Project Purge // Post-Purge Recap!

It's time to wrap up Project Purge! This week was garage sale week for us, and I thought I'd share a few photos (although I did not do a great job snapping pictures in between the hauling, sorting, and selling). To refresh your memory, our garage sale was a fundraiser for several local ministries: The Manasseh Project, Sacred Beginnings, and All is Well Fitness.

I did my very best to grow my purge pile throughout the month of August despite a couple of vacations sprinkled in there. I do frequently go through our family's stuff - including this past spring during a 40 bags in 40 days themed purge - but I am amazed how I can always find a few boxes (in this case about six) to get rid of.

The garage sale was held at my friend Jami's house and I contributed my purge pile plus many piles from other friends around town, filling my minivan to the brim and dropping loads off to Jami's throughout the week. (At one point Dylan was completely wedged into the back seat and had to exit the vehicle by climbing over a couple tables and several boxes...he was polite but I could tell not a big fan.)

On Wednesday, Jami and I worked for several sunny, sweaty, FRANTIC hours unpacking, organizing, and displaying the goods as best and as fast as we could, just in time for the sale to open at 3pm. I signed off around 4:00 and left the sale in good hands for the next couple of days while Jami wheeled and dealed.

One quick fundraiser garage sale-ing tip: we did not price ANYTHING, but instead asked people to make an offer for their new found treasures. I know this makes serious garage saler's cringe, but it paid off in prep time on our part plus most people were generous because the proceeds were going to a good cause.

The sale ran for three days and, while the dust is still settling, Jami and our community of women were able to raise $1,100+ (way past our goal of $500).

Garage sale-ing for justice. 

Garage sale-ing for Jesus. 

Now this is living.

Project Purge // Week Three

It's the final week of Project Purge! It's garage sale week for us, and we've been busy vacation-ing all over our fine state, so it's time to roll up our sleeves and get down to business.

Here are the final five spaces we'll be tackling together:

11. Technology // Time to tune out the tech. Could you simplify your DVD collection? Perhaps add your CD collection to iTunes? Any old electronics sitting around gathering dust? Tech tip: the VHS tape is not about to make a comeback.

12. Hobbies // Leave your pastimes in the past. Clean out your craft supplies. Pass on past-due project supplies. It’s OK if Pinterest temporarily made you believe you were crafty...let go, move on, and focus your energy on a hobby you really enjoy.

13. Garage // Reclaim your parking space. Has it been awhile since your garage actually housed a car? Do your kids have enough outdoor toys to entertain a small nation? Do you often find yourself tripping to get in the door? Your first impression when you return home should be calm, not chaos.

14. Sports & Games // Get your game face on. It’s OK if you never really liked rollerblading...someone else will be thrilled by your circa 1992 pair of blades. Did your child try {baseball/soccer/snowboarding/tennis} and hate it? Do you get buried in board games everytime you open the closet? Call a timeout and focus your free time on the activities you really dig.

15. Storage Room // Yep, we’re going down there. If it’s been sitting in your storage room for years, how bad do you really need it? Will you ever really repaint that old dresser? Are your holiday decorations dragging you down? Clear a path towards simpler living!

If you missed any of our previous posts, here's a quick recap:

Project Purge: 15 Days of Giving It Up // Katie

Project Purge: 15 Days of Giving It Up // Theresa

Project Purge: Putting a Plan in Place + a Printable // Katie

Project Purge & Your Story // Theresa

A Simple Purging Process // Katie

A Project Purge Link-Up // Theresa
Project Purge // Week One
Project Purge // Week Two

Project Purge // Week Two

{Blank Chevron Printable}    {Blank Heart Printable}

Last week, we shared the first five spaces of Project Purge. This week, we're sharing the next five. Purge on, aspiring minimalists, and pay the excess forward!

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6. Baby Stuff // Bye bye, baby. Are you holding on to baby stuff just in case? Or saving that cute baby outfit for your future grandchild in 30 years? Do you keep tripping over your out-of-commission exersaucer? If the baby ship has sailed, let it slip into the sunset.

