Spring Cleaning

The first couple days of spring weather have got my mind wrapped around spring cleaning. I'm surprisingly excited about it! Fresh flowers, clean wood floors and soft spring air blowing through my screen door are all welcomed simplicities after such a harsh winter. I have also been thinking about several other things that need to experience some "spring cleaning". For the past six months or so I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off and there is no sign of stopping. "Why can't I catch a break?", I whine pathetically. Between working a full time job, keeping up with the latest fashion trends, and trying to stay in this race society has created for twenty-somethings, I have completely lost myself! I'm twenty-one years old and I am exhausted. I spend so much time trying to run this crazy rat race that I think I think I'm totally missing it. This "it" I'm referring to includes all of life's little treasures that I so often take for granted: a good cup of coffee at the best coffee shop in town, a long walk on a nice day, a laugh so hard your stomach hurts and the on going process of discovering who I am. But I don't normally see these things. I see quotas that have to be met, fictional TV shows that need to be followed, tweets that need to be responded to and new places to spend money. I'm not saying any of these things are bad, but since when did spending more, sleeping less and stressing out to get to success equal living a happy life!?!? Well for some it may eventually lead to that, but for me, that ain't the way to go! So along with decluttering my closet this spring, I will be decluttering my life. Simplifying, if you will. It's not easy to simplify when the only thing simple about the place I work is the solid black, $400.00, silk chiffon dress for sale, but it must be done. Don't get me wrong, I have a great job, but for an all or nothing gal like me, it's easy to get sucked into the fast paced world of fashion where with enough credit you really can have it all! So I am challenging myself to simplify in every way for the rest of March. Maybe something will stick.
Here's what I'll be changing:

• Cook at home- I don't like cooking. However, it's much cheaper than take-out, it's way healthier and with a couple of good friends, it can't be all bad!
• Spend less money- I don't need a twenty dollar meal at Wild Fork, especially when it causes me to drive my car on empty for two days, just praying to God that it won't run out! I seriously think God is chillin where ever he is, shaking his head and thinking "Girl, you don't need $20.00 pasta, buy some gas!". By the way, double discount is coming up at work this week. My goal is to not buy ANYTHING. It does not matter what a deal it is, if I don't have the money (I don't), it's not a deal.
  
• Early to bed, early to rise- Putting Benjamin Franklin's theory to the test. I'm going to get up early, go to yoga, go for a walk and get my mind set for the day. I want to focus on living more concsiously, I believe this is where I should start.
  
• Less TV!- This has been reduced significantly since I moved, but now it's time to keep it up and replace those hours with better alternatives: reading, writing, and creating.
• Goodbye Facebook!- I did this awhile ago. Next step, start connecting with people on a more quality level. Dinner at my place! :)
• Turn my phone off for at least two hours on Sunday- I did this last week. It's amazing how much can be accomplished when you know the only thing you have to worry about for then is you.
  

I'm going to be blogging about how this March goes. I think it will give me some sort of accountability. I encourage everyone to try this idea of simplicity on some level. For some of you, simplifying may mean logging off of twitter a few minutes earlier and just thinking back on your day. It could mean leaving your phone on silent during dinner with your family. It could even be as simple as literally stopping to smell a rose. Simplifying is about slowing down, appreciating and not allowing ourselves to get so busy we miss it all. So whatever you do, just do it. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes. :)

*Amour*
Katie