Closet Organized Bliss

I’m still on my organizing kick and now that summer is just around the corner and hopefully we are back to warmer weather, it’s time to go through the clothes in my bedroom closet.  I sort my clothes into piles of what I wear most, seldom or not at all.  That decides what I keep and what I move to another closet to store until autumn or what I donate.  Then, I’ll bring out the summer ones so that I can get to them easily and I sort through those as well.  Even though I did this when I put them away last autumn, I do it again. This time, I try to make even tougher decisions!

If like me you are exploring what the trends are for this summer and wonder “what can I wear that won’t scream ‘old lady’?”, I suggest that you look carefully at what you already have. These would be the items that you wear most often and have been your favorites in past seasons. You can look through magazines and catalogues to determine if the fits or styles have changed slightly.

Organizing tip: for summer clothes that have thinner straps, consider using the huggable hangers.  These are the ones with a velvety coating and are super thin.  Your tops don’t slip off and into a heap on the floor.

I often have to wear black trousers along with a black sweater or blazer for work so I tend to want to wear my favorite colors during my off times.  Coral and turquoise are two of my favorites. Recently, I purchased a tote and day-time purse in a rather bright coral color because they tend to brighten up my “work uniform” and give me a happy feeling when I pick them up.  To add to the upbeat color is a cheerily patterned scarf tied onto the handle of the tote.  When grabbing the bags and leaving the house at 5am, it just makes the morning feel more pleasing and upbeat.

The perfect tee – does it exist?  Are you throwing on a tee (or t-shirt) for every day and not giving it a second thought?  Try thinking about your best colors and what flatters your skin.  Throw out all of those faded, stretched-out tees, or the ones with faded prints or sayings, and find some new ones that have a more refined fit and in colors that accentuate your coloring.  It’s a great way to be casual enough to work around the house but still feel good about yourself in the morning as you’re getting dressed.  You don’t have to dress for someone else – think about what makes you feel good about yourself.

Updating your wardrobe doesn’t mean that you throw out everything.  You can update your basics fairly inexpensively and still feel stylish. Don’t think you have to swim in a sea of only black and neutral colors.  NO WAY!  You’ll lose your fashion identity if you do.  Think outside the box and find clothes that project your personality

I find that clearing out my closets gives me control over my wardrobe and if I’m in a rush to get dressed, I can easily find outfits that go together.  I also find that even though it may seem as if I’m spending more because I’m replacing clothes every season, at least I’m not buying duplicate purchases.  When I’m done, I feel a great sense of satisfaction and also it’s rewarding to know that someone else will get use out of the clothes that I donate. 

I only slightly touched on bags (one of my passions and my husband just can’t understand why I need more than one) but didn’t even touch on items such as shoes and accessories (another passion).  That could be yet another blog post so stay tuned!

"I've always thought of the T-shirt as the Alpha and Omega of the fashion alphabet." Giorgio Armani

 

"Elegance is a question of personality, more than one's clothing." Jean-Paul Gaultier

I am an “organize junkie”

After twenty years my husband still can’t believe my love of browsing stores such as kitchen supply, office supply and general organizing supply stores.  I’m also an avid collector of actual paper catalogues that offer organizational types of products.  Even though I already have all sorts of organizing systems and methods, I’m still in search of that perfect “organizing product or system”.  And each spring seems to be the time that this eccentricity in me to re-organize cupboards, closets, pantry and every other storage area in our house comes to the surface. Steve, my husband, usually hides until I get it out of my system.

Recently, I took a trip to the Container Store.  There wasn’t anything in particular that I was looking for, but knew that I would find just that perfect solution to one of my organizing projects.  I found a better organizing system for my jewelry; plus I found a few other items just for fun.  I’m particularly drawn to small gadgets either for the kitchen or office.  Things that I never knew that I needed; but when I see them, they make perfect sense. 

Having managed two trans-Atlantic moves, I’m rigorous about not having any extra items in our house.  I’m quite firm about the rule that if it isn’t used within a year, it should be donated or thrown out.  This is a totally foreign concept to my husband, who is a hoarder and his filing system consists of stacking papers, yet he always knows where everything is.  I have to admit that it is probably pretty ruthless on my part but since he is a scientist, he sees the logic in my rule. 

Here are just some of my routine de-cluttering projects:

Kitchen cupboards: Since I’m an avid coupon user, I usually have to buy more than one of any item. This means that we have 3-4 tins or packages of one item in our cupboards. I’m constantly trying to check the labels to make sure that I move the older items to the front so that we use those first.  Extras that don’t fit into the cupboards go on to shelves in our garage.

