Day 72: Desk

Today I cleared out a few more items off the top of my desk.
I got rid of several papers, 2 file folders and an old box of swiffer rags. (did some dusting while I was at it!) Also attacked a pile of papers by the phone.  Did some reorganizing too.



Oh I almost forgot the one I am most excited about...I threw 2 old propane canisters into the recycling bin.  They have been sitting in our laundry room for almost a year, with me wondering how I should dispose of them.  I didn't want to just throw them in regular trash & I thought they could be recycled, but I wasn't sure where to recycle.  I called Home Depot, but they don't take the small canisters (they do refill the big ones though!).  So I sent an email off to the City of Fresno waste management, and found out that if they are totally empty, they can go straight into our blue bin.  Hooray!  Guilt-free tossing!

It sure is nice to have that space on my laundry room counter back.


Today's Toss:
let's say, 10-12 paper related items.
2 empty propane canisters

= 14 things

Day 71: Kids' Stuff

Today I threw out 2 jumbo coloring/activity books and several (let's say 8) items of kids' clothing!
I'm back at it...but this will not be my idol.

kc

Day 68-70: More maternity clothes

So, we were out of town during these days, so how can I purge things while I'm gone, you ask.  Well, I had bagged up many of my maternity clothes (yes, I still have more!) to take down to southern California to pass off to my sister-in-law who is pregnant for the first time.  She was happy to receive them.  I bagged them up a while ago, and didn't have the time or motivation to dig through the bag and count the items, so let's just round down and say there were 30 things in the bag.

Today's Toss:
approx. 30 maternity shirts, pants, underwear, etc.= donated to a great cause!

Day 67: Pantry

So much purging could be done in my pantry.  I usually don't let myself count food as a purge item, but in this case, I have a lot of things that I've been "storing" up in my pantry, and since it has taken up space for awhile, and we haven't eaten it, I am giving myself credit for getting rid of it!

We are getting ready to go out of town and while I was packing the kids' snacks for the car, I ran into a lot of snacks that ended up in the trash instead!

Today's Toss:
10 food/snack items

Day 66: Random

I'm starting to lose track of my days..it's been awhile since I documented what I purged and I've been sick, as well as out of town for 5 days.  I'll do my best to catch up and re-trace my purging steps...

Daily Toss:
2 children's Bible songs CDs
1 BHG magazine
2 plastic princess cups

Total= 5 things (I can't remember what else, so we'll say this day fell a little short)

Day 65: Clothes

Again, I went clothes shopping for myself last weekend, so purging isn't really about decreasing today, more about keeping a status-quo.  I am determined not to hang anything new up in my closet unless I take something else out of my closet.  So...

Today's Toss:
5 shirts
2 sweaters
1 pair of jeans
...and because I didn't get rid of any more clothes
2 containers of dried-out Floam

=10 things!

Day 64: Easter Eggs

So, I had a revelation today that seems so simple, but I was proud of myself.

My son's class requested that we donate a dozen plastic eggs stuffed with treats for a "spring" egg hunt that they'll be having this Friday.  So, of course, I'm excited because I've got a jillion plastic eggs in my closet that I would LOVE to get rid of.  And then, I think, "Oh, when am I going to get to go to the store to buy candy to put in them??"  THEN, (here's the a-ha moment) I realize, why am I going to the store and spend money on junk to give away?  We've got plenty of junk to give away in our house already!  So, again, we went through my son's toys and found some appropriate little action figures, silly bands, erasers, etc that fit just perfectly into a plastic egg.  Voila!!

Today's Toss:
12 plastic eggs
12 treats inside the eggs
=24 things gone from my house!!!

Day 62 & 63: More and More TOYS!

So, my son had his birthday last week.  Which means that we just had an influx of more stuff.  So, purging 10 things a day is not really reducing our total mass of items, right now.  We are just trying to get back to even.

Thankfully my neighbor gave us an opportunity to purge, since her church is looking for items to stock a "prize box" for kids.  I went through my son's room and with his permission (mostly) we came up with 25 toys & items to give away.  I love it!

Today's (& Tomorrow's) Toss:
25 gently used toys, donated to my neighbor's church

Day 61: More Baby Things

I gave away our baby bassinet and sheets this week.  My Bible study leader is expecting her first child next month, and while I had planned to sell this bassinet on Craigslist and make a little $$ off of it, I decided to give it away instead.  Actually I was convicted by the Lord that I need to trust Him for my finances, and that I didn't need to take money from a friend to save up for the things I feel I need more money for.  I just didn't feel right about it.  Especially since the bassinet & sheets were gifted to us.  We have been so blessed with so many things.  I think I will continue to wrestle with giving versus selling.

In addition to that, there were 8 baby rattles and toys that I donated yesterday to MMCenter.  One of them was even brand new in the bag.  Part of me wanted to save it for our baby, since it was brand-spankin' new.  But truthfully we already have stacking rings, and so many more baby toys.  I hope someone else will feel they are special in having a brand new toy for their baby.

Today's Toss:
1 bassinet
2 bassinet sheets
8 baby rattles and toys

=11 baby items on to new homes, to bless more babies!

