Making Way for the Capsule Wardrobe

Lately I've been so, so tired of my clothes. I'm sure it's just a phase, prompted perhaps by the fact that I can't fit into a lot of my stuff at the moment. Forget that I am tired of my clothes... my clothes also look tired. I held up a denim skirt that I must have had for over a decade (thrifted, I'm sure) and the Sailor took one look at it and said: 'That looks OLD. Give it away.'

It reminded me of when I first left Africa. I had a backpack full of tie-dye dresses and wrap skirts and even (shudder) capris. I thought they looked cute and then I returned to London en route back to America and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. 

Oh MY.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for people having their own style. Tie-dye skirts worked for me in the heat of West Africa, but they weren't doing a thing for me anywhere else. Someone else could maybe get away with them in London, but not me.

I knew I needed to do something about my current state of dress, so I started reading about capsule wardrobes. Don't ask me how I stumbled on it... lots of surfing on my iPhone and nook in the wee hours when feeding the little guy. 

Regardless of how I got there, I started looking at all of these images of capsule wardrobes and I thought: why doesn't my closet look this trim? Why do I have so many clothes? (Just Google 'capsule wardrobes' and look under images... you may go nuts, too.) I'm turning 40 this year and I'm now a mother. There were clothes in my wardrobe that were better suited for a college student. And the Sailor was right. I'm hard on my clothes, so a lot of stuff looked tired. 

I already look tired most days. I don't need clothing that validates this.

I grew up bargain hunting. Twenty dollars could buy a shirt at a department store (or half a shirt, depending on where you shopped), or a whole giant bag of clothing at Goodwill. I usually chose the latter. More was more, in my book. 

During my pregnancy I only had a few outfits that served as my maternity 'uniform' if you will. Laundry several times a week and I had a whole wardrobe. I didn't need eight pairs of jeans. One or two well-fitting ones, a few tops and two long cardigans did the trick just fine. 

I've talked about cleaning out closets here, and even though I started the process back in late 2014, I finally got serious about it more recently.

I meticulously went through EVERYTHING in my closet and got rid of the stuff that I didn't like anymore or just didn't feel great in. Even if I had my pre-pregnancy body back right now, there was a lot of stuff that I just kept, well because. It didn't look great, I didn't feel great wearing it, and it mainly sat there staring at me from a hanger, willing me to actually like it. 

I still didn't. 

Sometimes less is far more.

So I offloaded a trunk full of the stuff at a local thrift store (bonus, it's tax deductible). 

I'm not saying to get rid of all of your clothes. And of course my situation is vastly different from someone with an office job. I still have workout wear and goodness knows, enough lounge wear to choke a horse these days since I'm usually covered in something that came out of a baby. But as far as the clothes I wear in public? I don't need much. And that's really freeing. Because nowadays, it takes long enough to get out the door with a baby. I don't need those extra minutes staring at clothes in my closet trying to figure out what to wear. 

I have a ways to go... there are few items I'm on the hunt for (quality over quantity) and some days I feel like I'm still trying to find my style. But I'm getting there. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I think there's a load of laundry calling my name.

Closet Cleaning

It's been a week since Fall officially started on the calendar, and I've seen boots and sweaters galore out and about in town. I usually chuckle to myself, because where I live, temperatures are still in the 70s and 80s during the day. 

Just because the calendar says Fall, it doesn't necessarily mean it's boot weather yet, although I did find myself in a pair of jeans this week. No boots though. It's still sandal weather in my book. 

Nevertheless, I found myself itching to at least organize and winterize my wardrobe. The Peanut is sprouting fast and I realized I should make some more room in the apartment for his growing wardrobe, while sorting out my disheveled piles of clothing in the meantime.

I packed away a lot of my clothes during my pregnancy, in part to make room for the few maternity clothes I had. I didn't want to keep reaching for a pair of shorts that didn't fit. I also figured that it would be like a giant shopping spree once I lost the pregnancy weight and opened the suitcase of clothes that I had previously packed away. 

Although I'm still in between sizes, I unpacked the suitcase this week and got to work sorting out my clothes. One thing I learned in nine months of gaining weight... I do NOT need a ton of clothes. While I'm absolutely tired of wearing the same few tank tops and shorts, I realized over the summer that a person doesn't need a lot of clothes to get by in life.

It's made me rethink how I approach dressing myself. I'm definitely trying to buy (and keep!) items that are quality, that I love and that actually look good on me.

