I wish I could take credit for this

After getting rid of so much stuff during the month of January and my 5 things challenge, my apartment sometimes feels cold and barren. Picture this, but with even less crap and clutter all over the place:

Sometimes we let the kids play with the big glowing egg in our living room. But only if they're good.

Anyway, I could use a few Precious Moments figurines or general knick-knacks to warm the place up. (Am I pulling all of this sarcasm off? I'm trying really hard and laying it on really thick).

I came across this list (courtesy of this page), which I hope will really help me clutter things back up.

20 Ways to Create Clutter

1. Whenever you stay at a hotel, take the tiny shampoos and soaps home with you. Don’t use them, though. Hoard them in your bathroom for the coming zombie apocalypse.

2. Treat your home like a museum. Be sentimental about everything, from your first-grade report card to family heirlooms.

3. Agree to store things indefinitely for other people, including your children.

4. If someone offers to give you something you don’t really need, like an extra set of dishes, say yes. It’s free, isn’t it?

5. Combining households with your sweetie? This is the perfect opportunity to bask in the thrill of double ladles, DVD players and litter boxes. Don’t be tempted to get rid of a single object; you never know when you might need those extra dining room chairs.

6. On to your wardrobe. Don’t weed out old things when you buy new ones, and keep clothing in a wide range of sizes in case you shrink or expand like Alice in Wonderland.

7. Solve all of your organizational issues in one fell swoop with a quick trip to The Container Store. Buy loads of stuff, but don’t measure spaces beforehand or create a clear plan for how you’re going to use them.

8. Deal with every stray emotion by going shopping. Spend more than you planned to so you can get the free gift at the cosmetics counter, even if you never use eye shadow or flavored lip gloss and already own enough toiletry bags to last a lifetime.

9. Take your “miscellaneous” pile of papers.
Sort papers according to category/subject/urgency.
Label each pile as such with a sticky note.
Paperclip each pile together.
File under “miscellaneous” in your filing cabinet.
Voila!

10. Instead of appreciating what you have, dwell on the nagging feeling that you’re missing something important.

11. There’s nothing in a “free pile” that can’t become your new best friend. Broken TV’s become objects d’art, and rain-soaked couches transform into guest bedding for the in-laws!

12. Buy sale items because they are such an amazing deal, regardless of whether you actually need them.

13. If you can’t sell your old things for what you think they’re worth, keep them instead of donating them.

14. Take up a hobby or activity that requires lots of specialized gear or supplies, like ice hockey or scrapbooking. Oh, sure, it seems innocent now. Just wait until an entire room in your house has been devoted to your spouse’s model-train collection.

15. Out of sight, out of mind. If it’s tucked in a container or hidden away in a cupboard, it’s not clutter.

16. Speed up your impulse shopping by signing up for “flash sale” sites like Groupon.

17. Value quantity over quality.

18. Subscribe to half a dozen weekly magazines and a couple of newspapers, and refuse to get rid of anything until you’ve read all of them. Stack them until you can get there, ideally on tables that are slightly too small for them, enhancing the likelihood of landslides.

19. If you have a yard sale, put everything you can’t sell back in the basement until next year’s yard sale. Repeat annually.

20. When in doubt, box it up and put it into paid storage!

Happy Cluttering!

How To Curb Your Book Addiction

Hello out there- 

A few days ago, this lovely letter landed in my inbox from my friend Carolyn Pinkerton.  In January, I wrote her to ask for help in reining in my book collection.  She's a doctor, so you should probably listen to what she says.  

I'll begin by sharing steps 1-3, which focus on assessing your book collection and embarking on the weeding-out process.  (Not easy at all, if you are committed to holding onto every single book that has ever come across your doorstep!).  Then stay tuned for steps 4-5, where we will discuss organizing your books.   

-Katherine

Dear Full-Time Stay at Home Mom Who Does a Little Other Stuff on the Side as Well,

In January, you shared with me the troubling news that your book population had become out of control. It is now February (perhaps I should set a monthly goal of dealing with my procrastination), but I’m betting your book situation is about the same. Never fear, dear friend, you can do this!