Day 60: The MMCenter Drop-Off

Finally!  I have been driving around town with a huge box in my trunk, filled with all these things I wanted to give to the Marjaree Mason Center.  I was seriously so ready to have these things out of my house and my car...I almost did a happy dance right there in their driveway.  : )

I did a little more last minute purging of some things I thought they could use...

Today's Toss:
1 cell phone
1 charger (the MMCenter gives these to women in domestic violence situations and they can call 9-1-1 with them if needed)
6 puzzles
3 toys

11 things for the MMCenter--yeay!  A great cause!

Day 59: Cheap Toys

One thing I've also started doing is taking cheap toys, like from fast food kids' meals boxes, and putting them pretty much straight into a donate box.  Unless of course, my kid seems really attached to it.  But, in my experience, they play with the toy while they are supposed to be eating the kid's meal you just bought, and then they either leave it in the car, or pretty much drop it first thing inside the door and forget about it.  I don't toss it right away, but I leave it in the "donate box" in my laundry room, and wait a few days to see if they ask for it at all.  Rarely does this happen.

My neighbor has requested some gently used kids' toys for a prize box they have at their Wednesday night program at church, so I figure these items will be perfect for that.

Today's Toss:
1 board book
1 bottle of Orbees
2 cars
1 necklace charm
2 happy meal toys
dinosaur flash cards
pencil bag
glider plane

Total:
10 toys that will hopefully make some kid (but maybe not some clutter-avoiding parent) happy!

Day 58: Pillows & Clothes

8 more toddler girls clothing items
3 old pillows, donated to MMCenter

Total:  11 things given away!

Day 57: Jumbo Coloring Books

I found some jumbo coloring books while attempting to clear through my kids' art & learning supply corner, which is a MESS!
Today's Toss:
11 scribbled-all-over Handy Manny pages-recycling bin
1 in good condition Cars jumbo book-donated

Total: 12 more things

Day 56: Files

Today I started going through my file folders, in the bottom drawer of my desk.  The big question being: "Which documents really need to be saved?"  I'm having a hard time believing anything does!  It seems like any statement can be accessed online, so what is the point of saving hard copies anymore??

It's also hard to quantify documents...like am I really going to count each piece of paper?  Count each file folder?  I dunno.

All I do know is that I threw several file folders full of papers into the recycling bin today.  And last night we gave back our "modern cradle" to my parents so they can keep it in their house for any of their future grand babies.

Today's (& Yesterday's) Toss:
12 folders, portfolios, and all their contents from file drawer
1 cradle

13 things!

Day 55: Medicine Cabinet

Last night I scurried at the end of the day to find 10 things to throw away.  I was actually behind by a day or two so, I wanted to find something quick to record.  The medicine cabinet (which I actually keep NO medicine in) had several items that went into the trash.

Ta-Da!!

Today's Toss:
11 random cosmetic items, thrown away!

Next to clean the medicine cabinet...

Day 54: Desk Drawers

My desk drawers are actually not as disorganized as the junk all over the top of my desk!
I started in on my top desk drawer and cleared out a few things:

2 old passport photos
2 packages of invitation
1 old membership card
7 encouragement cards
1 map of timeshare resort
1 instructions for digital camera

=14 things, into trash or recycling

Day 52 & 53: Baby Clothes

Today as I was sorting through baby girl clothes (since my baby is about to "size up") and as I was looking through all of the next size & next season clothes that I have saved from my first daughter, I realized that there were a lot I could get rid of.  Again, realizing that just because they are in good shape, or given by someone with good intentions, doesn't mean that I have to keep them.  Mostly I figure, if I didn't put in on my first daughter, for whatever reason, I probably won't use it with my second one.

Today's (& Yesterday's) Toss:
approximately 25 items of baby girl clothing

=being donated to the MMCenter

Day 51: Kid's Clothes

It amazes me that after 50 days of tossing at least ten things, that there is still so much more to purge from our house.  If I can keep it in my mind that I need to get rid of ten things as I go about my daily cleaning and putting things away, I easily find my items.

Today it was while I was sorting through the kids' closet, putting something away and realized that my son has a lot of clothes in his drawer that are old, and that honestly, never get worn.  I am confronted at how many hand-me-downs I've saved, just because they were free, without any consideration if they are actually clothes my son will wear.  It's like I feel that I need more clothes to give him a greater variety of things to pick from, yet he wears the same 5-7 shirts every week.  This definitely is changing the way I think about buying & acquiring clothes for my family.

Here it is....

Today's Toss:
14 items of clothing from my son's closet

All of them were in decent shape, so they went straight into the Goodwill bag.

Day 50: Hubby's Bathroom Drawer

I stumbled into my husband's bathroom drawer the other day when I was looking for something, and yikes!  Talk about clutter and junk that will never be used!  So today, I asked him to help me with my daily purge by going through his bathroom drawer.  5 minutes later, he told me he was done.

Today's Toss:

Donated-
1 toothbrush holder
3 travel bags
1 nose hair trimmer

Into trash-
13 items
(To be honest, I don't know what they all were,
& I don't really want to!  I am going to take his word for it!)

Day 49: Towels

So today I hit up the kids' bathroom again to look for old washcloths & towels that might be nice enough to donate.

& I found some!

