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Every item in your home should serve a purpose. If it doesn’t, it is only in your way and should be purged. That goes for your paper keepsakes as well. The purpose of keepsakes is to preserve moments from your past that reflect who you have been, are and will become. So many people struggle to maintain control over this category of items because they lack a clear vision of what that means. The bad news is that there is no one-size-fits-all description I can give you, because it varies from person to person. The good news is that you don’t need me to give you one, because you can create one for yourself. It’s not the specific parameters that matter...it’s that you have some.

Think about your paper keepsakes like artifacts in a museum, where you are the curator. These are items that you select that tell a story about your life. Another way to look at it is to imagine that your stash of keepsakes is a time capsule you are sending to your future self and those you leave behind. What is most important to remember? What are the milestones, achievements, values and memories that have shaped who you are? Who were the people that mattered to you or impacted your life? 

I recently combed through my own enormous stash of disorganized keepsakes and made some tough decisions about what to keep and what not to. I was able to pare it waaayy down from four oversized plastic bins to four small boxes (one for each member of my family). It was a lot easier once I laid some boundaries. Here are some examples of the ground rules I followed in case they may help you in setting your own guidelines:

1. ​I only kept cards and letters from people who were, or had been, particularly meaningful in my life and that contained a personal message that had touched my heart in a profound way.
2. I only kept memories from someone else’s wedding if those couples were still together and remained part of my life.
3. I only kept my children’s artwork that was particularly representative of who they were at the time. Since a lot of it fell into this category, I selected just my favorite examples.
4. I only saved items from my own childhood that represented important milestones, accomplishments, places or memories that had shaped my worldview. My selections had to trigger more than just a fond, fun memory. 
5. Anything I had completely forgotten about or that I couldn’t quickly and easily identify got tossed immediately.
6. Whenever I had multiple items relating to the same memory, I kept only one or two of the most meaningful and representative.​

​
Those were my rules. Yours may be completely different. The point is to decide what they are first. Write them down as a guide for when those really tough decisions arise...and they will. While you are unlikely to miss anything you ultimately decide to toss, making the decision to toss it can feel in that moment like deciding to chop off your own arm. Be brave and remember that avoiding that unpleasantness is probably how you ended up with such a big pile of stuff to go through.

Try some of these strategies to make it easier:

• Limit your available space - Determine how much space you are willing to devote just to keepsakes. Keep in mind that for every box of memories you store, that’s one box of something else you can’t store. Once your defined space limit has been reached, it’s time to either purge or stop collecting.
• Pick a number - Similar to limiting your available space, defining ahead of time how many cards, how many pieces of artwork, how many certificates of achievement you can keep will force you to select only the most meaningful.
• Establish a (small) “Discard After Death” box - This is for storing items that only have meaning to you but will mean nothing to anyone else. Clearly mark it to let the finder know that its contents can be tossed upon your death. This will be extremely helpful to whomever is tasked with going through all of your belongings after you are gone. It gives them permission to ignore the entire box and focus instead on the keepsakes that will convey some meaning to them.
• Involve your children - Particularly when it pertains to memories related to them, including your kids in the decision-making process not only ensures that you are making correct assumptions about what’s significant in their eyes, it also models for them how to make similar decisions about their own keepsakes. If they don’t care about or remember a piece of artwork they made, perhaps that’s not the best one to keep. 
• Transform it - Whether you turn a paper keepsake into something practical you can use or display, or record the same memory in a different format, there are lots of ways to honor the significance of certain artifacts without storing them all in a box where you will rarely see them. (See the shaded area below for some ideas.)​

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If you're suffering from what I call "Covid Fog", you are not alone! Almost everyone I've talked to has experienced this phenomenon on some level during the past six months. Covid Fog is when you have difficulty sharpening your focus and/or maintaining it for as long as you used to before the Coronavirus pandemic shooed each of us into our respective corners of quarantine. Several factors contribute to creating Covid Fog: looser schedules, more frequent interruptions, lack of structure, changes in routine, mild depression, fatigue, boredom, grief, a dearth of motivation, and lapses in self-care are just some of them. Whatever the cause, the results can affect everything from your job performance to quality of life issues. Adopting strategies to help you find your focus is an essential first step in coping with the uncertainty that is 2020.