Before jumping into action, take a moment to assess and reflect upon your current situation. Step one involves you asking yourself these types of questions: Why does your book collection feel unruly? Is there not enough space for them all? Not that we’re trying to point fingers here, but are the books mainly Chicken’s and Monkey’s? Yours and/or the hubs? Are you regularly buying books, getting them as gifts, borrowing them from others? What types of books do you see when you look around?

Now that you’ve pondered long and hard on these questions, you can start step two, getting rid of books. This is not for the faint of heart, but as you spent January getting rid of things, you are a seasoned pro. Think of your criteria for determining which books stay and which ones get the boot. Perhaps you only want to keep books that you would reread, have deep sentimental value, are rare, or are used for reference materials. When weeding through possessions, I like to repeat the phrase “get real with yourself.” Yes, that cookbook might contain lots of pretty pictures, but if I’ve only made one recipe from there in the last two years which wasn’t even really that good, it’s time to get real with myself and let it go.

So now you have a big pile of books ready to exit your home. Step three is deciding just how you’re going to get them out the door. One possibility is to set popular and recent paperbacks to the side and become a part of the paperbackswap.com gang; this is a good website if you’re flexible with what you’re reading (not the best for trying to find a copy of your book club’s pick) and if you’re willing to buy the materials to package books and ship them out for the swap. Another option is to sell your books. During my most recent book sweep, I made about $200 selling books on Amazon, but it was a time consuming process. If there are cookbooks in the “gots to go” pile, consider selling them to The Seasonal Cook. They’ll pay you for your used cookbooks or give you a bigger sum if you take a store credit. The rest of the books can be donated to groups such as libraries, schools, and the Goodwill.

(To Be Continued...)

So we're off to a good start, aren't we?  Who's ready to purge some books?  Anyone else out there have a hard time getting rid of books? 

*image courtesy of hgtv.  you didn't think that was MY lovely home, did you?  please. 

In the Home Stretch

Yesterday was a day off for me. Not because I'm a lazy slacker, but because I'm living the dream in Blacksburg at a work conference with the hubs. I talked to my father-in-law, who has been taking care of Chicken and Monkey, and heard that Chicken is on day two of a nap strike. This is the girl who usually naps 3 hours per day. Hmm... He heard her talking yesterday during naptime and went in to find her stripped naked and standing on the changing table. And Monkey was up from 2-5:00 during the night.

But I digress. That is currently not my problem.

I'm almost done with my 5 things project for the month of January. Admittedly, I have lost some steam. But here's a few things that have been pitched or given away recently:

1. Plug in air freshener. One that has not been used for over a year. I haven't replaced that oil thingy that should actually make it emit nice smells. Instead, I take it out of the socket every time I need to use my blow-dryer, then put it back in and think "I should get more of that oil stuff next time I'm at Target." Then I don't. Enough of the plugging and unplugging and replugging! Trash it!

2. Old eyeliner. Like- I might have used it at my wedding. (5 years ago). Or even at my high school prom. Whatever. Can't you get some kind of eye fungus from that? I'm not chancing it anymore. I splurged on new eyeliner at the Kroger for $2.50. For that price I got a nice, new, sharp eyeliner pencil and peace of mind that I won't get eye fungus.

3. Old mascara. See number 2.

4. Pink shirt with a wide neck. It sort of looks Flashdance-esque. Doesn't flatter me in any way and I don't know why I've kept it so long.



5. Bunch of stuff off of the fridge. Notes, schedules I can get online if I need to, instructions for the babysitter (which are 3 months out of date), etc etc. We have a small kitchen and any attempts to have clear space really help. It easily looks cluttered and messy and even getting the fridge cleared off creates a little more breathing room. Or at least the feeling of less chaos.

6. Stationary. This is a common gift, and one that I love to receive. Well, when I like the stationary. But I have a lot of stationary that I've accumulated over the years that was a gift, was on sale, seemed like a good idea at the time, or just reproduced on it's own when my back was turned. So I cleared out a lot of that stuff, putting it in the Goodwill box. I have to remember not to hold onto all of this "just in case". I mean, if I don't love it (or even like it), then why would I use it as a note to someone else? However, someone else might really love it so why not pass it on to them via Goodwill?

