We’ve got a fun annual tradition each year on June 2nd! To celebrate my birthday and completely ignore the fact that I’m aging, I give stuff away. 🙂 It’s also a big THANK YOU for reading and helping make my dreams come true for another year
Before we get to that fun, I thought I’d share a couple of the things I’ve learned this year.
The first HUGE one has been giving up some control and asking for help. As much as I love a tidy, organized space, I’m a horrible housekeeper. I told myself that there was no excuse for not having a clean house most of the time because I work from home. I should be able to do it all, right?
WRONG! No one can do everything on their own.
But, I noticed I could stay more focused and get more work done (and make more money) when the house was clean.
It wasn’t just inside the house that was a struggle. The front landscaping has turned into weed central every summer.
When a friend from church mentioned being on a quest to pay off old medical debt, I thought about how much she liked working in flower beds AND liked to stay busy on her days off. BINGO!
Now she comes over about one day a week for just a couple hours and maintains the flower bed, then cleans the downstairs. It’s the best decision I’ve made this year! I pay less than I would a traditional cleaning service and she makes more per hour than she would if she added a part-time job. It’s been the perfect win-win scenario!
Because I’m also helping someone, it helped counter the totally unnecessary guilt I had about not doing everything myself.
My advice to you is to think about your most dreaded activities, and then think about creative solutions to off-load them to someone else’s plate OR think of ways to make them more fun!
The second one is annoying and embarrassing, but hopefully, will help someone else. Or at least help me remember to not go down this path again.
For several months in the past year, I kinda sorta forgot that generosity includes more than money and time. Being generous with knowledge is right up there.
That’s never been a problem in the past, I love teaching people and helping them succeed. And I never stopped doing what I could to help friends and alert them to opportunities, even if it meant them getting a spot instead of me.
But….
I found myself, more than once, saying things to my friend Angela (Bluei Style ) like “that trick can be our little secret” or “yeah, but we don’t want everyone to know that”.
Yikes.
Not only was I going down a path outside of my character, I was dragging her down with me!
When I put together that being stingy can mean many different things, I became much more aware of my words, thoughts, and actions. Hopefully, I’m back to being knowledge-generous for good!
Speaking of that, I’m doing an Intro to Blogging panel in Tulsa at 36 Degrees North on June 8th, 2017. So if you’re local and interested in blogging, come see me!
Now for the giveaway! To pick the prize, I thought about the best additions to our house from the past year.
For Christmas, Corey surprised me with an Amazon Echo, and I LOVE it. I have a full post planned to tell you why, but the short version is that music now fills the house every day, I no longer forget things at the store because we tell Alexa as soon as we run out of something, and verbally setting the timer is awesome for everything from cooking to doing planks!
So that is option A if you win.
Option B is a $150 gift card to Cost Plus World Market!
I know you haven’t seen it yet, but the back patio is finished and it’s my absolute favorite spot to be now.
I’m sharing the photos on Monday, but I got REALLY lucky and World Market was looking for two people to use their patio furniture in a makeover at the same time we were already working on the backyard. It’s probably the most work I’ve ever put into a pitch, because I knew if they selected me, I could save the money we planned to spend on the patio furniture and put it toward the deck and dining furniture. All those prior One Room Challenge examples of makeovers must have paid off, because I was selected!
Since I ended up getting most of the patio decor you’ll see Monday at World Market, I thought it would be fun to give someone the chance to win a gift card and buy several of the items for their own house. This giveaway is NOT sponsored in any way, I just thought the timing would be fun to give back in a way that coincidences with my new favorite spot!
I’m only leaving the giveaway open until Monday night, so enter now!
Thank you so much for reading and your kind comments and emails this year. I appreciate you more than you could ever know!
Diana says
I’ve learned I need to be more present in my (young) children’s lives. I removed Facebook from the main screen on my phone so it doesn’t tempt me or distract me.
Melissa George says
That makes me so happy for you and your kiddos! If anyone else is struggling with that, I also found it really beneficial to limit notifications on the phone. I realized anytime I joined a new Facebook group, it was notifying me when any new posts were added. I haven’t gone cold turkey from all the notifications yet, but my phone only makes noises about 10% of the time it used it. Which is awesome, because one little notification was just the trigger for me to look at the phone, which led to a LONG period of scrolling through various social media.
