Helloooo, Friend!

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Amy Scheren Founder of Simple Everyday Home, where I teach you how to declutter your house without having to thank your socks for their faithful service. (Scandalous, right?! Please don't call the decluttering police on me - they've been here three times this week already.)

Well, well, well. Look who just clawed her way back from the abyss of real life. It’s me—Amy, your long-lost friend and cappuccino junkie from Simple Everyday Home.

Long time no see. Or talk. Or write. Or communicate via carrier pigeon. I know you’ve got a fantastically full life going on over there, so I don’t expect you’ve missed me much… But I’ve totally MISSED YOU LIKE CRAAAAZY!

Since we last chatted, I’ve taken a bit of a sabbatical. Or break. Or time-out. Whatever you want to call it, my family just needed me. They needed my time, my attention, and my mediocre laundry skills.

So I’ve been living in real life with them. And honestly? That’s what I was made for. It’s been good—even during the times it was HARD. (Because… life.)

I’ve traveled with my husband. I’ve grieved a close loved one. I’ve mowed the lawn at least twice. I’ve repainted the entire inside of my house. I’ve learned to drink cappuccinos with just one sugar. I’ve kept a houseplant alive. (I’ve also killed three others, but whatever.)

I’ve helped some of my kids move away. I’ve helped some move back home (before moving away again). I’ve helped them navigate jobs and figure out whether to wash a striped shirt with lights or darks.

I’ve helped them keep schoolwork in perspective, deal with nasty landlords, and Google-diagnose cat illnesses. Because apparently, that’s what moms do.

And by the way, why does no one warn you that parenting a twenty-something involves the same non-stop worry and suggesting where to look for their shoes as the preschool years?

Except now it includes a driver's license and the grown-adult right to respond to text messages two and a half lifetimes after they're received.

But one of the biggest—most insane—things I’ve done is (Are you ready for it? Should you sit down? Should I sit down? Maybe we should both sit down?!?)...

I TURNED FIFTY!!!!! I know, it’s crazy, right????????

I now slather on moisturizer like I’m warding off leprosy. I exercise like a champ. I eat outrageously healthy foods (except for Lucky Charms—50-year-old me still thinks they're magically delicious). And I get dressed every day like I’m going out, even if I’m not—because that’s who fifty-year-old me wants to be.

I have to tell you—turning fifty has been one of the most oddly liberating experiences of my life. I kind of love it. (Is that weird? I’m pretty sure that’s weird.)

It feels like a fresh start. A new chapter to write. Another chance to be me. An opportunity to wave my arms in the air like I just don’t care.

And in my wise, very old age, there’s something I’ve come to realize. We spend a lot of time looking back—thinking about all the things we wish we’d done, or done differently, in our lives. I swear I could write a six-volume book series on all the things I would change if I got a do-over.

But we can’t change the past. (Which is too bad because pleated baggy jeans and mile-high bangs should totally be erased from all memory.)

But do you know what we can change? What we actually can do?

We can choose who we want to be TODAY.

I can wake up every day and decide what I want “fifty” to look like for me. The way I dress, how healthy I am, what my house looks like, how I spend my time, the things I do for the people I love, or the ridiculous number of caffeinated beverages I choose to consume—I get to be who I want to be right now.

This adventure of becoming Amy 2.0 has been quite a growing experience for me, and honestly, I wish I hadn’t waited until fifty to be so intentional about who I want to be and what I want my life to look like each day.

What if I would have asked myself who I wanted forty-year-old-Amy to be!? Or 30-year-old-Amy!?!?? But, no dwelling on the past—especially since 51-year-old-Amy is barreling toward me like a puppy hyped up on cheddar!

So, that's my life in a nutshell. A very, very large nutshell.

But enough about me. I want to know what you've been up to! Shoot me an email and tell me anything—or everything. I’ve got a drawer full of espresso pods, so I’m ready!

Let me know what YOUR life looks like right now, what you want it to look like, a project you're working on, something you're trying to figure out, what you're having for dinner tonight, the name of your favorite cereal, the name of your cat, the name of your cat's favorite cereal—whatever. I'm here for it!

Just hit "reply" and spill alllll the tea—I can't wait to hear from you!

Cheering you on,

Amy

P.S. Off the record, I've been watching Jane Austen shows on repeat. Like, repeat—repeat—repeat—repeat. Mostly Emma, the BBC four-hour version. Over and over and over. The end.