30 Days of Spring Cleaning–Easter Weekend

Well, our three day weekend went far too fast, but overall it was a lovely Easter and I’m hoping that yours was too. 

First: a challenge update.  Sooooo, remember when I said we were going to be cleaning out the attic and garage?  Yeah.  Turns out that project is not nearly as rewarding as an afternoon nap.  HOWEVER…that did NOT keep us from tackling it, just the same.  And in a sense, we basically did Zone 1 of the attic.  We pulled down an entire section and then some, and started the painstaking process of going through every. single. box/tub/bag and making decisions for their contents.  It was not easy.  Not gonna lie.  Three to four hours in, I was sitting zombie-like in a chair and Anton was pouring through college papers and old bills.  Yes, old bills.  Don’t even ask.  We didn’t even know it was up there.  This is the whole point of the cleaning.  We threw away two large black garbage bags of papers/junk/etc., started a great “garage sale” pile, and were able to re-pack in a safer and more efficient way only those things that we truly felt our kids might one day like to have.  Despite being tired, overwhelmed, and even pooped on the whole project – we hung in there a good portion of the day, until at last dinner was calling and we decided to call it quits.  Still, it was fun to document our progress to share with all of you:

Make sure you have two cute helpers.  Makes everything easier.

Also helps to have irresistible little boy helpers who insist on full-regalia. 

Especially ones who LLLOOVVEE to go into the attic with Daddy…

   

It started to get a little bit overwhelming by the time the tub stack got taller than me.  Ugh!

It’s especially fun to find clothes you wore in the 80’s.  Go baby, rock it!

And your childhood jump-rope.  Especially when you’re still really good at it…

   

That’s me.  Buried in the rubble.  Do you feel my pain?

It was particularly nostalgic to find cards and crafts from our childhood. 

After approximately 150 cards, we had to draw the line and pick just a few to hold on to.

Sorting old paperwork, college papers, letters, and various forms of nostalgia.

We did get a little bleary eyed after several hours of this had passed.

All said and done, I was really proud of our effort.  Small confession to make: we pulled down roughly 9 tubs of children’s clothing from my kids.  Now people, I am loathe to confess it – but I felt so sad and pitiful.  I cried.  Just the thought of parting with their things…it did me in.  I know this makes me loony, but I cannot seem to help it.  I just boo-hoo’d like a big baby.  So now, all 9 of those tubs are in my entry-way and I am committed to sorting through them and deciding what to do.  No promises, but I’m going to attempt…well, something.  I don’t even know what yet.  Ahem.  No promises.

Meanwhile, HE IS RISEN!  {this is the great part where you say “He is Risen Indeed!”}.  We had a wonderful Easter Sunday  celebrating Christ’s Life, Death, and Resurrection!!  Quint has so many questions, and we are BLESSED to see his interest in faith blossoming.  We are humbled by his innocent curiosity in his Maker.  What a privilege for us to see him growing in this way.

Saturday night we let the kids dye their eggs for the first time evah’.  I’m slow, what can I say?

   

Sunday morning we made it to the Easter Sunrise Service, followed by an Egg Hunt, breakfast, and then two services (I sing in the choir).  After which I am proud to say that we rushed home, ate some delish egg-salad sammies, and put ourselves promptly to bed for two hours of nap-heaven. 

After which, the kids got their baskets from us! BIG hit. They were so happy with their goodies. 

Oh, wait!  One more hilarious find this weekend that I just have to share with you!  Going through all those childhood papers and schoolwork, etc. we came across a letter Anton had written to his parents in 1980.  I think it’s fairly safe to say that Anton’s political persuasion was set by age nine…



**Translation: “Dear Mom & Dad - Thanks for the Millennium Falcon and also for my other presents. And one more thing, thanks for voting for Regan! And thank you for telling me that I had a pajamaparty friday night. Love, Tony” **

30 Days of Spring Cleaning–Week 1

Well, as you know by now, we’re cleaning up our mess this month.  And if you need a re-cap of the Challenge, the rules, and what you need to get accomplished – READ THIS POST.  I’d love to have you join in – as this one is going to leave a lot of us feeling much better about our living space!

