What a year! We’re celebrating the impact and contributions of our team members’ work with clients over the course of 2021.
tools and tips.
Do you have ideas and big ambitions about how to stay on top of your to-do list, calendar and schedule? If you're like us, we find our brain space full of swirling tasks and goals. We wanted to share some helpful downloads, printables, tips and tools we're loving recently.
Get those things out of your mind... onto paper... into action!
We love these sheets for so many reasons. You can use them as you're thinking through your design taste, creating new habits and writing out goals. And the font and colors are pretty too!
2. My Love for Words - Printable Labels
Looking for a set of labels that are ready to print today? These are perfect for a pantry, closet, garage or shelves. Tape them on today & feel accomplished.
3. House Full of Sunshine - Vision Board Printables
Does your office, home office or kitchen calendar need some inspiration? These are beautiful, encouraging and inspiring. Print them today and your workspace will be instantly brighter.
4. Kennary - Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
We are quickly approaching Fall... How functional is this pre-made maintenance list for the coming season?! Print it off and make a plan with your roommates or family before summer slips away.
We hope these tools and tips are fun for you to look into today. Feel free to share with a friend who might love these resources!
New Years Resolutions vs. Life Changes
Drawing by RabbitWifePen&Ink
Do you make resolutions each year? If you are like me, I usually make a few but rarely keep them. What's interesting is that I often find myself making the same resolutions that I tried to keep the year before. Change takes time, especially big changes. Here are a few tips on how to make changes for life rather than new years resolutions.
1. Involve your people. Whether your tell your friends, family, or co workers, make sure that your community knows what you are working on. Feeling a sense of accountability often helps keep you on track.
2. Be realistic. Think about what your current "normal" is and take that into account. Don't set your self up to fail. For example: I have a goal of walking 10,000 steps daily but in general my daily average is more like 4,000. My life goal will be to be active for 1 hour (aka 10,000 steps) 3 times a week. Once I get to a place where that is my normal, then I can adjust to make it more of a challenge and say maybe 5 days a week until I work up to 10,000 steps daily. Focus on small steps to create a change of lifestyle over time that's sustainable.
3. Figure out your motives. If I have a goal of losing weight or of eating differently, it's important that I understand why I have that goal. Do I believe that I will be more loved or admired if I attain this? Am I doing this because I feel pressured by someone else or by a physical problem? Am I searching for happiness or fulfillment? I've found that my motives usually make or break a change.
4. Come up with reminders for the life changes that are hard to remember on a daily basis. One of mine is to drink at least 64oz of water every day. I am doing a few things as reminders or as motivation. I bought a water bottle that has measurements on the outside, I track my intake through an app on my phone, and I must always accept when someone offers me water. These little things help me stay on track.
Purchase here
5. Schedule a monthly check in with yourself. Make a list of your daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly commitments and re evaluate whether or not you are able to fully commit in a way that is meaningful. If not, start eliminating. When your schedule is maxed out you are less likely to be able to add new changes into your routine.
image by allaboutami
6. Make a plan for how you will accomplish your life goals. For example, if I want to begin the habit of storing my clothes in my closet or dresser rather than all over my bedroom floor/furniture, then I first have to purge my closet and storage space until all of my clothing fits into the designated area in a manageable and comfortable way. Once I have a spot for my clothes I'm much more likely to hang them back up or fold them to store in my dresser. Often times our bad habits make sense. If my closet is jam packed and has no room or order, then I'm likely to leave my clothes on a chair where I can easily find them BUT if my closet it organized, I'm much more likely to make use of it.
Did you make resolutions this year? How are they going? Any tips or ideas you would like to share?
Why not just leave all that stuff in the attic?
People often take action on spaces or rooms that guests or family see and utilize but what about the spaces that most people don't see; the ones that internally weigh you down? Most of us have a stash hidden in our closets, attics, or basements. Why not leave it there?
Image from Sundaytimes.co.uk
The problem with accumulating things and then hiding them away is that one day they have to be dealt with by you or by the family you leave behind. Often times we carry around subconcious guilt or anxiety about those spaces. We form attachments to our stuff or maybe attachments to the idea of having access to stuff. There is a process that one must go through to mentally prepare to let go of things. Part of the decluttering process begins with a good look at how you think about your things. For many of us, holding on to things is a way to feel safe about a future need that may or may not ever occur. We encourage you to think about what it would be like to only keep items that truly give you joy? Sometimes it's simply a matter of stopping to think about the purpose you originally had behind a purchase. You may find that it's served it's purpose and can be passed along. We've found that decluttering doesn't come naturally to many people. Organizing and decluttering your home can be really overwhelming, even scary at times. On top of those things, letting go is HARD! It usually takes an outsider to help you not get stuck in your head when trying to make decisions on what to keep. It's only natural to begin thinking of all the reasons to not get rid of things when the real question (and way less time consuming question) is whether keeping it will bring you joy. Being ready to declutter doesn't happen over night, it's a personal journey that doesn't work if you've reluctantly agreed after being coerced by a friend of family member. The decluttering and ultimately the organizing process only works when you truly want to be free of your stuff.
Image by Texture Photo
Our goal is never to convince anyone to do anything they don't want to do but rather for you to be so convinced that you need freedom from your things that you make the move to call us. We want you to be the hero of your clutter problem and we are here, ready to guide you along the way.
Life Resolutions
Because I'm an avid list maker I must admit that I have always loved making New Years Resolutions. In the past I've made lists of practical things I would like to do differently during the year. This year, however, I decided to make a life list. I chose things that I will more than likely work on and work towards until the day I die. These phrases are not my own words but are lines that stuck with me over the course of the year--things I read, things that were shared with me, things that I saw in other people. More than anything I want to be less consumed with my stuff and myself.
1. Buy less, choose well.
2. Collect moments, not things.
3. Be ware of hurry.
4. Live more from intention and less from habit.
5. Wherever you are, be all there.
6. Remember: The grass is greener where you water it.
7. Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.
8. Remember that comparison is the thief of joy.
9. Drive less, bike/walk more.
10. Do small things with great love.
We would love to hear from you all! What do you think about New Years Resolutions? Do you have any for this year? For life?
