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What Can Moving Do For You?

Most people I know hate moving. It’s a physically and emotionally taxing process to have everything in your home packed up and moved into a new home where you have to spend weeks and months setting everything up again before you feel truly settled in. The amount of work it takes is incredible, but there are huge benefits to creating such a big change in your life.

The truth is, I like moving. It gives me a fresh start and a chance to re-evaluate everything in my life and an opportunity to make changes to improve my life. I find that most people don’t share my sentiment, but because I know my mission is to truly create a life I love, I am ready and willing to make any drastic changes necessary in my life to create a better future.

I just recently moved to a new place just a few weeks ago, hence the delay in posting. Thanks for your patience! Moving is a lot of work, especially with a baby, but looking back, it was worth every ounce of effort.

We were nervous about how the baby would adjust to a new home and a new daycare, but it was absolutely seamless that it truly surprised us! All the effort it took to find a new home that fit the criteria we was looking for, get all the paperwork together to apply, find a new day care, and logistically schedule movers and time off to make it all happen was all worth it.

Practically speaking, our family did not need to move. We were only moving one neighborhood away, a 10-15 minute walk. Everything was situated… day care, my studio nearby, we were in an elevator building and located right next to the train, making it a very convenient commute to the city. Read more →

How To Find the Perfect Solution To Your Problems

We are faced with so many situations in our lives that need a solution or an answer. Sometimes we’ll know exactly how to fix the problem, but other times we won’t have a clue what to do about the situation we’re in.

What I’ve learned is that rather that trying really, really hard to solve the problem, the more important thing to do is to ask the right question.

Why?

Because when you try to solve the problem from the same state of mind you were in that created the problem, you might end up banging your head in frustration because the solutions you find are just not good enough. You might come up with the obvious and easy answers that everyone will think of, but nothing that really meets your needs.

To come up with the creative solutions and the less obvious answers, learn to ask the right question. When you ask the right question, you put that thought into your subconscious, and somehow, magically the answer will appear in front of you one day when you are not even consciously thinking of the problem anymore.

If you are in need of a solution urgently, instead of waiting for the answer to show up one day, ask the universe to deliver the answer within 24 hours. That’s a tip I learned from Cheryl Richardson’s book, Take Time For Your Life. It works.

Here is an example in which I used this technique in my life:

My problem: Looking for an inexpensive house cleaner

After having my baby, I desperately needed help cleaning my apartment. I didn’t have the time or energy to do it all anymore. But, the problem was that because a baby creates lots and lots of new expenses, I needed to find an affordable house cleaner. Read more →

What Do You Need To Let Go To Create More Space in Your Life?

Most of us are living a life where we’re overwhelmed with to many thing to do, too many things demanding our attention, and not enough time to do the things that will bring us closer to our dreams. What is holding you back from creating a life you love?

Chances are, it could be all the “stuff” you are holding on to that is holding you back, physically, emotionally, and mentally. What do you need to let go of in order to create more space in your life?

In order for us to really feel free to pursue our dreams instead of putting it on the back burner, we need to clear our plate so that we can focus on the things that matter. Too often we are inundated with all the demands of life. If we don’t make space for our dreams, those things can often take over, leaving no room to do the things necessary for us to move forward towards our dreams!

What are you holding on to? Are you holding on to things that no longer serve you? Things you no longer use? Emotional baggage? Negative thoughts?

Your Environment is a Reflection of Your Internal State

Consider this for a moment. What does your physical environment say about where you are mentally?

As a student and former practitioner of feng shui, I have learned a great deal about our space and how it reflects what’s going on in our lives. When we have our lives together and in order, our physical space reflects that order in our environment. Our homes are clean, organized, and decorated to reflect the beautiful state we are living in.

When we are stressed, overwhelmed, and tired, our environment tends to reflect that too. The dishes pile up, little piles of clutter start forming, and we are usually too exhausted to clean up after ourselves. Read more →

Enjoy the Ride

I’ve been dormant for a while, and after reading this, I finally understand why. New energies are affecting our lives every day. Today was one of those days, and I felt that it was now time to start up my blogging again. A lot has happened during the past 16 months of my life being pregnant and giving birth. Now that my darling Sophie is 7 months old, I’m beginning to wonder what my future holds. I plan on staying close to my her until I am done breastfeeding, but until then, I am beginning to wonder what I can start now to get things rolling.

