Simplicity

Simplifiying. Typically when you read blogs about making things simply, the posts are accompanied by pictures of cups of coffee or sunsets and conjure up images of calm and peacefulness. That is not my goal in simplifying. I'm not trying to free up time to sit back and drink a latte, take a leisurely stroll through the forest or sit on the beach and watch the sunset, I'm just trying to get by. So here are some easy and quick ways I've been simplifying:

• Decluttering my emails. Instead of deleting each day the emails I've signed up for but don't want to get anymore, I'm actually going to the site and unsubscribing. It only takes a minute or two for each one but hopefully it will streamline my email. (But don't "unsubscripe" from real spam, like "get a bigger *** in 3 days with our magic pills", that will only let them know you are real and send more your way.)

• Throw out magazines. I've come to the realization that I will never read them again and if I keep them all, I won't be able to find that one project idea I really did want to follow through with. Today I sat with Lucy and tore out the pictures/projects I liked, stuck them in a notebook, and threw the rest away. Lucy enjoyed tearing and drooling on the rest of the magazine while I worked so I actually got a lot done in just 30 minutes.

• I put a paper bag next to Lucy's changing table. Whenever I get her dressed in something only to find out it no longer fits, I just toss it in the bag. This happens several times a week and if the bag wasn't there, I would probably put it back in the dresser thinking I would sort through all the clothes later - but never would. This takes no time at all and when the bag is full, I take it downstairs to my storage system.

What little steps do you take to make life easier?