Sooooooo, remember when I told you that we were going to tackle the attic/garage combo?  Yeah. 

So I just wanted to take a moment and show you exactly what that means for us:

The garage has a lot of cluttered up spaces.  Case in point:

What is that?  Is that a package of Fed-Ex boxes, a used up container of cooking oil, glow sticks, and bug spray?  Why, yes!  Yes it is. 

So let’s talk attic:  and let’s just be honest shall we?  The attic is basically the exact size as the home beneath it.  And we have taken 8+ years to fill it with all sorts of ridiculous things.  The worst part of this, is that we have never taken any interest in organizing what we put up there.  Not really.  More or less a “just put it up there” kind of game.  So we have long rows of boxes and tubs of (whoknowswhat) and that’s so daunting.  What you see below is just an opening view of the madness.  You can’t even see behind those tubs – but I can tell you now, there are more.  Many, many more.  And see that red tub in the background?  That’s because all along the left side of this picture (which you can’t see) is a whole wall of more madness.  Tubs, boxes, luggage, large trash bags full of stuff, etc.  Oh it’s bad.  So bad.

Oh, and when you get up close and personal in the attic, you can see that all that random stuff is piled like this. 

Let’s see: cat carrier, Karpak Car topper, IRS paperwork, tent.  You know.  With all kinds of rhyme and reason and thought put into it.

I’m really anxious to see what happens when we start the project this weekend.  It’s going to come to pulling sections of the attic items down, sorting through them completely, and re-organizing the whole space.  We have to work quickly as well, because we’re losing a weekend this month to prior commitments.  I would love to see what you’re up against and how you plan to attack it!  Pictures?  Let us all know so we can follow along!

2 Challenge Updates and Where Have I Been?

First let’s talk about the challenges – then we’ll chat a bit about where I’ve been:

So March’s Challenge was a private challenge of sorts – put out there for those who wanted to kick a bad or  ugly habit.  At least to challenge yourself to try, right?  And my intention was to set the challenge up, start it off, and leave it alone.  I really didn’t want to badger away all month about it, because for some of you it was personal and private.  Some of you wrote to me to share the habit you were attempting to kick (wow!  tough stuff!) and some of you chose to blog about it.  Meanwhile, I have a confession to make.  Remember what mine was?  Not bite the nails?  Yeah.  Here’s my transparent report of how that went:  all I can say is, don’t choose to kick your nervous habit in the month where you have a major family trip, two flights, and lots of stress.  Yeah.  That’s not the month to do that.  So, it went terrible.  I would not even be aware of what I was doing until it was much too late and then I was yelling at myself “what are you doing!  STOP!!”  Sigh….forgive?  I was terrible at my own challenge.  I’m happy to say that I’ve read some of your success stories and I’m not only impressed, but overjoyed at your results.  Well done, friends!

If you’d like to participate in April’s Challenge – you can read all about that HERE.  But here’s the gist: (oh yeah…it’s a good un’)

Soooooo, maybe because it’s Spring and I’ve been feeling the need to purge, or maybe because a recent trip up to the attic left me SHOCKED at the mess and clutter that has accumulated up there in the past 9 years.  Regardless, almost everyone can use a good purge session and we’re going to use the month of April to make it happen with purpose.  You can e-mail me or sign up in the comments.  I want some bloggers to show through pictures their progress – you up for it?

April's 30 Days of Spring Cleaning STARTS TOMORROW!  (No foolin'!)

Moving on…

So It’s been a while, eh?  We haven’t chatted in, I don’t know…at least a couple months – am I right?  Here’s the thing: I’m not sure what the dealio is with me, but I’m kinda burnt out.  (were you kinda picking that up what with my whole 6 posts in March?) Between work, the kids, church commitments, friends, and life in general – I just never seem to find the time that I need to sit down and blog my heart out.  Don’t get me wrong – I have SO MANY topics and issues and thoughts steamrolling through my head day in and day out – but I just never get enough consecutive time together to actually get them outta there and on the web.  And frankly, I’m sad about it.  It bums me out – because we used to “chat” more often, you and I.  And I used to vent all my junk and you’d show up and read it and that would be our thing.  Right?  And now it’s like “here’s yer challenge…hit the road”.  Well, I don’t say that.  And I’m certainly not thinking it.  But it sorta feels like that anyway. 

