#style Archives - Four Columns of a Balanced Life

The Closet Organizer: Finding balance in a de-cluttered life

admin — Mon, 04 May 2020 17:24:18 +0000

Jen is your average busy professional woman, wife, mom, chauffeur, daughter, sister, friend, and organizer. She has always admired and envied those who live a truly organized life, with everything in its place. She wants that, too! She finds herself feeling very off-kilter when she sees chaos and clutter in her home. So, she created Organizenvy to document her own journey from envy to Zen, one project at a time.

I am a neat freak myself and a surviving perfectionist, so not the best combination. I ask Jen a few questions about how to find that balance. Jen teaches you organizational skills that help you with time management and help organize everything around your home.

Jen, welcome to my blog, and tell my audience a little about yourself.

I live with my husband and teenage son in Scottsdale, Arizona…which is starting to get a little toasty now as we enter May! When I’m not writing about organizing, decluttering, and finding balance, I am typically watching my son play soccer, going for a power walk, or taking in a movie. I’m a proud horror movie fanatic and a Marvel Universe and Star Wars nerd. Oh, and I love theme parks and roller coasters, too!

Talk to me about how you are helping people find balance in a decluttered life.

I’ve always sought to control the chaos in my home and life. One of the biggest compliments anyone has ever paid me was when they walked into my house and remarked that it felt so calm and peaceful. That’s my ultimate goal in a busy life: to have a peaceful place for my family to rest and recharge.

I started my blog Organizenvy to document my own journey to find balance (or Zen) through organization. When I shared my tips with friends and family, I was surprised by how many thanked me for the ideas. I then realized that my journey could help others on theirs. It’s so rewarding!

Tell me how being organized saves us time, money, energy, and gives us peace of mind?

The great irony I find is that people who are not organized think it takes up too much time, energy, and money to get organized. Sure, if you’re looking at a hugely cluttered space, it is going to take some time and energy to tidy it up. And it might require a little investment in containers or other organization tools. But think about how much time is wasted trying to live in and navigate a mess every day? Looking for lost keys, or that missing shoe, or the eyeglasses you set down somewhere. What a stressful way to start a busy day.

As for money, being organized saves far more than it costs. When you’re dealing with paper clutter, bills get lost in the shuffle. Late fees are charged. Coupons expire without being used. Food goes bad before it gets eaten, or you overbuy because you don’t know what’s in your pantry or refrigerator. The list goes on!

Just imagine the peace of mind if we had all of these things under control, every day. It’s possible by making organization a daily practice!

Can you differentiate between perfection and staying organized?

I can not stress this enough: organization is about practice. It is NOT about perfection. I think the idea of trying to create a “perfectly” organized space scares a lot of people, and they become paralyzed and give up before they even start. The picture-perfect images we see in magazines and catalogs are not necessary for a balanced life. All we need to do is find methods and practices that work for us individually. I often use very inexpensive containers and I hand-label them or use an inexpensive label maker. Function is more important than aesthetics, especially in areas of the home that most people won’t see. Gorgeous, farmhouse-style baskets and lettering look AMAZING, but they are not required to conquer chaos.

The practice part of organization comes into play after the initial organizing project is complete. Finishing that pantry makeover is fantastic! But keeping it organized day after day requires consistent effort. If we can incorporate the practice of putting things away correctly into our daily routine (and reinforcing it with our family members), then we will achieve balance in our lives.

Explain the various roles you juggle as an average busy professional woman, wife, mom, chauffeur, daughter, sister, and friend?

I’m like most 40-something women: we wear so many hats! I work from home, so in addition to my professional work I handle getting my son to after school activities and soccer practice, and I’m the homework helper. Thank GOODNESS I’m good at Algebra! (Next year my son will take Physics…not sure I’ll be much help there.)

My extended family members all live in different parts of the country, so I rely on my strong network of friends for immediate support but I also work very hard to stay connected to the family via text, phone, social media, etc. Life is a juggling act, and it gets crazy. And exhausting. Hence my need to re-center myself! I’m too fidgety to practice true meditation, but I do think that organizing and decluttering become a type of meditation for me.

Give me some tips on how to organize spaces like the bathroom, kitchen, pantry, bedroom, or office. Where do you start?

Here’s my absolute most important tip for any space: you MUST declutter before you organize. Believe it or not, this first step is the hardest for most people. We feel an attachment to our things, and guilt over, throwing a perfectly good spatula out (even though we have ten more perfectly good spatulas), and we feel that our worth comes from having all. these. things. It does not!

Ok, rant over. But decluttering is a must. If you have too many items for space, it doesn’t matter how many cute containers you buy… space will still look stuffed and cluttered. So start there.

Second, look for ways to maximize space. Tall or stackable containers on shelves, over-the-door hanging organizers, in pantries and closets, Lazy Susans beneath the sink or in the awkward corners of the pantry…it’s all about using every inch of space possible.