7. Books // That’s what libraries are for. Which books will you really re-read? Could you pass some favorites along to friends (and instead of asking of them back, ask them to pass them on)? Are there books in your home your kids have outgrown, rarely touch or have seen better days? Spread the love and lend your books new life.

8. Home Decor // Cleanse your decorating spirit. Does your lamp bring you life or could it light up someone else's world? Does your decor make you happy when you enter a room? How many pictures frames are you holding onto just in case? Open your hands (and the door) and let go: your home is much more than the decor you fill it with.

9. Kitchen // The pressures of Betty Crocker. Have you only made a quiche once in the last 9 years? Is that crystal glass pitcher even your style? Keep the items you reach for time and time again and cut out the rest of the kitchen clutter.

10. Pantry // From your pantry to theirs. Buy too many cans of beans at the last sale? Having trouble managing your boxes of mac & cheese? After you clean out the excess in your own kitchen pantry, take a trip to the grocery store, load up your cart, and drop it off at your local food pantry.

Time for an update! Let us know how it's going!

Project Purge // Week One

{Blank Chevron Printable}    {Blank Heart Printable}

We're back from a refreshingly beautiful, no-service-available sort of long weekend in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and I'm ready to get down to Project Purge business.

Last week, Theresa and I shared on our blogs a variety of posts to help prepare you to pare down your possessions. If you missed any of them, check out the links below:

Project Purge: 15 Days of Giving It Up // Katie

Project Purge: 15 Days of Giving It Up // Theresa

Project Purge: Putting a Plan in Place + a Printable // Katie

Project Purge & Your Story // Theresa

A Simple Purging Process // Katie

A Project Purge Link-Up // Theresa

And now, here are the first five spaces we'll be tackling together! Besides simplifying your own life, remember that one of our goals is to grow our garage sale pile with great stuff in order to grow our contribution to a worthy organization. Purge well, friends, by working through the spaces below this week. {And check back next week for the next five spaces.}

1. Bedroom Closet // Time for a fashion reboot. Let's get real: will you ever fit into your post-high school, pre-baby pants again? Are you holding onto things you haven’t worn in a year? Are hangers being wasted on shirts you bought (tags still attached!) but never wore? Say goodbye to the past and hello to the new you.

2. Hall Closet // Let go of the skeletons. Pick a closet, any closet: perhaps your coat closet, your linen closet, or your catch-all closet? Choose the worst offender or sort through them all. Fling open the door and face your hidden holdings.

3. Shoes & Accessories // Set off on some sole searching. How many pairs of shoes do you really need? Can someone else benefit from your 4th pair of black flats? How many purses/bags/totes can one girl really own? Cut them loose. Keep what you love. The rest is just baggage.

4. Kid Closet(s) // Managing the monsters in their closets. It’s time to find a new home for those too-short jeans, too-tight shirts, and too-small shoes. Could someone else find joy in the dress shirt that makes your child cringe? Are there any other “monsters” hiding out in the deep, dark corners? Banish them once and for all!

5. Toys // Send Polly Pocket packing. Get the kids involved! What toys do they no longer play with? What could they do without? Explain to them where their extra toys are going: don’t be surprised when they are more than happy to share with less fortunate kids. Start with the absolute must-keeps and then streamline (i.e. toss, donate, or sell) the rest.

Don't forget to check in with your progress - Instagram it, tweet it // #projectpurge // or link up. We'd love to know how it's going!

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A Simple Purging Process + A Link-Up!

We've covered a lot of ground this week: we shared the story behind Project Purge + we put a purging plan in place (including the why, where, who & what). Next, I wanted to share with you some of the how?

Read on & then check back on Monday for the details on the first five spaces we'll be working through together!

A simple purging process*:

1. Empty out the space.
2. Separate items into piles: keep, toss & sell/donate.
3. Ask yourself the hard questions {see below}. Be honest.
4. Remove toss & sell/donate items from your home.
5. Reload space with keep items.
6. Smile, breathe a sigh of relief. Repeat.

