K - All Good Things Must Come to an End

Hey all!

Alas, our time has come to an end for this particular challenge. I will continue purging and trying to better myself. I think that we all strive to be better. The journey has been fabulous! My goal was to get rid of 100 items. I definitely got rid of over 100 items though on my list I got rid of about 40 groups/piles of things. This will always be an ongoing process for me...I'm an organizer. :p

Highlights for this challenge:

• Getting rid of mental clutter. Wow that stuff weighs down a person!
• Electronic clutter. I needed to pare down and get rid of email, phone, subscriptions, and other computer type clutter. I need to keep this up!
• It felt really good to get rid of many procrastinated things/jobs. (Yet another weight off of my shoulders.)
• Bad eating habits. My family and I are much more mindful about what we are putting into our body and are continually learning more. We are juicing raw fruits and veggies, cutting down on refined sugar, have introduced a meatless meal (1/week), cutting down on the unhealthy snacking and exercising more! There are so many additional benefits to all of these. 
• Letting go of control and being more accepting. 
• I got rid of clutter (mental and physical) Whoop whoop! 

Thanks for stopping in. I hope that your journey is fulfilling and remember: 

Take care and follow us over at www.simplelifecelebrations.com! 

~k

K - A variety of Odds and Ends

And the purging continues! It feels great to be back at it. :)

Like I said the other day when I was going through my youngest's room, there was not a whole lot of toys to get rid of. The same went for my daughters stuff. They got rid of so much last Spring that this year was EASY! YES! Here you can see a pile of papers, (old school work and pictures - she just kept her favorites), there are also a few toys, and a couple items to recycle. I just can't get over how quick this was compared to last years entire day of going through her stuff! It also helps if you break it up for the kids as they get really bored. An idea is to go through clothes one day and toys another or even break it down further like one area per day.

I also took Shawna's lead and gave back items borrowed. I had two of Shawna's books (one I had for over 2 years!) I know that I want to get into reading again but now realize that I am more likely to read an e book on my phone, a blog post, or short stories. I can handle that and I enjoy it! I also had a couple of items from another friend that I will return. 

I realized I forgot to put down that hubby and I went through the vehicles the other day when we were cleaning them. (I am counting that as 1!) Lol

Lastly I have two more procrastination projects that are getting done now!

1. Paper procrastination (AGAIN!) Three school age kids = tons of forms, newsletters, and info.! That is caught up - for now. :)
2. Receipts to send in and claim through benefits. Why do I put this off? It is money that we can get back and that's always a good thing. 

Another thing I am throwing away is a piece of carpet by our back door that our puppy thought would make a good pee pad for him when we are at work, (even though his actual pee pad is two feet away from the carpet!) :s 

1. My daughter's odds and ends 
2. Borrowed books
3. Pee mat :s
4. Paper procrastination
5. Receipts sent in to claim

With a week and a half left we will see what else I can come up with to purge?! I cannot tell you how nice it is to get rid of a ton of clutter. Clutter takes up room in your home and your mind. This space can be used for things that matter. Hope you are finding this as rewarding as we are!

Letting Go of Kids Clothes

We made some time to get to those kids' dressers and closets. Bruce also tackled his as well. (I did my closet last week. I still have my dresser to do).

The kids pitched in and it took less than an hour. My car has a bag full of stuff for Refind and a bag of stuff for the Diabetes bin. We also have more than 5 bags of stuff for Once Upon a Child. One of us will head to Red Deer for that this week. We threw away about 30 rickety, misshaped and broken plastic hangers as well as a bag full of soiled/stained/damaged clothes and old socks & undies. One bag for each kid.

Item #1: Rebecca's old clothes

Item #2: Lucas' old clothes

Item #3: Bruce's old clothes

Item #4: Old hangers and other junk

I also got rid of one of those hanging organizer things that was just not working in Rebecca's closet. It will be going to the second hand store. It just isn't serving it's original purpose.

Item #5: Hanging organizer

K - Still Lucky!

So, I have not been active on here for the past week. Not-At-All! I have felt lousy for the last couple of weeks but it hit me most in this past week. In fact it knocked me on my @$$ and kept me down (literally) on the couch and in my bed. I am not the type to let it get the best of me but this time it did. I ached, I was hot then cold for days, my head felt like it was going to explode, I coughed and coughed, and then I coughed some more just for kicks. All the coughing made my muscles hurt.
So... I have been feeling sorry for myself. I just wanted to get back to things but my body wouldn't allow it. I felt like I was letting numerous people down. I wanted my normal healthy life back!

