summer: the good, the bad, and the itchy

I am still feeling a bit out of place, right smack dab in summer. How did this happen? Why wasn't I more prepared? Perhaps it was that spring completely skipped out this year...remember that Easter that looked and felt more like Christmas? And what happened to actually having weather comfortable enough to sit out in the evening and enjoy...before mosquitoes hit?

So it's time...to get myself in the mode, with this year's post on summer. So here goes:

Summer: the good

• Crickets. I love the sound of crickets and katydids. In fact, I was delighted to hear my first crickets tonight!
• The circus. And that reminds me...need to order tickets!
• Sun. It feels so good to be out in the sun again. (It's been really rainy here...very rare for summer around here. Perhaps another reason I'm feeling lost in summer.)
• The pool. The water's still a bit chilly for this girl who grew up in the north where all the pools were heated...but I'm looking forward to some evening family swims coming up real soon. 
• Fireflies. There's something so fun about kids enthusiastically catching fire flies and collecting them in a jar. We let them go at night...but enjoy the fire fly lantern until it's time to go in.
• Margaritas and Guacamole. (Or forgo the guac and just enjoy the margaritas.)
• Cul-de-sac parties. (With Margaritas and Guacamole.)
• Longer days.
• Sleeping with the windows open. And hearing the crickets at night and birds in the morning.
• Flip flops + tank tops. (A whole season of far fewer socks to sort and match up on laundry day. Love that.)
• A container garden of fresh herbs + potted tomatoes.
• Potted flowers.
• The hammock.
• Water-fights.
• Giving the dog a bath - outside!

Summer: the bad

• Road construction. The road out of our neighborhood is closed. This has nearly doubled my trip to Target (and summer camp!) Which do you think is a bigger crisis?
• Skinned knees. (I still run like a mad woman every time one of my kiddo's goes down for the count. Ouch!)
• Mosquitoes. (Maybe that falls under the itchy.)
• Humidity.

Summer: the itchy

• mystery rash. So the real reason I know summer is here is because my annual "mystery rash" is here once again. Oh joy! Just about every summer I get my annual mystery rash. And just about every summer, it's source is unknown. Was I around poison ivy? Not that I know of. A round of 100 questions later, and still the rash is deemed a mystery. The medical term for mystery rash is dermatitis. If the mystery seems to have come from contact with an itchy form of plant life, it is called "contact dermatitis." This year's rash was deemed to be the garden variety dermatitis and not contact dermatitis. Which frankly, makes the mystery rash all the more unsettling. I didn't even romp around in an itch inducing plant for all this itchy fun.

And I share this why? First, because I enjoyed the title, "summer: the good, the bad and the itchy" and the only way I would quit saying it to myself over and over is if I actually used the blog title in a real blog post. And second, so next year when the mystery rash comes around I will remember that mystery rashes remain mystery rashes even when shown to a medical professionals. The way to treat a mystery rash* is with benadryl, 1% hydrocortisone cream, stress reduction, minimal use of soap,colloidal oatmeal baths, and other fun stuff like that.

*Note: this blog post is not to be taken as medical advice. It is just an itchy woman ranting. If you have your own mystery rash, please, by all means, end the suffering and see a medical professional. ;) 

OK...so let's share. What's your take on summer? Is it good, bad, itchy...or all of the above? I hope you noticed for me it's mostly good. I do love summer...and now that I've spent ample time dwelling on it's arrival I can simply sit back and enjoy. Hope you will, too!

the last day of school...

is tomorrow! Which is really late for us (thanks to all those snow days this winter) and yet, it seems impossible that another school year is coming to an end. Where does the time go?

One of my kiddos had a fever all day today...so I'm keeping my finger's crossed that he's actually going to be well enough for the last day of school tomorrow.

In light of the fever, today didn't exactly go as planned...so tonight I'm tying up loose ends with teacher gifts and updating the family calendar for the summer...because, well summer is starting on Tuesday! Woohoo! (Maybe if I start saying woohoo about summer, it will start to sink in. Summer. Starts. Tuesday. Woo. Hoo. OK...that isn't helping.)