I also need to keep to a certain rule when it comes to stationary, and that is "one thing in, one thing out". I have plenty of stationary, so it is not like I'm going to run out. I don't need to accumulate any more than what I have. When I get a new little box of stationary, that means I should get rid of another box that I don't like as much. This keeps my storage space organized, and it means that when I am picking out a card for someone I am picking out of a stash that I really love.

Same rule applies with clothes. Or kids' toys. Or almost anything. One thing in. One thing out.

7. Old journals. I know this is iffy for a lot of people. But the other night the hubs and I went through a bunch of old journals and got rid of a few. Many of them were pretty mortifying to look through. My 16 year old rants? Yiiiiikes. The ones we trashed were the ones where only a few pages were filled up, or when most of the journal was filled with notes. Not worth the storage space.

8. Games. I hate games. The hubs likes them. We got rid of a few. Now we have room for the new ones he has acquired the past few months. Everyone wins.

Next project: the laundry closet.

Slowing down...

I'm faltering. It's the 26th of January and I'm starting to lose steam. Must...keep...going...

The adrenaline that I started with- the gusto, the fervor- has subsided a bit. The major areas I wanted to tackle have been tackled. It's time for round two. No more running on pure excitement about this new idea of "5 Things". Now it's just...doing it.

Any suggestions on which area of my apartment I should go through tomorrow? I need a kick in the tail. One friend has voted on the laundry closet. It sure needs a good purge- maybe another round of before and afters will motivate me.

What I Know For Sure*

So I was sitting around thinking last night...

And it dawned on me that this project (the 5 Things project) has been both easier and harder than I anticipated. We're 21 days in now, with no thoughts of turning back. I'm committed. But there have been some surprises along the way.

Here are a few:

1. Because I'm doing this for one month, and one month only, I started off with a ton of momentum. Areas of my apartment that I've been ignoring for months or [ahem] years are suddenly getting the attention I've been meaning to give them. Easy projects that I just had not made time for are getting time. I know that this project is finite, so I'm sort of blitzing it and leaving no item unturned. With a definite beginning and a definite ending, I have remained pretty motivated.

2. I am surprised that I cannot remember a lot of the stuff that I've gotten rid of. I mean, it really is out of sight and then out of my mind. I even try to make a mental note when it goes in the outbox (a literal cardboard box) of what it is, so I can blog about it later. But then a mere two hours later I can't recall what I put in there. I'm serious, ya'll. That's how little this stuff means to me. Really begs the question as to why I brought it in the house in the first place. But that's another topic for another time.

3. I need motivators. Like I said in point 1, sentence 5, the beginning and the end of this project motivate me. But that has not been enough at times. Oh no. Not near enough. Sometimes I am holding something in my hand and I know I should get rid of it.

I haven't used this in four years. It is ugly. I get a rash from even looking at it.

But I still can't let go of it.

But I might use it this year. It's sort of vintage-quirky. I can buy hydrocortisone cream for the rash.

Allow me to use point 3, subpoints a-d to tell you a few motivators when I am in those moments:

a. It will be nice to have this space (that the object takes up) for something else that I love more, or for nothing at all.

b. "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." (William Morris). I believe that. I really do.

c. Someone else might really really LOVE this thing when they stumble across it at the Salvation Army store tomorrow afternoon, or are given it through the Pregnancy Center. Like really LOVE it. And here I am, trying to talk myself into liking it? That seems trifling.
[Example: I had a changing pad cover that I really really liked at one time, but it doesn't match the new vibe I have going on in the kids' room. I was keeping in my closet; for what I don't know. The only thing that pushed me to pull the trigger and get rid of it was thinking that some other mom would see it and get really excited to have it for her baby and her little nursery. If the thought of a secondhand changing pad cover grosses you out, then this whole story is lost on you.]

d. I have to get rid of something (well, 5 somethings) because I said I would and now that I have a blog I cannot let down my adoring public. How would they go on?