It's interesting what we can tell oursleves. This was the downer comittee in my head talking to me. It was telling me all the ways that I was failing. Saying things like:

• You aren't able to provide your kids with a fun filled Spring Break. You fail as a mother.
• You are a failure as a wife as you can not mange the household or take care of anyone.
• You are letting your business partner down; what does she need you for?
• You are letting down Home Care; you know how extremely busy it is there. 
• You are failing yourself missing workouts, not keeping the housework up, missing a scheduled work day, and on and on.
• Then there's the classic, "nobody cares or notices that I am not around." (Nothing like a good ole pity party hey?)

I have trouble asking for help you see. I don't like to admit defeat. I want to do things myself, my way.

But here's the thing. I had to let go of that control. I had to trust. And the truth of the matter was that things were ok. 

• My good friend (bless her soul!) took my kids overnight. Like I said I don't often call and ask for help but this time I picked up the phone. I am sure she heard the tears and shakiness in my voice when I asked if she could just take the kids for an hour. I was just SO DONE.   Yes I was feeling nasty, but most of all I wanted my two youngest to be able to play with their friends even for just a bit. She was at my house in 10 minutes and prepared to take them over night so I could recuperate. (Did I mention she has three children of her own as well!) How lucky am I? I am so fortunate to have friends that will be there for me; when I am at my best and my worst.
• My husband has been incredible as always. In sickness and in health... Yep I know he is here for me. He was bringing me teas, juices "full of vitamins", making meals, giving me hugs and the list goes on. It all just makes me love him more.
• Shawna and I were supposed to film a video for this blog and do a little brainstorming. She was kind enough to drop off a sweet letter and homemade muffins from a group that I am involved with. It really made my day. I feel so honored and thankful that these people took the time to send me some good vibes and sunshine.
• My coworker sent me some texts that reassured me that things at work would be fine and to just take care of myself and get better. Even though she had an increased workload because I wasn't there, she didn't complain for one single second. 
• I had some sweet texts and messages from a couple of people from my workout group. I love this group of people! We are like a quirky family, lol. Each of us is encouraging and brings a different dynamic to the group.
• How could I think that no one cared? I even had a beautiful present and card delivered to my door! It was really sweet and thoughtful. My cup overfloweth. My mom also offered to take the kids if I needed her to. My kids pitched in when they could. I AM BLESSED.

So there is always good that comes from unpleasant situations. Sometimes you just need to look a little bit harder to see it. A quote just came up that says, "You can't live a positive life with a negative mind." Ain't that the truth?!

Anyways here is what I gave up this past week starting with control.Whether I likes it or not! I realized that I do not need to be in control of everything ALL the time. Things will work out one way or another just as they are supposed to. 

I was not able to do much with my Spring Cleanse but I still did manage a couple of little things. I was fairly disconnected but I did manage to go though my I Phone Apps and get rid of anything that I really did not use. It was quite a relief really. I am down to one page plus one folder on the next page. It also clears up storage space so I was able to free up a wee bit of that too.

The other thing I did was go though my wallet/purse. Shawna and I are similar that way as we don't  want or have a bunch of big and pretty purses; we just keep it simple and functional (go figure!) Lol!

Today I was up and at 'em and I got a fair bit done. Yippee! Do you have any idea what it's like when an organizer can't organize! Not good...

Do you have those things that bug you that you walk by all the time and say to yourself, "I need to get rid of that"? Yup, me too. So I just started grabbing things that I wanted gone. That included (a ripped bath towel, on old body pillow, a book, a shirt, a pair of old PJ pants, and a hat.) These are all things that don't have to bother me now!

I went though clothes with my daughter and here is what we are donating (the stack to the right and the two dresses:

Which led to me freeing up hanger and getting rid of these cheap ones:

Earlier I finished up going through the main bathroom and decided to get the first aid kits up to par. Here is what I got rid of that had either expired or was not useful: 

I had two kits in the house so one is going to the car and the other I hung up. I must be getting better if I had a hammer and nails on the go today! (see First Aid Kit hanging up on the inside of the cupboard.)

I have all medical type stuff in here: First Aid Kit, bandages, wheat bags, hot water bottles etc. Yay! 

The last thing that i went through were the bath toys. My daughter does not bother with bath toys but my youngest like to have a few things in the tub. 

These toys were more geared towards a toddler age. So that is what we donated. and here is what we kept: 

Almost half gone!

Well there it is folks. Sorry for the lengthy post. That's what happens when I am MIA for too long! 

Here is the rundown of what I was able to cleanse in the past week:

1. Control (ongoing)
2. I Phone Apps
3. Wallet Cleanse (expired cards), stuff I didn't use or need
4. Daughter's Clothing
5. Cheap Plastic Hangers
6. Bath Toys
7. Odds and Ends 

There you have it. If any of this does not make sense; I blame it on the late night and the meds.! Take care y'all. xo

Letting Go of Lots of Stuff

Holy cow you guys! I'm so excited! Look at this gorgeous sewing/creating table my dad made for me from my old bedroom door:

I just had to set up this space tonight!! Let me tell you the story...

