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Need to simplify your life? Most of our busy lives can use simplifying.
Here are 30 ways to simplify your life. 
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My favorite things to get myself reset, into the positive mindset, and back on my goals...well, here is what I do.
Other than the soothing bath, I do all of these everyday (in the morning...most of the time). On a side note, yes I still bathe daily, just not sitting in a luxurious bath for a long while. Now that we have cleared that up, here is my reset list.
#1 YOGA
I must do yoga at least 5-6 days a week, and sometimes 7. It has been like medicine...no, I would say that it has been medicine. The issues I have had with depression and anxiety have really been minimized. The aches and pains from late-stage Lyme disease have really gotten under control. My confidence is so much higher. My body is stronger, leaner and happier. All of this from daily yoga. Mind you, I do this for about 1 hour each and every day. It's something that I don't make time for. I insist on using my time for this as an essential tool for my overall well being.  
#2 GRATITUDE JOURNAL
Realizing all of the things I have in my life, all of the things I can do, all of the supportive people in my life, all of the wonderful blessings, has been humbling and gives peace to my heart and soul. As I use a gratitude journal each day to log at least 30 things that I am grateful for, I get down to the very basics of life, the things one might take for granted. When I was in bed most of the time, dealing with late-stage Lyme disease, I started practicing gratitude. At that time, I was grateful for things like being able to walk to the bathroom by myself. Now, I see that I am still grateful for those things but am expanding to the whole earth and universe at times.  
#3 AFFIRMATIONS AND MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS
You may wonder how I can do both the affirmations and the motivational video at one time. Well, watch the videos I have selected for you below and you'll realize that they are all in one. I listen to at least 30 minutes of these videos each day, right after doing yoga. This really resets my mind and puts me back on the path to reach my goals. These videos really help me to get back to believing that I am powerful, wonderful, beautiful, and have purpose. Give them a try and you'll understand why they are so powerful to me.
Give these things a try and you'll certainly see a difference in your mind, in your actions, in your thoughts, in your life.
As you are going through your list of things to do, remember one thing. It doesn't need to be complicated.
Start at the beginning (because it's a very good place to start).
Do the things that absolutely must be done because they are meetings, appointments, or have deadlines. Next, go down your list and prioritize based on things going on throughout your day. Oh, and by the way, don't forget to take a shower. That should be on the priority list, as well as brushing your teeth. Other things will go much more smoothly if you are looking and smelling presentable to do them. I think you catch my drift though. Not everything on your list is a must. Not everything on your list has to be done today, right now, or even this week. Breathe.
Here I describe the system I use to scan my receipts and file them. I hope it helps.
The links for the two apps are below the video.
Everyone has projects, right?
My list is so very long. We have lived in this house since 2006. This house was built during the busy time, when everyone and their dog were building. This home was built when the contractors where hiring anyone off the street to sub. So, dimensions are wonky, materials were not the best, and things have broken down (even with the best of care). 
So, priorities, right?
First, I am touching up paint and redecorating the family room because I have everything I need to do that. Second, I am repainting the powder room, putting up tile (through collaboration) for a back splash, and framing the mirror. Third, I am painting the rest of the kitchen (would like to update more, but that has to wait). Fourth, the master shower has to be redone, so I would like to remodel the whole thing. There is a lot more, but that's the list. It's not small.
Plus, I am reorganizing all over the place. I am purging a ton of stuff. This is a clean out of the whole house after years of being sick with late-stage Lyme disease. Plus, both my kids are leaving the nest. Exciting times here in the Call household.
Stay tuned for before and after pictures of all of this fun stuff.
Just a quick post to remind you to get that cleaning schedule finished. To prove that I am on board, Cleaning your home does not have to be overwhelming. Simplify and get it on paper.
Here's mine. You'll be glad you have done yours. 
Because we just got done with a major cleaning project, let's do a little planning. This planning is for your regular cleaning.
Here's the challenge and how to do it. 
This week, go through all of your cleaning rituals. Evaluate them.
How do you do it? What is your schedule? Do you have a schedule? Do you have a central location for your cleaning supplies? This is your decision, your home. Decide which rooms matter the most. Which rooms are top priority? Spread the chores out so that you are not crowding your to do list.
For instance, I love to start off my week with fresh linens. So, Mondays are for changing and cleaning the bed sheets and bath towels. While I am at it, I clean all of the bathrooms. A great way to begin the week.
