More than a mini purge-FREEZER!

Ah, that felt good. I forgot to defrost our freestanding freezer this summer. You know how the time gets away from you. I was waiting for an above-freezing day to tackle it before the 50 lbs of grass-fed beef that we ordered is ready in January. New Year's Day is supposed to be warm but I'm not sure what we'll be doing so I went ahead and did it today. I did have to whip out the hair dryer to speed things along but it didn't really take too much time. I ended up pitching some things (mostly leftovers and frozen grated zuchini) that I haven't used and probably never will.

I'm not sure how this qualifies as simplifying except the purging part. Let me add that I'm considering purging the freezer altogether. I'll decide about this after we use the beef. It's an old freezer that a friend gave us and I'm thinking it has increased our electric bill significantly.

A Renewed Focus on Simplifying

1. Sorry if you read this blog and were offended by the naked "follower". I just noticed that, have no idea how that got there and I blocked it. YUK!

2. I've been tackling mini purging projects. In the post-Christmas downtime, I have organized and purged the following:
     A. Pantry cabinet and shelves. (There is definitely more to do here. I'll post a photo of my after-see if I can get some organizing baskets or whatever and post an "after after" photo. I am humble enough to show you my "before" but I forgot to take photos.

     B. Kitchen utensil drawer (the one with the big utensils). It was a mess and getting on my nerves. I'll do the main drawer today. Our flatware stays fairly neat and organized but the side spaces to this drawer need a little attention.

     C. My nightstand. I usually have anywhere from 3 books to 10 stacked on this tiny space. I just took them all off the stand and have to dive into the cabinet underneath and move a few things to the basement shelves. I'm not brave enough to get rid of my favorite Catholic books. These are the books that I read the most. I'll have to consider this as I move toward minimizing.

There you have it. My itty bitty purges.

I'm thinking of jumping into flylady again. When I first discovered her site about 6 or 7 years ago, I probably applied 50% or less of the principles and it still made a huge difference. I just want to be more organized. Speaking of that, I ordered this book. I'll click on SimpleMom occassionally and always enjoy Tsh's articles. I couldn't resist another simplifying book with organization tossed in to boot. I'll let you know how it is.

As I mentioned on my other blog, I'm considering my word for 2011. I haven't decided what it is yet. I'll let you know, though.

Simply Fall

Hannah has been taking photos like crazy. So far our fall has been beautiful. I love the huge maple tree next to our house. About 5 years ago we had about half of it trimmed so it wouldn't overhang and it looks like they literally cut the thing in half. From a certain angle, it looks like half a tree. But it's still beautiful this time of year.

Here's another view since I can't get enough....

This tree makes me smile! Hannah with a camera does, too.

Help Me with the Seasonal Clothing Switch!

Is there any way to simplify this task for a family of 6? I am bombarded by clothes! My boys continue to wear shorts and t-shirts around the house all through the winter (no, my thermostat is not too high-I usually am wearing a scarf). Point being-I don't put those away.

I try to purge but I'm still overwhelmed. I'm giving myself a deadline, here. The kids are anxious to bust out Halloween but I refuse until the regular clothing switch is finished. Any tips are greatly appreciated!

No posting on this blog-I haven't been actively simplifying.

An Update and the True Cost of Furniture

Do you remember this post? Here we are, less than 6 months later and I SOLD the computer cabinet! Craigslist, I love you! Actually I don't think I posted it until after Easter, so really, it only took about 3 months to sell. It was worth it. I had a price that I'd be happy with. Originally I posted for $300 more than that (what the heck, right?) No hits, then I brought it down by $100 increments twice and then reposted high just last week. A woman emailed asking if I'd accept the number I was originally thinking and she just came today with a deposit and will pay the balance when she picks it up. Yippee!

It is a good piece of furniture but I calculated the cost to us over the 11 years we've had it....$100/year. That may not sound like much but considering I haven't needed it for work since 2000 or so, I've had it exactly 10 years longer than I needed it. Ouch!

I think I'm more excited about the space it will free up than the cash. It will also force me to purge what was left in there and reorganize and make my other spaces more efficient to make room for the things that I do keep. All good.

Church Flea Markets

A great way to get rid of clutter and help your parish at the same time! I'm scouring the house for anything that would be saleable at our church's parish festival flea market. That would include just about anything. People buy the strangest things-even used mops. I'll post a photo and maybe a list of the things I parted with. Warning....unless you have a specific need, DO NOT under any circumstances visit the flea market. Especially don't let the kids in there!

Darn!

Every year one of my neighbors hosts a "multi-family" yard sale. Sometimes I'll put something out or let the kids man a table. She usually has it in June but decided to have it early. I wish I would have known sooner because there are still things in the house that I'd love to get out of here. I took so much stuff to the junk store over lent-and I'm glad I did. My point is had I known the sale was today, I'm sure I could dig up lots more clutter. It starts in an hour and a half and I'm certain I don't want to spend my quiet time scrambling around to find and price things. I'm even more certain I don't want to spend my day hovering over a table of my unwanted clutter. Maybe it's a good time to have a "free" table. I'll let you know.