First of all, I really, REALLY wanted a nice big space for quilting, creating and working! Something with storage underneath. I talked to my Dad about it, and he came up with this fantastic table! (*NOTE* A huge thank you to my 21 year old who spent about an hour with me trying to get this downstairs....) It is made from the bedroom door of my room that I had growing up. I just love that it is recycled from a part of my life that I treasure, PLUS it is hand designed and created by the best father EVER! I'm so excited to start creating!

Anyhow...we had to make room for something new, didn't we!? It's the Simple Spring Clease after all! I forgot to take a before picture. Basically, this space had the treadmill, my old small sewing table and the workout bench.

The workout gear had to move to the "rumpus room". There were toys there...and an old TV...

The old TV is waiting with a free sign on the curb. It will be gone by morning...
ITEM #1 - Old TV

The toys are going to go to the second hand store. Before:

Toys in a huge box:

ITEM #2 - Toys (the kids helped with that one)

My sewing table:

ITEM #3 - Sewing table

My new Creative Space!

Look at it! Check out all my inspirations along the shelf behind. Pictures of my kids and stuff created by my kids, an old plate and candles from my Gramma, quilt books, etc. Some may think it's cluttered, but each item inspires me. It's cozy and warm and quiet!

Oh, I almost forgot! Another HUGE highlight of my day: My amazing daughter did some decluttering in their bathroom! There was a huge mess on the counter and under the sink. She's twelve and has a lot of makeup and cleansers and all kinds of things. It was a huge mess. I came home to this amazing job that she did:

There was a ton of stuff on top of the counter. Then she got a drawer unit and baskets that we weren't using much of and re-used them to organize her stuff:

Drawer:

Under the cupboard:

Drawer unit:

She did such an amazing job! I'm just so impressed!! Way to go Rebecca! She cleaned up any old/outdated stuff and tidied it all up!

ITEM #4 - Bathroom mess!


I just want to point out that I didn't ask her to do this. I have found that the more I do this kind of thing and get excited about it, the more they pitch in and want to help. Set the example, let them follow!

Letting Go of Old Clothes

Today, I went through the clothes in my closet. They say that if you haven't worn it in 6 months, you need to think about why you have it. For Canadians, we say 12 months (due to our crazy seasons). Well, some of this stuff was still in there from when we did the Minimalist Challenge last year...dusty, unworn, now too small and some I'm just not sure why I even kept it in the first place...

Off the big pile went - directly to the car and will be dropped off in the Diabetes Association bin when I go to work tomorrow. Simple and GONE! Let someone else love these items, they aren't doing anyone any good hanging in my closet getting dusty.

ITEM #1 - old clothes

While I was in there, I discovered my big, old green purse (pictured above beside the clothes). I bought it in Colorado Springs in....hmmmm...2006...wow! I have not used it in years. I'm not a big purse person. I'm not a purse person at all really. I tried to be. I pretended to be. As you can see, it ended up in my closet for years.

Yet another example of me getting things to be "normal"; to try to "fit in". "Every woman has a big purse." "It's the fashionable thing to do." "How else do you carry all your stuff?" and on and on. I mostly bought it because I thought I should have a purse. Not really because I wanted one. My mom has given me a few different "purses" as gifts over the years. They are more my style - compact, plain, simple. She knows me better than I know me! LOL! I used to do that kind of thing all the time - have things or be something that I thought I should have or be...instead of being true to who I am. This is something else I'm working hard to let go of.

ITEM #2 - letting go of being someone I'm not

Something else I'd like to share with you that I do regularly. This came up again when I pulled that big ol' purse down out of the closet. How often do you "purge" your purse? I try to clean my little purse/wallet out every week (an old FlyLady habit I picked up). Getting rid of receipts, notes, whatever else I've picked up along the way that week.

When I pulled that purse down - this stuff was still in it:

• expired sucrets
• dried up hand wipes
• discolored hand lotion
• an old bandaid
• garbage??
• business cards - some for businesses that don't exist anymore
• old calling cards
• two little mini sewing kits

ITEM #3 - useless stuff out of my purse

Needless to say, most of this was tossed. Obviously, it was not important stuff since it had been in there for years and never looked at. What are some of the strange things you've pulled out of your purse over the years? When was the last time you cleaned out your purse? :) Set a timer for 15 minutes and do it right now. Don't get distracted, just do it!

Let us know your findings in the comments! We'd love to hear your stories! Let's have a competition for the weirdest thing pulled out of a purse! For a fun look at some other purses, check out this post: 

6 Crazy Things in Mom's Purse

Letting Go of Email Clutter

Krystal sets such a great example - she inspired me to get my email inboxes cleaned up. I'm a techie, so I've got a lot of email accounts that I monitor regularly for different purposes. I spent a bunch of time working on these this weekend. I do have a lot of "Rules" and "Filters" set up to automate many of these.