{*My full purging process here}

Questions to ask yourself as you purge: 

• Could someone else use it better?
• Is it beautiful or does it serve a purpose?
• Does it serve more than one purpose?
• Do you have duplicate items that do the same thing?
• What are the costs (and rewards) for purging this item?
• Do you use it on a regular basis?
• Does it work? (If no, throw it out.)
• Has your family or your current lifestyle outgrown it?
• Could you live without it?
• If you were moving tomorrow, would you take it with you?
• Is the extra clutter holding you back?
• Why are you holding onto these items?
• Are you being true to your true self? Are you holding onto items that are weighing your down or "should"ing you?
• Are you hanging onto things out of guilt, obligation or fear?

Some additional resources:

• 100 Ways to Simplify Your Life: A list by Francine Jay, an author, blogger, and minimalist who is seeking to live life a beautiful life with less stuff.
• Jen Hatmaker: Wife, mom, speaker, blogger and author of 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. Jen's writing is inspiring, authentic, and hilarious.
• Becoming Minimalist: Blogger and minimalist Joshua Becker's thoughts on why the best the things in life aren't things.
• Simple Mom: Tsh's life encompassing site is designed to help you live more simply and more intentionally.
• IHeart Organizing: Jen's spaces aren't only streamlined, they're pretty too. Stop by and admire her projects, including this series last spring on purging.
• Simple Organized Living: Check out Andrea's clutter control category for instant inspiration.

And now, a link up! If you're feeling the call to purge your home of the excess and you're ready to GIVE IT UP and pay it forward, please link up either your blog or a post pertaining to Project Purge: 15 Days of Giving It Up. If you don't have a blog, you can also link up your Twitter or Instagram accounts // #projectpurge. 

The link-up will be live throughout the month of August so feel free to check in at any time with your progress and add to the collection (the links will automatically sort themselves from newest to oldest).

Need a button? Grab one here! Looking for the printables? Check here.

Project Purge: Putting a Plan in Place

Theresa and I shared earlier this week how Project Purge was born. And while we think it's a great idea, we don't want to leave you hanging with only an idea. We want to make sure we're giving you the tools and the encouragement you might need to get serious, roll up your sleeves, and purge, baby, purge.

First things first, we need a plan: 

Why is it time for you to purge?

Now I have cleaned house before, I've decluttered, I've passed on the things we've outgrown. I actually enjoy doing these things so it hasn't seemed too difficult.

My intention this time around is to dig a little (OK, maybe a lot) deeper. I want to ask the hard questions and get a little uncomfortable. I want to really understand what it means to live with less so others can live with more.

My kids (like most American kids) are growing up surrounded by so much stuff: is this the best possible environment in which to raise them? What values am I passing along to them? How much family time do we give up because we're taking care of our stuff? What would it look like to re-orient ourselves around experiences vs. material possessions? Do we really need ALL of this stuff??

Where is the excess going? 

As mentioned in my last post, our excess is going to a friend's garage sale. Other women from our community will also be donating items towards the sale. The money raised at the sale will then benefit a local organization with ties to our church.

You might have an extreme adverse reaction to the term "garage sale" and that's OK. First, I would tell you, do it anyway. It's not really about you anyway, right? Garage sales take a tremendous amount of time and energy and I understand not wanting to take that on. However...if the end result benefits someone else, it might just be worth it to take that leap.

Second, gather some friends. Everything is more fun with friends. Maybe someone else is willing to host the actual sale (there are people out there who are very gifted garage sale hosts) and then you can just drop your items off and help with the logistics.

Lastly, if I really can't convince you to garage sale for Jesus (sorry, I could resist), then pick a worthy organization in your area who accepts donated goods for either their own resale shop or to pass along to others who need them.

If you are taking the garage sale route, here are some great posts to help get you organized: 5 Tips for a Killer Yard Sale, Project Purge: An Organized Garage Sale, and Hosting a More Organized Garage Sale. 

Who will you be helping?