Being a new mom is one of those roller coaster rides that you don’t think will ever stop. As one big wave ends, another one arises, different, but just as challenging as the one before. It’s fulfilling, heart-warming, but at the same time extremely challenging. And it’s nothing like I expected. I’m riding the waves and learning to let go of my long held ambitions for getting things done quickly and all at once. I am learning that there is a time and place for everything, and right now it is about being a mom and being the best mom I can be. The future is coming more quickly than I realize, and my baby will only be this small once, so it is time to enjoy the ride.

Learning to enjoy the journey instead of focusing on the destination is one of the key lessons I’ve been learning lately. Everything from the process of decluttering my apartment, setting up my new home, learning to put my baby down for naps or bed at night… even the most difficult journeys will be one that we will looked back on fondly one day. The most difficult journeys are the ones that create the most meaningful transformations in our lives. Read more →

Starting Fresh!

It’s the beginning of a new chapter in my life. We moved! A new apartment is always a new chapter for me. It’s fresh start with a new environment that infuses my life with new energy. We even had the coolest moving trucks move us! Take a look!

The front of the trucks:

 

The back of the trucks:

These trucks were real works of art! I was impressed. These are the coolest moving trucks I’ve ever seen. I decided that along with my new move, I would start blogging more again. I had considered discontinuing further blog entries because my life is now busy with a baby and all, but recently I’ve received some emails from some readers that have told me how they had been inspired by my story and are on similar paths and wanted me to continue. For them and all of you out there that are following my blog and benefiting from hearing my story, I dedicate my blogs to all of you and will continue to share my story with the hope that it helps you with yours!

Oh how my life has changed now that I have a baby. The first month was really about recovery from the delivery and just trying to orient myself to a new life with a baby. The first three months was just really about survival. I knew there would be sleepless nights, but I had no idea just how extreme it would be! My baby had day/night confusion, so my bedtime was sometimes 5, 6, 7, or even 8am! Boy was I exhausted. I had to sleep during the day when the baby slept and stay awake all night constantly feeding and feeding and feeding and feeding. Now that she’s sleeping much better and her schedule has improved from sleeping at 5am to 4am, then 2am, 1am, midnight, 10pm, and recently sometimes 8pm, I am feeling much better and starting to feel more like my old self. Read more →

Making Space for the New – Wardrobe Purge!

In order for new things to come into our lives, we must make space. This is what I did today with my closet. After battling my closet for years, I decided to just let go of things I did not like and make space for things I love to come into my life.

I am simplifying in order to make my life more abundant. Less clutter means more time, more focus on the things I love, and an easier and more pleasant life. After years of experiencing clutter and having too much stuff, I know first hand that clutter and excess creates stress. Have you ever seen a spa or relaxing retreat area loaded to the brim with things? I didn’t think so. And there’s a reason for it.

You cannot find peace amidst chaos and clutter. Maybe you can if you are an ascended master or an enlightened guru, but why make it more difficult for ourselves? Just let go and trust that the universe will always bring what you need when you need it. You can only receive the blessings of earth when your arms are not already full. Hanging on to old things just means less mobility and a feeling of being weighted down.

Watch my video of me letting go of old clothes in my closet.

Read more →

New Home!

I have great news! We have been approved for our new home in Brooklyn. After some long days looking at many different apartments in the neighborhood we wanted, we found one that was perfect. It has a little outdoor space for my future organic herb and vegetable garden, a downstairs space with a window for my workspace for all my design work, and it’s near the park! The dogs get to roam free at the park during certain hours of the day, which will be great for Winston. If you haven’t seen my dog, you can check him out here.

I am super excited that I will be near nature at last. I’ve had a deep yearning to be near nature all year since I moved to Manhattan, and moving to Brooklyn will be a welcome change to the concrete jungle of New York. I am also super excited about growing my own garden. It’s been a burning hidden passion or mine that is ready to come forth. This is the summer for it!

