Decompress – Embrace Transformational Change With D-COM

Decompress – Embrace Transformational Change With D-COM

Are you ready to embark on a transformational journey that promises not only to declutter your space but also bring clarity and peace to your life? If so, you’re in the right place!

Welcome to the D-COM project, where we Declutter, Clean, Organize, and Maintain our spaces, and in doing so, cultivate a mindset of change and growth.

The Power of Transformation

We’ve all been there – staring at a room filled with belongings, overwhelmed by the chaos, and wondering where to begin. It’s in these moments that we realize the power of transformation. D-COM is not just about tidying up; it’s about reclaiming control over our environments and our lives.

I’ve been looking at my home and thinking about what needs to be done for too long. I’m ready to take action and share my experiences with you. I crave the peace that I know will come from having less stuff to manage and knowing that the stuff I keep is accessible.

The Mindset Shift

Starting a project like D-COM requires more than just cleaning supplies and organizational tips. To be successful, it demands a mindset shift. Here are some key elements to consider:

Commitment: The journey ahead may seem daunting, but remember, every step forward counts. Commit to making a change, no matter how small. Each small victory helps motivate you to take on the next challenge.

Patience: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your perfectly organized space be. Be patient with yourself and the process. Real change takes time. This is a process that is never really complete. However, reaching the last step of Maintenance will be worth it.

Letting Go: One of the most challenging aspects of Decluttering is letting go of items we’ve held onto for emotional reasons or because of a “what if” mindset. Remember – “what if I need this in the future” is not a valid reason for keeping something you don’t need or use now. Be prepared to release the unnecessary to make room for the essential.

Purposeful Cleaning: Cleaning isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about creating a healthier and more comfortable environment. Embrace it as an act of self-care.

Organization: Organization is the foundation of an orderly life. If you take the time to invest in tools and strategies that work for you, it will be much easier to Maintain the order you create.

Consistency: The last step, Maintenance, is often overlooked but is crucial for long-term success. Make D-COM – DECLUTTER, CLEAN, ORGANIZE, AND MAINTAIN a lifestyle, not just a one-time project.

Join the D-COM Community and make your home a haven that supports you emotionally, spiritually, and physically because you invested the time to make it a reality.

Join me by committing to your personal D-COM journey, knowing that you’re not alone. We are building a community of like-minded individuals who are ready to embrace change and elevate their living spaces. Share your experiences, challenges, and successes with us, and let’s support each other along the way.

More to Come

In the coming weeks and months, we’ll delve deeper into the various aspects of D-COM, providing tips, tricks, and inspiration to keep you motivated. Remember, the journey towards a clutter-free, clean, organized, and well-maintained space begins with the decision to start.

Are you ready to transform your life and living space? Let’s decompress and D-COM together and watch your stress levels diminish.

I Was Trending HGTV Before HGTV Was Cool

I Was Trending HGTV Before HGTV Was Cool

It’s true. I have been ahead of the HGTV curve for years. And today I’m going to show you the evidence to prove it.

Click on the image below to see my Trending Top 10 HGTV and H.E.R. kitchen storage and organization hacks. In this vlog post, HGTV kitchen hacks are shown on the left side of the slide and my kitchen hacks (H.E.R.) are on the right side.

Be sure to subscribe to my channel before you leave!

 

HGTV Trending Top 10

 

Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything!

https://HERLifeHacks.com

 

Taking Back Control of My House – Utility Room BEFORE

Taking Back Control of My House – Utility Room BEFORE

I am intentionally embarrassing myself with this post. Read on…

Even though I have some excuses – or rather explanations – I won’t list them here. This post starts a series of BEFORE videos and pictures of the condition of my house, which is basically a mess.

My plan for my messy house is to regain control by decluttering, cleaning, organizing and creating a system for maintaining by the end of 2022. And then sharing it all with you.

What you’re going to see is the worst of the worst place in my house. The utility room – where stuff goes to lanquish until I find a place for it. Where the door can be shut, and no one is allowed to enter.

Here is the BEFORE condition of my utility room. Pre-decluttering; pre-cleaning; pre-organizing; pre-establishment of a system for maintenance. Click on the image below and come on in! (The background music is incongruent with the current status of the room!)

