Loving the cooler weather so I can wear my cute Michigan Girl sweatshirt!
Back in May, a good friend and I joined a local weight-lifting group in celebration of our upcoming 40th birthdays. And just like that, I became one of those people who paid money to be sore and sweaty.
What was I thinking? 😩
It's been 5 months... and, aside from the fact that I enjoy catching up with my friends every morning, I still hate it. I still need to force myself to go EVERY day. I still question "Is this worth it?" when I send the Venmo payment each month. I still regularly look for excuses to skip.
Yes, I'm stronger. Yes, I have a tiny bit more muscle definition. Yes, I know it's good for my aging bones and body (and my social life!) But it's hard, and uncomfortable, and inconvenient, and time-consuming, and frustrating because I feel like I'm putting in the time and effort but not seeing results as quickly as I want to see them.
I mean... it has been 5 months. In my mind, I should be a bodybuilder by now!
I don't naturally love to exercise. I don't want to do it. But I'm doing it (thanks to encouragement from my friend and from Dave).
Also, YOU keep me going!
Every time I want to skip a class or quit the program, I think of all the emails I get from readers who feel the same way about their decluttering efforts, and I know I must stick with it because I've preached "slow and steady" for 15+ years.
You, too, have put in the time and effort. You've been slowly working to declutter for months and years. You don't always love it, but you do it anyway because you know it's good for you... even though you don't see the results as quickly as you'd like to see them.
Yup, I feel your pain.
I don't have a magic solution that will instantly create a love for decluttering, cleaning, and organizing, just like I can't magically force myself to love weight lifting.
So I'll continue to preach "slow and steady" -- for you AND for me.
I know this is good advice, and it's easier when it's fun (like joining the gym with my cousin and friend so we can catch up every morning). For you, this might look like finding a good audiobook, podcast, or fun music to listen to while you declutter. Or make it a family afair where everyone chips in and all the cleaning is done in an hour. Or you might save a special treat for yourself after an especially productive decluttering session.
You likely still won't love it, you'll likely still look for excuses (I'll help you with this below), and you'll likely still question if it's worth all your time and effort. That's OK.
Slow and steady, my friends. Don't give up... I'm right there with you! 🏋️♀️
simple food.
We received a pile of squash from church friends... so this throw-together meal has been on rotation at our house for the last several weeks (I made it again last night).
I also make a version with pasta sauce, ground beef + sausage, and mozzarella cheese. Both are family favorites, very nutritious, and delicious fall comfort food!
Are you struggling to gain control over the growing piles of clutter in your home and life? Do you continue to make excuses for why you should hang onto various items?
If so, I've got a little extra motivation to help you stop making excuses and start making progress towards your goals!
Many of you (like me) are inundated with Amazon Prime deals, pre-holiday discount codes, and limited-time bonus offers... all enticing you to buy more.
But before you check out, consider that buying anything with a discount code is still more expensive than not buying it at all. This archived post was fun for me to revisit, especially as we approach the holidays!
Good Books: I finished the entire 5 Hunger Games books. Wow, they were good, but I can't imagine thinking up that storyline! I also started and finished The Women of Oak Ridge (yes, another WWII novel with lots of true historical references). I give it 5 stars!
Good Bread: Although I'm forever a fan of homemade bread, we recently tried Pepperidge Farm Homestyle Oat Bread, and it's delicious!
Good Idea: My friend mentioned she had recently attended a fall soup party where everyone brought a different soup, and they ate it out of 6-cup muffin tins so they could try a little of each soup. What a fun/easy fall gathering idea! If you try this, make sure to serve some Pepperidge Farm oat bread with your soups. 😂
Our Meal Plan
Quesadillas, various toppings, chips, raw veggies,
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