There’s still quite a bit of purging and furniture selling to do before we move in, but streamlining will be well worth it for this cozy well-kept home. I was also very excited to learn that there is a CSA (community supported agriculture) a few blocks away that the owners get most of their groceries from. That means organic fruits and veggies from a local farm ready to be picked up each week. Super!

We just need to sell our large dining table, buffet table, rosewood vanity, and our three large bookcases and I think we’ll be good to go. I find that we constantly have to sell and buy furniture that fits the new home perfectly. It’s a lot of work, but well worth it to create a home that feels great and works well for your current needs. Read more →

House Diet

Put your house on a diet! Watch my experience on Day 3 of my House Diet.


Related Posts:
Decluttering Your Books
What Do You Need To Let Go To Create More Space In Your Life?
Creating Order Out of Chaos Read more →

Detoxing My Life

I have decided that April is the month to detox my life. I have three primary areas of focus for the month: body, home, and my new business. I started on April 1st and am keeping a daily log of what I accomplished that day in these three areas to keep myself accountable on the CCOR site. You can visit that link to see my daily progress. I’ll keep all my mundane activities recorded there. :)

So far, even though it’s only day 2, I’ve been very productive and am confident that I am on the right track. I have decided that once and for all that I am putting my health first, and it starts with getting plenty of rest (no excuses!), limiting what’s on my schedule, and cleaning up anything that’s bringing my energy down in my home, which means I need to simplify and really edit down to live a more fulfilling life! My goal is to live a really focus on the 20% that really matter rather than on the 80% that don’t.

These are the different areas I plan on working on during this month:

Body:
1. Detoxing my diet by going vegan (I’m doing a one month trial) and eating lots of healthy organic vegetables
2. Exercising and practicing yoga
3. Getting more sleep and creating a regular sleep schedule

Home:
1. Getting rid of 10 items per day to simplify, simplify, simplify my life!
2. Finishing up all the little unfinished little to-do’s around the home (ex. altering my clothes, returning library books, taking donations to goodwill, finishing unfinished projects, etc.)
3. Organizing things, files, and other items to make my life more efficient

Business
1. Do one thing to start building my new business every day, even if I only have 5 minutes. Read more →

Beautiful Light Fixture

Lights have a way of setting the tone in a room. This gorgeous light fixture is from Lamps Plus. I especially like the fabric used on this lamp. A nice neutral pattern that will go with almost any decor.

Read more →

New Ways to Hang Potterybarn Calendars

I purchased the Potterybarn Daily System and installed it in my old home, but when I moved, it turned out to require a lot of repairs to the walls that I had not anticipated. The anchors had created large holes that needed to be filled in and a handyman to come to fix them all. The cost to repair it easily cost more than the price of the system, just to give you an idea of how much damage it created.

This is what the system looked like in my old place. You can see it installed on the right side.


This is what it looks like facing it:


The photo on Potterybarn’s site makes the system look so neat and orderly that I had to install it in my home office, without realizing that I would be moving so soon. Here’s Potterybarn’s photo:


This time, in my new place, since I know we won’t be living here that long either, I had to either put it in storage, give it away, or put it to use somehow. Since storage space is so limited, I decided to try and figure out a way to use the system without having to put it in storage. We had so many pieces that storage would not accommodate all of it.

My husband suggested we use twine to tie it and use a nail to hang it. What a brilliant idea! Those photo hooks can hold up to 30 lbs of weight. For some reason I thought these things were very, very heavy (since they needed such heavy duty anchors after all), but when we weighted it, it weighed much less than 30 lbs. Not even close! After pulling out the twine, I decided that the twine might not be sturdy enough (the one that I had), and pulled out some old ribbon from our wedding instead. Read more →

Decluttering Your Books

If you’re an avid book-buyer like me, chances are, you have tons and tons of books that are you have been collecting on your bookshelves, waiting for the opportunity to read them all. But, if you’re like most people, you’re busy working and taking care of the family, and have other more pressing matters at hand, which leaves you little time to kick back to relax and read. And maybe when you get to those moments, you just want to do something a little bit more relaxing and uses less brain-power after spending a long day at the office. So, you might opt to watch TV or browse websites instead.

So, why hold on to all of those books? Are you REALLY going to read them? Chances are, you will lug them from home to home as you move, or you will accumulate more books that you want to read first. And this is how clutter begets clutter.