Just a few "aha moments" for you. Motivating, no?


*thanks to the Queen of Talk for the post title

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

I tackled the under-the-sink area this weekend. It was a tough battle, but I believe I came out victorious. Observe, first, the "Before". What exactly is being housed under this sink? What it that big black wad? Was everything just thrown in there haphazardly, with no concern for rhyme OR for reason?




So I pulled everything out, and first off got rid of a few things.




Two ant traps that were lurking in the back. Totally unnecessary in the middle of January. Toss in the trash.

Jumble of reusable grocery bags. Put a hook up in the laundry closet and that's where they hang now. (And I put to use a spare hook I had just lying around! Bonus!).

I may or may not have had a bb gun under the sink. It may or may not have been brought into this house to address the stray cat problem on our premises. Sick and twisted? You can ask the hubs all about this. Or PETA. Whatever. Whether this item existed under my kitchen sink or not, certainly the proper place for it is locked in the shed, no? That's all I'll say (or not say) about that.

Other items: big old bottle of liquid Ivory soap, which only had about .5 ounces left in it. I emptied the .5 ounces into the soap dispenser by the sink and-viola- that big old 30 oz container could go in the recycling bin. Also relocated an all-purpose cleaner to the laundry closet with the rest of the cleaning supplies. (Just wait until I clean out and 5 things the mess out of that laundry closet. All of that crap is going to find it's way back under the kitchen sink!). I had a container that was neatly holding the Ivory and all-purpose cleaner, which I could get rid of.

Surely that's 5 things, right? I mean- and check out the "After", will you? Don't you just want to curl up in there, between the compost tupperware and the trash bags, and take a nap?

Another Day, Another 5 Things

Who's still interested in what stuff I am getting rid of? Show of hands? Alright! Let's keep listing, then!

1. Shower spray. You're supposed to spray it in your shower every day, after bathing, so that you don't have to scrub as hard when the actual cleaning day rolls around. For about the past two years Monday morning has been my bathroom cleaning time. On a pretty consistent basis, the bathroom has been cleaned once a week. (Perhaps the only thing I implemented from reading Sidetracked Home Executives a few years ago). We also have so many bottles in our bathtub already that I don't have room for one more (big) spray bottle. Finally, with two curious kids, who wants a bottle that begs to be played with, perched right at the edge of the tub? That is just asking for a squirt in the eye, or in the little brother's eye, or in the mouth to see how it tastes. Ick. No thanks.

2. Microwave-dish-cover-splatter-thingy. It sits in our microwave and is supposed to be a cover so our food doesn't splatter everywhere when we heat it up. The hubs melted a portion of it a few years ago. It is gross. We balance our food bowls on top of it when he heat stuff up. Regardless of these things, it still took some convincing for me to throw it in the recycling bin. If C'ville Recycling had not done their pick-up today, I might have been tempted to fish it out of the recycling this morning.

3. Expired medicines. I am usually one to hold on to medicine and take it a few months or...ahem...years after it expires. Am I the only one? I mean, what- is it going to make me feel sick or something? Too late! Anyway, a few bottles got tossed a couple of days ago.

4. Spanish olives. This refrigerator purge was motivated by a text I received from Philip, challenging me to go through my fridge. Olives? Why do we have olives? What am I, a 70 year old man who makes martinis every evening? Get rid of the olives!

At this point in the 5 things resolution, I have hit the major areas that I wanted to hit. It was helpful to have a tip for where to focus next (the fridge). Now I need more. Blog lurkers, speak up! Where should I focus my attention next? The laundry closet? Home of our washer and dryer, cleaning supplies, dvd collections, cd's... oh wow. I think I might have just answered my own question. Those dvd's are asking to be searched through.

The Secret to My Success

I know a lot of you have been affected by this whole "5 things" thing. Words I have heard are "inspired", "motivated", "revolutionized", and "changed my life forever". I know, I know. It is really an intense process that is happening here. There have been times over the past 10 days that I have faltered. That I have wondered if I could go on, getting rid of 5 things a day. Some of you have wondered the same thing.

