Here are the best ways to clear the clutter, maximize space, and make sure that everything that you must keep has a happy little home:

• Toss what you really don’t need or use.  Sometimes I think I have hoarding tendencies.  I keep things that are pointless and even useless because of sentimental reasons when I know I cannot use them or they are junk.  It took some time, but I finally learned to let go.  It is silly to have attachments to “things” like papers, old toys, and broken furniture.  So if I could give it away, I did.  If it was trash, I trashed it.
• Drawer organizers are amazing.  Everyone has at least one drawer in their home that is the designated junk drawer.  Unfortunately in my home no drawer was not a junk drawer except my silverware drawer because I had an organizer in it.  So, I learned from that one uncluttered drawer and went out and found all sorts of drawer organizers.  Now I can navigate all of my drawers with ease and find what I need without digging and digging.
• Baskets can be useful, or homes for hoarding.  I took a hint from a home organizer a couple of years ago and decided that baskets would not only look nice in my space, but they would also serve as great organizational tools. I was wrong.  I like to pile up as much clutter and junk in those baskets as I can.  If you are able to keep your things nicely put in the right baskets, then they will be great for you.  For junk collectors like me, baskets might not be the best choice.
• Hooks and hangers do help you to keep stuff put up.  I love having hooks and hangers by doors for me and guests to throw coats, hats, scarves, and bags on.  It helps me to always know my gym bag is on the hook by the front door.  Hooks in closets are great too for belts, scarves, ties and more.  I am the type to throw these things all around the place, but hooks help me to remember to put them in their happy home.

Hopefully these spring cleaning tips can help jump start your cleaning and get you well on your way to being organized.  You might even be able to stay organized forever, whereas I will be reorganizing once again next year, I am sure.

The trip was perfect.  It was just a long weekend getaway to the mountains.  There was not much on the agenda for the weekend except to relax and just have a chance to kick back.  I had an incredible time and on the way home I was still pretty happy about how great the trip went, then I walked into my house.

I left my brother there to hold down the fort and stay with my dogs.  The pages of notes I left were so detailed anyone could have handled the responsibility, or so I thought.  My brother had trashed the place.  I’m talking broken couch, sticky floors, and broken outdoor plants.  Not a nice welcome home.  Thankfully my dogs were still in one piece, but I was not happy.

The next day I had to spend time cleaning up everything on top of doing the regular coming home chores like unpacking, laundry, and preparing to go back to work.

So, from now on I am planning a vacation from my vacations, plain and simple.

At that point I did not know what to do.  I mean if you see someone at the gym do you just walk up and hug and catch up?  Or do you just smile and wave.  For me at that point, I just simply hung my head in shame because I knew she had seen me fall.  But for the future, I found this handy little guide.  Maybe it will help you out too!

Is this only my problem?  I know I work in a field where technology and things are a step ahead, but how is it that places can’t provide some type of internet connection?  Am I that out of touch with reality?  I can’t imagine having to do this once a week and just sit there.  No iPad, no laptop, and no fun.

So, here I sit, typing my post in a word processor just waiting to get to a WiFi hotspot to post it on my blog, spoiled by all the wonderful places who cater to nerds like me who cannot live without a connection to the internet and the outside world.  Maybe it’s time I shell out the cash to set up my mobile hotspot…I’ll have to think about that.

But many people have misconceptions about this superfood;  they have heard it is bland, slimy, flavorless, and generally very disgusting.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  All you have to do is turn on direct tv to see the widespread use of tofu by top chefs on all the cooking channels to know that tofu is something truly special.  With the right attitude and some creative spices, you can make some truly excellent tasting tofu dishes that are health and nutritious.

Here is an infographic explaining more about what tofu is and how it is made:

If you are as pumped about Halloween as I am, then of course you have been doing your Halloween homework too.  Right?  If not, let me help you learn some interesting Halloween facts.  I think that you will find them to be frightfully fantastic.  The infographic below has some cool info, like:

• Halloween is correctly spelled “Hallowe’en”
• Jack O’Lanterns began in Ireland as hollowed turnips with candles to ward off evil ghosts.
• Sales of Halloween candy each years is close to $2 Billion in the United States.
• 62% of the costumes purchased for Halloween are for adults.

And I have been spelling Halloween wrong my whole life…not sure I can change that now.