I ended up purging more than 140 emails. It was time to be honest with myself. Am I really going to "read those later"? I don't think so...I already have so much reading to do. Instead, I am focusing on those that call to me or that are important to me. There are many that don't "serve me" anymore. That's OK. It's ok to let things go that don't serve a purpose for you anymore. No one says you have to keep following along. Let them go. There's plenty of other gifts coming to your inbox every day.

ITEM #1 - Letting go of Email Clutter

It's also the beginning of the month...for many, turning the calendar often leads to chaos because I don't have everything marked down on it yet. I have a wall calendar for the family as well as my electronic work calendar, electronic business calendar, my electronic kids' calendar and of course, my personal electronic calendar! Yes, I have that many. However, what I have chosen to do is merge them all into my Google calendar. I can see my hubby's calendar and Krystal's calendar too along side all of these. This is all on the same page that I can turn off or on, whichever suits my needs. I can also see these on my iPhone, which helps when I'm on the go.

As you know, I went through emails - many of them were about important dates coming up. As I went through, I updated all of the calendars. I also have Rebecca keep the school calendar info up to date on the family wall calendar. She doesn't do it the way I would (I try to make it too perfect), but I let her do this - she feels like she is contributing to the family and it definitely helps me out. As soon as you get those notices from school - write them down on the calendar and get rid of the piece of paper. It literally only takes a minute. If the kids are old enough - get them to do this part. They are perfectly capable, plus it helps them learn about calendars and time management.

Every Friday, at the end of my work day - I look back on the week and carry forward any tasks that need to be done the next week. I book those into my calendar. I also like to sit down on a Sunday evening and plan my 3 priorities for the coming week (this is from my participation in the Inner Circle from our great friend Stacey Curnow. Read more here: Inner Circle) I then plot these priorities on the calendar. On Monday nights, Krystal and I set our SLC priorities for the week and book them on the calendar as well. Here's a snapshot of this week:

The SLC Gals teach classes on setting up your Family Command Center (the calendar is one part of it). Let us know if you'd like us to share with your ladies group sometime!

ITEM #2 - Letting go of Calendar Chaos

I'm continuing to work on the Letting Go of Perfectionism thing. This is a toughie. Sometimes I feel like throwing up my hands and say "Why bother doing this. It won't stay this way" or "It won't be perfect so I should just forget it!" This kind of thinking leads to nothing getting done. I'm getting to the point where I'd rather have SOMETHING accomplished imperfectly than nothing at all.

How to you fight that over-bearing "Perfectionism"? Is it a problem for you? Maybe I'm the only one? LOL!

I have big plans for the coming week - my closet and my daughter's room (she's helping with that one!). We both have some stuff to let go there. It sure accumulates over the year! Don't forget to share your progress here! We'd love to hear from you!

Don't know where to start on your own Simple Spring Cleanse? Our mini-session will help you. Both of us will come to your home for an hour and show you what to do to get started. After that, we promise, you'll be addicted! :)

K - Electronic Clutter and More (and a yummy recipe!)

It's the weekend and hard to believe that we are over 10 days into our cleanse!

I am enjoying the fact that I can do this at my own pace. Some days I am able to do more than others and that's ok especially seeing as some of the items are a work in progress; mental clutter takes time to work through. 

We are doing really well with eliminating unhealthy snacks. We are getting more nutrition into our bodies in our meals as well. Just last night the hubs made a super yummy quinoa salad. I love that he is willing to experiment with foods! http://www.cookingquinoa.net/southwestern-quinoa-salad-with-avocado-and-black-beans

The 3 bags of clothing are all out of the house. Most have gone to donations while a few things has been given to friends/family. It's outta here! Everyone has gone through there clothing now except for my daughter. That may take a while! 

Last two days I have been working on electronic clutter. Electronic clutter is 'one of those things' that sneaks up on you if you are not diligent with it. 

• I have my inbox (right this second) down to 9 emails. My work one is down to 4. I just keep current things that I want front and center. (otherwise I forget about them). Some days I just want to delete everything! 
• I have also purged my email folders; I still have a lot but I'm getting there.
• I have hit the unsubscribe to at least 6 things that I get emails for. It does make a difference because then it is less stuff that I need to go though on a daily basis.
• I also have a princess tent thing that I am giving to my niece today. 
• 2 pounds. I am NOT dieting. I have never dieted and don't plan to; I do not believe in diets at all. With my new lifestyle change it just so happens that some extra subcutaneous tissue is coming off. ;) I am eating better and being more mindful of my choices, snacking on better foods, and cutting back (not eliminating) white flours/sugars, red meat, and dairy. We have also been introducing new foods into our daily intake.
• Ever get stuck in the comparison rut?! I do. This is what I am working on lately. Instead of trying to compare myself to others and what they have/do, I am really trying to just enjoy my own life and be grateful for all that I have. Getting resentful and depressed is not going to make me happy. Here is a great post from Leo Babauta of Zen Habits:  http://zenhabits.net/lifes-enough-stop-comparing-yourself-to-others/

Also here is one of my fave quotes and it really makes sense! 