Here's the mantra I repeat to myself in those moments:

Stay the course.

Here's why: Often I start in one room, with one thing that has been in the back of my mind that I know I want to get rid of. Say it's the magazine on my bedside table. So I pick up that magazine and, while there, decide to straighten up the books that are there. Then I notice how many books are on my bedside table, gathering dust. Goodness I should really dust this thing. Where are the dusting rags, anyway? Didn't I mean to make new ones out of old burp clothes? I should do that... It will just take a minute. Then I notice how many books I haven't read that I need to. That one that I borrowed from someone but haven't returned. I notice how I have barrettes and receipts and an empty water glass there. Don't the barrettes belong in the medicine cabinet? I'll just take those to the bathroom really quick. And then I see how I have three pill containers and gosh wouldn't it look nicer to have those pills in sweet little glass jars, instead of blue and white Kroger containers?

Twenty minutes later I'm shuffling things around the bedside table, and I'm in what the hubs calls "analysis paralysis". I've forgotten why I ended up staring at the bedside table in the first place. Barrettes are everywhere and now for some reason I have a ratty burp cloth in one hand and glass jars with mismatched lids in the other. I've pulled scissors out of the junk drawer (for the burp cloths) but in doing so noticed a few more things that need to be organized and put in a different place. So I have a half-emptied junk drawer calling my name as well. And no movement or progress has taken place.

That's when I call on my mantra-- Stay the course. Don't be sidetracked by the dust, the potential to organize the mess out of that tabletop, or the idea of little glass jars. Just clutch that magazine to you like your life depends on it, walk over to the recycling bin, and drop it in.

And there's my one thing. Four to go.

This One Goes Out to Cincinnati Angel

I was having a post-dinner hang out with some friends tonight and the topic of this blog came up. We talked about the five things (Does it count if you're just returning things to friends? Yes, it does. Can I bring you things so you can get rid of them? Maybe at the end of the month, when I've run out of stuff I actually want to get rid of). We talked about other resolutions I could work toward. One idea, pitched by Lisa, has been to embark on a "no-spend" month. As in, no money exchanges hands the entire month. No credit cards are swiped. Nothing. Mortgage and all utilities would be paid ahead of time. Groceries would be purchased prior to the month starting and would require some creativity. Gas? Maybe I would put some in gas cans for a fill up, mid-month?

I mean, you can see how this would be a challenge. And it brings to mind how much of my routine revolves around spending money. Socializing with friends regularly means meeting up for lunch or coffee. If I'm not sure what to do with my kids for the day, we might walk downtown to "run errands" (and buy things). I'm not sure how that would work out for a whole week, much less a whole month. Worth considering long and hard before I commit to it, that's for sure. And no j.v. version where I pre-purchase Starbucks gift cards and swipe the mess out of them all month. LAME. I would want to go all-out and do it up totally. If I can convince myself to try it. I mean, that's a pretty big one, right?


Here's the round-up of a few things that left the house the past couple of days:

1. Camping equipment. It had been sitting in the corner of our dining room for a few weeks now. Prior to that, it had been stored under our bed. I'm not sure how it ended up in the dining room, or why, but it was time to find it a better home. I took it out to the shed. Much better.

2. Bike helmet. See number one. Why does a bike helmet belong in the living room? It doesn't. It is also residing in the shed tonight.

3. Pajama pants. I got a new pair for Christmas, so the old capri pj's are on their way to the Goodwill. An easy decision, since it is currently January. And they are capri's. I tried to rock the capri jammies and boot-style slippers, but it looked ridiculous.

4. More baby clothes. I feel like this one will be the struggle as long as I have small children. I want to save them, in case we ever have more, but good grief where does one find the space? And do I save every little onesie or just the special outfits? I don't want to repurchase onesies and clothes when I have perfectly good ones right here, but I also don't want to store massive Rubbermaid containers of clothes for years and years. I can't tell you how many onesies I have that "would look cute under overalls or something" because they have a big old stain right in the middle. Or "it would be a good paint shirt". I have probably busted out the paints with Chicken twice in her lifetime. I don't need 6 paint-shirts. But the little sleeves are so cute! Look, there's a little flower on the shoulder! Come on. I have to draw the line somewhere. Anything stained or worn got tossed.