Okay I am not going to sing to you.  That would just be awful!  I was just perusing the old internetz here and I was looking at things that I just love, my favorite things.  Typically we all have sites that we venture onto on a daily or weekly basis just because we love them.  Some things are funny, some things are informative, and others are maybe even pretty senseless.  So without further adieu, here are a few of my favorite things.

What happens when fashionista and Cali-girl Lauren Corad teams up with her hair stylist (Kristen Ess) and make up artist (Amy Nadine) friends?  I can tell you, the beauty department is what happens.  I love this blog.   You can find tutorials for hair and make up that you have always wanted to try.  Find out tips and tricks that you would never think to do, and you can keep up with all that is going on in LC’s life too.  It’s girly and fun.  thebeautydepartment.com

I am an incense lover.  It just does great things for the soul, you know?  Another one of my favorite things is LHD – Legal Herbs Direct.  I can get incense in bulk and save some cash while doing it, making this site a go to.

Funny people are wonderful.  First, funny people make me laugh.  Second, funny people make my day feel better when it’s bad.  There are other reason I’m sure that I love funny people, but instead of telling you all about why I love them, let me show you one funny person that I love to waste my days watching.  Her name is Jenna Marbles, and she cracks me up.  Seriously if I leave work without accomplishing anything, it is her fault.  Watch this video that she posted and sign up for her YouTube channel and have a good laugh.

What are some of your favorite things?  Let me know!

College taught me a lot of things, but nothing about pride. Many people do not understand why I would continue my quest to get a superhero to save me and fall in love with me.  I mean many would have obviously given up after two horrific fails, and I almost did.  There was just one thing I lacked when it came to finding the love of a superhero, and that was my pride.  I had none, in fact, I still have none.  I am prideless.  So, at twenty, I was a college junior working on my degree in anthropology.  I had tried so hard to stay away from all things superhero related, but one of my friends got a Captain America poster as a joke for her birthday.  This poster was no joke to me though, oh know.  I knew I must have Captain America!  Now, if you don’t already know, Captain America does not have superhuman powers, but he was bred to be an incredible soldier.  He is strong and brute, just what I wanted in a superhero and man.  This time instead of waiting around for a superhero, I was going to find Captain America.  I reached out to all branches of the military and I tried for three years to find Captain America with no avail.  Each time I would speak to someone, they would either think it was a prank call or boisterously laugh and transfer me to another person who would do the same.  Like, there is no Captain America, or something.  That just cannot be the case!

At the age of twenty-three I gave up my Captain America search.  I mean, I figure Batman and Superman probably already gave him a heads up about me and he just didn’t want me either.  I went into a bought of depression for about ten years.  Here I am now, lonely and old with no love and no superhero.  My heart is broken, and I just look through magazines all day like I am actually doing right now.  Page after page of nonsense, but wait!  Who is this?  Wolverine, an X-Men superhero?  Be still my beating heart…

1. Sticks and stones really do break bones and so does jumping off of the roof. At age eight I discovered Superman.  He was a beautiful man to me in his Superhero attire, and I wanted, no needed, to meet him.  Since Superman could fly, I thought that I could fly to meet up with him, and even if I happened to fall in mid-air, he would be there to catch me from my fall and keep me safe from harm.  That was not the case.  As I stood on top of the roof on our home in my very own cape, I had no fear.  I surely knew that the beautiful Superman would not let me down.  I jumped, a leap of faith, and the only thing to break my fall was the bermuda grass of our freshly cut lawn. I broke my right arm in 3 places and I broke my clavicle.
2. An unanswered summon to a superhero is like having no date to the prom. Fast forward about nine years after my roof incident.  I was seventeen, and it was the night of my junior prom.  I had recently became quite interested in Batman.  His brute strength and dark natures called to me and I was in love.  Even though my mother and father begged me to go to my prom because they thought I would regret not going, I stayed home.  I had a plan to get Batman’s attention, and surely it would work.  I went onto the roof, yet again, this time however with no intention of jumping.  I had been working on a light that would shine out into the night sky with the Batman symbol inside of a heart.  I just knew that he would come to see where the light came from, but I waited in vain.  Batman never showed up, and there I was, rejected.

Stay tuned for Part II of The Greatest Superhero I Never Met Feature.