KonMari Craze is BACK

Yesterday I shared a snapshot of some of the resolutions I wanted to work on this year...one of those items was to minimize my possessions, and if my family cooperates, hopefully many of their possessions as well.

Just when I wasn't sure how to get my family on board enter Netflix and the Marie Kondo 8 episode series titled "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo."

Years ago I read the book "Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Ms. Kondo and was very inspired to go through my house using her techniques and also sharing it enthusiastically with anyone who would listen.  I think in the end I was probably a little bit of a pain to people ("Sorry Mom"), but that's what happens (at least to me) when I am so excited about something and think people will benefit from the knowledge I've gleaned.

Netflix has harnessed the book and brought it to life.  You see people who have varying degrees of clutter that need to be addressed and you get to observe as they apply KonMari methods.  The series does a great job of getting a variety of situations and people so as to show that the methods can be utilized in so many different ways and that they can be adapted to work for everyone.

My husband watched two episodes with me and we kept pausing the show to reflect on our own house and things we wanted to accomplish this weekend, this year, etc.  

I think the series could really provide something for everyone and so to that end I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone.

If you don't have a Netflix account...perhaps snag a free month and then binge on the episodes.  I know January can be a month where many embark on "no spend" challenges.

If you've watched the show, or read the book, what were some takeaways for you?

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Happy New Year...Bah Hum Bug

The new year is upon is...we will be writing 2018 on paperwork for a couple of days at least...AND it is the time of year where people make resolutions to a fitter/better version of themselves.

My husband and I were walking on the beach yesterday and he asked "What is your new year's resolution?"

My flippant answer was "Nothing...these are just promises you make that you know you are going to break."

The conversation moved on, but I kept thinking about his question.  Perhaps I should be so crass with my answer and perhaps there are things I could do all year long to enhance the person that I am.  Perhaps I don't need one singular resolution perhaps I need a list of ideals that I could complete monthly (cum Gretchen Rubin) or perhaps I just make a list and take the year to make my way through it.

So I sat down and started to think of things and included a few doodles along with it because that made it a little more visually interesting to look at (I mean after all I am going to have to keep referring back to this to make sure I get everything in).

My illustrations are not spectacular but I think it helped my creative ideas flow and helped me make a list longer than I originally anticipated.

One of the resolutions I selected was to spend one month doing Kindness Tasks (a separate list was made for those).  I am most excited about this one and foresee it being an all year long list that gets added to as new things come my way (i.e. ideas from my kids who I want to incorporate in some of these activities) instead of just concentrating on it for one month.

My daughter read over my list and was excited to do a volunteer activity together at a local animal sanctuary but was shocked that I want to give up Starbucks for a year...she begged that that one only be a month.  I do love take away coffee, but I feel like I need this time to be more intentional with my purchases and what I consume (both food and products).

To that end to be more conscientious about my purchases I plan to purchase no new clothing, only second hand items this year.  I have whittled down and made a very minimalist wardrobe for myself but I can anticipate that I may possibly need to have a new to me item sometime this year.

As a family we will continue to minimize our possessions and work to have a home that we love and enjoy...not one that we dread having to take care of all of the items.  

So what are you doing this year?  Did you decide to make a resolution or two?  I would love to hear the things you are doing and if you have any suggestions for "Kindness Tasks" I would love to hear them as well (as I said I hope that list grows throughout the year).

I will continue to make posts and updates and let you know how various tasks and ideas are going.  

Until then Happy New Year my friends!

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Book Review: Tomorrow Will Be Different

This weekend I read Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride (that is a link to Amazon but it is not an affiliate link).

This was one of the most amazing books I have ever read.  I picked it up on Saturday and I could not put it down until I finished it on Sunday.

Tomorrow Will Be Different is about Sarah's transition as a transgender female from Delaware.  You will be completely wrapped up in her story and that of her husband, Andy.  From her coming out to her using her voice, and her story, as an advocate for others in the LGBTQ community.

She provides vivid accounts of her time in the White House as an intern, advocating for equal rights and equal protection in the Delaware State Senate, and on the death of her husband (this one brought me to tears).

She is a warm and loving person and to read her words is almost as if you are sitting down with a friend and having a conversation.  She is someone that I would love to have coffee with and want to educate me on the LGBTQ issues (there is a lot to learn here).

The book is eye opening and I don't think you can read and not realize that there are changes that are needed in this country.  Protections for those who are transgender are slim and don't provide them with nearly enough protection and dignity...may those necessary changes happen swiftly (they shouldn't have to wait).

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

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