(A big thanks to my husband for his help on this mini-project.)

I think we all have an area (or maybe many areas) in our home that could use a little decluttering and organization. I find that one of the ways my life becomes just a little less busy is by bringing order in the places and spaces within my home. When there is order, searching for an ingredient, item or tool happens rather quickly and without much hassle. Remember the famous quote from Benjamin Franklin? “A place for everything, everything in its place.” Good advice.

This week we were able to bring some needed order to a small space in our home by providing a little help for the hall closet.

The Before

We live in a small home and have fewer closets than most. In our hallway we have one closet that houses our washer and dryer. We also have a small closet which was probably originally intended to be used as a linen closet. We don’t have or need many extra linens, so we have used the closet to store toiletries and pantry items. The closet has served its purpose, but it was definitely in a need of some help.

The Process

We cleared the shelves.

We moved out items that needed to live in a better place.

We threw out unused or expired items.

We cleaned the shelves.

We covered each shelf with contact paper.

We reorganized the shelves.

We found containers around our home that could help store items.

We bought a few more containers.

We replaced items in an orderly and organized manner.

The Products

Contact paper. We bought a floral print at a local store, but Amazon has more options than you could ever want or need. Here’s a floral choice.

Containers.We had a few dollar tree storage options that we were no longer using, so we re-purposed them.

We also bought some refrigerator organizer bins and thought they might work well in the closet for some of our go-to items that we want to easily see and access. These are similar to what we found at our local store.

Total cost: Just about $13

The After

Our hall closet is now a cleaner, prettier and more organized space. I’m happy with how it turned out. What do you think?

My Advice

One Project at a Time. It’s easy to look around your house and get overwhelmed or discouraged. Maybe your kitchen cabinets are cluttered. Perhaps there is a large stack of mail on your table. Do you have a shoe pile spilling into numerous rooms? Maybe your dresser drawers won’t close anymore. Don’t try to tackle everything at once because if you do then nothing will get done. Pick a project and take a step forward. Work on it for 15 minutes today and tomorrow and so on.

Enlist Help. My husband helped me get focused and stay motivated to complete this project. Working with him was super helpful because we could split tasks and bounce ideas off each other.

Let Go of Perfection. Is this closet perfect? No. I have seen many prettier closets, but you know what? I’m okay with that. We tackled the project and the space is better than it was before.

What about you? Do you have an area of your home that could use a little help?

Until next time,

Charissa

(This post contains affiliate links, so thenotsobusymom receives a very small commission if you make a purchase through these links.)

Continue reading “A Little Help for the Hall Closet”

I love a good goal, and the start of a new year is a great time to set a goal… or ten. You can clearly set a goal any time of the year, but the fresh start that a new year brings seems like the perfect time to reflect on the past year and consider the coming one.

Why I Set Goals Each Year

Goals motivate me. They push me the in the direction I am hoping to head. Goals help shape many of my every day decisions and activities.

Last year my husband and I set a big financial goal. We didn’t end up reaching the goal, but we got very close. Am I discouraged? No. In fact I am quite happy. I don’t think we would have made the progress we did if we had not set the goal. We are encouraged to once again dream big, set motivating goals and work hard towards them.

As you consider setting goals for the year, (and no, you’re not too late) consider various areas of your life including:

• marriage
• children
• job
• health/fitness
• finances
• service/community life
• hobbies

I have chosen a handful of goals for 2017, but today I am sharing just 2 of them.

2 of My Goals for 2017

1. Get moving for 30 minutes each day. And by moving I mean moving for exercise. I might choose: walking, running, biking, exercise video, a class at the gym. The “what” I do doesn’t matter. I just need to do it for 30 minutes. I am also very happy to do it for a full 30 minutes or break it into smaller time frames based on my day (like 2, 15 minute sessions). Sometimes you just have to make it work.

2. Sleep 7-8 hours each night. Sleep is beyond important to me. When I sleep I am a clear-minded, kind, energetic wife, mother and friend. I have recently developed the bad habit of staying up way too late as I work on growing my blog, but it’s time to get back on track. Warm bed, here I come!

 

I want to end today’s post with 2 goals that are certainly not concrete because their progress is not easily measured. And yet, I have been thinking about these for awhile and will be striving to grow in these particular areas, so I thought I would share them with you now.

2 More “Goals” for 2017

More Gratitude (Less Complaining)

Ok, confession time. I can be negative. A lot of this negativity is internal. There’s this negative reel that just runs through my head affecting my mind and attitude. I find that some things trigger the negativity (like lack of sleep). I want to break free from my negative thoughts and choose gratitude. There is always something to be thankful for!

Goal 2: Make Time for Simple Memories with My Family

Ok, confession time (again). I am too easily overwhelmed. I get caught up in my thoughts and emotions, and sometimes miss out on beautiful simple moments. I say “no” to these moments when I should be saying “yes”.

This year I want to take a deep breath and jump into the special moments that will remain with my children for years to come. I’m looking forward to more spontaneous dance parties, game nights, t-ball in the front yard, and adventurous walks in and around town.

What about you? Have you set any goals f0r 2017? I’d love to hear about them!

Until next time,

Charissa

Continue reading “Why I Set Goals Each Year + 2 of My Goals for 2017”

I didn’t wash my hair today…or yesterday. And I won’t be washing it tomorrow. I know. It might seem a bit odd, but I have found that I only need to wash my hair two times a week. It’s a simple way I make my life a little easier.

Today I want to share with you why and how I wash my hair just 2 times a week.

The Why

It makes my life just a little less busy. Instead of washing my hair 7 times a week I wash it 2 times. Instead of blow drying my hair 7 times a week I air dry it 2 times. Time that would be spent washing and drying my hair can be spent in other ways.