The organization our garage sale will be benefiting is called The Manasseh Project. The Manasseh Project is an outreach ministry of Wedgwood Christian Services dedicated to ending the sexual exploitation of young men and women in West Michigan. Through community education and collaboration, the Manasseh Project provides support for victims of human trafficking and empowers the people of West Michigan to end modern day slavery. 

Through my friend Jami and her ministry All is Well Fitness, our community of women are connected to and committed to helping this (relatively new) local organization. {If you're local and would like to donate goods to the sale, please contact me.}

I'm guessing you don't have to look far to find a worthy organization that could use your support. If you'll be donating your profits towards another great cause, please share, we'd love to hear what you're up to!

What will you be purging?

To help you get started, Theresa and I put together a list of 15 spaces that commonly collect garage sale worthy clutter. You can find the basic list below. For the next three weeks, on Monday mornings, we'll share some more detailed thoughts to help guide you through the purging process. We'll share the expanded explanations of the first five spaces on August 6, the next five on August 13, and the last five on August 20.

Here's a quick peak at the spaces. There is also a link to a couple of blank printables if you'd prefer to tailor your list to your specific home and possession purging needs.

{Blank Chevron Printable}    {Blank Heart Printable}

Button & printables design credit: Nikki @ LDS Printables.

Check back Friday for some helpful how-to's including a simple purging process and a list of questions to ask yourself as your sort through your stuff. We'll also be hosting a place to link up your purging adventures: share your blog // share your posts, and get acquainted with some other kindred cleaners!

Project Purge: 15 Days of Giving It Up.

In order to help our friend Jami raise funds for an organization near and dear to her heart, Theresa & I (along with some other women) are helping to organize a garage sale. The funds raised will be passed on to this deserving organization.

Garage sales are always a great motivation for me to clear out some clutter because I have a deadline and a definite end goal in mind. This time around, because I know the items I unearth will be sold and the money will directly benefit someone else, I have extra incentive.

There's a book sweeping the Christian community right now called 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess. 7 is the true story of how Jen Hatmaker (along with her family) took seven months, identified seven areas of excess {food, clothes, spending, media, possessions, waste & stress}, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence. 

It's next on my To Read list and until I can get my hands on it, I've been following along on Jen Hatmaker's blog. I was struck by this blog post where Jen shares seven mini-projects to help jump-start people in the mutiny against excess. Her seventh tip is turn your excess into justice, with the idea being purge your possessions, sell your stuff, and pass the money you make along to a worthy organization.

Theresa and I immediately turned to our favorite treasury of ideas, Pinterest, to look for an organizing/cleaning/purging challenge to help guide us. (We did work through 40 Bags in 40 Days last spring but I have found there is always, always more de-cluttering to be done). 

This time around, our search came back empty.

And that's when the magic {insert God} began.

What if we created our own purging checklist to work through?

What if we shared it with others via our blogs?

What if we were inspired to live with less so we could give more?

What if we dreamed big, lived big, and gave it ALL up?

Via text messages and Facebook chats and Google Docs, a new blog series was born: {Project Purge} 15 Days of Giving It Up.

Theresa and I will both be posting on our blogs throughout the next couple of weeks. Some of the information will overlap (i.e. we'll be working through the same spaces), but we'll also be writing our own individual posts from our own unique perspectives.

While we like to think of ourselves as soul sisters from different misters, we are also quite different {I'm a beaver, she's a golden}. And while I provide the nuts and bolts, she provides the heart. We hope you'll follow along on both blogs for double the encouragement, double the fun.

We'll help you get a plan in place before you start, focus your purging by suggesting 15 different spaces and places to attack, and offer encouragement along the way.

We think it's time to give it up.

We'll do this together. 

We'll do it for us. We'll do it for Him. We'll do it for them.

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31 Days to Clean {The Reboot}

I just finished up a mini-round of 31 Days to Clean along with my friends and cleaning cohorts-in-crime, Theresa and Lisa.