So there’s that.

And life is insane right now.  That’s what I think.  Insane.  Our summer is shaping up to be quite full as well with lots of fun stuff planned.  All good things.  Still, I can’t help but feel a little whiplash about the pace our life is taking.  My kids are growing before my eyes.  (whole nother’ mother sob story)  That whole “you will blink and they will not be babies anymore” – that’s for real, people.  For realz. 

This one?  This cutie-patootie Missy Lou-Lou Princess Princess? 

The one who keeps us laughing all the time with her girlie antics?

Yeah…she’s turning 3 in two months.  What the?

How does this happen? 

Do you remember when she looked like this?

 

I don’t!  I mean, I do….but BARELY.   Do you ever see pictures of your babies and think to yourself “I can’t even remember you like that”. 

Scares me to death!   Am I really going to forget all of this amazing toddler cuteness? 

Don’t tell me.  I can’t bear it!  There is not enough video in the free-world to capture it and savor it as it really is. 

Woe is me!!

Meanwhile, remember this little guy?

Yeah, not so little anymore. 

And his smile would melt your very self down to a puddle of GOOP on the floor.

Take it from one who lives as a pile of GOOP most days.  And you can’t listen to AB either – he’s King of the Goops. 
Total lost cause of the Goopies.

So you see my dilemma.  I’m absorbed in watching my babies grow right on up and I don’t want to miss a minute of it.  I have a feeling I’m going to long desperately for these days before I can blink.  Will you pardon my sometimes weekly absences?  I promise not to leave you hanging high and dry.  I just need some space occasionally to savor every minute of these all too short years with the littles…

xo

Mrs. Goop

April’s Challenge–The Great Purge of 2012

Ok, first let me start by saying - I know I owe you an update.  I know that.  And I'm like really, really behind on the whole "I blog it, you read it" bit.  And I've already got that post mostly finished, but for now - I have to prepare you for next month's challenge.  

So without further ado: time to get to work and get rid of all that clutter eating up your house.  Roll up your sleeves – here’s your April Challenge…

The Challenge: successfully purge as many rooms in your home as you can. At the end of the month, put your purging to good use with one or more of the following: donate to a friend, local charity, or host a garage sale and sack the money away for a fun summer! Whatever you do – GET RID OF IT!

The other day I had to go up to the attic.  And while in said attic, I had a little come to Jesus moment.  It was a shamble.  A mismatched hodge-podge mess and way too much that I've been loathe to part with.  The attic and garage are in the most miserable, miserable shape.  After almost nine years of purging out of the house, only to have much of it end up in the attic – we now have a grim situation up there.  So for this month, I will be attacking those two HUGE spaces.  To be fair, I understand I am asking you to purge inside your homes.  But if you prefer to hit the attic/garage/basement combo – or whatever combo makes you happy and “clutter-free” – then go for it!  I am a compulsive de-clutterer.  Is that a word?  It is now.  Anyway…yes.  I’m constantly purging the kids rooms, moving things out to the attic that I can’t seem to part with, and hauling stuff to Goodwill and local consignment.  This is what I DO.  That being said, I just happen to be in between purges inside the house.  We’ve kind of been doing that the past couple months.  So when I saw the horror attic this past weekend, I realized right then and there that was where I’d be this month.  And better to do it before it gets much hotter up there, am I right.  Freaking sauna.  I could lose ten pounds up there......jeesh....oh wait!

Suggestions:

Stock up on storage containers, large trash bags, or boxes. You can buy boxes at many stores, including WalMart. Additionally, look for sales on storage tubs if you plan to re-organize spaces or store some items away.

