A Fresh Start. Operation Simplify

There are times when it seems that life has swept the rug right from under me and continues onward without heeding that I have been left behind. As I flounder about, feeling only sub-par in everything I attempt to do, I am left overwhelmed, exhausted, and moody.

The solution?  Take a step back, slow down, enjoy the day, and refocus on the important things. So, with the official resolution season here, I have begun to take small steps toward a better me.

Step 1: De-clutter
Yes, the regular "I have too much stuff for this tiny apartment" bug has returned with full force. The donate box has been filled, donated, and filled again. I am not finished with this task, but it is amazing how freeing it is to be rid of stuff laying around that is unused.

But there is more clutter in my life than just the physical stuff. I have emotional baggage, diet clutter, inward spiritual chatter (also known as a bad attitude), and I am sure I can do with a good mental focus on something useful to learn. Digital clutter plagues me as well. So I am afraid there is a major overhaul of my digital life (including blogs, digital files, email inboxes, and the like) that needs to be organized too.

I have determined that this month is to be dedicated to the de-cluttering of my life in its entirety. Simplifying all aspects of my being is going to make me better, healthier, and happier.What better time than the fresh start of a new calendar year? Thus "Operation Simplify" is born.

1. Unplug from the noise that is generated from social media and imaginary pressure to be super to strangers. (ie Facebook)

2. Physical Clutter: One room at a time, get rid of the junk, reorganzie the storage, and find a place for everything. (New challenge, find a place for all of our new Christmas stuff)

3. Digital Clutter: Backup + Organize: My computer could bite the dust at any time. It usually chooses to remind me right at a very critical part of an important project (like a wedding reception hot cocoa bar...). All files worth keeping need to be backed up and sorted to find easier. Delete the files that I will never use again... Officially move my blog to this address... and delete the others. (this one is going to be really hard for me...)

4. Spiritual Chatter: focus on the positives in life, the small successes, and happy moments. Don't get bogged down by what seems to me like a failure. I have no one to answer to but my dear husband (who loves me very much) and God (who also loves me more than I know). As long as I am doing my best, that is all that really matters...

5. What is resolution season without a goal regarding weight? I do have a goal weight, but I am choosing to focus on my exercise output and my nutritional input rather than what the scale tells me. The scale just messes with my brain, and is un-motivating when nothing changes... Healthier me.... that is the goal.

Wish me luck! What goals have you set for yourself?

"Pretty in Pink" Bridal Shower

I have this thing for throwing parties. I will jump at the chance and then stress over it until its over and done with. It is fun and a great creative outlet for me to dabble in! I admit, I have a dream to do this professionally someday... but for now I get to celebrate with my family and friends!

My brother-in-law is engaged to the most adorable future bride! We are so excited for them to start their life in love together! Naturally, where there is a bride there will be a bridal shower! It was fun for me to create this with my SILs,

"Pretty in Pink" Bridal Shower
(Rustic Elegance)
Colors: (rose)pink, brown, teal/blue, silver
Motifs: lace, sparkle, burlap

 The Invitation: The color combination just spoke to me and so I went for it! I love how it turned out. This was the springboard for our decorations as we used these colors to tie the party together.

The Food: 

A party at 11:00 means you should feed your guests lunch. That is exactly what we did! We didn't want the traditional "chicken salad on a croissant" for our shower. Not there is anything wrong with a good chicken salad on a croissant... I'm usually the first in line. But it was the weekend of Thanksgiving, it was cold outside, and we just wanted something a little different. So we went with (one of my all-time-favorites) Chicken Roll-ups instead.

My SIL made her (now famous) Strawberry and Spinach salad, I had a request for the Grape Salad, my other SIL brought us a pasta salad too! We also had fruit to keep everything extra colorful and fresh. We had a choice of flavored waters (Raspberry Mint, and Lemon) and a delicious array of cupcakes! 

The Details:

My SILs and I had fun creating the decoration for this one. We decorated the fresh Christmas tree with pink lace bows, pearl beads, and white organza ribbon. I wish I had better pictures of the tree but it turned out pretty cute. We used the tree to be the gift location (that is what trees are for right?).

We covered the window/doors with burlap and lace. Its difficult to see in the pictures here, but it was just the touch it needed to help us tie it all together from one end of the room to the food table... Our other little SIL made the large pink flowers with crepe paper and glue. How creative and they were the perfect size for the doors!

My pet project for the decor this time was the "Love" Banner we hung above the Bride-to-be's chair. I am very proud of how cute it turned out! (Despite the terrible picture of it... but at least you can see the cute Bride!)

We passed around a little notebook for all the guests to write a congratulations, and a little advice for the newlyweds. 

The Games:

Game #1: He Said/She Said 

Little details about the bride and groom (and their relationship) as they said it. I then made up a cute little worksheet. Everyone had to guess which one said each detail and circle the mustache, the lips or both. It was a great way to get to know the bride a little better. 

Game #2: The purse game.

My SIL found a  great list of items that can be found in a woman's purse. Then there were point values assigned to each item. Something fairly common (like lip gloss) was one point, but a diaper got 25 points. Its always a good one! 

Game #3: Guess the Spice

This one took a little time for me to make up, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. The jars are filled with various spices and everyone has to guess which one it is by look and smell. I then gave the spices to the bride to start her off. 

The Favors:

What is better than a little pampering? Not much. But I made these little personal peppermint sugar scrubs and they turned out to be perfect!  

It was a great shower! Best wishes to those adorable lovebirds! 

Unplugged

Life has caught me underfoot and has swept me off my feet. In an attempt to gain control of my life again, I am taking a break from the busy world of social media. I am going to unplug for a while and give myself some time to focus on my house, my child, my husband, and my health. Not to mention preparing for the wonderful festivities of Christmas!.

Its time to re-evaluate my priorities, get things in order, and de-clutter my life. I need respite from the overwhelming noise that all these seemingly important obligations (that are not actually obligations...ie Facebook updates) constantly bombard me and my life.

Look for me soon. And wish me luck.