Today's Toss:4 hooded baby towels
4 baby washcloths
(these I'll donate)
2 ratty washcloths-into our rags for cleaning the car, etc.

Also, to note, that as I was cleaning out the baby washcloths, thinking that some were too worn out to donate.  Instead of throwing them in the trash, I was thinking about what else they could be used for.  My a-ha moment came when I realized I could use them as baby wipes!  I've been intending to make my own baby wipe solution and use cloths to wipe baby at diaper changes.  Now I have some more cloths that cost me nothing to buy and no time to make!  Genius!

Day 48: Linens to Donate

Today's Toss:
14 twin bed sheets & pillow cases

All being donated to MMCenter (someday soon!)

Day 47: More Books & Games

Today's Toss:
2 art sets
1 set of dominoes
1 book
1 soccer ball
1 container of Silly Putty
1 blue block
2 packages of pencils (16 pencils!)
1 sudoku puzzle book
2 journals
1 ceramic bell
1 cardigan sweater
4 shoes
=18 items

Day 46: Children's Books

I never thought I'd get rid of any of my children's books...especially if they are in good working order.  For years I tried to build up my classroom library and believe that the more books kids have to choose from, the better.

As I clean out the clutter in my house, and realize that more is not always better, I have to apply that same concept to our children's books.  We have no shortage of books in this house, and there are some that no one has ever read nor shows any interest in.  Some of them were even given especially to one of my children, you know, signed on the inside cover with the person it's from.  I have always felt it was wrong to give something like that away.

But when I found out that the MMCenter has children's books on it's Wish List, I decided that some of our books should go there.  We just have so many, and it is heartbreaking to me that some kids may not have their own books to read.  Knowing that someone else needs and wants them makes it easier to part with our books.

So, into the MMCenter donate box (which is growing quite large by now, I will actually need to take it all in soon!)

Today's Toss:
25 children's books
1 audio book CD

Day 45: What to Do With Binders?

So, in throwing out a lot of old papers, I am left with piles of 3 ring binders.  What do I do with these?  4 of them I gave to a neighbor who said that her husband could use them.  Apparently Staples will take your old binders and give you a $2 credit towards a new binder.  But what if I don't want to buy any more binders?  I guess Staples will take your old ones anyway, maybe they'd give a $2 discount towards another item??

It seems they should be recycled (versus thrown into the regular trash), since they are coated with plastic and I even found this website that says they have a green method for recycling them, but you have to pay your own shipping to send your binders to them.

I wonder if some non-profit organization would benefit from having them.

I'm still not sure.  I am open to any suggestions.

Today's Toss:
To my neighbor:
4 binders

To somewhere else: (Staples? Non-profit?)
6 binders
1 box of plastic page protectors
2 plastic upright magazine holders

=13 total items

Day 43-44: Old Meds

Cleaning out our medicine box gave me 24 things to toss!

I wasn't totally sure the proper way to dispose of all the meds. 

 I ended up flushing the pills down the toilet.

The old cough syrups/liquids I just poured into the trash.

Most of the other stuff went into the trash.

I put some of the plastic cups & dispensers into the recycling bin.

Nice!  More room for new meds!

Day 39-42: Baby Clothes

Today was a good day.  I got rid of some piles of things that I've been saving up.  Like, they actually left my house.  Baby clothes and other baby related items.  Hopefully all going to a good home.  I like that they are going to be used instead of trashed.

To the MM Center:
17 baby boy onesies, sleepers

To my friends:
1 baby name book
1 crib sheet
2 blankets
21 clothes

=42 total items

I'm going to count these items towards 4 days...

Day 38: More books

I'm continuing my purge and re-organization of my desk & bookshelves.  It's amazing to me how many things I've held onto in the thoughts that I will re-read it, or that I might need to refer to someday.  Especially old Bible study guides that I've written in.  If I haven't gone back and read through my notes by now, I don't think I ever will.  In fact, I am hard-pressed even to remember what specific things I learned in those studies.  Not that I didn't learn anything, but I think I will benefit more from going to the Bible and looking up new references when I'm studying a certain topic.  So, most of those went into the recycling bin.

I'm also learning that books that I decided to keep a week ago, I am re-considering as I put things back onto my shelves.  It's a bit of a process:  a book might be a "maybe" at one point, but as I think through it some more, I realize that I really don't need to hold onto it after all and then it can happily go into the "Donate" box.

Today's Toss:
Recycling Bin-
6 old bible studies

MCC Book Sale box-
15 books

Trash
1 silly band
1 plastic heart
1 photo book
2 binder envelopes

=26 total items

Day 37: Total So Far

Just because I've been wanting to have a running total, I thought I'd count up all the things that I've tossed so far.  Obviously this doesn't include everything (I do pitch random things that I either forget or don't bother to document..they seem too trash-like to count).  So it is a minimum, an "at least" to go on.

As of today, February 18, we have 429 less things in our house!  Not bad, eh?

Now, I realize the above statistic is not completely accurate either, because while I am purging, we also continue to add things to our house almost every day.  Not at the same rate of ten things a day (thankfully!) but some days I think that maybe I should count how many things we add into our house, and work on limiting THAT number.  And this new habit is changing the way I shop and think about the things I purchase, but new things do come into our house on a regular basis.  Even if I don't buy them, gifts are given to us, etc.

