Week-In-Review (10/02/21 - 10/09/21)

Hi everyone,

It's Sunday night! Time to review and reflect on yet another insanely busy week which will be remembered for its crazy amount of decluttering, seriously, put that one in the books!

I am not sure if you could say that something finally "clicked", but it just was one of those weeks where I just could not justify the crapload of nonsense anymore. I get it that it seems only obvious from the outside eye. You walk into someone's house and you immediately feel the pressure from the over decorating, oversized furniture, stuff everywhere! But to those living in it, I can assure you that we are used to it and therefore no longer notice it. It's not like we walk into out home after a long day at work, open the door and get shocked by the sheer sight of our possessions. It's our beloved stuff after all and we have worked very hard at acquiring and displaying it over a very long period of time. During that same time, desensitization set in...You know, when you no longer see the pile of mail on the dining buffet, the abandoned shoes no one wears in the entry closet, the dried up detergent on the side of  the washer or your kids entire school years as displayed in unmatched frames above the mantle. It did not happen overnight. We invested a lot of time and effort into shuffling the stuff around and I am pretty sure each shuffling session left us with the fleeting satisfaction of a job well done...But was it?

I know it can be very frustrating to attempt to even comprehend how people can live in such chaos. Our environment is a reflection of what goes on in our head, sure, and people are real quick to assume that chaos on the outside only means one thing - chaos on the inside. But what if the person simply does not care though? I mean, sure, a clean and well maintained home is great. But it's not a priority to many and it does not necessarily mean that we were not "trained" or given the proper skills while growing up, it definitely does not immediately puts us in the slob/hoarding slob/disgusting slob category. Some of us simply do not care. Maybe a clean and organized home is not a priority to us.  Maybe if life itself is not disrupted and our family is equally happy regardless of whether there is overdue laundry or everything is neatly piled in its dedicated space, there is no pressure or obligation to attend to the dirty socks right this instant. A lot of people will claim "my home is lived in" but I saw on Instagram the other day a lady who said that we need to stop saying that as an excuse for the mess and instead tell the truth...It's not that our homes are lived in...We are overwhelmed! And that overwhelm does not necessarily come from the stuff we own, it could be medical, emotional, work related, kid related, society related overwhelm and in turn, the house is neglected. Trust me, after a crazy day at work, the last thing on my mind is wiping off the dried up detergent or fold a basket of laundry. No Stepford wife lives here!

The main issue really is the expectation vs. reality. I blame social media. I give you a for instance. Here is a picture I shamelessly grabbed from the infamous Instagram - bearer of all toxic contrast and compares:

Barn & Willow

What is this? And where do you put your stuff? How is that even practical? Yet, we are bombarded with images just like this one and made to feel less-than because, well, we don't have this look. So off we go to Home Goods or whatever and buy all the things. Except that we can't really let go of our real stuff, so this new stuff gets thrown over our old stuff and it just never seems quite right. But if you pay close attention to those insta-worthy settings, you will notice a lack of personal belongings. It's all store bought, nothing related to family or memorabilia or even an existence outside of the catalogs. Where is the remote? Where do you put your cup of tea? Where do the pillows go when you want to sit down or do you have to sit on the edges? What's that furry thing draped over the sofa and do you really need the chinchilla one on the other side? How cold is it in this house that you need not one but two furry throws. How does one vacuum the far left corner? Can you imagine my Beagle in this décor? But wait! There is a subliminal message of LAVISH lifestyle here, the pillow says so (also the Chanel book casually facing the camera!) I have to find myself a pillow that says ORGANIZED and maybe some people will cut me some slack! 

So we get bombarded day in and day out with these expectations and then you wonder why people freak out when they see a real home, with real stuff that is actually making living functional but is not cohesive (not catalog ready). Seriously, look at home décor on instagram with a critical eye and tell me it's not just me who feels that this eye candy stuff has skewed our perception of what a real home looks like!

