Why Polka Dots?


I have been thinking about things that make me happy lately. What are those little things that bring a smile to our faces, but we don't really appreciate?

I was out for coffee with my friend Heather last Friday. She wanted to stop in a nearby store before leaving the mall. As we walked through the mall, some brightly colored wrapping paper caught me eye. They had florals, stripes and, yes, polk dot papers in wonderfully cheery colors : mango, magenta, citron, aqua, purple. I just couldn't help but think "aren't those cute"? I especially liked the citron polka dot paper and thought it would brighten the bookshelves in my new craft room. Heather told me that her daughter Molly always says that "polka dots make her happy".

You know, she's right. Think about it, would a polka dot ever make you feel sad, crabby or anxious? No! They are fun and whimsical. I dare you to look at something with polka dots and not feel your inner child smile. So that's the theme of my blog. Everyday I plan to find that little something that makes my inner child say "ooo, look at that!" and brings a smile to my face. I hope you do the same!


Thursday, May 5, 2011

Organizing For Idiots








In my quest to get control of the clutter in my house, I got a bunch of books on organizing from the library (which in turn created more clutter - what's the saying one step back and two steps forward?). I was inspired by Complete Idiots Guide to Decluttering (CIGtD) - it was definitely
targeted to the novice declutter-er. Short, sweet and too the point. I picked the bathroom and in 45 minutes I cleared out the medicine cabinet and organized my drawer.

First the medicine cabinet. I had 2 lunch bags full of old meds. The trick was to figure out what to do with them. I thought I was supposed to flush them or throw them away. WRONG! A number of States have drug take back programs. Here is the DEA program info. In Colorado, you can just take them to the pharmacy. In Hennepin County, Minnesota there are medicine collection events throughout the year.

Next I tackled "my drawer" in the bathroom. Yuck! Not only was it filled with stuff, but there were gobs of tooth paste and some other unknown substances (lotion maybe). Regardless, I donned my gloves and dove in. The book has three steps (even I can handle that)
1. Take everything out
2. Sort into groups
3. Dispose/Donate/Keep (I included cleaning out the mystery substances and put in liner in this step)

Voila! clean and organized! The benefits?
1. I LOST WEIGHT! OK, my drawer lost weight, but I feel a weight off my shoulders from decluttering. I tossed about 2/3 of the drawer's contents! Empty containers & products I don't use anymore.
2. I LOOK YOUNGER! I am always looking for lotion and I found 4 bottles of age defying miracle cream that will be put to use immediately!
3. I AM HAPPY!

Funniest thing I found? A human hair mustache!

Tomorrow: The kitchen junk drawer ....
What made you happy today?
Posted by KittyO at 7:21 PM

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