Category: Confession

My Dirty Secret: Cleaning Motivation

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the day-to-day of work, travel, play, sleep and mundane tasks. It’s that occasional moment when I look around and see all the things I’ve yet to do that makes me roll my eyes and want to climb back under the blankets and hide.

When I can find a space to sit alone for about an hour, I’ll sometimes search youtube for an episode of hoarders. I think the entire world recognizes this show by now (which in and of itself is kind of weird …the things that garner attention!) and it is absolutely horrifying.

Watching this show makes me want to vomit in my gym shoes. Seriously. I don’t understand HOW people can allow themselves and their homes to get in such horrendous shape! This really is people choosing things, trash – over those they love. However, I am absolutely addicted to watching it. It’s like a train wreck: You know you shouldn’t look, and instead should assist, but…it’s just that odd that you can’t help but stare in earth shattering fear and amazement.

Even better (or worse for my youtube hoarders addiction), every time an episode completes (sometimes halfway through), I start cleaning.  CLEANING my home. The super kind of cleaning and ready to toss out just everything. This is quite a big happening usually, and now with a heavy fear of any kind of bacteria, the neurosis goes soooo much worse.

So this is my dirty secret. Hoarders is my biggest motivation for a seasonal cleaning. If you’re anything like me, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Check it out if you have the stomach for it and watch your floors sparkle.

Whats your dirty secret?

-Mliae


Getting to Know You 29.01.2019

I read an interesting blog post about 1 week ago (which, of course, I am unable to find so I can link to it now…) which was talking about the insecurity that particular blogger had. ‘Will you like this?’ ‘ Do I suck?’ ‘ Will anyone read this?’ and I had to comment. I comment that, well, we all suck! Hah. That I think that our real-ness is what makes blogs so popular. When we are reading a blog vs. any kind of marketing material, we all feel a bit at ease because we know (in most cases) that there is a real person behind it. A real person with real emotions, experiences, needs… Not a team of marketing professionals that are blending together the ideal persona for their particular branding needs.

This blog post, really made me think. There are basic needs that every one of us has. We all need to be loved. We all need to survive. We all need to feel like our lives are worthwhile. And I think that we, as publishers, all need to feel appreciated for putting ourselves out there!

So my question for today is: Do you have these same needs and insecurities?

I know I do!

-Mliae


VEGAS Movie Studio

7 Months In On My Shopping Ban and I’m Not OK.

This summer, I lost my mind. I decided I would challenge myself to live as sustainably as possible. To only grow my own food or purchase locally produced food items. To learn how to bake. And to embark on a 1 year shopping ban. No trial runs, just go do it! The food thing didn’t last long. The shopping ban, however, has lasted 7 months. (Probably because, well… I got goodies for Birthdays & Holidays)

Why am I not Ok, you ask? I’ll tell you. I’m not OK because I want to shop. Very badly! There are a few things happening at the moment:

  • My pants are starting to wear out. Those little holes you see & think to yourself, nah, it still works. Well they eventually turn into huge rips. Usually at the most inconvenient of times! (See the day I accidentally ripped the ‘back’ of my favourite pants and found myself being taped back together at a strangers desk!)
  • It’s really cold and I just don’t feel pretty when its cold. Too many layers, not enough warmth. And when your eyes/nose are watering and your eyelashes freeze, bothering to put on makeup, only to have it dissipate after a few minutes in the elements just doesn’t happen.
  • I’m (too) selective. Because of my %100 natural fibre neurosis, I have to spend a crazy amount of time researching items before I buy them. So many stores don’t even have products that fall into this category! So sometimes I make myself feel better by walking into a store that I know has nothing I’ll buy, then I can leave having purchased nothing and feel good about myself. This usually works. Until, that is, the store surprises me and has something that fits both my fibre needs & my size. That turns into a challenge quickly.
  • As an affiliate, I get the opportunity to browse a lot of dream products. And that I do (see fibre neurosis) as I refuse to promote anything I don’t want myself! And that’s the magic phrase right there. I want it myself. I want so much of it myself! Hand-crafted stilettos? Oh yes, those will be mine! Cruelty-free alpaca? You know it!  But I have to wait. Stalk. Save… In the meanwhile, I’m like a trapped monkey here.
  • And, speaking the truth, I just love the occasional new goodie. Does that make me a terrible person?

I never guessed that 7 months without buying myself a new outfit or shoes would result in shaking and sweating. How is this even possible? I don’t actually shop that much when I allow myself to because, well, I have to save for those purchases that I really desire. So it is quite the surprise to me that I am getting bored with my clothing. There was a year when I couldn’t afford to purchase myself anything. I saved and saved and was finally able to buy a cute dress with little red apple print on it. I loved that dress and wore it far beyond the 50€ I paid for it. I was so happy about it! So this is where I am questioning what is happening. Of course, I would love to go out and buy every piece of sustainable luxury that I like. Wouldn’t we all? But what has me stumped, is that those very few pieces I have fallen in love with, well, I find myself obsessing over them. Like somehow my life will be better if I own them. And that isn’t true, is it? What good is a pair of stilettos to me when I’m knee deep in snow? (Granted, the alpaca would actually keep me warm.) But yet I really feel like somehow if I have these items, my life will change for the better. And that just doesn’t seem healthy. Or true.

Now, I have actually been doing good things too. I have a daily system that reminds me that I absolutely should NOT be purchasing any clothing or accessories right now. But that is its own blog post, so more on that later.

I have also discovered that I don’t actually own that much. Thank you, for all the comments! It really helped me to put things in perspective. I really had no idea the number of contents of my wardrobe are comparatively small.

Any advice on how to calm the shopping anxiety?
-Mliae

January Declutter Challenge

Hello all 🙂

First off, no, this is not my home. I sourced the feature photo via Pixabay. However, sometimes this is how it feels when you’re drowning in clutter. (Or when you initially combine households or add flatmates) We’ve ALL been there!

As I mentioned in my Happy New Year post, I have set forth a 31 day challenge for those who wish to join me, to discard one item every day for the month of January. Discard meaning: Give away, donate, sell, use up or toss. At the end of the month, you have successfully rid yourself of 31 items and at 1 item per day, hopefully no-one has gone into  a state of shock.