Anyway, back to decluttering. So yes, a lot of decluttering happened this week and I am proud of myself! Having the Town-Wide garage sale next week may or may not have been an incentive, but it sure did not hurt. So here is the week-in-review:

Saturday October 2, 2021

Saturday morning is kitchen cleaning day except that this time around I had Edward lend me a hand. The day was spent filming a declutter video (Episode 8) where I pretty much let go of 40% of my everyday dishware plus some and then of course it was Band Competition in Randolph, NJ where William's Band took second place. 

1. Saturday morning "sigh"!

2. Edward did assist since most of the mess was his. We went to the Football game last night and he pretty much left all his dinner dishes and stuff all over the place. 

3. Scott and I enjoyed a glorious sunset at Randolph HS while awaiting William's band performance. 

4. Back from band competition - a bit late too, Edward and I enjoyed a game of chess, which of course he won. I'll have you know that I taught him the basics of Chess when he was around 7 years old and he picked up the rest while in school and now college. He far surpasses me but then again I am not surprised because even though I know how to play and can win against William, I am really not that good a player. I sure do enjoy the challenge though. 

Sunday October 3, 2021

I had a late start since I went on the bike and raked in about 8 miles...Then of course I had to recover!

Sunday is always a mad dash to film as many videos needed to make it to a count of 3 for the following week. I was able to do another declutter (Episode 9) and bake a Zucchini and Pineapple cake. Don't turn your nose, it was delicious and did not last long. (Video coming up this week). The rest of the day was spent blogging. So you see, there is not much time to attend to dried up detergent on the side of the washer!

1. Sunday breakfast - Poached eggs over avocado and Ezekiel bread ( I am trying, but not a lot).

2. A successful declutter from the spice and tea cupboards. 

Monday October 4, 2021

I actually had to work from home today in order to finish the audits in a relatively quiet and uninterrupted environment. I feel so much more productive and structured working from home and I was an idiot for resisting the idea for so long. There, I said it!

1. Enjoyed a Cappuccino for breakfast and I am loving our new Keurig. It was pricey but the frother makes it worth every penny. It's easy to use and it makes Cappuccinos in no time. Let me know if you want a demo. 

2. A no makeup kind of day - I just needed to get stuff done.

3. Fiona loves that basket on our desk. It's under the lamp and I suspect she is there for the heat.

4. I managed to edit and post Monday's video without pulling my hair and I went to bed on time!

Tuesday October 5, 2021

This day will be remembered as the day FB and IG went down for what appeared to be a very long time. Maybe it was accidental, maybe it was by design. Who cares! I was able to capture the attention of William who found himself with NOTHING to do! Enters big declutter #1. William needed help with his room anyway. I am afraid to say that the apple does not fall far from the tree in this house and both boys can live endless weeks with the same pile of junk pushed to one corner of their room, the entire set of glassware and mugs on their desk and not to mention all the empty seltzer cans. But, since he is still young, I helped. In all, we got rid of 5 fifty gallon garbage bags of stuff, mostly clothes, but also a lot of toys, books and miscellaneous. Everything was thoroughly dusted and vacuumed. I kid you not, the room had an echo once we were done. 

1. Going back to work and stuck in traffic.

2. Jersey City finally opened the new lift bridge. I have watched this bridge being built from day one - I was pretty excited to finally see it open except that they only had 2 lanes for traffic and the back-up was miles on. Took over two hours to get to work. So much for NJ engineering! The bridge was meant to ease traffic by the way!

3. 5 large bags of stuff. It took about 4 hours but we did it!

4. William's room - like brand new!

5. And, he was able to let go of all the stuff that was kept on top of the bookcases!

Wednesday October 6, 2021

Who would have thought that seeing his brother's room all neat and organized would inspire Edward to want the same? 

I worked from home and managed to catch up with quite a lot of work and some telehealth, then Edward and I decluttered his room. He did not have as many bags as his brother's but we managed at least 4 and a lot of big items like storage containers he no longer needed. His shelves are pretty much emptied. 

Posted Episode 9 in my Decluttering series. And just in case you were wondering, no, I did not film the kids declutter.

1. Breakfast at home - Veggie Omelet with cheese and toast. 

2 and 3. Look at all this space? We also bought a new computer chair since I took his and since he asked for a large white erasable board, I made a request through my town's Facebook page and was able to get a free (very large one) for his Calculus and other College related stuff. He is pretty much set for success! So yes, the red chair landed in his room (at his request) he loves it and does most of his reading in it. It is also a preferred spot for Fiona. 