Have a great weekend everyone. I hope you are able to join in with us and shed a few things that you don't want hanging around anymore! 

Take care. xo

K - What is under there?!

Today was a fun day. I got to hang out with kindergarteners this morning! Some say that I can relate to them, lol! Well if enjoying the simple things in life and having fun is what they mean then YES I can. I think that they are referring to my lack of focus tho!  :) I volunteered to help out in my youngest's class as they were going on a bowling field trip. We walked there and back. Walking with 5 and 6 year olds is kind of like herding cattle! They try, but every now and then they shift their attention to the ice puddles. You know the ones that have a thin layer of ice on top and water underneath. They fall back out of line or start running off. By the time we were back my arms were full of shoes and mittens that had fallen on the way. Good times! I enjoy my times that I can help out and know that as he grows up he won't always want me around.

I haven't really been planning areas to cleanse; they just kind of happen. Today I realized that I had a theme. The theme was cleaning under things. As it turns out I had to put something under the stairs and I decided that once again it was cluttered with boxes. Sometimes I keep boxes 'just in case' I need one for mailing things or storing things or for warranty. Silly I know! I got rid of about half of them and they are ready to go to recycling. While I was tidying I found a CD that I needed for my WiFi photo frame! Yippee! I had it installed on my own computer and then when I got my new laptop the old one was wiped and I couldn't find it. I am so happy that I will be able to use it again.

The other thing that I went through was under my bed. I don't keep a lot under there but it really needed organized. I discarded a few items there.

The last thing that I went through was my family organization binder. I have a zippered binder that I keep important paper (school, extra curricular, swim lesson stuff, benefits info. etc.) in. Everyone has their own section. I had some outdated info in it and hole punched and organized it better. Old papers are now in recycling!

Remember how I said that we are letting go of unhealthy snacks (for the most part!) Today we enjoyed some fresh juice from the juicer (pineapple, strawberry and apple). Fresh is soooo good. We still have hemp  n' honey raw chocolate with coconut. AND I was spoiled because hubby made chocolate coconut pudding (young coconut, raw cacao powder and agave). I really like it, not sure the others did so I guess more for me! ;)

Summary:
1) UNDER the stairs: Boxes (already went though the Christmas decorations under there)
2) UNDER the bed: organized and purged
3) Family Organization Binder: out of date papers discarded

Letting Go of Perfection

Krystal's topic of FOCUS is a great one! She and I are kindred spirits, that's for sure!

Last night, I had a meeting that I was taking minutes for. I often find my mind drifting to things that I need to do, people I need to talk to, stuff to pick up, errands, etc. I deliberately forced myself to focus on each topic and what people were saying. I wasn't perfect, but I was better! LOL!

Tonight, I am oh, so tempted to flit about and do a bunch of different things. (I like to think I'm like a butterfly, sampling all the flowers... :P ) I decided that I have a few things on my list that MUST get done. I need to take advantage of the fact that my hubby is home tonight to help out so that I can get some things done. Flit..Flutter...Fly...

So far, I typed up the minutes (it usually takes me weeks) and sent them off to the GM, tidied up dishes and I've started on some of my other paper procrastination stuff (thanks Worth!), plus I'm going to finish up my posts for today at a decent time! I started going through my back log of emails as well. Hmmmm, I'm seeing a pattern of many things started...not everything finished...there I go again! Too funny!

The point I want to make here is that it's ok to lose focus - we all do it. It's ok to be imperfect. We all are. What is important is that we recognize our struggles, love ourselves anyway and then continue on trying to be the best we can be.

As I type this, Jann Arden is singing "Good Mother"...the words "...Be Yourself, just be yourself..." echo through my mind...so very true.

I read her memoir book last week. It had me at the first chapter. I don't know if it's because I grew up listening to her music and she is from Alberta. I don't know if it's because she tells a funny story (I've heard her speak at a conference once). All I know is, to me, it is a story about someone who was not perfect. Her family was not perfect, life was definitely not perfect. But...she continued on, through the messes, despite the things that happened to her. Because of the love of her family and her faith in herself. She just didn't give up. She struggled to figure out what she was good at, and then...well, she did it. She still does. Is she perfect? Hell, no! Is she the first to admit it? Hell, yes!