I actually love this challenge! I have been keeping a record of what I am able to discard daily. Sometimes it has been nothing more than an empty jar of daycream. However, since I only need 1 jar and not 3, this jar will not be replaced and therefore counts 😉 For the first half of this month I have managed to toss 2 chipped coffee mugs and several chipped/cracked plates plus 3 random salad bowl that go with nothing and usually find themselves being used for plants. I forced myself to go into the depths of my wardrobe (depths meaning: I love this, but it’s 3 sizes off what I wear and there’s no need to hang onto it in case I lose weight) and donated several beloved pieces for a Red Cross initiative. This wasn’t exactly easy. However, I think I have found my surprise nemesis. Books and magazines. It has come to my attention that I collect magazines. I never knew I collected them, but judging from the piles of years out of date publications – I’m a hoarder. Yikes! I pulled them out from every corner I had just managed to stuff them after reading. I flipped through them all to make sure I had indeed read it (yes – all of them), tore out any wow-me recipes and begrudgingly put them in the bin. There were a lot. And I am still finding them! As for the next half of this month, well, I will be doing that day-by-day.

As for the wonderful people who decided to join me, I’m linking to you and asking you: How’s it going?

Janet

365 Days of New

Ray

Unexpected in Common Hours

I would really love for anyone else who feels inspired to join us in the challenge, to join in! There are no requirements like reblogging or even posting about it yourself. Just 1 thing a day on the journey to a cleaner, simpler, happier lifestyle.

How are you controlling your clutter?

-Mliae
*Photo sourced via Pixabay

Off – Days

Do you ever have those off – days when you have the best of intentions but the worst of plans? That’s me, today. I find myself just walking in circles, thinking about all the things I should be doing but just can’t seem to manage actually doing.

How do you handle those days?

-Mliae

*Photo sourced via Pixabay

Skype… WTF?!

Skype. I’m not a big fan. However, this application does prove useful for certain blog and business related scenarios. Or, it did. But guess what yours truly did…

I opened my computer to research a few things and I realized that Skype was running. Not just running, but, still on a call, running! Apparently, when we were having the storm that kept cutting the electricity, and I was on a Skype conference at the time the electricity cut, the call somehow never fully disconnected and I had been LIVE BROADCASTING on a Skype call for more than 3 days! OMG! How this is possible, I do not understand. When the electric cut, everything went off. But there it was – Skype – still running from my last call! IIIIIKKK!

I think I am done with Skype.

To say ’embarrassing’ is just not adequate.

-Mliae

*Photo sourced via Pixabay

When the Holidays Sneak Up on You.

This year has been a bit strange. I am usually that insanely excited person who decorates early for the holidays. This year, I’m late for almost everything. It’s like time is just flying by and I still haven’t worked up the nerve to go sort through storage and drag out our Christmas decorations. I mean really. It’s not like we have so much that it’s overwhelming.

Everyone’s happy that ‘oh, I got my decorations up last week’ and ‘I’ve just finished my gift shopping’!

christmas pixabay

…and I’m over here like

metaphor-pixabay

Any ideas on how to banish my inner Grinch and get back into holiday beast mode are appreciated!

-Mliae

*Text photos sourced via Pixabay. Feature photo is my own.

 

 

Bacteria, Virus, Influenza …Oh My!

It’s that time of year again….the time when the floating crud hits hardest. And yes, I’ve got it. Oh boy, do I have it. This year its a virus. I’ve been fighting this off for at least the past 1 and ½ weeks. I went to the doctor and he told me not to worry, it only lasts about 2 weeks. I live in the land of 24 hour sicknesses. Two weeks seems like two years!

The physician gave me large bottle of cough medicine and sent me home to sleep-it-off, so that’s what I’ve been doing these past few days. I didn’t actually write this to whine about feeling blahhhh, but to check in with you and let you know that in reality, absolutely nothing has been going on in my world recently. I have, however, developed a new respect for the happy power of being snuggled in on the sofa for a prolonged netflix binge watch 😉

Stay healthy out there!

-Mliae

EXTREME Lifestyle Experiment…Can I Do It?

Greetings all and thanks for stopping by! Today I’ve got a big one for you…

We just returned from our trip to the States, and it was so much fun! But now its down to business and I would like to discuss with you something I’ve been thinking about doing. I’d really like your input as to whether or not you think I have just completely lost my mind.

I’ve been rolling over in my mind how to explain this, but there really isn’t a good way to do it that I can find. So, here it is: I’ve decided to set a challenge for myself – starting today (this morning actually, and day one sucked) that I will do a complete 180  degree turnaround and live off the land – or at least locally. In all honesty, even though I’ve put some stuff to grow (fingers crossed) I really only have red currants and rhubarb growing and I’m smart enough to know that there’s no way I can last 2 days with that. I’m also kicking off a year (or thereabouts) of a shopping ban. No clothes, accessories shopping for me! I’ll explain all in the following paragraph. Please hang with me because there’s a lot of info – as this is a YUGE challenge I’ve set for myself. I have no idea how long I’ll actually make it, but we’ll see!

This whole post is surely a bit disjointed, but I do want to get all the facts out there so you can call me on it later. 😉 My motivation is this: I’ve been trying to get our accounting together and I realized that we are spending 100’s of Euros more a month than we should be, at the market. I’ve been thinking alot about how spoiled we (as several generations) are. I’ve been paying more attention at the market and it has started to stun me how easily accessible everything is due to globalization. I mean, I think its only in the past 20 years or so that its become commonplace to find summer fruits in mid winter or autumn root vegetables in the spring. This is not natural. Anyway, things got me thinking about how our grandparents lived. Although they were able to import/export items, it was nowhere near the level we have today. They had to eat according to natural harvesting seasons and also with wars, economic depression and the ration card. Despite all of this, many of them managed to survive and become what is actually one of our healthiest, toughest and most stable generations of the 20th century. And then I look at myself. I have been learning 1-2 ways of planting or preserving every year. But in the grande scheme of things, I’ll be 70 before I can actually live off what I’ve learned. I can’t bake – not for anything. I can cook, but it’s not in the realm of deliciousness – so I’m usually the only one who will eat it. And I need to learn. I have a habit of purchasing ready-made or easy to prepare food.  But the more I look at it, the more I want to prioritize my spending. As I would prefer to be able to pay off my debt (Or at least pay it down somewhat). Creating a life which is more on the self-reliant sphere has catapulted my decision. That and the fact that I really need to learn how to do this. It’s sink or swim time. And I hope I don’t sink!

So here’s what I’m doing: I am living off what I can grow as much as possible and what I can source from local farms and local small business (live fish farm -? I think it exists?, greenhouses and a small shop which sources dried herbs from the area). I am allowing myself gifts. As in, I will not turn down birthday cake if someone gets it for me. (My husband hates this clause because he thinks I’ll be begging people to buy me food ‘gifts’…he may be correct, but lets hope not!) I know that I will need lots of help from friends and neighbors to help me learn and direct me to local farms where I can purchase food items (which will fun to explain, as they don’t even know this blog exists).