So...what does all of this mean for you? Tomorrow I'll do the workshop Q&A post that I was going to do tonight. (Which means there's still time for questions, so email me or post below if you have a Q.)

new birthday traditions (and a challenge for you!)

First, a big thank you and many hugs for all the birthday wishes! You all really made my day. :)

So I was chatting with a friend today and she was asking about my birthday. "How was it?" she asked.

"It worked," I said. "I turned 40."

I then went on to tell her, all kidding aside, it was truly a wonderful day. In all honesty, the best birthday ever. And why was that? Well, the answer is this:

I *decided* it would be a great day.

In the past...I have tended to be a tad-bit grouchy on my birthday. And this pattern goes back many, many years. My 16th birthday. Grouchy. My 21st birthday. Grouchy. Thirty. Morning sickness = grouchy. I'm not sure why I was so frequently a tad-bit grouchy on my birthday...I just was.

This year, I decided it would be different. (Instead of being grouchy *on* my birthday, I was grouchy for the first few days of May instead.) It's true. I pondered and stewed and contemplated. Forty? Forty. Finally I decided, it was going to happen one way or another, so why not enjoy it?

I spent some time figuring out what would make me happy on my birthday. I had said for years I was going to have a *big* party on my 40th...but that thought, as the day drew near, was really not so appealing. Cleaning my house and making food all while opening myself up to "over the hill" gag gifts...I sensed grouchiness on the horizon.

I've also been around long enough (and have decluttered enough homes) to know it isn't the *stuff* that makes for a happy birthday. Nope. A big birthday gift wasn't going to stave off the grouchiness.

The thing that I knew would work was an afternoon of pampering. So I called. I made the appointment. And off to the spa I went for a 90 minute massage and a manicure. (Exact duration of the manicure is unknown...but did you catch the 90 minutes on the massage? Oh my heavens, this is truly the way to go.)

It was a wonderful day. Jay and Kailea made me my favorite cake. I got to talk to friends and family on the phone. Jay made me dinner. My sweet neighbor Lisa sent me an Edible Arrangement. There were other gifts involved. I got wonderfully sweet comments on my blog. It was a truly, truly special day.

I ended the day by writing thank you notes, which will be my second new tradition. (The spa thing...that ones sticking around, too.) It was wonderful to end my day focused on gratitude and expressing my thanks with those who celebrated my big day with me.

So I share all of this not to remind you once again of my age (I think this will be the last specific mention of it for at least ten years) but instead to remind you of two pathways to happiness that I rediscovered on my birthday.

The first is to take care of *you.* Happiness, my friends, is in our own hands (well, and the hands of the message therapist in this case.) But seriously, we have to decide what it is that will make us happy, and then set into motion a plan that will make it be. This took me many years and many grouchy birthdays to figure out.

The second pathway to happiness:  gratitude.

With this holiday weekend upon us, first I want to say thank you to you. Thanks for reading my ramblings and celebrating my big birthday with me. Second, I want you to do something for you this weekend. Perhaps it's some extra time scrapbooking, or a bubble bath, or a leisurely hour at the book store, or maybe even a (90 minute!) massage—just because. Simply do something for you. You deserve it AND it will feel great to get in the driver's seat of your own happiness. If you take me up on my little challenge, or if you have favorite way to pamper yourself, please share. I'd love to hear how you celebrate YOU.

the beginning of a new era

I was going to entitle this post "the end of an era." But as this era draws to an end, what I'm most excited about is the new era that lies ahead.

So what is this era that's coming to an end?

My 30's.

Poof! They're vanishing before my eyes.

According to the clock, I have about two hours left to spend in my thirties. (But, oh no, I just thought of something. I was born in the Eastern time zone, so maybe it's even less. Oh well...it just doesn't matter.) Because just around the corner is a whole new era.

I'm so excited.

Thinking back over the past four decades of my life, this last one, my thirties, was by far the best. I see that as a great sign: life just keeps on getting better and better and better. I love that.

I've been thinking about this milestone a lot this month...perhaps this explains my lack of blogging. I've been doing a lot of introspective thinking; trying to get some perspective on this whole rite of passage. Moving from a thirty-something to a, uh, forty year old, well it just took a while to get my brain around. It's really happening. It really is.