Third, organize with efficiency in mind. Group items commonly used together with either near each other or in a single container. I do this in my pantry with the peanut butter and bread, and my “popcorn bin” with popcorn, seasonings, popcorn bags, and a scoop. On (horror) movie night, I grab that bin and we’re off! Don’t hide the blender or coffee maker in a cabinet if you use them every day; instead, find a nice spot for them on the counter. And keep the ground coffee and filters in containers next to the coffee maker so you’re not traveling to and from the pantry. You’ll save so much time this way!

Fourth: label, label, label! I personally feel you can never label too much. Even if you know where things are supposed to go, those labels will keep you from “accidentally” throwing items in whatever bin is closest. Labels will also help remind your family members to help keep things organized, too.

Is getting organized a learned skill? Is it something we always have to work on?

I think getting organized is a learned skill for most of us. And it’s definitely something we always have to work on. But the good news is that ANYONE can learn, if they want to, and incorporate it into their daily lives. For those just getting started, don’t feel like you have to do it all at once. Try taking 15 minutes a day (actually set a timer — I’m serious!) and declutter one area at a time. Once that’s done, organize a cabinet or a drawer or a shelf. I find that completing one small project is almost as rewarding as a huge closet makeover, but not as tiring. And every time a project is complete and we stand back and admire the new space, it motivates us to move on to the next project.

Just don’t give up! Start where you are, keep your goals in mind, and make it a daily habit. Balance is within your reach!

The post The Closet Organizer: Finding balance in a de-cluttered life appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

2020 Women’s Fashion Style

admin — Sun, 05 Jan 2020 19:22:03 +0000

What is women’s fashion style for 2020? Jenisha Patel a DIY fashion blogger answers questions on fashion and food.

Jen, welcome to four columns, a lifestyle blog on food, faith, finance, and family. I want to know something about you that no one else knows.

I’m just a girl, who loves fashion and secretly wants to be a personal shopper. I love learning new things and I am crazy about k-pop.

What is Jeny’s Closet all about? Who is your audience and why should we visit your blog?

Jeny’s Closet is a blog about lifestyle, fashion, trend, style & how to’s. I share an outfit every week & talk about the latest trend & how you can style a piece of clothing. My audience is those, who are looking for styling tips & tricks with minimal clothing & accessories. I created this blog to share my views on fashion & styling.

Walk me through what is different and unique about your women’s fashion style?

My way of dressing is comfort, minimal and classy. It’s not something you wear, it’s how you style it.

Explain to me what fashion means to you?

As I described in my last blog “Fashion is not about wearing expensive clothes or wearing fewer clothes, it’s about how you style and reform that piece of clothing to express oneself.”

Which city do you live in? What is exciting about it? Tell me a little about the food, fashion, and the music scene?

I’m currently living in Vadodara, (Gujarat, India). I moved here 10 years ago. It is home to me and I never want to leave. Vad in the Gujarati language is for the banyan tree. That is why it is called the city of banyan trees (Vadodara).

Vadodara is known for its industries, furniture, textiles, palaces, museums, and handicrafts.

Food — It’s a city with food culture. It is famous for many mouthwatering dishes. Famous dishes are — Sev Usal, Gujarati Khichdi and lots of street foods.

Fashion — It goes from western to traditional clothing. India is a country of festivals, cultures, and traditions. People here love to get dressed up for a festival. They are many textile & handicraft industries, which are often visited by many successful Indian designers.

Music — There are many music festivals or events always taking place. You can always hear music rhythms from a marriage, concert or festival. Many people take part in learning music regardless of their ages.

Jen, help me understand what does women’s empowerment means to you?

As an Asian country, some women here are still dependent on others for their living. So I wish I could encourage those women to have their choices, dreams, and voice. I just want to say this to every woman all around the world — Ladies, be educated, keep learning, be strong and you can achieve anything in life.

Your generation has amazing opportunities that the previous generation did not have. Name me some of them and how are women taking advantage of it?

In my opinion, previous generations of women didn’t have many opportunities. There were only two choices, you either got educated or you got married. But nowadays, I see many women coming forward, accepting to learn more, work more and get settled on their own terms. Women today have made a significant contribution to society.

Life can be challenging…can you relate to this statement?

Yes, it is challenging and it will always be. Because I think I’m still struggling, still learning and still have many failures. But I guess I started taking my problems as a challenge, that how can I overcome my fears, my failures & my lacking self-confidence. To begin this “JENY’S CLOSET” itself was a challenge for me. Whether I should do it or not, am I capable enough to inspire others, or will I get a positive response or negative one. But I decided not to think much and rather do it. And here I am answering these questions. I feel proud of myself for overcoming fears and not quitting it.