It keeps me from over-drying and over-styling my hair. My hair is in better condition than it would be if I washed and dried it 7 days a week. The two times a week I do wash it I find it to be quite smooth and manageable.

Each day my hair looks better than the day before. I know this might seem impossible, but it’s true. When I washed, blow dried and styled my hair each day it was a long process, and my hair always looked just okay. Now I find that Day 2 hair is better than Day 1 hair and Day 3 hair is better than Day 2 hair and so on. Yes, this positive trend does eventually end, but I can honestly say I have even gone a whole week without washing my hair, and it still looked (and smelled) good!

The How

The Products

Shampoo. I use Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek with Argan Oil. I have used a variety of shampoos over the years; I like to change it up.

Hair Styling Creme. I picked up Pantene Pro-V Ultimate 10 BB Creme a number of months ago because it was on clearance. This product leaves my hair super smooth. I air dry for a bit, add the cream and let it finish drying.
Flat Iron. I’ve owned the Nume flat iron for about 6 months or so. It doesn’t seem to get great reviews on Amazon, but I have been very happy with it. I previously owned the CHI brand. I was also pleased with the way it worked on my hair. I use my flat iron to add curl and waves to my hair more than I use it to straighten.
Dry Shampoo. It’s hard to wash your hair just 2 times a week without dry shampoo. I am a huge fan. Right now I am using Loreal Blow Dry It Blow Out Longwear Spray, but I have also used and liked many other brands.

Finishing Product. When I purchased my NUME flat iron I also received this Argan Oil , so I have been using it after styling my hair and for refreshing it on subsequent days.

The Process

• Day 1. Wash hair and air dry. Pull back in ponytail if necessary.
• Day 2. Straighten hair or pull it back.
• Day 3. Add body to hair by using flat iron to make curls or waves in hair. Use dry shampoo if necessary.
• Day 4. Comb out hair a bit. Use dry shampoo and a little argan oil to revive hair. Wash hair that evening.

(This is not a rigid process. I wanted to give you a basic example of how I handle my hair over the course of 4 days.)

Even though I am not washing my hair each day I am showering! A ponytail and a shower cap do the trick!

Some Pictures

A couple side notes

This might not be a good option for you if:

• You do a hard core work out every morning. (Although I will say, you probably could get away with a little dry shampoo and a wash every other day.)
• You have short hair. I find the longer my hair the better this technique works.
• You are grossed out by not washing your hair every day!

I would still challenge you to give this method a try even if you fall into one of the categories listed above. Maybe it won’t be the best option, but you won’t know unless you experiment a bit. I have not been doing this forever. I have slowly eased into 2 times a week washing with great results.

What about you? Do you wash your hair every day?

Until next time,

Charissa

(This post contains affiliate links, so thenotsobusymom receives a very small commission if you make a purchase through these links.)

 

Continue reading “Why (and How) I Wash My Hair Just 2 Times A Week”

 

Is there a friend in your life who could use a little (or a lot) of encouragement? Life is full of ups and downs, highs and lows. Sometimes it’s easy to be a friend through the ups and the highs, but we might struggle to reach out through the downs and the lows. Do you have a friend who is hurting? grieving? struggling? Maybe you have a friend who is overwhelmed with a toddler and a new baby. Perhaps you have a friend who is discouraged by a recent setback. Whatever the circumstance, find a way to encourage your friend. Need an idea or two?

Today I am sharing 5 ways to encourage a friend.

Text (or call).

I’m sure you know your friend well enough to know if a text or a call is most convenient for them. A friend with many young children probably appreciates a text message. A single friend who just had surgery might prefer a call. Whether you choose to text or call doesn’t really matter. Taking the time to send a message of encouragement is what’s really important. Text them a joke. Write out a prayer. Call and be a listening ear. The moment you feel prompted to send a text or make a call, do it. Your friend (and you) will be happy you did!

Send a note.

I know, I know, a note??  Isn’t that so much work and didn’t I just say you could call or text. Yes, a text or a call are great options. A note or letter is the unexpected choice. How fun to receive mail that isn’t a bill or an advertisement! Run to your nearest Dollar Tree and buy a pack of beautiful note cards for (suprise!) a dollar and send your friend a word of encouragement. Notes and letters don’t have to be a thing of the past. Encourage a friend this week with a simple but meaningful note.

Make a meal.

Making dinner tonight? Why not make a double batch and drop the extras at your friend’s home? The meal does not have to be extravagant or expensive. Keep it simple. You might even choose to order a pizza or some other take-out option. If making a meal doesn’t work, consider baking cookies or muffins. Bringing a food item or meal to a friend lets them know you are thinking of them in a very practical way.

Give a gift.

A small gift given at a time other than a birthday or celebration is a great way to encourage a friend. A small plant, a favorite magazine, a fragrant candle or  even a cup of coffee from the local cafe are just a few simple gift ideas. If a friend is sick with a cold you could put together a little “get well” basket with items like tissues, cough drops and chapstick. A small, thoughtful gift can quickly brighten the day!

TIME.

Encourage a friend with time, specifically your time. You might be tempted to say, “I’m just too busy!”, but I won’t allow you to say that. Just kidding! You can say that, but I would encourage you to make space in your day and week for a friend. Giving of our time and energy is a sacrifice, but it’s a beautiful act of love. Make time for a friend this week, and see what it does for her (and you).

I hope that something on this list inspires you to be an encouraging friend. It’s something I want to work on in my own life. I want to be an encourager. I want to push aside the busy and see my friends, be there for my friends, encourage my friends. Let’s all make a little time to encourage a friend today!

What about you? How do you encourage your friends? How have you been encouraged?

Until next time,

Charissa