I am allowing myself some purchases at the market, as I cannot cook without some things. The items I am allowing myself are as follows:

  • varying wheat flours
  • oil
  • sugar
  • cheese (& maaayyyybbe milk if I need it for casserole, but I think I can do without)
  • eggs
  • yeast
  • dried beans/peas
  • mustard powder (I’m trying to perfect a mustard recipe for gifts)
  • coffee
  • tea
  • vinegar

If I cannot make the items I need with these ingredients, I don’t get it. I have to learn to make my own bread, pastry, pasta and sauces. I don’t feel like I’m cheating with these ingredients, because they are necessary and even the cowboys had access to these items. Besides, I can’t preserve without some of it. So there. *sticks out tongue and wags fingers in ears.

Part 2 of this challenge is that I am embarking on a shopping ban. 1 year if I can do it. I have enough. Ironically, I looked in my wardrobe today and have built up my wardrobe to exactly 30 items. I find it so weird that some people consider 30 items for a season, a minimalist challenge. How? My wardrobe looks so….full!

I don’t know why my mind is so set on this, as it seems like a mission to disaster for this spoiled city girl. But I am determined to make it work. I can tell you quite honestly that I am already seriously missing fruit and mineral water.  I know that I will have troubles, challenges and frustrating days. I will be logging everything so that you can share in this journey with me as much as possible. I plan to do a vlog series about it as well, but no promises because I have no idea how weird I’m going to get.

So that’s my deal. Any thoughts on the matter?

-Mliae

*Photo sourced via Pixabay

Overwhelmed in Bloggerdom

So, what happens when I’ve worked my ass off to get a ton of great content to write about? Well – this, of course. For the first time ever, I’ve found myself so overwhelmed that I can barely complete a thought.

I. Can’t. Believe. It.

I LOVE blogging and all the many hours of research that goes into it gives me some sort of super nerdy pleasure. So the fact that I feel like throwing a few things into a bag and running wherever the sunset takes me for a few days, instead of doing what I love to do on the daily (Blog, gardening, social media, learning, and ‘lunching’) baffles me.

I don’t have writers block. Quite the contrary, actually. But for some reason, the perfectionist in me has not currently been allowing me to sit down and write the way I want things written. So, instead, I have been focusing on some of my favourite light-hearted series’ and then multi-tasking. Multi-tasking meaning that I can’t focus on 1 thing, but am instead in the middle of 100 things and completing none of them. This is new.

What do you think? Is this being overwhelmed, or do I just have a major case of wanderlust with a side of ‘attention span of a fruitfly’?

No worries, I’m not flaking out on you guys. I just wanted to let you know what was going on in my world since I usually post every other day.

Happy Summer!

-Mliae

OCD or Just Particular?

Do you ever find yourself doing something in a very specific way and silently wonder if you might have a touch of OCD? Well, I do that – more and more often now.

I’ve always been particular. When I was younger, it was the way in which I was particular in my chaos. I guess you could call it organized chaos. You could ask me where anything was in my mess and I could tell you exactly ‘It’s in the hall closet, under the coats, behind the bowling ball.’.

When I was in University, I used to make my teammates insane on any given project, because I would not share my part until it was as close to perfect as I could get it. I am the same way in my work life, but only because I know what is expected of me. Now its called ‘being thorough’.

In my home life, I make everyone insane. I don’t know why but…life seems a little bit happier when ALL of the coffee cups are hanging nicely in their spaces, when the surfaces are nice and tidy, when the countertops are spotless. This isn’t actually the issue. My husband knows I’m neurotic and reminds me on a regular basis. The problems really start when I can’t get it ‘right’.

Not being able to get it ‘right’ (AKA: the way I visualize it) is frustrating at times. And when I can’t get it that way, I kind of just give up. Take my desk for example; I don’t currently have enough proper storage for the things I need to access, so instead it is just all over my desk. There is no middle ground. No compromise. Just…All or nothing.

I know its the same with my appearance, and I am starting to strongly suspect it so with my weightloss. The hormones don’t help. There are days when you  might could find me at home chewing the curtains if the right spice was just on them. I get THAT hungry. But don’t worry, we aren’t there yet. But the fact remains that when I’m not seeing what I want to see in the mirror, I get frustrated. And when I get the munchies, its my justification to indulge. Which is ridiculous.

Are any of you like this? Do you obsess and obsess and then just say ‘Fuck it.’?

Mliae

*Photo sourced via Pixabay

Today We’re Celebrating 3,000 WP Subscribers to Lifexperiment Blog! THANK YOU!!!

Hello!

I am soooo excited to announce that http://www.lifexperimentblog.com has reached 3,000 WP subscribers! *Clutches roses and wipes tears 😉

I have no badge or notification to share as proof. Apparently, WordPress does not think this a monumental enough occasion. But for me, yours truly, this is HUGE! I have been looking forward to hitting this enormous milestone for quite a few months now and I am SO EXCITED!

Honestly though, it would mean absolutely nothing if not for you! THANK YOU SO MUCH, really,  for taking the time out of your busy lives to stop by and show interest in what I write here on my own teeny tiny corner of the web. I have made so many friends here, and I feel that this is a very important part of my every day – to check in, blab away, and continue my incoherent blabbing in the comments section. BTW- thank you so much for your kind comments!

Many thanks and much appreciation! Until the next milestone (hopefully!)

-Mliae

You are AWESOME!

 

I Respectfully Disagree.

I was reading up on chemicals in clothing and I found this article by Who What Wear. Now, I know that Who What Wear has like a zillion readers and an enormous fan base. I am aware that I will most likely be lynched on the internet for disagreeing – respectfully or not. But there are some ‘facts’ here that leave me scratching my head.

In this post, its stated that she will reveal the WORST fabrics for you. This is what she reveals, and in the same order:

  • Bamboo
  • Wool
  • Synthetic Fabrics

Uuuummm…WHAT?! I’m sorry, but…no.

I have to defend bamboo. Even though I don’t wear so much of it (I have 2 bamboo items of clothing). Agreed, there are some byproducts of turning Bamboo into the bamboo-rayon fabric we can wear. However, It is not near as bad as synthetic fabric.  Bamboo and bamboo fabric has naturally occurring antiseptic properties. Even after washing. That’s part of the whole appeal! Not to mention, bamboo is one of the most sustainable – alongside hemp – because it grows at an alarming rate. Because the regrowth is so speedy, the need for sprawling land mass to grow it, reduces drastically. I am not just pretending like I know what I’m talking about here. I’ve spent months of my life researching bamboo fabric and its anti-allergen, sustainable, antiseptic properties for a business related project.