That is what inspired me the most, I think. She just kept (and keeps) trying anyway. She acknowledges her strengths and her blessings too.

Anyway, I'm flitting about tonight. I just wanted you to know that I'm thinking of you all and I appreciate every one of you who take the time to read what Krystal and I have to share. We do it for us and we do it for you. Thank you!

ITEM #1 Perfection...I shall strive to let it go! ;)

K - FOCUS!!

Some days I focus better than others and today was not one of them!! Lol! But saying that I got a few things done here and there and mostly things started and not finished. This is not really a good thing but thank goodness for my hubby who helps me along; ALOT! He got three bags of items out of the house and to the local thrift store. That feels good; as I always say you have not officially decluttered until the items are out of your house!

Anywoo there's my mind going all over the place again. Today I was able to sort, purge and reorganize our financial papers. Sound boring? Yup, it pretty much was. BUT I am so glad it's done. You know I didn't realize how much procrastination clutter I had until I started this! And there's more but baby steps; that's all we can do.

The other thing I went through was my youngests room. We already went through the clothes so today it was a quick look at the toys. We did this last year and got rid of lots so this time he just had a small bag full, I did not want to traumatize him because he gets a little nervous when Mommy is in an organizing mood! :p

Sooooo going with the theme of not focussing; I did not take any before and afters but I will leave you with this quote: 

"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus." 

~Alexander Graham Bell 

And a good video on focussing: 

I will work on that!

So today I got
1) a procrastination project cleared away (financial paper clutter)
2) youngest let go of some toys that he doesn't play with any longer
3) we have been letting go of unhealthy snacking habits (today we let go of our garage sale juicer and got a better one) so it's been fun trying healthy juice combos. When we do snack now almost all of the time it is something that is good for us. Food journaling is making me very accountable; not alot gets past my fitness instructor! Oh yeah and my hubby (bless his soul) made another batch of nutritious chocolate. Good thing you can't see the drool!
A side note: This movie, Hungry For Change has been an inspiration to myself and others to make better food choices. I have watched it twice, so far.

Love ya later. :)

Letting Go of Paper Work

I will admit that my paper pile has gotten behind over the past few months. This was my goal for this evening: Letting Go of Paper Work

But first...

I have my oldest son's large stereo system sitting in my entertainment room. No one has touched it for over a year...out it goes...I'm going to take it to work and see if anyone wants it. (If you want it, let me know! LOL!)

ITEM #1 - Old Stereo system

The next to tackle was the pile of papers and paper work paraphrenalia. I have my SLC work briefcase in a mess, my ebooks piled while I was going through them for the summit. I have the travelling filing box that I'm going to use for SLC just sitting there empty. My planning binder as well as my coaching notes are all in piles. Plus, the December 2012 filing is waiting to be put into the cabinet?? Weird! I must have been distracted at some point.

Here's the before:

And here's the after:

I put the ebooks and coaching notes back on their shelf, I put my business papers etc into the box (I will organize the box later this week). There is one bag of shredding that I realized was in the "pile", 1 bag of garbage and 1 bag of paper recycling. I went through the stuff out of my planning binder and got rid of most of it (I haven't used the binder now that I'm onto an electronic version of it. There was also quite a few "idea generating" type things that I decided I don't need. I've had them for quite a while and haven't used them yet! Into the recycling bag they went!

I filed the little bit that was left to file. Overall, I spent an hour with the pile, which wasn't too bad. The music was blasting away! It was mostly stuff that needed put away after the Celebrate Life Summit! LOL!

ITEM #2 - papers I don't need

This included 13 business cards that I found in this stash. I don't keep business cards anymore because Krystal and I use this handy app for our iPhone: Card Munch - You take a picture of the card and then someone somewhere enters the information into your database for you and then it suddenly appears in your Contacts on your phone! Yay!!!

If you need help with getting your papers organized, we can help you get started! Email us to set up a Mini-Session!

K - Simple Sunday

I love that I could use this weekend to relax, and catch up on some things that have been put off way too long! My hubby even got started on all of our passports so we will be ready for our holiday when the time comes!

Today I was able to go through my kitchen. It really didn't take long as I had got rid of so many things last year with the minimalist challenge. This year it was a piece of cake; I just had a little maintenance to do. Here I was able to let go of:

• a mug
• a go cup
• an old, broken cutting board (I had a new one) what the heck was I waiting for?!
• a basket that just got in the way
• two old dish cloths 
• a water bottle (there are only so many of these that one needs!) 
• a play doh toy (broken)
• two cooler covers (they were free and we won't use them)
• a silicone basting brush (we had 4!)
• a couple of bottle openers (we had 4 of those as well) One I will put in the camping bin.

