Tag: Simplify

30 Day Minimalist Challenge: Day 20

About four years ago, a friend was closing her Discovery Toys business. Her family was moving oversees and she couldn’t take her inventory with her. I bought a couple of tubs of toys for practically nothing.

The tubs contained duplicates and triplicates of mostly new toys. I pulled out toys I knew my grandchildren would love and gave a few away to friends with foster babies.

The rest of the toys went into the back of a closet.

As part of my purge, I decided it is time to give away the rest of these toys.

We know many families involved in the foster care system.

The children in the system usually come to their foster family with only the clothes on their back. They don’t arrive with a suitcase because they have nothing to put in it. They have no clothes or toys. The clothes they do get once in foster care are usually second-hand.

One amazing mom in our community always has foster kiddos in her home. Plus she helps as many others as she can. Last fall she organized a collection of holiday clothes for the foster children in our community. She rallied others to give to these children. Every child in the foster system in our community received a brand new holiday outfit! Plus they each received a new coat!

I called this superwoman and told her I have toys. I asked if she could get them to foster families to give to children in the system. Of course she can.

I could have sold these toys on eBay. But I would much rather give them to families who are caring for these children – children who have been through unimaginable tragedies. I’m grateful I’m able to help in this tiny way.

30 Day Minimalist Challenge: Day 19

Books. I love books! All kinds of books. And we have a gazillion books around our home.

Since the beginning of this challenge I’ve been thinking about – and dreading – going through our books to choose some to purge.

Today I went through a couple of bookshelves. This stack of books came off one book shelf.

These are mostly books for adult readers, by authors like Lee Child, John Grisham, and Robert Parker. Ron and I haven’t read these in years. They are going to the thrift store.

I also found about twenty children’s books I’m willing to part with, including these Pathway Readers. They are going to live with another homeschool family.

It’s hard to let books go. I will always keep a few or a few dozen books. I love the smell of old books.

I have an 1896 edition of a GA Henty book. It was given to my grandfather when he was a boy. That one is not going in the give away pike. Ever.

30 Day Minimalist Challenge: Day 18

Today I did something I was dreading; I cleaned out my bathroom drawers!

Hair brushes, clips, ponytail holders, q-tips, and all kinds of other things I won’t mention.

I threw a bunch of stuff away.

I washed headbands and hair clips to donate. Some are quite pretty but I don’t wear them. I kept a few.

I bought a set of drawer organizer at Target for ten dollars. One piece I used in this drawer. The other pieces I used in my desk.

I love having my drawers clean and organized!

30 Day Minimalist Challenge: Day 16

Sixteen kitchen gadgets, baskets, and serving dishes are going to the charity thrift store.

I cleaned one drawer in the kitchen and found a few gadgets that are broken; I threw those away. I also found a few we never use; these will be donated.

I also looked through the shelves and storage area of my laundry room. A few baskets, still in nice condition, I put in the give away pile. I have a few plate platters we used these for parties, to make the buffet look nice. I haven’t used them in years, so they are being donated.

I found two pretty casserole dishes I’d forgotten about. I bought them at a garage sale about four years ago. I haven’t used them but I love them. So I’m keeping them. And I moved them into a cabinet in the kitchen where I’ll remember them and use them.

I broke the rules a bit today. I removed 16 items from my kitchen I use and love.

Yes, I cleaned out 16 items from my kitchen and pantry/storage.

I also found some canned goods and boxed pasta. Sixteen canned goods and pasta I do use and love. I took them to the local food bank.

Families are hungry all year, not just during the holidays.

Do you have an extra sixteen cans of veggies or fruit you could give? What about a couple of bags of beans? Or pasta? Or soups? Consider donating to your local food bank.

30 Day Minimalist Challenge: Day 15

How are you doing with the Challenge? Are you sticking with the plan? We are halfway there!

If so, you’ve cleaned out, thrown out, sold, or donated …. let’s see… 1+2+3+4+5+6=21. 21+7+8+9+10+11+12+13+14+15= a bunch of stuff!!

Don’t give up! Stay with me on this! Try tackling your home work space or desk.

Do you have a dozen files, old notebooks, power cords, or other unused or outdated items in your desk? I did.

We have a wide set of floor to ceiling shelves in our home office. My office was “Home School Central” when seven children were home. These shelves held sets of books for their curriculum. Now they still have some school readers, but they also had piles of stuff we never use. The cabinets below were stuffed with outdated power and computer cords, software, and junk. I know I got rid of at least a dozen cords! Plus cd cases, broken cds, torn files and much more.

Cleaning theses cabinets and shelves made room for me to use while cleaning out and organizing my desk and filing cabinet.

Here are the before and after pictures. There’s a large pile of items to be tossed or donated on the other side of the room.

