Keep It Simple Silly

Back in the day when I attended Al-anon meetings and there was an acronym tossed around A LOT, K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Silly  (well it's Keep It Simple Stupid, but we don't like that word in our house). Pretty self explanatory, right? A concept that on the outside seems so simple in itself. However, in reality it has taken many years and a life in chaos to get me to the point of making the leap to a SIMPLE life.

When I say chaos,
I mean complete chaos!

Financial Chaos: years of unfilled taxes accompanied by levies, phone calls and certified letters. Our credit went from bad to worse with the fall of the Real Estate market. Job loss. A move. Living with family. New job with small pay but unlimited future potential. Living paycheck to paycheck hoping we would have enough for groceries and to pay our necessary bills. To finally pushing our way through the rubble of our  financial destruction to living on a budget, a simple budget (thank you Dave Ramsey). Our first financial goal was enough to file our taxes. WE DID IT! Today, we are still working to keep things simple as the promotions and pay increase. Our first step in simplifying life.

Mental Chaos: Spring of 2012 I was diagnosed with a chronic illness that I will be fighting the rest of my life. I am Bipolar I and life had become a kaleidoscope inside my brain. When manic too much of anything throws me into a tail spin: too much light, too much noise, too much movement. When depressed I find it difficult or darn near impossible to do any part of my daily duties (ie. Cleaning, food, self care all go out the window). For the sake of my mental well being it is my goal to pair down and have a household manual to turn to in times of need.

Physical Chaos: Along with the diagnosis of Bipolar comes medication... lots of it! Unfortunately, the side effects include rapid weight gain. I went from being a average size to gaining 30 pounds in 6 weeks! The weight gain didn't stop there and today I am considered obese at almost 200 lbs. Along with weight gain comes a whole host of medical problems that concern me... Soooo, I am starting a quest towards a thinner trimmer me. I started Weight Watchers, an exercise plan and a quest to find recipes that are both simple WW points friendly.

Home of Chaos: Clutter. Clutter. Clutter. It's everywhere our home has turned into a place things go to take up space. Living in an apartment means there is nowhere to hide this "stuff" and it accumulates like a rabit having babies. It's EVERYWHERE! I admit to being somewhere on the hoarder's spectrum... I get attached, find good deals and can't turn down a gift. My project is to get rid of all non essential items. Yes, you heard me right. Sell. Re-home. Give away. Somehow it is leaving the Alves home.

Family Chaos: Somewhere along the way family time became code for going out to do something that cost money... too much money! Being on a budget is forcing me to re-evaluate the quality of our time together and challenging me to make due with less paid outings. keeping family time simple is just another way to simplify and make life more rich.

Project K.I.S.S. is a journey to a new way of life. Making the important things, important.... AND go of the chaos and clutter making more space for the good life and ! Keep It Simple Silly.