I would also not put wool as the 2nd on this list. I mean, really??? ‘Triggering eczema flare-ups’ is the reason cited. Now, I understand the kernel of truth behind this. I also used to be under the impression that all but merino wool is super itchy and dries out the skin. Some of it does, I’ll give her that. But I have more to say on the matter. In my opinion, and personal experience, it is the cheaper wool clothing and yarn which will kill your skin. I have higher quality wool (i.e.; Aran wool sweater) and less expensive wool which doesn’t annihilate my skin. I have a few unbelievably affordable wool options that I had to buy, that I can’t wear because its so uncomfortable (thus the sale price, I assume.) I also have wool gloves that I suspect as the culprit that turn my knuckles red and make my skin bleed. In my mind, this is purely an issue of quality. The softer wool is much more gentle, agreed. But I would not strike out all wool but merino because some heavy wool is needed to keep warm in arctic temps – and does its job very well, and some wool can be so buttery soft and light that it makes your skin sing. And I would hate for anyone to miss out on that experience!

Now, please understand that disagreeing respectfully with what a blogger who has a following larger than some countries, is not a declaration of war. I just see things a bit differently and the urge to say something was too strong to smile and keep quiet. Especially when it is inevitable that some of the followers of a blog that size will blindly believe whatever is written.

What are your thoughts on this? I’m interested to know!

-Mliae

*Photo sourced via Pixabay

Flabby- Assed to Fabulous with Chape! Week 2 Update

Hi there 🙂

Most of you know by now that I’ve been working with my old buddy old pal David from Chape Fitness, to shed this extra winter blubber that’s been keeping me warm this year.  Things have been going great! With the daily workouts, the nutrition help & knowing that my trainer is keeping a veeerrrryyyy close eye on me – I really have no choice but to succeed. That being said, its on to the summary of my week.

I hit under 70 kgs! This was my first goal, and the most difficult thus far. But I reached it and I’m SO HAPPY! YYYAAAYYY!!! 😀 😀

This week, was the week of weight fluctuations. That’s right, you guessed it! I am losing my mind. Not a little bit either. Full on panicky emails at 6 in the morning asking David what I did wrong. To which he replies: ‘I told you about the weight fluctuations. Check it again tomorrow. You won’t believe it, its weird.’ I didn’t believe him. But you know what? He was absolutely correct. And it is WEIRD! I’m not kidding. I hit under 70 at 69,9 kg, then the next day I weighed in at 70,6. The day after that? 69.5 kg! Thats a 1,1 kg or 2,5 lb weight loss in one day!

That made me very happy, but I’m still so worried that I’ll wake up and all the weight will be back. This fear is my nightmare. It’s like I feel so out of control of my own weight that I’m afraid it will all just pile on me while I’m sleeping like hair gel on a girls night. So odd. I know that if I am just able to maintain good momentum, I will get to a point where I know that I will have had to do something really spectacular & totally irresponsible to fear instantaneous weight gain. Honestly? I cannot wait until that day comes!

This week, I ate well…for the most part. For the rest of it, my diet was shit. Apparently, I have loads of self-control when I’m at home & surrounded by people who respect what I’m going through. I could not be more grateful for this! However, when I am out or with other people – well, I succumb to temptation. This weeks temptation was a coffee party. Basically, a group getting together for ‘coffee’ which also involves copious amounts of home baked goods, pastries, cakes, cookies. *Drool, drool, drool….. I think you know me well enough by now to know that I would never be so rude as to turn down a fresh baked good being served to me by the chef! Of course not! Never! Instead, I scarfed them down like the little piglet I am and went back for more. I mean, David did say ‘Lay off the industrial baked goods!’ – these weren’t industrial, they were homemade!  😉

Exercise. The workouts are going well. This week, I was thrilled when my hubby shared his observation that my hips seem to be getting a teensy bit smaller! Happy Happy, Joy Joy! 😀 Mondays are leg day, which means I’m sore for at least 2 days after that. This week, I thought I would have a leg up (haha, pun intended) since my body went through its healing process last week. But Nooooo, somebody increased my reps. So, I’m still here, being an amateur. But I’m loving it. Really. If my guy is noticing a difference, then something wonderful is happening!

This is my least favourite, yet highly effective exercise of the week: The forward lunges with hand weights. It’s basically impossible for me to get all the way down & back up without doing that geriatric grunt. You know the one, ‘uuuuhhhh oooohhhh – ow’.  Here’s the video for my weeks’ most hated.

My goal for this upcoming week is to settle into the weight loss. I really REALLY want to see something under 69 kg. But speaking the truth, if I can just stop yo-yo’ing and land on a smaller number, it would be great. I’m also hoping to get my body somewhat used to the exercises so I can not only push myself a bit further, but also enjoy a brief moment of ‘Oh yeah, I got this!’. David said he’s also working on finding me healthy alternatives for my baked goods habit. Good thing he also serves as a therapist, because there will be tears.

How’s your New Years Bod coming along?

-Mliae
Also, I wanted to share with you that David is having a Fitness Meet & Greet with a link share, so if you feel like doing a bit of networking or dropping your link, you can find the post by clicking here.

Wifi Crashes, Everyone Panics

What happens when the Wifi goes down? Life ends, of course. Or so one would think, anyway, if one witnessed the morose, nearly teary-eyed faces that are the result of a lost internet connection.

I realized after several hours, that, the struggle is real. This got me thinking; Are we really so dependent on our devices, that it feels like our world is crashing down around our ears when we can’t use them temporarily? That’s not OK.

How did we get to this point? How did we get so chained to our screens that the simple act of living life, going outside to play, throwing a snowball – takes so much more effort than zoning out on a video game for hours on end. You’ve all heard me rant about these things before. But more and more, it is becoming apparent to me that our complete and total dependence on the internet is becoming a problem.

Now, I’m not talking about googling recipes, downloading your workout regime or online shopping. Not even the occasional video game  and certainly not Netflix. These are all things that can be done in a relatively short period of time, downloaded & referenced later, or what have you. What I’m talking about is our drool-faced, empty staring, moved to tears because Instagram can’t be accessed – absolute addiction to a constant internet presence. This is not healthy. For any of us. Since when are we so important that emails must be received and answered immediately, regardless of the time of day? I’ve got news for you: 92% of us are NOT that important. (Random statistic created within the boundaries of my own skull.)  You get what I’m saying. We have kept ourselves in an on-call status for far too long now. More than ever, I think it’s time to force ourselves to unplug every now and then. Go out, live life, then come back and reconnect to the net.

What are your thoughts?

-Mliae

 

*Photo via Pixabay

Some Thoughts on Crazy-Making Blog Formats

Hi there 🙂

So. I’ve been on a blog reading binge this week. (More so than usual.) And I have a few suggestions. This is kind of a bitching post, but mainly I’m just trying to help….and save my own sanity.