This past decade was fantastic. Most notably, my thirties brought me two amazing kids with the wonderful husband I married late in my twenties. (And seriously, if those kiddos were all I had to show for my thirties, that would be more than enough. They make my world go round.)

But that wasn't all...my thirties were really good to me.

On a professional front, this fine decade brought me an exit from corporate America (woohoo!) It brought me simplify 101, The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker, The Happy Scrapper, a column with Organize Magazine, but best of all...amazing new friends...some of whom I have met in person and some of whom I have come to know and love in the virtual world of blogs, websites, email and telephones. I never would have dreamed any of this were possible in my twenties. Back then...I didn't even own a computer!

My thirties also took me on many a fine adventure. I visited places like Napa Valley with Jay, Washington with my Mom and several trips to my home state of Michigan. There were trips to Chicago for CHA; Boston, Reno and San Diego (a personal favorite!) for organizing conventions and even a trip to Las Vegas. (Note to self...fill your forties with more travel.) 

My thirties were also when I ran my first 5K (and my second and third for that matter!) In my twenties I think I would have been hard-pressed to run one "K" let alone five. Just more evidence that life continues to get better.

So...I'm sharing all of this mostly for me. To process it all. To embrace it. To rejoice in the fact that life truly is getting better. Sure. I had far fewer wrinkles when I was twenty. But along with the wrinkles of my thirties came wisdom and joy that fills my mind and heart today—wisdom and joy beyond anything I could have imagined in my twenties. And it just keeps getting better.

I love this thing called life. And tomorrow, Monday, May 19th, I celebrate forty amazing years on this planet. And I give thanks for the chance to experience this miracle called life.

Bring on the forties! I can't wait to see where this next decade, this next phase in my journey, takes me.

By the way, thank you for letting me share. Once I get through this birthday "hoopla" and the introspection that seems to be accompanying it, I promise I will blog about organizing again. I promise. :)

Have a great day!

happy birthday to...

Jay!

Yes, today is Jay's birthday! Happy birthday sweetie (because I know at some point you'll read this...right?)

So if you don't know Jay...well, he is my husband, the amazing father to our two children, my business partner, the guy who holds down the fort while I'm out of town---both in terms of keeping our family going and in terms of keeping the business going. He is the brain child behind a really fun and exciting "new thing" we're adding to our website. (More on that soon!)

Jay is truly amazing and by no stretch of the imagination does he get the credit he deserves for all of his contributions to simplify 101, our family, and to the overall happiness of my life.

So...if you know Jay because he's your friend or you've meet him through our business and now he's your friend then will you help me surprise him? (Perhaps you bought something from our store and were happy with the service or packaging which was all Jay, by the way. He won't let me ship because I'm not "properly trained.") He's on a field trip right now with our daughter...and I would love to have him come home to an in-box filled with birthday wishes. If you know his email address would you send him a birthday wish? Or if you don't know his email address would you post him a birthday wish right here in the comments? Thank you!!

Jay didn't want a party...so this will be like a virtual birthday party (free from goodie bags which is a very good kind of party ;) and a fun little surprise for him.)

OK...back to the garage article! Have a great day. :)

my world rocked

And I mean that literally. Last night at 4:30ish AM, we had an earthquake! An earthquake.

I'm sure you've heard by now...but I just have to share anyway because it was the craziest thing to happen to me in a long time. Seriously. We're laying there sound a sleep when suddenly we're wide awake...and things are rattling..and the bed is shaking...and the dresser is clattering...and we're looking at each other like "what in the heck is going on?" Both kids woke up and came running into our room. The world shook enough to wake my entire family from the depths of sleep. It was crazy. So we decided that, yes, indeed it was an earthquake, no one was hurt, and so all four of us went back to bed (together in the same bed...because that's what you do after the world rocks.)

We were so happy that this earthquake happened while we were safe at home and not while crossing the Mississippi River via a bridge. (Jay said that out loud. I thought it but kept it to myself since I was going to have to do that very thing about four hours later. Drove real fast over that bridge...and I'm back home now. Whew.)

Wow...really makes me want to actually get prepared for an emergency instead of just thinking about what a good idea it would be. Guess I'll add that to my to do list.