I didn't check my Bloglovin' feed this week until today. Frankly, I was too busy cleaning my closet and feeding the Peanut. Ironically, by the time I caught up this morning, I noticed a bevy of blogs had posted about closet cleanings. They've all got great tips, so read them for inspiration if you're also hankering to clean your closet!

Here are my favorites: 

Weekend Goal: Clean Out My Closet

How to Clean Your Closet (and make a little cash)

7 Questions to Ask When Cleaning out Your Closet

Plus, I've previously posted about Spring Cleaning, and frankly, Fall Cleaning shouldn't be much different.  

What are you waiting for? Go forth and find those boots in the back of your closet. Even if the temps are still in the 80s, at least you won't be scrambling for them when the weather finally starts to cool off. Your feet will eventually thank you. 

Pinterest Disinterest

I know that we are not quite halfway through 2014, but I always feel like June 1st marks the turning point when time starts to fly. Summer may not officially start for a few more weeks, but most people tend to mark the changing of the seasons right after Memorial Day. 

I feel like summer usually buzzes by in a heartbeat and then before I know it, it's fall and the holidays are around the corner. 

EEK! 

With the year nearly half over, it's time to assess where I am with my (ahem) 'goals' for the year. Remember when I talked about non-New Year's Resolutions here? I mentioned that I wanted to make better use of Pinterest. 

I signed up for this addictive website soon after it took off, and I spent way too long pinning stuff to my boards, and then drooling over my keyboard, with my head in the clouds. 

And then, in a moment of sheer frustration, I took every one of my pins and boards down, in defiance to Pinterest's sketchy copyright statement at the time. Then, once they fixed that, I didn't want to revisit the site because I wasn't okay with my stuff being public for anyone to see. I'm pretty sure they've made the whole site less complex now and you can actually make your stuff private, but the thing is, I've been okay with not going back there. 

You see, every time I think I have a spare moment to peruse the site and start pinning stuff again, I start to think about how addictive it can be. It's so easy to create your boards and lists and then later you wonder how and if you'll ever have time to cook those recipes, knit those slippers and shop for those clothes on your boards. 

And when I look at these perfect photos and sites, I start comparing myself to other bloggers and people in general... and I'm ashamed to say that sometimes the green-eyed monster comes for a visit. 

So, for now, I'm still going to avoid Pinterest. Frankly, I have enough craftiness and creativity spinning around my head right now, and enough of my own perhaps pin-able projects, that Pinterest is just going to get in my way.

Pinterest, I know you are amazing. But for now, I'm still going to avoid you... because let's face it, you're a total distraction.  
 
How about you? Are you on Pinterest? Is it useful, or do you just find yourself spending hours on there and then not getting anything done? 

Magazine Mayday

It's May 1st, and by now many of us have spring cleaning on the to do list. After all, summer is just around the corner. 

Spring cleaning or even spring sorting a constant thing around here. It seems like every week I find something that I don't use or wear regularly, and it either gets re-purposed, or it makes its way out the door to the nearest thrift store as a donation. 

Today, I discovered that I had a
magazine mayday on my hands. 

I do have a healthy magazine obsession. Ever since I was a teenager, I've been perusing the magazine rack at all manner of stores that carry them. Whenever I travel I purchase one or two magazines that I normally wouldn't buy on a regular basis. The Sailor brings my favorite one back from South Africa whenever he flies through there. And I do tend to leave several laying around the apartment because they're easier to pick up and skim through than a book on most days. 

Buying a magazine or getting one in the mail as part of a subscription is still one of life's little treats for me. And as much as I love technology, there is something so calming about sitting in a comfy chair and paging through an actual magazine.

I have this rule though that if the magazines don't fit in the holders on the shelf, and if the magazine rack is overflowing, then I need to clear a few out. 

(Surprise surprise... the magazines no longer fit in the holders, and the magazine rack is about to burst.)

Something needs to be done. 

I'll be posting some ideas on what to do with that stash of magazines you may also have multiplying around your own home. In the meantime, I'm going to grab a snack and flip through the latest issues that I haven't gotten around to reading yet! 

Cooking up a Recipe Organizer

As much as chaos often contributes to my creative process, eventually it has to give way to a little order at some point. 

Years ago, when I lived in the UK, I didn't really know how to cook. I hadn't amassed the cookbooks I have now, and the Internet certainly wasn't as readily accessible, especially at home. Instead, I had a few recipes scribbled in journals and on index cards given to me by friends and family. I also took to checking cookbooks out of the library and then handwriting the recipes I wanted to try out.  