There are several things that one must consider when creating a website of any kind:

  • Your audience: If you’re writing about High school, then your audience is probably quite young. Which statistically speaking, means they won’t be spending extended amounts of time in one sitting – so your options need to be easily accessible & your titles need to be attention grabbers. If you’re writing about you post-retirement travels, or wine reviews, your target audience will be (for the most part) 30+. This means your audience will probably stay a bit longer (if they’re interested) & will most times read more than 1 post. This also means you need to keep it simple – easy to navigate. I can tell you that if I can find what I’m looking for in under 2 clicks, I’m a happy girl.
  • Easy Navigation: A bit more on the aforementioned. Navigation is everything. Seriously. I know of NO-ONE who will continue on any site if it is difficult to navigate. By this, I mean, if I have to click the Blog button on a BLOG – that’s just additional wasted time. The only time this should be ok is if it is a business page, which includes a blog. Otherwise, home is the blog. If I’m looking for posts from last year, then I go to the menu buttons – find a special topic. But If I’m just looking for the latest post, then it should be front and center. Please tell me if you disagree.
  • Background colours: This can be a biggie. We want to grab attention, but not make it difficult to focus on. (Chill on the neon colours…it wreaks havoc on the eyes) Dark colours can be a win or a lose. Too many busy patterns can give an instantaneous headache. You may like it, but your audience may not. It’s all about priorities – which is more important to you?
  • Your goals for the site: Do you want people to purchase? (You need to leave a virtual cookie crumb trail towards the register) Do you want people to read 1 main article? (Feature it!) Do you want people to stay and browse/read? (Make several items available without needing to scroll)

When I’m visiting a new blog (or… new to me), the things that make me run & never look back are:

  • Seeing the templates instead of blog posts (ex; Your blog post here, here, here). If its a super new blog, I understand, BUT if there’s lots of blog posts- just on other pages & the home page is still a template, that just screams that blogging isn’t important enough to put in the effort for the site owner, so it isn’t important enough to spend my valuable time on. This is my biggest turn-off for a blog. Maybe I’m just neurotic, but it is a killer.
  • Having to search for the latest blog post. I’ve taken the time to visit your blog and want to read what you have to say. But I have to click, click, click, back click, click to even find your most recent blog post. Nope. I’m heading outta there if its that kind of treasure hunt. As I said earlier; If yours is a business page which includes a blog, that’s a different story. Business 1st! But if yours is a blog – 100% blog – Why is it so difficult to find?
  • Not being able to ‘like’ a post. I understand there are many reasons people choose to format this way. This is only my personal weirdness. But if I can’t ‘like’ your post, it makes me feel like you’re kind of forcing me to comment in order to show my support & I hate that feeling. I just leave.
  • Crazy colours. If your background is searing bright red into my retinas, I’m running for the hills. Same goes for neon. It’s pretty, but headache inducing. Plus, it makes it difficult to focus on the print.

That’s pretty much it for my rant. I hope my suggestions are somewhat helpful.

I’m adding a few links below to other better-blogging articles you might want to read:

A Opinionated Man.

Unsolicited Advice to Beginning Bloggers

What are some of the format issues that make you scream?

Thanks for reading!

-Mliae

*Photo by Asa Rodger on Unsplash

Oh no! I can’t fit into my dress!!

OMG, OMG, OMG…

I am SO MAD at myself right now! It’s been 6 weeks since major surgery and I am still not allowed to do anything. Seriously, nothing. At least until my physician gives me the green light. And with 6 weeks of minimal movement & the food that accompanies, I’ve gained at a rate of 1 kg (about 2 lbs) per week. 6 kg’s total. I cannot fit into my dress. My beautiful dress.

I spent almost a year last year, fighting to slim down and fit nicely in my swimsuit. Which I finally did, thanks to David. (who is going to be sooooo disappointed). If I could exercise, this would go away, I know it. But what does a person do when they are unable to run, lift, stretch, squat – and the like? I don’t want to go all eating disorder diet, but that baby food & cabbage soup diet is looking pretty good right now.  Help!

What do I do now?

-Mliae

I have to ask…

Is it just me, or has anyone else gotten a front row seat to witness an otherwise almost normal functioning ex’s degrading mental health after the engagement was announced? If so, please share your story. Seriously!

-Mliae

*Photo from Pinterest

Is it Possible to NOT Lie?

Hi there,

Today I got Busted. With a capital B, for ‘lying’. Not outright lying, or pathological lying, but white-lie lying. And when I tried to defend myself, the reply I received was ‘you lie all the time about this stuff’. I was gobsmacked. I mean…REALLY?! I’ve always considered myself a rather straight forward person, with no time for lies or games. So how did this happen?

I spent quite a bit of time thinking about this after this discussion. This is how my lying evolved. You see, I used to be brutally honest. Like Tourettes – type, couldn’t stop myself, HAD to say what I thought. I’d been raised better than that, but I didn’t have time for bullshit. Better to just say it and get it out there. Surprisingly, I had many friends and they just accepted it as part of my personality. Although I know for a fact that there were many hurt feelings left in my wake of honesty. It was only after I began traveling to far-flung countries and cultures around the world, that I learned that this was not a good practice. Asia is what finally cured me of my brutal honesty. I learned, that in the culture, people elude to what it is they are trying to say. People are supposed to be able to pick up on the body language clues as well as inflection and understand exactly what was being said. But you never…EVER say it straight. It is insulting and does not allow for the person – sometimes victim – to save face. And that, is just not acceptable. Especially in any kind of business context. How was I so stupid? This point, my friends, is where the little white lies began.

  • ‘How are you?’ ‘Lovely’.
  • ‘What do you think of this dish?’ ‘Delicious.’
  • ‘Our schedule for tomorrow is…(7 solid hours of events I don’t want to attend) Does that suit you?’ ‘Absolutely, can’t wait’
  • ‘Does my butt look big?’ ‘Nope, you’ve got a great ass’
  • ‘I will pick you up at 6 in the morning…ok?’ ‘Perfect!’

You can fill in the rest. We all do it. Which brings me to the question of….why? If we all tell the same lies, then we all know when someone is telling the same lies to us, which takes away from the ‘I’ll soften the blow’ basis of the whole idea in the first place. So why do we perpetuate these little white lies when nobody is falling for the bullshit anyway? I mean, come on. I know that when I ask my fiancé if my butt looks ok in a pair of pants, exactly what he will say. (Well ok, not always. He knows it’s a trap & avoids it as much as possible). But when he does reply, I know that he wishes to avoid my incessant follow-up questions so much, that he will tell me exactly what I want to hear. And THAT is what this is all about. We lie to avoid hurt feelings and conflict. (As a general rule. There are some folks who just lie for…well, for themselves I guess).

My next question is: If I don’t want to hurt people with the brutal truth, and I don’t want to lie…where is the line? I think the line is tact. But tact seems to be that part between colours on the colour wheel where the shades blend in with each other. So where is the line between tact and lying? At what point do you pull yourself back?

