Archive for March, 2010
The art of packing light
I can’t even tell you how excited I am right now! We’re leaving for Japan on Friday (for 2 weeks) and I’ve just finished up a big project for one of my clients, which means I’m officially on vacation (for a whole month – being my own boss is awesome). [Insert excited squeal]
The boyfriend and I decided that we’d travel light to Japan, meaning we’ll only have a small wheeled carry-on suitcase and my tote bag for personal items like clothes and travel documents plus an average size checked suitcase (also wheeled) for gifts from Canada for family and friends we’ll meet in Japan (and the unavoidable gifts and souvenirs we’ll bring back).
While the boyfriend isn’t a packrat, he doesn’t really share my enthusiasm for minimalism (yet) so it was decided that I’ll use the carry-on suitcase for my clothes only (instead of his and mine as originally planned), and he’ll get to use the bigger suitcase for his (and the gifts). It’s still better than a 3 suitcases scenario so I’ll leave him alone. :)
The only indulgence I’ll allow myself is to bring my netbook so that we can stay connected with our friends and family who are scattered all around the world. They’ll be able to follow our adventures day by day which is pretty exciting.
Here are a few smart tips I read online that I found helpful:
1. There’s no difference between packing for a week and packing for a month or longer.
2. Don’t carry around full-sized bottles of shampoo and other liquids. Unless you’re going to a secluded area far from civilization, you’ll probably be able to buy toiletries at your destination (plus most hotels provide them for free).
3. If you think something might come in handy, leave it at home. Bring it only if you know you can’t get along with it.
4. Choose clothes that can be mixed and matched easily.
5. Choose smart stuff: reversible clothing, wrinkle-free clothes, fabrics that dry quickly, things that are compact, things that can multitask, things that are collapsible, clothing and bags that fold into a pouch, you get the idea…
Easy peasy.
That’s all for now, guys. The blog won’t be updated while I’ll be away but don’t hesitate to leave a comment or send me an email at hasinafr[at]hotmail[dot]com. No reply guaranteed for the next couple of weeks but I’ll make sure I answer your emails when I come back.
À bientôt!
How to be a positive person
I know quite a few people who could use the following advices. I find their negativity (often disguised as realism or maturity) really annoying.
(By Leo Babauta – original article here)
Realize it’s possible, instead of telling yourself why you can’t.
Become aware of your self-talk.
Squash negative thoughts like a bug.
Replace them with positive thoughts.
Love what you have already.
Be grateful for your life, your gifts, and other people.
Every day.
Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.
Don’t compare yourself to others.
But be inspired by them.
Accept criticism with grace.
But ignore the naysayers.
See bad things as a blessing in disguise.
See failure as a stepping stone to success.
Surround yourself by those who are positive.
Complain less, smile more.
Image that you’re already positive.
Then become that person in your next act.
Focus on this habit first, and you’ll have a much easier time with any other.
‘A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.’ ~Herm Albright
Girl crush: Sofia Boutella
I have a serious girl crush on dancer Sofia Boutella. And watching this video for the nth time reminded how out of shape I am. I’m probably somewhere between a marshmallow and Santa Claus on the fitness scale right now. I see a bootcamp in my near future. Definitely after I’m back from Japan. Have a great weekend!
Home in progress
I (finally) updated the Home Tour page with a few photos of our home for those of you who are into interior design. It isn’t totally ready though but I wanted to let you know that I’m working on it (better late than never); each photo you see on the Home In Progress page will link to a full gallery of related photos.
Also, I’ll be tweaking the blog over the next few days so you might be unable to access it at times. And… I promise this will be the last design tweaking for this year. ;)
New vestibule door
I’d been wanting to replace the vestibule door forever, and we finally replaced it last week (the door knob still needs to be installed)! I love how it lets the daylight in. Light is by far my favorite element in a space, no matter the decoration (or lack thereof). The door is a special order door from Home Depot, and is made by Milette Doors, a Quebec-based company.
So, here’s a photo of the entryway before (when we first visited the house):
And after:
Next house-related post: the walk-in shoe/coat closet.