I also had time to wipe out drawers and cupboards (not all of them but the ones that were noticeably dirty). Then I gave the cupboard fronts a wipe also. So some Spring cleaning got done at the same time, yay!

I have this deep cupboard that houses cleaning supplies and some miscellaneous items. From that area I got rid of:

• a white apron that I have had from my high school deli job (that was a FEW years ago)
• a huge vase (I already have a large and a small) I got rid of most of them last year
• a KFC picnic bag (had for years and never used)
• a spray bottle that was broken
• one of those plastic separated trays with lid that you get fruit or veggies in from the grocery store (I thought that I might use it to take to an event or someones house but really?....

I also found some pet things in this cupboard plus my pup has his own basket full of things. I decided to amalgamate both and get rid of what we don't need/use.

• two different cat sprays (we don't have a cat now)
• two puppy coats that Duke has out grown
• puppy vitamins stuff that he would not eat
• nail clippers
• hair grooming mitt 

It was nice to get this area cleaned. It was one of those areas that needed done and I hated to look at but it was never a priority.

I also have a bag of Christmas items that I went though when I was packing up Christmas decorations last season. That is going to be brought up from storage room and put with this stuff and what I did not throw away or recycle I am going to donate to the local thrift store. 

Todays rundown.

1. Kitchen items
2. Misc. items
3. Pet things
4. Christmas stuff

Letting Go of Things That Drive You Crazy

Well, my big plan for today was getting rid of two things that drive me absolutely nuts!

No....I can't get rid of my kids...I know what you were thinking! :P LOL!!

My two old dogs have very old (and very smelly) dog beds. We've washed them quite a few times (which is always a pain...) These beds are in our bedroom on top of that (I'm not able to get rid of that at this point. They are too old for the stress of being kicked out of our room that they've slept in for their entire lives. A mistake I don't intend to repeat...especially knowing that old dogs snore worse than husbands!)

I'd been planning on making some new beds for them. My daughter was itching to help. Remember the towels from early this week? Well, we had two big older pink bath sheets that no one liked sitting in our linen closet. Rebecca and I decided to make the dogs new beds out of these old towels and a couple 3$ pillows that we'd picked up yesterday. We both had fun machine and hand sewing these. Becca was so proud that she'd helped!

ITEM #1 - Old dog beds that were smelly and dirty!

While a load of wash was washing (it really only took that long!) I tackled my other item that has been driving me crazy: My front entry rugs! There are three. Big, black ugly things. They've been washed a hundred times. They move and overlap each other all the time. Little black bits seem to be coming off them every time they move. They are clumsy and difficult to move around when I'm trying to clean the floor. Plus, I've spilled coffee on them so many times, they're permanently stained! I really didn't like these anymore. I want our front entry to be "prettier" and more welcoming.

When we were out yesterday, Rebecca and I found a nice smaller, single rug for the area. I got rid of the big ugly mats (they really were coming apart on closer inspection!). I vacuumed the floor and then got down on my hands and knees and washed the floor and baseboards the old fashioned way. I washed the down stairs as well. The one shoe mat that I had desperately needed a wash as well. Then I put everything back all nice and tidy and much prettier. It's much brighter and I think it will be easier to keep clean. Now the only thing left to do here: I have a really nice "Simplify" sign that Krystal got for me that I want to put up there but that will be the next project of washing the walls and closet in that area!

ITEM #2 - Front entry mats that are worn and ready for replacement! 

Oh! and we got a mat for outside the front door too - made from recycled tires:

Letting Go of Poor Eating Habits

Catching up post today, but I've got a lot to share!

Day 5 - Friday - I got rid of the two old house phones - Bruce cancelled our house phone number (since we got rid of the cable TV package, this was part of it), so there's no point hanging onto phones! LOL!

The biggest thing about Friday though, was something we LEARNED...

Watch this documentary (free until March 31): Hungry for Change - you will be inspired and enlightened! Bruce and the kids watched it on Friday during the day, and I watched it at the Olds Library with friends on Friday night...Our entire family was moved to make some serious changes.

As many of you know, for Lent, my family and I decided to remove refined sugar from our diet. This has led to a discovery of how much sugar is in EVERYTHING we eat. As such, we've been eating more healthy choices. This movie was the final push to make this a permanent choice. Even my kids have noticed that the sugar makes them feel sick (they both went to birthday parties over the past month of lent and discovered that they really didn't feel good after trying to eat cake and such...) Personally, I have lost 10 lbs so far and feel MUCH different.

So, the movie prompted us to decide to eat more raw foods and get rid of the white sugar, white flour or anything that has more than a couple ingredients! Whether that be salads, smoothies, juicing or just plain munching on good stuff!