And what about lying by omission? I mean, ok. I understand that it is absolutely wrong if you forget to tell your SO that you slept with someone else. That’s just straight out lying. But, well… I have a nicolette habit. It’s awful for me, I know. But I’m not smoking cause that’s 1000 times worse. My fiancé knows that in stressful situations I run for the gum. But he forgot about it after a time, and when he found some I had stashed away, he was really upset about it. This is the best kind of example I can give for what I mean. I didn’t see the problem, because I hadn’t told him I wasn’t doing it, so therefore wasn’t lying. And I think it ridiculous to report that I am purchasing it, as I don’t give a full report of everything I purchase, basically …ever. Same with clothes. I see something pretty, I buy it, I hang it, I pay my other bills. So why does it matter? But I digress. I think he felt like I had allowed him to believe that I wasn’t taking it anymore because the whole subject just kind of died in the wind, as most subjects do. And because I had them tucked away, not just laying out on the table, I can see that he thought he was being deceived somehow. So what is the thing here? When does just doing what you do and not thinking it important enough to mention, turn into lying by omission? At what point and how do you know? Help me out here, because I am at a loss.

I’ve really been thinking about this so I’ve decided to challenge myself, and you too, if you’re up for it, to NOT lie. No whoppers – pathological ‘I’m a detective, I work for the CIA, no I’m a policeman’ lies (not a problem for me, but maybe for some people), no lying by omission – i.e.; just not telling someone something (this will be difficult for me because I have a tendency to just do whatever I decide to do and more times than not, don’t bother telling anyone about it because I feel it’s not a big thing if I bought a new shirt, or left to go somewhere for awhile.), no conflict avoidance lies – i.e.; telling someone whatever it is they need to hear to just make. it. stop. No little white lies either. (Eeeek! This will be so hard, and I’ve already got a list of friends I’ll probably loose.) No lying on Cv’s or credit applications either, folks. (This happens a surprising amount. You know who you are.)

I would love for you to share any advice or thoughts you have on the matter because my questions are genuine. If I’m trying not to lie, and I’d like to maintain my relationships with friends, family and a lover who gets the brunt of my opinions…how do I do it?

Who’s with me?

-Mliae

Super Sustainable Wardrobe Clean-out!

OK, I did it. And you would not BELIEVE the size of the discard pile!

Many of you know that I have made a promise to myself, and to you, that I would not purchase any items this year that are not made of 95%(difficult to find elastin-free items)-100% natural fibre. That means: Cotton (the top at this moment because I can wash it), Alpaca, Wool, Cashmere, Silk, Bamboo, Cupro, leather, fur or linen. This has been anything but easy!

I got super frustrated searching the labels of everything I put on and made a drastic decision: Fill the wardrobe with only your natural fibre clothing. Then sort out the rest and get rid of most of it since you aren’t really wearing it at this point anyway.

I have a male friend who decided one New Year’s to get rid of everything in his closet. Read: EVERYTHING. Then he was to go out and purchase items that he really loved. When he ran out of money (as he didn’t have a fortune to begin with) he was done, and would only then add needed pieces as the need arose. Although this is an extreme measure to take, I was sooooo tempted to do the same. But alas, that would be quite wasteful and that is counter-intuitive to my task. So I did not.

When I did the closet clean-out, it was such a mammoth task that I didn’t really want to even start it. I knew that there would be no breaks from start to finish, since everything I currently own was piled on my bed.

I did the initial checking and separating, and then I went through several more times to get it to the point it is now. The initial checking had nothing to do with whether or not I actually liked the garment, it went purely by the fabric.

So here’s what I did:

  • I took EVERYTHING hanging in my wardrobe, and hanging or folded in my closet – out.
  • I laid it all in a pile (hangers and everything) on the bed. I was a mountain of stuff.
  • I went through, piece by piece, and checked the fabric content tags.
  • If it was 95-100% natural fiber, it was hung back into the wardrobe.
  • Items were hung to only 1 piece per hanger. (I formerly had entire outfits on the hanger, but I wanted to be able to SEE what I have)
  • All items that were made of artificial fabrics went into a pile elsewhere.
  • Once I had completely gone through and separated out my natural fabric clothing, I got a (new, clean) big trash bag to use as a ‘going out’ pile.
  • I contacted several of my girlfriends to see who might be interested in sorting through some of my stuff, so I knew the types of items (and fit) that my girlfriends might snag. This is really a great thing if you have a closet full of 2-sizes too small designer items that you spent a fortune for and can’t bear to get rid of, but you know you will never be that size again.
  • The calls were a success, and now that discard pile didn’t look so big. I went through the discard pile and made several smaller piles for each friend, her taste and her size. Now I had my friends set, and didn’t have to feel bad about sharing basically new, very nice items of clothing.
  • There wasn’t actually too much left. A few faves, which I had worn the life out of over the course of several years. Must of these were no longer in nice shape, so donating was out of the question. But I didn’t exactly want to toss them in the rubbish pile either. So…I started looking into what my possibilities were. Turns out, H&M has a recycle programme for polyester.
  • I went back through the discard pile and looked at the fabric tags again. Anything that was polyester, I put in a bag to donate to H&M’s recycle programme.
  • And then, there were like 3 grubby items that I really just had to discard. So I did, and it wasn’t easy. I felt like a hoarder. I no longer wear it, but because I loved it for so long, I couldn’t bear the thought of throwing it out. Holes and all. But I did.
  • Then, I sat back and looked at my nice, clean, extremely well organized wardrobe and smiled. The feature pic shows my view.
  • Turns out my love of all things cashmere and linen has really helped me out as I had enough tops to wear for 2 weeks before repeating. Jeans, linen pants, 1 pair wool pants, leather pants,  1 pair cotton suit pants & 2 leather skirts help me to be able to dress for any occasion. 3 summer silk shirts and one gold special occasion blouse mix and match perfectly with my selection of pants and skirts. And 2 leather jackets, 1 matching cotton blazer & a denim jacket to complete the looks. I was all set and much better off in the versatility department than I have ever expected!

I have to tell you that I feel like a huge weight has been taken off me. Not only do I no longer have to dig my through my clothes to find the few things that fit my self-challenge for this year of only wearing/buying sustainable clothing and made from natural fabric clothing, but choosing my daily outfits is SO MUCH EASIER!

To anyone who is standing in front of a packed wardrobe saying you have nothing to wear, or that wants to go cold-turkey onto a sustainable or capsule wardrobe, I strongly suggest sorting out your closet using these methods. And doing it step by step, as just tossing items out can be overwhelming and might easily result in a mosh-mash of items that don’t really go together.

How did your last closet clean-out go?

-Mliae

Blogging in the Twilight Zone: Am I the Asshole?