I had a little journal that I used to keep track of which recipes I tried. My rule was that the recipe couldn't go into the cooking journal until I actually made it (and of course it had to be successful...) The problem was, I had way more recipes I wanted to try than the ones I'd actually made, and nowhere to put them.
 
Some things never change -- even across an ocean. For a long time (too long) I've collected a stack of recipes in a pile, thinking I'd eventually do something with them. Eventually finally happened. Around Christmas time, when I couldn't find the recipes for the cookies I wanted to bake, I knew I had to sort these things out, pronto. 

Last week, I finally got so fed up with the pile of recipes, that I commandeered the kitchen table and threw everything on top of there to sort out the paper mess. 

I found a few neat blank books at a craft show in Pennsylvania before we moved, from ReNewed Intent. They had all kinds of re-purposed blank books -- I picked out two that were recreated from old cookbooks. You can shop ReNewed Intent right here on Etsy. 

All I did was sort out the recipes according to category. Once that was done, the rest simply fell into place. 

I used the larger book for everything from beverages to side dishes to main courses. The smaller book holds general how-to cooking info and homemade condiments recipes. I simply pasted the recipes onto the pages. All you need is a glue stick, really.

For the recipes that were too big to glue onto the paper, I created little folders at the start of each 'chapter' to simply shove in the folded full-page recipes. I even made little tabs for each chapter.

I found another blank book to use for my pile of scrumptious dessert recipes. I found this one on clearance at Michael's -- I'm still not sure what brand it is; it's similar to a Smashbook, only it has a three-ring binder in it. I love the ready-made pockets at the front and back -- they're perfect for those little booklets I seem to collect out of magazines.

For a year I had a subscription to Food Network Magazine and I found that I would end up ripping out a few recipes and then recycling the magazine. Most of those recipes take up a few pages -- especially their 'mix and match' ones (which I love!) This blank spiral bound book was perfect. I simply punched holes and attached the full-sized recipes. 

Not to be left out, my trusty everyday bamboo recipe card holder still holds many of my favorite weekly recipes. But now I finally have a place to stash the recipes that either don't get used as often, are too big for the box, or ones I still want to try. 

I feel gloriously organized at the moment!

Now all I need to do is start cooking something from those recipes... 

Decluttering the Craft Supplies

Lately, I've felt the urge to purge my crafting supplies. Maybe I have too much stuff... or maybe it's simply cabin fever from the winter. I think it's a little of both.

Chances are, if you are a regular reader here at Typing Sunflowers, or even if you've just stumbled upon this blog, you're into creating stuff. Most of us who make things regularly have quite the stash of stuff. (See ideas for stash busting your yarn here...) 

I know it's not spring yet... but there are steps you can take to clear the clutter before spring rolls around. After all -- who wants to be inside cleaning when the weather turns nice enough to spend the whole day outdoors? (Although if you want general spring cleaning and decluttering ideas, you can read this post.)

1. Take stock of what you have. 

This may give you a fright. It certainly did me. Last week I hauled out my craft supplies from behind every nook and cranny and I just left everything on the floor, scattered hither and yon (the benefits of having a dedicated office/craft room). The next morning, when I walked into the room to open the blinds, I nearly gave myself a heart attack. I thought someone had ransacked the place while I'd been sleeping. 

It certainly gave me new insight into the amount of junk I had laying around. (Sorry I don't have many photos to show you, but I had a hard time locating my camera in the mayhem. I at least took the button pic before the real ransacking occurred.) 

2. Clear out stuff that hasn't inspired you in years -- or even months. 

Once you get over the initial shock of how much stuff you have, sort through it and figure out what you actually want to keep. 

Some of the items in my craft arsenal are either dated, or else I purchased bulk supplies and only needed one or two of the 20. Give them away to another crafty friend, donate them to a thrift store, or sell them at a swap. 

Another alternative is to keep a small basket of craft supplies aside for younger guests or even for your own children when they too want to craft. When my nieces were small, I had a bucket of scrap paper, stickers I had no use for and miscellaneous other extras that kept them entertained for hours. Now, I have a small basket that serves the same purpose when guests with children come over. 

Whatever you do: purge. If you've been holding onto stuff for years and you're still not sure what you're going to make with it, then pass it along to someone who may have an idea. 

3. Figure out your method of organization. 

Now that you've cleared out part of the stash, you can get busy actually organizing stuff. Sometimes storage space alone dictates how much stuff you can safely stash. 