Food, faith, finance, and family…What is important to you and how do you balance it all?

In order of importance, the family is first for me. I am grateful to my parents for working so hard and to give us this beautiful life. Second is faith as, without faith, we cannot achieve anything in life. Whether to have faith in oneself or others. The third is finance — It also an important factor. I grew up learning how to control money. I wonder how my parents raise us with our endless demands. It’s important to learn to invest in something that we need instead of what we want. Food in the last place is because without above all the factors, there’s no food.

Please, complete Love is… Food is…Without love there is…

Love is eternal.

Food is life.

Without love there is nothing.

The post 2020 Women’s Fashion Style appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

San Sebastian del Oeste

admin — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 21:55:21 +0000

Importance of a Cultural Tour

Discovering the history, language, culture, and ultimately, the people of a country can be rewarding. A cultural tour outlasts the suntan and lets you dip your toes into a country where you end up with an exotic blend of experiences that you can relate to the locals. This is even more important when staying at an all-inclusive.

Tours From Palladium Vallarta

The aquatic excursions from Palladium Vallarta are Pirate Ship Canadian Night, Ocean Mania, Yalapa & Majahuitas, Las Caletas Beach Hideaway, Whale Watching, Marietas Island Snorkeling, Luxury Sailing, and Sea Safari.

The entertainment and adventure tours include Rhythms of the Night, Extreme Adventure, Outdoor Adventure, Offroad, Pirate Land Day Tour, and Zip.

I recommend the cultural tour to San Sebastian del Oeste. The tour is run by Vallarta Adventures. In Puerto Vallarta, tour buses are not allowed to pick you up from the hotel. You have to take a taxi from the hotel to the head office of Vallarta Adventures.

The tour does include an amazing breakfast buffet and drinks. After breakfast, we head out to San Sebastian. The tour guides are amazing. They ask each person to share a little about themselves and what do they plan on getting from this trip.

Bakery

The first stop is at a panaderia (bakery). A great place to relax and have a drink.

The baked goods are some of the best I have ever tasted.

The owner and his wife have been using these recipes for decades.

Don Lalin Distillery

After the stopover at the bakery, we head out to Hacienda Don Lalin distillery making Raicilla.

Raicilla is a mezcal, which is Puerto Vallarta’s best-kept secret.

I find it sweeter and more aromatic than tequila. Raicilla comes from the Chico Aguiar variety of wild agave that is grown for about eight years, fire-roasted, fermented and then distilled.

John Huston

On our way to San Sebastian just before lunch, we stop at John Huston’s hacienda.

The hacienda was a gold and silver refinery and one can see the kilns and various equipment.

American film director John Huston single-handedly changed Puerto Vallarta from a fishing village to an international tourist destination. Huston hit a magic formula with The African Queen and The Treasure of Sierra Madre. Huston cast famous Hollywood stars in gorgeous, far-flung settings and made the locations the theme of the movie.

In 1962, Huston shot Night of the Iguana, in Mismaloya in a village south of Puerto Vallarta. Richard Burton was the lead along with Sue Lyon, Deborah Kerr and Ava Gardener. Elizabeth Taylor joined so that she could be close to Burton. Burton and Liz were in love after Cleopatra which sizzled the world. The photographers swarmed them and the Italian word for insects ‘paparazzi’ entered the English lexicon. The rest is history or ‘erotic vagrancy’ as the Vatican called it.

The press from all over the world flocked to Puerto Vallarta and when not focusing on Liz and Dick started focusing on what Puerto Vallarta had to offer. This location was pure bliss, utopia, the Promised Land with great beaches, haciendas, homes with tiles, palm trees and birds everywhere.

We stop at a restaurant for lunch.

San Sebastian

After a long drive on a scenic route along the winding road, we arrive at San Sebastian. My first impression is that it is locked away in time, surrounded by mountains carpeted in dense tropical vegetation. It is Mexico’s most well-preserved towns.

San Sebastian is ensconced deep in the heart of the Sierra Madre Mountains. It is off the beaten path and one of Mexico’s last remaining secrets. A town and a municipality that is not far from Puerto Vallarta but far from the tourist haunts. San Sebastian was founded in 1605 and consists of unique antique haciendas and homes. At its peak in 1830, its population was in excess of 20,000, working in mines, gold and silver refineries. The Mexican Revolution in 1910 brought production to a halt and the last mine shut down in 1921.

As you enter the town it reminds you of peace and tranquility. It is clean and tidy. The cobbled roads lead to a beautiful museum.

The church is beautiful from inside.

The inn has been around for a long long time.

There are lots of stores, shops and restaurants that are unique.

The organic coffee store has been run by the same family for 150 years.

A trip to San Sebastian really reminds you of how simple life was. It gets you in touch with nature, organic food and the simplicity of life. It was an amazing cultural tour that I will remember for a long time.

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