Let’s stop this process of accumulation and start purging what we don’t need! For me, I had to start with my bookcases because it was what has been taking up the majority of space in my home. No room for picture frames, photo albums, or anything else. Just piles and piles of books. Books that are interesting, for sure, but to be very honest, with all the things going on in life, those were no longer pertinent for the direction I was headed. So, I am purging, and purging, and purging.

In the past I’ve been so fed up with having so much stuff that I just amassed a huge pile of belongings and lugged them to Salvation army for a donation drop-off. Then, I discovered that they do not accept books! Oh my. So, little by little I was either posting books on craigslist or giving them away for free…until recently. Read more →

Finding Ways to Bring in Money

I know a lot of people are looking for ways to bring in some additional cash these days, especially those who:
a) were laid off
b) are currently unemployed
c) are changing careers
d) are going back to school
e) had to take a pay cut due to your company’s performance

And then there are those that are also affected by the economy, but not directly through their jobs. These include those who:
f) have had their credit limits reduced
g) are maxed out on the credit cards
h) have bad credit and can’t get additional credit
i) are trying to sell their properties
j) lost a considerable percentage of their retirement accounts
k) lost a considerable sum of money in other investment accounts
l) had unexpected large expenses such as health care costs, car accident, home repairs, etc.
m) had their credit card companies drastically increase their APR

As you can see, there are a multitude of reasons why people are in financial difficulty these days, and the impacts of these can pretty drastic. Foreclosures, short sales, evictions, collection company notices, bankruptcy, closing down businesses, etc. Whether the reasons you are in financial difficulty by choice (because you decided to pursue a different career, move to a different place, etc. to pursue a better life) or you were a “victim” to the economic circumstances (in which case, you are STILL responsible for the events that have occurred in your life), we can all use some additional money right now.

Let me explain what I mean by “victims” being responsible for the events that have occurred in your lives. The reality is that we are only “victims” when we consider ourselves such. The more you consider yourself a “victim,” the more life will deliver situations and circumstances that make you feel like a “victim.” The truth is, we are not victims, even if you were laid off or some injustice occurred, remember that we are all responsible for the life we create for ourselves. Read more →

Jewelry Linen Board

I find that when my jewelry is hidden away in a jewelry box or drawer, it gets tangled up and it becomes difficult to see what you own. When you’re in a rush and trying to put together an outfit, the last thing you want to do is to spend time detangling the necklace you want to wear that day. I started using teacups to place my earrings in, but as my collection of jewelry grew, it became difficult to see everything when they were piled on top of each other.

I had some linen boards I wasn’t using, so I decided to use them as my jewelry boards. It keeps everything organized, and it also makes beautiful wall art! You can make a couple of them. One for your casual every day jewelry and one for your more formal occasions.

Read more →

New Furniture for the Craft Studio

This past weekend, I took a trip to Ikea in Brooklyn to find some furniture to fit all of the yarn, fabric, books, and other supplies I have in my craft studio at home. I was planning on buying the Granemo bookcase, but changed my mind after I saw it in person. It looks great online, but in up close and in person, the style is much too unfinished to fit in with the rest of my furniture. It would look cute in a cottage home surrounded by white distressed furniture, but in our apartment with clean lines, it just wouldn’t go. The finish on the Granemo is not a crisp white or off-white. It has more of a barn-like texture to it. Not sure how else to describe it. Make sure you see furniture in person before you buy it!

I’m so glad that my online purchase of it didn’t go through. I was trying to order everything I needed online so that I didn’t have to make the hike out to Ikea in Brooklyn, but after a frustrating 2 hours on the phone and internet trying to order online, then on the phone, only to find that things were out of stock, I decided to make the hike. Who know, I might pick up a few more things we needed and just add it to the delivery.

We took the train to Brooklyn, and it turns out that Ikea has a free shuttle that takes you to Ikea! Hahaha… only in New York. Here’s a picture of the shuttle.


Instead of the Granemo bookcase, I ended up purchasing 2 Smadal bookcases. They are cheaper and look very cute! I also purchased doors to go in front of the shelves.
I couldn’t be happier with my find. I’m in the middle of assembling them, so I’m excited to see it all put together. Read more →