The Reboot blog series follows the same theme as Sarah Mae's original 31 Days to Clean e-book (finding the holy in cleaning), but she also experimented with some new challenges as she prepares to turn her e-book into an actual book. {My thoughts from the original 31 Days to Clean challenge here.}

In Sarah Mae's words: "...cleaning is a practical part of this life, and all of life is worship, and in the cleaning there is worship as well."

She covered a variety of "Mary" (heart) challenges designed to help us persevere, focus, and be content, as well as a lot of "Martha" (practical) challenges such as cleaning out our closets and tackling our laundry piles.

The biggest take-away for me was something called a 15 minute challenge. The idea was to pick an area to tackle, set the timer for 15 minutes, and then become a "cleaning tornado" and see how much you could get done in the allotted time. For bonus points, she suggested getting in touch with a couple of friends and completing the challenge simultaneously.

I know, I know. TRY not to be jealous of how fun my life is.

Actual iPhone footage of a 15 minute challenge in action:

Maybe this just means my life is a little dull right now, but I found these little 15 minute challenges exciting, invigorating, and extremely productive. I also stand by my belief that just about everything is more fun when you do it in community.

Are you tired of slogging through messy counters, overflowing closets, and endless mounds of laundry?

Are you having trouble finding the joy, the love, and the life in the mundane?

This challenge is for you! It's time to put the fun back into cleaning. (Or at least make it bearable).

If you missed it, here are the links to all 13 days of the reboot:

Day 1 | Distractions

Day 2 | Sitting before doing (distractions, part II).

Day 3 | When life becomes worship (on priorities).

Day 4 | Lazy bones.

Day 5 | How to become a slave.

Day 6 | Share your why.

Day 7 | How to clean when you would rather be outside.

Day 8 | I don't want to clean (wah!)

Day 9 | How to be a cleaning tornado.

Day 10 | Do you struggle with LBS?

Day 11 | Live cleaning today!

Day 12 | There is worship in the cleaning.

Day 13 | What I would say to my younger self about cleaning.

Happy cleaning!

Closet Reboot {tips & tricks}

A year and half ago, I completed my first major closet clean-up. {Here's Phase I & Phase II if you missed it.} I rolled up my sleeves and emptied, sorted, and prettied it up. 

I also vowed to maintain a more streamlined, simplified clothing existence.

Last week, Theresa, Lisa, and I started 31 Days to Clean {The Reboot} and one of the first challenges involved cleaning out our closets. My closet definitely needed a reboot and I was able to rid myself of almost 25 items.

A few days later, I spent a morning with my dear friend/soul sister Theresa helping her with hers. She started and then got stuck partway through the process. I offered to come over and help because I can't resist a good cleaning/organizing project... plus I knew her life would feel that much more manageable with a clean closet to wake up to each day.

I channeled my inner Peter Walsh and we blasted through her closet. I loved every minute of our organizing time together and Theresa unwittingly became the first victim client of Katie's Krazy Kloset Kleaning + Kounseling {working title}.

I'm wondering if I missed my calling...or maybe there's still time for a new career! {Read what Theresa was thinking here}. 

I would gladly come help any one of you work through your closet hangers and hang-ups, but some of you live faraway so a blog post seems more practical.
  

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Interested in a closet overhaul? Here are my tips & tricks:

Do you love it? Does it serve a purpose? These are the biggest two questions on my mind during any organizational/purging project. Make it your goal to have every. single. thing. in your closet meet at least one of those two criteria.

Reframe how you think about clothes. They're clothes. Just clothes. Let them be just clothes. It's great to feel good and look pretty, but remember that your clothes don't define you and they can't save you either. It's just a shirt, not the thing that's going to make your life complete. Honest.

Be real about how many clothes you actually need. How many dresses can one person really wear? Can you make three pairs of jeans do the work of ten? Will anybody notice if you have a ten shirt rotation instead of a thirty shirt one? Do you have enough apparel in your closet to outfit a small nation? One person. Seven days a week. Factor in the number of days you usually wear yoga pants, and compute.

