Decluttering challenge, day 2

So you came back?  Wow!  Ready for the events of day 2?  I was looking through the bathroom closet for something to get rid of…came across this pretty box and couldn’t remember when I bought it or received it as a gift.  Or even what was in it.  I know, I know…anyhow, pulled it out of the closet and immediately noticed it had quite a heft to it for such a small box.  Okay, don’t freak out on me…it wasn’t like a dead body or anything gross like that and it sure as heck wasn’t my stash of gold coins…please, don’t waste your time breaking into my house in search of the aforementioned stash of gold coins.  There are no gold coins in my house…and only a few silver and copper ones, so the whole trying to dig through my bathroom closet on a treasure hunt would be futile (yeah, because I’m just dumb enough to leave my stash of gold coins in the bathroom closet after writing about it…seriously?).

Anyhow, I carefully pried the lid off the box and found several herb infused bath bombs.  Cool, huh?  I love stuff like that.  Soaking in a tub full of scented hot water is one of those simple pleasures I find great joy in.  So, the question might be, why hadn’t I bothered to use any of the cute little bath bombs if I like them so much?  Well, you know, when you hide things away you tend to forget about them.  So…there’s our lesson for the day…keep the things you take joy in someplace convenient where they can give you joy.  They do us no good stuffed in the back of a closet.  Let’s remember that, okay?

Now on to my choices of things to get rid of today.  The first one was a box I found in the same bathroom closet where I keep my stash of gold coins bath bombs.  I really don’t remember anything about the box, what came in it, where I got it. So, if you’re reading this, and you’re the one who gave me the box, well I’m sorry.  It really is a nice shiny box with a mirror inside the lid of it.  I’m sure I saved it because I liked it.  But I decided I knew someone who would enjoy it even more.  Mmm hmm…you guessed it, Clara.  So I brought it downstairs, put a notepad in it (hey, the kid loves paper) along with a couple of Smarties candy canes.  When she came over, her eyes got big as she picked the box up.  She looked up at me and whispered, “Is this for me?”.  When I told her it was, she hugged it to her chest and said “Thank you.”  Alright, I’m embellishing a little bit here, she did hug it to her chest, but she didn’t say “thank you”…what is it with kids these days?  My way was so much more enjoyable, don’t you think?

Clara’s red box

 

So then I tried to find something to get rid of that was just as exciting.  I picked up this, and looked at that, walked into my spare room, turned around in a circle and walked right back out.  I hate to admit this, but I could probably get the entire month’s worth of decluttering done in that room alone and still not be done (hey, Patti…thanks for putting that thought into my head…hope you don’t mind that I borrowed it today.)  I finally decided I was making this way too difficult for day 2…just pick something up and decide what to do with it already.  Ahh…back to my handy-dandy pile of magazines.  I quickly gathered up a small Kroger bag full to take into work.  Everyone likes to have something to read while they’re on break, so I know these will be appreciated…at least until some neat freak decides to throw them out.  But no worries, folks, there’s plenty more where those came from.

All You magazines for break room at work

 

Keeping track of how many items you dispose of isn’t part of the challenge.  I guess they figure you’ll follow the rules and get rid of one item on the first, two on the second, three on the third and so forth.  But you know me…I can be quite the rebel.  After two days, I’ve managed to rid my home of 18 items.  And I’ve only just begun!

 

Related articles

• 7 Easy Steps To Decluttering — And Profiting From It (forbes.com)
• Decluttering in 2014 (suddenlyfrugal.com)
• Declutter Day 2 & 3 – Unplanned setbacks & Surprising Successes (faithfamilyfralityofmind.wordpress.com)

Decluttering challenge, day 1

Okay, those of you who have been with me a while know that, while I’m not a pack-rat or hoarder, I do have a tendency to allow clutter to accumulate.  Why do I do that?  I mean, I could use the I’m tired when I get home from work excuse.  Or the I’ve been sick off and on for over a year now excuse.  Or the I live every day in pain excuse.  And those are all somewhat valid excuses.  But the thing is, I know I feel better about myself when my house is clean and uncluttered.

I’ve spent the past year questioning myself before I make a purchase.  Do I really need this?  Will I really use it?  Or will it end up collecting dust in a few weeks until I either donate it or sell it?  Asking myself these questions before I buy something has really helped curb my impulse purchases…well, except at Christmas and where Clara is concerned.  I did buy more than I needed to (or should have) at Christmas and I do still tend to buy little things (and some not so little things) that I think Clara might like.  I’m going to get that under control with my no-spend January (but that’s for another post).

Right now, for the month of January, I’m going to focus on eliminating clutter in my house.  The challenge is to get rid of one item on January 1.  Then, on the 2nd, get rid of two more items.  Three items on the 3rd, and so on through the 31st.  I haven’t done the math and I’m too lazy to stop and do it right now (why duplicate work that I’m sure someone else has already done???), but that would be a serious amount of clutter gone from my home in one month’s time.

I think the first week will be fairly easy, but along about week three, I’m thinking things might get a little more intense.  Not that I won’t be able to find things to get rid of.  Oh no, just that actually going through the process of packing 14 items up, taking them out to the car, and getting rid of them (just putting them in the car doesn’t count…have to actually hand them over…throw them out, give them away, sell them, whatever I choose to do with them has to be done each day) will likely become time-consuming and labor intensive as 14 turns into 15 into 16 and so on.

Knowing myself well enough to know I might just give up on the whole thing after a couple of weeks, I decided I needed a little accountability to keep me on the straight and narrow.  So, yep, you guessed it…you lucky folks will get to read daily updates and see daily pictures.  I know, I know…you all need to calm down now…it’ll be very exciting for all of you.  You’ll get a peek into my “why in the world did I ever save that?” stash.  And hey, if you see something you want, let me know quickly.  This is one of those you snooze, you lose deals.  Don’t act fast enough and it’ll be too late.

So, without further ado, day 1…

magazines for Greg

Yes, there are two magazines, but they’re both family magazines (free subscriptions that I somehow get…can’t even remember how, you know, since I don’t have kids and the cats don’t really like to do a lot of kid crafting…but I do get some ideas about stuff to do with Clara.), so I’m counting this as one item.  Time to pass them on.  So Greg, if you’re reading this, these will be waiting for you at work when you get there later today.  Enjoy.

Since I already had these set aside for Greg, this wasn’t a huge challenge for me.  Ooh…but what will tomorrow bring as I search for two things to release from my home (no, it won’t be the cats…how dare you even suggest that?).  Check in tomorrow as Patti’s decluttering saga continues…

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• Simplifying Life (jenlynn401.wordpress.com)