Closets: I go through our closets twice a year and donate items that we haven’t worn (at least those items from my husband that I can sneak out of the closet or those that I can pry away from him.)

Bookcases: This is one that I agonize over only because reading is a passion for me and I go through books quite quickly.  I don’t read them more than once but I just don’t take the time, as I should, to go through our books and donate the ones that we’ve read.  This is one of my projects for the next few weeks. Last year, a friend was sending books to troops who were recovering from injuries from the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan so I sent two big boxes of books to them. I can’t think of a better way to clean out my bookcases!

Bathroom: I try and get through our bathroom cupboard and drawers a couple of times a year – especially my makeup drawer.  Why do I always end up with at least 2-3 tubes of lipstick that’s the same color but I never wear?

Office: Here’s where I really love my little gadgets!  I have a USB hub, lots of colored post its and colored highlighters, tabs, folders, you name it and I have it.  I love color coordinating all of my projects. And I’ve recently found some cable tidy devices that hopefully will help keep my cat from chewing on my computer cables.

Garage: This is an area where my husband and I don’t agree.  I’d love to have a perfectly neat and tidy garage while still being able to keep my car with room to get out.  At the moment, my car fits perfectly, as does his when we switch (big difference in size).  But I’d really love a whole wall of pegboard to hang “stuff” that always accumulates in a garage. This is one of my goals for this spring.

Declutting, throwing out or donating unused items and reorganizing gives me a sense of order in my life – a sense of control and achievement!

Do you need to have a “declutter” session or reorganize any area of your home?  Take it a step at a time but make it a priority.  It will lift your spirits and give you a sense of accomplishment.

Good luck with your organization endeavors!

Keeping Motivated to Exercise

This coming Monday (April 7^th) is World Health Day.  It’s the 64^th anniversary of WHO (1948) and this years’ theme is Aging and Heath.  We all have aging in common, and let’s face it - it’s better than the alternative. What better time to access where you are since we are now a quarter of the way through 2012.  Can you believe how quickly the time is going by?  How are you doing on the healthy goals that you set?  Still exercising?  If you are like most people who set an exercising goal for 2012, you’ve probably let it slip by now.

Due to recent jaw surgery, I had to stop exercising for a while.  “A while” was actually 5 weeks because before the surgery, in addition to working very long hours, I had a major sinus infection plus throat and ear infections that I was trying to kick.  Then following the surgery, I had another couple of weeks when I couldn’t exercise. Since exercising isn’t my favorite activity anyway, it would have been all too easy for me to just stop entirely.  But as soon as I had the OK to take it up again, I forced myself back to the gym.  I’ve been going again every morning and have increased my workouts gradually during the first week so that I’m now even beyond where I was before.  I’ve also started a weights class twice a week.  While I love lifting weights, I have trouble staying motivated if I have to constantly work out on my own so I find taking a class with others helps the time pass more quickly and it helps to keep me motivated.  I’m hoping that it will also help me get motivated to resume my weights on the days that I don’t have classes.

Following my surgery, I set myself a goal of walking a minimum of 3 miles a day and if I have the time I do 5 miles – that’s my goal for the day, every day for 4 weeks.  This isn’t just slogging along because I do intervals and inclines on the treadmill, increasing the speed and inclines to challenge my body when I can.  I’m not sure why I chose these distances or 4 weeks but it’s just a goal that I set.  These miles have to be in addition to any other exercise that I get throughout my day. 

Setting and tracking my goal helps motivate me to complete my goal. My husband gave me a Fitbit pedometer as a gift a few months ago so I’ve been wearing it faithfully.  It connects to my computer so that I can also log in the foods that I eat and calculate the calories that I take in.  Once you see the calorie in calculations versus the calories that you burn during your activities, the ratio in versus calories out all becomes much more real.

There are still days when I could so easily find a hundred excuses to not go to the gym.  That’s why I go first thing, very early, every morning. I am determined to accomplish my goal so I force myself out the door and once I get going, it’s not so bad.  I always feel better for having done it. 

So, are you still working on your healthy goals?  If the thought of going to a gym makes you cringe, there are so many other activities that you can do to keep active.  If you are bored with your usual exercise, try something new such as a new activity or a new class.  It will keep your body challenged and refresh your attitude.

 Join me by continuing your healthy goals for the rest of 2012!

