Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Mission: Simplification

One of the reasons this weekend was so enjoyable was that when it came time to clean up, it was quick and easy because there wasn't much to clean up! When I went on my first cruise, I discovered that I truly can take care of my things- when there are less things to take care of. (and when someone makes my bed every time I leave the room and cooks for me!) I had such a peaceful, relaxing weekend at the beach, that I have decided to take what I learned back home with me. The answer is:

Simplify!!

The problem- My A.D.D brain has a hard time deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. So, I am trying to move quickly through my house and make the decision on the spot! For example, today I cleaned out the kids bathroom and got rid of baby towels and hand towels that we don't need. There were A LOT of them. I also went through all the mismatched socks, matched them, and threw away the ones that didn't match. Any solutions for how not to lose socks?

I feel really good about what was accomplished today. My plan is to declutter an area every day. My end goal- less things to take care of means less stress and more time to enjoy my kids.

Anyone have ideas? What do YOU think are the bare necessities?

4 comments:

Jadie said...

Scratch and I have been on a similar mission--it's very cathartic!

bedelia said...

I buy the exact same kind of socks every time so they always match. Except with kids getting bigger feet every other month it kind of messes it up.

Also I just recently read about someone who made a goal to fill up 2 boxes a week of stuff to get rid of. She lined the box with a garbage bag so she could just pull out the bag when its full and take it to goodwill. I don't know about 2 boxes a week but I thought that setting a goal for an amount was a pretty good idea and I like the specific place for getting rid of stuff. I tend to have multiple spots and then they slowly end up back in the mix of toys or whatever.

Emily said...

We went from a 6000 sq ft house to a 2400 sq ft house...It is so helpful to declutter a house so you don't feel so overwhelmed. The only time it becomes a problem is when other kids come over and we don't have a whole mess of toys, then I feel like I don't have enough...luckily that feeling doesn't last long. The best thing I did is get rid of things as soon as my last girl and boy are finished with them. It really cuts down on the stuff you have to store. I get rid of Christmas stuff every year, and extra dishes and clothes for me...I really need only a few work shirts with stains...everything else would be better used by someone else. Less to clean, less to worry about. My new thing is...if it doesn't serve two functions, then I don't keep it.

Brittany said...

Kelly you are awesome... always striving to be & do better, such a great quality to have. Love it!
One thing I do with socks at my house is have my kids fold them together before they put them in the dirty clothes hamper, that way they get washed/holded together. :)