This morning, the view from my kitchen table was so pretty that I ran to grab the camera.  (And yes, there really was some oatmeal underneath that mountain of strawberries!)  For the past few weeks, I’ve been on a roll, and I think a lot of this has to do with changing my morning habits.  I thought I would share here since I know others of you are also trying to figure out how to get more done each day!

I have always been someone who is very high output, but consistency is not something that comes naturally to me. However, when you’re working for yourself, being consistent is sort of, well, everything.  So I have been shaking things up over here and reading books for more tips and just generally trying to get better one day at a time.

I recently read Never Check E-mail in the Morning by Julie Morgenstern, and while the book is mostly geared towards people working in corporate America, there are still a lot of helpful ideas even for those of us working from home.  For the past month, I’ve been using her “Golden Hour” Rule and it’s pretty amazing:

For the first hour of the day, I stay away from e-mail (and all of it’s associated distractions, twitter, internet, etc.) and do that one thing that would make me feel so awesome to have crossed it off of my list.  I plan it the night before, and in the morning after my quiet time and exercise, I go to my desk, cup of coffee in hand, no distractions, and I do it.  That’s it!

However, now it’s my most powerful hour of the day.  (I try to exercise every other day, so on the non-exercise days, I go for broke and have 2 golden hours!)

In that hour I have written a chapter of a novel, finished some daunting illustrations, taken care of paperwork/organization that I was dreading, planned photo shoots, and re-drafted fussy patterns.  It’s not always the hardest thing of the day, but it’s always something that’s important.  By finishing and getting it out of the way, everything else flows better.  And yes, all of those e-mails and messages still get read and returned, but now they are reigned in on my schedule.

Do some of you do this too? At first, it can sound a little daunting — especially if you are someone who gets a lot of messages  But what’s your one thing you really want to get done?!

(Disclaimer: Once again, I must say that I do not have kids.  I’m pretty sure that if you are also in charge of little ones, getting them dressed and making breakfast, etc. this gets trickier!)

I could probably have an entire column here called “things I learned from Melody, my college roommate.”  Melody is one of those rare people who just seemed to know that life’s experiences are better when you are in balance.  Her advice has turned out to be so practical and soul-nourishing that I think about her little sayings a lot.

Gems like:

• Relationships: “For every argument or bad experience you have as a couple, you need 5 good experiences.”
• Time management: “Getting into a good routine is everything.”
• Cleaning: “Put this stuff on the carpet, and it will smell nice.”

Then there’s today’s topic: Travel.  I don’t know about you, but before I leave to go somewhere, I usually get that pre-trip adrenaline rush.  I’m packing, running errands, researching my destination, charging batteries, and generally running around excited, but a bit frazzled.

I have distinct memories of college dorm life where I would be frantically trying to find things to shove into my suitcase and looking over at Melody, serenely fluffing her pillows.  Usually while humming.  (I’m pretty sure you don’t get a name like “Melody” without being prone to humming.)

On my side of the room, I am tearing through a giant pile of books and papers looking for airline tickets, and there’s Melody, gently using her pink feather duster on her fairy figurines.

Now, I can’t say that she didn’t ever have to rush to board a plane (we were college students, not nuns after all), but she knew something then which has taken me a long time to figure out: cleaning up your place before you go somewhere is a really lovely gift to give yourself. She knew she was going to get back, exhausted, maybe secretly wishing she was still on vacation.  There’s nothing worse than opening the front door and finding piles of laundry, bills, and stuff to be put away.  Instead, Melody came home to a freshly laundered robe, clean linens, and… serenity.

Melody once visited me and cleaned up my apartment before she left.  This is the person you want as your friend for life, people.

I don’t always pull this off, but I really try to be more Melody than old-Kelly when I travel.  (Thank goodness my cleaning and organization have improved since then!)  Next week, we are going on a mini-vacation, and as soon as we booked the hotel, I wrote a list of things to do before we left.  I’ve been dropping things off at goodwill, catching up on chores, going through the mending basket, and simplifying as much as possible.  I think Melody would be proud.  I’ve thought about her with each load of laundry I’ve folded.  The bonus?  I am as much looking forward to the trip as I am to returning to a cleaner, lighter home.

So ‘fess up!  Who’s a Melody out there?  And who is still crazy-Kelly?  Do you have any pre-trip rituals that help keep you sane?

This past weekend was just about perfect.  It rained a little and neither of us were feeling 100% yet, so my husband and I watched movies and tackled little projects that we’d been putting off (hello taxes!).  I am not sure what type of person writes “taxes” and “perfect weekend” in the same paragraph.  We aim low around here, apparently.  However, I guess if you’re with someone whose company you really enjoy, even taxes can be ok.

I finally got around to cleaning out my desk and put some of my new storage purchases to good use.  For some reason, all of my sewing notions seem to scurry off and hide themselves in the four corners of this room – never to be seen again, or at least never to be seen again when needed.  I always hate purchasing the same thing over and over again – snaps and velcro and D-rings.  So the only hard part of this project was rounding up every last needle and thread into one giant pile.  There is a 3rd much larger drawer (not photographed here) where all of the bias tape and hardware went.

We lined the drawers with some left over pieces of my favorite wrapping paper (inspired by this Design Sponge post).  Two sets of hands made this a little easier.  I held the wrapping paper, and my husband cut the paper down to size with a craft knife.  The paper is secured with double-sided tape.

The drawer lining is not the most permanent of projects, but I wanted something I could easily change if I wanted to.  I don’t know why I didn’t do this before.  The wrapping paper makes for such a lovely surprise, and I’m hoping it keeps me motivated to keep the drawers nice and clutter free.

The organizing bug is definitely going around right now.  Almost everyone I talk to is cleaning something out.  How are your spring cleaning projects going?

Today, as promised, I am sharing with you the Ever Kelly moving labels.

I suffer from a condition many of you may know called labeling fatigue.  Give me a sharpie and I start out with the best of intentions.  Boxes 1-3 have an essay on the side with a detailed list all the way down to stuff like “meat thermometer.”  Boxes 4 and on get labeled “stuff” or the ever popular “miscellaneous.”

I know that fancy moving labels look suspiciously like procrastination, but these were a lifesaver for me.  Moving is hard.  Having a system helps me stay calm.

The genius part is that there is a checklist on the side as well as space for details.  This works great for those mixed up boxes that are mostly your pots and pans, but also have those forks that didn’t fit in the last box.  Check.  Check.  You’re done and moving on to the next one.

Each label prints with a companion sticker (minus the checkboxes) so you can label more than one side on your box.

Download the PDF of the Ever Kelly Moving Labels.

Tips:

• I printed these on white 8 ½ x 11” full sheet printer labels.  Individual labels drive me crazy, so I’d rather just use my paper cutter and make my own.  It does take a little extra time, so print and cut BEFORE you move.  If you are moving today, I would recommend that you skip the labels, get your marker, and GO.

• These categories are probably not an exact match for your house so scribble away.  Circle, cross out, and make them yours.

Enjoy and take care of yourself, ok?