Flowers – a Common Bond Across Nationalities and Ages

Spring is officially here although the weather in Maryland this past winter has seemed like we’ve been having spring since November.  Along with the warm weather has been the early arrival of flowers and budding trees.  I love them all – everything from the daffodils along the motorways to the flowers that are adorning my postage stamp garden.  The colors and scents are leaving me in a better mood and happier. In anticipation of planting my containers; I’m beginning my plans for a deck and patio filled to overflowing with flowers this summer.

To begin my spring fling with flowers this year, I visited the Philadelphia International Flower Show.  For those who haven’t been to a flower show but love plants and flowers, it’s an experience that I’d highly recommend; however, a show as large as the one in Philadelphia can be overwhelming.  When you first walk in, it’s hard to know where to begin.

I started my tour through the show with one of my favorite flowers, the orchids. There were so many varieties in gorgeous colors; it reminded me of the orchid gardens that we visited in Kuala Lumpur a few years back.  The Kuala Lumpur Orchid Garden is located at the highest point in the Lake Garden and is filled with flowers and enchanting butterflies. It’s one of the most beautiful and serene gardens that I’ve visited. 

From the orchids, we proceeded on to the masses of tulips.  These displays reminded me of our visits to the Keukenhof Gardens in The Netherlands.  There was even a display there from the Keukenhof. We’ve been lucky enough to visit at the height of the spring blooming season when in addition to the thousands and thousands of tulips, there’s an abundance of colors and fragrances from other spring flowers. It was so stunning that we had to go back a couple of times.

One of my favorite areas was the Ikebana displays.  Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower arranging and the show presented several different styles of arrangements.  I studied Ikebana with a Japanese Master while living in London so seeing these displays prompted me to attend one of the workshops while at the show.  During the workshop, the Master prepared 7 different arrangements, which has inspired me to get out my kenzans and study my text books.  I want to see if I can still follow all the rules and disciplines of my favorite style.

This week, on the spur of the moment my husband and I decided to visit the cherry blossoms in Washington DC.  They were at their peak and the blossoms were the fullest that I’ve ever seen them.  We wandered around the entire tidal basin taking in the glorious blossoms.  It was also fun to hear all the various languages spoken by the other visitors.  People were happily chatting and enjoying spending time together while enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Flowers have always been a huge part of my life.  As a little girl, my mother had several flower gardens that she tended enthusiastically. I’d wander through them and if I thought I could get away with it, I’d pick some to take into the house with me. I’ve since visited gardens in many countries and have found that plants and flowers have the same affect on people regardless of their nationalities, bringing them happiness and boosting their moods.  I hadn’t realized that March 12^th was “plant a flower day”. I missed it but I’m sure that any day will work.  If you love flowers, I encourage you to take the time today to find a way to enjoy them!

 Happy Spring!! 

“Flowers are love's truest language” - Park Benjamin

Happiness is to hold flowers in both hands. - Japanese Proverb

 

The Anti-aging Bullet

Have you noticed that most of the Spring issue magazines are featuring anti-aging articles, or if not, it’s “being beach ready by Memorial Day”?  Not to mention the hundreds of books that are now out on those same topics.  There’s everything from anti-aging products such as nutrition, physical fitness, skin care, hormone replacements, vitamins, supplements and herbs. It is a lucrative global industry (and one that I wish I had stocks in)!

What’s wrong with being the age you are if you are over 60?  OK, we do have our aches and pains but on the plus side we have the experiences of life.  That can’t be packaged into a pill and given at doses a couple of times a day. My role models are Dame Helen Merrin, Dame Judi Dench and Suzanne Lumley.  All of whom are beautiful over 60 and loving life just as they are! (is it me or are all of the lovely let me all hang out 60+ ladies British?)

We should all have a list of things that we want to accomplish, whether or not we call it our “bucket list”.  What we want to accomplish in our lives is completely free and based on who we are.  What makes each of us special is what we desire and our determination to see it flourish.

I have to admit that I’m a “self-help junkie” and I’m constantly reading books on how to improve myself.  Those of you who know me know that I’m not sure any of them have really worked but I’m considering myself a “work in progress”. When I lived in the UK, I was lucky enough to meet the most wonderful lady, Pippa Davies, who is a marketing guru, as well as speech coach and author.  She’s a psychologist who helps people communicate.  We immediately hit it off and I threw myself into reading all of her books.  She’s an amazing lady of “our age” who has coached Prime Ministers and several cabinet ministers as well as CEO’s and board directors of blue chip companies and has presented on BBC.  She has also had the tremendous pleasure of coaching an Oscar winner.  She’s a formidable lady but I love her to bits and really miss her and our lunches. She’s also a confessed self-help junkie and we’d often discuss what the most current self-help articles and books had to offer. I’d really just like to be able to sit down with her and ask if it’s so terrible to be 60+ and why do we have to buy into all of this anti-aging hype.

