Well, hello there friends…it’s been a little while since we’ve caught up on life behind-the-blog! This month I’m sharing a big ol’ character flaw, my plans for the summer, and our thoughts on pets. So grab your favorite beverage and let’s catch up!

Catch up on past Coffee Break posts HERE!

Paralysis By Over-Analysis

This is something I’ve wanted to write about for while now. Then in light of some recent blog comments (all good natured!), I’ve been thinking about it even more. It’s a “problem” I consider myself a chronic “sufferer” of: paralysis by over-analysis. Maybe you have it too?

The design aspect of almost every project is a major struggle for me. More often than not, what is truly “quick and easy” in the final execution stages, is usually the result of hours and hours and weeks and weeks of brainstorming, testing, analyzing, over-thinking, and agonizing over details both big and small. And if when I do finally kick myself into making a decision and “just go for it,” I quite often course correct, start over, or quit all together. There are loads of projects you haven’t seen because they just didn’t turn out; and I’ve even shared in recent weeks that both our Master Bedroom Closet and our Linen Closet took me faaaar longer than they needed too…simply because I couldn’t decide on shelf liners, baskets, and label designs.

This doesn’t happen on every project, but certainly more than you likely realize. I often regret decisions I agonized over for months; and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten my really “brilliant” ideas late into a project (or even after the fact). It’s actually happened so many times now that I sometimes dread getting started because of all the work I’ll do and then re-do to get it “right.” For someone who doesn’t have a ton of extra time, you can imagine the waste of resources, lack of productivity, and downright frustration this causes me on a fairly regular basis.

I’m not at all sharing this for sympathy or concern (it’s just how I was made!) Rather, I think blogs (and social media even more so!) give this impression that 1) everything is quick and easy; 2) bloggers/influencers know exactly what they’re doing; and 3) they get it right every single time. Even though I know none of this is true for myself, even I make these same assumptions about the bloggers I read and follow.

Rather, I’d just like you to know that I agonize too. I stress (excessively) over which font to put on my labels and which color to put on my walls. I worry that something won’t turn out to the point of not getting started. I hate wasting time, money, and supplies, and I hate getting things wrong.

More often than not though, I typically get to a point where I just throw my hands up and “go for it.” Knowing that we’re renting for a short period of time usually motivates me into action, but so does the realization that I can fix or re-do anything. Yes, I get annoyed when I need to re-do a step or regret a color choice. But I’ve done this all enough to know that doing something…even if I didn’t get it “quite right”…is almost better than doing nothing at all.

Blog Burnout

This past Spring was a doozy for me behind-the-scenes. I participated in two product launches for Cricut, launched the new Organization Toolbox, and did a ton of back-end work for my site re-design. After months of charging hard, I found myself with a pinched nerve in my shoulder (too much clicking) and a steep sleep deficit. When projects and posts started taking me waaaaay too long to complete, I recognized what was going on: blog burnout.

In the past, I’ve taken weeks off at a time, but I’m not feeling the need to do that this time around. I hate being away too long! But it’s summer, and the world is re-opening, and I can’t really use my right arm…so I think a slower schedule is in order. I’ll still be posting on Tuesdays and Fridays…but if I just don’t have a post ready, I may skip a day here and there unannounced. By September, I plan to be back on my steady Tuesday/Friday schedule!

Ask Megan!

Q: How much time do you need to return your rental home to what it was, before you move on to a new home ?

A: Getting ready to vacate a rental home is always a process. We don’t typically find out where we’re moving to until about 4ish months beforehand; and the new location often determines how much we need to do (or should I say, how much we need to get rid of!). Each home is a little different, but here is our general timeline/process:

  • As soon as we know where we’re going, we start to look for a new home and begin the decluttering process.
  • About 4-6 weeks before we are scheduled to pack out, we intensify our decluttering efforts, start to sell furniture/items that won’t be moving with us, and consolidate like items from all around the house. We also start eating up all of our food and freezer items.
  • About 2 weeks out, I start to bag up not-frequently-used items (e.g., extra bedding, off-season clothes, tools, etc) and find new homes for things that can’t be packed (e.g., paint, cleaning supplies, gas tanks, etc).
  • About 1 week out, I start to bag up most things (e.g., toys, clothes, office/craft supplies, etc)
  • The 2-3 days before movers come is when we take items off the walls (including art, mirrors, curtain rods, peel-and-stick wallpapers, etc).
  • Typically DURING or AFTER everything is packed and moved out of the house is when we fill holes, re-paint walls, and do other repairs, carpet cleanings, etc. This can sometimes take a few days depending on how much we have to do and if we pay for professional painters, cleaners, etc.

Q: Do you have a pet? Can’t remember reading about one.

A: (I don’t want to loose friends on this answer…but here goes 100% honesty!) No pets…and never will. I never had a pet growing up and have a mild fear of dogs. I’m allergic to cats and can’t handle the smell of fish food. Our poor kids ask all the time, but I don’t think I will ever ever ever give in.

Curious about something…anything? Ask away in the form below, and I’ll answer in a future Coffee Break!

That’s it for this monthly Coffee Break. Thanks for catching up with me, and I hope you have a great July!

See You Soon!
Megan