But again, let's celebrate:  429 things in 37 days.  It's funny that I originally thought this would be a month-long experiment.  Now I realize I can easily keep this up for a whole year, if not longer! (if I don't drive my whole family crazy in the process...)

kc

Day 37: Clean-Up Day

Well, at least some of us are cleaning up.  It's a no school day for my son & while my kids are in the bathroom, playing in the sink, I am continuing to work on my bookshelves/desk area and reorganizing away.  Along the way, I'm finding plenty to toss.  My goal is to be done tossing my ten things by the time my husband comes home from work.  It is just much easier and doesn't take time away from our family in the evening if it is done!

Today's Toss:
into trash-1 toy train,1 toy airplane
into recycling bin- 1 journal
MCC Book Sale-9 books

Total for the day:  12 things

Day 36: More Random

I hate it when I wait until the end of the day to do this.  I randomly just go through different rooms and find things to toss.  We have 3 kids sleeping in our 3 bedrooms, so I can't really purge in any of those rooms after they go to bed.  So, mostly my closet (again) was the source for today's tosses.

Today's Toss:
1 box of tea
1 torn maternity shirt
1 sock
1 "Baby's Sleeping" door sign
4 shoes
2 tank tops

=10 things!

Day 35: Donating to a Good Cause

Last week I was thinking about where else in town I could take donations, besides Goodwill.  I don't have any reason not to like Goodwill, and I really need to research what they do more closely, but I wanted some other options too.

I knew that there is an organization in our town that helps women and children get out of abusive home environments and rebuild their lives.  When I went to their website, I found that they have a wish list of items that they are in need of.  Most of them were specific household items, women's and children's clothing, and baby items.  I was encouraged, since I am in the process of purging baby things (even though we have a 3 month old, there are several items that I know we won't be using, and it's time to find them a new home...ie. boy's blankets or clothing).

Today I finished my first bag of items to take to the drop-off center.  I hope I can get there sometime next week.  Sometimes the timing of purging and when I can actually deliver them don't line up, and I have random boxes scattered through our house to take to different places.

Here's Today's Toss:
7 baby blankets
2 packages of pull-ups
7 newborn clothing items
1 foam baby bath insert
= 17 items to donate to the Marjaree Mason Center

Day 34: Kid's Memorabilia

What do you do with your kids' stuff?  I'm trying to figure out the simplest way to manage the clutter that comes along with children's memories.  Right now I am trying out using a 12x12" box with lid for their important papers, etc.  My goal is to purge through the more ineffective boxes and bags I have things stashed away in, and to reduce the volume of stuff (especially for my son who is almost 6!)

 Today's Toss:
1 folder of hospital papers from our 3 month old's birth
9 other random photos, papers, memorabilia from old keepsake boxes

Which brings up a question.  Should I count each piece of paper separately?  That seems kind of silly.  I'm kind of going back and forth.  Technically each thing is countable.  I could count it.  Most days I try to go for a bigger count, like a "folder" of paper, or a "stack" of paper.  I'm not going to try and be too technical about it.  Especially when it comes to memories of my pregnancies, deliveries and my kids' baby days.  *sigh*  I want to stay focused and be able to save a few important things which my children may want to have someday.  Am I saving it for them, or for me?  Where do I go for guidelines on this kind of stuff?
I'll continue this monologue later.

Day 33: My Past Life

I used to be a teacher.  Like, a professional one, not just a mom teaching her kids things at home.  In fact, teaching was a major big part of my life for 13 years.  I spent way too many hours working in the classroom and at home researching, creating and preparing lessons and activities for my students.  I worked with all levels of students, but spent a lot of time parked in the upper elementary grades.

I knew that when I finally had children that I wanted to try being a stay-at-home mom.  Most of my teaching materials went into storage in our garage and a few boxes found their way into closets inside.  I haven't tackled anything in the garage yet (I'm sure I will get there, if I keep tossing) but just the few things inside are presenting a challenge for me to purge.

The world is changing quickly, and already I have to laugh at all the hard copies of things I own.  I'm sure that teachers nowadays own way fewer file folders.  I have a LOT.  Of course, in purging them, I know I should just throw them straight into the recycling bin, and not even look inside.  But I can't.  I am compelled to look, and to reminisce on this former period of my life.  It seems like forever ago.  There is a part of me that misses it.

So for now, I am limiting myself to one file folder box that has file folders in it with different seasonal/thematic activities.  Stuff that I could actually see myself using with my own children at home. (Poor kids, it's hard to take the teacher out of the mom).  Here it is.

Today's Toss:
9 file folders full of school activities
1 rubber glove
1 plastic carrot kitchen toy (smashed in)

Day 32: Sometimes it Gets Worse Before...

...it's gets better.

Our desk & bookshelves are in a state of disarray as I pull things out,
reorganize what we decide to keep and choose which piles to add the "tosses" to

Today's Toss:
Into Recycling Bin:
9 File Folders

From Kids' Dress Up Box:
13 random crowns, headbands, hats, etc.
that are broken or no longer wearable
(some into trash, some recycled,
depending on material)





MCC Book Sale Box:

2 books

Hey, the first box is full!  I think there's close to 50 books in it...I've started a second box now.

