For many of us, decluttering feels like death by a thousand choices. Whether it’s decision fatigue, or sentimentality, or a bit of scarcity fear, we might find it easier to hold onto things rather than choose what goes away.  But what if the first step wasn’t to decide what has to go? What if decluttering didn’t initially involve getting rid of anything? Would it even still be considered decluttering? According to one organizing enthusiast, the answer is yes. And, in fact, it can make decluttering that much more effective.  Dawn Madsen, who aptly goes by “the Minimalist Mom” online, has over 800 helpful videos geared towards simple strategies to declutter homes. She also has a mentorship program for those who want some one-on-one guidance.  Recently, Madsen discussed the concept of “backwards decluttering,” which flips the script on how we normally tidy up and makes the process “fly by.” With zero “hard decisions.” How to “Reverse Clutter” Here’s how it works:  Step 1: Select the things you use regularly, and place them in “prime real estate” Organized bathroom drawer. Canva Madsen suggested placing daily use items like toothpaste and moisturizer in the drawer next to the sink. That way they’re not clogging up the counter, but are still easily accessible. In place of a drawer, you could also place these items into a “get ready” bin that could either go under the sink, or live on the countertop in a much more streamlined way.  Weekly regular items would get a similar treatment, getting placed into their own bin and being put into whatever nearby storage is available.  Things that aren’t used regularly, but you know will be used (like extra bottles of products that you might have bought in bulk) would also go into the “yes” pile. If you thought their “prime real estate” would be something like a closet, they can also go under the sink. They should just be in a different container.  Step 2: Things that aren’t being used regularly go into the “time will tell” bin Stacked storage bins. Canva Those impulse purchases that haven’t made their way into the routine yet? These go into a lidded storage bin so that they’re not “nagging” you through your periphery. They are, however, still available should the mood strike or should you have the bandwidth to use it.  In a few months, you’ll be able to check the bin and reassess whether certain things should go or stay.  Madsen says this strategy is particularly helpful for getting a handle on our consumer habits as well. Influencers sell us so many “aspirational” products, but having all those items in one place gives tangible data on what we might be unnecessarily spending our money on.  Madsen noted that as her consumer habits shifted, her “time will tell” bin was able to grow smaller.  Step 3: Whatever’s left goes into a black trash bag New black trash bags. Canva Madsen suggests black so that it’s no longer in your line of sight. And though she didn’t mention having a donation pile (as her leftover items were actual trash) this is the step where you could place items of that nature aside to be donated.  The method really works Madsen noted that our brains love for things to be separated and categorized. This method scratches that itch while eliminating any FOMO about items that may have been tossed out prematurely.  And though she demonstrated this method with bathroom items, it’s easy to see how this would be applicable in any room.  Judging by the response in the comments, plenty of viewers could see themselves giving the “time will tell bin” a try. Many got excited at the idea of “shopping” from it to keep from needless spending. One shared, “I organize people’s homes , and I really like the ‘time will tell bin’,” one person wrote. “Because a lot of ppl hang on to stuff bc they are planning on using it , or want to keep for XYZ , and when other organizers say ‘if you don’t use it get rid of it’ you end up keeping more bc it’s the thought of throwing out money or needing it in the future and now you don’t have it , plus the TWT bin isn’t a permanent decision so it’s not as anxiety inducing , and you can move through this step of organizing, instead of getting stuck or frustrated – and ultimately giving up or getting upset.” Sometimes backwards is the way forward Instead of demanding an immediate answer about every item, backwards decluttering creates room for your everyday routines to reveal what actually belongs. Over time, the things you consistently reach for become obvious, and the ones you never miss become easier to part with. For anyone who freezes at the thought of making dozens of keep-or-donate decisions in a single afternoon, that small shift in perspective could be the difference between abandoning a decluttering project halfway through and finally making lasting progress. The post Woman swears by this ‘reverse decluttering’ method for making tidying up easier appeared first on Upworthy.

This July 4, America will celebrate its milestone 250th birthday. Besides “The Star-Spangled Banner,” another patriotic song will likely be blaring through speakers in celebration of America: the famous “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The song’s lyrics, still sung today, were written by poet Julia Ward Howe, an abolitionist who wrote them during the Civil War. However, her words were not the original lyrics to the famous song. Evolution of the ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ Before the Civil War, in 1856, a man named William Steffe wrote the melody and the original lyrics to what we know today as the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” according to the Library of Congress: Say brothers, will you meet us?Say brothers, will you meet us?Say brothers, will you meet us?On Canaan’s happy shore? Glory, glory hallelujah!Glory, glory hallelujah!Glory, glory hallelujah!For ever, evermore! At that time, the song was adopted by churches among free Black communities as a Methodist camp meeting song, particularly around Charleston, South Carolina. It became an abolitionist anthem following the raid on Harpers Ferry, led by abolitionist John Brown, on October 16, 1859. Brown attempted to lead a small group in a failed slave revolt, which resulted in his execution. The words to Steffe’s song were changed to honor Brown, and it became a famous marching song known as “John Brown’s Body” among the Union Army, especially among Black troops: John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave,John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave,John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave,His soul is marching on! Julia Ward Howe’s lyrics During a visit with her husband to Washington, D.C., in November 1861, Howe heard Union troops singing “John Brown’s Body” as they marched into battle in nearby Virginia. The story goes that a preacher standing with Howe urged her to write new lyrics for the song, something she had always wanted to do. She wrote: “I… awoke the next morning in the gray of the early dawn, and to my astonishment found that the wished-for lines were arranging themselves in my brain. I lay quite still until the last verse had completed itself in my thoughts, then hastily arose, saying to myself, I shall lose this if I don’t write it down immediately. I… began to scrawl the lines almost without looking…. Having completed this, I lay down again and fell asleep, but not before feeling that something of importance had happened to me.” Howe infused the song with anti-slavery and Biblical references, and she sold her poem to the Atlantic Monthly for just $5 in February 1862. Her version was adopted into use and still lives on today: Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:His truth is marching on. (Chorus) Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory hallelujah! His truth is marching on.   After the Civil War, Howe continued her work as a suffragist dedicated to helping women win the right to vote, co-founding the National Woman Suffrage Association. She died in 1910. The post A poet sold the lyrics to America’s iconic ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ for just $5 appeared first on Upworthy.