Laura says
I’ve learned to go with the flow. My husband and I set yearly goals and our big goal was to start renovating our house. Unfortunely, it won’t work out this year but we’re trying to be thankful with what we have.
Melissa George says
It can be so hard when things don’t go according to the timeline we planned! I appreciate you sharing this mindshift switch because it’s something so many people, including me, can benefit from! Hopefully, during this delay, you’ll come up with all kinds of brilliant ideas for your home that you wouldn’t have had if you started on your original timeline.
Sarah C. says
Happy Birthday Melissa! This year I’ve learned the hard lesson that friendships as adults are complex, painful and sometimes there’s a need to cut ties. It’s been heart wrenching because on paper everything ‘looked’ perfect but in reality I always felt not good enough when I was with her. Our husbands were friends and kids were friends. I still miss her and yet our family feels healthier.
Melissa George says
Oh gosh, Sarah! It sounds like you absolutely made the right choice, but I bet it was HARD. I had a smaller revelation along those lines that sometimes friends are just for a season, and that’s okay.
Patricia C says
I learned that it doesn’t matter if my house is spit spot clean. I use to spend hours upon hours cleaning and cooking in preparation of the Holiday’s. Last year I bought desserts from the bakery, and decided my home didn’t have to be sparkly clean. Well I had so much less stress, I had more energy and was able to spend more time with my family. This year I’m buying the whole meal already made from my local grocery store.
Melissa George says
I bet your family enjoyed the less stressed you too!
Sara says
I forgot to say Happy Birthday, Melissa… Your blog and the things you do inspires me more than any other, and I really want to thank you for that. (fun reading the comments and seeing what everyone else has learned) xo
Melissa George says
Thank you so much! And yes, aren’t these comments inspiring!?! I’m so impressed with everyone’s growth and willingness to share what they had struggled with, and how they are doing better this year. I’ve been blown away! Each time I see a new one, it’s like an extra birthday gift! 🙂
Dan Dykstra says
I found out that I need to be consistent with my daily workout program to keep my blood pressure under control.
Melissa George says
Being consistent with exercise is one I’m working on as well! That’s awesome that you are seeing the benefits of it control your blood pressure!
Rachel says
I’ve always been a creature of habit and this year I learned that change is not always a bad thing. I had a job that I hated but I was worried about finding something new. I finally decided enough was enough and quite my job. I found a new position the beginning of this year and couldn’t be happier.
Melissa George says
That is awesome, Rachel! Switching jobs is really scary, but taking charge of what is making you miserable and leaving it behind is SO REWARDING!
manda says
I learned how to keep my kids cloths organized.
Melissa George says
I bet that makes mornings so much easier!
Rosie says
Happy birthday! Something I learned this year was about using my craft ideas for giving to others, namely I make fabric flower accessories. I had wanted to do etsy, but my town doesn’t allow home based biz for something like crafts. I was disappointed, but instead I have been giving pretty pins, hairbands and other accessories nicely wrapped to disadvantaged teens and women, and they love them! It has been very so much fun!
Melissa George says
That’s amazing Rosie! Do you use Paypal? Email me your PayPal email address or your mailing address and I’d love to send you a gift to use toward your materials! My email address is melissa@polishedhabitat.com.
Stefanie G says
I’ve improved how I eat, a lot of clean eating for me!
Melissa George says
Good one, Stefanie! I decided to phase in healthier choices this year instead of doing everything at once and getting overwhelmed. I was tired of feeling wimpy, so I started with the gym, and I think I’ve got that down to a habit now and it’s time to tackle the eating next!
Becky Speight says
This year I am learning (still working on it) that having flexibility to be more available for my daughter and her activities has a value that is more important than more money or the big career.
Melissa George says
Woohoo, Becky! That’s so awesome for you and your daughter. I bet long-term, it will pay off in ways you can’t even imagine now!
Angelina says
Happy Birthday! I think best thing about getting older is that I gain more knowledge and patience with each passing year.
I’m a disorganized slob and my partner is a neat freak. He panics seeing my clutter. We just moved in together so I decided to do the Kon-Mari method.
Some categories like clothing were easy to go through, other ones like paper are more difficult to tackle. What’s nice is that my partner is helping me get sorted!
Melissa George says
I totally agree, Angelina! And way to go being willing to find a system that works for both of you. That’s a great sign for a long and happy future together. PS: Paper is a big challenge for me too!
