Give Away Ten A Day - Day Fourteen

So today would have been the end of the challenge if I were just sticking to the 14 days. Not so. I'm on a roll and have so much more to do! I'm going to keep it up until there is order in all my space!

I noticed something the other day that had slipped off my radar. When I noticed it again, a light bulb went off and reminded me how important the "action" step is when the law of attraction goes to work. A year ago I made a vision board. It hangs in my bedroom where I see it each day, multiple times. As I lay here a day or so ago, I noticed the big square in the right hand corner. It reads very simply. "Order in the House" and it was the very first thing I put on the board. I also remember Dave laughing when he saw that. He said, "Now that's a good one! Likely impossible, but a good one." I'm feeling like it's completely possible to declutter and maintain order. I can. I will!

Finally, let me say one more time how easy it's getting to let go. I can barley remember a handful of the things I've already parted with and I am feeling so much better having organization. Also, I've lost five pounds since I started this project! Julie may have been on to something with the letting go of stuff could have something to do with letting go of other weights and measures of who and what we are. These are just a few of my most profound realizations. There really have been light bulbs going off all around me as I simplify and declutter!

My list for today will be added after I take Mason to the Easter egg hunt this morning.

1. Plaid shirt
2. Plaid shirt
3. Plaid shirt
4. Plaid shirt
5. Hawaiian shirt
6. Dress pants
7. Jean shorts
8. Khaki shorts
9. Swim shorts
10. Swim shorts

Give Away Ten A Day - Day Thirteen

Today was Give Away Ten A Day in the kitchen blowout! Dave and I did some serious damage and cleared out a ton of stuff. I took before pics of the drawers but don't have after pics yet. One of the things I'm learning that makes this project so fun, is that after you purge a drawer, it becomes a blank canvas to create new, proper places for the things you do use regularly. Now that we know where we want what, we can pic up some simple drawer organizing tools to help keep things neat. Here's a few shots of us working today and a final shot of all the stuff that went out of the house! A special note to those who have given us generous and thoughtful gifts. If you see something you've given us, please don't be offended that we are not parting with it. We sincerely appreciate the thought, but really need to simplify our home and life. See below.

Give Away Ten A Day - Day Thirteen - Pictures

This is a perfect example of how your drawers fill up. I buy a pkg of pop-up turkey timers every year. They come in packs of two, but I only use one. I keep the next one for the following

year and then when Thanksgiving rolls around, I can't find it.

What do I do? Buy another pkg of two! I had an unopened pkg (2), this open pkg shown (2),

and three (3) loose timers floating around in this drawer.

Dave emptied all the cabinets so we could declutter and only put back what we use.
This is the contents of just one cabinet.

We thoroughly cleaned each drawer and cabinet, including the top of the refrigerator!

I did my fair share!

All this paper was in one drawer. Envelopes, magazines, and recipes. The left side is all that came out of the drawer and the labeled folder on the right is what I kept. Mostly handwritten recipes from family and friends.

This is the pile of everything that we are getting rid of. The bag of paper is not pictured.

An Appropriate Quote

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.

―A.A. Milne

Give Away Ten A Day day Thirteen will be posted later today! How are you doing with your decluttering efforts?

Give Away Ten A Day - Day Twelve

Okay, I'm still in this game with as much enthusiasm as I had when I started. Here's what I'm discovering. I need to do more than ten a day. I'm going to be doing this for-ever! I've done some clustering and will be doing more of that, so stay tuned, you're going to be amazed and how much stuff I have, and don't need. Keep in mind, I am not a hoarder. You can walk through our house and in general, other than some "normal stuff" clutter, you wouldn't realize I have this much stuff! Maybe you would. I don't know, but I do know that I'm not gonna have all this stuff much longer!

Today (didn't have time to take a pic)

1. Flower dress
2. Black dress (not little)
3. Pink dress
4. Blue dress with matching jacket
5. Grey suit
6. Green suit
7. Red shoes
8. Long black skirt
9. Another long black skirt
10. Tan pants

Give Away Ten A Day - Day Eleven

While we forge on with decluttering our homes, let me ask you a question. Why do people take issue with other people talking on their cell phones in public? I get that sometimes people speak a little louder, but is it really such a criminal act?

Here's what happened to me. I was talking on my cell at the nail salon. While I was drying, I was laughing with a girlfriend on my phone when a woman came over to me, tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to please not speak on my phone in this public place. I was embarrassed and immediately said good-bye. As I sat there, still red having been reprimanded, I suddenly noticed the ladies getting pedicures laughing and talking, loudly. The woman giving a manicure was talking in Vietnamese with the volume up, and the woman who asked me not to talk on my phone was chit-chatting away with her friend.

Now that my nails were dry, I walked over to her and said, "Excuse me, I'm not upset but I need to ask you something. Why is it any different that I was happily talking with someone not physically here and that bothers you, but all the noise going on between people who are here doesn't? Would you have asked me not to speak with my friend if she were sitting next to me?" She suddenly was the one wearing the red face and several, "Uh, uh, uh's" were coming from her mouth. I softly put my hand on her arm and said, "I just find this an interesting phenomenon in our society that talking on the cell phone is so bad, but laughing and conversing with the people you are with, or with the people serving you is just fine."

Ultimately, she said she was sorry and hadn't thought of it like that. I think we are living a double standard. We chastise the immediate need to answer cell phones, talk while we drive, walk, cook, you name it, text, and log on to social media web sites. But the reality is, more of us than not are plugged in. I'm the first person to say, "Get present. Be with the people you are with." But I can also say there are times being on the phone with Diana, Lisa, Mary, or Julie is who I want to be with. Because we live so far away from each other, all we have is technology...and I'm so glad we do! What do you think about this?

The end of the maternity clothes:

1. Blue shorts
2. Black shorts
3. Blue Capris
4. Pink top
5. Blue flower top
6. Jeans
7. Jeans
8. Bra
9. Bra
10. Jeans
    

Give Away Ten A Day - Day Ten

I suppose now that I've finally let go of my maternity clothes, I'll probably get pregnant! Laughing. Oh well, if that's how it's suppose to be, than so be it!

I find that I'm thinking constantly about what's going next. It's a little like the pendulum is swinging a bit too far in one direction. I suppose that's the way it is when you feel like your doing the right thing. As I make room and redesign my space, which by the way is really exciting me, I'll settle in to having what I need and appropriately needing what I have!

More maternity clothes:

1. Jeans
2. Pants
3. Dressy shirt
4. Capris
5. Nightie
6. Dress
7. Shirt
8. Dress
9. Shirt
10. Shirt