Something most people don't think of........creating A HOUSEHOLD INVENTORY! Grab a glass of wine and here we go!!!

When is the last time you took a "home inventory?"  Yeah, me neither........you would think, as I try to be as organized as possible with 3 kids, a husband and a slobbery foster dog, that MY home inventory report is completely up to date.  Well, girl friday has a secret to share...it's not.  In fact, this will be the fist time we, yes "we", will be creating an "official" document to have on file and to give to our insurance company, just in case something were to happen to our house or our belongings...

There is a great government website that helps you figure out exactly how to go about doing this.  The good news?  It's FREE!  Wow!  Now that your jaw has dropped, pick it back up and read this very short brochure, so you can go on to create something that you will be very glad you took the time to do! Thank you overpaid people in our nation's capitol!!!!!

You can even download a PDF of this brochure to have on file, but I say "save a tree" and "don't create more paperwork" if you don't have to....God knows our schools send enough pieces of paper home that I could literally wallpaper my house with them if I wanted to...

Home Inventory - How To Brochure

Good Luck!  Now that the colder weather is coming, you have many a football Sunday to put together your thoughts while watching the game!

xo
girl friday

be happy. live simply.

so...here i am, writing the first girl friday post for the new blog.  it's labor day weekend.  the kids need to go back to school because we all need to re-focus our energy elsewhere.  we've had A LOT of togetherness this summer!

i get so excited when i think about fall for many reasons....yes, i love gourds, apple picking and watching the leaves turn colors...but being girl friday, i now have a giant list of blogs i follow, tips for my followers and projects, projects, projects.

i turn 40 in five days...five days left of being able to say "i'm in my thirties, why do you ask?"  i jokingly told friends that i wanted my 40th birthday bash at "The Container Store".  i thought my birthday goody bags could be a labeled clear bin that they could all run home and put in their closet!  actually, looking back on that last sentence....i'll admit it's a bit strange to be passionate about bins, but i'm not sure i can help it.  what's not to love about that store?  i mean seriously, even an unorganized person, or a person who has no interest at all in being organized, is starstruck when they enter that store.

a good friend of mine recently gave me two signs for my kitchen that she used to sell in her store.  they say "be happy" and "live simply".  i absolutely love them.  i see them every morning when i wake up.  when i refill my coffee i think about the message.  i read them throughout the day.  and i decided, this weekend, that yes, living simply DOES in fact bring happiness.  now, i'm no doctor, but minimizing clutter, living with just the 20% of what you actually use and need, and getting rid of the other 80% will literally set you free.  

that's why i love being able to help people as girl friday.  de-cluttering, donating, throwing away, selling.....these are all things that i love to help my clients with.  

have you ever had a project looming over your head?  for example, you want to organize all your pictures, or you want to tackle the basement and turn it into a functioning room, or even be able to actually find items in your pantry?  when you think about these projects, do you feel overwhelmed or not know where to start?  that's where girl friday comes in...she gets you started, she helps you through the process and she will help you finish.  i can guarantee you will never look at that space or those items the same again.

so, after reading this.....just repeat this mantra over and over again in your head, "be happy.  live simply."  how can you simplify your life?  do you want to be happy?  think about it......

until next time,
xo
gf

p.s. here is a picture i took of my signs in my kitchen, you can get your own online at an adorable store called natural life (http://www.naturallife.com/).  i didn't ask them for permission to post these and i didn't ask the container store either, but i'm hoping they don't mind as i really love them and i'm giving them a little shout out!!!!