HOME

In Season 45 last year, I wrote about what it means to have enough. Noticing the sheer number of items we owned as we moved into our current home a few months ago felt overwhelming. The move led to a massive amount of decluttering of physical items before and after the move. Changing homes encouraged us to examine whether the items we decided to keep were still important or useful to us.

I recognize that owning a household full of objects, or a home at all for that matter, and choosing to declutter is a privilege that is not accessible for everyone.

Making room in our new home for the items that matter allows for more headspace and physical space to enjoy our daily life. As a result, we have a more critical eye for items that come into our home.

Now I’m taking the decluttering a step further. I’m taking two weeks away from the blog to tackle a digital decluttering project. I’m thinking of this project as a spring cleaning for my digital life!

To help with this mammoth project, I’m following the advice of Kath Younger and her class called: The Simple System To Organize Your Email, Photos, and Files (without being glued to a computer!).

For a more detailed explanation of the course, you can go here.

I’m finding her file organization tips to be incredibly helpful. Before her class, I couldn’t remember which document and/or file was in what file folder on my computer. I thought I was organized, but I was just making it harder than necessary to locate the file I needed.

I’ve also consulted this article and this one on decluttering for more tips on getting started.

Embarking on a declutttering project can be overwhelming. My eyes will likely be glazed over from staring at screens for the next two weeks! I’ll keep myself entertained with audiobooks, music playlists, and take breaks often to spend time in the garden.

Here are two playlists on Spotify to keep the decluttering process moving along! (*links may have sound and you may need to install Spotify to listen) I did want to note that Spotify has made some choices that I don’t agree with and doesn’t support marginalized groups and artists as much as they could. I’m currently researching other options and found this article to be helpful. Buying an artist’s music directly is the best way to support their work.

Check out my 52 Seasons Instagram account over the next two weeks to keep tabs on my progress and what I’m doing to encourage myself to stick with my digital spring cleaning. If you plan to declutter along with me, I’d love to hear your progress and how you’re taking breaks along the way. Share in the comments on my IG posts or in this blog post.

In case you are physically spring cleaning your home this season, here are a few books and a podcast to get you energized. Remember that leading an intentional life and understanding your relationship to items (both physical and digital) is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time.

Please share in the comments below any decluttering or home projects you have on the calendar for this month as well as resources you’ve found helpful.

GARDEN

My garden is quiet right now, but there are promises of spring popping up through the soil. Crocus and tulip bulbs have begun to emerge, and the chamomile is thriving. These verdant reminders are just enough green to keep me hopeful for spring.

WELLNESS

I have a teenager at home, which means I’m always asking myself what else I need to teach him before sending him out into the world. Teaching my son about consent is an ever-evolving conversation that began when he was young. It’s never too early to teach kids about consent. Here are some conversation starter cards to talk with kids about consent as well as a few book ideas to get you started. Talking about consent can be a difficult conversation for both children and adults, but it is vital to a healthy and thriving society. Embrace the awkwardness.

Real Self-Love Habits That Changed Me (*link may have sound)

CREATIVITY

I heard about Wild Minds from Ingrid Fetell Lee’s newsletter and was intrigued. I’m loving all the writerly tips so far! My favorite tip is that “you are free to write the worst junk in America.” It’s always nice to hear that we don’t always have to put so much pressure on ourselves when writing.

BOOKSHELF

Why do I only buy books from bookstores like BookPeople*, Libro.fm*, or Bookshop.org*?

Bookshop.org supports independent booksellers by giving 10% of their regular sales to an earnings pool. That money is then evenly divided and given to independent bookstores every six months. At the time of writing this post, they have given over $19,000,000 to local bookstores!

Libro.fm splits the profits from every audiobook purchase with the local bookstore you choose when setting up your account. This extra support gives your local bookstore a safety net to thrive even in leaner times.

Buying from your local bookstore keeps money in your community and provides jobs to bookworms right in your town or city.

Why not buy books from Amazon?

COMMUNITY

“The weather balloon (prop) became a vehicle to talk about that experience (of measuring the racial “weather” of any city or town) that realization of, when I arrive in a place as a Black person in the U.S., I’m not the only one that does it. Everyone does this, which is the unfortunate truth.”

- Ariel René Jackson from the Texas Monthly article about their weather balloon prop as a measuring tool and conversation starter for determining the racial climate of a place. I encourage you to visit Do Black and Hispanic People Feel Welcome in Austin? An Artist Surveys the City’s Racial Climate. (Texas Monthly Article) to read the article.

Lamar Beach Metro Park in Austin, Texas is renamed as Volma Overton Sr. Shores

Desegregation in Austin - a timeline and how Austin failed at desegregation in the past and how that influenced school closures over the last few years

11 National Park Sites to Honor Black History Month

Looking for information from a past blog post? Enter a keyword in the search bar at the end of this page to help you find what you’re looking for!

Don’t forget to VOTE!

Enjoy your weekend :)