For years, I kept my stuff stashed in closets and stored under the sofa. Now that I have more space, I'm trying to put items into clear containers, or at least labeled organized boxes so that I can actually see what I have to work with.

I realized I had all of these great glass containers sitting on a shelf in the dining room with nothing in them. They now live in my craft area, full of buttons and ribbons. And now, instead of searching for the box of ribbon when I have to wrap a gift at the last minute, I know exactly where to go!

If you don't have spare shelf space or if you're not into clear plastic shelving that sits on the floor, there are lots of other fun options to store items. Craft stores sell great baskets and even boxes that look like books and old trunks -- things that look classy enough sitting anywhere in a room. 

Or consider vintage alternatives. Over the years, I've found some neat train cases and vintage sewing boxes to store craft supplies. For the longest time I kept my thread in a small box all jumbled up. Last week I realized I have a great vintage sewing box that is meant for um... sewing supplies!

One of my favorite train cases houses paper travel paraphernalia (I'm partial to old postcards and letters, plus the Sailor gives me his boarding passes from flights to and from his ships. These come in handy when I try to be cheap about scrapbooking.)

Even if you don't have a lot of space to work with, at least try to give yourself a shelf in the closet, or a corner in a room where you can keep everything together.  This last part is important... if your stuff isn't together -- you may not be as inclined to actually work on things (or you'll be like me... hunting for that ribbon at the last minute!)

4. Stop Feeding the Stash!

When all else fails, and when you don't have the time or inclination to purge, at least resist the temptation to add to the stash until you've had a chance to use up some of it. Don't even walk into a craft store and if you do, stay away from the clearance rack. It only leads to more serious stash busting later! 

When I first started this blog, I made myself use up a hefty amount of my yarn stash before I was allowed to buy any new yarn.  A few months later, I rewarded myself by making up a few new yarn rules, which I still adhere to. As lovely as that yarn looks on sale, unless I know exactly what I'm going to make with it, it's staying on the shop shelf.

Now go forth and declutter that craft stash. Blue skies are going to be here before you know it and it's far easier to take your crafting outdoors if it's all organized and you can find it!

Spring Cleaning and Donations

In my last post, I mentioned spring cleaning (and finding fabulous thrifted goods as a result) as one of the bonuses of warm weather. 

What I didn't mention is that I'm also in the throes of my own spring cleaning. You see, the Sailor and I are moving in a few short weeks... and while we have lived a number of places both as singles and as a couple, this is the first time we're moving together, quite far, with STUFF. 

I don't think we have more than the average American by any means, but we've still got some stuff (my craft stuff alone seems to have multiplied when I wasn't looking). And even though we're moving to a slightly larger apartment, I don't want to haul ALL of the stuff stashed in here with us. 

So I've been purging. 

I have a few general rules about material purges. And since my life seems to consist of lists lately (hence all of the blogging lists of late!) I thought I'd also share these purging guidelines with you. (Notice I said guidelines, not rules. Exceptions, of course can be made.)

1. If you haven't worn an item of clothing for a year -- get rid of it.  

EXCEPTIONS: One or two special items -- like your wedding gear, or that sassy red dress you bought on clearance that you haven't had occasion to wear yet. However, if you have a closet full of the equivalent of sassy red dresses that you haven't worn yet, get rid of a few. 

TIPS: Some people suggest putting the hanger backwards in the closet at the start of the year (or your purge), and then when you wear the item, put the hanger the right way. At the end of the year, you can quickly see what you haven't worn. And by all means, only keep clothing that you love. If you wear something and think, 'I can't stand this' -- then get rid of it. 

SIDE NOTE: If you are waiting to lose weight to fit back into something (we're not talking about those times during the month when things fit more snug than usual -- I'm talking at least a size difference), I suggest you get rid of it. The times in my life when I have reached my heaviest, I looked at my skinny jeans and wanted to cry. Rather than motivating me to lose the weight, the skinny jeans simply reminded me of how fat I got. Likewise, when I lost the weight, I got rid of the fat jeans. I didn't need a reminder of that time period in my life -- and I certainly didn't want to keep something in expectation that I may gain weight again. 


2. If you buy something new, get rid of something equivalent in your closet or cabinet. 

EXCEPTIONS: Things you didn't have in the first place -- you can't get rid of the old blender if this is the first one you've ever purchased! Just be sure to actually use the blender.

TIPS: Just because it's cheap at the thrifts, it doesn't mean you should buy more. Thrifted items still count as 'new' even if they're old. Ask yourself: 'If money wasn't an object, do I love this item enough to pay full price for it, or am I simply buying it because it's cheap?' If you're only buying it because it costs a buck, hang it back on the rack. 

