How to Fill My Space

Emptying My Space to Fill it With the Right Things

Lately I have been reading a book by influential writer Gretchen Rubin called Happier at Home, the follow-up up bestseller to her even more popular book The Happiness Project.  In Happier at Home, Gretchen reminds herself over and over that “the days are long, but the years are short”.  Love it!

She decides that one of the paradoxes of happiness is that sometimes you have to “spend out to become rich”.  This is something I have decided to do ever since my baby arrived.  By “spend out” the author is referring to using up disposable items like razors and toothbrushes, utilizing new purchases such as putting brand new clothing in the rotation, and to generally stop saving things for a special occasion.  

However, while I found the book’s explanation perfectly poignant, the content that grabbed me the most was this paragraph from Rubin’s blog: “And spend out applies to creativity as well as to possessions. I find myself thinking, ‘I should save that story…’ or ‘I don’t want to use all my best examples now…’ But pouring out ideas is better for creativity than doling them out by the teaspoon.”  WOW!!!  That fits me to a T!  That is part of why I have a stockpile of posts for my blog and little on the blog to show for it!  Starting today I aim to spend out more and more every day…to rid my life space and living space of the things I no longer want or need and fill it with only the things I do!     

Yesterday I made lemon-flavored instant pudding for my husband.  He loves lemony desserts and so I thought this would be a special treat for him (which it was)…that and the fact that I actually made him a dessert (which I never do).  The thing is, I bought the pudding mix forever ago [don’t worry, we checked the expiration date] and I was saving it to make at another date TBD.  Ironically, the brand of pudding was called “Always Save.”  

And that’s what I do.  I always save everything.  And I mean everything!  I have a bit of a problem.  Not that I’ll be featured on Hoarders any time soon, because it isn’t that out of control and I plan on nipping it in the bud today and every day.  I have a couple different theories on why I save or savor everything, but I am not focusing as much on the “why” right now.  I’ll tackle that another day.  As for today, I’ll spend out.  Thanks, Gretchen, for this and many other life lessons.

Our Baby's Future Life Space

In April 2013, we are excitedly expanding our home by 2 feet!

Lately I have been busy with nursery preparations to ensure a tranquil life space for our future baby. We ordered the convertible crib I picked out, we received the desired nine piece bedding set as a shower gift, we have a changing table, a dresser (which was mine when I was a baby), and we have an organization plan for the closet. We painted the nursery using two different paint techniques (both of which are ombre and will be shown in a later post!), and if all works out, we will order my favorite glider and ottoman as soon as it is available in retail stores. 

I am so very excited to provide details on items selected for the nursery. One of the items I am most excited about [that my husband will pick up for me in LA since it is only sold in stores] is the  IKEA MASKROS Pendant lamp;  the website says that it "projects decorative patterns onto the ceiling and the wall" which is one of my favorite features  about the light fixture. I also like that it might translate as an abstract sea urchin when surrounded with my selected decor, which would support my "under the water" theme.

I do hope you check back for more details and pictures over the coming months as we prepare a space that the baby is sure to love!

“Looking at randomly listed ideas commonly triggers creative new insights”

The technique of brainstorming is a good example of encouraging insight (…one of the Gestalten concepts that was particularly influential in shaping founder of modern social psychology Kurt Lewin’s work) (Morley Segal, Points of Influence, 1997, p. 260).  “Looking at randomly listed ideas commonly triggers creative new insights”, explained author Morley Segal (1997, p. 261).  I find brainstorming to be very effective, often fun, and I like how the discoveries tap into “the unconscious for creative solutions, wisdom, and whimsy” (Segal, 1997, p. 92).  This type of right-brain activity will be something I will use on a routine basis with this blog.

Personally, I find that I am craving more and more right-brain activity in my personal and professional life and I find myself seeking out ways to infuse my day with creative endeavors.  However, the reason became clear to me when I read the following explanation in Points of Influence: A Guide to Using Personality Theory at Work: “Lewin noted that people try to maintain a dynamic state of equilibrium by moving toward the regions of their life space that will enable them to satisfy their needs…for Lewin, the ability to create alternative pathways around barriers in order to reach a goal was the defining characteristic of psychological growth” (Segal, 1997, p. 264).  As a result of reading this, I aim to be more innovative about constructing my new pathways around obstructions in order to reach my goals.

I could brainstorm about brainstorming techniques for my next post--or I could just look at a list of topic ideas! I could post about: 

• Nursery Design
• DIY Projects
• Organization
• Party Planning
• (Learning more about) Digital Photography
• New Products I would recommend [Thank you, Christmas!]
• Books I'm Reading
• (Learning more about) Videography
• Wellbeing Plans for 2013
• Food and Beverages (that I found Pinteresting)

Regardless of the topic, I'm looking forward to it!