CLEAN (& happy!)

After reading an AWESOME article in June's "Real Simple" ("99 Low Cost Organizing Ideas")... I got super motivated to de-clutter and I DID it!!! In less than an hour!!! My house seriously looks amazing now... and I feel sooo happy. (And I spent all of NO MONEY organizing and de-cluttering... thanks to a lot of the great tips in the article!)

This, my friends, is my Happy Box. I created it during my de-cluttering/organizing rush in an effort to apply the very good advice I found in the May "Real Simple" (obviously, I LOVE that magazine). The article was about finding your own space; a place where you can go to unwind and essentially treat yourself to a few moments of relaxation (definitely needed here). I filled a basket (my "box") with things that make me happy and help me relax when I am alone. When Peter's napping and I need some relaxation time, I get my box, sit in "my place" (which I guess is our couch, since we don't have many furniture options!), and do whatever I want... without worrying about the dishes, or the laundry... or anything else. It seriously makes me SO HAPPY and it works at helping me feel rejuvenated and better handle everything I need to do every day.

Here's what's in my Happy Box (forgive the sideways pictures; I don't have time to fix it!):

• magazines, catalogs, and projects I may want to look at or work on:

• a mini box with cards/notes from loved ones, my book be happy (a Valentine's Day present from Robert), stationary, and paper for writing notes (or for writing creatively), and of course, a small amount of chocolate:

• all my poetry books (I LOVE poetry and hardly ever find the time to read it) and books I'm reading (currently working on "Jesus the Christ" by James E. Talmage):

Seriously, I am a Happy Box believer. Everyone should have a Happy Box!!! (-Jocelyn)