I discovered a new blog yesterday, and as a result I ordered this book for my Kindle. It’s a fairly short read and very interesting. I actually haven’t finished it yet, but what I’ve read has made an impact.
It goes along with an idea I was telling my Mom about the other day. The idea was actually a Pin on Pinterest that I’ve seen a million times in a million different ways. All of the versions dealt with the idea of getting your wardrobe down to “x” number of pieces that you actually like and wear. Then, you get rid of the rest via donation, garage sale, etc. Frankly, just thinking about it is a scary thought!!! I’m not sure if I can get my whole closet down to “x” pieces, but I’m intrigued enough to try.
Anyway, this book has helped me decide I’d also like to work on de-cluttering my house. If I’m being honest it’s something I’ve been researching for months. I started thinking more seriously about doing it right about the time I started selling things in the little shop next door to where I work.
I’ve noticed that my bloodsugars get higher and more out of control when my house is not clean. And by clean… I don’t just mean needing dusted or vacuumed. I mean picked up. I mean that I am constantly tripping over piles of junk all over the living room, and in the hallway, and on the dinner table.
Last night we didn’t turn on the TV at all, Brett spent all evening under the silver Comanche (’cause it’s got a gas-gauge problem), and I spent all evening cleaning up the kitchen, the living room, the bedroom and folding laundry. By the time I finished cleaning up the house my bloodsugar had dropped to 133 (the activity was probably a contributing factor). But, magically, the next morning I woke up at 150 – only 20 points from where I ended the previous day. And, I slept great!
Of course… as I brag about how “picked up” the main level of my house is… I am totally ignoring the fact that I have one spare bedroom upstairs FULL of stuff for Goodwill. And I mean full. If you open the door, stuff falls out. And, my basement is so full of stuff I can’t even walk through it! The basement will probably be a project for AFTER I get the upstairs cleaned out.
Bottom line is… being a pack rat runs in the family… and I’d prefer not to get any worse – which translates to – me making an effort to get better!
So… the three things I’m committing to (immediately) are:
- Pack up miscellaneous decor to sell in my shop.
- Garage Sale – for household items and clothes that can’t be sold in the shop.
- Find room to store centerpiece decor in the storage room or garage. In an organized manner!
- The book talks about focusing on things you like to do and making sure you’re spending time doing things you love… as well as not being fearful! One of the things I truly love doing is decorating and planning events, which requires a certain amount of “stuff”. I’m toying with the idea of having some sort of event planning business on the side of my regular job, so I’d like to hang onto some items with the intent of trying a new business venture!
Cleaning up my life might be a project for the entire summer (or maybe the next year – or two), but the main reasoning behind it is that the more money we make the more we find ourselves spending… and as my house fills up with crap I find myself getting more and more stressed out. I can’t think of a better shopping suppressor than sorting through mountains of items I’ve shopped for in the past… only to stick those same items into a closet or spare room and not think about them again!
Down on the Creek 