18 More Bags

On Wednesday, I finished cleaning out my kitchen and then on Friday, I got a spurt of energy.  So I thought, more bags need to be filled.  I had a book that I really wanted to finish, but I knew that if I sat down, I was a goner.  So I pulled myself together and pulled out my invisible whip and got to work on my office space.  Now, before we begin, let me explain that my office has been reduced by more that 75%.

When it all began, it started out as the girls classroom.  Then it evolved into my office space.  We live in a rather large house.  With three bedrooms upstairs.  So when we moved in, in 1993, my husband decided that our bedroom would be upstairs.  So the master bedroom was just an extra room at the time.  When we decided to home school the girls, we turned it into the classroom.  When they wanted to return to public school, I got to turn it into my office/library.  Which was wonderful.  This little lady was so excited, I had never had a room this large all to my self.  I was ecstatic.  Then I lost it.

just a corner of the library/office in the master bedroom

This past November, we had to move MIL into the main house, so there went my space.  The piano went out of the foyer and into the living room.  My office went into the foyer.  So you can see, how I would have more bags that I could come up with.  I also had alot of my craft items to decide to keep or get rid of(please don't let my Shelby hear this).

So now I still have only seventeen bags to get rid of to reach my goal of 40 bags in 40 days.  But between you and me, I think that I will have more than 40.  I still have not even reached my closet or the outside shed.  Anyone want to offer their help?

*pictures of new office coming as soon as I can get my computer to act right!

5 Bags only 35 More to Go

Today, I started in my kitchen and filled 5 bags to get rid of.  I still have the drawer under the oven and one above the refrigerator.  Then I will move on tho the laundry room.  I really don't expect to get much in there.  A while back, I had cleaned out the drawers that are under the washer and dryer.

I can just imagine what I will find when I get to my closet, watch out garbage bags.  I may have to go and buy more.

Why is it that I have become such a hoarder?  Now, don't please, don't think that I am as bad as those on the tv program.  I really am not.  Now when it comes to my books, perhaps.  Yesterday, I scanned two of my bookcases and I had 598 books and still have 8 more bookcases to go.

Well, enough said.  I will keep you posted on my next batch of bags to get rid of.  Have a blessed weekend.

40 Bags in 40 Days

You are probably wondering what is going on here. 

Well, I was checking out Kimberly Scribbles and she is doing a great thing for Lent.  Kimberly has so graciously given her permission for me to post an article that she wrote for her blog on this subject.  So here it is:

Something I love about the blog world are the ideas and inspiration I get from reading what others are doing in their lives.  There are such incredible ideas out and about just floating around in blog space.  I tell ya, you bloggers are brilliant!

Ash Wednesday is next week and so begins the 40 days of lent.  I have never 'celebrated' lent (is that what you say?  Celebrated?).  It was just something my family never did.  But this year I plan to change things.

Lent is described as a period of fasting or penitence.  A time of giving up and letting go. 

There are a couple of ways in which I plan to celebrate but one of those ways is something I picked up from a few bloggers which is the 40 bags in 40 days.

The idea is to get rid of (donate or throw out) 40 bags of "stuff", one per day that has accumulated in our home over the year.  Old toys, books, clothing.  Stuff that we don't love, never or rarely use and don't even know we have.  Stuff that others could likely put to better use.  For example books we've read that could be used by our town library.  Toys that could be used at the local daycare or Good Will.  Clothing that could be sold at the Salvation Army.  The added bonus is it de-clutters our home and simplifies things. 

I am a firm believer that we have too much "stuff" in our lives that we really don't need.  We live in a super consumerist culture where we are in a constant state of needing more and more and every bit of marketing we see tells us that.  I have really tried to go against that grain.  My urges to shop continuously for clothing or other things I don't really need has been curbed quite a bit as I really try to be content with what I have.  When I feel the need to shop for new clothes I just think about my packed closet and know that I don't need more. 

So 40 full garbage bags in 40 days.  I don't know if I can do it or if we have enough "stuff" in our home to fill them all but I have a sneaking suspicion I will do okay. 

I can't wait to start and can't wait to share with you how it goes! 

If you would be interested in joining, just jump right over to kimberlyscribble.blogspot.com.  Yesterday was Ash Wednesday.  So today, I started on my first bag.  Now perhaps, I will not be filling a bag each day, but I plan on having 40 bags to take to the Goodwill at the end of the 40 days.  At that time, I plan on my house being alot less heavy with stuff.