Kevin Morrissey's "Last Splash" at Lime Blue Gallery, 62b queen street, charleston, Friday Sept 2nd 5-8 pm!

De-cluttering Before a Move

"You should have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." William Morris

Whether you are planning on moving, or are in the process of a move, it is a good time to take stock in your stuff. Not only does a home that is clutter free sell more quickly, but releasing some of your baggage means less stuff to drag with you to your next home. Have you ever gotten ready to move and realized you still have stuff packed in the boxes from the previous move? Chances are you have clutter. Moving is a time for change and new beginnings, so why take your excess baggage with you? What exactly is clutter and how do we determine what stays and what goes? For every item in your home ask yourself the following questions: Does it celebrate you & what you are passionate about? Is it useful & functional on a regular basis? (Yes, a bread maker is useful and functional but not if it has been collecting dust for 5 years!) If it does not fit the above criteria, IT IS CLUTTER!!!! Remember physical clutter= mental clutter. So how do we start the process of creating a balanced home? De-cluttering before a move can be an intense process, so starting small and setting clear expectations is the key. Here are some tips for success: 

1. Set the timer and focus your attention on one area (a closet, drawer, cabinet, etc). 
2. Stick to the allotted time to conserve your energy and don't get sidetracked!
3. Have 5 labeled bins: Items to keep, Things to sell, Donation bin, Recycling bin, Trash. 
4. If you have not used it in the last year it needs to go! 
5. Pass on, donate or recycle before you change your mind. 
6. Have a written plan of attack and include the entire family in the process. 

Once you have slowly moved through your house de-cluttering every nook and cranny, it is time to donate the excess or have a huge yard sale. If a yard sale is the route you take, remember if it does not sell it gets donated! If you decide to share your extras with others, there are many organizations out there that specialize in making use out of consumer excess. Listed below are a few of my favorites:

www.excessaccess.org – helps you to locate local charities that need what you want to donate

www.fairygodmothersinc.com – finds prom dresses etc. for young girls

www.dressforsuccess.org – provides suits for individuals entering the work force

www.onewarmcoat.org – donates coats to those in need

www.hatsoff-to-chemo.org – provides hats to patients receiving chemotherapy

www.suitcasesforkids.org – provides foster children with suitcases

www.solesforsouls.com – donates shoes to disaster victims

Recycle all paper, plastic, and glass through your curbside recycler if you cannot find a home for it. Other items may also be recycled at www.earth911.org and they will tell you where and how. If the process is overwhelming and too much for you to conquer on your own, seek the help of a professional organizer. Allow this move to be a new beginning for you and your family.

Start Your Winter Veggies in a Sunny Window

As fall approaches, it is time to start planning for your winter garden. I found this picture on an adorable blog called The Lark. What a great way to recycle your tea tins! You can plant your starter seeds in these sweet tins until ready to transfer them to a bigger pot or bed in the yard. I also have been storing up toilet paper rolls to use as little pots for my seedlings to grow in. You can find a complete tutorial for starting seeds in toilet paper rolls on the ehow website. Here is a picture of their final product:

We have just begun prepping our raised boxes for our winter garden, pulling the weeds and clearing out the expired plants. I also plan to add some compost to enrich the soil. I will keep you posted on our progress and share pictures as well. I hope this winter we have large harvest of greens and root vegetables.


-Kari

Countdown to Launch!

We have been working, working, working! We are just a few days away from launching the two doors down website (if all goes as planned)! This week we will be back to blogging, so stay tuned....


Liz and Kari

Coming Soon the two doors down directory!

We will be on a brief hiatus this week while we prepare to launch the two doors down network. Stay tuned for the upcoming website launch! 

Book Club With a Side of Thai

Did you read Thrive with us? If so, we are sure you are as surprised and fascinated by Dan Buettner's findings on happiness as we are. His journey researching the worlds' happiest people and places took us across the globe. Surprisingly, each location has different factors that influenced their level of happiness. For example, in San Luis Obispo, CA., having a city with green-space, parks, bike paths and public gardens has promoted wellness and a sense of community. In Singapore, a safe environment contributes to the citizen's sense of well being. Their sense of security allows them to go outside and be active without anxiety or stress. In Monterrey, Mexico, faith and friendship create a joyous community. Denmark is another place found to house some of the world's happiest people. Not having to worry about health care, education, or retirement creates a sense of ease and security even with some of the highest taxes in the world. Denmark also has one of the lowest poverty rates, low unemployment, and a growing economy. After traveling around the world and delving deep into data on happiness, the top factors for happiness were found to be: economic freedom, low unemployment, tolerance, and quality of government. To learn more secrets Buettner discovered during his journey check out Thrive!

Surfside Glover Park

On a recent visit to Washington D.C., we were introduced to a local restaurant called Surfside.  Located in Glover Park, we felt as if we were at the beach while sitting on the rooftop enjoying the breeze and eating tacos. The menu is diverse and allows you to create your own taco, burrito or quesadilla. In addition to their flexible menu, they also use house-made sauces, organic greens, and fresh fish. Surfside has been noted by the Washingtonian as one of the 100 very best restaurants and the The Washington Post recommended it as a great place to bring kids. We took their advice and brought the kids to enjoy tacos, family, and some yummy margaritas. Here are some pictures from our meal on the roof.

Digging in! Chips with a trio of guac, salsa, and queso.

Fish tacos

Inside Surfside

Yeah! They even recycle!

-Kari