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!