SIDE NOTE: I still bought stuff even after we knew we were moving. I know I have a Pyrex problem -- let's just get that out of the way. In my defense, I made sure I got rid of something of equal value if I bought anything. For instance, I found this Butterfly Gold loaf pan and my mom became the proud new owner of my old glass pan. 

3. Try to imagine the benefit someone else may get out of your stuff. 

EXCEPTIONS: Um. None.

TIPS: Ask yourself: 'Can someone else can use this stuff more than I do at the moment?' Think of it as a good deed for the day.

SIDE NOTE: We didn't have a lot of money growing up. We never once went 'school shopping' for new clothes. I lived in hand-me-downs until I got to college and even then, I still thrifted my way through my 20s. I remember how excited I was on the days we came home from church with a garbage bag full of clothes given to us by another family. It was like Christmas to me -- I felt like a princess. In turn, when I outgrew the stuff, my mom had me box things up and give them to the next family in line, or we donated items to Goodwill. 

An added bonus is that many thrift stores aren't out to make a profit -- your donations to them support various charities and people who may otherwise not have a job.

If you prefer to make some extra cash with yard sales, eBay, or Craigslist, consider donating a portion of your sales to a charity or non-profit involved in the recovery of the recent horrific tornadoes in Oklahoma. It's not always easy to box up your clothing and ship it to someone who may need it (and the people of Oklahoma need many things right now), but plenty of charities are able to offer support thanks to monetary donations. 

Here are a few of my favorites: 

The Red Cross: In times of disaster, the Red Cross provides shelter, food, health and mental services to help families and communities get back on their feet. 

The Salvation Army: These unsung heroes are often the first at a disaster site with mobile food canteens. (Bonus, they have thrift stores! Donate your goods directly to them.) 

Hope Force International: I have personally worked with and for this organization and can vouch for the excellent emotional and spiritual care they offer to people in disaster situations.

What's in your closet?

Small Kitchen Hints

Last weekend, I promised to share my hints for living with a small kitchen on this post. Using a doll-sized space takes some creativity, but I refuse to let the size of my kitchen dictate what I can and can't cook. Is it frustrating sometimes? Yes. Would I like more counter space? Of course! Am I able to still whip up some yummy delights? Absolutely. 

Despite the small factor, I've managed to turn my kitchen into a fully functional cooking space.  So, as promised, here are my top five small kitchen hints:  

1. Decide on your non-negotiables. Pick a few things that you simply MUST have in your kitchen, regardless of how much space they may take, or even what they may cost (within reason, of course). I've always heard the phrase, 'Buy the best you can afford'. While I love thrifting, I wanted to get good quality non-negotiables brand new, at the price I could afford.

For me, it was a set of great knives, stainless steels pots and a cast iron frying pan. (The Italian coffee-top espresso maker is a given -- there was never any negotiation involved in that one.) 

We married overseas and had a small wedding -- I never registered for dishes, knives or appliances. I didn't register for anything, actually. We had nowhere to put stuff at the time, plus I'm a little anti-registry. 

Once I had my own kitchen though, I thought about my non-negotiables, purchased them and then was happy to get the rest of my kitchen stuff from thrift stores. My knives do take up a chunk of the counter space, but I can't imagine not having them accessible. The frying pan stays on the stove, and the pots stack neatly inside one another under the oven.  

2. Everything must be FULLY functional. Having a small kitchen means you can't really have stuff laying around that simply looks pretty. That doesn't mean you can't have pretty things. 

One look at Vintage Pyrex and you can see that my kitchen is chock full of functional and pretty things. Problem solved. I am particularly enamored with the refrigerator dishes. (See more reasons why here.) You can bake in them, store them in the fridge and lids make them stackable.

Fully functional, fun AND pretty. 

 
Plus, if you don't have the cabinet space, you can use any of your bowls for other types of storage... like yarn, for instance. 

Having functional and pretty things sometimes means getting creative. I continually swoon over vintage cake stands and covers, but I clearly don't have space for them. This past weekend, I realized that I had a glass storage container with a rubber lid that was the perfect size for the 8" cake I baked -- upside down! Even if you don't have a lid, any clear glass container would work for the size of your cake or pastry, as long as you put a plate underneath.

3. Utilize all available counter space. I don't have a dishwasher. I wash everything by hand, and I have a dish rack, which takes up precious space. 