We have to face the fact that no cream, supplement or any other devise is going to reverse the aging symptoms, regardless of the advertising hype.  We have to realize that it’s not fatal to have a few wrinkles and aches and pains – it’s a right of passage into the “golden age”. And we can take the advertising blurb from the hair commercial – “We’re worth it!!” and know that whatever we want in life, it’s worth going after.  It might not be the bikini on the beach or some other 30-something dream but it’s real life, as we are living it in our 60’s!

An Endless Supply of Candy

During the week leading up to Valentines Day, I was shopping from store to store to find craft materials so that my grandsons and I could design and make our own valentines and gift bags (to hold the cookies and candy that it’s my privilege as grandmother to provide).  I was also desperate to find a gift for my gadget-passionate husband but that’s a whole other story.  When I entered one store, I found the entire entrance filled with bathing suits, beach towels and straw hats.  These displays were enhanced by a huge display of sunscreen and lotions.  Now I know that a lot of people do go to sunny destinations during the winter but this  all seemed like overkill for just those few who get away to sun and sand for a week. 

This led me to thinking about last summer when it was 90+ outside and I gladly escaped to a store where they had the air conditioning turned to 60 degrees.  To complement the chilly environment, I was hit with Halloween costumes, spiders, witches, monsters and tons of candy.  A couple of weeks later, I went back and saw parents shopping for “back to school” necessities and found the Christmas decorations a couple of aisles away from school supplies. Again there was loads of candy.  Then just before Christmas, the valentine cards, and again loads of candy, made an appearance.  This past week, I found that the valentine supplies were almost overshadowed by the Easter bunnies and eggs and guess what? HEAPS OF CANDY! 

Once July 4^th is over, it seems that we are hit with a whole string of holidays.  We have Halloween, “back to school”, Thanksgiving and now we not only have Black Friday but it seems Cyber Monday has taken over as the ultimate retail conclusion of the year.  It seems that we can’t possibly ignore this onslaught because retailers will remind us every time we enter their stores. 

Time seems to be slipping by so fast and the world just keeps going faster and faster. Whatever happened to just enjoying the time that we are in now and enjoying the moment?  I’m not advocating that we can’t have the joy of anticipating holidays but if each of the holidays are blurring into the next one, is this really “living”?  If we see Christmas trees, Santa, or the Menorah for four months out of twelve, isn’t it hard to get excited when it’s actually time for them to be celebrated?

I also know that the rush to push each holiday comes down to the stores that are into the commercialization of those holidays. But where does it end?  Will the stores be displaying chocolate Santas next to the Easter eggs in a couple of years?  It’s pretty close to that now. If we buy into this false commercialization we might just see all of the holiday decorations – and candy – out all year!

Have you noticed how much candy is devoted to each of the holidays?  I hadn’t really thought about it until this post. Any bets on when we’ll see the first packages of Halloween candy on the shelves this year?

We are always getting ready to live but never living. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. Buddha

Ready to Set Up Your Own Blog?

This post is specifically for my friends, colleagues and acquaintances (or anyone reading this) who have contacted me saying that they’ve been considering a blog for some time but just haven’t done it for one reason or another. Many of you have told me that you already have concrete ideas and have the content in your heads but haven’t yet put it to paper or rather to the Internet.

There are probably as many reasons for blogging as there are bloggers. Everyone has their own unique reason and personality, and sharing opinions and thoughts with others is a great way of keeping in touch. It’s also a great creative outlet. These are two of the reasons that I started Seasoned and Saucy at 60.

To those of you who are now seriously thinking of your future blog, I’d like to recommend contacting my “blog guru”, Christian Revill. With his help, my blog was online during our first meeting. While I'm continuing to learn, he's kept in touch and given me advice as well as inspiration. You can check out his web site Revill Consulting . You can also see his link to Seasoned and Saucy at 60.

So if you are thinking of starting a blog, I’d like to encourage you to delve in and let your creativity soar. Or in the words of the famous Nike commercial

“Just Do It!”