Method Mixed Bag: September

Welcome to the September Mixed Bag, a collection of various topics that are relevant to me right now. We are about to transition to Fall and transitions present excellent opportunities to try something new. This month’s Mixed Bag includes some of my new favorite things, each has enhanced my home or life in some small way. As per the law of Atomic Habits, lots of little changes added up can make a big impact. So read on to organize your vitamins, multi-task with an engrossing new podcast, tackle the growing piles of your kids’ art and nail the transition to Fall!

new favorite vitamins

Vitamins have always presented a problem for my organized mind. The good-habits part of my brain wants to make them visible so I remember to take them every day. The other part wants only beautiful things to occupy precious countertop real estate. Over the years I compromised by allowing the ugly vitamin bottles a spot on my kitchen counter but placing them on a sweet little tray. It was an improvement for sure and helped me remember to take my vitamins every day. But the bottles were still ugly. The above photo represents my new favorite thing in my kitchen; uniform, beautifully labeled vitamins (still on the sweet little tray depicting the Bay Area that my friend Michele gave me, it’s perfect!) Now the vitamins stand proudly on the counter, looking amazing and seductively visible. Haven’t missed a day since I made the switch. Highly recommend.

The obvious steps here are to obtain some uniform spice jars and a quality label-maker. You can DIY it or instruct the organizer who is doing your kitchen! And don’t forget a cute tray, but make sure it is the appropriate size, you will lose the effect (and more precious counter space) if it is too big!

New favorite podcast

I take in a lot of content via audio. I almost always have a book going (currently halfway through Ron Chernow’s George Washington Biography – 42 hours long!) and also a number of podcasts (my 4 favs are Smartless, Armchair Expert, Unlocking Us and We Can Do Hard Things.) Lately I have been craving something new as well as something different from my usual fare. A few weeks ago Malcolm Gladwell was a guest on Armchair Expert. I have read 2 of Malcom Gladwell’s books (The Tipping Point, Talking to Strangers) and enjoyed both. On the show he and Dax talked about his podcast Revisionist History, which just launched its seventh season. As Malcolm puts it, his podcast is about ‘things overlooked and misunderstood.’ He covers everything from education to civil rights to McDonalds fries to Elvis – every episode is different and each topic is approached from a fascinating new angle. I went all the way back to the beginning and am currently making my way through Season 4. I enjoy content that teaches me something new while also making me laugh – this one nails both. And I like Malcolm’s style of meandering around a topic, straying seemingly off onto a random tangent but then bringing it back to tie into the thesis he’s presenting in the episode. I’ve been eagerly touting the podcast’s merits to family and friends and sharing my favorite episodes so I thought it was also worth a mention here. Podcasts are a great way to pair something enjoyable with a chore you don’t feel like doing (running errands, walking the dog on a rainy day, folding laundry, making dinner) – which in turn makes the undesirable thing more desirable! Win Win! So check it out, I’m sure you will love Malcolm as much as I do.

new favorite app

I’m going to devote a future full blog post to the Class Keeper app, but couldn’t resist mentioning it here because I think it is a game changer for documenting, organizing and preserving the boxes/bins/drawers full of your kid’s school memorabilia. This is one of the stickiest topics for my clients and friends who are parents, which is why I’m so excited about it. The Class Keeper is your private vault for artwork, trophies, first/last day photos, cute utterances & stories and anything else significant in your kids’ childhood that you want to remember. And instead of that stuff accumulating in boxes at the back of some closet where you’ll maybe get to it someday (like those baby books that were never made) you’ll have everything in the palm of your hand, accessible whenever you want/need and shareable with anyone you want/need. It’s an annual subscription (right now $29 for the first year) which I think is totally worth it. There are other service providers like ARTKIVE that will create beautiful albums of your kids’ art (which I highly recommend if your kid is talented!) but I love this app for the ease and accessibility; you don’t have to work very hard to keep everything organized and can use it in real-time.

I think this app is so great that I’m designing a service around it to help parents who have years of stuff already in boxes and bins get everything into the app. Stay tuned! And click below to get the Class Keeper!

new favorite season

Fall is my new favorite season. Actually, Fall is always my new favorite season as the end of summer rolls around. Fall makes me want to snuggle up with a book, make soup and decorate my front entry with gourds and mums. This Fall will feel especially weird with no kids around the house, no soccer games to get up for on cold Saturday mornings and no carpools to figure out. While I miss those things (sort of) I’m excited for the new opportunities an empty nest presents: a trip to Whistler to cheer Jay bike the Gran Fondo, a space to reclaim and reorganize (Brooks’ room) and a girls weekend at the Jersey Shore with my college girlfriends. There are Fall delights to enjoy at every stage of life, I hope you have some good ones on your calendar because it’s here folks!

And if you need help with the Fall transition as it relates to your home and getting things sorted, I’m here for you – just hit the button!