Here are my top tips for finding and maintaining your focus:

1. Create a routine framework. Go on autopilot for everyday tasks like personal hygiene, meal preparation and household chores or errands. When you do the same thing in the same order at the same time of the day or week, you become more efficient and are less likely to forget a step.
2. Plan your day/week in advance. This allows you to do all the focus-intensive strategizing at one time and enables you to create an overall approach that saves both time and effort and minimizes the unexpected.
3. Use calendars and lists to keep track of even minor tasks and appointments. In addition to ensuring you don't forget something, the mere act of documenting your to-dos helps to re-focus your attention and recalibrate your anxiety level about the challenges in front of you.
4. Perform your most attention-demanding tasks during your "prime time". Are you a morning person, or do you work better at night? Plan your day accordingly.
5. Adopt a movement strategy. Engaging in some small physical movement can re-focus your attention. Create a menu of options and keep it handy for times when you feel your concentration slipping. Taking a five minute break to walk around the block, climb a few flights of stairs, or toss a tennis ball in the air will pay dividends in your productivity.
6. Reduce electronic distractions. Turn off all non-essential devices, close unnecessary tabs on your browser, and silent notifications to reduce interruptions while working. 
7. Try the Pomodoro Method to stay focused on a task. This involves setting a timer and working only on the designated task until the timer goes off. Then take a short 3-5 minute break before resuming work. (This break would be the perfect time to engage in your movement strategy.)
8. Create an effective tickler system. Remember things that pop into your mind while you're doing something else by recording these to-do items in a manner that ensures they re-surface at a later time. You'll be better able to continue giving the task at hand your full attention instead of devoting brain space trying to remember the new thought.
9. Make self-care a priority. Resist the urge to zoom in your pajamas. Showering and dressing just as you would if you were going out to work will subconsciously encourage you to take your work more seriously.
10. Create a clutter-free space in which to work or retreat when you feel overwhelmed. Visual noise creates distraction and stress. Spending a few minutes before you begin working to tidy up your workspace is a worthwhile investment. If creating a clutter-free zone inside your home is too difficult, go outside to work or to take a nature break when you feel overwhelmed.
11. Power your brain with the right kind of food. Instead of grazing on snacks while you work, take a break to actually focus on your meals so that your brain registers that you've eaten. You'll feel more satisfied and less sluggish if you're choosing healthy options instead of carb- and sugar-laden junk foods.
12. Establish some boundaries. Make it clear to family members, friends and roommates when you are working and wish to be left undisturbed, but also communicate your work availability clearly to bosses and co-workers to avoid the stress of feeling constantly on-call. By avoiding intrusions on either side wherever possible, you will be better able to meet the needs of each group during their designated times.
13. Build in a cushion for the unexpected. Some interruptions are unavoidable. Reduce the stress they can cause by making sure you have a back-up plan for when hiccups occur.
14. Set flexible goals whenever possible. Shower both yourself and others with as much grace as you can afford to give. Everyone needs more of that right now and it will likely come back to you just when you need it most.
15. Reward yourself for staying focused. Whether it's ten minutes to get on social media, a bubble bath at the end of the day, or a snuggle break with your kids, give yourself something to look forward to after all that hard work spent concentrating.
16. Breathe!

With a little intention, perseverance, and these strategies, even finding your focus through the Covid Fog can be easy peasy.

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Could it be that it was only eight short months ago when we were ringing in the new year and ushering in a brand-new, shiny decade full of hope? The anticipation of the coming U.S. presidential election and Olympic Summer Games energized the country and the world. In our house, it was the beginning of the countdown to our first-born starting her senior year of high school in September and turning 18 in October. Our son was eagerly awaiting a summer of hard training for his next vigorous cross country season in the Fall. My organizing business was finally booming and my husband’s career humming along very nicely. 2020 promised to be a banner year for the Sheridan family. 

