Ready for Spring

I feel like I always say this every year when I am tired of the cold whether, but I am soooo ready for Spring!! Just warmer weather, really! We keep getting glimpses of it and then it gets cold again! With today being the first day of Spring, my hope is that it only continues to get warmer from here on out! This girl needs to get out of the house!

Here is what I have been doing to get ready for Spring..

1. Declutter / Un-decorate & Decorate / Organize. This might be one of my favorite times of the year! I joined in for fun with Emily Ley for the Ruthless Declutter Challenge. You should join too!

2. After I finish everything from number one, I clean everything, REALLY GOOD! Here is my favorite cleaner that I use for everything, Thieves Cleaner!!

3. We have a really big open bed in our back yard that we always just fill with mulch. Well, this year I plan on making it into a beautiful garden! I can't wait! I have been drawing up a plan and making a list of all the flowers/bushes I want to put in there. Here is a picture of what I am going for. The area already has a rock boarder and I have a bench and a chair. Not sure if I will do stones inside, but I will definitely share with you as I go.

4. I go back to work in 10 days, so I have been trying to wake up a little earlier each day to help me prepare. I have been on a bit of a different schedule since I have been home on maternity leave, and I know it is going to take me some time to get back into a routine. Wish me luck!

5. Every three months, I like to do a quarterly check-in with my goals! I take a look at what I have been doing to achieve them, and see whether or not it's working. Then I see if I need to re-evalute some of them. With the changing of Seasons, there is always room for change and growth. It's an opportunity to start fresh and to look forward to what lies ahead!

6. Going back to number one, decluttering and organizing, I did the same for my clothes, and created my Spring Wardrobe Capsule! I have been doing this for over a year now and it's life changing. Head on over here --> Capsule Wardrobe to learn how to create one for yourself!

What you Missed......

Last month I did a Giveaway, featuring all of my favorite things. One of my favorite items, Beauty Counter lipgloss seemed to get a lot of attention!! It is the perfect color for Spring and you can order it from my good friend Alison. Just follow her link --> Beauty Counter and you can order any of their products through her. I use several of their products and I love them all. They are definitely worth every penny!!

Just last month, I launched the first Touch of Simple List! This is different than my regular blog posts, as you can only receive this list, via email. This is something that I have been working on for awhile! I am sure that you will love the content. Be sure to sign up to receive the next one. Follow the link here --> Sign Up.

And if you missed it, here is the link to my last post, What I Learned This Winter.

What I am Working on...

100 Days of Watercolor/Hand Lettering Challenge, coming this Summer if you want to join with me!! Follow along for more details!

I am working to re-vamp my Pinterest page. I thought this was going to be an easy thing to do, but it's proving to be quite the task, so stay tuned!!

I am working to try and put together a free organizing class. I am only in the beginning stages, but I hope to have it finished and ready to share with you by mid-Summer!

Laundry Room Redo! At last, I have been waiting and waiting to re-do my laundry room and finally we have started! Stay tuned for the latest updates on the progress and the final reveal! Should be finished by the end of April!! Thats it for now! Many Blessings!

Keep It Simple,

What I Learned This Season: Winter

Things have been pretty busy in this house lately. I wasn't even going to write the post this time, for this link up, but for some reason, I just love participating and sharing all that I have learned every season! It is a good way for me to sum up everything into one post, especially during busy seasons of life, when I don't have as much time to post more. I feel like my last few posts have been ones that I have written for this link up, with maybe one or two in between. So it goes, when you have two little ones.

Here are the seven things that I learned this past Winter Season.

1. Being content with what you already have, can sometimes be very hard, especially if you are on social media these days! It's hard for me to admit, because I have so much to be grateful for, that I feel guilty at times for wanting more. One verse that has really helped me with this, comes from 1 Timothy chapter six verses six and seven.

 "Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it."

How very true this is and when I think of it this way, it really puts things into perspective for me. Taking the time to give thanks each day for specific things really helps too!

2. Memorizing scriptures, though hard to do as you get older, is still possible and very necessary. I was so intimidated at the thought of trying to memorize scripture verses, because I have a hard time remembering things these days, but it is possible! I have been memorizing a new verse every week, for the past few months, and it really has helped in tough times when I am able to recall these verses!

3. I have decided to participate in the Ruthless Declutter Challenge by Emily Ley, in an effort to get rid of stuff I don't really need, and appreciate all that I have! It kinda helps with the contentment thing as well. You would be surprised at the amount of junk that we as humans accumulate, that is not really needed. Less is more in this case! Having too much stuff in a room or in you home can cause an overwhelming and stressful feeling. I don't know about you, but I am going for a peaceful, relaxing and cozy feeling!

4. I have learned the secret to Instagram and how to not let it run your life or determine your worth. Do you remember when Instagram used to be the app where you would go to post a quick photo with just a few words, and no re-touching? My, has it changed! I know that Instagram has become such a great tool, especially for business owners and other writers/bloggers, but for me I have tried to go back to the 'post when you feel lead or just have a good picture to share' mentality, and don't over think it. Let go of any expectations you have and just have fun! So what, if you don't get as many likes or followers that you were hoping for. I have learned that the quality of your audience is much more important than the quantity. It makes me so happy to know that the people who follow me, actually like and appreciate what I am posting. It inspires them and encourages them. I don't need people who are just following me because of a giveaway or are hoping that I will follow back and then turn around and unfollow me. Let it go and get back to posting meaningful stuff without expectation!

5. Being a stay-at-home-mom has been one of the best times in my life. I have loved being home with both kids, preparing meals, caring for them, and doing fun activities with them.  It's also great to just have some more time to myself. While I am ready to go back to work, I am definitely going to miss being home with my loves. If you are facing a big change in the future or your time is limited in a particular way, I challenge you to make the most of each day until that time comes. I made it a point to make sure I did something special each day, so that it would help me to appreciate the last few weeks of being at home! I also wrote them down. This way I can look back and say that I truly enjoyed this time and cherished these moments. 

6. Tablets, computers, smart phones, and other technology devices, I am coming to learn, are not good for young kids. I am ok with the occasional educational programs and games, but it must be limited! I used to think that it wasn't such a big deal, but I have been seeing more and more of a change (not a positive one) in my son, after he has spent time playing games or watching videos on a device. We stopped allowing him to go on our smart phone and tablet, and we have limited his time on the computer now. There is just too much over-stimulation of the brain when kids are on these devices. This causes attention problems, anger outbursts and mood changes, and hyperactivity making it harder to calm down. I know sometimes it can be really hard, and I do think it is ok on limited occasions, when you just need a few minutes, but I think as a whole, young kids should not be on these devices for long periods of time.

7. Delta Airlines is the best way to fly! I don't have one bad thing to say about them! My mom travels out to see me at least 4 times a year and on almost every occasion, she has extended her stay. Delta Airlines, not only helped change my moms flight for free, but every person she has dealt with, has been super nice and understanding. They have also provided credits for times when my moms flight was delayed or had to be rescheduled. They just have been very accommodating and the actual flight experiences have been very pleasant. We will fly Delta every time and we highly recommend them!

And that's it! No photos or pretty things added this time, just the facts! I am really looking forward to Spring and the warmer weather. How about you? Many Blessings!

Keep It Simple,