Thursday October 7, 2021

Nothing really exciting or noteworthy happened on Thursday. I did spend some time in the garden sprucing things up a bit and that was it.

1. The Asters are in bloom.

2. It took a while for the dogs to realize they were walking right by a Doe. Some hunting breed they are!

3. A sure sign of Fall season: The Wooly Caterpillar! According to folklore, the amount of black on the woolly caterpillar in autumn varies proportionately with the severity of the coming winter in the locality where the caterpillar is found.  The longer the caterpillar's black bands, the longer, colder, snowier, and more severe the winter will be. The position of the longest dark bands supposedly indicates which part of winter will be coldest or hardest.  If the head end of the caterpillar is dark, the beginning of winter will be severe.  If the tail end is dark, the end of winter will be cold. If true, this will be a short winter with December and March being the coldest! Personally I think it's just Genetics and whether the food in my garden was plentiful. 

Friday October 7, 2021

I was finally able to post my video about the Spin Bike from Yesoul. So far I have used it every week. I am having a hard time finding the time to do more than once per week, put I tell you, it's an awesome form of exercising. The Treadmill is fine but I find the activity to be boring and not very engaging. You are pretty much at your own pace and finding the motivation to push harder can be difficult. The bike, however, because I am following classes on the app, I really don't have much choice but to take a beating each and every time and I love it! I am already 22 miles into my Amalfi Coast Challenge!

Yesoul S3 - Unboxing and Review

1. Work at home breakfast - I finally opened the jar of Apple butter!

2. Granny Smith from the yard -This is our first home grown apple. Scott truly loved it, I thought it was a bit too sour but this is his kind of apples. Delicious nonetheless. 

3. Football game - well, you all know why I am there really. Enjoyed an Eggplant and Mozzarella Sandwich. 

4. Finally took a good picture of William! He is been ignoring his parents (like most 14 yo would) when we come to watch his band, so catching him willing to have his picture taken has been quite hard. 

And that is all I have for you this week. It was busy, as all other weeks are. I am hoping that catching a glimpse of behind the scenes is enjoyable to you. I think we lead a pretty normal life, nothing fantastic or glamorous going on and that is just fine by me!

Have a great week!

Cheers.

Sophia 💜

It's been a while...

 Hi everyone,

Today, I received a message from the blog board. It is amazing to me that some of you are still finding it, better yet,  reading it! I am not sure what to say other than "here we go again with another missed opportunity!" 

Blogging is a great way to stay in touch and share additional content I may have missed while filming. It is also another creative way to share my thoughts and progress, however small. Who knows, I may even inspire! 

So for those of you who are still around, kudos and thank you!

It seems that my blog pretty much fell into oblivion, alongside my trunk restoration, the elastic band on the yellow dress, the non functioning electric plug at the back of the kitchen...The list goes on.  I really have no one to blame but myself, in all honesty though, how many different platforms can one manage at a time? 

So let's talk about BALANCE. You all know I have the hardest time settling into a workable routine, finding time to be more business minded and sticking to what I would refer to as my side gig. Blogging, vlogging, reselling...It all takes time. I am not trying to make an excuse for my absence on either this platform or my Etsy shop, I am simply pointing out the obvious. When there are 24 hours in a day and 10 of those hours are spent on making a living, that does not leave much for the rest. I do like my sleep (I hope you do too). But it's simple math: 7 hours of sleep, or bed time rather, added to 10 hours of work, that's 7 hours for the rest. It's obvious (and I won't fool anyone with this one) that those 7 additional hours are not spent cleaning the house! So what do I do with my time and how do I reclaim it?

How does one find the right mindset and the right balance between work, family life, hobby and all the rest. It's not just MY great challenge, I believe it is every working woman's challenge. 

There are a lot of things we would like to do to enhance our day to day life and I am sure you can all agree that at some point in our life we have looked at another woman in absolute awe, wondering "how does she do it all?" Well, maybe the answer is in that 7 hours I seem to waste for no good reason at all other than being wiped out most days or otherwise engaged into running around in circles with no clear direction as to what I need to prioritize next. 

