Organization Project #2

The fridge.

It was one of those things that got so gross, I couldn't ignore it anymore. 

I found lots of little surprises as I cleared everything out; food I'd forgotten we had, food that I thought had been (and should have been) thrown away, and lots of sticky messes. 

I also determined that we don't need to go grocery shopping for a very long time.

We have way too much food.

I attacked the inside and outside with a bucket of soapy water and the neatly organized everything inside.

Hooray for a clean and organized fridge!

***Just a reminder that you can still enter the Giveaway!***

[OVER]whelmed

I want to start off by saying this: Life is good. I am seriously so happy, and things are going well for me. If the following sounds complainy/whiny/pity-party-y that is not my intention.

Its "that" time in the semester; finals are looming, projects are piling up, and I'm just ready to be done with school for awhile. Add in 20-40 hours of work and you have me- a hot mess (::a state of disarray so chaotic that it's dizzying to look at. A mess that is beyond the normal range of disarray. Visual clutter that draws attention to itself).

I am proud of myself for being so organized, I really feel like I stepped up to the plate. I have my homework done almost a week in advance and have spent 1-2 hours the first day of each week planning out each and every detail of my life; when I'm going to do which assignment, where I need to be when, and when I'm going to work in eating and sleeping....all without causing a major emotional meltdown.

I am concerned- concerned that I will never have time for anything but work and school. I want to have time for my husband, friends, church, and fun. I know that there are people out there who do it; who work more than me, go to school, maintain relationships, and fulfill their callings in the church. My question is: how?! How do you know when to say no to work and yes to friends, or vice versa? How do you meet your financial goals without eliminating everything else in your life?

I know I can do this. I've balanced work, theater, school, and relationships...the situation now is just slightly different. Help me, oh wise ones!

A pound of prevention...

Once upon a time I was a really bad procrastinator.

Last night (Sunday), I realized that tomorrow was the last day to take my Anatomy Test. Usually, waiting until the last day doesn't really stress me out because my schedule is pretty open. Well, I have a new job and that takes up all of my afternoon (12:30-5pm), the testing center closes early for FHE, AND I had a class this morning. Well, I was quite panicked (to say the least) and to make things worse I had also procrastinated studying for the test until Monday morning. I woke up at 7 this morning, did my oil pulling, and quickly got ready so that I could devote until 10am to study. I was antsy during class, trying to retain all that I had shoved into my brain. I ran from my class to the testing center and took the test in the wee 45 minutes I had before work. Whew. What an awful feeling. I never, ever want to submit myself to that kind of stress ever again; especially if all it takes is a little planning and a little less procrastination. 

I made this big ToDo list (3 pages long...) of all the things I have to do for the next week. The beauty is, if I do everything when I'm supposed to I will not have any assignments to do over the weekend, no homework on Sunday, and the load each day gets smaller as I catch up. Hopefully by putting in a pound's worth of prevention against procrastination, the cure to stress will only take an ounce.  Maybe I will be the first college student in history to overcome procrastination.

Organization Project #1

I received some more Pinterest inspiration today (I've been on a roll, really...look here, here, & here.) Its a new take on Spring Cleaning. Basically, instead of overwhelming yourself by trying to organize/declutter all in one day you pick one project at a time and complete it in one day (usually in about 1-2 hours). You make a list as you go, to see all of the progress you're making. Lovely.

Aside: for you Mac users...I LOVE this app. Its free & called "CheckCheck."

 My desk has been on my ToDo list for quite some time so it will be #1. I spend a lot of time here, and the messier it is, the less productive I am- funny how that works. See for yourself...

Clearly Stressful

 I started by taking everything off and wiping down everything; especially in the drawer.
Then, I sorted everything into piles: School, personal, and work.

I tackled my supply organizer- my excessive pen & highlighter collection made that it's own task.
Next, I sorted out what would go in the drawers and what would be stored elsewhere.
Finally, I put on the finishing touches and lit a candle for theatrics.

voilà!