If you're in the same boat and need more space -- wash and dry the dishes, put the rack away and use that counter space for a while until you need to wash the dishes again. I know this seems basic, but I can't tell you how many times I've stared at the kitchen, willing an island to pop up out of nowhere, when this little corner was simply waiting for me to put the dry dishes away. 

I've also seen things that you can put over a sink in order to get more counter space. I only have one sink, and am constantly using the water from there when I cook, so it wouldn't be practical for me. But I think if you have a double sink, it would be great! (They sell these at places that sell RV supplies... and really, what better example of a small kitchen than an RV?!)  

I do have a wonderful strainer the fits over the sink, so it often comes in handy when I need more counter space. 

Of course, use the obvious: your kitchen table. My dining table happens to be right in the kitchen, so I just move stuff out of the way and onto the table when I'm cooking. 

4. Use your oven for storage. I'm always surprised at the number of people who only have a baking tray stored in their oven -- or nothing at all. I have a ton of stuff in there -- in fact all of my baking, muffin and bundt pans, plus a few Pyrex casseroles have made a home in my oven. 

Of course it means that when I use the oven, I need to remove everything. I usually just put it all on the table or on my bed. (Place an old towel on the bed in case there are yuckies stuck under the pans -- unless of course you have a spotless oven. In which case you probably have an immaculate and large kitchen... and you're reading this for entertainment rather than actual hints.) 

5. Choose smaller appliances. Unless you are a baker by trade and the Kitchen Aid stand mixer was your non-negotiable, choose appliances that are better suited for small spaces. After borrowing my mother's nearly 40-year-old hand mixer for a few months, I knew I needed to look for my own. I found this Sunbeam one on sale. 

The whole thing packs into a mixing bowl with a lid. I keep it on top of my fridge. The lid keeps everything dust free, I don't have to hunt for another mixing bowl, and it takes up far less space. 

Along the same lines, I do have a blender that I love using. But unless it's the summer smoothie season, I keep it in the back of the cabinet and just use my smaller stick blender when I'm making soups and small quantities of blended goodness.  

Of course having a small kitchen doesn't mean you can't use other gadgets and gizmos. I have a giant dehydrator, a popcorn popper and yogurt maker, but they usually stay stacked in the closet until it's time to use them. 

Happy cooking, no matter what size of a kitchen you'll be using! 

Bloglovin' and Virtual Organization

I like being organized.

I like things put away, in their proper place.

I like all of my ducks in a row. Or at least the (chicken) eggs. 

I see patterns and order daily. 

Most everything in my small apartment has its own place. Chaos makes me a little crazy.

My blogroll though, was a different story. 

Until about a month ago, the list of the blogs I read and wanted to read, looked like this: 

My bookmarks, especially, were getting the better of me. I had so many bookmarks in different categories: yarn, cooking, paper, photography. I finally just created a folder called: 'blogroll' in my bookmarks. But then I'd forget to check the folder and therefore, I'd forget to check the blogs I wanted to follow.

With some blogs, I signed up for email updates. These are great, if you only follow one or two blogs (and a special shout out to you email followers who have been with me from the start... you know who you are!) But if you follow lots of different blogs, it starts to clog your inbox.  

Thankfully, I discovered Bloglovin'. Bloglovin' is a user-friendly site that lets you read blogs, search for them, sign up to follow them, and then get as many or as little notifications as you like when those blogs update. 

I didn't need much convincing. I signed up right away and got busy following other blogs. 

Now, once a day, I get one email update that combines ALL of the blogs I follow on one page, with a little blurb and thumbnail photo from each. To read the rest of the post, I just click on the link. 

When I login on the Bloglovin' website, it lists all of the blogs I follow, in ONE place. 

Sheer brilliance. 

Seriously. This may have revolutionized my virtual organization skills.

I noticed this week that I got a little giddy when I described the site to a few friends. I decided you all needed to know too, in case you weren't already a fan of Bloglovin'.

You may or may not have your own way to organize the blogs you read. Maybe you like getting 28 emails twice a day from other bloggers. Perhaps you enjoy the hunt of checking your favorite blog daily... trying to guess which day it will actually update. Or maybe you like sitting down with a nice cuppa' on the weekend and reading the latest 14 posts from each of your favorite blogs. 

If you're anything like me though, then those ideas weren't working out for you. Sign up for Bloglovin'. Post your own blog so people can follow you there. And say hello to virtual organization. 

(Disclaimer: I received no compensation from Bloglovin' for this post -- I simply think they rock.)