Grand Total Tosses for the Day:
24 things

Days 29-31

Life got kind of busy these past couple of days, so today I'm purging 30 things in an attempt to "catch up."  It's 9:45pm, so we'll see if I make it...

Trash:
1 aquarium rock
3 old toothbrushes
1 Hawaii sticker
3 photographs

Recycling Bin:
1 Real Simple magazine
1 PT Board Exam guide
1 Pile of PT notes
2 completed Bible study guides
3 marriage notebooks
1 Marriott book
2 journals
1 file folder of magazine pictures

MCC Book Sale Box:
1 box set of parenting tapes
7 books

Goodwill Bag:
2 professional binder/notepads

phew!  I definitely need to keep up with 10 each day, because scrounging up 30 things late at night is kind of a pain.  Thanks, honey, for helping me out.  It's now 10:25, and I'm signing out!

Day 28: More Bookshelf Purging

I'm back to working on my bookshelves today.  Things are going into either the MCC Book Sale donate box or the recycling bin.

Today's Toss:

Into recycling bin:
1 study guide
1 binder & contents
1 folder of old Hawaii brochures
1 confession of faith leaflet
1 gardening magazine

Into book donation box:
5 other books

whoo-hoo, every day, a little more...slowly getting closer to less clutter.  My bookshelves are looking pretty messy right now.  Less books for sure, but at some point I need to spend time organizing the ones  I do decide to keep.  One day at a time.

Day 27: Returning Things

Today I got to give back 6 of my 10 items for the day.  This is another nice way to make our load lighter.  Returning borrowed items that have been taking up space in our house for way too long.  It's nice because I don't have to really make a decision about whether to trash, recycle or donate.  It's easy:  give it back to the rightful owner and let THEM make the decision. (ha-ha)

Today's toss:
3 books
1 DVD
2 pieces of tupperware
= returned to my mom

2 socks-trash
2 devotional journals-recycled

kc

Day 26: Break From Books

Random tossing around the house today, just part of general clean-up in the kids' room and closets.

Today's Toss:
2 mini rubber duckies
6 stampers from the dollar store
2 baby onesies

= 10 things!

Day 25: More Books and $$$$

40 books so far!

I added another 10 books to my donate box, which is great, but what I'm really excited about today is the money I made by returning something to the store which has sat in the bottom of a closet for over a year!  Purging can actually pay out something more than peace of mind.

It was a kitchen appliance that was given to us as a Christmas present last year.  Of course, I've struggled with guilt over getting rid of it without even using it.  But after a year, I figured it really needed to go.  I was embarrassed to take it back to the store, in case they'd know how long it'd been.  And I didn't even have a receipt.  I wasn't even sure where the gift had been purchased from, but I'd seen it recently in Costco, so I decided to take a risk.

Fortunately, Costco ROCKS in the returns department.  I took it in, and thankfully, as it was brand new in box, never been opened, they gave me cash back!  Cash!  I was expecting store credit at best.  Not that my motivation for purging is making money, but it feels good to get a little payback.

Today's Toss:
10 more books
1 unused kitchen appliance, returned to store
= 11 items, on their way to a new home!

Day 23 & 24: More Books

I've added 18 more books to my box to donate to the MCC Sale.  I've gotta have my dust mitt handy, because there is a WHOLE lotta dust being stirred up from my bookshelves.  It is so interesting to go through my books and to purge.  To think about which ones I've saved, and to remember where I was at when I read particular books.  Some books I've written in, and some are fairly personal, like devotionals or Bible study reflections, so it's not like I'm going to give them away for someone else to use.  And it's also not like I'm actually going back through them to re-read or remember what I wrote and learned.  So, what to do with them?

Some I think I'll still save, especially ones that seem to capture an important time in my life or when I learned important things about God and myself.  But some, I am going to throw in the recycling bin. Two books over the past two days fit in that category.

Two days of tossing:
18 books for the MCC Sale
2 books into recycling

=20 books out of my house!

Day 22: Let the Book Purging Begin...

I have a lot of books.  A lot of books, that sadly, I'm not reading.  I still read, just not those books.  I don't know why I've saved them.  Some were important to me at one point in my life, and they cause me to remember where I was at, who I was becoming in my younger adult years.  Now they just take up space on my bookshelf and collect dust.  Time for them to go.

Check out that dust...

The first 10 books

Thankfully, there is a great place for me to donate my books.  The West Coast MCC Sale is held every year, and they sell used books.  All of the proceeds from the MCC Sale goes to worldwide relief projects that MCC is involved with.  It's an organization we support, so I feel good about my books going there, and hopeful that they might be sold.

Today's Toss:
10 dusty books
= going to the MCC Sale box

This oughta keep me busy for several days!

Day 21: More clothes

Anytime I'm out of ideas where to purge, I just head for my closet.  There are so many clothes in there, outdated, ill-fitting, etc.  So today I tossed ten articles of clothing.