Let go of the past. High school was a long time ago. So was college. So was the-time-before-you-had-kids-and-you-were-ten-pounds-lighter. S-o-m-e-t-i-m-e-s fashion comes back around but that usually takes 30-40 years, and we are NOT going to wait that out. We have a life to live. Just. Let. Go.

Realize it's all connected. If you're waking up each morning to a crazy closet, chances are good that your life might feel a little crazy too. If you're seeking more order, more simplicty, more intention in your life, you're going to have to start small. Like with your closet. (Ouch.)

Use what you have. A closet overhaul does not have to be expensive. While we all want the beautiful, decked out closet from the pages of a magazine, it's not a reality for most of us to spend endless resources on storing our clothes. Look around the house for extra baskets. Pinterest yourself some DIY storage bins. Banish ugly hangers from your closet. Even if you're just using the white plastic hangers, they're better than a hodge podge of mismatched holders.

Button, zip, straighten, fold. Make like a Gap employee and do the simple things to tidy up your closet. Button a couple buttons on your shirts. Zip up your hoodies. Straighten your cardigans.  Refold your sweatshirts. It will take you a few extra seconds to do, but it'll add some calm and order to your space.

Place limits. Only allow yourself to keep a set amount of hangers in your closet. This way you'll know when you're starting to reach capacity. If you have trouble finding an extra hanger, it's time to do a refresher purge. Force yourself to contain your clothing collection within your closet (and dresser). Hint: the problem isn't that your closet is too small.

Shop smarter in the future. As you look at the pile of clothes you've removed, you might feel bad...all that money poured into clothes that you no longer wear. That shirt you bought and only wore once. The pants that still have the tags on them. File those feelings away (no guilt allowed!) and next time you're out shopping try to make smarter shopping decisions. Refer back to tip #1 and only buy new items that you either love or serve a purpose.

Make a wishlist. Now that you're intimately familiar with the contents of your closet, takes notes on wardrobe gaps (navy cardigan, pretty tanks) and organizational tools to keep an eye out for (a sturdy basket, a belt hanger). Having a plan in place will make you a smarter shopper too.

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My friend Jami posted this statement on Facebook this week:

Your house, your hips, your heart, and your head are all connected. 
Begin to work on one and the other will follow.

Freedom, friends. Less is more. Now, go forth and tackle that closet!

{Linking Up}

40 bags in 40 days {wrap-up}

Phew. What a ride. 

40 days, 40-ish spaces. 

40 bags. {At least! Maybe more!}

Out. The. Door.

This 40 bags challenge is called a challenge for a reason - it took some hard work and elbow grease to endure 40 days (somewhat continuous... Sunday's were my day off) of purging. Sometimes it was fun, sometimes it was really hard. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Hindsight is 20/20 and I learned a few things along the way. If you're inspired to give 40 bags a whirl, here are my post-purging pointers.

Tips for Completing a 40 Bags Challenge:

1. Find some friends. Seriously, seriously, seriously. Life is richer, deeper, and flat-out more fun when shared with an authentic community.
2. Write your list down. Seems like a no-brainer, but some people resist this or don't make the time to do it and then you're left with minimal commitment (i.e. a recipe for failure). There is something about putting your pen to paper that helps to seal the deal. {Free printable from Sugar Tot Designs}
3. Make sure your days are do-able. Try to limit each item on your list to something you can tackle in about 30 minutes. If it takes you longer than that, you'll probably get overwhelmed and quit on day 3. If you need several days for the garage or the basement or the play room, schedule in more than one day for those spaces, or better yet, break them down into smaller chunks.
4. Figure out a {group} accountability system. Will your friends email or text as they work through spaces? Will you talk via a private Facebook group? What about meeting for coffee or a play date once a week to share progress updates? Make a plan and then have everyone sign their name in blood. Kidding.
5. Commit to a {personal} accountability system. I Instagram-ed and blogged my way through my list. That's probably too much of a time commitment for most people (I actually enjoy the consistency of documenting everything), but figure out a way to document your progress. Keep a running tally of bags you've filled, snap pictures, or just take the time to check things off your master list as you go. (You did write your list down, right?? See #2.)
6. Stick to one space per day. There were days when I got off a little and worked ahead or had to play catch up, but the times 40 bags flowed the best were when I was intentional about setting aside time for one space per day. Period.
7. Start with an empty a space for best results. This allows you to take inventory, and it forces you to touch every item before deciding whether to keep or toss. It also allows you to wipe things down and start with a clean slate which is always a good idea. {More on my purging process here}
8. Keep in mind the greater goal. What is your greater goal? Are you doing the challenge to get ready for a garage sale? Or to practice intentional living during the season of Lent? Maybe you want to simplify or downsize or generally just stop tripping over clutter. If you keep your goal in mind, you'll be less tempted to quit when the going gets tough.
9. Form an exit strategy. How is the stuff going to get OUT of your home?  How can you keep little hands (or bigger husband hands) from retrieving long-forgotten treasures? Separate donate / sell / throwaway boxes and bags worked well for me. I also took three separate donation runs during the 40 days because I wanted to make sure everything made it out of my house in a timely manner.
10. Remember that any forward movement counts as progress. Check your negative self-talk at the door. Even if you have a plan and an accountability system and the best intentions in the world, sometimes life gets in the way and that's OK. Don't beat yourself up, just keep going.

Get ready, grab your bags, and go! A less cluttered, less overwhelming, more intentional life awaits!

{Previous 40 Bags Posts @ the terpblog}

Are you in?

40 Bags free printable

Week One

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four

Week Five

Week Six

40 bags: week five

Confession: my 40 bags resolve weakened a bit this week.

For the most part, I have been keeping up with one space per day (besides Sunday) and this is the first week that I fell behind. 

I was gone over the weekend and when I came back home the week hit me like a truck + I wasn't looking forward to the items on my list.

I soldiered on, however, and doubled up a couple of days until I was back on track.

Day 28: paper piles.

We have a desk in our kitchen and it collects major clutter. I have a pretty good system in place, it just needs to be weeded through every now and then. I try to recycle things immediately if I know I won't need them and then I have a square bin on the desk that I use as a catch-all for the maybe's. The for-sure-keeps get filed in these folders (above) that are housed in a PB caddy.

Day 29: books & magazines.

I don't usually hold onto a lot of books and magazines after I read them because I know I won't reference them again. I don't like to read books more than once (with a few exceptions) and I try to tear interesting articles from magazines as I go. Tossing catalogs promptly keeps me from being tempted to buy things I don't need.

Our Paper Gator recycle bin benefited from today's purge!

Day 30: craft/office closet.

This closet is semi-organized but it can quickly deteriorate into a hot mess. (I like to blame this on the children). We keep the kids' craft supplies in here as well as office supplies and games. 

I removed some trash (i.e. broken crayons and used up coloring books) and added some items to the donate pile.

Day 31: paperwork & files.

More paper...ugh! Again, I did work at developing a system a while back and it's holding up pretty well. I have two places where we store files - a small file box and then these three binders (originally inspired by this post). Therefore, I have two magazine holders in place for needs-to-be-filed items...one for items that belong in the file box and one for items that go in the binders.

Day 32: front closet.

We have three different coat closets in our house which is overkill if you ask me. One of them actually holds coats, the second one is our craft/office closet, and this third one is a catch-all for my scrapbooking supplies, file stuff, note cards, exercise equipment, random electronics/cords (on the upper shelf that you can't see), and, of course, the vacuum.

Day 33: digital files.

I have a basic folder system in place and I try to keep up with it, but in the busyness of life this often falls through the cracks. I keep our photos sorted by year and then by month. Within each month, I also have a spot for blog-related (usually edited) photos and Instagrams. It's really hard for me to delete any pictures involving my kids, 

but I'm learning to be better at it. 

(For a good post on digital photo organizing/purging check out this one from IHeart Organizing.)

I also backed up our music and photos on to our external hard drive (which I hadn't done since January 2010!)

Day 34: craft supplies.