Annie says
So far in 2017, I have learned to let go. I have always been an emotional hoarder. One who held on to that comment someone made, and maybe they didn’t mean it as harshly as I heard it, but I let it drag me down for days. When my dad became suddenly very ill at the end of February, we were told that he only had days left. They say, say what you need to say or you will regret it. I was so scared of how I would tell my kids of his passing. I wanted to tell him things, but worried that I should just let him be in peace. I received some great advice from a nurse in the hospital during his very last moments. I took that in, and I’m doing fine, and the kids are doing fine. Now I try to move on.
Melissa George says
Wow, what a blessing that nurse was, Annie! That is such a change in thinking, and it must be a challenge to basically rewire how your brain is processing comments by others. Thinking of it as emotional hoarding is such a great way to understand the importance of letting things move on from your thoughts. I’m going to try to remember that phrase myself when I get stuck thinking about something!
Karen Grant says
What an awesome way to celebrate your birthday! I think using your birthday as a time of reflection for the past year is such a great idea. We are all so used to doing it in the New Year, but our birthdays are another wonderful time to take stock of things as well. For me this year has been about digging deep into the roots of what my professional goals really are. My business partner and I started the new year with the mentality that we wanted to be “successful” in our business this year. However, when coming up with our word of the year, we settled on “abundance”. For me, in this context, abundance meant finally getting paid well for the creativity we were putting out into the world. However, a few months into the year, this word felt uncomfortable like an itchy wool sweater that we were having to pull on day after day. We sat back and took stock and realized that goals aren’t always centered around the end result someone is going for. Instead, our goal should have been to put forth the attitude that would result in where we wanted to be. Our new word is “hustle”! We want to approach the world and our business with energy and purpose and its already paid off. Literally. 🙂
Melissa George says
What a great reflection, Karen! I love that you recognized the word wasn’t right and took action to come up with something that felt better! I make a similar change this year when I started the year focused on a specific dollar amount to make this year, then realized that I’d be happier at the end of the year if instead of aiming for the big increase in income, I aimed for a smaller increase, but with fewer hours worked. Some weeks, it’s all about focus and the hustle, and others I’m working on being totally okay if the list doesn’t get done because I’ve gone to run around with my mom and nephew instead. I wanted to have my own business in order to have the freedom I crave, so it’s AMAZING to be out of the initial 3 years of constant hustle and moving on to a phase of figuring out how to keep everything cruising and growing without working day and night.
Danavee says
I’ve worked really hard on being more intentional with purchases. Ranging from home decor to clothing. I’m really trying to only purchase things I really love, will use, or need and not just buy for the sake of buying.
Melissa George says
That is a great one, Danavee! I love a great shopping trip, but have been trying to take your approach as well!
Nicole Martin says
I’ve learned that it’s more important to enjoy life than to worry about always having a clean house… Which was hard for me, because I’m a little OCD when it comes to cleaning!
Melissa George says
I love this one, because I’ve been trying to pay attention and make sure I’m actually enjoying life as well versus just racing from one thing to another!
Carmen Clement says
I learned how to fly fish ? and diy bath bombs/bubble bars. 🙂
Melissa George says
Those are both really fun! I especially love that one gets you out in nature and one is pampering!
Jenny Ham says
I have learned how important it is to slow down and make more time for friends and family..
Happy Birthday all week long…
Melissa George says
Thank you Jenny! That is so important and hard when everything else is rush, rush, rush. I’ve been trying to remind myself not to look at the clock or think about what’s next and just enjoy the moment when I’m with family as well!
Sarah Vogel says
I feel guilty submitted an entry in your birthday give-away, as you have already blessed me SO much this year in so many ways! :), but these gifts are incredible!!! Way to go, Melissa!!! We all wish you a fabulous year ahead, you deserve it!!! (And, I love your new picture!!!!) Thank you for being so open, honest, giving and caring. You still have THE BEST blog in the internet-o-sphere!!!!!
Melissa George says
Thank you so much sweet friend! You definitely deserve to be entered in the giveaway. I appreciate you and your support so much!
amanda whitley says
i have learned a lot about building credit this year, i wish i had learned it all when i was younger.
Melissa George says
That’s a great one, Amanda! If you are looking for any other money-related education, I REALLY love https://www.youneedabudget.com/. It’s a software that we use, but they have a whole system that goes along with it and lots of training.