Things I Do to Make Life Easier - 2017 update

Often when I make reference to making things easier what I really mean is requiring less of my time. Here are some things I do to buy myself some time/make life easier. If you like this concept, you'll want to check out these old things from 2014: 10 Things I Do to Make Daily Life Easier and 10 Things I Do to Make Life Easier in the Kitchen. Kathy's recent post reminded me that it's been quite a while since I shared a version of this that is applicable to my life, so here are some recommendations:

1. HousePaws Mobile Vet - I'm not sure if trips to the vet are more traumatic for me or the dogs, so unless an office visit is required, I say fuck it and have the mobile vet come to the house.

2. Chewy.com - Chewy delivers dog stuff and they do it quickly. I still need to get Mae's food at a store because they don't carry it, but it's worth it for the dry food for Gus and Bruce. Their customer service is awesome as well.

3. Fresh grocery delivery - Amazon Fresh shot an arrow through my heart by cutting off delivery service to my area as of Thursday, but not to worry. I've got my old reliables that I used before Amazon Fresh came on the scene - Instacart and Peapod - and a new one to try on a friend's recommendation - Fresh Direct. MFD will run to Aldi some weeks, sometimes I get fruit and veggies at Lou's Farm Market, and I will sometimes pick groceries up at Target when I need to enter the physical store for other reasons but otherwise my groceries are delivered. But to answer the inevitable questions: the quality of meat is the same as it would be in the store you're ordering from, they can pick produce just fine to put in your order, and if anything is wrong or not as you'd like it you call and get your money back. It's no use wasting two hours going, shopping, packing, unloading, unpacking because you don't trust someone to pick your apples. Take the chance.

4. Make that everything delivery - If I can order it, I order it. I have said one million times and believe with all of my heart that time is money. I will spend money to use the time I do have doing what I want to do instead of what I have to do. Being out of the house close to 12 hours a day, I'm looking to buy all the time I can. I still get Amazon Prime Pantry but I'm hoping to transition over to Target Restock for pantry items. I also use Thrive Market for my pantry needs that are more organic in nature and Penzey's for spices. I get toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, clothes, gifts, everything delivered.

5. Google Photos - I don't back up photos to iCloud, I back directly up to Google Photos. I can share easily from there and I never have to worry about losing any of my pictures or dicking around in the cloud.

6. Wunderlist - I prefer my notebook lists, but on the fly or just to jot down ideas, Wunderlist is my go to. I can email lists to MFD also.

7. Goodreads - My want to read life was so cumbersome before Goodreads came on the scene.

8. Five Calls - When the political machine is spitting shit out faster than you can track, you just open up the Five Calls app (or visit the website) and it walks you through what is pertinent for the day based on what is important to you and who to contact about it. Democracy requires participation. Not participating is how we got here.

9. Feedly.com - Feedly stores the blogs I read so I can just go down the list and see what's up without any bullshit of other readers out there (looking at you bloglovin'). I will miss Google reader until I die though.

10. Gratitude List - When I'm in a real snit or feeling woe is me (not often, honestly, because I fucking hate woe is me shit even/especially when it pertains to myself), I do a quick and dirty things I'm grateful for list. On bad days one might be clean socks or breathing, but are they not things to be grateful for regardless?

What do you do to make life easier?

10 Tips on Decluttering

Decluttering is really personal. I don't believe in holding on to things I'm not using, wearing or loving in the hopes that I will one day use them, fit in them, or love them. I'm not telling you to get rid of your stuff...that's a lie. I am telling you that. Everyone has at least a few items they shouldn't have, me included.

I think people shy away from decluttering because they think it means an absence of things and a home void of personality.  It does not mean that. It means having the respect for the things you love and want on display to give them a home and space around them.  I have a lot of decor throughout the house. My walls are full of photos. I never, however, have more than I can handle. If it doesn't have a place, it doesn't belong.

My view on clutter in the home is that it leads to clutter in the heart and mind; it allows clutter to infiltrate everywhere. Too much stuff, then suddenly too much to do, too much chaos. In my mind, clearing physical clutter clears a path to a better life.

Here are some things I live by. I'm not a genius and these aren't things I made up. They're basic tenets of organizing in my words.

1. A place for everything and everything in its place. If something doesn't have a designated space, find one for it or get rid of it. Wherever it goes is its home, so when you're done with it return it to its home. I swear I heard my Grandmom say this 49030489038 times. The next one as well.

2. One in, one out. One of the best things my Grandmom taught me. Last week I brought home two cardigans, two t-shirts, and a 3/4 sleeve t-shirt. I also ordered a skirt and two dresses. That night at home I did a quick closet purge. That's how you keep from having too much.

3. Tough love evaluation. If you hold something in your hands and don't feel a connection to it because it's useful, beautiful, or because you love it, get rid of it. If you just want a memory of it, take a photo. Purging requires a shred of ruthlessness. When the urge hits, do it.

4. Cast a critical eye on your every once in a while items. I have seasonal items and entertaining items that I don't use daily or monthly. I make sure I keep an eye on them so I'm not holding on to more than I can use at any given time, or buying more to add to an already complete collection.

5. Zone by zone. I don't say today I will declutter my bedroom. I say I'm going to go through my top two drawers. Once I do that and deal with all the stuff (throwing out, packing up to give away, or putting away in a new home, NOT just moving it), I may move on to my shoes, two more drawers, the bookcase in my room, the box next to my bed. Or I may just stop with those two drawers. Scaling decluttering projects down to 10 minute intervals allows me to accomplish something in 10 minutes. Decluttering a closet sounds like a lot of work and something I might not be up for. Decluttering a shelf does not.

6. Know that organizing is circular. I typically declutter and organize some part of the house on a daily basis even if it's just a pile on the table. Some weeks shit lays on the floor in the closet for three days before I can get to it. Life happens around us. Still, I'm disciplined in continually putting things in their homes and reevaluating my organizational systems and whether or not things are still functional, useful, or loved. You don't organize something once and then never again. It requires upkeep and evaluation.

Real Simple

7. Do not transfer clutter. FYI, it's not decluttering if you're just moving shit from place to place. You have to actually find a home for it, toss it, or give it away.

8. Jammed in is not a good look on anything. We always get new things. Make sure there's a little bit of space for you to assimilate new items and still have some space around the items you have.

9. Someone might want it is not a good reason to hold something. Your home is not a storage locker. Don't treat it as such. Reach out to whomever may want or need it and give them a pick up deadline. If they don't meet it, it gets tossed or donated. MFD wants to hold on to things for months just in case. Nope. Not happening.

10. Use reminders. If you can't bear to part with something, set a reminder on your calendar for six months from now. If you haven't thought about it or used it since you set the reminder, get rid of it.

What about you? Is decluttering a part of your life or a foreign concept? Do you have any tips to share?

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Haikuesday

Purging is needed

or you will be on Hoarders. 

Then we can't be friends. 

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