 

utility room before

While this is an embarrassment, you won’t believe the transformation. Tune in later for the AFTER! I can’t wait to see it myself!

 

 

Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our October through December focus on HOME: seasonal home decor and BEFORE and AFTER videos and pictures of me regaining control of my messy house!

https://HERLifeHacks.com

 

What’s Your Decorating Style?

What’s Your Decorating Style?

Do you have a decorating style? And just what does that mean, anyway? When I researched decorating styles, there doesn’t seem to be any definitive list of styles! Apparently, if you can describe your decorating style in a few words, then you can add it to the ever-broadening list of decorating styles out there. The most accepted rule for decorating is that that are no rules!

Just for fun, I looked for style quizzes online. There are almost as many style quizzes as there are styles! While they are not meant to define your style and how you should decorate your home, they are fun to take and see how the results resemble how you define your decorating style.

Here are just a few decorating style quizzes that are minimal in the number of questions and fun to take. I took them all, and it was interesting to see how close they were to defining my actual style. And you were not required to give your email address or sign up for a subscription in either of these quizzes.

Apartment Therapy: Trust Your Taste: Our Ultimate Find-Your-Style Quiz

 

The seven questions in this simple quiz include photos of four different rooms labeled A, B, C, and D. Write down the letter of the image you like the best in each group of four. Then examine your responses to see which letter you have chosen the most times. Your suggested style is defined by the letter you chose the most.

The result of  the Apartment Therapy quiz for me was warm industrial. From the photos available, I can see how that would be my result. However, some of my choices were more like the “best of the four options” than “I really loved this room”.

Design Society of America: Interior Design Style Quiz

 

There were six options from which to choose in each of the 12 questions. The first question asked which room created the feeling you would like your home to have. The following questions asked which you liked best among chairs, sofas, tables, flooring, lighting fixtures, patterns, art, rugs, mirrors, dining rooms, and kitchens.

I enjoyed taking this quiz, because the results offered more options to explore your design style. When your designed style is revealed, you are given a detailed description of the style, suggestions for magazines you might like, and suggestions for places to shop for your style.

I took this quiz twice, and made some different choices the second time, but I still liked each of the options I chose. Interestingly enough, my style turned out to be the same – Coastal Chic.

HGTV: Find Your Design Style + Toast Your Good Taste

 

This simple quiz showed you photos from which to choose your favorite in nine questions. Included were kitchens, living rooms, nightstands, gardens, house exteriors, bathrooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, and fireplaces. After revealing your design style, you could further explore design inspiration in your style.

I took the quiz twice and selected different photos the second time around. I liked the options I selected both times, but the results were more different than I expected. My first design style was traditional and the second time I took the quiz, my design style was contemporary. Interesting!

Pottery Barn Style Quiz: Find Your Style

 

The six questions in this simple quiz showed you six options from which to select your favorite among color, pattern, architectural style, dream vacation, material, and flowers.

I also took this quiz twice, because I liked more than one of the options shown.

I was surprised when my style was the same both times – Coastal!

After revealing your style, you are invited to “shop the look”. Naturally the shopping options were from Pottery Barn, which I love anyway!

Did you take any of the quizzes? How close were they in predicting your personal decorating style? Leave your comments about your experience and decorating style!

 Ultimately, you should decorate your home in the style that makes you and your family feel comfortable and happy. When you do that, you’ve found your decorating style.

For more information and tips about your home style, lifestyle and food choices, visit https://HERLifeHacks.com and sign up for free updates!

Top 5 Habits of Organized People

Top 5 Habits of Organized People

Top 5 Habits of Organized People

Have you found it to be harder to stay organized these days? I used to think I was an organized person. I developed a plan and worked the plan to accomplish my goal. But lately, I find that I’ve been falling into habits that sabotage my efforts to get things done efficiently.

Ever wondered how some people stay a lot more organized than others? Well, the secret is habits!

Those who appear to have it all together tend to follow the same habits day after day. They aren’t born super-organized, it’s a skill that can be learned by absolutely anyone. So, what are these habits you should be doing to make your life more organized?

