Backstory: Was it mid-2020? I’m not sure, but early in the days of COVID sheltering-in-place, I read Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and made a plan for decluttering our home.
That plan is still in my to-do folder.
Until today! 🙂 I’m pulling it out and picking one category to tackle this week. The sock drawer? (Kondo recommends starting there.) The dog gear? The old photos sucking up memory on my iPhone? Any progress will be good.
Backstory: Gack. I kinda don’t want to know what’s hiding in the dark corners of my pantry. But it’s time to pull everything out, wipe down the shelves, and toss out anything that has expired.
This might be lacking the “fun” element I want most Nudges to have, but this task has been on my decluttering to-do list for years.
If your pantry is ship-shape, accept this Nudge to attack your linen closet, china cabinet, CD collection, or anything else that needs attention.
Here’s my before photo, to keep me honest:
Let’s do this.
What Happened: I had such good intentions for this Nudge. I was going to break this down in to doable parts by tackling just one shelf each day.
But then I got busy—with work, with life—and I put it off. Which is exactly why I’m facing this mess today.
Early this morning (Saturday), I finally dove in. With everything out, I wiped off the shelves (yuck), then put on my glasses and started reading the fine print. “Expires 2017.” Dear heavens. “Expires 2016”–seriously?!
After taking out a very full trash bin, I considered what made sense and put items back in categories: refill items, ingredients for savory dishes, ingredients for sweet stuff. Looks good!
The Ah-Hahs: This Nudge was very calming. Does that sound weird? There’s something about being able to see what I have, find what I need when I need it, and see what I don’t have that I need to get. In the mix of expired items, I also discovered items from recipes I haven’t made in a long time—like lentils for soup, one of Thor’s favorites. A fresh bag of beans went on my list for my next shopping trip.
As I admired my display, I also realized how satisfying it was to “reclaim” this space. Which kind of inspires me to tackle the next closet. 😉
Backstory: Gack. I kinda don’t want to know what’s hiding in the dark corners of my pantry. But it’s time to pull everything out, wipe down the shelves, and toss out anything that has expired.
This might be lacking the “fun” element I want most Nudges to have, but this task has been on my decluttering to-do list for years.
If your pantry is ship-shape, accept this Nudge to attack your linen closet, china cabinet, CD collection, or anything else that needs attention.
Here’s my before photo, to keep me honest:
Let’s do this.
Backstory: This Nudge hits on two themes: self-care and household decluttering. I wish I could go out for a professional facial, but I’m still not comfortable being in enclosed spaces. (Darn COVID.) But that’s no excuse to pass up a chance for some pampering. Besides, I know there’s a treasure trove of potions and creams and stuff hiding in the bottom drawer of my bathroom cabinet. Time to dig something out and put it to use!
Note: Like with all Nudges, you can follow along with mine or do your own thing. Maybe you can splurge for a mani-pedi at your favorite spa—go for it! Maybe you got a fancy gift set of bath bubbles for the holidays—break it out! Treat yourself to something that makes you feel good.
What happened: The directions weren’t specific as to the time—just “Let dry and rinse with warm water”—so I figured I had about 10 minutes. Immediately after I applied the mask and washed the residue off my hands, I started looking for a way to multi-task. I could sort laundry, put the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher, make the bed, check emails, glance at headlines….Whoa.
STOP!
A better choice, I realized, was to sit my butt down and relax for those 10 minutes. Close my eyes, breathe. It was hard, but I did it.
Ah-Hahs: I love how Nudges surprise me, how what I expect to experience goes out the window. I thought this one would be a simple act of self-care. Instead, it was hard for me to do, which was a little disappointing. I did my best, but will admit I was fidgeting and distracted. Which makes me think maybe I need to give myself facials more frequently, for the health of my skin and my soul.