Yesterday's and todays toss

Today's Toss:
1 "I finished the half marathon" sweatshirt
1 quasi-maternity top
3 sweaters that are a decade old
1 denim skirt (also a decade old)
1 scarf (probably 20 years old)
2 children's books
1 Dr. Suess clock, a freebie acquired through something I signed up for

= all in the donate box

Day 20: Scrapbooking Magazines

I'm continuing on the magazine purge...found lots in my scrapbooking file box.  Yikes!  One even dated back to 2003.  Seriously, it is kind of sad to realize that this whole hobby of scrapbooking (you know, with paper) is on it's way to being obsolete as well.  I spent a lot of fun hours with friends scrapping in the early-mid aughts (is that what you call 2001-2006?).  I put a ton of energy into my scrapbooks, and yes, I still have them & will NOT be purging those anytime soon.  My kids will probably have to do that for me when I'm dead and gone.

Anyway, my point being, that most of my scrapbooking/photo documenting of our family is done digitally now.  Even my poor third child will not have a baby book done in traditional scrapbooking style.  So, I really don't need the magazines and how-to books anymore.  (sniff, sniff)

Today's Toss:
15 scrapbooking/paper crafting magazines
= into the recycling bin!

Day 19: Magazines & Junk Food

Today I am throwing out more magazines...11 issues of Better Homes and Gardens to be exact.  I'm not really sure why I've kept them.  Probably because I feel badly that I don't read them when I get them in the mail, and since the subscription is a gift, I'd like to think that I'll get around to it.  OR, what if there is some really great idea in one of them that will transform my life, or at least my home?  Again, the digital world sort of makes magazines obsolete.  What solution for my home is not readily at my fingertips if I were to "google" it?  If I have an idea for something in my home or garden, chances are, someone else has already blogged about it, or someone is trying to sell it online.  There is no shortage of good ideas on the internet.

Next, I'm throwing out 8 packages of junk food.  I knew when we received these as a gift that I'd be throwing them out at some point.  I just wasn't quite sure how much my family would be interested in the snack food, and as I'd assumed, they weren't.  Normally I don't count food as part of my daily toss, but since these packages have taken up a fair amount of room on a shelf for several weeks, I am counting them.  Someday when I get to purging my pantry, I'll probably be counting lots of things like this.

Today's Toss:
11 magazines
8 food packages
= into the trash & recycling bins!

Day 18: Food Magazines

Finally!  I am tossing issues of Cooking Light that I have saved for at least a year or two.  I LOVE food and looking at magazines and dreaming of culinary creations.  However, the reality is...I look up most all of my recipes (& inspirations for them) online.  I have several favorite recipe and food websites, not to mention Pinterest.  Farewell, magazines.  Hello to more space on top of my desk.

In fact, here is a picture of my desk.  Disgusting, isn't it?  By posting it here, I am forced to make it better, so that I'll have a good "after" shot to post someday soon!

Today's Toss:
8 magazines
1 commuter mug (cracked inside...but I'd had it for 10 years!)
1 commuter mug lid

Day 17: More clothes

Nothing exciting for today.  I took a bag and a box mostly full of kids' clothes that we won't be using to Goodwill.  I didn't even bother counting, but it was well over 10 things.  Also, I'm not going to "count it ahead" for tomorrow.  I am just happy to have many more things out of my kids' closets.

The sad part?  In addition to what I took to Goodwill, I lugged 4 large containers of kids' clothes to our garage to store.  I wish that I had the time/energy to go through them and purge instead of shifting the stuff to the garage.  Yes, this frees up a ton of space in the kids' closets, but I'll still have to deal with an excess of clothes down the line.  It's not quite as bad as it sounds, for these are clothes in sizes that our youngest daughter will wear in the next year or two.  So I WILL go through these bags in the near future, just not this week.  Maybe after many months of tossing 10 things, I will be desperate for more things to throw, so I'll start in on them...

Day 16: Kids' Closets

Because I feel guilty for missing yesterday, I decided to find 20 things today.  We are in the process of moving our 2 and a half year old daughter into the same bedroom as our son, to make room for the baby to take over the nursery.  This presents the challenge of making room in one bedroom for two kids' stuff.  Thankfully I love challenges like these.

Box one contains:
3 paper hand puppets
1 sock puppet
a bookmark
an old cloth book
3 random articles of clothing
the box itself (which had previously been used to hold puppets)
= 10 items to throw in the trash

The other box (which I will add more to tomorrow):
10 kids' clothing items
= donation to charity

As I sort through clothes, I realize how many clothes my kids have!  It's embarrassing.  The funny thing is, that we have actually purchased very little of the clothes my kids own.  Most of them were either bought by grandparents, etc. and given as birthday or Christmas gifts, OR they are hand-me-downs from friends and family.  I don't know if everyone has this experience, but I think because my hubby and I have had our kids a little later in life, and most of our friends have children older than ours and are done having kids, that we get more things kicked our way.  Maybe it is other people's way of purging, and they appease their guilt about throwing things out by giving them to us instead??