Then BAM! Seemingly out of the blue, a pandemic of epic proportions, quarantines, school closures, sports cancellations, postponed primaries...followed by murder hornets, protests, wildfires, hurricanes, fire tornadoes…and worst of all, death--lots of it, job losses, endless bread lines, potential foreclosures, and financial ruin for many...all piled up in a big heap, bringing everything to a standstill. The old saying that the only things in this life that are a certainty are death and taxes never hit more close to home. So here we are: at the crossroads of hope and uncertainty. What now? How do we merge these two seemingly divergent paths into one? How do we maintain hope amid all this chaotic uncertainty?

First, let’s take a step back to consider just why confronting uncertainty is so uncomfortable for most of us. Perhaps it’s because it threatens our need to feel in control. If we can’t see a roadblock up ahead, we can’t take an alternate route or steer around it to our advantage. Right now, most of us are just wondering when...when schools and businesses will reopen; when we’ll get financial relief; when a vaccine will be available that can allow us to resume something resembling normalcy. It’s hard to keep up with all the unexpected twists, turns and detours on Rt. 2020. Nevertheless, there are still three very crucial things that do remain totally within our control, should we choose to exert it. Let’s start there:

Self-Care 
Whether you are ill (from anything) or fit as a fiddle, the choices you make about caring for yourself will affect how you feel both physically and mentally. Tune in to your body, as well as your soul, and make changes in any of the following areas, if necessary, to improve your well-being:

• Eating well gives you the right kind of fuel for fighting an illness or working extra hours to put food on the table. Putting the right kind of gas in your tank energizes you and lifts your spirits.
• Getting enough rest allows your brain to focus more easily on the tasks and responsibilities you face without burning you out.
• Exercising regularly lowers your stress levels, helps you sleep better, and increases your energy for confronting the challenges ahead of you.
• Wearing a mask, hand washing and social distancing protects you and others around you from the dangers of potential infection. Just as importantly, you’ll be doing something proactive to help restore public health, which is empowering. Your mask can transform you from a victim into a superhero!
• Finding your center recharges you and allows you to keep moving ahead. Whether that's snuggles with the kiddos/spouse, walks alone, a long hot soak in the tub, or prayer/meditation, finding and tending to your center is essential self-care.

    
Attitude
Whether you are quarantining alone or with others, your overall attitude plays a major role in your ability to cope with your situation. Keeping your outlook positive despite your circumstances will not only boost your own spirits, it can become a beacon of hope for others who may need a reminder of all the goodness still surrounding us. Attitude is how your perspective and priorities dictate how you interface with the world around you.

• Keeping a positive perspective means choosing to see whatever hardships you may be facing as merely a temporary setback instead of an insurmountable obstacle. Just as with forming any new habit, focusing on the positives instead of the negatives takes effort at the start but becomes easier over time. Starting a gratitude journal is an excellent way to change your daily perspective. There’s always something to be grateful for, no matter how down on your luck you may be in that moment. Challenging yourself to write it down brings it into sharper focus where you can fully appreciate it.
• Prioritizing the common good over self offers you a golden opportunity to become a better person while helping others at the same time. Whether you’re volunteering at a soup kitchen, mentoring a young person struggling in school, donating food or money for the unemployed, or working extra hours as an essential worker, prioritizing your contribution to the greater good gives you a sense of purpose, of belonging to something bigger than yourself in a way that benefits everyone. Who doesn’t want that? 

Actions
Whether you are working multiple jobs as an essential worker, furloughed at home desperately seeking employment, or finding yourself in the unexpected role of homeschooling parent, your actions are always a matter of choice and thus totally under your control. How well are your actions reflecting the attitude you want to convey? Are you eating junk food on the sofa, yelling at the other side’s politicians on TV, wallowing in gloom, self-pity and self-loathing, or are you reaching out to make a positive impact, using your available time to engage in proper self-care, helping others, hopeful thinking, and positive self-talk? The choice is yours. Make a good one.