In the category of other things that have rocked my world lately. Here's another one. (World rocking in a completely different kind of way...but I seriously thought this was just so fun.) Hat's off the the NAPO LA Chapter for putting together such a wonderful event for the organizing industry. It's a cause near and dear to my heart...so I just loved this! Hope you enjoy it, too.

It's Friday. It's rainy. The world has stopped quaking. (And I figured out how to put a YouTube video on my blog!) I'm looking ahead to a weekend of soccer, basketball, baseball, and spring organizing. Here's wishing you a happy weekend filled with the things you love and time spent on nothing by solid ground. ;)

greetings from Reno

Whew...so much going on here lately! I think I've gotten all the mileage I can get out of that last bucket post...so it's time I stopped in and said hello. Glad to see so many of you found the buckets, and as soon as I get back from Reno, I'll post with some more ideas on what to use them for. And while we're on the subject of Target, did any of you see the little red wire baskets? Got three of those...haven't a clue what I'll use them for but at $3 total investment, it was a must-have purchase.

So I'm at Reno...at the Organizing Convention. Very exciting and fun stuff. Will share more as the days go by. My friend Janine has a nice little account of the show and some of the highlights. (Tell her hi if you stop by her blog.)

OK...one last thing. Next Friday, I will be doing a program called Organizing Basics 101 at St. John's Mercy Women's Center in St. Louis. If you're in the St. Louis area, come join me for this fun and informative talk. If you can make it, I would LOVE to see you! Learn more (and sign up!) here.

OK...gotta' run. It's never a solid plan to show up late at a convention full of organizers...hard to find a good seat. ;) Have a great day!

I'm dreaming of a white Easter...

...oh, wait, that wasn't a dream.

I hope you and yours had a wonderful Holiday weekend! ;)

it's a wrap

So we're all done taping. It was seriously fun and energizing...working with Wendy on camera and getting ready before hand. I love our collaborative process and the energy that comes from doing something brand new. Chartering new waters. It's exhilarating.

Been spending a lot of time this week talking about scrapbooking organizing and inspiration. It's fun to bring those thoughts---all the thoughts that were right there on the surface while we were writing the book---back to the surface again. When I do...I start to see inspiration everywhere. I'm sitting in Starbucks right now and they have the coolest artwork that just makes me want to scrapbook. Darling, layered watercolor artwork. It's simply yummy.

It's one of those weeks---doing something brand new---that refreshes me. And while I realize it's impractical to suggest you go out and have video crew come to your home, I do want to share the value in doing something that is 1) new, 2) out of your comfort zone and 3) refreshes your sense of creativity. So here are some ideas for you. You could...

• try a new restaurant or try a new dish at a standby favorite restaurant. (I'm one of those people who gets into a total comfort zone...same restaurant and same dish every time we go out for months and months on end. So this would be a good bit of advice for me to make...if I hadn't already stepped way out of my comfort zone this week.)
• pick up some scrapbook supplies that stretch you creatively...if you use bold colors, try something softer and muted. If you use solids, try some patterned paper.
• pick up a book that's on a topic you normally don't read. If you're a fiction junkie, go for something non-fiction. (Or vice versa.)
• go on an inspiration scavenger hunt...look for cool  business cards, great packaging, brochures or junk mail, and then, go create something based on your finds.
• expand your creative outlets...if you normally scrapbook chronologically, make a theme based mini album. If you only scrapbook, pull out your supplies and try a home decor project or go to a paint-your-own-pottery store or a beading cafe.
• take a different route to somewhere you always go...and notice the new sights...the houses, the businesses, the trees.
• try a new fizzy beverage...I'm drinking an Izzy right now, sparkling Clementine, and the bright packaging and vibrant yellow drink are making me seriously happy. (It's always the little things that make me truly happy.)

Take a little step out of your comfort zone (or a big one!) and see what creative energy surfaces for you. And when you do, please share. I can't wait to hear what you do to recharge your creative spirit. 

the trouble with snow days...

...is that they help you get really far behind with the rest of your life. (Or at least then you have that as an excuse.) But seriously, my kids were home for three of the five days this week! Three. Days. At. Home. (Extra days...like in addition to the regularly scheduled weekend days.) Yikes. So that's why I've been so...uh...MIA.