Day One - Fill A Shopping Bag - COMPLETE

I successfully completed Day One -

 Filling a Shopping Bag with no longer used items.

It's waiting on the front porch to be taken to our local charity.  It feels good to get rid of some clutter.  A few items that I easily threw into the bag....outgrown clothes, a salt and pepper set that we replaced at Christmas time, a purse, and a few make-up samples.

One item that was harder to part with...an autographed book from years ago.  My girls and I all ride horses, but this book was from back in the day when I rode Western.  The girls are now eventers (English riding), and this book is just not pertinent anymore.  I've held on to it because the author signed it for me after I rode in a one week clinic with him.  I decided it was silly to have it sitting on a shelf collecting dust.

My solution:  I took a photo of the front and the signature page to put in my photo album.  Now I'll pass it along to someone who can glean from Richard Shrake's expert advice.  I've freed up some bookshelf space and simplifed another part of my life!

If you don't have time to fill a whole trash bag today, at least choose 5 items to recyle or give away.

Simplifying Hint:  Put your items in a black bag, not a white or grocery bag, otherwise you (or your family) may see the items through the bag and be tempted to retrieve them before they make it to their intended destination.  (Yes, this is the voice of experience:)


Watch for a post later today with a Day Two Challenge!

Day One - Fill A Shopping Bag

After a very long hiatus, and motivated by a nesting instinct spurred on by the upcoming adoption of our 6th daughter, I've decided to kick off my organizing blog again.

I'm excited to motivate others and hold myself accountable to organize my home, simplify my life and save some money along the way.

My first goal is to simplify my life through organizing my home...again.  I consider myself a fairly organized person; however, over the last year, after coming home with our 5th daughter from China and meeting the medical demands of her open-heart surgery, our home has taken on a life of it's own.

While searching for another organizing book, yes I own an embarrassing number of them, I found a REALLY old one that struck a chord with me.    

Written in 1998 by Connie Cox and Cris Evatt, 30 Days to a Simpler Life , challenges the reader to clear out a different area of the home each day of the month and to rethink the systems that are in place.

My challenge to you....come along with me and clean out your home as I clean out my home...one day at a time.

Day One...

Fill a Shopping Bag - "Today, gather up a bagful of things you no longer love and use....Fill it up with giveaways or throwaways from around your house...Look under sinks, in closets, into drawers, and under the bed. No space is off limits....Finally, put the stuff into your car's trunk....This task could take from five minutes to an hour, depending on how decisive you are."

I used to struggle with getting rid of "things", but I've freed myself up by donating the items to Salvation Army (other good charities - Goodwill or local Christian ministries).  The items are a blessing in someone else's life and help allay my guilt that I purchased something that I no longer use.

I'll post photos tomorrow and let you know what I cleared out of my home!