First decluttering session

I started in the boys room today. I managed to make a small dent in there. I found 30 items to get rid of tomorrow I will work on the remainder of the room...clothes and more toys. Oh the toys....how they have taken over. They are everywhere!!!!

I did go to Target today while I was running errands to price some organization systems. I think I am gonna get the cube systerm for the toys. There are 9 cubby spaces and you can put fabric bins or baskets in them. They would work perfect to have a spot for everything they play with plus it would cut down on toys. 2 top spaces can be for books. and I can get a few baskets...1 for blocks, 1 for cars and 1 for stuffed animals/puppets. the remaining openings can be for larger toys. May even use it in some other rooms in the house!

2011 book list

My other goal this year is to read at least 1 book a month. With all my schoolwork, projects and family, I have a hard time finding time to read. I have picked 12 books I would like to read this year. Hopefully I can read more than that!!

1.Love in the time of Cholera
2.Peony in love
3. Room
4. Eat, Pray, Love
5.the Teahouse fire
6.A new earth
7.Kushiel's Dart
8.midwives
9.blackwood farm
10.blood canticle
11.blood and gold
12.shanghai girls

100 things project: the living room list

1.sewing box
2. sewing machine
3.The buddha book
4. osho book
5. poetry book
6. journal
7. blackwood farm
8. the dhammapada
9. grow
10.cold mountain
11. midwives
12.sleeping beauty1
13. sleeping beauty2
14.black and gold
15.1 min. organizer
16.if buddha got stuck
17.blood canticle
18.green book
19.simple living guide
20.buddha mom
21. houseworks
22.dictionary
23.love in the time of cholera
24.teahouse fire
25.tarot cards
26. buddha bookends
27.dvd case
28.dvd case
29.butterfly coaster set
30.shoebox of pictures
31.file box of papers
32. black decorative box
33.cd tin
34.Akira DVD
35.Lady death dvd
36.avatar dvd
37.the red violin dvd
38.eastern promises dvd
39.yours, mine and ours dvd
40.marley and me dvd
41.ratatouille dvd
42.midnight meat train dvd
43.candy dish
44.pen bag
45.scarf
46.scarf
47.mittens
48.winter hat
49.coat


This is not counting things that are not mine, furniture or things that we share. I never realized I had this much stuff in just the living room.

New years Resolution

It is only a few more days until 2011 and my main resolution is to declutter and simplify more. I plan and hope on being able to get rid of 2011 items. I am sure it won't be that hard for me to do.

Decluttering is like an addiction, once you start you don't want to stop. I have so many different things I want to go thru and narrow down.

1. kids toys...they have waaay to many plus with what they received at christmas, it is time to declutter them. I am planning on keeping the bare minimum. DS(7) plays with his wrestlers, hot wheels and bakugon. He LOVES his books. DS(1) plays with his blocks, board books and hot wheels. Everything else is going to be donated.

2.dishes & cooking items....I still have 2 boxes that I haven't unpacked yet so needless to say, that stuff will probably be going too.

3. the storage room...it is filled with boxes I have yet to unpack and go thru. I really have no clue what's in there.

I still plan on following the 100 things list...it may just take some time to get there. I will post my list of everything that I own and narrow it down from there. Since I am a list maker this will help immensly.

Simplicity Quotes

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" Leonardo Da Vinci

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated" Confucious

"How many things are there which I do not want" Socrates

The goal is 100!

After much parusing the net and stumbling upon a wonderful blog, I am inspired to commit to having only 100 things. This will be a hard task since I have 2 children and they have tons of things. So in order to see what I really own, I am going to make a list. It will be a long list, no doubt but I am confident in my ability.

Why 100? Well, the answer is quite simple. Less stuff. I may even try to go for less, depending on the moment I am in. That means less books, DVD's, toys, clothing, less everything. I may even have a garage sale.

The "stuff"

I must start with all the "stuff". Stuff tends to take over without us realizing it. Before we know it, we are drowning in it. Swimming against the currents of the overflowing piles of toys, clothes and whatever else makes it's way into the waves. It seems to migrate to wherever we are and follow us around like a shadow or a little lost puppy dog. We are scared to shoo it away since we don't know what will happen to it. It intimidates us. It hinders our decision making. It causes stress and anxiety. Stuff.....

In our society today....bigger is better. You are judges by your stuff. Not by your personality or your strengths and weaknesses. You are judged by how big your house is, how many TV's you have, what kind of vehicle you drive, etc. It is all competition. I don't think so. I used to think that. I don't know what clicked or caused a change. I think that simplicity is better. Convincing my husband that is a whole other story.

Simplicity...what is it? It is just living life simpler. Having 2 pairs of shoes insetad of 10, having 5 outfits instead of 28, living in 500 sq. ft instead of 1200...just making your life easier. Anyone can do. It only takes this first step...ridding yourself of all the unwanted, unneeded,poor quality, emotionally draining, stress inducing stuff.