However, I have found that while it does save us a lot of money (which we appreciate), that I can afford to be more particular about what hand-me-downs I keep.  I think I should accept all hand-me-downs with a smile on my face and a grateful heart.  But items that are incomplete (like pajama bottoms, but not a matching top), or clothes that have stains or are worn out, I think I can pass along.  Or, if it is an item that I already have multiples of (for some reason my daughter inherited about 13 fleece footed pajamas in the 18 month size!  I'm not exaggerating...) then I can gratefully accept them, but pass them on.  Again, I feel guilty for doing this, but it really would save my sanity and the space in my house if I could just practice this.  I could apply the same principle for clothes that are really not my style or taste, but that would sound really uppity, wouldn't it?

Why do I feel guilty getting rid of things that people give me??  Can I still be appreciative but picky too?

Day 15: The Sun'll Come Out...

Tomorrow is a brand new day

So, you knew this day was coming, right?  A day that I would not succeed in getting 10 things purged from my house.  Instead of beating myself and feeling guilty, or like a failure, I am going to say that it's okay and I will try again tomorrow.

Day 14: Hall Closet

Yep, in cleaning and organizing our kids' stuff, I spent some time in the hall closet, and whoa...lots of things to purge there!  I started off by sorting a few things that I think I can sell on CraigsList: curtains and linens that are still in good shape.  There are a few other things that I think I can just throw in the trash...sort of hard sometimes because of the sentimental thing!

Today's round-up:
1 print of St. Lucia from our honeymoon
2 cloth doilies that I had in my apt while I lived in China
1 Australian Aboriginal print that I got on my trip to Australia
2 pieces of fabric (previously used as table coverings, etc.)
2 old cloth napkins
and a bag with 6 electronic gadgets (old cell phones, chargers, cords) to be recycled

Total:  14 things

Also, I recently found out that Goodwill accepts electronics to be recycled.  I have random bags of things that I know I can't just throw in the trash (used propane canisters, old batteries, styrofoam packing peanuts), but I'm not always sure where to take them to dispose of them properly.  Will have to do some more research on that!

Day 13: Random

Today's Ten Things Round-Up:

1 old sponge
1 useless paintbrush
4 water socks purchased on our Hawaii trip
2 college sweatshirts
1 red sweater, too small for me
1 T-shirt from our whitewater rafting trip

We are spending most of the weekend at home, cleaning and organizing the kids' rooms, so I am hoping to have a lot more to toss tomorrow!

Day 11-12: Maternity Clothes

I have a lot of clothes in my house that don't fit me.  Pre-pregnancy clothes, maternity clothes and everything in between.  So, it is with great joy that I get rid of too-big clothes.  Since we are not planning anymore pregnancies for this Mama of three, I am gladly passing on the maternity clothes to people who are interested.


So, tonight I sat down and sorted out different sizes, and tomorrow I am giving away my first bag of maternity clothes.  (Hopefully there'll be more to follow!) The first bag has 20 items in it, so I'm counting that for today and tomorrow.

Total for today:
17 maternity tops
2 pairs of maternity pants
1 maternity dress

20 items, to be given to a friend

Day 10: More Drawers

Today was kind of a random purging day...not much extra time to methodically work through an area, so I just grabbed a few things here at the end of the day.

Total for the day:
2 kid dishes that don't stack neatly in the drawer
1 pajama top
1 pajama bottom
2 trouser socks
2 T-shirts
(these things all went into the donate bag...third bag I've started in 10 days)

1 Cambodian skirt
1 pair of stretched out pantyhose
(these went into the trash)

One thing I also realized this evening is that I hold onto a lot of things for sentimental reasons, but really I never look at them or think about them until it's time to clean out a drawer.  So, what good does it do to hold onto it?  For example I have held on to this skirt from Cambodia for a good long time.  I haven't worn it in years...the elastic is all stretched out, and the fabric is thinned out and worn.  But it reminds me of a very unique and adventurous trip that I got to take to visit friends who are missionaries in Cambodia.  Of course, I don't need this skirt to remember this trip.  I have lots of photos, and the memories I have will be with me until I am too old to think clearly (at which point a skirt will not help my memory much).  So, it's time for it to go.

I wonder what other sentimental things in my house it's time to say good-bye to?

Day 9: Stocking Stuffers

This is horrible, I know, but today's ten items came from a bag in my closet that is filled with stocking stuffers from this past Christmas.  I feel SO guilty giving away things that were just given to me, but let's face it...the shell embellished napkin rings will never make it onto my table.  I wish I could think of some great craft or DIY project to use them, but I don't have the time or energy...they just need to get out of my house and not take up room on my closet floor.  The socks too, are nobody in our family's size...so, more things for Goodwill.

Total for today:
6 groovy shell napkin rings
6 socks (3 pairs)

=12 more items for the Donate Box

What do you do with gifts that you don't want?

Day 8: Another Dresser Drawer

Tonight I was quite surprised when I saw my husband sitting on the floor of our room, pulling a bunch of T-shirts out of one of his drawers.  I asked him if he was clearing out his drawer, and he said, "Oh yeah, I've got way more than 10 things to get rid of in here."  Cool!  I had not even asked him to do this!

Doesn't he look happy?
I truly believe that owning less stuff actually frees you up to enjoy life more!

So DH supplied our total for today:


13 T-shirts
2 pairs of pants

15 things into the donate bag, which is now full, so we put it in the trunk of my car tonight to drop off at Goodwill tomorrow.  Good-bye stuff!