Another example: Tuesdays I wash the kitchen towels and washcloths that I have been putting in a bin every day of the week. While I am at it, I clean the kitchen (areas that I do daily and also the areas that have not been done daily, i.e., the fridge.
You should customize the schedule so that it fits the time you have available. This is not the same for everyone.
You should also customize the schedule dependent on the size of home you have to clean, as well as the size of family you are doing it for. Remember, delegate if you have children. They need to learn responsibility. A schedule will make it so that your family will know what to expect, and will make it so that you don't have cleaning jobs that stack up. Let's check in about one week.
Two weeks ago, I challenged you to clean and declutter your kitchen cupboards. That means pulling everything out, deep cleaning, and reorganizing. Did you do it?
It's surprising how much work it is. Of course, my kitchen is kind of large, and we have lived here since 2006.
So, I pulled everything out of the cupboards, deep cleaned the shelves and walls of the cupboards, and polished the wood.
The above is a sample of what I did. Not real dramatic...that is until you see the bigger picture. There was a lot of rearranging. I mean a lot of rearranging.
There was so much stuff that I had not even realized we still have. I thought that I was doing a good job of cleaning, but when cleaning the shelves...man, they needed it bad!
We had bags of spices that we had purchased from our local Winco in the bulk food section. We had the spice bottles that we had also purchased from Winco. The two had never met...we had never put the spices in the bottles. So, I put the spices in the bottles, labelled them, saving space, and gettin' it organized.
Oh my gosh! Take a look at the mess! It seems like a much bigger job than it actually was. Really...even though I am sweating bad in this picture. Ewh!
The above picture barely sums up the rearranging that went on. I mean, after adding arrows and text, and then more arrows and more text, I just had to be done. It was just looking like a weird word cloud.
I got input from my family on where they thought that everything would work best. It really helped with figuring out the organizing. I am actually really impressed with how thoughtful my family was with their suggestions. 
Finished project. Yes! Organized and super clean.
Now, I know everything I have. Everything has a place. Everything is in its place. Next project.
This week's challenge is to go through your kitchen cupboards (including any buffet or sideboard).
This will help you to know what you have, where you have it, and how much, saving you money and time.. How do you do this? 
The challenge lasts through next Saturady, January 19th. I would love to see before and after pictures. You can tag me on social media at @simplybynatasha.
Take everything out of the cupboards. Deep clean the cupboard shelves and cabinets, using the appropriate cleaning products for the surfaces. 
Now, when you put things back, be mindful of where they are being placed. Do you use them? If not, find someone who will.
Think about where you put towels. Are they near the sink? Think about where you put the oven mitts and pot holders. Are they near the oven? By next Saturday, I will show my before and after shots. It is going to be so great!
Okay. The rest of this week, let's take care of some decluttering. This will get this New Year off to a great start!
Where to start. Where to start? The pantry is a somewhat small area that can gather and keep a number of items, some of which expire. So, let's start here. If you don't have a pantry, do this with whatever cupboards you have that you store pantry items in. During this process, we are going to inventory the items so that we can better keep track of our pantry items. I will be using Pantry Check. If you have expired items, it's your call whether you feel comfortable eating those. If not, those certainly need to be disposed of. Any cans that are bulging definitely need to be disposed of. 
Organizing by zones is an easy way to help the whole family find things more easily. I alphabetize from left to right in my pantry. Here are the zones I use.
Baking flour and other dry ingredients (sugar, flour, salt, etc.)
Bread and Bagels Beans (chili beans, green beans, kidney, etc.) Cereal and breakfast items (i.e., toaster pastries, granola) Chips Crackers Fruit (canned, bottled, etc.) Noodles Paper goods (napkins, paper plates, parchment paper, paper bags, etc.) Plastic (grocery bags to be reused, plastic wrap,) Rice Salad toppings (bacon bits, croutons, etc.) Sandwich filling and burger toppings (peanut butter, honey, extra ketchup, mustard, etc.) Sauces (spaghetti, salsa, etc.) Snacks Soda & Water Tomato Sauces & Pastes Treats and deserts I also have a section where I put my extra appliances. 
Using baskets and bins with labels really helps everyone to be able to find things. Notice in the above picture that they have the appliances near the bottom.
It's cold outside. Let's stay in and get some awesome stuff done.
You can do this anytime. But this challenge goes through Saturday, January 5th. Be sure to take a before and after shot and share on social media. Please tag @SimplyByNatasha. Love you guys!! |
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