Spring Cleaning and Planting Seeds

Spring Cleaning – out with the old:

Comparisons be damned!

– Glasses organized – hanging on a white wooden clothes hanger and now I’m wearing ALL my glasses and feeling fancy with my cute glasses wardrobe. Thanks to Pinterest for the inspiration!

– Emptied out my sock and underwear drawer and tossed all the ugly and uncomfortable. Why did it take so long to do this? Only cute and comfortable belong in those drawers.

– Purged my entire wardrobe to make room for my new wardrobe from Swap Asana. I totally scored.

–  Sorted, stashed,  and organized all Ruby’s toys into daily toy bins. Less choice makes for a less chaotic house and kid.

– Stashed almost all Ruby’s board books – turns out babies love repeats so much, this mama was going a bit kookoo.

– My sinuses – so many allergies going on here lately. Early to bed and lots of medication and I’m making it outside every day without sneezing like a crazy person.

Planting Seeds – in with the new:

– Daily park visits with the baby in hopes of planting the seed of daily physical exercise. {Maybe I can finally learn this lesson, since I’m responsible for teaching Ruby}.

– Boot organization project envisioned and supplies procured.

– Cooking 3 meals a day for the tiny girl in hopes we’ll all have a lifetime of mindful meal times. {A girl can dream}.

– Added yoga classes to my calendar – twice a week. I remember why I love it so much – quiet, community and savasana.

– Table manners – teaching the tiny one how to use a napkin and utensils and sit at the table instead of the Exersaucer. Now if only I can get her to stop dropping the napkin and utensils on the floor…

– Reading with that girl every day from her stack of library books because children are made readers on the laps of their parents. {someone please make me a t-shirt}.

Mama meditation group – next meeting May 10th.

What have you been clearing out? What are you planting the seeds of?

photo credits: we heart it – click image for source

Review 11 Things for 2011 on 11/11/11

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Last December I wrote about 11 things I going to give up in 2011.

Seems it would be appropriate today to check in on the progress.

1. Cable TV – we still have it and we’re still talking about how we need to get rid of it. Not because we’re watching too much (thanks, Ruby), but because it is an added expense on our new one-income household.

The problem? We have bad internet and research is showing that good internet comes with cable.

Any advice?

2. My Yoga Journal subscription – gone. Haven’t thought about it once until now.

3. Paring down books and clothes.

I have definitely caught the clothes swapping bug. I went shopping in a store once this year. The rest were swaps or hand-me-downs from lovely friends.

Books have been traded, swapped, sold and donated.

Newest challenge? Keeping Ruby’s books corralled and her clothes sorted and passed on once she’s finished with them. Again, the generosity of friends and family with gifts and hand-me-downs and she has quite an extensive wardrobe.

4. Eliminate sugar, dairy and bread for a month.

I did it and NEVER felt better which inspired me to visit the allergists and lo and behold, I am really allergic to dairy. Not in the my-tummy-hurts-way, but in the why is my nose completely stuffed up way.

I have been dairy free since January (mistakes have been made and paid for) and I am happy to report I haven’t suffered the wrath of a respiratory infection, cold or much more than a mild case of the sniffles since.  Seasonable allergies (to every single plant in Sacramento) can finally be treated with regular allergy medicine.

While eating dairy free is a ridiculous pain the in butt, it has made my life world’s better.

5. Cutting out screen time at 8:30 pm.

I did it all during January and I never slept better or felt more refreshed. I kept track of my progress on a Gold Star Chart (like Gretchen Rubin). Simply amazing. I kept that screen time limit all month!

February rolled around and I promptly forgot the chart and the screen time crept right back to bed time. Clearly, this is a work in progress.

6. Clearing out the clutter.

Another work in progress. Jed and I got rid of countless bags of our stuff only to have it replaced with baby stuff. Again, a work in progress. If you know anyone needing baby girl stuff in Sacramento, please send them my way. I will have plenty to pass on.

7. Quit signing up for e-courses and finish 2010’s.

I am still working on 2010’s (a gentle nudge to do so) and only purchased two in 2010. I really liked one (and I still need to finish) and the other was only $12 (totally worth the price).

8. Consistently exercising – making friends with cardio.

2011 has been a good year for exercise. I found my perfect exercise partner and we hit the gym most weekdays during summer break and we’re both exercising (albeit way less) well into the fall.

Cardio is still mind-numbingly boring, however I am trying to make nice with it by walking with Ruby in the pouch and friends by my side.

Want to make a walking date? Leave a comment and let’s set up a date.

9. To stop taking things personally.

It is definitely less of a struggle to do this, but these days I have less opportunity to be criticised. I think. Or I am just too tired and involved with my new kid I stopped caring. Jury is still out.

10. Hire a housecleaning service.

Holy crap! BEST money I’ve ever spent. Plus it turns out the people I know with tidy houses have help keeping it that way. Need a referral? We love Angela, Sally and Elsa over at California Green Clean.

11. We finally became a family.

2011 saw the end of our adoption wait. Ruby is finally home and we couldn’t be happier.

Looking back at the year so far – were you able to let go of what no longer worked in your life? What can you give up going forward?