May 16th, 2011
Lifestyle Spring Cleaning
For the past few months I’ve been tracking how I spend my work days with a really cool application called Klock (a great free alternative is Toggl) and it’s been helping me make sure I’m spending my time wisely and helping me get an idea of how long my projects take me. But a funny side effect is that it’s make me very aware of how I’m spending all of my time, not just when I’m working. Now that it finally feels like spring in the Canadian Prairies (guys, it’s actually WARM here now!! Flowers are budding!) I’ve been getting excited to do some spring cleaning, only this year I’ve gone a little non-traditional.
Instead of looking for ways I can clean up the little house, I’ve been focusing on ways I can make my lifestyle a little more minimal. I’ve been feeling a big pull to just live with less- from clutter to stress, to eating simply and finding new habits that save me time. I love the idea of making small, intentional choices that stack up over time so Jesse and I have been talking, researching and scheming for ways we can work together to make little changes that will make our lives better and that will be fun to live.
Negotiate to Save Money
This weekend Jesse and I have called our cable and cell phone companies- just to talk. I recently set up my mom on my old iPhone, and when we were working out what plan would fit her, the cell phone company was bending over backwards to find ways to make her bill smaller.
It made me realize that being on the same plan from when I signed up might not be the best deal, and in under a half hour on the phone with the cable company and my cell phone company we’ve been able to save about $80 a month! I have been informed is not part of the Summer Margarita Fund, but I’m not yet convinced.
Find a New Way To Track To Do’s
I love finding new systems of ways to track what I have to get done each week, and any way I can move away from pen and paper and into a system that syncs to all of my devices? I love a good notebook, but not as much as I love a well designed app!
Over the weekend I explored TeuxDeux by Swiss Miss, Wunderlist (thanks Diana!) and Evernote, and I’m excited that Evernote is going to work for me and save me so much time. Knowing that I have a place to put all of the miscellaneous thoughts floating around my head, and that I can stop bookmarking everything pretty I find online and file it somewhere useful? It makes this organization geek very, very happy.
Bark Proof The Dogs
This is all about our follow through, but Schipperkes are yappy and have a shrill little bark that they employ to protect us against neighbourhood school children and the elderly. We now have both spray bottles and treats at strategic locations in the house, and with dogs who are a little quieter I know we’re going to have a much more relaxing summer.
Plant The Garden Based on What We’ll Eat
In the summer I love romaine hearts on the grill for salads, having tomatoes for salsa and making mojitos with fresh mint. This year we’re planting radishes and pickling cucumbers, and I’m hoping that our raspberry bushes have lots of berries the year. I love having the basics right in my backyard, and I’m excited to for the farmer’s markets to become part of our weekend rituals once they start. Seasonal eating is the best!
Invest in What I Need
In the past few months I’ve been realizing that my wardrobe needs a serious overhaul. I don’t like shopping at the mall and I love thrifting, but since I haven’t been shopping for myself in a long time it’s left me without the kind of clothes that I need to feel comfortable and cute. This weekend I spent some of my savings on making sure I have everything I need to feel great about myself, and it’s all going to be arriving over the next week- right before my birthday! I’m donating my old clothes that either don’t work or are worn out and I’ll be posting about how I’m re-building my wardrobe tomorrow.
Make The Little House Party Friendly
We have a beautiful, small deck off the back of our house that’s perfect for getting together with friends, and this summer I want to make sure we make lots of use of it. Jesse and I are going to outfit it with twinkly lights, comfy patio chairs, and I’m on the look out for the perfect vintage bar set.
Have you made any little changes that had a big impact?
{image: miniature work desk by petitplat}
For tracking your time, I’d also recommend TimeSheet Reporter, which allows you to register time based on your Outlook calendar appointments, which works great.
There’s also a great article on how to find the best product for you.
So I’d recommend these two links:
http://www.timesheetreporter.com
http://www.timesheetreporter.com/blog/how-to-select-the-best-timesheet-software-for-your-business/
My two cents. Hope it helps. ????
Cheers.
You have me so inspired to get organised!! I’m off to checkout Toggl and Evernote now!
Oh and PS. I used a Citronella Collar (like this http://www.barkcontrol.com.au/buy/multivet-citronella-anti-barking-collar-kit/3) on my dog when she was younger and it worked a treat! Soda didn’t mind it much but just the spray would make her stop barking and sniff around :)
I have to give this Evernote a try. Everyone seems to be talking about it. I need a Spring Cleaning very badly.
Seriously digging this post!
Oh, Evernote, you are a dream come true. ;)
I’ve had Evernote since 2009 and never used it until a while ago when I heard a lot of people talking about it. I should really use it more instead of leaving 10ish tabs open on Chrome.
Thanks for this. Great tips that I should get around…starting now.
One of the things I’ve been really concentrating on lately is a) being more generous with my time, money, and heart, and b) getting rid of things (this is why I’m currently having a week of giveaways)! I think you can use the same sort of note-taking/tracking system with something like that – in other words, it’s totally not limited to to do lists, which I LOVE because organization is my life.
I’ve only ever had one pet that warranted the use of a spray bottle, but it worked wonders!!
I have Evernote downloaded but I haven’t used it yet. I started tracking cute pictures via Pinterest, but I should get Evernote a chance too.