When your need for dignified blogging lands you in a comment war with a teenager.

Yes, I realize going into this that it’s probably going to be a shit-storm. I also know that I am not alone. So, speak up, people!

I don’t want to sling mud, so the blog I’m referring to will remain anonymous. She is, after all, quite young and I don’t desire to inflict harm. I do however, want to find out who else has done this and why.

So here’s how it went down: Late last evening, I’m scrolling through blogs. It’s Christmas. I haven’t had a solid nights sleep in days, and I don’t care because its been a great holiday! So anyway – I come across this blog (that I follow- because its supposed to be news-y & political discussions & there have been some read worthy posts.) I had to check out the article because the last one I read seemed to be a bit of a rant against a certain group of people. So I do. And the information being portrayed as news facts, is …off. As far as I know anyway. The article was stating that Russia was sending entertainers to entertain the Syrians. I know nothing about this – could be true, could be bs. However, I do know that the entertainers who died in the plan crash yesterday, were headed for the troops to entertain for the holidays. So, I leave a comment that it is the case and it’s quit normal as USA has sent entertainers to entertain their troops for the holidays for a very long time as well …just for the record. (This is my fault. I should have just let it be. But in my mind, if you are going to pass a blog post off as news – you need to have your facts straight! Otherwise, its just propaganda.) And Hooooolyyyy shit. The response I get, you wouldn’t believe! Something along the lines of: How dare you compare the USA to this…..awful person…They never!  So I said ‘ So the US never sent people like Bob Hope & Marilyn Monroe to entertain their troops?’ Big Mistake. Apparently, ‘ignorance is a right not a duty and it is shameful to make such analogies.’      Me: ‘ Ummmm…what?! ‘ Then I lost my cool completely. (Shame on me…)   Long story – short: Apparently, by saying that those who died in the crash were Russian military musicians and comparing entertaining their own troops to the USA doing the same – has somehow been distorted to my minimizing the atrocities in Syria. WTF?! How did THAT happen?! So I just said OK and that I didn’t mean it that way – in any case- and sorry it was perceived that way.

I am still completely puzzled as to how that whole thing happened. But it also really made me think. How often do we ourselves, or others, have completely well-meaning intentions that turn ugly when people are carrying on 2 very different conversations with each other? Do we expect conflict so much that we inadvertently create it?

What do you think? Have you done this?

-Mliae

My Guilty Secret: Weekend Cleaning Motivation

Welcome to my weekend 🙂

I don’t know how many of you out there are familiar with the show hoarders, or the UK version – The hoarder next door.  But these shows are…horrifying…and disgusting. And the best possible remedy for this lackadaisical cleaner – ever.

I don’t know what it is. But if I sit down in front of one of these episodes, I get up immediately after and clean my home like I’m expecting a Presidential visit. There’s a problem with this theory though and that is that I also find myself scrutinizing every little thing…and wanting to put out everything I don’t need to survive. Which is ridiculous, because I don’t have so much to begin with. Anyway, I do get a lot done.

What’s your biggest cleaning motivation?

-Mliae

Yay! A reason to celebrate on Fri-yay!

Just a little health check in to let you know that I am doing so much better! I went in for one of my follow-up blood checks and I was told that I’m now running on levels twice as high as I had when I went into the hospital. I am so happy! 🙂

It seems like the transfusions and treatments have started to work and I am out of the woods. It’s only a matter of time before I’m at 100% normal levels again. WOOHOO!! And OK, I’ll admit it…maybe the resting helped some too 😉

So this chic is very happy on this Friday. I’m really hoping this means I can re-introduce onions, garlic and the occasional glass of wine into my diet again too. Oh garlic, how I’ve missed you.

Thank you everyone for your kind words, encouragement and demands that I take care of myself. It worked!

Have a great Fri-yay!

-Mliae

OK, Let’s Talk…

Time to get a bit personal, ladies and gentlemen.

I’m not usually the type of blogger who shares the details of my life which are truly personal…like down to the core, personal. I like to keep things in my life on the positive side, and don’t generally even like to speak about the difficulties one might be having. However, this is something that has truly gotten my attention, and as my fellow bloggers, I am hoping that you may have some words of wisdom on how to navigate the storm.

As you might well know, recently, I have been blogging daily. I love it. This takes time. Lots of time and tons of energy. No problemo, it’s worth it 🙂 I’ve also been getting ready for the impending holidays with a fervor that rivals only our upcoming wedding. And the wedding planning…we actually had to take a time-out from that for a bit, as we wanted to spend at least as much time planning our marriage as we were planning our wedding. (So that’s why you haven’t been seeing tons of wedding posts recently). And the job? Well, you can imagine that all of this equals one very tired Mliae.

Since I have attributed all of this to my sluggishness, you can imagine my utter shock when I went in to have my ear checked (accompanied by a blood test) and I was informed that I was basically running on like 30% of the blood that a normal healthy woman my age should have. They had me sent to the hospital that same day. Among other things, I received several blood transfusions. This is terrifying. I am so disease-phobic that the mere thought of having another persons blood running through my veins was enough to make me break down into tears. And then, it happened. I found myself frantically trying to write posts from my phone in the ICU. I am addicted to my blog and cannot bear the thought of going MIA for days, that is crystal clear now.

We are not yet sure what is causing this and are keeping a close eye on things. It is disconcerting because I usually like to run at high-speed. Like, neurotic squirrel – high speed. (That is how my fiancé refers to it, anyway.) Everyone else seems to be more aware of the seriousness of this, except for myself. I just don’t want to contemplate that there might be something seriously wrong. I don’t want to be sick. I want to be my happy, healthy, squirrel-y self again. Because of all of this mess, my loved-ones have been telling me in quite loud voice, that I am not allowed to be a work-a-holic until this is rectified. I spend all day, every day blogging and working. You know that feeling when your goals are within reach and you know that all you need is ‘one more push’ to break through that wall? That’s how I feel. That’s what drives me. I will continue, there’s no question there. But, how does one circumvent the situation when there are things which need constant attention and those around you are treating you like a fragile granny – just sit and relax – when you really just want to run around the block?

This must be said: A HUGE THANK YOU to all of you out there who take the time to donate blood! It is a life-saver! ❤

My question is this: I know that most all of you have to carefully schedule and prioritize. How do you do it? What do you do when you are running at ‘full steam ahead’ and then suddenly, a massive wall appears?

Thanks for reading and hopefully, sharing advice too!

-Mliae

A word about centerpieces

Although we still haven’t fully decided if the reception will be outdoors or indoors, we still need to look at how to make our reception not look like a luncheon meeting, but a wedding.

