How is it that we’re already to the middle of May? This year is just flying by. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m taking lots of pictures and focused on completing my Project Life weekly. Or if it’s because I’m home all day long. I just don’t understand where this time is going.
With that all in mind, it’s time for a goals update. I’m going to take a little departure from reviewing and updating my list, because face it, not a whole lot has changed. Instead, I’m going to focus today on my choice for Ali Edwards’ One Little Word.
My word for 2011 was Attitude.
This has been an extremely difficult word for me to live with this year. So I suppose that means it was a good choice. New baby, job loss, depression…it all adds up to a huge weight on my shoulders. It’s extremely difficult to remain positive and up-beat at times like this.
In an attempt to regain control of my attitude, I’ve been focusing on the little things I can do. The idea being, small steps of positive reinforcement will add up eventually to a happier and more positive attitude. Here are a few of the little things I’ve focused on:
1. Declutter and reorganization. Ultimately I hate clutter. But I’m also a recovering pack rat. I’m taking small bits and working through them, letting go of what I don’t need. This past Saturday, I emptied an entire craft drawer of supplies. Threw them out. It was my complete stash of decorative soap making supplies. Fact is, I haven’t made soap since before I moved into my condo. That’s over 6 years. They don’t even make the soap blocks I used anymore. I don’t really want to return to that craft. I’ve grown past it. So I let it all go.
Another project, was cleaning out my pantry. I emptied and cleaned out my baking shelf in the pantry. It had become a royal mess over time. I don’t want to tackle the whole cabinet at once, but one shelf at a time will work. It was really nice to be able to see what I had, and to get to what I want to use.
2. Photo Refresh. I love photos. I have them displayed on shelves in my entertainment center, and a few on my mantle. But there are photo decoration projects that I have been champing at the bit for MONTHS to do. Fact is, I should NOT be spending money on frames and such. Not right now. But I’ve not been in this situation where I’m unable to indulge my decorating desires for 14 years. It’s been bringing me down.
So a couple weeks ago, I started redoing some photos in frames I already had. First, I replaced many of the H 1 month old photos with her newly taken 9 month old photos. Then this past weekend, I printed out a bunch of new photos and updated my entertainment center frames. In some cases, I replaced photos that had been there for 10 years or more. It was time for a change.
I also updated photos in my photo collage frame in the laundry room. I know, sounds weird. However, my laundry room happens to be in the Health and Family area of my house (Feng Shui). It promotes positive Chi to see something you like when you enter and leave your house. So I have a big photo collage right opposite the door to the garage. It’s the first thing I see when I come home. It’s filled with photos of our family, including the pets. However, prior to this past weekend, it still had 2 empty slots, contained a photo of a cat no longer with us, no photos of Joey and Elly, or, for that matter, Baby H! I fixed that. The whole thing is full, now, of people and pets we love, who are here with us. Even D loves it.
3. Take Back my House. Not only is my house overrun with baby paraphernalia (as would be expected), but it was also covered in trappings of laziness. Stacks of items on surfaces, that were sitting there merely because we had gotten too tired/lazy to return them to their proper places. We tackled that in the last week, too. I went on a campaign to find my surfaces. D worked on corralling some baby items. The play gym was retired, giving us more room on the floor. I’ll never have a model home, simply because it doesn’t bother me to have furniture covered in blankets to protect from pet fur. Nor does it bother me to have some things setting around. But when EVERY surface is covered, it looks messy.
I also did some dusting. Don’t faint. It doesn’t happen often.
I know these are just little things. There’s still an overwhelming amount of stuff to do. (That craft drawer was just one miniscule part of my entire office closet. *shudder*) But just doing these few little things made me feel WORLDs better. I still don’t have a job. I’m still sitting in a livingroom overrun with baby toys. I still can’t buy the things I want. But I rather feel ok about all that right now.
I guess Attitude really was the right word for me to choose.
