monday motivation

mondays are my one day a week that i can really catch up on my to do list. due to beautiful weather and weekend activities, i got a little behind on my blogging....but not my purging. I just loaded the car with bags and boxes full of treasures for someone else to enjoy. someone is going to score on some great halloween costume fabric.



purges:

• 2 huge bags of fabric (orange and green sparkly furry fabric that the girls just had to have when they saw it at the neighbor's garage sale. it would make for some killer costumes or fun pillows for the girls, but i really don't have the time or desire to bust out the sewing machine now or in the near future.)
• various bags
• baking pans
• more kid clothes
• scarves, gloves and hats (you would think we lived in the arctic with the amount of winter clothing this family has. so nice to decrease the inventory by a third.)
  

accumulations:

• 2 trek visors (only $10 for the pair! can't resist that kind of deal...also a much needed sun blocker for my sensitive skin!)
  

all wrapped up

ok....i admit it....i am that girl that hangs on to every piece of ribbon, bow and box in case i need it in the future. my bag collection has gotten out of hand! until today, that is. tonight i went through all of my wrapping stuff that was being stored in my cramped bedroom closet. there is no way i am moving old tissue paper and banana republic bags. i still had gift bags from when my oldest was born. if i really need a gift bag in the future, i would rather get creative and make something like this cute duct tape bag i found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/PeacefulSoulCreation



day 6 purge:

• 2 bags full of bags!
  
• one bag full of smashed christmas bows that i somehow keep holding onto
• 2 pairs of shoes
• 1 shoe rack
• 1 large laundry basket
• 2 messenger bags and a little purse
• 1 roll of scooby doo wrapping paper
  

day 6 accumulations:

• other than too many yummy rolls at the DOWNTOWNER at lunch, nothing.
  

IN THE "ZONE"

I have decided to change a few things about my challenge. I struggled with the idea for a minute until I remembered that it's my own challenge to myself and I can do whatever I want. Rather than just search aimelessly every day around the house for items to purge, I have decided to just work in zones each day. On Saturday I attacked my various cookbook shelves and today I worked on my closet. This will have to carry on over to tomorrow as well. Still a little work to do in there.



Day 4 & 5 Purge:

• Sweaters (I got rid of all of the sweaters I didn't wear this winter. Most of them were turtleneck sweaters because Cookie hates them! I also got rid of faded ones or the ones that just never looked that great on me.)
• Various t-shirts and hats

Day 4 & 5 Accumulations:


I am feeling a little guilty today. I was doing so well, but today I broke down and bought some things at Target when I went to get plastic tubs :-( I also got a few things for Mother's day.

• Re-usable grocery bag (Mother's Day gift from Riley. Made from an old tank top....so cool!)
• Earrings and Necklace (Gift from Cookie for Mother's Day)
• Framed Poem (From Madison)
• 4 shirts (Purchased from Target. I didn't really need any of them, but couldn't pass up a good deal.)
• 10 66QT clear plastic storage bins (A much needed purchase so I can organize the things I am keeping while I get rid of other things. Filled one bin with keeper sweaters today.)
  

"stuff"ing

Today's purge theme seems to be things with stuffing. It is amazing how much space stuffed items take up.



Day 2 & 3 Purge:

• 6 stuffed animals (there will be many more to come, but I have to be strategic and subtle about removing the kid's things without them knowing. I don't want them to have negative feelings about moving. That being said, they will never miss the things of theirs I am getting rid of.)
• 6 throw pillows (all purchases at Costco and all have lived behind the couch for the past year hoping to get lovingly recovered in a cool funky fabric. I don't have any time for project like that right now, so bye bye ugly pillows and hello two fewer boxes to be packed!)
• 2 white shelves (that have never actually been hung on the wall. They have lived for 3 years on a shelf in the girls' closet.)

Day 2 & 3 Accumulations (purchases was too specific of a term):

• None!!!!
  

The Beginning

The Kerkmann's are about to embark on a new adventure and we are all a little anxious about the impending move. We have been in our current home for 6 years and have accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. Our house is not very big to begin with, and unfortunately, our budget will probably require us to downsize when we move to Portland.

This brings me to the purpose of this blog. In order to relieve some of my anxiety, I have decided to start preparing for the move well ahead of time by purging 2 bags of "stuff" every day until the move. As a reminder to myself to never accumulate so many insignificant possessions again, I will document my daily purges as well as my daily purchases. Hopefully this will keep me from indulging in frivolous accumulation. I hope to net a huge loss through all of this and in turn, help make our transition a fun and exciting one.



Day 1 Purge:

• Brown paper bag full of books I read and hated or know I will never read! (I love having lots of books in the house, but I don't need to display ones I couldn't force myself to finish or flat out will never read.)
• Spotz (a horrible purchase made two Christmas' ago for Madison. We still haven't found any good use for them unless you purchase a bunch of other kits to go along with them. Don't tell her I got rid of it.)
• One kitchen chicken (Sorry Jacqui! I politely displayed it for years above the cupboards in my kitchen because it was from a special aunt.)
• Various picture frames (I purchased some cheap frames at Ross a couple of years ago to have around in case I wanted to send relatives framed photos of the girls. I really don't like the frames and would never want to subject anyone to displaying the frames in their own homes.)
• Re-usable plastic and tin Christmas serving trays. (I have very few Christmas things to begin with, but I just hate storing things to be used once a year, that is, if I even remember to use it. I also got rid of paper snowman plates still in the plastic wrapper. I refuse to box up paper plates for our move. I don't even use paper plates...let alone ones with a snowman on them.)
  

AHHHHHH...I feel so much better already!



Day 1 Purchases:

• Nothing!