Truth:

I do not have a clear schedule.

I overload my To-Do list which is similar to my To Be Read list: it keeps piling on but really, nothing is ever accomplished here, the same goes with the bazillion other projects floating around my head and let's not get started with the quilting or that walk-in closet I am supposed to build (yes, that was a hint).

I do not prioritize...EVER. It's all super important and therefore nothing gets done. Looking busy though, does not really mean that you are. So on most days, I will look frazzled and all over the place. But truly, not much has been achieved. I think I have mastered the art of puttering around except it's all indulgence at this point. Here is a neat article on the subject. 

I am easily sidetracked, you see. I give you a for instance (true story):

I could get up on any Saturday morning with the intention of filming 3 grossly ambitious videos. Then I remember I need to go to the PO BOX. So I go there. On my way back, I remember I need to stop by the garden center for rose fertilizer, I do that. Before you know it I stop by the First Presbyterian thrift shop before they close. I am not looking for anything in particular but somehow I love the idea of having a large amount of stock I know very well I have zero time to process.  Sure enough I find something I now feel obligated to research. There goes another few hours since one does not simply research an item, surely, you get lost at one point or other into the web of neat stuff available on the internet for procrastinators like me.  Meanwhile there is no plan for lunch. It's already 1:30PM! Fine, we go out for Lunch or maybe we have leftovers. I clean up (somewhat) and realize I have a surplus of beans in the garden. So I go take care of that. On my way there, I find out the roses need pruning. It's now 4 PM and I am losing daylight. No filming today. This warrants a trip to Barnes & Noble where a new To Be Read calls my name. 

Sunday? More of the same. 

Does this sound familiar? 

Do you know what's missing? 

A Schedule and a commitment to go with it. 

The issue here is the repetition of failed expectations and their toll on my overall sense of self. Comes Monday, I feel like an absolute bum. One with zero accomplishment. Rinse. Repeat. 

I am fairly certain I could be way more successful in my endeavors if only I would...Are you ready for this? Commit to a schedule of activities. What a concept!

It sounds like a cliché (that's the French word for Overuse or Been There Done That - Come on now, you've all been there! Right?) Anyway, it may sound like a cliché but unless I start scheduling myself as though a business woman, nothing is ever going to really look business-like, feel business-like or reap business-like benefits. Don't get me wrong, my YouTube and other platforms are doing fairly well...with minimal effort on my part. Yes, I just said that. MINIMAL EFFORT. I film, I edit, I Post. Big deal! Imagine if there was an actual plan! A commitment to creating a serious platform with a clear vision and goal! Mind Blown!

If I earned a Dollar for every business dream I ever had, well, I could happily retire on a farm somewhere in Wyoming, raising chicken and riding my horse into the sunset! That is actually a dream of mine. 

But I am still here, in NJ where Me TIME is being stuck in traffic! You would think I would put that time to good use by listening to audiobook versions of my To Be Read pile! Of course not, that would make way too much sense!

So why am I even sharing all of this and where am I going with it?

It has come to my attention this week that at least 50% of my lack of motivation towards success mentioned above, was the lack of proper equipment. When I was blogging on a fairly consistent basis, while working full time AND filming equally consistently, I also happened to have the proper equipment, namely, a performing computer. Trust me, nothing sucks the motivation out of you more than a laptop that crashes every 40 minutes, writes drawkcab, and other quirks that simply make the task not only a chore, but purely wearisome. 

This week, I purchased a new computer (HP Pavilion All in One) Shameless affiliate link, BTW. And the stuff is going so fast, I am no longer dreading the task. Better yet! I am motivated again! And the proof is in the pudding, I am writing this blog!

So, as one thing often leads to another (see my Saturday story) when it comes to my general approach to life, I feel better equipped now, to renew my commitment to My Great Challenge. 

It's true, and some of you have felt it,  that MGC as a content somewhat became a tad stagnant over the past year. Coming up with new, fresh content is not easy. It's easy when it's not your content, but it's not that easy when you are the one who puts in the hours. But now that I have the proper tools again, a huge weight has been lifted and a renewed interest came with it. 

