Can I really be a Happier Person?

Cleaning makes me happy. Organizing makes me happy. Shopping makes me happy. But can I be a Happier person? I sometimes wonder because I am a bit of a cynic. I don't want to make small chat with the Mom's waiting to pick up their kids from school. When I am at the park I would rather watch a movie on my iPod. I don't like loud kids. I don't like some kids for no reason. They just bug me. I like to gossip. I even get Gemma to tell me the goings on her class so I can be involved in the Grade 2 gossip. People I haven't even met bug me. I am happy creating by myself. When I am at work I avoid some customers because they bug me. I could never own a store where I had to be nice to everyone. Do I want to make the extra effort to be a happier person? I just don't think I necessarily have a happy disposition.

But don't get me wrong. I am a happy person, with friends. I do like people. I am just picky with who I want to be friends with. I am just questioning, do I have what it takes to be a 'Happier' person. The first step to be a happier person is having the energy, and I think that is what I am lacking. The energy to be a happier person. I guess the question is: Do I want to find the energy to be a happier person? Or do I want to stay the way I am? And is that a bad thing?

Does a Clean Living Room Bring Happiness?

I want to believe so. I left the Kitchen behind for now to concentrate on the Living room. Our Living room is definitely a multi-tasking room. It is a dining room, an office, a tv room, a craft room, a filming studio and the only room to find a couch to relax on. All this in about 300 square feet. I am constantly trying to find a 'home' for everything. When I can't I continue to purge. I don't want to walk in to the room to find a pile here, some stuff there, I want order. And I think that this order is what will make me a little happier. Or at least, less tired.

So my hopes this week is to find a home for everything in my living room. I want to walk into the room with a sense of happiness and relaxation. And then, hopefully, this will stimulate my creativity. Because, this is the room where all my creating happens.

My Jewelry Project

A couple months ago we went to the Mall so Mark could get a Winter Coat for work. I wanted to do a few things myself so I thought he could buy a jacket without me. Well, I was wrong. He ended up with a Jacket from Le Chateau. I didn't even know that he knew that store existed. I was a little ticked at the time (okay, a lot ticked) because he could only get a credit note for the purchase and Le Chateau is not a store I shop at. Plus he had to spend more money to buy a proper coat!

So fast forward to this afternoon when I finally went into Le Chateau. I thought I would look at their jewelry to see if I could find something I could take apart to make my own designs with. And I have to tell you, I hit the jackpot. I got this fabulous necklace that had six necklaces in one! There is gold chains, gold chains with pearls and beads, pearls linked together, antiqued gold chains and fabulous charms - hearts, leaves, keys, cameo, and a pin!! The next necklace is eight necklaces in one! This time in silver and flat black metal links, plus rhinestones! The next necklace has nine large flowers linked together in silver. And the final necklace is an antique gold with 5 large charms! Mind you, these necklaces cost $150, but I had the credit note to spend, so at this point, it didn't cost me anything!

So my plan for sometime in the near future, is to take these necklaces apart and see what I can create with them! When I am successful, I will post pictures of my new creations!!

If you Don't have Something Nice to Say, Don't Say Anything At All

This morning I was on the Queen W Streetcar heading East. This is a double car because it is a busy route. When the streetcar came, I got on. It was very busy and I had to stand near the front of the car. A few stops later a man gets on and starts yelling at the driver. He said that 3 cars went by and didn't stop, but the backs of the streetcar was empty. He continued to yell that it is this drivers fault and he should get everyone to move back. Well, the driver is constantly yelling, "Move back", but it is the passengers responsibility to actually move back. The yeller said that another employee should be in the back telling people to move back. The driver retorted by asking if he wanted to pay $5 to ride the streetcar and the yeller said, "I already pay $3". The driver gave the suggestion of getting a pass then entering through the back doors.

Anyway, this whole thing bothered me. How would you like someone entering your workspace and before greeting you, just start yelling at you. I always tell my daughter to talk to others as you want others to talk to you! And the same goes for those people who use their phones to film the drivers. Would you want cameras filming you at work while you were on Facebook instead of doing your job? Streetcar drivers should be able to go to the washroom without people filming and reporting them. Enough with slamming the TTC. Why don't we work together to make using the TTC a pleasant experience.

The Kitchen

So I thought starting in the Kitchen, as part of my organizing for The Happiness Project, would be good because I no longer cook or bake that much. I thought there must be gadgets and dishes/bowls/serving plates that I could easily get rid of. But you know what - that is not the case. My bowls and serving dishes were picked from Artists and Shops that I really like. I can't see getting rid of them. I do see some of Gemma's plastic plates and bowls that I have no problem dumping. Plus cups picked up from restaurants. And I do have to go through my Baking Cupboard - I am sure there is expired products in there - does Flour and Sugar go bad? Maybe once I start at it, it won't be so bad. I was thinking of bringing some of my serving dishes to my Mom's. She loves storing things for me :) At least I can try to be apart from them and see if I miss them - even if they are really pretty.

As for the exercise. Gemma is learning to skip, and now that the weather is nice she is skipping after school. So I went out to give her some tips and sure enough, I can still skip - forward, backwards and fast! The Fast did work some of my arm muscles too. I didn't skip loads, but if I go out each night with her, maybe I can once again become a pro skipper. Actually, I was never a pro skipper, but it could be my new calling. I also walked Gemma to school and back, which in total is almost 3K. Every bit helps!!

The Happiness Project

I started a personal blog to talk about my life - only to never post. What does this say? Is my life that mundane. Do I do the same things day in and day out? I was at the bookstore a few weeks back and picked up The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Although I do not blog day in and day out, I do consider myself a happy person. But the thought of being a Happier person intrigued me. How can I be happier in my day to day routine.

I finally started reading the book and she is outlining her month by month goals and challenges to becoming a Happier person. A lot (but not all) ring true. I think I can incorporate some of these ideas into my daily life. I am currently on the April Chapter. The problems I see is how do I not incorporate all of it at once. When I start a project I go full steam ahead. But like her I think I will start with organizing and exercise. I am constantly dealing with clutter and trying to find solutions. Well it is Spring and the perfect time to do Spring Cleaning - No Hold Bars!!! I need to set up a schedule to deal with each room of the house. The good news is that having a small home, I don't have that many rooms to deal with! I am thinking of starting in the kitchen!

Next is the exercising. I get on and off the band wagon too often. At least with the warmer weather I will be walking back and forth to bring Gemma to school. I will try to add some other exercise into my schedule as well.

So, I will see how things go. Maybe I will try blogging more. Now that Spring is here, maybe I will actually leave my house more. Winter and me just don't mix!

Organizing Again!

How many times a year do you organize your craft area? I seem to be continually doing this!! We recently bought a bookcase, which now holds all my die-cutting machines and tools, plus the top 2 shelves hold our DVD's. This has freed up space on my Hoosier - however, the Hoosier is currently piled with stuff from my shelves!!

I seem to have made space in my paper storage - some Iris bins - but I don't have anything to put in them, so they are now empty. I have space on the open shelf, but I want something pretty to put there, and I am not sure what this is. Meanwhile, my Glimmer Mist is now being stored in 3 boxes, up from 2. Although I keep purging my stamps,I still have 6+ boxes of them. 3 boxes of adhesives. 6 boxes of inks and paints. And my pile of 'stuff' on the Hoosier. I really want to be rid of stuff, but some stuff I still cannot part with.

However, the things I am parting with will be available for sale at Scrapbooks By Design in Toronto, on Sunday, February 28th at the 2nd Hand Sale!!

And once I finish with the pile of 'stuff' I will take pictures of my once again organized space!