Quote – Notefull Living

A new look at Spring Cleaning

It’s Here, Spring finally came for 2019.

I’m aware you can google this topic of Spring Cleaning and you can find SO many videos on YouTube about spring cleaning.

I’ll be honest, I’ve binged watched and subscribed to a few channels on the topic. My favorite is Melissa Maker from Clean My Space. Not a plug for her, just really like her content and she’s Canadian!!

Hopefully what I have to add that works for me is helpful for you too.

I have found the Spring Cleaning has become less complicated. Doesn’t anyone else what that? I know I did.

My Method for Spring Cleaning has finally come down to a task that happens all year round.

I have 3 kids, if we don’t attack it all year it’s becomes overwhelming and too much, insert meltdowns, I get frustrated and it’s not fun for everyone. We have finally gotten to a place that our oldest understands and this process has gotten easier. He’s starting to mature and see what it’s all about, which is wonderful.

Yes, our kids are included. Especially the playroom and their toys.

The Spring Cleaning I want to talk about today isn’t one you would expect. As I mentioned, if you want, you can watch YouTube videos’ of people cleaning. Up to you.

I’ve been doing this and it’s made a world of difference. Focusing on _All Seasons_ Cleaning, Purging and Organizing has made all the difference or it's a mountain of a task in the Spring

We always talk about cleaning our houses or car or closets. What about cleaning the unexpected places that you might not know is dragging you down. I hope you’ve had the wonderful experience of cleaning out an area in your home and feeling a lot “lighter” afterwards and it makes you motivated to clean, purge and organize another area.

Since I do my cleaning, purging and organizing all year, I can focus on specific areas.

Here’s additional items to think about for Spring Cleaning:

Apps on my Smartphone.

I started deleting the apps I NEVER use. Or the ones I’m OVER use and waste LOTS of my time.

Which app could you delete that wastes lots of your time?

My app was YouTube. Yup, I got rid of it off my phone. I don’t like my kids seeing me gripping my phone all day long. YouTube is my zoning out place. Lots of DIY’s, Farmhouse and homesteading channels I can’t stop binge watching.

I noticed I was telling my kids “Mom’s just needing to sit down and take a break”…45 min later, I’m still telling myself I can watch another 12 min video.

When I first deleted the app, I didn’t miss it the first 2 days. Then I found myself trying to go to the usual spot that I had the app in. NOPE, I made a choice to get rid of it.

If your phone is less distracting with deleting apps, getting into the routine of “All Season” cleaning gets easier.

I actually would prefer to be without the phone all together, truthfully. It’s not something I grew up with, but my kids are. I don’t find myself to be any further ahead with one and looking forward to seeing my options once my contracts up. Plus it’s taking me away from the ones who need me most, my family.

Since I’m on the topic of technology. My other spring clean I need to do is my blog, and computer. For my computer I specifically mean our family pictures.

Our dream for our family home was always to have our pictures from our family life as our “Wall Art”.

Cleaning up of pictures and organizing them on the computer will help us accomplish this goal.

Plus my blog needs a spring clean. Now that I have a better flow with how blogging goes, (it’ll probably change again once I get the hang out it fully), I can go back and spring clean my old posts.

What’s another benefit of being in spring cleaning mode all year?

Right now we are attacking a large area in our house, that most people won’t let you ever see. I can’t wait to show you the before and after pictures of this space. I’ve tried making a space work in our home since we moved here as my work space. We finally said enough is enough and are officially making it a storage space.

My husband has more time at home now and wants more space in the garage to do Reno’s and wood projects. Fixing up this old work spot of mine into a storage will make a huge difference.

Since we got our trailer, lots of our camping stuff came out of the garage. Still wasn’t enough space.

My canning jar collection is going to have a new home and we are going to install an official boot room. Can’t wait to show you the reveal.

Again, If I didn’t approach my cleaning all year round , this wouldn’t be possible. Or we would still attack it with lots of frustration from the kids. Plus over spring break I got a new flower garden in and got garden boxes.

Less time wasted on my phone, means more time pursuing LIFE. We can always get sucked into the endless content on our phones OR put it down and get stuff done so you can play more later!!

Do you spring clean ONLY in spring?

What apps would you delete that you don’t use or overuse?

Love to hear what fun projects you are doing in your home to make life that much easier to do the things you love, which space is it?

5 Things for Valentines Day

It’s tomorrow, Valentine’s Day.

I remember this day when I was little and in getting valentines from kids in class. Well things sure have changed as I know have a boy in grade 1 and am learning what it’s like to be on the other side of that.