This is not an announcement that my channel, blog and Etsy shop are going to experience a revival within the next 24 hours. This is not a "come back" or even a promise. It's just me telling you that I am thinking about positive changes that in the long run (let me write that again) in the LONG RUN, are going to be beneficial. 

So let's talk baby steps. I need to restructure, regroup, recommit, not rebrand but at the very least, clarify where I am going moving forward. 

Ideally I would like to keep a schedule of videos 2 to 3 times per week. Mon, Wed, Friday seemed to work in the past. One blog per week on various trivial nonsense I feel like sharing. Could be a week in review. I always liked those plus I feel that the majority of subscribers enjoy this "youtubers are just like us" kind of moments. It's true, after all my DITL (Day in the life) have always been popular (oh look, I just linked you to all my DITL videos!) 

But baby steps first. What can I do, right now, to begin restructuring and reclaim my 7 hours?

I always believed that one has to start somewhere. Is it creating a schedule? Is it waking up earlier? How about a small daily step that could help me feeling a bit more accomplished by the end of the day.

Let's investigate the bedtime routine. 

We have this TV upstairs. We watch it without really watching it to be honest. We cut cable loose a while back so we are essentially just watching whatever is available on Prime. Most nights, one of us falls asleep within the first 30 minutes while the other browses aimlessly before settling on a James Bond rerun. Excitement prevails once you reach our age! So why not put that 30 minutes to good use?

Experiment #1: 30 minutes reading every night. What are the odds that this little baby step would actually lead to something bigger in the LONG RUN. 

This is what I am reading:

How Not to Die

How Not to Die

No I am not going Plant Based,  I am only educating myself. And as I am writing this, I realize that I am already past my bed time!

So, good night. I am off to a good start.

Tomorrow I plan on:

Working from home.

Editing and posting a video.

Working on rejuvenating this blog design as it needs a bit of an overall. 

Thank you all for reading my nonsense and cheering me on for yet another attempt at doing better. 

Cheers,

PS: I did sell the Scrapbook supplies. Thank you Carol-Ann

  

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Enjoy!
Thanks for watching.

2015 Planner Setup - Franklin Covey Classic + Paper Plum Designs Planner

Hi friends,

Here I am again with my planner setup for 2015! This is a very exciting time of the year for me as I get to reorganize and prioritize my goals for the new year. It may sound silly to some, but a paper planner makes me very happy, any planning tool for that matter and watching planner videos on YouTube is one of my small addictions.

Here is the coordinating video for my 2015 Planner Setup:



This year, my planner is set up a bit differently in that I did not separate it into two distinct categories (Planning and Home Management). You can refer to last year's planner setup here.
I also removed my blog and vlog sections, and opted instead to use a separate/stand alone planner for My Great Challenge. For this specific task, I am using a Plum Paper Designs Family Planner which you can find on Etsy and will be featured later on in this post.

I am using the same planner than last year, a Franklin Covey Boston in Classic size. Unfortunately, Franklin Covey no longer makes the Classic size but you can still find the same model as a Compact size, which is similar to a Filofax Personal. I prefer Franklin Covey because of the softness of the leather, it is a semi-structured planner and the rings are 1.25 in (Filofax A5 is only 1 in). 0.25 makes a big difference when you tend to stuff your planner!

When I open my planner, the first thing I see is my lovely DIY dashboard:

I made this dashboard out of a cutout piece from of gift paper bag I had received this past Christmas. It is simply glued (with a 3M Glue Spray) onto a leftover Franklin Classic page lifter. To ensure it would not get damaged over time, I used packing tape in vertical strips to protect/laminate the top. This provides not only a decorative dashboard but also one that will last for a long time.

On the left, I keep binder and paper clips, some note paper which I pre-punched as well as a few assorted post it notes and flags. I write with a Paper Mate Ink Joy Quatro pen in Medium. It writes well and provides me with enough color variety to keep my notes from being boring.

As mentioned above, sections this year are a bit different. I am only keeping the following for 2015:
Planner, Notes, Goals, Finances,  and Q Branch. For dividers, I am using the Recollections/Michael's plastic dividers that are part of their "Smashbook" collection. I used my Dymo Label Maker to mark my different sections.