Day 6 - Saturday, I pulled everything out of my fridge and evaluated:

This was the door. Notice the sauces and salad dressings and even lemon juice. The dressings will get finished up (they are mostly vinaigrette) and then we'll make our own from fresh ingredients...and the sauces...well, they are gone. Look at the ingredients:

Sugar, preservatives, BLECH!!! The ketchup and HP will get used up and not replaced (I don't want to be too wasteful) I ended up getting rid of several sauce jars and the dressing that was almost gone anyway (thus the upside down bottle) I used up the last of the lemon juice, so it won't be replaced again either.

Then the inside of the fridge:

More mustard, some pickles, hot sauce, broth, various cheeses, some leftovers, yogurt, eggs & bacon, my husband's beer yeast. Our magnesium and Uzo's Oil are there as well. I let go of one of the mustard (camping leftover that was lost at the back) We are going to buy and eat a lot LESS cheese...less dairy period. The bacon will get used up and then we will take a break from it for awhile. My husband especially eats it every day. The broth will get used up and I'll make my own. Eggs, we will continue to have in various forms. I got rid of some really old fondue cheese (I didn't even open it, I was scared to!)

This is the food from the produce drawers - not too bad - we've been eating a lot more it already...

After the big cleanout (which took 1 1/2 hours - pretty good I think because I washed everything down). Rebecca and I went grocery shopping. We discovered a juicer on sale...Universe is at it again. We'd been thinking about it from the movie and there it was. We actually added that to our house inventory. I'll have to find something to get rid of now instead! :)

After our grocery shopping:

Note: there are no "boxed" items...they pretty much have sugar and preservatives! Look at all the colors! I washed everything and put it all away in the newly cleaned fridge. We've already eaten a ton of produce - we've used the juicer, had two salads last night and made smoothies this morning.

ITEM#1 - old phones and our land line
ITEM#2 - store bought sauces and other unhealthy foods (I also got rid of leftover cake that was in the freezer - we were saving it, but we won't be eating it now)

I have big plans for today, Day 7 - I'll try to get a post up tonight!

Cheers to healthy eating!!

K - Going through clothing and being ok with the way things are!

Today as I was doing laundry I decided that I would focus on my clothing. I knew that there were clothes in the drawers and on the shelves that I had not really worn much or at all since I went through them a year ago for the Minimalist Challenge. We have an itty bitty closet in our room that we share plus a long dresser and an armoire. I guess I was feeling the urge to purge because I ended up getting rid of a decent amount!

1)

• 2 skirts
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 pair of pants
• 3 pairs of pjs
• 2 pairs of shoes
• 5 sweaters
• 4 t-shirts
• 1 long sleeved shirt
• 2 scarves
• 1 pair of boots (14 year old boots! omg)

Hubby also went through his clothing. Man, I wish I could be as decisive as him! He got rid of

2)

• 7 pairs of pants/jeans
• 7 t-shirts
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 tie

Today for a moment I felt like I didn't do good enough; that I should have done more and gotten though more. I felt badly for only accomplishing the sorting of the clothing. Then as I was going through my emails I read one from a favourite blogger and guess what the topic was? Being OK With Things As They Are. Right then I stopped beating myself up. The line in the blog that resonated with me most:

"Once we become happy with things, people, and ourselves … as they are … we can become whole"...

Ok, Krystal snap out of it. I stopped and thought about my day. 

• I managed to go through most of my clothes. 
• Hubby went through his clothes. 
• We went for a walk today as a family with the pup.
• I had a chance to share a fantastic documentary about healthy eating with my hubs and some of my kids.
• I got to curl up and watch a movie with my little ones this evening. 

That's not too shabby after all. :)

3) Being ok with things as they are. This will be ongoing for me. I have been quoting this one a ton:

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." ~Theodore Rooselvelt

                            His                             Hers     

                     

I sincerely hope that you all are able to rid yourself of whatever kind of clutter is weighing you down because once you do I guarantee you will feel free!                                     

Letting Go of Stuff that Doesn't Belong to You

Do you have stuff in your house that you've borrowed? Stuff that someone brought to your house and you need to return (like containers etc.)?

Today, for Day 4 of the Simple Spring Cleanse, I'm returning some items that I received baking in. I have a great friend who makes these amazing cookies and cakes! I buy some from her every year. She gives them to us in nice trays. I always want to return these trays so that I can get more cookies next year! LOL!

Last year, (Like 2010!!) I forgot to return one, and this year I had 2 more to return. Plus, I had her make a cake for the Celebrate Life Summit, so I wanted to return the board from the cake. Needless to say, I'm finally returning these today!

ITEM #1 for today!

ITEM #2 We borrowed the movie Memphis Belle from the Worth's. Returning that tonight too!

I have a busy evening tonight, so this is all I'll get to today!

See you tomorrow!