I wish you a happy, healthy, and fun new year! xoKathleen
Backstory: This Nudge hits on two themes: self-care and household decluttering. I wish I could go out for a professional facial, but I’m still not comfortable being in enclosed spaces. (Darn COVID.) But that’s no excuse to pass up a chance for some pampering. Besides, I know there’s a treasure trove of potions and creams and stuff hiding in the bottom drawer of my bathroom cabinet. Time to dig something out and put it to use!
Note: Like with all Nudges, you can follow along with mine or do your own thing. Maybe you can splurge for a mani-pedi at your favorite spa—go for it! Maybe you got a fancy gift set of bath bubbles for the holidays—break it out! Treat yourself to something that makes you feel good.
And our very first Nudge of 52Nudges 3.0 is…
…Accessorize, Baby!
Let’s dive right in.
Backstory: This Nudge was inspired by my need to clean out my closet, and by how much fun I had late in 52Nudges 2.0 when I played dress-up for a week. (Revisit that post here.) I also seriously need to break out of my rut of wearing workout clothes all day long. (Thanks again, COVID.)
I know I feel better when I look better, so this is encouragement to pull out the good jewelry, pretty scarves, and fancy shoes.
During a recent decluttering spree, I uncovered a very old box of onion skin paper. Lightweight and almost transparent, I used this back in the day to send air mail letters. Anyone else remember this stuff?
I tossed the paper, but the impulse to reconnect with friends who live far, far away inspired this nudge. I may look at our holiday card list and choose someone with whom I exchange family photos just once a year. Or maybe I’ll scroll through old posts on social media looking for someone who’s clicked “Like” a lot, but we haven’t so much as shared comments.
In an email (or maybe a letter, because international postage really isn’t that expensive), I might:
I hope you enjoy this nudge. Let’s make our world a little bit smaller this week.
Backstory: The intention behind this nudge is to pick one of those BIG PROJECTS that have reappeared on various editions of my Big To Do List–and this is the important part (that doesn’t quite fit in the headline space): break it down into smaller steps and finally start getting it done.
I checked my notes from when I first created my nudges List, and this is the what I thought I might do:
Plan a Picnic: pick a date, invite family and friends, pull the picnic basket (an item that I love) up from the basement and give it a good cleaning, go through cookbooks and plan a fun menu, select games (bocce ball!), pick a park….
I’m more than a little sad that I can’t do all of this right now (darn COVID), and I’m tempted to do part of it because I really do miss picnics. It’s been several years since I’ve been on a proper picnic, which is why having one has been on the to do list for so long.
However, doing “part” is not the point of this nudge. So I’m going to take a look at the really BIG PROJECTS on my list and pick one. Maybe I’ll make a plan for starting a Victory (against COVID) Garden and growing my own salads. Maybe this is the week I do some research on what I’ll need to take a trip to Portugal (someday) and set up a special savings account with a plan for regular small deposits. I might sand and paint an old desk that desperately needs a facelift. Or I could go for one of the projects on my list that gets me closer to achieving a professional goal.
What are you inspired to tackle this week?
What Happened: I landed on something that speaks to a couple of ongoing projects: decluttering and trying new recipes. Over the past several months, I’ve been trying to sort through old recipe cards, clippings, and books; organizing those recipes I want to make again; and either tossing or sharing those I don’t. I feel like I’ve made very little progress. So, this week I pulled everything together and created what I’m calling “Cookery Central.”
Everything I want to go through is in this one space, and it’s in a part of my office so I will see it every day. My plan is to devote 20-30 minutes per day, working until I have an organized system. In the process, I look forward to the fun of trying new things and recreating old favorites.
The Ah-Hahs: One reason I decided to focus on this particular project right now is because this is a huge undertaking and needs to get done. The other is that cooking and baking are creative activities that give me a lot of pleasure. And these days, I need to create my own entertainment while we continue to social-distance. This feels like a good fit. I’m excited to make some real progress with this.
Just looking at the photo above makes me happy. I see Ina Garten, David Lebovitz, Julia Child, and Jacques Pépin represented. I feel like I’m reconnecting with old friends.