In the Planner section, I obviously keep everything that is planning related, using my DIY inserts which you can find on Etsy:

Monthly

Daily

I also have a separate tab to mark "today", it is from a recycled Martha Stewart for Avery divider onto which I taped/laminated my daily, weekly and monthly cleaning routines.

In the Notes Section, I keep enough blank and lined paper, about 40 pages that should last me for at least 6 months.

In the Goals Section, I keep my personal and home goals as well as an ongoing list of home to-do's and projects. I call it my Black-Ops section (It's an inside joke) and pretty much separates every room in my house with its own list of home improvement projects. As I accomplish one it gets scratched off and of course, room is left available to add on new projects.

In my Finance Section, I keep a laminated version of our current budget, complete with all recurring expenses in their chronological order by which they need to be paid as well as all sources of incomes and what funds are left each month for food and gas - this leftover money goes into a cash envelope.
The Finances section also has a complete spreadsheet for the Dave Ramsey's Debt Snowball. Each month, I check off a payment made and add any additional payment we may have been able to make. We are trying to get rid of our debt, though it is way below the average debt for folks our age, it is something we just do not want to have hoovering over our heads, so it will get paid off and that is that!

In the Q Branch Section (a reference to Jame Bond), I keep and manage all accounts information, whether account numbers or memberships as well as log in and password information for all. It is my Central Command System. I made this simple data sheet using a Word Document:

I am also using additional tabs to separate information into distinctive categories: Banking, Websites, MGC Affiliates (my blog) and Billing. I write in full ink but will keep the passwords in pencil as I regularly change them.


I don't think I could survive without my planner. It has been my life and sanity saving tool for almost two years now. I no longer forget things, everything is documented and has a place to go. If you are still using your PDA or phone App, I can only tell you one thing: nothing beats or replaces a good old paper planner!


Because I removed my Blog and Vlog sections from my FC planner, I purchased a separate spiral bound planner from Plum Paper Designs on Etsy. These planners are very similar to the Erin Condren Life Planners, only cheaper. They offer similar customization whether in content or color schemes.
I picked the Family Planner version, though there are many more to choose from, because it allowed me to have specific categories related to MGC.

They really are beautiful and functional planners. My only con is that they are spiral bound and therefore restrict your ability to add or remove sections, and or move things around.

It comes with a Month on Two Pages, you can pick whichever month you want to start with.

And when you order the Family Planner, you can choose up to 6 specific categories within your Week on Two pages (e.g. one for each family member).

Because this is my business planner, I picked the following categories: Blog, YouTube, Etsy, Earnings, Affiliates, Marketing and Design. Each gets tracked daily and I plan my blog and vlog posts one month ahead of time.

You can also add more inserts, for instance, I added extra note paper for each end of the month, as well as a Monthly Checklist which allows me to keep track of everything I do with my business.

Each planner comes with a year-at-a-glance as well as special dates and you can also order additional sets of stickers.

Special Dates - Calendar of Events is also included in each planner:

The bottom line here is that there are a lot of options out there for someone who wants to become more organized and create a better daily structure (and discipline) for themselves.
I may not be able to follow all my to-do's to the T and within the preferred time frame that is my biggest challenge: putting too much on my plate and thinking I can achieve it all, but, one thing is for sure, not a bill has been paid late in two years, not a valuable piece of information has been lost, the debt snowball keeps rolling and I have found what we planner addicts refer to as "PLANNER PEACE".


Here is the link to my Etsy shop again:

My Great Challenge Etsy Shop



You can get your own Franklin Covey Planner here:

And, if you new to paper planner and want to get your life organized once and for all you may want to check out these new Classic Caroline and Quinn Binders from Franklin Covey, They are the closest to my Boston, minus the buckle:

Classic Caroline Binder - Cobalt

Classic Quinn Binder - Grey

   
Thank you so much for reading my blog and watching my YouTube videos! Share the love!

Sophia, NJ


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Mailing address:

My Great Challenge
PO Box 402
519 POMPTON AVE
CEDAR GROVE, NJ 07009-9998



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