Let's face it: this has been a difficult year so far and the only thing we can be certain of is that yet more uncertainty surely lies around the next corner. But by staying focused on the things that are still within your control, even confronting uncertainty with hope intact can be easy peasy.

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Have you ever noticed how time-consuming consuming food can be? First we have to decide what food to eat. Then we have to acquire the food. Next, we have to prepare the food. After that, we actually eat the food. And finally, we must clean up from preparing and eating the food. And this cycle never ends. Most of us perform each of these tasks several times, every single day. It stands to reason that any effort to simplify our lives must include simplifying how we consume food.

Whether you are cooking for a large family or eating alone, a little planning can go a long way toward saving valuable time, effort, money and energy in the kitchen. Knowing in advance what's on the menu will allow you to take advantage of some shortcuts and ultimately leave you feeling less stressed and more satisfied by your meals. As you may have gathered, I'm a big advocate of meal planning and have created this free guide and menu planner to help teach you just how easy peasy it can be. But whether you plan a week's worth of dinners in advance or not, here are a few tips to help you simplify your eating:

• Keep a list of your favorite meals and add to it as you try new things. Include a few "pantry meals" that require only ingredients you tend to keep on hand for a last-minute rescue when needed.
• If cooking for multiple people, choose dishes that can be easily modified to suit everyone's diet and taste preferences to avoid feeling like a short-order cook.
• Create a shopping list before heading to the store to ensure you don't forget key items you need and cut down on impulse buys.
• Eat meals that center around the same ingredients to avoid food waste and to save time on prep.
• Prep ingredients for several meals at a time in advance or purchase ingredients that are already partially prepared. (Salad bars are a great place to purchase pre-chopped veggies for any meal.)
• Cook extra and divide the leftovers into individual portions to freeze or refrigerate for later use.
• Minimize the number of dishes you use in preparing food to make cleanup quicker and easier. (One-pot meals are the best!)
• Use pre-made mixes to save time without sacrificing that homemade yumminess.
• Create and store frequently-used herb/spice combinations in larger batches in order to save time. 
• Use your grill! Grilling adds tons of flavor with little to no prep work and no pots or pans to wash.
• Eat the same breakfast and lunch every day (or have 2-3 you alternate between) to simplify your shopping list.
• Identify a healthy take-out dinner alternative for nights when life makes cooking impossible. (My go-to "emergency dinner" is a rotisserie chicken, loaf of fresh-baked bread and bagged caesar salad picked up from the grocery store on my way home.)
• Plan your cooking around your calendar. Busy days should require less time in the kitchen.
• If you don't enjoy cooking, just keep it really simple: grilled or baked meat/protein + vegetables + (optional) starch.
• Look for recipes requiring 5 or fewer ingredients. (Check out the recipes in our Meal Planning and Recipe section.)
• Do a "dinner swap" with a friend. You each make a large batch of a dinner entree. Divide your batch in half; keep one half and swap the other. This way you only have to cook once but end up with two different meals.
• Memorize your favorite recipes to save time, or create a "cheat sheet" of the measurements to hang on your fridge so that you don't have to look it up each time.
• Involve the whole family in the cooking and cleanup to lighten the burden and teach kids some life skills.
• Learn and master time-saving kitchen hacks. (Follow @Blossom on Instagram for some really clever videos.)
• Eat breakfast for dinner. (This was my mother's favorite cooking cheat. I mean, what's easier after a busy day than whipping up some scrambled eggs or a bowl of cereal?)

The most important rule of all to follow when it comes to cooking and eating your food is to enjoy the moment! Take a much-needed break from your daily stresses as you eat. If you're eating with others, enjoy the time together and some good conversation. If you're eating alone, enjoy the quiet solitude and time to reflect. Either way, put your phone down, turn off the TV, and give yourself some time to unwind. Eating should be about replenishing your mind and soul, as well as your body. Be present in the moment. You invested a lot of time and effort in creating it...make it worth it!

With a few tips and a healthy appetite, even keeping food simple can be easy peasy.

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