kcjayhawk1's Profile

Great post and very timely. Reduce spending and declutter are my primary goals for the year as well. One thing that has helped tremendously is Pinterest. I used to find something I need in a magazine or crafted in my head (whether it was a certain article of clothing or an item for the house) and then I would wait until the last minute to set out to find the item. I would only be dissapointed with what I ended up buying because I overpaid and it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Pinterest allows me to better scout out an item, compare reviews and wait for sales. Also, I am a magazine hoarder. I buy magazines all of the time, but since I am a new mom and working full-time, I never have time to read them. At one point, I had 23 subscriptions coming to house and they would sit in stacks several months behind. Since getting my iPad, I have gotten rid of all but 2-3 subscriptions that are justing finishing out and now buy individual magazines on iPad only when I have the time to sit down and read one. I spend less and so much less clutter.

Yes, thank you for this post. I think everyone can relate on some level. I LOVE the holidays, but the last several years have been marked by transition. I moved 2,000 miles away from my family, met a Jewish boy, got married and had a baby. Christmas is a big deal in my family. Because of distance, I haven’t been able to celebrate with my family for several years. Not to mention, I live in Los Angeles where there is no snow and many malls/businesses don’t decorate for “Christmas”! Last year, my husband (who, btw loves Christmas) said to me “You know what’s wrong? You are still looking to your mom to kick off the season and make everything bright. Now, you are the mom and it’s up to you.” He’s so right. So, I’ve started coming up own traditions and mixing them up with my childhood family traditions. Plus, what’s exciting is I have a whole new holiday to add to the mix – Hanukkah! I just needed to change my perspective. Sometimes, we just need to pull up our big girl pants and just make the cheer ourselves – whether it’s with family, friends, strangers or ourselves.