B.P. (Before Pinterest) I can't say that craft supply organization was a problem for me...because I didn't own any craft supplies. Now that my inner-crafter has been awakened (and thanks to our monthly craft night), I find myself with piles of crafting goodness. I had this three drawer plastic organizer in the basement that I had re-purposed into my supply cabinet, but the existing system involved simply shoving things into the drawers.

Post Purge: an hour or so later, and I was back in the game. 

I dumped everything out, sorted through the keeps and the tosses, carefully reloaded, and then labeled the whole shebang. 

Ahhhhh. Much better.

* * * * *

This week was a bit of a challenge for me, but now the end is in sight. One week to go, six more spaces. Home. Stretch.

And I'm taking a nice, deep breath because next week it's time to tackle the {very unfinished, very full-of-stuff} B-A-S-E-M-E-N-T.

Stay tuned.

{Linking Up}

12 Steps to Craigslist Cash

Through the years, Craigslist has been my friend. It's an easy, cheap, relatively hassle-free way to rid my house of clutter.

Now that I'm working through 40 bags in 40 days, I'm finding one or two Craigslist-appropriate items each day to post. I have a pretty good success rate, and I'm enjoying a little extra cash in my wallet and knowing that my unused items are going to someone who can use them.

Here are my 12 steps to Craigslist cash:

1. Clean your items up. Make sure you have all the parts. Only post new, like new, or in good condition items. 
2. Take good pictures. Use the best light you have available to you, and take multiple shots from different angles. If it's a name brand item, take a picture of the tag.
3. Write a clear description of what you are selling. People often search using keywords, and you want to increase your chances of your listings popping up in their search. Check your spelling. 
4. Google your item and add product links to your posting whenever possible. You can also use the stock photo as an additional photo in your listing if it captures the item better than your photo did.
5. Post multiple items at one time. Add a unique search term (i.e. your initials or a one-of-a-kind keyword) to each of your postings. Do a practice search to make sure it only pulls up your listings. This helps people to see more of your postings and might inspire them to buy multiple items at once.
6. Add keywords like "NEW with tags", "from a clean, smoke-free, pet-free home", or "well-cared" for when applicable.
7. Be up front in your posting about why you are getting rid of an item. That's often one of the first questions people will ask.
8. Be realistic with your pricing. Price it to sell, and price it for what it's worth, not what you paid for it (ask yourself, "How much would I pay for this?")
9. Only post larger items ($10+ is a good rule of thumb) otherwise it's a waste of your time. For smaller items, save them for a garage sale or just donate and take the tax deduction.
10. Post/renew your postings on the weekends. People tend to be more active on Craigslist on Saturday's and Sunday's. Take advantage of the fact the Craigslist now allows you to renew your items periodically, which moves them to the top of the list (but don't do this too often or you will annoy people).
11. Pre-screen your emails before handing out your address. If something seems fishy to you, wait until you are confident that this is a legitimate buyer before handing out personal information. Sometimes I even google the person's name or email address before proceeding.
12. Be willing to take lower offers - in my experience the first offer you get is often times the best one.

Good luck turning your clutter into cash!

40 bags: here we go!

I'm starting 40 bags in 40 days today. We're enjoying an amazingly warm, sunny, spring-like day today in Michigan, and it's the perfect setting for cleaning, purging, and organizing. I have already tackled my junk drawers, and I'm feeling tremendously free.

I like to rotate the "art" in my kitchen by using printables I find on Pinterest. I couldn't find anything 40 bags or Lent appropriate,

so I created one myself.

(Disclaimer: This was my first stab at this. No guarantees about the resolution. 

Also, please note: I checked my perfectionism at the door. "Good enough," I say!)

If you're interested in reading more and following along, these two blogs are doing series on the 40 bags idea right now:

Clover Lane {tips and tricks} - featuring updates every Wednesday

White House Black Shutters - featuring a link party every Friday

I'm hoping to post some of my progress {Instagram-style}
every now and then as well. 

Happy purging!

{Linking up here}