What's Project Life?

Before 2011 hit, I discovered Project Life.  It's a system designed by Becky Higgins that allows for the most basic, simplistic form of capturing everyday moments and scrapbooking them.  Click her name to watch a short video that explains it.

For me, I use it as a hybrid of documenting our everyday lives and incorporating Project 365, where you take a daily photo.  It's a way to document through journaling and photos or memorabilia what happened in our life on a particular day during a particular year.  I like this system for several reasons.  First, all you have to do is take a picture, write something on a journaling card, slip it into a page protector, and Voila!  you are done.  Of course, you can haul out some of your scrapbooking supplies and doctor up the page, but you don't have to.  The second reason, and more importantly, is it's a way to record those everyday fleeting moments in life.  I think we all stop every once in a while and think, 'wow, life is flying by.'  or 'where did the time go?'.  Now, with this system, you can look back and see where the time went.

I plan on sharing more of my version and others' versions of Project Life during 2013.  I am also developing some products to help make your version of Project Life more fun.  Stay with me as we journey through this thing called life........

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” 
― Dr. Seuss

- Jan

Coming Back to Life

It's been a loooonnnnggg time since I've written on this blog and a lot has happened.  Bought a house.  Began renovating it. Moving.  Adjusting.

It's all good, though.  Throughout it, I've discovered Project Life by Becky Higgins, and I began documenting life.  The good, the bad, the fun, the everyday moments.  It's a rewarding journey and bits and pieces of it will be shared on this blog.  I've missed blogging and I hope to add a few, meaningful, fun posts each week.

It's December 18th and the year is almost over.  Take this holiday season to enjoy your family, friends, the season and life.  In the words of Becky Higgins, "cultivate a good life and record it."

Welcome back, my friends.

- Jan

One Drawer Done!

The bottom drawer of my armoire houses my shorts - work out shorts, biking shorts, cleaning/yucky shorts & everyday shorts, along with my workout pants.  IT'S A MESS!

I didn't take any before or after photos - I basically tidied the drawer on a whim.  I threw out 5 pairs of old biking shorts that weren't comfortable and actually folded and sorted the rest of the items.  By completing this task, I realize that I need some everyday shorts, and I have my clothing allowance to spend from this paycheck, so it looks like I might be headed to Target.......

I'm inspired!

I've really been into the organizing blogs lately!  I found some great ones that I will share in the future, but today this inspired me:

I found it on this blog: Delightful Order 

She found those baskets at a Dollar Tree, and wouldn't you know we had one open just down the road from work.  I think a trip during lunch will allow me to scour their baskets & see if I can find something similar.

Since we are moving this year, the better our cabinets look, the better chance we have of selling our place!

Ten dollars a week for cereal? Really?

I have a problem.  It's actually not a problem but a way of life for me, unfortunately.  I have to eat Gluten-free.  I don't have celiac disease, thank God, but I definitely have developed an intolerance over the years.  I was never formally diagnosed, and I don't think the doctors in my town even have a way of figuring it out.  But through trial and error, I've eliminated gluten from my diet and my troubles were gone.  I'll have some future posts about my journey - that's another story for another time.

I've been thinking alot about retirement lately.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm turning 40 in 2 months or just a sense of reality, but it seems to dominate my thoughts.  And while I've never sat down and did the exact calculation, I'm guessing about $3 million is needed in my retirement account by the time I hit 70.  I am also assuming that I will live close to 100 - my family gene pool is telling me so - along with the life line on my right hand!

I feel I have some adequate savings - not alot by any stretch of the imagination - but it's a start.  I was fortunate to have some decent positions in my career that allowed me to start retirement accounts.  Now that they are all rolled into one, I definitely need more.  And, I work for someone who doesn't offer an account - frankly because she doesn't really believe in them.  Her retirement income will come from selling her business.

So where does the $10 per week for cereal come in?  It's a two-fold answer.  One is I need more fiber in my diet - enough said there.  The second is my food budget.  I allow $200 per week for DH and I to eat on (along with our 2 kitties).  I looked at how I was spending that allotment and realized the 2 cereals I mix together cost $10. Granted that's 5% of my budget, but it just seems ridiculous to me.  One cereal is $4.50 per bag and the other is $5.68, and that is Wal-Mart prices.  I can't find them any cheaper than that!  On the contrary, I can spend about $3 for a 42 ounce (2lb. 10 oz) container of Quaker Oats and it'll last me longer than a week and I get more fiber. Plus, I can shave a little off of our food budget and allot it over to the retirement budget.

I know it seems like such a tiny step, but it's all those tiny steps that will add up to retirement dollars later in life.  I think it's when you start looking at all those little things in life that you start to realize where your money is going.  Being gluten-free isn't easy and it certainly isn't cheap!

Facebook is a waste of time

I have a FB account - who doesn't?  At first, it was really cool.  I connected with people whom I grew up with.  For the record, I grew up in CT and moved to FL when I was 12.  It was neat to see my old childhood friends as adults - Moms and Dads, their kids, etc.  I kept in touch with my BFF and can see pictures of her daughter, and I can see what my sisters are up to also.

But somewhere along the way, it became this big marketing ploy.  First there were job leads on the sidebar and now it is full of ads.  Selling, marketing, selling, marketing.  Somehow I'm 'friends' with companies that I've never even 'liked' before?!  How does that happen?

I've read many posts where people are going cold turkey from FB.  I'm not totally one of them - I'd still like to communicate with some of my family from out of state, but I have definitely cut back.  I don't post any of my pictures anymore (my DH still does - especially when we catch a big fish!), and I hardly ever post anything, except to wish everyone a Merry Christmas or Happy Valentine's Day.  My time is worth more than sitting on a social network, reading about someone else making brownies or cupcakes.  If I'm going to spend my precious time on the computer, it's reading something that will make an impact on my life.  Like I said, I haven't gone cold turkey, but this morning, I reduced the number of 'friends' I have.  My true friends are close to my heart.

Stuff - the clothes closet edition

Getting rid of 'stuff' is a liberating feeling.  I recently went through my closet and re-organized it.  I had it separated into 2 areas:  work clothes and play clothes.  That system used to work for me when I worked for a larger, local corporation; however, since working for a smaller company (just shy of 60 people), the atmosphere is more laid back and I don't have to dress so 'corporate-like' anymore.

I decided to use the method that I see in my favorite consignment store - by color!  I took all of my tops and organized them from white to black.  Wow - I discovered I have 10 black tops!  10.  And I'm not even a big fan of black as a color I wear.  Do I really wear all these?  I then organized all of my bottoms from color as well - pants, jeans, skirts and capri pants.  Then I put all my jackets and dresses into the same scheme.  At the back of the closet are a few items that I need to donate.  I want to make sure they look a bit more tidy than they do right now before dropping them off to my local thrift store.

At the same time, I decided to experiment and see what clothes I am truly wearing. I've read where we only wear about 20% of the same things so I decided to see if that was true or not.  I turned all my hangers in one direction, and when I put things back, I turn the hanger the other way.  I'm trying to force myself to look at other tops & see if they go with what I am wearing and whether I really love it or not.  I have found that I have worn all my tan and black pants to work within the first 6 days.  So they are all keepers, for sure.  I have also worn all my jeans since we have casual Fridays at work and I tend to gravitate toward my jeans when going out at night.  Granted, I don't have many jeans - just 4 pairs plus one pair of denim capris.

This has been a great experiment so far, and when the light is right, I will post pictures of how my side of the closet is organized.  DH on the other hand........not so much.

How have you organized your closet?  How have you found ways to purge your clothing?