Some items were relocated to other parts of the house. Like children’s puzzles. They were moved to the toy area of our living room. I’ll tackle that space next week.

30 Day Minimalist Challenge: Day 13

I love to play games. Especially strategy games! One of my favorite parts of homeschooling was playing games with my children and teaching them to think.

We have a large collection of thinking and strategy games. Too many, in fact. So I went through the game cabinet and gathered some to give away.

I’m keeping our favorites, and I’m keeping games for all ages. I have games that require little reading skills and are designed for younger children. Money Bags teaches students how to count money. Pie in the Sky teaches fractions.

Some of our games are one-player games, designed to teach strategy and problem solving. Other games are for families and teams to play together, like Cranium and Scattegories.

I kept a variety of games for all ages. But I’m giving away thirteen things from our game cabinet.

30 Day Minimalist Challenge: Day 12 (and grateful post)

Today I finished cleaning out my closet and went through my drawers. I threw out old undergarments and socks. I also found a stash of new socks I bought on sale years ago and a pajama set I’ve never worn; they are going to the charity thrift store along with some shirts and pants I no longer wear.

Today as I cleaned out my dresser, I continue to be grateful. And as I do every month, I made a list of twelve things I am grateful for.

For the past thirty months I have written the monthly feature “Twelve Things I’m Grateful for on the 12th.” Here is why: The Accident happened late on August 12th, 2013. Because of the remote location, they weren’t pronounced dead until 12:30 am August 13, 2013. The first ten months after The Accident I got very depressed starting around the tenth. Then, in July of 2014, I decided to choose gratitude. Instead of being depressed and bitter about my loss, I chose to be grateful for what I have. I wrote my first Twelve Things I’m Grateful for on the 12th. I’ve made a list of things I’m grateful for each month since then.

In the past couple of weeks I’ve cleaned out our attic, my desk, office shelves and filing cabinet, pots and pans, and Christmas decorations. As I clean out various areas of our home, I am grateful for what we have: a beautiful, warm and safe home. I am grateful for the dozens of memories we made with our children in this home.

I remember fondly the many parties, family dinners, game nights, and quiet times reading in front of the fireplace.

I loved homeschooling around the dining room table. And watching my children spread out throughout the house and property to do homework.

Five of our seven children completed high school while living here. They went off to college or careers and still come home for vacations and holidays.

Four of our seven learned to parallel park in this driveway.

I’ve lost count of the many evenings around a bonfire out back with friends making s’mores and sharing stories.

We’ve celebrated thirteen Christmases and many birthdays in this home.

Our children gathered here with us to mourn their brother’s death. We also mourned the loss of both grandfathers and one of their grandmothers since moving here.

We’ve had hard times here and some wonderful, joyous times as well. I am grateful for the many memories we’ve made here. These memories are what makes this house our home.

Ron and I are now empty-nesters who continue to welcome friends and family into our home. And you are ever in Wichita Falls, let us know. We’ll be glad to have you drop by for a meal and a chat.

30 Day Minimalist Challenge: Day 11

What ELEVEN things are you going to give away, throw away, or sell today?

Why do we keep junk? Stuff we used for a party but won’t ever use again?

Today I’m giving away some items left from an 80’s themed party. A couple of hats, cheap plastic sunglasses, slinkies, and slap bracelets. Some kids are going to love these!

Do you have old party favors stashed some place? Why not give them away so someone else can Cancun with them?

30 Day Minimalist Challenge: Day 10

Day 10 of the 30 Day Minimalist Challenge

I cleaned out a box of party items. Ten glass vases. Plus a dozen empty 5×8 frames. These were used as centerpieces for an arts benefit. The frames had pictures of an artist and actor in various roles.

I love that others will be using these instead of me having them stored away in the attic for a few more years.

Do you have old party decorations you can give away? Someone may need them!

30 Day Minimalist Challenge: Day 9

Do you have nine things you can throw away, shred, or get rid of from your home office?

I cleaned out the storage cabinet in my home office today. Definitely more than nine items in the “Outta Here!” pile.

After piling all these items on the floor, I organized what was left in the cabinet. I love having things organized! I now have room in the cabinet for some of my “Must Keep” items piled on shelves around my desk!

Yes, the goal of the 30 Day Minimalist Challenge is to reduce the amount of unused and unloved stuff we have in our lives. But as we reduce unused and unloved items, we can better organize the items we do use, love, and need. Perhaps today you can spend twenty or thirty minutes organizing a cabinet.

Just a side note…

We can clean out of lives spiritually as well. Do you have junk you’ve been carrying around? Guilt? Shame? Anger? Fear?Perhaps it’s time to let those things go as well. Just a thought.

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