Tiny Tidy: Your Everyday Bag/Purse!

This, admittedly, will be easy for some of us-and absolute hell for others. Choose which bag you'd like to conquer today- your tote bag for work, your everyday purse, your computer bag-whichever functions as your go-to, everyday-type-of-situation bag.

OKAY! HERE WE GO!

1. Grab your bag.
2. Go and sit somewhere comfortably that also has some nice space to spread out the goods-maybe the couch near a coffee table, or your kitchen table (if the table is clear enough!)
3. Open that bag.
4. Peer in!
5. What is your first feeling? Alarm? Distress? Anxiety at the twisted receipts and ratty hair ties lying at the bottom? Or maybe-calm, soothed and relaxed? (you little bitch! ;) 
6. Yes, you truly want to go for that feeling of being calm and organized every time you glance in there. Your money, phone, keys, planner, maybe your iPad or laptop- whatever you keep in there- it's... your life! This is important stuff. Pay attention to how you want to feel about these things, every single day. Focus. 
7. Take out your wallet/checkbook/where you stash your receipts (if you do that.) 
8. How do you feel? Anxious? Sort through your wallet-pulling out anything extraneous-slips/receipts/stubs, etc.
9. DECIDE THIS: Sort it/stash it/trash it! Then do that!
10. Put aside your wallet and checkbook, on the table.
11. Pull out anything cosmetic-hand lotion, hand sanitizer,  lip balm, make-up in a case. Go through it. Wipe it down with a damp paper towel or baby wipe. 
12. Put these cosmetics and similar items aside.
13. Go through whatever the hell else is in there. Have a comb or hairbrush? Go rinse them out in the bathroom sink, and set them on the sill to dry.
14. DECIDE THIS AGAIN: Sort it/stash it/trash- any junk YOU DO NOT NEED/USE EVERYDAY, or is basically nonessential.
15. Put anything you essential you want to keep on the table. 
16. Grab a baby wipe or damp paper towel or rag, and clean that bag-inside & out! (NOTE: Empty out your bag in the sink first, before cleaning.)
17. Look at everything you- ahem- set out on the table...Just relax. We will get through it.
18. What would make you feel more "together," day-to-day? A new app on your phone? Maybe you are secretly analogue and old-school, and want to get a pretty, new Day-Planner? Perhaps it's some new lipstick, or (in my case) a way to keep a mini-version of your everyday make-up routine in your very small clutch. Whatever it is! Make a note of it, and try to make these purchases (or pull from your own home) this very week.
19. Put everything BACK in your everyday bag/purse.
20. Breathe sigh of great relief!

YOU DID IT! Great job...

The OG organizing tool, from Filofax...Grab it, below.

Spring Cleaning Start: Weekend One

We are going to jump right in with our Spring Cleaning Guide, Weekend One!

This is going to get some things out of the way that will make you feel sooo good, and get your home ready to rock-n-roll for Spring...Here we go!

*Suggestion: Maybe start on a Friday early evening before you go out, or turn on some much-needed Netflix, and space out the rest over Saturday and Sunday, or start anytime you wish!

1. Set your ceiling fans to blow in the "summer" direction (counter-clockwise) and keep it on a bit higher speed, if need be.

2. Stand on a chair, grab a clean pillowcase, and grab and pull the dust off your ceiling fans'   blades. 

3. Turn your mattresses! Just like rotating the tires on your car, flipping your mattress at least twice per year is such a good practice, especially for better sleep. (If you have the type of mattress you cannot "flip," then at least rotate it so your head now rests where your feet once were!)

4. Strip off and the wash the bedding you usually don't (i.e.-fancy pillow shams, coverlets, duvet covers, blankets.) Try using a cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of white vinegar, and let it sit in the hot water before you dump in the laundry and regular laundry detergent. This trick is also great for softening sheets and towels.

5. Grab the sponge mop or Swiffer mop you normally use, and rubber band a thick rag or microfiber cloth around where the sponge or wet cloth normally goes. Make sure it's really secure, spritz on some of your fave natural cleanser, and gently brush the walls of each room up and down, paying attention to any stray cobwebs or dust at the top or in the corners, jumping up on a chair when necessary! Pay special attention to the walls of the bathroom, and maybe go over them with a rag by hand, as well...

6. Vacuum the couch, main chairs in the living room, and under the beds-ONLY, for right now! Grab any stray bits of this or that under everything. 

7. Using a few microfiber cloths and warm soap and water, gently scrub any blinds you may have in the kitchen, bathroom or living room. If they are okay and not too dirty or dusty-then just lightly dust them. I HIGHLY recommend using microfiber sheets-they work so much better than even a magic eraser, (which will often smear the dust into vinyl blinds, especially.) 

8. Dust the tops and sides of any hanging mirrors or framed art work in your home. 

9. For now, just lightly dust your bookshelves, taking casual note of any books you have not read in awhile, or ever.

10. Take whatever's on top of the FRIDGE off, take a rag with natural cleanser and scrub off the top, and put everything back, seeing if there's anything you can store in another cabinet or drawer. (Do NOT take longer than 5 to 10 minutes to do that, however! ;) 

Woo-hoo! You get to take a break! Notice: Do you feel better, a little bit lighter already? You completely should, and it will only get better next weekend! Now, go to the movies or grab that drink or coffee with a friend. You deserve it! You got a great leg up on your Spring Cleaning, and, in fact, have absolutely started! Cheers to YOU! xo