Day 7: Our Dresser

Like I wrote in yesterday's post, I am already struggling to keep up the discipline of getting rid of things.  I don't want to think about it during the day, so when this evening came and I saw my "10 Things" box, with nothing in it, I panicked a little.

Not to worry...I headed into my bedroom and started in on some of the drawers in our dresser.  It actually ended up being pretty easy to find 10 random socks and underwear that I no longer wear.  I debated for a minute or two if I should toss them in the trash, or the donate bag.  This is another reason why I don't purge often enough...decisions need to be made about what to do with different objects.  I have a horrible guilty conscience about throwing perfectly usable things away, and donating them makes me feel less wasteful about it.  But what kind of things should be donated, and what things are not worth it?  In this case, my used underwear and socks didn't really seem to be the kind of things anyone else would want, so I opted for the trash.

Total for today:
3 pairs of underwear
5 socks
1 of my hubby's old T-shirts
1 hair band
1 curling iron accessory

11 items:  9 into the trash, and one nice pair of trouser socks in the donate bag

Days 4-6: More leftover containers

Is it ok for me to get rid of more than 10 things in one day, and count them forward?  I think it is.  It still figures out to 10 things leaving my house each day, even if I dump 3 days' worth on one day.  After all,  it doesn't make much sense to purge 30 things from one area of my house, but only carry them to the trash in groups of ten over the course of 3 days.  It's the same difference.

So, I'm counting the 30 pieces of plastic containers & lids I threw into the recycling bin for three days' worth of tossing.  I was ambitious on Day 4 (plus recycling was going out that night) so I purged the rest of the "tupperware" (which I started on Day 3) in one shot.

However, I realize that it is not helpful for the discipline of purging to lump days together like this.  In just two days that "I've already got my ten things covered" I recognize the laziness creeping in.  I need to have this as part of my daily routine, so it will stay on the forefront of my mind & transforming the way I think about my stuff.  When I know I need to throw out 10 things by the end of the day, I am mindful as I walk around about what I really need and use, and what is superfluous and not necessary.  It is a good habit for me to develop, and the point of this whole project anyway.

Day 3: Leftover Containers

I am scared to start purging in my kitchen.  We have a huge pantry, which is completely overrun with junk.  I am overwhelmed by the thought of purging and organizing it.  So I started tonight with one small cabinet instead.  The cabinet where we store our plastic containers and lids...yikes!

Thankfully I only had to come up with 10 things, so it's okay for me to start weeding my way through and not get finished tonight.  I will probably be in this cabinet for the next 3-4 days, a great source for my daily 10 tossing.

So, seriously, how many plastic containers does a family really need?  We are a family of 5, and I do usually cook in large portions, and we make good use of leftovers.  I also enjoy cooking for others who have a need, and it's nice to have some larger containers on-hand to deliver food in and not have to worry about getting dishes, etc. back.  But we probably have a good hundred pieces of plastic in this cabinet...which ones to keep and how many to toss?  Stay tuned...

Today's Round-up:
10 random containers and mismatched lids...straight into the recycling bin.

Day 2: Kid's Room

I kind of cheated today...we made our son clean his room, and told him to get rid of ten things.  He could probably supply our ten things from his room alone for a month.  Mostly just junk:  toys from kid's meal lunches and party favor bags.  I was surprised to see his Hex Bug in the trash bag!  We suggested something else, and little sister quickly took the Hex Bug to go play with it.  You know what they say...one man's junk, another man's treasure!

Today's Ten Things:
10 random junk toys, straight into trash

Day 1: The Vision

Today started a new campaign in our house.  Get rid of ten things every day.  We have way too much stuff in our house, and I am overwhelmed by the clutter.  Each thing we own takes up space and energy, which I have precious little of these days.  So it's time!  Time to purge.

I thought by creating a blog that would increase my accountability.  The whole family is in on this, though admittedly, I will be the main one doing the tossing.

Can we keep this up for a whole year?  That would be great!  I would love for my house to have 3650 less things in it by this time next year.  This blog will be a place to keep track of our progress and work out any glitches in the system.  It will also be helpful for me to journal what I learn during this process

Tonight, while I was in the kids' bathroom, I opened a drawer and thought, "There's gotta be 10 things to toss in this drawer alone."  And so I began:

2 old bulb nasal aspirators
3 half-used bottles of travel-sized baby lotion
1 sample packet of baby lotion
1 pkg of travel baby sunscreen (6 yrs old...I assume this stuff expires at some point)
1 liquid medicine dispenser (we get these free at the pharmacy every time we pick up a new Rx)
1 Moist Wipe packet
2 old thermometers
and the pair of socks I was wearing, which had huge holes in both heels

Total:  13 things in all, finished in 5 minutes!

That's the idea...I don't have a whole weekend to devote to de-cluttering, so I want it to happen quickly, in less than 10 minutes at the end of each day.  It's gotta help.

What did I learn from today?  We don't use lotion when we travel!  I will be much less likely to save samples like this when they come in the mail, etc.  Even if they are free, if it's a product we are not likely to use...don't bring it in the house to begin with!  Or I could immediately stick it in a donate bag.  (More on that another day...)