Hard questions surface when you’re looking at leaving your home with a category four hurricane heading right for you. What do we take and what do we leave? These decisions are difficult to make under any circumstances but especially when stressed.

As we worked on getting all our possessions in safe places, and our home secured, I realized how much stuff I had accumulated over the years. When we finally realized we had to evacuate, it was heart-breaking to think that our home may not be there when we returned.

I also realized I needed to de-clutter my life of the excess that had crept into my home over the years.

Years of Collecting

You, too, may find yourself a collector of more belongings than you need. Many of these items are sentimental, and you have kept them for many years. Also, you may come to realize that you have become the storage place for adult children whose childhood keepsakes are conveniently stored with you.

I have also found that we tend to keep things that we no longer need just in case we can use them again. As we accrue these items, we forget what we have, and suddenly, we have a number of the same item.

The only time we clean out the excess is when we move to a new home. And even then it may take multiple moves to reduce the surplus.

Why Less Can Be More

Many years ago I lived in the Middle East and traveled throughout Europe and the United States. I was young and had a need to bring many items with me as I traveled. This was before suitcases on wheels were invented, so it was an effort moving from place to place with all the baggage in tow.

This is how I feel we are treating ourselves when we accumulate mass amounts of items in our life. We are put under stress trying to handle, organize and store all these material possessions. Have you found that the pleasure of collecting wears off quickly and becomes a chore to maintain?

As hard and, perhaps, overwhelming as it may seem, I would recommend you look at adopting a lifestyle of less. Over time, you may find that you will have less stress.

Where to Start

It is best to start eliminating the excess in your life with the easy items first. Look for the items you have not used in over a year, or the things you have saved ‘just in case.’

My search produced three coffee carafes I had saved just in case I broke one. I have never needed one, and if I did, the cost to replace is minimal. Once you start looking in closets, cabinets and the garage, you will find it easy to remove many items that have little use to you now.

Get Creative with Sentimental Items

Sometimes you just can’t part with items that have been in the family for many years. This is where you can be creative and enjoy your memories more than ever.

Think about how many of these objects are just sitting in boxes stowed away. Are you enjoying them? Below are a few thoughts that may be helpful to you.

Photographs

Take your old, treasured family photos and have them scanned to keep as a digital file. You can use them for so many different projects.

Create a book of memories for family or friends to give as a gift, or use the photos to make your own special-occasion greeting cards. You could also buy a digital photo frame and see these treasured photographs every day.

Family heirlooms

Many of heirlooms can be framed for display. China, watches, children art or other special keepsakes can be collected into a memory shadow box or other type of display.

Silverware and old jewelry can be repurposed as new hair decorations, magnets or cabinet hardware. These can make wonderful gifts, and family members may enjoy a small memory from the past.

Cabinets, closets and shelving

Many times we keep items out of habit. We have old dishes or serving items that are forgotten in the back of a cabinet.

Closets may store clothes that have gone out of style or are the wrong size. It’s easy to hang on to items believing they will be useful at some point. Examine each item and ask yourself if you believe it’s worth the space and, possibly, the stress it’s creating in life.

You Have Only Begun

Once you begin to rid your life of the surplus in your home, you may find it’s only the beginning. The relief of accumulating less can spill over into other areas of your life. It can free some of your time, reduce stress and increase satisfaction. It can all begin with eliminating the items that no longer serve you.

If you have possessions that are a burden, you may find they have been keeping you from downsizing your home or from other types of activities that you could enjoy. You may be surprised how the accumulation of material things can be holding you back from enjoying more of what life has to offer.

Have you tried de-cluttering your home? What items did you find? If you haven’t undergone this activity yet, what is keeping you? Please share your thoughts below.

If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silent. —Vincent Willem Van Gogh

I think of myself as a “post-menopausal artist.” I was a little over 60 when I surprised myself and started painting. I walked into an art supplies store and bought some acrylic paint, paper, and brushes.

That same evening, I unpacked my treasures and began what would become a new, happy, energizing, and satisfying part of my daily life.

I had never tried painting before and had no idea what I was doing. Step by step, I learned by mustering the courage to try and by making art every single day.

By that time I lived on my own. I had as much time as I wanted to dedicate to my new interest. That first night of excitement opened up a whole new world of making creativity and art an active part of my daily life. It was not a spectator sport for me anymore.

A Room of My Own

A year or two later, I converted my guest cottage into a workshop/studio. Out went the bed, which found a new home in a small room in the main house, and in came every piece of art I had created, along with all my art supplies, books, and magazines.

I hung up a sign at the door which read: “Welcome! Please take responsibility for the energy that you bring into my studio and my home. Stay and make some art!”

I love my studio. It is a workshop where I learn a little about myself every day. It has inspired a lot of my friends to try and make their own artist caves to create things for their own enjoyment.

The Spontaneity of an Amateur and Beginner’s Luck

We have such rigid ideas of what “art” should look like. I never went to art school, nor did I ever have the ambition to put brush to canvas before. I was an art lover, not an art maker. I was raising a family, working, traveling, living.

Other than rudimentary sketches, I didn’t draw either and yet, when I tried different techniques and incorporated various mediums to my daily practice, I got hooked and couldn’t stop.

In fact, drawing faces became my thing. Neither portraits nor total caricatures, my ladies have something to say, and they certainly speak to me.

You Are Not Going to Like Everything You Paint and That’s OK

I don’t always love what I produce but sometimes I love it so much that I have it professionally framed. Little by little, my ladies have left my workshop and began invading my house, sharing wall space with paintings and prints from artists I’ve admired and collected through the years.