Does the "she could wear it under overalls" thing sound familiar to anyone else, or am I the only one? "Paint shirt"? Anyone?

5. Hair accessories. Has anyone seen me wear anything but a barrette, a rubber band, or this one scarf band thingy for the past five years? No? Then why do I have several weird black stretchy headbands? Who knows. One of them got repurposed to keep the hubs' cribbage game closed. The rest got tossed.

This whole 5 things thing is a great motivator for getting things done around the apartment. Today I raised Monkey's crib mattress so I could access the storage underneath- a task I have been putting off because accessing the storage meant dealing with (yes) more baby clothes that were stored underneath. Both kids were running around half-naked and unfed, like little feral children, but DANG IT I WAS GOING TO ACCESS AND DEAL WITH THAT STORED CRAP. And I did. Thanks, 5 things.

P.S.- The picture is a visual of some capris. Imagine those with fuzzy Ugg-type boots. Me trying to really pull it off. Sigh.

I Cannot Be Stopped

Today that's how I feel. A few more items that went out the door:

1. Old magazines. Somehow I got an Allure subscription several months ago. I think it was from when Domino went under (R.I.P, Domino. You were so good to me). Allure is so not my type of magazine. A good People or Us Weekly? Sure. But Allure- with articles on makeup and hair- well, not my stage of life or interest. You wouldn't know it from looking at my bedside dresser, though. Three copies stacked on top of each other. They went into the recycling bin.

2. My check register from 2003 and 2004. Do I need to explain why I got rid of that?

3. Three books that I/we borrowed from friends over a year ago. All three have been read, but just needed to be returned. We see these friends all the time. I think the books have just become a part of the landscape of our room, so I kept them. With a little motivation to get them out, I suddenly have that much more room for new books I want to read.

I've Lost Count Already

Seriously, I think I need to slow down with the paring down, or I will run out of stuff by the end of the month. It just feels so good to get stuff out that I know I don't need! A few more things:

1. 3 solar lamps that I bought a month ago (at least) from Lowe's. I finally put them in the ground. Took me...oh...about 7 minutes total. Tops. And now I don't have to move them out of the way when I go in my laundry closet! And they look awesome! And did I mention that they were in my laundry closet? Who needs solar lamps in there?

2. Baby clothes! I hold onto too many clothes that I don't really like but I fear they "look cute on". But I never actually dress my kids in them so...what's the point? Out the door.

3. In the same vein- toddler socks. My two-year old probably has enough pairs to wear one a day for one month without repeating. Yet her favorite winter shoes are fuzzy Uggs-- no socks required. This does not necessitate lots of socks. I have gotten rid of at least 10 pairs and it doesn't even look like I put a dent in the sock drawer.

4. Cloth wipes. I used Mother-Ease cloth diapers on both kids (my son all the time, my daughter at bedtime) and I fell prey to the idea that if you're already laundering cloth diapers, adding in cloth wipes is no big deal. Well. Maybe to some people. But to me, the extra step of rinsing or shaking off of a cloth wipe, then sorting them after laundering everything together, and keeping track of a spray bottle, but also having regular wipes on hand for the babysitter-- it was too complicated. I feel so much better having them out the door. I'll post those on Craigslist for free and make some other crunchy granola mom very happy.

5. A plastic tricycle. We were given this a year or so ago, and Chicken has happily ridden it maybe three times. We don't even have a driveway for her to ride in- we park on the street- so I would have to haul it to the park for riding and who wants to mess with that? Not me. Besides, a friend gave us their old tricycle that has some memories attached to that so if/when I am dying to haul a tricycle to the park I have one at my disposal.

There's some of the round-up so far.

