I came across this blog post about 40 bags in 40 days. I am always trying to get the best ideas possible to conquer my clutter habit, so I quickly joined the Facebook group.
The challenge started today, March 5. I typically think I will participate in this kind of thing, and then life happens. I'm hoping this time is different.
My mom read a blog post this past weekend and summarized it for me. I wish I could tell you the link or even the blog it came from, but I didn't even see the site. I was busy printing, cutting and folding wedding programs for my sister's fast-approaching wedding. The quick summary of the post, if I remember correctly, was that the blogger's oldest daughter was not content with things. She was begging for a toy, and this happened often. So the blogger took all of the belongings out of her daughters' bedrooms. No toys, not even decorations. She saw a difference in the contentment of her children. They were more creative and even excited by the fact that they no longer have to pick up as much.
I have a discontented oldest child myself. He isn't happy with things he has. If he wants something new, he can't get it fast enough. He is always the one to complain when they have to pick up. His common response, "We just picked up last night!" So that blog got me to thinking. What a novel idea, less stuff means less picking up. Though I'm not sure I'm willing to go to the drastic measure of taking everything away from the kids.
A couple days after talking about that blog, I read a friend's Facebook post about the 40 Bags in 40 Days, and decided I'm gonna do it! Today was the first day. I wish I had taken before and after photos(I will tomorrow). I started in Paxton's room. I still had several baby toys, blankets, and even burp rags in his closet. I had two bags of unused children's hangers, which I moved to the garage for a garage sale. I then sorted through toys and did a quick sort through clothes. I took out a set of plastic storage bins and hanging shoe organizer. I had two boxes of items for garage sale, one bag to give away and a stack of baby blankets that I am not quite ready to part with(they went to the attic for keeping). Three bags and two boxes out of one room. I'm on a roll!
I'm not sure how well I will keep up with this. Hopefully it won't be like a New Year's resolution. But surely, with the support and encouragement of a bunch of strangers on Facebook, I can make it 40 days. Even if I just take one bag of clutter each day, that would make a huge difference in out total amount of stuff.
Go check out the Facebook group 40 Bags in 40 Days 2013(not sure why the wrong year). https://www.facebook.com/groups/40bagsin40days/
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Light Bulb Moment
You know those moments in cartoons when the light bulb appears over a character's head? I had one of those moments the other day.
Mid January Paxton was outgrowing his coat. I knew when the cuffs were hitting closer to the elbow than the wrist that we would have to buy one soon. I ended up going to the children's resale shop and finding a cute coat in excellent condition. About a month later, a friend of mine asked if I needed a coat for Paxton because her son had outgrown his. I said no and didn't think another thing about it.
This weekend I was talking with my mom. For some reason the offer of the extra coat came up, and my mom said she would have taken it. She said she always liked to have an extra in case one got dirty or wet.
This is when the light bulb came on. I completely agreed with my mom. It is nice to have an extra coat, which is why almost all of my kids have at least 2(Gray and Madalynn have 3). But that moment I was standing with my friend, I was thinking of all of the extra stuff I have and thought maybe I really didn't need an extra coat. There is only 1 more month of winter, surely 1 coat will get him by.
Too often I am given things that I don't really need, and I accept them happily. They are things that I believe might come in handy. I go through hand-me-down clothes and keep most of it. I come home with loads of stuff every time I go back home. My grandparents give me things, my mom and dad give me things, my sister gives me things, and the list could go on.
I am a sucker for cast-offs.
I have a great desire to provide for my family. I know that we may not always have the money to buy new things, so I keep the old stuff. If someone is getting rid of something that might be useful, why not keep it? If I have things I haven't used in years... Who cares? I wouldn't want to buy it again, so I keep it. Pretty soon I have filled my house with things. Things that I don't want to get rid of in case I need them later.
Don't get me wrong. I purge on a regular basis. When the kids outgrow things, I resell or give them away. I get rid of clothes that are torn or stained. I throw away broken things(unless I think I can fix it). But still I feel overrun by things.
This light bulb moment made me realize that part of the reason I keep things could be inborn or learned from my parents. But it also made me realize that I had said no to adding another thing to my household, another thing that I probably didn't need.
I know that I can overcome the stuff that clutters my life, and even though my first instinct is to take and keep things that are offered, I am going to change my ways. I am going to get really choosy with the things that occupy my space, and hopefully, soon, we won't be picking up junk all of the time!
Mid January Paxton was outgrowing his coat. I knew when the cuffs were hitting closer to the elbow than the wrist that we would have to buy one soon. I ended up going to the children's resale shop and finding a cute coat in excellent condition. About a month later, a friend of mine asked if I needed a coat for Paxton because her son had outgrown his. I said no and didn't think another thing about it.
This weekend I was talking with my mom. For some reason the offer of the extra coat came up, and my mom said she would have taken it. She said she always liked to have an extra in case one got dirty or wet.
This is when the light bulb came on. I completely agreed with my mom. It is nice to have an extra coat, which is why almost all of my kids have at least 2(Gray and Madalynn have 3). But that moment I was standing with my friend, I was thinking of all of the extra stuff I have and thought maybe I really didn't need an extra coat. There is only 1 more month of winter, surely 1 coat will get him by.
Too often I am given things that I don't really need, and I accept them happily. They are things that I believe might come in handy. I go through hand-me-down clothes and keep most of it. I come home with loads of stuff every time I go back home. My grandparents give me things, my mom and dad give me things, my sister gives me things, and the list could go on.
I am a sucker for cast-offs.
I have a great desire to provide for my family. I know that we may not always have the money to buy new things, so I keep the old stuff. If someone is getting rid of something that might be useful, why not keep it? If I have things I haven't used in years... Who cares? I wouldn't want to buy it again, so I keep it. Pretty soon I have filled my house with things. Things that I don't want to get rid of in case I need them later.
Don't get me wrong. I purge on a regular basis. When the kids outgrow things, I resell or give them away. I get rid of clothes that are torn or stained. I throw away broken things(unless I think I can fix it). But still I feel overrun by things.
This light bulb moment made me realize that part of the reason I keep things could be inborn or learned from my parents. But it also made me realize that I had said no to adding another thing to my household, another thing that I probably didn't need.
I know that I can overcome the stuff that clutters my life, and even though my first instinct is to take and keep things that are offered, I am going to change my ways. I am going to get really choosy with the things that occupy my space, and hopefully, soon, we won't be picking up junk all of the time!
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