Puppy Clutter

Well, after two years of thinking about it, we finally did it. We expanded the dog side of our family. We have a yellow lab and now we have a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever puppy (Toller, for short). Did this simplify our life or reduce clutter?

Of course it didn't simplify our life or reduce clutter! And, yet...

My kitchen is gated off. The extra crate is in the kitchen. Puppy toys are underfoot. Puppy is underfoot, on top of foot, chewing on foot. And, yet...

Sleep is shortened. Emergency slip-on shoes are piled by the back door for quick trips outside. Spare rugs line the perimeter of the kitchen. And, yet...

Sometimes it isn't always about keeping things simple or safe or uncluttered...

Spring Dusting?

If there is dust on the coffee table but everyone is outside enjoying the beautiful weather, is the dust there to see?

Living clutter free is about living our priorities. Is your priority achieving magazine cover sort of perfection in your home or getting outside to enjoy spring?

Maybe your dust bothers your visual peace. Maybe someone in your home has allergies. I wouldn't presume to tell someone what to do. I am suggesting that whatever you decide to do about the indoor clutter or cleaning right now, it could be a conscious choice. We can all make more conscious clutter clearing (or not) choices!

Yard Clutter Clearing

I love the seasonal changes of living in Minnesota, but part of me also dreads the yard work for the half of the year that the ground isn't frozen or covered with snow. I look at the leaves and debris from last fall, and it is hard not to feel a little depressed at the work that looms ahead.

Here are 4 ideas that help me stay on track with lawn clutter clearing this spring. I would love to hear and share your ideas too!

1. Plan. Plan. Plan. Make a prioritized list of the yard tasks to tackle this season.
2. Mentally re-frame the whole thing: Yard work is good physical exercise and a good mental meditative and de-stressing activity.
   
3. Break the big tasks down into smaller ones. I mulch 7 flower beds, but I don't have to do all of them in one day! Step back and celebrate each small success.
4. Keep a Yard Folder from year to year: Each year make note of what is planted in each bed, what vegetables worked and didn't work so well in the garden, what the long-term plans are, what tasks got completed...It will be a helpful resource to refer back to!