June 2015 Accountability Update

I hope all those in the U.S. had a great July 4th weekend (and that everyone else had a nice weekend, too).  Mine was more low-key than usual, as my sweet kitty Coco had to have five teeth extracted on Friday and I wanted to stay close by to keep an eye on her.   She is doing okay now and is on my lap purring as I type this… There must be something about July 4th and tooth issues in my family, as I suffered with an infected tooth and had to have a root canal last year!

My husband and I celebrated our 14th anniversary with a lunch on Coronado Island.  Since we got married on an island (Catalina – see a photo and read about my 2013 anniversary here), we make it a ritual to spend every anniversary on an island.  Our island jaunts have ranged from the faraway and exotic (the Caribbean, Hawaii) to the nearby and tame (Coronado, Balboa).  Here’s a photo of us from this year on Coronado, with downtown San Diego in the background (I was wearing one of my wardrobe pieces that have stood the test of time – the tank, as well as a favorite maxi skirt from last year).   It was a beautiful and sunny day and the crowds were definitely out, as evidenced by the other photo below (taken with the new camera my husband gave me as an anniversary present).

July 4th, 2015 - Anniversary on Coronado

My husband, Mike, and me on our 14th anniversary on Coronado Island. 

Continue reading

Creative Solutions for Making Closets More Efficient

The following is a guest post from Dane O’Leary of Modernize.com. Dane is a full-time freelance writer and design blogger. He has degrees in psychology and anthropology with additional study in journalism, graphic design, and public relations. Dane is currently working on his debut novel.  

While many of us are looking to shop less and downsize our wardrobes, we still need to consider how to best use the closet space in our homes. The ideas in this post can work for both homeowners and renters alike.  I hope you’ll find some inspiration here that you can to make your closets work better for you.  


When shopping for a new home or even a new rental, most people have a list of criteria that must be met. The new abode must have a certain number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the preferred type of kitchen, some prefer a separate dining space or to have a formal entryway, and the list goes on. While the details may vary from person to person, there’s one thing that’s usually on everybody’s lists:  closet space.

Messy closet

If your closet looks like this, the tips in this post can help! 

Continue reading