I LOVE These Things: A New Way To Wake Up, The Perfect Tank Top, and Going KonMari

I’m back!

You may or may not have noticed, but I was a little quiet over the summer months.

I made an active decision to take a step back from my online responsibilities and spend more time with my kids. I have a 12 and 10 year old and it HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS that these messy, smart-ass, eat-me-out-of-house-and-home goobers wouldn’t be around forever. So I enjoyed “being present” over the last few months and enjoyed trips to Worlds and Oceans of Fun, Des Moines, New York City, Colorado, Utah, and of course, Nebraska.

But both of my kids are back FULL TIME in school this week (oh, glory, hallelujah…) and so it’s time to crank things back up online.

And while this isn’t three things that made me happy this week, it is three things that have made me happy this summer.

1. Philips Wake-Up Light

First, I did receive this wake-up light from a PR agency, but that is not why I’m writing about it.

(Shoot, if I wrote about all the stuff I receive, my blog would be nothing but sponsored content.)

I tried it on a whim because my old alarm clock was two steps in the grave and I was DONE with hearing a song on the radio as a wake up. Plus, often times, I’d hit snooze because I wasn’t quite ready to get up yet, but I didn’t want the noise to wake up Hubs, and then I’d fall back asleep. I know, I know…first world problems.

But this Philips Wake Up Light rocked my wake-up world.

It works by light. Around 15 minutes before your “actual alarm time” the light will click on at about 15% and gradually get brighter the closer to your wakeup time.

I’ve used it for three months and only once has the alarm actually went off. I wake up gently between 10 – 7 minutes before the alarm time and then allow myself the extra 3 minutes or so to become fully awake. It’s quiet. It’s gentle. And it makes for such a better morning than being awoken to “ICE, ICE BABY.”

2. GAP Men’s Ribbed Tank Top

I struggled with finding the “right” tank top.

I have an above average bust, am slim waisted with an average rib cage and am above-average height. (Again, first world problems.) Most of the time, I can find a tank top that does “one” of the things right – cover my bust, tailor to fit my rib cage and waist or not be too short – but rarely can I find a tank top that does all of them.

Until I went to the men’s section.

I’m in LOVE with GAP Men’s Ribbed Tank Top (White or Black) in XS.

It’s the perfect tank top for me. Wider in the bust area. Tailors at the waist. Long enough to tuck in or leave it. Perfection.

If you have struggles, don’t be afraid to go to the men’s section. Just go down a size (or two) to find the right fit.

3. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

I opened up a can of KonMari this summer.

For those not familiar, it’s a KonMari is a “decluttering method” highlighted in the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. And while there are a few tips on how to tidy and styles of tidying, it really is a book about giving yourself permission to get rid of lots of items. Any item that does not bring you joy when you look at it, touch it, or use it. And by releasing these items, you allow yourself to focus on other things – like passions, hobbies, new opportunities, etc.

Part due to this book, but part due to the fact that I was sick of looking at our stuff, I made it a goal to get rid 1/3 of our possessions. And no category was excluded, which meant several piece of furniture were sold. We had a massive garage sale, sold stuff on Craigslist, took some items to a pawn shop and donated the rest.

It felt good. In fact, it felt like a HUGE weight was lifted off my chest…so much so, that I kept looking for other things to get rid of after the garage sale was over.

(Granted my kids are hiding things from me now and phrases like “watch out, mom is gonna KonMari that” are normal, but overall, tidying has been a really good thing.)

PS: I’m on the #whole30 train.

If you were on Facebook or Instagram this week, you saw that Hubs and I started our #whole30 journey (we used this book and this book as our reference). Most likely, I will be writing about it AFTER I complete the 30 days, but I’d love to know if any of you have been on it and how it worked for you.

And in case you missed it, here are some great posts from this week:

DIY Portable Homework Station