have a lot of work to do in this area but we are started with a giant sort/purge. Since we moved a lot of my clothes have been stuck in bins in various closets in the house. I've collected them all in the bedroom and have been diving through, one at a time. I've got the following piles going (see photo below) and it's feeling awesome! I have a laundry basket for the donation/sell items and when it's full I do a load of laundry. This keeps it easy so I know that they do not go back in the drawers or on a hanger.

My biggest tidy tip for clothes is Project 333 - a fall uniform that makes getting dressed easier each morning and also washing and managing clothes easier. It means that things I'm not wearing are AWAY and out of the flow of things. this worked so well for me when I returned to work after having a baby. I thought I'd only last a few weeks with my capsule wardrobe but ended up doing the full 3 months and then a little more. It's been fun to weed through the boxes and it feels very easy to part with certain clothes because i really haven't worn them in a year and a half or longer.

Here are some other clothing tips to keep things tidy. Have you tried any? Got any additional tips?

• apartment therapy has some good links
• i love how shutterbean.com uses labels!
• this gal has great ideas like only buy one type of sock and then you never have to match socks again!

Happy sorting!

Tuesday Tidy

I have really missed blogging and when I take such long breaks it can be hard to know where to start. So I decided on a simple new series: Tuesday Tidy.

I'm slowly unburying myself from my email inboxes. Between multiple email accounts I had over 300 "unread" emails. I put that in quotes because some of them I marked as unread so I'd remember to deal with them later. But the truth is, I just don't have the bandwidth to deal with these emails...

So this morning I set a 10 minute timer. I figure I can commit 10 minutes and then move along if needed. So for 10 minutes I moved emails to the correct inbox folders, deleted those I didn't need, and unsubscribed from unnecessary emails (I always end up back on these lists!). When the timer went off I'd dealt with 27 emails!

After a 5 minute break I was motivated to try again. With the first inbox at zero, I decided to tackle the monster account with 257 unread emails (insert embarrassed face...). After another 10 minute session and I'm down to 181!

Here are my quick tips so I don't dwell on tricky emails and get lost in the process:

• Sort by subscriptions or companies first so you can deal with them at once. Start with an easy one that you know you can delete without much emotional attachment.
• When in doubt, unsubscribe. Clearly I haven't been using the coupons and when I need a coupon, I will know where to look
• Make a list: recipe emails are so inspiring but they clog up my inbox, so I open the link to the recipe and save it in a document called "Recipes to Make," that way I can search later and delete the email now.
• Create folders for certain categories. I have purchased many knitting patterns over the years and they often come in emails so I have a folder where I move these emails so they are filed away. Makes it easy to access later and doesn't clog up the "IN" box.

Looking forward to more tidying and less emails this week! Have other tips and tricks for organizing email? I'd love to know!

Bullet Journal 2017

Last week I set up my new bullet journal. Though my journaling fizzled out toward the end of 2016, I really enjoyed the process and method for keeping track of things so I decided to start fresh.

I'm using the same size Moleskin as last year and found some small cut out calendars to use at the front or my year overview. Other than that I'm hoping to use a bunch of supplies up that I have on hand. I keep a pouch with adhesive, pens, washi tape and precut cards near my journal and just grab what seems right in the moment.

Here are a few shots of the basic set up I did. I'll post some more later on when I have added more pages. Happy documenting!

Fiber Friday

So happy to be blogging again!

I haven't done much with fiber lately but I have some yarn projects queued up for 2017.

The Lex Shawl from a Quince & Co

I purchased a booklet of shawls last year and it included this lovely pattern. I received some beautiful blue yarn for Christmas that I hope will become this shawl!

Blanche from YOTH yarns

I started this sweater in Brooklyn Tweed yarn, colorway fern. I think it will be a nice addition to my post pregnancy wardrobe and it is fairly straightforward. I haven't done much seaming so it will be a good challenge.

Lucy Hats from Quince & Co

I have the exact yarn shown in this photo so I think I will make this hat. I love having a slouchy hat to cover up bed head in the winter. Plus, it should go faster than the other projects, right?

Project Peace Cowl

So I didn't finish this in December, but I'm enjoying the project so I hope to finally nish it up this year. I am using some YOTH yarn from a previously frogged project and would love to actually wear this yarn, since I purchased it 4 years ago.

I have a few other WIPs:

1. Onward Shawl
2. Ribbed Blanket
3. Featherweight Cardigan (which I may have to frog)

Here's to hoping 2017 has a few more finished projects so I can enjoy the wearing of these beautiful yarns!

Currently

The view from here...

Enjoying snuggles with our tiny person.
Reading this book.
Listening to this series during middle of the night feedings.
Watching this documentary and James Bond movies in small chunks as the little one sleeps.
Admiring the sunny weather from inside a warm house.
Cooking fried quinoa.
Making granola bars,
Eating anything that only requires one hand. These are particularly delicious.
Drinking water and #allthecoffee
Soaking up every moment before going back to work at the end of the month.
Inspired by this post to delete and organize phone photos.

One Little Word 2017

I am excited to start the new year with a new word! There have been years where my word is very present here on the blog, especially in 2015 when I chose the word "be" and did weekly updates. Last year my word was a little more close to the heart: make. I tried to do a lot of things handmade and homemade but I also wanted to make time and space and focus on some self case. When we welcomed our first little baby at the beginning of December it felt life such an appropriate word.

Originally I had thought the word would help me finish some projects, but carpal tunnel kept me from knitting and sewing projects. Upon reflection, the year brought many opportunities to make in a different way: space for recovery, time for relaxing, routines for resting, date with my husband, etc.. Fall became a season of discovering and setting boundaries for myself and in the end, it wasn't as hard as I'd imagined. My family and friends worked extra hard to support me as I figured out what "resting" looked during various phases of the year. A broken rib, 13 bonus days of pregnancy and an extended hospital stay added to the equation and were certainly not part of my own plan, but reflection, I know that I did make the most of my year. 

This year I've chose the word: present.

One of the things that sticks with me from the last few weeks for pregnancy and beginning of motherhood is how much I lived each moment. During the waiting I worked hard to enjoy each moment, and think of each day as a bonus, and as we waded through the first week or so of parenthood my sense of time shifted from hours and days to moments and milestones. I try not to plan or look too far ahead, but rather enjoy the now and be present for my son and family, knowing that routine and rhythms will ebb and flow.

This is an attitude I want to bring into the new year. I can't say it's a change I want to make because it's already something I've been feeling shift inside my heart. But that's why I like this word. I don't need to change, but rather embrace what is already happening in and around me. 

I am currently reading Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist and found this quote particularly applicable:

What I'm learning essentially, is to stand where I am, plain and sometimes tired. Unflashy, profoundly unspectacular. But present and connected and grounded deeply in the love of God, which is changing everything. (19)

I'm am excited to find out what God is planning for 2017 and looking forward to blogging about my One Little Word throughout the year. I'm not setting a bunch of goals and making a plans for this space, but will instead see where the year takes us. Happy New Year!