Whoa!

Oh my gosh, you guys! I cannot believe it's been over TWO MONTHS since my last post. Time really got away from me! Sometimes life kinda gets in the way and sucks up all your free time. Want to know what I've been up to lately? Here's a list :)

• My husband and I traveled back to Nebraska at the end of August for my sister-in-law's wedding. It was a wonderful day, the bride was gorgeous, the setting was so pretty and relaxing, and there was cake. What more can you want?
• After the wedding, my dad and I jumped in the car and drove out to western Nebraska so I could spend some time with my family. I got to go kayaking for the first time -- it was so much fun! We spent a gorgeous late summer day on the North Platte River. I didn't realize how badly I needed a little time in nature. I can't think of a better way to recharge.
• While doing so much traveling, I spent some time reevaluating my role as a consumer. Before our trip, I had watched the documentary The True Cost. It's about the social and environmental impacts of the fashion industry, but especially "fast fashion," such as H&M, Forever21, and Target. I wanted to know more, so I picked up the books Overdressed and Wear No Evil to dive a little deeper into responsible fashion.
• Once I had more of an idea of how I was going to adjust my fashion consumer habits, I dove right into the 40 Hanger Closet Challenge. I got rid of about half my clothes, and really focused on keeping things that fit right and made me feel good when I wore them. I went ahead and followed the Challenge's suggestion of buying nice hangers, and I really feel like it made a huge difference. Now when I get dressed, I feel like I am selecting special items from a cute boutique, because my closet is so organized, tidy and put together.
• Next, my husband and I tackled his closet. Now, this is a man who will literally wear something until it falls apart. I can't even tell you how many of his shirts and pants I've had to sneak into the trash. (But after reading Overdressed, I now know to NEVER throw clothes in the trash and to always recycle them!) So to incentivize him a bit, I told him that we could send whatever he wanted to dispose of to Greece to be donated to the Syrian refugees who land there (this was towards the beginning of the massive influx). I am so proud of him -- we sent over 50 pounds of clothes and shoes! I also got him some nicer hangers and did some reorganizing in his closet. All the hangers we no longer needed went to one of my coworkers; her church has a free thrift boutique once a month for people in need, so those were put to good use as well.
• During all of this, a friend recognized my desire to simplify my life and my surroundings, and recommended the book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It is written by a consultant in Japan who helps clients clean out and organize their homes and offices. I found the book very helpful, but it was definitely written for a different culture. However, the overarching message is one that we all might need to hear from time to time: surround yourself with only things that "spark joy." She also describes the best way to declutter and organize your home, called the KonMari method, so if you need help with that, I'd highly recommend this book.
• In what may have been an act of intervention by the universe, I stumbled upon coupons for a label maker AND plastic storage tubs at Target just as I was getting ready to tackle the rest of our house using the KonMari method. I spent about a week going through the rest of our stuff and getting rid of what no longer sparked joy, and completely reorganizing what was left. I can't even tell you how much cleaner and tidier our house looks now. The old adage, "A place for everything and everything in its place," is truly a game changer.

I have always been someone who has do things in leaps and bounds, not bit by bit. I'm not one of those people who can spend 15 minutes a day working on this project, then 20 minutes on another. Once I start something, I HAVE to finish it. So all the work around our house definitely caused me to lose focus on my cooking and eating habits. Now that the house work has finally calmed down a bit, I'm ready to dust myself off and get back to work in the kitchen and on this li'l blog project. Life is nothing if not full of surprises -- things come up, commitments waver, priorities shift. The important thing is to accept that, and to get done what needs doing, and move on. So I hope you'll join me as I restart my Foodeymoon journey, and maybe I can even offer you a little inspiration if you need it.