Some SimpleSpacing

The last few days I've been doing some SimpleSpacing in our little home. 

Very few things in life make me as peaceful, happy, and grateful 

as having a clean, organized, simplified home. 

For those of you who are new readers, the term "SimpleSpaces" was developed by my mother, who wrote a book about simplifying life and spaces. The principles in the book have already changed my life (I've been observing and living the principles as I've grown up and learned from my mom), and I have no doubt they have and will continue to change others' lives. 

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Space 1: 

Bedroom Bookcases/Nightstands

Problem:

Clutter. 

We had too many books and not enough room for the things we needed easy access to. Since bedroom #2 is a nursery, our office has been moved to our bedroom. This move has significantly limited the amount of space we have for personal files, folders, notebooks, journals, etc. 

Solution:

My mom so generously gave us a bookcase to put in the living room, which would make it possible to move many of the books from our room into the living room. Yay! 

Before:

After:

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Space 2:

Living Room

Problem:

Need more storage. 

Solution:

By painting and using the large bookcase and moving some things around we were able to greatly increase the amount of storage space in the living room. We moved most all of our books out of our bedroom, and were also able to display a few more decorations. 

Before:

After:

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Space 3:

Office/Desk

Problem:

Needed a system for files and papers.

Solution:

My parents were also so generous in giving us a small file cabinet that just happened to work perfectly with our desk. We were able to move almost everything out of Baby's room and into our office/bedroom. Our printer had also been in Baby's closet for nearly a year, and we were finally able to move it closer.

 Thank you mom!

Before:

After:

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Space 4:

Kitchen/Eating area for Baby

Problem:

Not enough storage space

Solution:

Baskets, baskets, baskets

Before:

(Christmas-time)

After:

(more space for food, utensils, food mill, etc)

For more information about SimpleSpaces please email me or leave a comment below 

Tossed Tuesday

On  Tuesdays I teach a contemporary class and a ballet class. For some reason I felt like changing things up a bit (perhaps from coming across an old "Wacky Wednesday" book at my mom's last night).

What better way to change things up than to do a genre switch?

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Experiment I: 

Contemporary class. 

Bare feet. Black tights. Hair loose.

"Get some socks or shoes on, we're doing ballet today!"

Ballet barre. Some ballet center. Watch Baryshnikov.

Study Results I:

Generally, contemporary dancers are great movers. 

They are able to make mind body connections quickly.

 Need more muscle tone and definition in the legs and feet.

Need more clarity and dynamic energy.
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Experiment II:

Ballet class.

Pink tights. Bun heads. Ballet shoes.

"Take your shoes off, we're doing a contemporary class!"

Contemporary class with ballet elements.

Study Results II:

Good use of feet and extension. 

Generally difficult to feel grounded and weighted.

Very uncomfortable and awkward doing new movements style.

These dancers need more "cross-training" and strength. 

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I think it was good for both classes to try different styles today. The contemporary class does ballet barre twice a week, but there is rarely enough room at barre and we don't usually have marley floors. In general, the contemporary class had an easier time learning ballet exercises, while the ballet class had a more difficult time learning the contemporary movement. 

Final Results:

 It's nice being spontaneous every now and then

Time

Having a little baby has made me more aware of time passing. It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming our sweet boy into our family. Now he's nearly 7 months old and changing every day. At night, before he goes to sleep, I hold him and look at his little hands and little face. I know I'll miss these days when they are gone. 

Time is so interesting. Without it there would be no progression, no growth, no change. At the same time, the passing of time often causes regret, sentimentality, and sadness of things that have passed by. Time also creates opportunity for renewal, refocusing, and recommitting to do better, be better, and serve more. 

I am really into Mindy Gledhill's music. 

Lately, I especially love this song:

Life is too good

*Originally posted HERE

Lately I've been thinking about how much time I spend on the computer. I'll be the first to (although ashamedly) admit that I have gmail, facebook, and blogger logged in and opened nearly all day when I'm home. It is a horrible addiction that I am determined to change. I'm tired of living a cyber life. I'm tired of always comparing my life with others.' I'm tired of reading about peoples' thoughts, rather than creating and thinking about my own. I'm tired of staring at a screen. I'm tired of letting precious minutes and hours pass by; time that I could be spending with my son. I'm tired of feeling like I have to compare my life to the "Mormon Mommy Bloggers."I'm tired of not progressing spiritually, physically, mentally. I'm tired of being stuck in a rut. 

Something has clicked. 

Things are going to change, whether I like it or not. 

Facebook is great. It really is. It is a great tool for me to use to stay connected with friends and family who are not close, and whom I rarely see or talk to. I love staying updated on friends' lives, love, babies, weddings, events. I love posting pictures and getting responses. I like asking questions and getting answers. I like being connected with friends.

On that note, I find it ironic that the more connected I am on facebook, the more disconnected I am in my real life. I want to have real friends. I want to get out and visit and talk to people and be a real friend. I hardly ever do things with my friends. With a few wonderful exceptions, I don't have real friends. I don't have people who call me up to visit, to chat, to go on walks, to have baby play dates.  

I know I am to blame. I am living a cyber life. I've had my fair share of "pity me" moments in my life, and I've learned very quickly that I am the only one who can make myself change. I have to be a real friend in order to have real friends. I'm ready to be a real, live, friend. 

I have listened to many inspired leaders talk about this very subject.

 I finally feel ready to make a change. 

On a slightly different note:

Do you ever find yourself jealous of others' lives? Maybe jealous isn't the right word... Well, whatever the word, I have really been wanting to learn. I want to learn to make things. I want to learn to cook (and learn to like it). I want to learn to crochet. I want to be a really great homemaker. I want to be witty. I want to be creative. I want to be a great writer. I want to be original. 

I often read peoples blogs and think, "I wish I could do that," or "how do they have time to do that," or "I wish I were as crafty as she is," blah blah blah....

I know I could do all of those things if I really wanted to. I know I would have plenty of time to do them if I'd get off the computer. I can be creative if I want to be. 

There's been a lot of hype about the Mormon Mommy Bloggers lately. The only one I've kept up with is Nienie. And I will be the first to admit that she is incredible. Her story is so inspiring. Sometimes I secretly wish I could have as great of an influence as she has had. Sometimes I make myself feel like blogging is a competition. I find myself too concerned with comments and the stats. I want people to read my blog. I want people to like it. I want them to like me. I'm silly, yes, I know. 

Sorry this post is scattered. I have too many thoughts at once and I don't know how to organize them. 

Let's make this Simple:

1. I spend too much time on the computer

2. I want to accomplish more every day. I want to cook, create, sew, read, write, andbe. 

3. I want to be a real friend, and I want real friends. 

I want to talk, visit, socialize, and do things with other people. 

4. Blogging is not a competition. Stats don't matter. Who am I trying to impress anyway?

Life is too good to let it pass by unnoticed.