When an image doesn’t come out right, I keep it, examine it, and wonder why my hand had created it. Sometimes, I revisit these works and find that they aren’t all that bad. Sometimes I even touch them up a little.  

In many ways, this is a reminder that real-life women come in all shapes and sizes. We all have our own facial expressions, imperfections, and strong opinions.

A Personal Journey – No “Validation” Required

Recently, a friend came to visit from New York, and when he entered my studio, he was delighted (and probably relieved) that he liked what he saw. “These are wonderful! Have you shown them? Do you sell them?” he asked.

While I give some of my creations to friends and family, I’ve also had “open studio” time when people can visit and have a glass of wine and perhaps buy a piece or two. What I don’t do is spend time marketing my work.

I know an exhibition is meant to “validate” an artist, but I don’t really need that kind of validation. I am happy to have an outlet that keeps me going to my workshop every morning with my coffee, my dog Pino, and my cats, Boo and Puma. I wish everybody that wonderful feeling.

Resources and Help Along the Way

Of course, I didn’t get where I am now all on my own. I have attended workshops and met wonderful and creative artists who showed me new techniques or provided inspiration with their work. The ones I’m most inspired by are Julie at Balzer Designs, Carla Sonheim, Dana Wakley, and a colorful place called Creative Bug.

What would you like to learn these days? Do you think you are a creative person? Which part of your house can you convert to your artistic needs? Let’s have a conversation!

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals for long-term health. It’s needed to maintain the ‘pumps’ that control the movement of salts in and out of cells.

It is also essential for nerve conduction, muscle relaxation, healthy bones and just about every metabolic reaction in the body – including energy production.

Good intakes are even associated with longevity, yet lack of magnesium is one of the most common mineral deficiencies.

Of course, none of the following information is intended to be medical advice, but, we hope that it gives you something to discuss with your doctor on your next visit.

Magnesium and Longevity

Magnesium helps to relax smooth muscles in blood vessel linings, to lower blood pressure, reduce arterial spasm and protect against heart attack and stroke. By regulating the flow of salts in and out of cells, magnesium also reduces the risk of abnormal heart rhythms.

Having an optimal intake of magnesium is associated with a lower risk of death from just about any medical cause at any age, including heart attack, stroke and cancer.

Research involving people with resistant high blood pressure also shows that taking magnesium improved treatment response and reduced their blood pressure measurements by an astonishing 18.7/10.9 mmHg, on average.

How Much Magnesium Do You Need?

Recommended intake for magnesium vary from 375mg in the EU to 400mg in the US. Food processing strips out magnesium and other minerals from food, so that average intake is below estimated needs (in both Europe and the US) at around 323 mg for males and 228mg for females.

If you are experiencing annoying symptoms such as constipation, insomnia, tiredness all the time, muscle cramps, restless legs, or even blood pressure that is not easy to control, then a lack of magnesium could be involved.

How to Get Magnesium in Your Diet

In studies that linked magnesium with longevity, those living the longest obtained their magnesium from nutrient-dense whole foods such as dark green leaves, beans, fish, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and wholegrains.

These are all foods that you probably already associate with a healthy diet, but the good news is that dark chocolate is also an excellent magnesium source. For me, that’s a great excuse to enjoy some dark chocolate coated Brazil nuts as a regular healthy snack.

Diet should always come first, and you should be able to obtain enough magnesium from food alone. In some areas, hard water is also a good source of magnesium.

If you are cutting back on food to lose weight, or simply can’t eat as much as you used to, then magnesium supplements are available to help boost your intake and overcome any deficiency symptoms.

Magnesium is often combined with calcium and vitamin D in bone health supplements, or combined with B vitamins in supplements designed to help boost energy production and reduce fatigue.

Magnesium Supplements

One of the problems with magnesium is that it is an effective laxative – a quality recognised by the Victorians who valued the use of Epsom Salts.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, of course, and many people (myself included) find that taking a magnesium supplement at night helps to relax muscles to promote a good night’s sleep, and encourage bathroom regularity (apologies if this is too much information!)

An EU safety review of magnesium concluded that doses of up to 400mg magnesium per day would not be expected to cause side effects. Do keep in mind, though, that some people are more sensitive to the laxative effect of magnesium than others.

Magnesium oxide is one of the most popular forms included in supplements as, gram for gram, it provides the most magnesium (600mg per gram). The oxide is less well absorbed than other forms, however, so more can remain in the bowel to have a laxative result.

If you are sensitive, then magnesium citrate – which contains 113mg magnesium per gram – may suite you better. The ‘gentlest’ form, because it contains the least magnesium, is magnesium gluconate which supplies 58mg magnesium per gram.

Absorbing Magnesium through the Skin

You can also absorb magnesium ions through the pores of your skin. Magnesium oil, magnesium body butter and magnesium bath flakes are becoming increasingly popular ways to get extra magnesium.

Adding a handful of magnesium salts (e.g., Epsom Salts, Dead Sea Salts) to your evening bath will leave your skin feeling lovely and soft and can improve dry skin conditions – including eczema and psoriasis.

The muscle relaxing effect of magnesium will also help you enjoy a really good night’s sleep. Researchers have found that soaking in magnesium-enriched mineral water helps to improve muscle and joint pain, and is helpful if arthritis or other causes of pain interfere with sleep, too.

If you experience persistent niggling symptoms, as always, seek medical advice before taking supplements.

Do you take magnesium supplements? Do you think you might benefit from trying them? How do you incorporate magnesium into your diet? Please join the conversation below.