Make a game plan that involves breaking your home into four “zones”. Decide what you’ll attack first (if you’re full of zest for the project – pick a big room! If you’re already overwhelmed but know it needs to be done, pick a small bathroom. You’ll feel very accomplished even with a small space.) You have four weeks. The GOAL is one ZONE per WEEK!

In each room designate a tub for “keep”, a trash bag for “trash” and a box for “donate”. It makes the process much easier and swifter.

Determine ahead of time to let things go. No really. LET IT GO. Stop saving 25 bars of hotel soap. You know who you are. That’s right, I’m talking to you. You will NEVER need or use them. Every hotel you go to will offer you another one, so just let it go. Perhaps a homeless shelter would be grateful for them? Whatever. Just stop the madness. De-clutter your life and breathe again. There is such relief in a clean and organized space.

Take one room at a time. Just one. Don’t move on until that room is complete. On the other hand, don’t labor over every single little thing within that room. Roll up your sleeves and determine to rid your home of unnecessary clutter. I realize that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure – I get that. But friends, I kept a jewelry box that had several single earrings in it for years. I don’t know why. I think I figured if I ever found them….you get the picture. It sat for years. What a waste of space among the jewelry I used daily. I finally just threw them all out. And I felt such relief that I was no longer “housing” a collection of duds. Simple, but true. It’s those kinds of things that you’re looking for, among the obvious.

On that note: DO LOOK BEYOND THE OBVIOUS. We can get very accustomed to our surroundings. Everything just blends in and we stop “seeing” things. For instance, I’ve had a small stack of papers on my desk, jammed in a corner – for months. Cannot tell you what they are. Receipts maybe? I don’t know. Time to get the shredder out, eh? Try to adjust your eyes to see not just the clothes your kids have outgrown or the bread machine you have never and will never use – instead look at things anew. What can and should have been thrown out or given away a long time ago?

Take before and after pictures. Even if you don’t blog (which I hope you will!), you will see the tangible evidence of your hard work when all is said and done. It is VERY rewarding! If you do blog about it – we all get to see and be inspired as well – WIN, WIN!

When you finish a Zone, you can decide whether to store the items you are donating or drop them off each week at your local charity. If you’re going to host a garage sale, you’ll have to store them. Here are some general tips:

DONATING: (Friend or Charity)

• Stock up on boxes.
• Label the boxes (what’s inside and to whom you are donating it).
• Organize your donations and clean them up a bit if needed.
• Store in a dry place until you can deliver them, but don’t wait too long. Set it up so that you give yourself before the month’s end to drop them off.
• Most charities will provide you with a tax deductible receipt for your donation. Don't forget to pick that up before you leave!
• Books can be donated to your local library. Call ahead to find out where to take them.

GARGAGE SALE:

• Use boxes or tubs to store these items in.
• You can choose to price them as you purge or each time you complete a zone – either way it will save you significant time later.
• Keep similar items together to make for easier sorting later.
• Try to discern what is truly trash and was is a viable garage sale item. For help, see HERE.

CONSIGNMENT:

• Contact your local consignment store to inquire about their buying policies.
• Clean up clothes or toys and organize them in boxes.
• Generally, you will be offered a store credit or cash for your items. Children’s items in particular are in hot demand these days!

I REALLY REALLY REALLY would love to have bloggers who are willing to take this challenge and post the results once a week.  If you are one such blogger, will you contact me HERE or leave a comment with a link to your blog?  I’d LOVE to share with the group at large your progress and ideas.  (and pictures!)  Come on, you know you need want to!!  Make sure you grab the image above and link it back to Bushel and a Peck!

Challenge begins Sunday April 1st and it’s not a joke – ha!  Zone 1 – Week 1. 

My personal challenge?  To let go of some of the children’s things stored in the attic.  Not all of it – but I’ve been a bit ridiculous about it, not wanting to let go of hardly anything.  I think we’ve had that little chat on here before, right?  Yeah.  Issues!  So that is what I’m going to be pushing myself towards.  Stretching myself to realize that sometimes, it’s just overkill.

You can’t take it with you, people.  You just can’t. 

Let it go…

Who’s with me?