Sometimes you just want to take a dip in the ocean. In fact, the urge can be so strong that you develop blinders as the sea breeze calls you in with its siren song. That’s what happened to an ordinary Australian man who simply needed the salty water between his toes. He wanted it so much that he didn’t notice there was an entire fashion show happening around him. Australian Fashion Week was in full force at Tamarama Beach in Sydney last month. As perfectly sculpted male models began descending wooden stairs onto the beach, our dude, clad in a button-down shirt and baggy shorts, threw his towel over his shoulder. Model after model, each presenting a serious “Blue Steel” look, passed in front of and behind him, and he barely noticed. @violetgrace_ Australian Fashion Week: Nothing stops a local from having their morning swim. I repeat: NOTHING. #australianfashionweek #commas ♬ original sound – user31524180536 ‘Whose dad is this?’ A TikTok user named Violet Grace posted a clip captioned, “Whose dad is this?” We see the man half-glance at the lanky models as he takes off his shirt, balls it up, does a few wild arm stretches, and hops into the ocean with abandon. The Today show in Australia tracked the man down and discovered his name is David Handley. Right off the bat, he apologized to the fashion designer. “When I got to the top of the stairs yesterday, I saw the models. And I thought surely someone’s going to be controlling the stairs if the show has begun. They must be coming down here together,” he said. Handley, laughing at himself, added, “And I suddenly went, ‘I’m the lead model.'” Handley is the moment Commenters on the TikTok clip are understandably in love with him. One joked, “He is THE show. He is THE moment.” Another quipped, “Are they bothering you, king?” implying that the entire planned runway show might be getting in the way of a good swim. Quite a few point out the blue bracelet attached to his ankle. After some sleuthing, TikTokers found that it’s an “anti-shark bracelet,” which supposedly uses magnets to overload a shark’s senses and, hopefully, send it swimming away. Channel NewsAsia also posted the clip on Instagram, asking a similar question: “Was he crashing the fashion show, or was the fashion show crashing his swim?” With more than 1.6 million likes and 15,000 comments, commenters were quick to point out that Handley appears to be “an absolute legend.” View this post on Instagram Wedding crashers Of course, he wouldn’t be the first accidental crasher. Another Instagram user shared a nearly identical story, except they accidentally crashed a wedding: “True story: I once crashed a wedding in this exact same fashion. Like, IN THE WEDDING ITSELF. I didn’t realize they were all doing a procession down the steps, and some lady grabbed my arm and said, ‘Hey, you’re not supposed to be here, but we have a missing groomsman, so you can walk with us.’ So, there I was, escorted down the steps arm in arm with some random lady in a wedding I had no idea about. I was even in their video. They asked me to say words, and I said, ‘Give my regards to the bride and groom.’ I was then told on-camera it was a gay wedding, so I said, ‘Sorry, the groom and groom.’ Everyone laughed, I went to the beach, and I never heard from any of them ever again. I still wonder about these people from time to time, and I hope the couple is happy and can laugh at my misfortune.” @violetgrace_ Replying to @liza I wouldnt be doing my fashion journalistic duty if I didn’t share this video of the runway. It was a beautiful show #commas ♬ original sound –

It was 7 years ago that the heavy wooden doors of transport crates slid open, and 12 European bison who had grown up in zoos suddenly were looking around, blinking at an unfamiliar wild landscape. They were standing on the slopes of Shahdagh, or the King’s Mountain, northern Azerbaijan—their new home. Together with the UN […] The post From One Surviving Male Bison, Azerbaijan Now Has 25 Calves Born Wild in 7-Year Success Story appeared first on Good News Network.

In Michigan, a prospective law would eliminate virtually all regulations on that ole’ chestnut: the childhood lemonade stand. If it can be believed, state house Representative Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan), had the issue brought to his attention after the local health department in his district demanded that some children pay repeated fees to run their lemonade […] The post New Law Would Protect Kids’ Lemonade Stands After State Employees Were Caught Demanding Fees appeared first on Good News Network.