Hey Dolls!
HaPpY hUmP dAy!
Joining up with Becky at Choose Happy and some of my other favorite bloggers like Carrie at Curly, Crafty Mom to talk about what we are doing currently. This is my fourth link-up with Becky and now that I have added this link-up to my monthly goals, I will be sure to join the party at least once a month.
Here’s what’s up at my house, currently:
My daughter Lauren is currently visiting for a week (YES!). She has to work all day but we are still finding time afterward to have fun. And it is just nice to sit across the den from her while she works. Yesterday we sat in the hot tub for a little bit and read our Nooks. Because Lauren is two months pregnant (Another YES!), we aren’t keeping the hot tub very hot these days. It was more like a lukewarm tub.
We look like two southern belles at a pool party. Gotta love a floppy hat.
Taking Lauren to get her hair cut. Lauren has the most beautiful naturally curly hair that she battled with for years, trying to figure out how to tame her tresses. I am so glad she has learned to love them. Now that she is pregnant, I imagine her hair is going to grow with great abandon so we took advantage of her time at home to get it cut.
We are taking bets on whether the baby will have curly hair and/or “colored” eyes. Anyone want in on this action?
I just finished reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo. I am not sure I was supposed to find the book humorous. Wait, let me read the reviews on B&N and Amazon. Yeah, none of the reviews I skimmed over said FUNNY. There was “truly life changing”, “fascinating and helpful”, “exciting”, and “very endearing and practical”. No funny. But I thought it was. And I will be writing my review here and for Goodreads, in the near future. I did find some helpful tips and ideas that I have used as I tackled spring summer cleaning over the past few weeks. And I have implemented her recommendations of talking to plants (not an idea original to Kondo) and thanking inanimate objects in our lives for their service. I thanked my purses for carrying my wallet (albeit empty of money), my car keys and my phone all in one fashionable place. I gave my peach and Japanese plum trees a pep talk about how they are doing so much better now that we have been giving them treatments and fertilizer. Haven’t gone down on my knees yet when I get home from being out to thank my house for being my home but might try that, too. Stay tuned.
Along with talking to my plants and my purses, I have been using the KonMari Method for simplifying, organizing, and storing my photos. Most of the photos I needed to simplify, organize and (re-)store were from my life before PC and were pictures of days and events, and in some cases people, that I wouldn’t be scrapbooking. I have scrapbooked three or four albums for each of my daughters with pictures of their childhoods. The photos I needed to visit today, this week, were things I thought maybe the girls would want someday. As the method suggests, I touched each photo to determine if it brought me joy.
The picture below is one of my granddaughter Cadence. The expression on her face captures what to me is the essence of joy.
This is the feeling I was hoping to experience with the pictures as I sorted through them to select the “keepers”. And using that as my guide, I was able to get rid of a number of photos.
Now that I have the photos organized. I will get some cheap photo albums to put the pictures in.
So that’s what’s going on in my neck of the woods currently.
What are you up to this week?
Please share below in a comment!
And be sure to stop by to see why my pals Becky and Carrie are busy with this week.
Hugs and kisses,
Sharon
You are so funny. I think I’ll skip the plant talking and maybe go thru pictures at some point but thankfully most are in albums. I do need a few new albums to replace some old albums! I hope you and Lauren had a fun day. My 15 min Loft trip was productive if anything fits when I try the items on tonight. Will try to stay awake long enough to email you.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I bought an album to put my photos in about a year ago when you told me that you put your random pics in those little inexpensive albums. But I never got around to sorting my pics. Now they are sorted, so no excuses. Maybe this week I will work on putting the pics into albums. The girls love to look at all the pics when they came. Love your haul at Loft. That striped dress is darling!! xoxoxoxo
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
Oh, gosh. I seriously need to read that Tidying book now, just for humor. Seriously, I am dying over your talking pictures! You are a RIOT!!! I can’t wait to read your review and I may actually force myself to read it now… even though, it doesn’t sound like I could ever clean or tidy up like it says in that book… lol! The photo of you and your daughter in the lukewarm hot tub is a good one, you need to frame it!
Carrie
curlycrftymom.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
You know what, Carrie? The book is a good bedtime read. Or was for me. I am not following every word but there is some good stuff in there and food for thought. I think you would enjoy it. XO
Lana
I still haven’t read this book – but I look forward to your humorous review! Yay for Lauren being pregnant – and yay for grandmahood!
deena
Yay for time with your girl!!! Hope you’re having a blast!
Becky with Choose Happy
FUN! YAY for mother daughter time!
I love the photo of your grand daugther- BEAUTIFUL!!
Thank you for joining my Currently series this week, I LOVE hearing what you are up to! Have a great weekend & Choose Happy! XOXO Becky
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I have loved having my babiest daughter home. She leaves tomorrow and life will go back to normal but it has been so nice to just have her home. Thank you for your sweet compliments on the photo of Cady. She is a delight. XO