Toys, toys, and more toys

Both of my kids are still asleep- at 9:30 a.m. This is very unusual and very awesome. I took the opportunity to go through some of their toys, paring down a little. We got a very generous onslaught of toys and boys for Christmas, so getting rid of a few to make room for new ones seems appropriate.

Now, I love books as much as the next person. I think I always imagined I would keep all of my books and my kids' books. Because they're books! And books are good! They make you smart! You learn things from books! But. The reality is that we live in a two bedroom apartment. We cannot use books as furniture. They don't cook us dinner. They don't dust themselves or arrange themselves neatly back on the shelf after use. And seriously if I kept every book we have acquired since Chicken was born...well, we'd have no room for clothes or toys in her room. And maybe she'd have to sleep on a mattress of books.

So- out with several books. Some are looking worn, so they were easy to toss. Some were just...lame. Like I didn't enjoy reading them to either kid. So why keep them around when we have plenty of other options? And we just got a few good Dr. Seuss' for Christmas? So I think I put 7 books in the "get rid of" box.

Then, toys. In my experience, my daughter does not actually play with her toys when they are a mountain that will fall on her if she dares pluck one out of the mound. But when I periodically store a bunch in her closet and her toy basket is easy to get to and easy to pull out of- surprise!- she plays with her toys. So that was my goal. Get her toy basket easy to get stuff in and out of. That meant tossing about 5 little toys that she doesn't play with anymore, or that she got new and improved versions of at Christmas. I also came across several little baby toys that Monkey used to play with when he was in the lie-on-his-back-and-doesn't-roll-over stage. But that has come and gone. He is crawling and pulling up on furniture, so we don't need little mobiles and rattles anymore. Out with several of those.

It feels much calmer now. And I'll bet that Chicken is much more interested in her toy basket this morning.

January's Goal

My goal for January:

To get rid of 5 things per day.

Now, originally I started out aiming for 10 things a day. But some haters out there rained on my parade, convincing me to whittle it back to 5. Fine. They may be right. We'll see as the month marches on.

Here's what it means to get rid of things:

Put it in a bag or box, and get it out the door. There can be things that have needed to be returned to their owners, things that I sell on Craigslist, and things that go to Goodwill. I'm not being too nit-picky. But-no- trash does not count. As in, crumpled up paper or a pen that's out of ink. That kind of trash. But if something is not suitable for Goodwill, I will throw it out.

Here's a few things that have gone out the door so far:

1. The trash can lid. We have an open-top trash can with a lid that is supposed to easily push open, down into the trashcan. Like the one pictured. However, once the trash bag is in the trashcan, the lid doesn't really open into the can very well. So trying to throw stuff away, particularly when I am making dinner and throwing away gross pieces of chicken or the ends of onions, is a pain and means I get chicken or onion pieces on the lid. Aren't you grossed out by that? I am always taking the top off it and laying it by the wall, behind the trashcan. Then I might put it back on top of the can once in blue moon. But between the blue moons, my son will come crawling over and try to gnaw on the trash can lid. I am not overly concerned about germs, but this one gets even me. I mean- the trash can lid. Where I just threw out those leftovers that had grown new life in our fridge. Or emptied out that mesh thing that catches out all the gunk in our sink. Gross!
Imagine my relief to throw that trash can lid into the recycling bin. No more looking over to see Monkey playing with a trash can lid that is not remotely sanitary.

2. A mug with a chip in it. I held onto this mug for a while. It was a gift and the shape was really nice. But it was too big. And we never used it. So- out it went.

3. Two purses. I got a new one for Christmas that is really beautiful. And really- does a woman really need three fairly similar, dark brown leather purses? I think not.

4. A cheese slicer. I argued to buy this years ago because that is what we always used growing up. I thought it was a standard kitchen item. The hubs informed me that his family always used a regular old knife. I laughed at him. Told him how this cheese slicer would change his life. I used it faithfully for several months. Then it ended up at the back of the drawer and I forgot about it. Started using a knife. Realized maybe it wasn't such a necessary kitchen item. Out it goes.

5. An alarm clock. The hubs uses his watch. "What happens if your watch dies?". "I'll get a new one". Oh.