And who knows…maybe my next blog adventure idea will come from this. 🙂
Backstory: At my core, I am that woman who starts her day by making her bed. That one simple act clears space in my head and somehow helps me feel that I’ve accomplished at least one small thing.
Meanwhile, I am also that woman who still has Christmas decorations up in her house. In February. Not a lot, but they’re there, mocking me, nagging me to add de-decorating to my massive to do list and “Pull yourself together, woman!”
The idea for this nudge came from FlyLady, whom you’ve heard me talk about before. FLY stands for “Finally Loving Yourself”, and the message is about taking small steps to reclaim our lives, starting with tidying up our homes.
This isn’t crisis cleaning before guests come to stay. This isn’t deep spring cleaning, when you move the furniture and shake out all the rugs and dust and polish every corner and crevice. (I’ve never actually done that, btw. Does anyone?) The plan is to set a timer for a short period–maybe 10 to 20 minutes–and hustle at small tidying tasks. I might take out all the trash and put new bags in the cans. Or I might fold a basket of laundry, put everything away, and move the basket from the side of my bed to the laundry room. Or I might peel the paper snowflakes off the front windows, take down the Christmas wreath, take the Bing Crosby and Nancy Wilson holiday CDs out of the player in my car (for Pete’s sake!), and put everything back in storage.
For more info about how to do this, check out the “Getting Started Tips” at the FLYLady website. And if you’re inspired to do more decluttering in your life, pick up one of her books, Sink Reflections and The CHAOS Cure.
Got your timer? Ready…set…go!
What Happened: I set my timer for 10 minutes and, with “Flight of the Bumblebee” playing in my head, I got to work. In three separate sessions–two yesterday and one today–I put away all the piled-up clean laundry, straightened pillows and throw blankets and picture frames in the living room, cleared all the miscellany off the dining room table and put things where they belonged (like junk mail in the recycling bin), wiped down the bathroom and put out fresh towels, and…put away the last of the Christmas decorations. Hallelujah!
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay.
The Ah-Hahs: I was astonished at how much I accomplished in just 10 minutes of buzzing around*, and impressed by what a difference just 30 minutes of this ‘n’ that made on my frame of mind. I feel calm. Clear-headed. I do not like an immaculate house, but I am finding that I like a fairly tidy environment. The dent I made this week inspires me to do a bit more–especially in my office and some day in the dumping ground that has taken over the basement–and keep it up.
*I did find, by the way, that racing the clock helped me keep my focus and motivated me to challenge myself to do as much as possible in the time allotted.
Backstory: At my core, I am that woman who starts her day by making her bed. That one simple act clears space in my head and somehow helps me feel that I’ve accomplished at least one small thing.
Meanwhile, I am also that woman who still has Christmas decorations up in her house. In February. Not a lot, but they’re there, mocking me, nagging me to add de-decorating to my massive to do list and “Pull yourself together, woman!”
The idea for this nudge came from FlyLady, whom you’ve heard me talk about before. FLY stands for “Finally Loving Yourself”, and the message is about taking small steps to reclaim our lives, starting with tidying up our homes.
This isn’t crisis cleaning before guests come to stay. This isn’t deep spring cleaning, when you move the furniture and shake out all the rugs and dust and polish every corner and crevice. (I’ve never actually done that, btw. Does anyone?) The plan is to set a timer for a short period–maybe 10 to 20 minutes–and hustle at small tidying tasks. I might take out all the trash and put new bags in the cans. Or I might fold a basket of laundry, put everything away, and move the basket from the side of my bed to the laundry room. Or I might peel the paper snowflakes off the front windows, take down the Christmas wreath, take the Bing Crosby and Nancy Wilson holiday CDs out of the player in my car (for Pete’s sake!), and put everything back in storage.
For more info about how to do this, check out the “Getting Started Tips” at the FLYLady website. And if you’re inspired to do more decluttering in your life, pick up one of her books, Sink Reflections and The CHAOS Cure.
Got your timer? Ready…set…go!