Feel good, live better.....

I'm always happier when I feel motivated and I'm doing positive things in my life, whether that's painting my toe nails or studying for my degree, taking care of my needs and being true to myself helps me to feel like I am living the best life I can.

So a few weeks ago I decided to do a bit of de-cluttering, my mind was feeling messy and unfocused and I didn't feel like I could really relax and focus at home when I needed to get things done. I looked around and realised that our house had become a bit over run with odds and ends we weren't really using and was zapping all my energies and the OH's as well!

So it was time to take action, we have been in our new house for almost 2 years but never really sorted anything when we moved as LC was only 10 weeks old (never, ever move with a new baby if you can help it!), we were still getting to grips with being parents and my PND was rearing its head a bit, after I had dealt with that I was really starting to enjoy motherhood and couldn't be bothered to sort the house when I could have fun with my baby, soon I was returning to work and when I did I became a working mum and things just got away from me.

Anyway, now I work from home and have so much more time on my hand, LC is much older and can help out a bit too, she loves to pack anything in to bags or containers so it's nice to include her and making it something fun we can do together! So where to start??? Well as the Autumn/Winter season approaches and I'm thinking about my wardrobe (seeing as we haven't seen any flipping sun this summer and my summer clothes are hanging up lonely and rejected in my wardrobe) and dreaming of my new must haves, I decided to make some room as really it's just bulging with unworn and out dated items and so was OH's and LC's.

Operation Clear Out the Closets was born and I went through each of the, although cleansing OH's was harder as he is very sentimental about his clothes??!! So I started with mine and this is how I did it.

1. Pulled out everything I hadn't worn in the last year and decided, honestly if I would ever wear it again, this was hard, kept a few items that were real favourites but most of it went. If I don't love it now I don't think I would again!

2. Then we had a fashion show and I tried on everything to see what was fitting now, thankfully there were only few items that were from my single days left over which I knew I would never, ever get into again!

3. Next I sorted out everything that I used as maternity clothing and really shouldn't be wearing now and stored it away with the rest of my maternity clothes.

4. Now I was left with my capsule wardrobe of clothing I knew I loved wearing and that fitted me, I sorted it in to skirts, trousers, dresses and tops sections and in each section grouped all the colours together as that is what works best for me.

5. Finally I put all my unwanted items into carrier bags and then called my local women's refuge, I had also sorted through LC's closet and had some bits of hers that weren't need any more too and so was able to donate it all to other women and children who may make good use of our unwanted clothing. With OH bits I donated them to the local night shelter.

Now we all have clutter free wardrobes and I can see more easily what needs to be add for the next season, we have a family holiday to Canada coming up in October and we always buy lots of clothes when we go there! Doing this has really helped me to start feeling more focused, even just one area of the house being organised and tidy has made a difference and motivated me to start somewhere else, infancy I have already cleared out a few odds and ends from the kitchen which also went off to the refuge too!

Just some of our junk ready to go to a new home!

Monday's Moment of Wisdom - Pearl Number 20

Inspiring words from an inspiring women, Audrey couldn't have got it more right! One thing that has permanently set itself in to my mind over the years is that nothing in life is handed to you on a plate, if you want or need something, if you have a dream or a goal you've got to get out there and make it happen, you've got to help yourself!

Helping yourself is rewarding, it gives you a sense of achievement and self efficacy, it boosts your confidence and your self esteem and hopefully, as long as your not hurting anyone else in the process ultimately it allows you to put your best foot forward in to the future!

So learning to help yourself is important, starting with you is good because you should take care of your self first, in a positive way. But what makes us better, more compassionate human beings is then helping other, in fact helping yourself and others can coexist at the same time.

When I do something meaningful for my life it feels great I am full of energy, motivation and pride and when I help others I feel even better, knowing I have the power to effect my life in a positive way is awesome but helping others in their life fills me with so much joy and gratitude, using my knowledge, drive and enthusiasm to better someone else life gives me the most love and inspiration I could imagine!

Being selfish is good, but being selfless too is even better! What little or big thing could you do to help yourself AND someone else this week? Go on, spread a little love in to someone else's world too!

Monday's Moment of Wisdom - Pearl Number 19

"There is always going to be bad stuff out there. But here is the amazing thing, light triumphs darkness, every time. You can stick a candle into the dark, but you can't stick the dark into the light. - Jodi Picoult

Here I am literally holding a torch!

This quote is filling me with warmth this week, when life gets a bit unsettling,and normally it will every once in a while, we need to have hope that we will come out of that dark period and deal with the repercussions from it too!

For me the first part is getting easier, I understand and know now what brings me down and I've learnt how to make it better. Putting certain things in place helps these times to move quickly in to the distance so I can move forward. But sometimes dealing with any consequence that arrive can be more difficult, especially emotionally. Knowing that a light will eventually shine is so comforting, it helps to deal with any changes that are happening after all a lot of people don't cope well with change. Learning to embrace change is my light and has helped me to see my way out of some situations that I have found tricky and unsettling. I have learnt that life is transitional, and we can't stop that, change is natural and biological and we cant escape it. So instead I see change as refreshing and exciting, if I can't grasp this at first I try to imagine all the possibilities and opportunities that change may bring me rather than dwelling on the negative. It's scary but it works and ends up leading me somewhere that I want to be.

For me change is my light in the darkness, what's yours?

Monday's Words of Wisdom - Pearl Number 18

"Celebrate what you want to see more of" - Thomas J. Peters
 
And celebrate we will and there are many reason too which makes it all the more exciting. Over the next year we our family has a lot to look forward to, new life, tying the knot, twice! Holidays abroad, catching up with old friends, new beginnings and happy endings. These are some of the lovely things that we and our friends and family are going to be revelling in and celebrating as the next 12 months unfold.

This weekend marked the start of some of the celebrations to come. OH and I left LC with her Granny a drove to Manchester to stay with my brother and his OH. We spent some quality time with them, eating out and enjoying some yummy food and wine and doing a spot of shopping too, we indulged LC in her Hello Kitty Obsession a bit more by buying her another for her collection and my brother got her these cute macaroons from the local market. We caught up on all their plans for their upcoming nuptials in December and also celebrated some matches made in heaven at my friends engagement party too! Lots to celebrate already!

We also decided to book flights to go back to Canada for Halloween which we are VERY excited about and spent the rest of the weekend planning and rejoicing in all the fun we will have when over there as LC gets to spend time with her godmother too!

We feel so blessed for all these reasons to celebrate and there are still so many exciting events coming up in the next couple of months too. This last year has been one of the darkest I know, not only for me but the people I love around me and it has not been nice experiencing personal loss as well as grieving for the upset and heartache of other around me.

Now feels like a special time, a start of a new chapter to be merry and full of joy, to celbrate life, love and the world around me, it is more of what I want to see and believe me I'm going to celebrate the hell out of it!!