I have been hearing and reading quite a lot lately about how to cut back, pare down, reduce clutter and live leaner and smarter. Celebrities like Oprah and various Home and DIY shows dedicate time each week to helping people realize that “stuff” does not make us happy, but time with our loved ones does. There is research that has verified the association between many negative physical symptoms (like migraines, muscle soreness, stomach and digestive problems) with the stress that clutter and superfluous stuff causes within us. Yes, that’s correct – too much stuff makes us sicker!

Therefore I offer to you the following. July is “National Hot Dog Month” and “National Ice Cream Month”. Now that sounds like a fun, flavorful and frugal kind of celebration. It is also “National Family Reunion Month” and while this may cause more stress for some, it may also be an opportunity to reduce yourselves of some clutter by making the gathering a donation event as well, reducing your extra stuff as a family and helping others who lack some of the basics. Helping someone else and being grateful for what you still have has a wonderful healing effect.

July 18th is “Toss Away the Could-Haves and Should-Haves Day”. Should is another one of those tough words. It means that if something isn’t as it “should” be then everything else is worse or wrong. That’s a pretty high standard to meet. I can always find at least 3 to 6 alternative ways of seeing any situation. Embrace today, where you are, and realize that this is good, too.

from Wikipedia by Alvesgaspar

My favorite, though, is July is also “National Share a Sunset with your Lover Month”. This is a great free celebration that we can all enjoy. It costs nothing, just some time and some willingness to make it happen. Yeah, we’ve had more than our share of rain in CT, but there are still many sunny days ahead.

Any situation is what you make it, and Less is definitely More if you let it be. Have a great sunset!