Keep reading to discover the top 5 habits of organized people you can adopt today.

  1. They write everything down

In order to be organized, you either need to have an extremely good memory, or you need to start writing things down!

You’ll notice one of the main traits of an organized person, is that they appear to remember everything. They never miss sending out greeting cards on time, they’re always early and they know exactly what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. So, do these people just have a better memory than you? No! They simply make sure they write everything down.

I have notebooks for everything! I’m almost embarrassed to admit how much I write down. I have a performance planner for my business that directs what I plan to do each day. It also keeps me motivated by helping me realize how much I have accomplished and how to feel good about it.

My everyday notebook is where I “dump” everything – things I need to remember to do, bright ideas of projects to develop later, or household tasks I need to do. Then at a time when I have some time, I go back through the day’s entries and do something with them, such as move to a specific list for taking action later or take action now.

So, start making lists for your shopping and always mark down important times and dates. It’s also better to write them down physically, rather than saving them as a note on your smartphone or tablet. While it may be more convenient to digitally make a note of things, it’s actually not as effective as having physical notes.

  1. They have a set routine

Another habit organized people have is a set routine. If you’re a parent, you’ll know just how important routine is when it comes to setting good habits for your kids. It’s exactly the same with adults too.

Just because we’re older, it doesn’t mean we don’t need a regular routine to keep ourselves happy and healthy. Organized people know this, and they use it to their advantage. They have a routine for everything, not just for bedtime or exercise. For example, they’ll also set aside 10 minutes each day to carry out specific chores or tasks.

One of the good things about setting routines is that you don’t have to exert energy making decisions about what to do. Setting a morning and evening routine can help set the tone for your day and help you end it relaxed for a good night’s sleep.

For example, my morning starts with what I call a “vitamin cocktail”, a blend of water and orange juice with polyphenols, flaxseed oil, vitamin B12, curcumin and vitamin C. It actually tastes very good! Then I have a quiet time of meditation. I read a passage in the Bible daily and listen to soothing audio tracks. Then, I map out my day and what I need to accomplish.

So, if you’re looking to become more organized, getting into a routine is going to prove crucial to your success. Developing habits of organization help you accomplish your goals.

  1. They create schedules and goals

Those who are organized don’t waste any time at all. They schedule their time and set goals to work towards. What’s more, they don’t stop until they achieve them.

When you have a schedule, you know exactly what you need to do and when it needs to be done by. This reduces the risk you’ll miss anything important. It’s important to remember that when you are making goals, you’ll need to make them as short as possible to ensure they’re achievable.

For example, you want to become more organized, so that’s your main goal. However, there’s a lot of smaller goals you need to reach before you can achieve the overall goal. So, start by writing your main goals, then work on splitting them down so you have a clear idea of the smaller tasks you need to work on in order to achieve them.

  1. They don’t put anything off

Do you tend to put things off for as long as possible? Organized people don’t! To an organized person, their motto is “Why put off something until tomorrow when it can be done today”. This simple rule can help you to become so much more organized.

Sometimes when I find myself putting something off, it’s because I don’t see a way to address the issue. If I simply stop and quietly think about what needs to be done and how to do it, a plan emerges that can efficiently get it done.

If you want your life to be much less stressful, getting things done as quickly as possible is sure to help. So, stop procrastinating and start getting things done.

  1. They know when to seek help

Finally, out of the many habits organized people have, knowing when to ask for help is a crucial one.

These days, it’s common to feel like you need to do everything by yourself. Social media has played a large role in making people feel like they need to be super human. You should be able to easily juggle your work, family, financial and social life without any help from anyone else. It’s a myth! Organized people know when to ask for help in order to maximize their time.

This is probably the hardest habit for me to develop. I’ve always relied on myself to do everything. I grew up thinking self-sufficiency was a most admirable goal. However, I am learning that people are very willing to share what they know with you. It feels good to help someone else. So, give people a chance to help you and let them feel good about themselves.

These are just 5 habits organized people have. While there are many more, if you focus on developing these habits, you’re going to become a lot more organized.