December Declutter Update

I posted about my December Declutter challenge earlier this month. I really wanted to offset some of the "stuff" that makes its way into our homes during this month. But I wanted it to be a simple challenge. So I attempted to get rid of 100 items, but only spending about 10 minutes a day - no big reorganization projects.

I didn't care how small or big the items were because I knew they would add up. So I included items ranging from stickers and pens to books and clothing. Though I still have until the end of the 31st, as of right now, I'm up to 113 items!! Some of it is being donated {a trip to Good Will in the afternoon} and much was thrown away. I really liked seeing how just a few minutes finding 3-4 items each day added up at the end of the month.

Here are my donation items for the month...

Did you join in the challenge? If so, how many items did you get rid of in December? {You still have a few hours left to get rid of stuff - LOL!}

A couple of people have mentioned that they are looking for a decluttering challenge for January. Are you? What works best to keep you on track in a challenge?

Have a blessed day, friends!

December Declutter

I still can't believe it's December, even though we're so many days in. And yes, I meant to get this post up sooner, but I'm still in shock that there are so few days left until Christmas. :)

I realized that it's almost impossible to avoid adding things to our households during December. There are new decorations, wrapping & craft supplies, Christmas cards, ingredients for baking, gifts from friends & family, gifts we're buying, and more! I decided that this is a great opportunity to counteract that a bit by decluttering and getting rid of some items this month! Just think, every item we get rid of offsets an item coming in. By the end of the month we'll throw away more junk and have more things to donate!

Earlier this year, I participated in a challenge to throw away 7 items a day for a month. That seemed a little high for this month since I've already gone through things, so I decided on a total of 100 things gone for the month! That comes out to 3-4 items a day. Those 3-4 things might seem like no big deal, but when you get to 100 things, you can see that it's worth it!

Want to join me? You don't have to do 100 things - you can make it 75 and start now. Or come up with your own decluttering goal, but keep it simple. I've been working on this for the last few days and am up to 21 things gone so far!

Here's what I've thrown away/donated so far:

Yay for getting rid of stuff! If you want to join me, just leave a comment and keep track of the number of things you get rid of. We'll check back in at the end of the month and see what kind of totals we have!

Have a blessed and clutter-free day, friends!

One Word 2013 Update ~ Diligence {May}

Oh hi. Nice of me to post something, huh? :)

I'm a little late sharing my update for the month, but as long as I'm still in the month it's all good. Just so you know, I'm not trying to just brag here about how wonderful I am - using my One Word for the year. I do happen to be doing well this year with a One Word focus, but let me tell you that I have tried it many a year and it has never worked out for me before. So don't feel bad if you are struggling with a focus or goal for the year - give yourself grace, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, pray about it, and start over! 
 

So far I've managed to be diligent with something each month {Maybe I just chose an awesome word - I mean, I'm being diligent in updating you on my progress right?}. This month I have 2 examples.

First, I'm still running/walking 3 times a week! Ever since we started our Couch-to-5K group, some of us have kept on going. I admit, it's getting harder to run as the weather warms up and I've had to add in some walking part of the time. I'm thinking about doing another 5K this Summer, but it depends on whether or not anybody else wants to and whether or not I can get myself really motivated to do it!

The second thing I've been diligent with this month is Money Saving Mom's Clutter-Busting challenge! I've been getting rid of things every weekday in May. Some days I can't do it, but then I double or triple up in one day and catch up! Yay for getting rid of things!! I know this one stays on my mind because last night I actually dreamed about choosing a drawer and decluttering it - L.O.L.!! I've shared many of my declutter pics on social media, like Twitter. I'll try to do an update post about the challenge around the end of the month. I have some catching up to do today - I need to get rid of 3 days worth of stuff! If you missed this challenge, but need to get rid of things - just challenge yourself to do it for the month of June!

OK, I just walked away and came up with 7 DVD's to donate! That catches me up for one of my missing days. And it only took 5 minutes - really. You can do this! :)

I'm linking up to sweet Melanie's monthly One Word link-up! You can link up there too - just write a post about how you're doing with your One Word so far {good or bad!} and stop by Melanie's blog.

What are you working on? Do you have One Word or a goal for the year? Are you trying to work on a new habit or finish a project? I'd love to hear about it - share with me in the comments!

Thanks for being here with me! Have a blessed and productive day friends! :)
 

Encouraging Bloggers ~ Out of Clutter Find Simplicity

Welcome back to Encouraging Bloggers ~ Part 6 today!  (Be sure to read past posts if you missed them and the great comments - stop by the Intro with links to all the other posts in the series.)  I hope that a few of you are finding encouragement through this series - I have noticed some of you stopping by each others' blogs and encouraging.  I LOVE that!  :)  I'm just writing what I feel led to write on this subject and have at least a couple more in the series I think.

When our houses are full of clutter or seem disorganized or the decor starts feeling stagnant to us -  it affects our attitude and outlook on home life.  I think that the same goes for our blogs!  If our blogs are cluttered, not updated, or have lost some of that spark for us - it contributes to our discouraged feelings.  When we freshen up, organize, simplify and update our homes - it lifts our spirits and we feel like we have a fresh start.  I encourage you to do a little freshening up, organizing, simplifying and updating on your blog to get that same clean, shiny fresh-start feeling!

When is the last time you:  Changed something in your blog design?  Checked to make sure all your links on your main page were working?  Deleted old information?  Updated your profile photo?  Made sure your feeds and stats were working properly?  Organized posts by categories?  Prayed about your role in the blogosphere?

When our surroundings are uncluttered and open, our minds are more uncluttered and open which may lead to new writing inspirations and/or more focused blog posts.  Let's dust off our blogs, clear out the cobwebs, organize that clutter and see what happens (remember, I'm speaking to myself here too!)!

Here are some posts/articles that you might find helpful as you declutter and organize:

5 Ways to Improve Your Blog For Free ~ Mom Blog Magazine
Decorating Your Blog ~ Savvy Blogging
Bloggy Basics: Learn From Other Blogs ~ Rediscovering Domesticity
Declutter Your Blog ~ Blogging Your Way
15 Basic Blogging Dos and Don'ts ~ Blogging With Amy

Do you feel better when your blog is fresh and decluttered?  Have you made any recent changes that improved your blog "mood?"  Are you happy when you click over to your blog and look at it as a reader?  Do you prefer simplicity or are you happier with a little creative clutter?  Do you non-blogging readers have any thoughts on what makes a blog feel most user-friendly to you?

Be encouraged and hang in there bloggers!  Stop by your own blog a few times this week and see what might need tweaking.  May you feel inspired and refreshed by the Lord this week friends!

Have an encouraging day!

P.S.  The winner of the $5 Starbucks card from last week is Lisa from The Cozy Nook!  Congrats Lisa (and sorry Kim - LOL)!  Thanks to all of you who were hopping around leaving encouraging comments!  :)