http://www.simplelivingforum.net/ en-US Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:39:28 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.simplelivingforum.net/images/misc/rss.png http://www.simplelivingforum.net/ http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8442-What-simple-practical-thing-do-you-love&goto=newpost Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:00:21 GMT Finally I've got a watch that has everything I want on it:
1) fabric band
2) military hours as well as regular hours
3) light up button

I am thrilled with the first 2 features since I've not had them before and really need military time at the moment for stuff at work.

I love this watch! It is practical and useful. I hope it lasts a long time. I bought a back-up band since that is usually what goes first. I can throw this in the washing machine and wear the other band.

This is an Indigo watch, no longer uber cheap. I think this was around $40 at Target.

What practical, simple thing makes your life easier? ]]> Organizing Your Life iris lilies http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8442-What-simple-practical-thing-do-you-love http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8379-Undies&goto=newpost Sun, 09 Jun 2013 20:42:07 GMT Someone had a sock thread a few months back, but I can't remember any about undies . . . it's time to acquire some and thought I'd get your recommendations. Anyone tried ladies' undies from Costco? Hubby is really super duper happy with the socks he got there . . . ]]> Organizing Your Life fidgiegirl http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8379-Undies http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8377-Attic-organization-advice&goto=newpost Sun, 09 Jun 2013 19:36:47 GMT I am kind of stumped about how to go about organizing our attic. One idea I had was to use something like these shelves... I am kind of stumped about how to go about organizing our attic.

One idea I had was to use something like these shelves, but they are made to install in an unfinished attic (directly to the trusses) and ours is finished (well, it's drywalled). Also, I could never bring myself to spend that much. :)

We are starting to have the issue of too many boxes and not sure what's in any of it when we need to find it.

I also think once we have an organizational system it will be easier to get rid of some of it. I do have some of my things to get rid of, but I've moved more often in life - DH has more, and right now, where's the motivation? It all fits. It's just that we could never find it if we needed it - which we don't. He's kind of interested in selling some of his vintage stuff, but really can't keep track from visit to visit what he's organized, what he hasn't, and just what's what. So long story short, it goes without saying that some of the stuff should go, but we haven't had success yet with that, so I want to change the approach - rather than purge then organize, we will try to set up the organizing system and then purge what doesn't fit. Maybe that will help.

I also don't want anything super permanent, though I'm willing to attach to walls, say if anyone happens to have spotted instructions for building shelves like I linked but on a finished wall. I want to be able to use that space for other needs in the future if they come up.

Here's the last thing I'll say: we both do much better if we can see the items, either loose on the shelf, in a clear box or labeled clearly on the outside of the box.

Well, now that you have a super long and picky list of criteria, ideas? :D


Untitled by fidgiegirl, on Flickr ]]> Organizing Your Life fidgiegirl http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8377-Attic-organization-advice http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8374-Rating-Our-Spaces-May&goto=newpost Sat, 08 Jun 2013 21:56:44 GMT I've been rating the spaces in my home this month as a way of noting my progress, or lack of it, towards my goal of making my home a place I want to be. While I made a little progress earlier in the year and was able to give some spaces a higher rating, this month, I've plateaued so my ratings are the same as last month:

Mine and My SO's Bedroom 5
First Kids' Bedroom 5
Second Kids' Bedroom 4
The Upstairs Hallway 4
The Upstairs Bathroom 6
The Living Room 5
The Dining Room 5
The Downstairs Bathroom 6
The Kitchen 4
The Laundry Room 6
The Downstairs Closet 9
The Backyard - 6
The Front Yard and Front Steps -6
Purse - 9
Car 4
Storage Space 4


I hope to do better this month since I have a lot of time off from work - we'll see. I'd write more, but for some reason, I can't make returns on this post to make new paragraphs (??). In any case, anybody else who wants to rate their spaces should feel free to join in! ]]> Organizing Your Life ejchase http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8374-Rating-Our-Spaces-May http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8370-Cleaning-tumbled-marble&goto=newpost Sat, 08 Jun 2013 03:45:44 GMT I have tumbled marble tile in my bathroom. How to clean it without harming the patina? Any thoughts welcome! Barbie I have tumbled marble tile in my bathroom. How to clean it without harming the patina? Any thoughts welcome!

Barbie ]]> Organizing Your Life BarbieGirl http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8370-Cleaning-tumbled-marble http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8330-how-often-do-you-totally-want-to-get-rid-of-things-rearrange-purge&goto=newpost Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:04:33 GMT It seems only a couple months ago that I purged and was much happier for it. Now I am ready to really get rid of more, the issue is that I am getting... It seems only a couple months ago that I purged and was much happier for it. Now I am ready to really get rid of more, the issue is that I am getting into territory that I may start missing. The books seem to be so important but every time I go down another layer I end up being okay.