I just downloaded Evernote this weekend and I love it! It’s a great little list app. :) Love this post. Makes me want to take a deep look into my life and see what needs to be “spring cleaned”!
Most of the changes I”ve made are money saving. Little things like not buying lattes anymore. They are only a treat. They used to be a daily thing. Then I made them a weekly thing. Now they are maybe a monthly thing – if that!
I am looking forward to the post on redoing your wardrobe I need that badly!
Im in Vancouver its somewhat warm but just wet and it sucks:(
Hello Kyla, I’ve recently come across your blog and just can’t stop clicking and reading, I’m really enjoying it! What a wonderful post. I’ve recently really started thinking about having as little ‘stuff’ as possible in my life. Out with the unnecessary! One of the goals I made (and really love) is to eliminate plastic out of our household. Glass and wood are just so much nicer and better. We recently moved and so it was easier for me to go through all of our things and donate things we don’t need to thriftstores :)
I am so on board with this post. I desperately need to call MTS and negotiate my cell phone bill, and my wardrobe is so so sad right now! Happy spring cleaning. :)
Those sure are some great ideas for personal spring cleaning…. I definitely want to pick up the phone and see if we can lower our cell phone and cable bill after your mentioning how successful you were with it.
I love Evernote. I started using it when I was moving and had a dozen different lists going on at once – it was a lifesaver to have the app on my phone AND on all three of my computers!
This post is seriously just perfection. I have been talking & thinking & blogging about this for a while now & you are SO organized with your strategies of how you will accomplish these things. It’s inspiring, really! Thanks for sharing & I can’t wait to see you wardrobe cleanse. ;)
This is so great Kyla! I definitely need to do this as well! And now you’ve also peaked my interest in Evernote, I keep hearing about it!
Love this post so much!
With the impending move I’ve compiled a stack of books to donate, two bags of clothes to do the same with, and lots of decluttering. I’m only take the essentials with me right now (we have a very quaint and small house ourselves) so that means the tons of books I own but have read can’t make the trek… yet! But the ones I haven’t read will be coming with me (and will force me to actually read them, I suspect). I’ve learned better ways to make use of the organizational decorative bins and boxes I have, and have thought about what I really need vs “I want.”
June is going to bring a lot of big changes for me, ones I’m super excited about, in all aspects: finances, the way I work, my exercising habits and so much more. Looking forwad to it for sure! <3
I’ve FINALLY started carpooling to the day job (should have been doing this for years!)
At gas prices where they are right now ($4.25 here in L.A.), I am literally saving almost $300/month
Not an exaggeration.
Why didn’t I do this long ago?!
Oh my gosh, that’s an amazing amount of money to be saving- great job Amy! I’m really excited to become a commuter cyclist when my bike’s finished being re-worked this week. I’m going to have a contest with myself to see how long I can go between filling my car :)
Good Morning Kyla! Love this post. I’m an organization junkie! I try to do as much as I can to plan things out and organize before the start of my week so I wont be freaking out during the weekdays. My hubby is getting used to my Sunday night cleaning rampages!
Some of my organizing tips, plan meals, consolidate calendars with hubby, and write goals on Sundays. I also love using the envelope system to budget my money! It works like a charm and forces you to think about your spending habits. Good job on getting your bills lowered! I need to do that!
my lifestyle could really use some spring cleaning too! I am definitely going to look into some of your time management/to-do list suggestions…I’ve gotten in the habit of jotting things down on sticky notes, and I’m such a list freak that I sometimes feel like I have a million sticky notes floating around, controlling my life.
glad the weather is warming up for you!! :)
These are things I really need to do as well. I am a big list-maker. I just keep a day planner and a white board in my office. Pretty low-tech :) Someday I’d love to get a smart phone and use some of the options you mention. My wardrobe needs a serious overhaul as well. I am thinking it’s time for a yard sale. Happy organizing :)
-Courtney
This is great! I love all the little steps your taking to make your life better! I’ve definitely been feeling the need to do some LIFE spring cleaning myself lately, I’ll have to come back to these tips!
If you like Evernote, you should check out Springpad (http://springpadit.com)! I used to use Evernote and have since made the switch! You might fall in love with it like I did!!
thanks for this post. it is exactly the types of things that i have been thinking about over the past few days. so exciting. and i have never heard of evernote before but i just checked it out and i suddenly saw my to lists, wish lists, inspiration tabs, book list and pininterest world crashing together.. in a good way. cant wait to try it out. thankyou
Kyla, you look like the most organised woman on the earth, everytime I think you couldn’t be more organised, but you always try to prefectionate your skills (I think you can’t anymore, you are already perfect). I think that you are a wonder(and wonderful) woman. Thank you for mentioning EverNote, I just downloaded it, and I think it will be an amazing tool for me as well! Have a great day!
Juliette
Thanks Juliette! I love Evernote as almost a personal database you can use to store lots of different things, but if you’re looking for a less complicated To Do application Wunderlist is seriously dreamy. It doesn’t have enough customization for me to use it for my design clients (which is most of what I track) but if it did I think it’s all I’d use :)
I’m really excited to hear about the wardrobe re-build – that’s something I need to do as well!
Seriously amazing ideas! I’m so excited to hear MORE about each and every one! Good luck!!!