Ode to Stuff Not Purchased

On the way to electronics for watch battery selection,

I passed through the leisure and children’s sections.

Toddler shirts were adorned with shamrocks and gold,

And I caressed the softest pajama set I ever did hold.

(Seriously… I hugged it for a good minute)

Everything was so cute I couldn’t turn my eye,

Without landing on something I wanted to buy.

I whipped out my phone, and texted my mom,

Who said to move quickly, get out, and be strong!

I survived the trip, but was a little bit sad,

Would just a few items have been so bad?

Later that night, when putting the laundry away,

My feelings turned to pride for the events of the day.

I found myself smiling and became quite pleased,

All the clothes fit nicely in the drawers with great ease!

The anxiety of excess is becoming a memory,

Just like those unpurchased items from Target will be.

Buying the stuff is no longer worth it,
It’s better to not have a house full of … stuff.

Simple Sock Sort

Since it's been fairly easy to not buy things, I figured it was time to turn to some de-cluttering. Every time I get socks, I have to dig through pairs I haven't worn in years. After laundry day, the drawer needs to be stuffed down to close.

I figured socks would be a good project, because there is no emotion in footwear. I first sorted them into types of socks: short, tall, boot, compression, house slippers, etc.

Then I went through each pile and kept my favorites; the rest were left to form a give away pile. I got rid of 15 pairs of socks and about 20 pairs of underwear (some went to the trash because they had lived a good life, but others were in great shape - just styles I no longer wear). 

It's a bit hard to tell, but the two sock drawers are only 2/3 full, so they're less of a hassle to deal with (and all the laundry is done). There are still some socks in the mix that I haven't worn in years, but I get nervous making serious purges. And I may need St. Patrick's Day boot socks one day, right?! March is just around the corner.

Can you think of anything in your day that you just deal with instead of fixing?

Paper Purge

I'm a paper hoarder… I keep receipts and all sorts or paperwork. Our file cabinet has been full for a long time and has slowly been expanding into stacks in the corner of our office. I had hoped that a fast pass through would clear up some space. I was blown away by how much useless stuff I had kept!

Anyone think I need a 2008 copy of my receipt and BlackBerry UPC label? 

How about an empty check register log with 2007-2009 calendars? I also had two full boxes of checks that still had my maiden name and an address at least twelve years old. I wonder how many times I've paid people to move those! See the giant pile I amassed?!

 

Most of the files contained sensitive information, so I had to do some shredding. I emptied the shredder basket 4 times, and had to take a 15 minute pause about half way through when the motor overheated. I filled a full grocery bag with generic recyclable trash and had a pile of emptied folders. 

 

Since I've already given up buying 'things' this year, for the next 40 days I'm adding something healthy instead. I'm going to run/walk/bike 3 miles every week day. The weekends will be reserved for disconnected family time! Curious about the scoop behind my year of not buying? Check out the original post here.

Super Easy Valentine's Day Cards

I'm a sucker for Valentine's Day… it's so cute and fun for the kids! Last year I had some serious mommy guilt because it slipped my mind and I forgot cards for their class party. They were too young to notice but mommy guilt usually comes from ourselves anyway.

This year I wanted something simple; so when this idea popped up on my Facebook feed I knew it was a winner! I didn't save the link, so I can't give proper credit.

I took a picture of each kiddo with a fist in the foreground, printed them at Walgreens for 40% off, took an Exacto knife and made a slit above and below the fist, and inserted a DumDum (the kids' favorite treat and free of all allergens for other kids in the class).

I'm super thrilled with how they turned out, and for the 60 cards and candy I spent less than $10. With hindsight, I would have dug out my serious camera (these came from my phone) and taken better pictures. These capture real life, and they're likely headed straight for the trash once the Dum is consumed, so I'm not too bothered by the pictures.

Have an awesome day!