I have 3 boxes of all my important paperwork in my bedroom plus 2 more boxes of photos and memories, not that bad considering 3 kids and 25 years of being an adult. However I still don't have anywhere to really move them and this is after purging out duplicate photos, scanning everything onto CD's so I could just keep the best, and purging out my file boxes as well. I have one small box of old taxes, medical records and school for the kids that I can find space for.

I really want to get rid of the book shelf in my room and then get the small desk into the closet (I mostly work on my laptop desk anyway) and then have just free mental space in a Zen way. ]]> Organizing Your Life Zoe Girl http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8330-how-often-do-you-totally-want-to-get-rid-of-things-rearrange-purge http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8328-Waste&goto=newpost Sun, 02 Jun 2013 12:22:14 GMT I didn't know where to put this, because it could go in Consumerism, Frugality, and a couple of other places, but I just feel compelled to address this topic so I'll stick it here, because when it comes down to it, it's about a different way to organize my thinking.

I am 61. 50 didn't really ring any midlife crisis bells for me, but somehow at 60 I feel this great sense of urgency about where I am in my life. Looking backward, I see that the common theme that runs through my regrets is "waste."

First of all, I do not mean this to be a downer post. I'm not unhappy or depressed or despondent about my life. Quite the contrary. Looking back and analyzing things I could have done better actually energizes me.

Second, when I say "waste" I don't mean in a "big picture" sense. My life has been absolutely awesome. One thing I have not wasted is my opportunity to love and care for my family, so that's the most important thing. No waste there.

But moving on to the second tier stuff in my life, I happen to have found myself (ie, chosen--I'm not a victim) in an environment where substance abuse has inevitably led to a lot of waste: waste of time, money, intention, health, and ability to serve God/HP/the Universe in a meaningful way.

And then of course there are other causes for waste: not paying attention being #1.

So, at this point in my life, I think about one of my favorite lines from Shakespeare--it's from Richard II, and the deposed king (deposed because he squandered his kingdom's resources) is sitting in prison and only then is he introspective about his life, and in a fabulous soliloquy about time, he says, "I wasted time and now doth time waste me."

I'm not wasting time--well, I am. Maybe I am right at this moment. That's one thing. But I'm also thinking about all the $$$$$ that has gone under the bridge in my life, and it's A LOT. And I consider myself to be a pretty conscious consumer. I'm not at all into jewelry, fancy cars, new furniture, big houses, a lot of clothes (people have literally made fun of the paucity of my wardrobe). But stuff happens in life, and you don't think through the implications of some decisions, and then you look back and realize them too late.

SO--I'm now driven to really start paying attention to not wasting, which I guess comes down to be more intentional about life in a day-to-day, moment-to-moment way. It's all those little tiny grains of sand that fill the jar of our lives. My jar I'm hoping is about 3/4's full, but I still have time to fill it with the right stuff.

As I make these little decisions in my life, I'm going to ask myself... what am I getting out of this decision? Am I gaining? Is this an investment in time or money or quality of life? Or am I wasting any of those things?

What are your thoughts on waste? And any suggestions for how to actually put this new goal into practice? ]]> Organizing Your Life catherine http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8328-Waste http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8277-taking-care-of-things-and-not-being-able-to-use-the-weekend-argh&goto=newpost Tue, 28 May 2013 13:12:30 GMT SO I had the extra day off and it was fun. As fun as it can be without a car or a lot of cash but still nice. And then I barely slept because I know... SO I had the extra day off and it was fun. As fun as it can be without a car or a lot of cash but still nice. And then I barely slept because I know there is so much today to work on! I keep on thinkng it will be less stressful if I work on these things over the weekend however much of it I cannot work on over the weekend. I even went to check the status of my tax return for my bankruptcy and the system was down until today. I did get every last peice of paper in my room filled or tossed or in the 'must do this week' pile. Now it is work day again and I am way over stressed. I have to do these things during my work day, the businesses are open now, the systems no longer being maintenanced, but I am also trying mightily to focus on the work I need to do so I don't have all the attention I want for these. I tend to feel guilty no matter what about taking work time to manage some of these things. Plus takign care of things during the day means taking along all the materials I need to work with me.

It seems this is just the way that it is, however work doesn't seem to see it that way. There isn't really an organizational trick to making this easier I guess, at least not right now. ]]> Organizing Your Life Zoe Girl http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8277-taking-care-of-things-and-not-being-able-to-use-the-weekend-argh