3.17.2012

I have to start somewhere!

I blog daily.
Reading others blogs daily, I mean.
But that's not good enough for me, 
I miss recording our life & being able to look back on it!...
I haven't written on this blog in months because I feel like there is nothing to write about :)

So today I will start by writing about "NOTHING" in particular.

I'm wearing my green.
It's Saint Patrick's Day.
Our Laney love is basting in the sun by the front door.
My husband is playing neighborhood I.T. Tech.

I'm about to continue my mission of "forty bags of purging"
during the 4-0- days of lent.

So far so good, we have cleaned "out" 
and organized almost every nook & cranny in our house.
except the attic. which we will get to no-where soon
No we are on to round two..., 
going back through all the areas we have cleaned & re-purging.

Here are my tips in case you are right smack dab 
in the middle of "SPRING Cleaning" 
or just thinking about maybe,  someday, possibly, doing it...

*go purchase 3 or 4 large moving boxes from your local home improvement store.
(label them: donate, consign, trash, keep- find new home)
*place your boxes in one central location in your home.  I take a laundry basket to the room I am currently sorting & then transfer from laundry basket to appropriate box.

*make a list of all the rooms in your home. under each room categorize the  main areas to sort.  
*once you conquer one area. CHECK IT OFF YOUR LIST (with the most obnoxious color highlighter)... Damn doesn't that feel good :)!

*when your donate box gets full pack-it into a trash bag (label with a marker) and load into your car :) to then take to the appropriate place.  We are donating to the local Bargain Box.  I am a member of the Junior League of Raleigh and each year I have a quota donation to meet (last year we were the highest donors... go us :).  When tax time rolls around we get an itemized document of every item we have donated and an associated value.  EASY write off!

*once you have purged an area... throw away the random trash, dust balls, etc. and put that room back together again ( I leave the "deep cleaning" for another day/ another list).

*after you have purged the areas on your list.  Only if you have a brain like mine... Start Over and do it again!  I have a really hard time getting rid of because I feel like I will need or regret tossing.  Partly because at some point it was paid for or given to us as a gift (because they obviously wanted us to have it, right?).  Secondly, I have a daily battle with myself about being overwhelmed, overwhelmed with STUFF.  I need "less is more" in my life!  I need room in my closets.  I am a chronic organizer.  Everything in my life is labeled, sorted, and organized. ALWAYS.   I often feel like we are growing out of our 2000 sq. ft. house. just my husband, dog, and I.  Not possible.  Don't need larger, just need less.

*then when all of the purging is finished.... I break out my trusty weekly & monthly cleaning list.  Remember I told you I had an organized list for everything in my life.  NO LIE.
My goal is that when SPRING really arrives in full fledged fashion.... 
We will have a lighter load & an un-guilty conscious 
Sooo... that we can play outside ALL SUMMER LONG.  

Back to work!