Looking through all the ideas for glamming up a wedding reception, I’ve come to realize that its absolutely ridiculous what people are spending on these affairs! Who says we all have to have dozens of flower arrangements on the tables, garlands, candles, signs, table runners – all adding up to many hundreds even on the cheapest end?! I’ve now perused thousands of DIY ideas, but still, just cost of the items will end up being as much as the food.

I got stuck on Amazon looking at centerpieces, and take this for example. 20 crystal candelabras for the mere cost of $2,500.
SET OF 20 WEDDING CANDELABRAS CANDELABRA CENTERPIECE CENTERPIECES – GREAT FOR SPECIAL EVENTS! – SET OF 20

candelabra-centerpiece

Ok, I must admit – wedding fever is so bad that these are tempting…
I really don’t understand. I mean, its gorgeous, of course! How could not be when you’ve shelled out thousands for fresh blooms and crystals. But WHY is this considered such a necessity? Why do I feel like I have to keep up with this, in order not to be viewed as a pauper who can’t properly decorate her venue? WHY must I spend hours putting together something the day before my wedding (or day of) to lay out on tables, which inevitably, someone will have something to say about anyway.

I mean, honestly, even though it isn’t my usual formal glittering self, something like this is more my style of something fun, frugal and useful:
Floral Unique Kit with 50 Lollies

lolly-centerpiece

Is it OK to have some fun with this stuff? Make an edible arrangement? I have been searching high and low for something beautiful and fun which won’t leave our tables looking barren and might possibly leave our bank accounts in tact.

What do you think, can I break tradition and do something fun and weird plus maybe some affordable blooms instead of these grand monstrosities that will throw me into bankruptcy? Any ideas are more than welcome!

-Mliae

That moment when…

… You decide to edit and customize your blog page, only to revisit and discover you have posted tagged posts as features instead of moving them into the new page you created. And you never even knew you could do rolling features on the front page header menu!

So, just in case there’s anyone out there ‘in the know’ that would be willing to help a lady out; I’ve added 3 new pages, assuming they should be category pages. The last time I did this was many months ago and I can’t for the life of me remember how I did it. My issue at this point is – I can’t find the place, or the way, to place the title tag in so that all my posts under that tag will transfer to the new page category.

Help, please? Anybody?

Thanks in advance

-Mliae : Your current technology damsel in distress.

 

He Proposed!!!

Happy Mid-summer weekend all! This week has been full of excitement 🙂

On Thursday, my guy asked me to Marry Him and this lady said YES! YES! YES! 

I’m so in love, and so excited I can hardly contain myself! I’m already making all around me insane by trying to get a solid grip on venue and date. Apparently, this guy wants to do some planning and I’m going to let him!

YAAAAYYYY! We’re getting MARRIED!

Cheers 🙂

-Mliae

Morbidly Mortal or Blessed by Time?

In light of todays’ bombings in Brussels, I decided to publish this post. We live in a world where it is becoming an increasingly common story to wake up, round up the family for breakfast, head off to work thinking of the days tasks ahead of us and never expecting the unexpected to happen. Sadly, the unexpected is now becoming an ever awakened subconscious warning system in the brain of the collective conscious.

In the heyday of bucket lists, world-wide conflict and poverty and big pharma CEO’s who skyrocket the price of life saving medications (I’m so glad that guy got arrested)…it’s difficult to not occasionally ponder ones own mortality.

Do you ever wonder how people who have spent their entire lives in conflict zones, deal with the knowledge that one day, the end will come? I did…and I’ve seen it while traveling. I can tell you, people in these situations deal with that realization much better than those of us who live in relative safety, comfort and health. In areas where the economy isn’t totally bust and people aren’t spending their days in hiding – they party, they eat, they laugh, they love! It’s the best living example of living each day as your last that I’ve ever witnessed. And it is awesome!

When I was a child, I was taught not to dawdle nor take advantage…to try and live every day as if it were my last, because one day it would be. Then, as the years past and I welcomed myself to the daily struggle of work, play, bills, relationships, and the hopes I held for myself, the days began to past with an ever increasing pace. Suddenly, the valuable time I had for friends and family – began to give way to the stressful day I had ahead. The money in my account, saved for travels instead of nights out with the girls. (Sometimes, we have to prioritize or nothing gets done.) Although still deeply caring for my closest and trying to make enough hours in the day to make sure they were taken care of and knew that they’re loved, somehow…habit began to take over. Work, dishes, laundry, hoovering, cooking, trash, post, maybe a quick get together…repeat. Don’t you ever just wake up and wonder; if today were my last day…would THIS be what I wanted to be doing??

If today were my last day, THIS is what I would be doing differently:

  • I would wake up early to watch the sunrise
  • I would wear my best jewelry
  • I would make the GOOD coffee – as much as I wanted. (Creme Brûlée press)
  • I would make sure my paperwork was in order so that my family wouldn’t have to struggle more than necessary
  • I would stop fighting for the ideal relationship, and start appreciating all the little things that make him perfect
  • I would make sure every member of my family knows how much I love them and why they’re so fantastic!
  • I would throw out or donate everything that wasn’t an absolute necessity or to be passed on so that nobody had to come clean out my home for weeks on end.
  • I would have a party by the lake with lots of live music and dance and laugh until the stars came out.
  • I would glam myself out to meet my maker and surround myself with those few which I hold closest to my heart to tell stories until my time came.

With adventure, comes age. With age, comes responsibility. With responsibility, comes exhaustion. With exhaustion, comes laziness…and the time starts to slide away.

So the burning question remains… If today were your last day, what would you do differently?

-Mliae

My Dirty Secret: Cleaning Motivation

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the day-to-day of work, travel, play, sleep and mundane tasks. It’s that occasional moment when I look around and see all the things I’ve yet to do that makes me roll my eyes and want to climb back under the blankets and hide.

When I can find a corner to sit alone for about an hour, I’ll search youtube for an episode of hoarders. I think the entire world recognizes this show by now (which in and of itself is kind of weird …the things that garner attention!) and it is absolutely horrifying.

Watching this show makes me want to vomit in my gym shoes. Seriously. I don’t understand HOW people can allow themselves and their homes to get in such horrendous shape! This really is people choosing things, trash – over those they love. However, I am absolutely addicted to watching it. It’s like a train wreck: You know you shouldn’t look, and instead should assist, but…it’s just that out of whack that you can’t help but stare in earth shattering fear and amazement.

Even better (or worse for my youtube hoarders addiction), every time an episode completes (sometimes halfway through), I start cleaning. I mean CLEANING my home. Toothbrush in hand kind of cleaning and ready to toss out just everything.

So this is my dirty confession. Hoarders is my biggest motivation for spring cleaning. If you’re anything like me, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Check it out if you have the stomach for it and watch your floors sparkle.

Hoarders

Whats your dirty secret?

-mliae