My 10th grade science teacher had a sign on his desk that I can still see so clearly in my mind’s eye... his desk that was covered in piles and piles of papers (I mean I think there was a desk under there)... anyway, the sign said “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”

From my seat in the middle of the classroom I remember looking at that sign every day with curiosity, and admittedly a bit of irritation. Even by that age my bent for organization had set in deep. It made me wonder how he could get anything done or even focus long enough to teach with so much visual distraction.

Now, absolutely no offense to anyone who has a messy desk! (I know my creative friends may be cringing at the thought of an empty desk!) But, what I’ve learned over the years is...

Autumn... crisp air, fiery leaves, and don’t even get me started on all those pumpkins. It is my *favorite* time of year (hands down). Whether the leaves have started to turn in your neck of the woods or you’re not quite there yet, you may be feeling ready for a fresh Fall start. I know I am!

Although many people think of Spring as a time of renewal, I also find that feeling as we transition out of Summer and into the cooler days of Fall. It’s a time to turn back toward your home. With hot days coming to an end you may be ready to place a big pot of simmering soup on the stove, a loaf of bread in the oven, and cozy up with a cup of hot spiced cider while you wait. (Mmm, that sounds like a good home-body time to me!)

In this “nesting” time it may become apparent that your home has come out of sorts as those long summer days were filled to the brim with outside play, afternoons at the pool, or full days of play and make believe turning your home into a toy-filled-whirlwind (I speak from experience). If so, it’s time to reel it back in and refresh your space!

Here Are My 3 Steps To A Fall Refresh:

WOW... The past few months have been intense...
Not just the all around chaos of the world {I'm not sure intense is even a big enough word for that}... I'm talking specifically the things happening in my home (because I know you have so much going on in yours regardless of what's happening outside). And it's ok to acknowledge that!

For me keeping up with my home, 3 kids (the youngest who's begun climbing on everything all the time - #24/7attention), and the added business project of creating new content and services to turn The Simplifying Specialist into something bigger... has all been, ummm, exceptional.

And you know what friend, I’m tired.  Yet, it’s a good tired.  It’s a fulfilled and joyous exhaustion.  (Is that a thing?!)  I hope you can relate in some way.  Maybe it’s not creating a business, but I’m sure there’s something you’ve done that has left you feeling this happy fatigue.

In this season, I’ve been toying with the idea of capacity and stretch, as it kept coming back to me when I thought I had nothing left in me to give.  Sometimes I acknowledged it was time to throw in the towel (for the day) and other times I knew I needed to push and stretch (for an hour or afternoon or whole evening more).

But here’s what I’ve ultimately decided on and what I’d like to share with you today... your capacity has a fine line, but one that moves with the day.  It’s only when you push outside your comfort zone to stretch yourself that you learn what that true capacity is.  But it’s in this too that you learn more deeply about yourself, about what you need in any given moment, and how to give yourself the grace to acknowledge when your limit has been met. {oh, that's good stuff - read that part again!}

An island of calm... ohhhh... how lovely does that sound? Do you instantly create a vision of what that looks like? I do. I imagine bright blue skies over an expanse of powdery sand that meets warm turquoise water... there’s a salty breeze that carries the distinct smell of the ocean, and a rhythmic sound of waves softly lapping on the shore. {Sit with that a moment}​

Then boom! Flashback to reality, let me share with you the chaos I’m *actually* sitting in: outside it’s dark, dreary, and the threat of rain has forced us inside, the living room floor is littered with an overabundance of brightly colored toys making sounds and music atop my kids’ giggles and tromping noises (with an occasional fuss and argument thrown in for good measure), and the scent... well, that’s still distinct, but not quite like the ocean... it’s the scent of my oil diffuser being overtaken by a new dirty diaper. #MomLife Where’s that island again?

Curious yet, why I’m having you swoon over an island dream when I know that’s clearly not most of our realities? {It’s definitely not mine}

Because I want you to feel that relaxed calm feeling at some point in your day. I don’t want it to be all noise and dirty diapers (or whatever your chaos is), and I know you don’t either. You deserve to relax. {Say that with me and breathe it in “I deserve to relax”}

That leads us to the question, how can we get more of those good feels in the middle of our real life moments? How do we create our own version of an island of calm amidst the chaos?

What happens when you’re out of alignment in life and how in the world do you fix it?” Great question! I’m going to shed light on that today! This concept can certainly apply to both your body and your life. Today I’m feeling it in my body, do you know the feeling? When you’re just knocked a bit out of sorts. I may have played too hard trying to keep up with the kiddos, and I’m paying for it now! {Hello 40}​

But, the kink in my neck and ache in my back led me to the idea of how alignment also applies to my life. When your thoughts, beliefs, and actions all line up with your purpose it is an amazing feeling (like when your body is in perfect working order, and you don’t even really think about the wonder of it all). You go about your day in a flow and feeling unstoppable. {Man, I love those days!}

But what happens when the opposite is true - when there’s a disconnect in what you believe, what you want, and what you do? The day doesn’t go as smooth, your vibe is off, and your emotions are more negative than positive. {Bleh}

So what’s a gal to do?