Bath+Book+Wine=Happy Mama

Every once in a while, I'm trying to post interviews with amazing and insightful people who inspire me! This week's focus is Dianne.

Dianne is a friend of mine who I met working in early intervention in Georgia. She is a social worker, and works to help families with disabilities learn ways to support their children's growth and development. She is also an organizational guru, and writes the Clutter Free Journey blog about how to declutter your home and life. She has a gift for helping people grow and make progress in their life. Most recently, she's inspired a big change in my home via her "10-item-per-day Clutter Challenge". Oh, and on top of all that, she's a mom to 3 boys! Here are her answers to my happiness questions:

1. What's something small that you do regularly that makes you happy or cheers you up?

1. A long, hot bath with a good book and a glass of wine!
2. Being creative, ie: sewing, decorating, refinishing furniture, painting, blogging
3. Reading, I have at least 4 books at a time, that I am reading at most times
4. Talking to and spending time with friends
5. Meditating. I really notice a difference when I practice regularly. It helps me see things in a different light and keeps it all in perspective.

2. What would you like for your children to know about happiness?

Their attitude is the most important indicator of their happiness and that other people will bring joy to your life but are not responsible to make you happy. Happiness is in the simplest things, that you need to be aware of while they are happening and not miss them.

3. What do you do to keep yourself and your family happy amidst life's struggles?

Keep the faith and find happiness in the simplest of things, appreciating what we do have.



I agree with Dianne that a good bath is soo nice! And being creative regularly really does boost my happiness, too.



What simple things do you appreciate about today?

Clean up, Clean up, Everybody, Everywhere

Does this ever happen to you?

Since I went out of town for a few days, things have gotten a little out of hand. I fell behind on the laundry. I still haven’t unpacked my bag (from about a week ago!). I have stacks of pictures that I printed through snapfish but haven’t mailed to people like I’ve been meaning to. Junk mail stacks were piling up. I haven’t gotten my tax stuff together. And now it’s almost March already!

So, today, I told myself, “Do what needs to be done.” That’s one of my happiness commandments, which I stole from Gretchen Rubin (the brilliant author of the book The Happiness Project). I conquered two areas in my kitchen that had been bugging me for weeks, and made them beautiful.

First, the hooks where we hang Flanna’s lunchbox and backpack. Somehow all of the coolers and lunchboxes and backpacks we own had gotten hung in that spot, which I was trying to designate for stuff we use on a daily basis. And also (I’m a little embarrassed to admit) there were 2 cans of bug spray and sunscreen from SUMMER that were still sitting atop the shelf. Yup. From summer. Anyway, I goodwilled 5 bags that we never use, and stored the rest where our spare bags are supposed to go. And, voila! A space that doesn’t stress me out as I walk past it!

Then I focused on my mail bin. The bottom bin is for bills, which my husband takes care of, so they obviously stay neat. The top bin is for stuff I need to either file or respond to. Guess I hadn’t filed or responded in, oh, about 5 months. I’d been thinking I needed to look through this stuff but kept waiting until I had “time” to do it. Turns out, it only took me about 10 minutes to sort through everything and then file it in the 3 files it all needed to go into. I had really overestimated the amount of time that project was going to take, which I guess is why I had waited so long to do it. Now, I have room to grow again. Hopefully I won’t wait 5 months to sort through it again!

I’m still behind on laundry. But, those two tiny spaces now bring me a little bit of happiness when I walk into my kitchen. It’s a nice start.



What little nagging projects have you been waiting to tackle?

Cut the Chaos

I just spent ten minutes drooling over these monogrammed hangers online at www.hangers.com. I have no idea how I came upon monogrammable hangers...it was during one of those out of body free flow googling experiences, but aren't they cool? I'm sure I'll never bring myself to buy them, but imagining my closet looking that fancy-schmancy gave me a little mood lift.

I've been in a decluttering frenzy for the past few days, and I really think that I'm feeling happier because of it! It's so nice to get rid of things that I don't use and to make space for the things I love. My friend Dianne started a blog for the new year called Clutter Therapy, and she has really given me some inspiration to keep my "cut the chaos" happiness resolution. She's challenged her readers to get rid of 10 things every day (from old gum wrappers in your purse to those pants that just don't fit right) for 100 days. I think this challenge is going to get me in the habit of decluttering on a regular basis, and I'm really excited about it!

This weekend I went way further than Dianne's 10 item a day decluttering challenge, and just let my OCD tendencies have full reign while I cleaned out my closet, my dresser, my jewelry box, my daughter's dressers & closet, and her toy bins. I still have a long way to go (as we speak, we still have a Christmas tree up and several Christmas toys who are as of yet homeless), but tomorrow IS another day! And I actually made some dinero in the process! Turns out after Xmas isn't the BEST time to sell your unwanted clothes to Plato's Closet, but I fared better selling kids' stuff at Once Upon a Child. Now we have more room in our closets and some extra cash. Nice!

Oh, by the way, I made the dreaded doctor's appointment with a new doctor in this new town, and they can't fit me in until Thursday! My hubby, meanwhile, took himself by the acute care clinic this morning and was home with an antibiotic within 2 hours. I almost stole it from him while he wasn't looking, but I guess I'll wait my turn.



Dianne is one of those friends of mine who could inspire a telephone pole. I love feeding off of her enthusiastic energy! How have your friends helped YOU to become a better person?