What I’m about to share may be different then the regular run of the blog posts about Valentines. Personally I don’t make a big fuss.

Have a quick read and let me know what you think?

Here’s 5 things things for Valentines Day!

5: Make your own Valentines cards!

I’m a super frugal person. I just love a good homemade gift. I have hit up the dollar store last year for this day. Plus I was pregnant and wanted to get the ordeal over with. This year my son had a snow day and well, we made valentine’s day cards (hopefully he can hand them out this week).

I used to make scrap books and never got rid of my supplies, that sure come in handy. Plus with a day off from school for a snow day, I wasn’t going to drive to the store AND it used up lots of time.

4. Buy a Thrifted Vase

Thrifted Jar February happens to be my mom’s birthday month. For her birthday I wanted to get her a Vase with flowers. I grew up antique shopping with my parents and I had a particular one in mind. I only went to 2 thrift stores before I found what I was looking for.

I paid $2.70 (Canadian) for this jug. It’s a little smaller than your normal vase. Plus knowing my mom she has lots of flowers from her garden what will fit well in this all summer long.

P.S. Smaller vase means smaller bouquet to buy = less money. Flowers are EXPENSIVE in February. Especially before Valentines day.

3: Don’t Decorate

WHAT!! I’m a person that appreciates a well decorated space. In February, I don’t decorate for Valentines Day. Umm, in our home we just had December, the house was decorated for Christmas. January was our son’s birthday = decorated.

I just don’t make a big fuss about the day.

Here I am blogging about it…

Maybe I’m just cheap. Or, I just don’t want to get caught up in the over commercialized day.

OR, I just like what my oldest has done and made little valentines notes on our bedroom doors with pink hearts all over them. I think I’m going to keep them up as long as I can (or as long as our 3 year old will let them stay up).

2: Take time for YOU

Here’s the harsh truth. Someone (maybe that’s you reading this) we know has lost someone they love in their life and being reminded that they don’t have that person to share Valentines Day with anymore, SUCKS.

Take time for YOU. I’ve come to learn to LOVE who I am.

If we LOVE who we are, we have more of ourselves to GIVE.

And then there’s #1.

1: Valentines Day happens EVERYDAY

I’ve always been taught and have come to learn the truth that there is an amazing love story happening everyday. Not unless you believe it will you see that and experience that truth.

I choose to Follow Jesus Christ. His love for us and from God in Heaven far out shines all the commercialized crap that the world sells you today.

That’s the truth I was taught and have come to know. The message I received through a song for 2019 was LOVE.

You are LOVED – Did you know that? Everyday!

Thanks for sticking to the end.

Hope some of this was helpful.

Carrie Lynn

——————————————————————

If you like what I wrote, love to have you Subscribe to my blog.

You can Follow me on Social Media through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Did you notice this blog was ad free?

If you want to support me and my blog you can check out my side hustle.

Ask me about Arbonne Products (rescue wash in this post) at carrielynnparbonne@gmail.com or check out my website.

Living in the Suburbs

“Living in the Suburbs”, whenever I hear that phrase as a kid I didn’t think that would be me.

Plus as a kid “Suburban Living” was a place where they lived in the US. The Movies might have something to do with how I got that idea.

In my teens, living in the country I was going for a bike ride in the summer and got stopped by a vehicle. A bunch of ladies in their 20’s poke their head out. “Where’s the LAKE??”, “We’ve been driving for like EVER!!”. So I gave them directions and told them it would be maybe another 40 minutes (depending on which beach they go to).

Their last comment to me was, “You live in the BOONIES”.

It turns out a bunch of them from San Francisco where here visiting their friend from Vancouver.

The boonies comment has stuck with me because I thought they were crazy to think that. But now when we do go visit Vancouver and drive back home I think about those ladies. I put myself in their shoes and I would think driving it for the first time and when you go through to the turn off for Cultus Lake it’s mostly a lot of trees and farms (for a visitor that may seem like the boonies)…

Today, The Fraser Valley area outside of Vancouver where I grew up is vastly changing and definitely the “Suburbs of Vancouver”.

It’s becoming more like the suburbs that I saw in the movies as a kid.

Top that off, LOTS of movies and TV shows are filmed here. I recently bumped into a prop guy in the flower aisle at a local dollar store. We got chatting and he told me there was 20 filming contracts currently in town.

Living in the Suburbs is different for me. My husband grew up in town, where as I grew up in the country. As I said in the beginning I didn’t think I would be “Living in the Suburbs”. Here I am.

