Weekly Challenge: August 30 - September 3, 2010

Set a basic Fall Schedule.

For almost everyone, fall brings schedule changes.  Whether you have children in school, are going to school yourself or it is just the changing length of days, some changes are required.  Think about those now, if you haven't already, and plan accordingly. 

With school starting this week, I need to get my children to bed earlier and have supper on the table earlier. The cooler weather means I need to have heartier food for my husband's lunches and make him a thermos of tea in the morning. 

I have written the food items on my basic grocery list and penciled in the other items on my calendar.

Weekly Challenge: August 23-28, 2010

Find 75 personal possessions to get rid of. 

If you don't have much, this could be challenging.  If it is too much for you, choose a number that suits you, but, I have a feeling that if you are reading this, then you have plenty to get rid of.

The idea for this challenge came from this article, on the subject of only owning 75 personal possessions.  Now, I am really wondering, do these minimalists count necessary hygiene items, like tooth paste and toilet paper in this equation?  Or do those fall into necessities, not possessions?  I suppose a bit of research on my part could quickly answer that question...

I know that when I begin decluttering I often run into the road block of, "This could be useful."  Or, "Good money was paid for that, wouldn't it be wasteful to to eliminate it from my life?"  As I was contemplating these questions, I came across this article.  It was encouraging to see that I am not alone, but that keeping things that are unwanted is just as, if not even more so, wasteful.

For me, the rules of this little challenge are going to be simple:  If I don't like it, if I don't need it or want it, it is going out.  If it something that I would rather sell than give away, then I will list it in our local paper this week.  I am going to be keeping a list here, and you can too, or share a link to your list on your blog.

• 2 magazines
• 23 old, used up, school books
• 14 pieces of clothing

Motivational Tip #5

Choose one room of your home and go on a treasure hunt.  Find the most valuable/useful things in that room.  Now look at the other things in that room.  How many of them can you get rid of?

If the thought of going on a treasure hunt does not motivate you, read this article:

STUFF AND THINGS - The 75 Things Movement, Minimalism and Freedom

Now, I should confess upfront that I am not a minimalist, and probably never will be.  For one thing, I like my books too much.  Real books -- not computerised ones!  Never the less, I found this article motivations.  Imagine living with only 75 possessions.  What would you keep? 

Sorry to have been gone for so long.

It does appear that I fell off the face of the planet for a few weeks.

Oh well.

They were good weeks.

My husband went to some extra schooling, so that he could obtain his Masters Lisence, and I went to a cousin's wedding!  It was good to see much of my extended family, some of whom had never met my two youngest children.

Motivational Tip #4

Find some music that really gets you moving, in an organized mannor, and start cleaning with it.  If the first thing you try does not motivate you, try something else.  Pick CDs or play lists that are a good length for the amount of cleaning you want to get done, then work until the music stops.

I have about five CDs that I enjoy listening to while I clean, and there is one in particular that really gets me moving.  I can't identify what it is that I really like about the CD, except that I find it easy to focus on the why of my cleaning while it is playing.  I have used this one CD so much while cleaning, that I almost *have* to clean while I listen to it--which is very distracting in the vehicle!  (Don't try to clean and drive.)