If your currently living in the suburbs or thinking of moving there, here’s some insight. Notefull Living (2)

I honestly thought I would have to give up so much of what I love (open space).

If I could be a mini backyard homestead I would in a heartbeat.

But, our Suburban City lot is still JUST to small for that dream.

You can still live and create your home to be the home you’ve dreamed of living in the suburbs.

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes or styles. There’s a place for community and getting to know your neighbors (or not, if you don’t want to).

I didn’t think giving our realtor our wish list that he would hit most of the check boxes for example: Family Home, Room for RV, Big backyard etc…. Then we came to this house and there was a bonus on my dream list, the greenhouse.

Along with those likes and dislikes, there’s so many options in the Suburbs. For us right now, we’ve been able to buy an affordable, “fixer upper” home. We’ve done a big renovation on our townhouse (meant to be short term to flip) and yes, it’s a LOT of work, and it paid off in the end.

I’m planning to share those renovations in the near future. I love a good “Before and After”. I’m a massive binge watcher of anything Reno and love watching the transformation. We’ve done a small upgrade in our kitchen that’s made a massive impact already.

We’ve already done some much needed work in our backyard and our house has forced us to do the major updates for the important things like the furnace and roof to name a few.

Yes, my big dream is to have acreage and if I could write a “Homestead blog” I would fully do that. BUT, like I’ve shared before we live in the suburbs and our lot won’t be able to be the little homestead dream at this time.

For now, I get an abundance of raspberries and lovely flowers from the lady behind me. Our neighbor beside has a lovely grapevine and mini orchard and we share garden tips all the time. Love where we are at and our little community.

If you like what you read, LOVE to have you SUBSCRIBE to my blog.

You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Until my next post, have a great day!

Blogging Goals

Did you set new years goals? I’ve changed how I approach new years goals. I stick to a word, my word this year is consistent.

2019 I want to be consistent with my blog.

Does using one word make a difference?

2 years ago my word was “Fearless”. I fearlessly set up my first blog (no longer exists) and started writing. This was after 2 years of that nudging that I should do this, I finally listened. I didn’t know what to expect, I learned I loved it. Last may I switched to a new platform and I’m very glad I did.

2018 my word was “brave”. Brave to me also means to be strong and courageous. With blogging you become your own “brand”. I personally find this part a challenge. Being your own brand with blogging means being in front of the camera, A LOT.

Writing a blog post and sharing some pictures is one thing. Constantly posting in stories on Instagram and Facebook, learning Twitter is a whole other learning curve.

Your welcome to follow me on any of those social media pages.

If you looking into starting a blog, a big thing is photography. I’ve always loved photography. If I look back of my years of pictures I’m always taking artsy shots.

If Blogging is a future goal of yours, get a good camera and start practicing.

What’s a niche?

The other thing about blogging is finding your “niche”, which lots of people say you can make lots of money at sharing your “hobby”. Well, maybe I’m a little off in saying this. I think blogging didn’t start out that way. It used to be a place for people to share stories and recipes.

As much as I love music, my everyday living keeps going back to a more country way of living. Like making our own broth, or grape jelly.

Definitely live a suburban life in the Fraser Valley.

Something about keeping it simple is appealing to me. Let’s just say I haven’t noticed which blogging niche I’m in yet, just enjoying blogging for now.

Picking a Blog Name

My blog name is “Notefull Living”. The word Notefull has a different or deeper meaning to me then just “noteworthy tips for everyday living”.

To share a small piece of my story. I’m a musical person and honestly there was a time where I couldn’t hear the music. Sounds weird, to be playing music and not hear it.

My Faith has a big part in making me whole again.

When I got into a better place and not dwelling on all the hurt from my past or recent loss in my life, I looked to lots of blogs (and books) for DIY, recipes and gardening ideas as I recognized they were a great outlet to make and create.

If you have something to share, share it!

Some people use the phrase that their heart is full, well literally the notes are full in my life again and I couldn’t be happier.

Everyday Living Goals

I have 3 young kids. Technology at this time with them being young is only hindering the time I have them, which is only for a short while that they are small. I would love to shut the technology all off. That’s not the world or time we live in. So being consistent with my blog is a big challenge. One I’m ready for, now that I’ve been growing and starting to become established.

My niche isn’t keeping with the popular themes “mommy blogger” that people pick. I’m just being myself. If you meet me in person, I hope I’m the person you like meeting online.

When I’m not online, I keep up with friends, hiking and getting outside in the yard with my garden. Something about gumboots that feel like home when I slip into them.

Quotes