It is almost time to say hello to 2013! I can’t wait. 2012 has been quite a year, and I’m ready for some new changes in 2013. If you are going out tonight, stay safe, but have a super Happy New Year!
We’ll be in watching some shows, eating some cookies, and staying out of the snow. I’ll probably fall asleep before midnight, oh well. Wishing you the best in 2013, and Happy New Year!
I’ve never thought of myself as a hoarder. Messy, yes. Over-cluttered, you got it. Collector of randomness that you can justify keeping, I’m guilty, but hoarder, no. Hoarding runs in my family-tree so it would make perfect sense that I’m not the tidiest of housekeepers.
I started to look around more, I noticed little piles stashed here and there. Papers, and old clothes that must be kept. The hallway mess that my mind had quit noticing, crap, maybe hoarder isn’t that far off.
I have told myself every excuse in the book to ignore the mess. I don’t have the time, the kids will just make a mess again, and the “what if” I need this in the future. I might need an item again in the future, but currently I would like a cleaner present.
I would look at photos of organized spaces, and minimalistic areas, and why couldn’t that be our space… We’ve lived in our current house for almost seven years, and I’m disappointed with what I haven’t accomplished.
I decided to quit making excuses, quit worrying about future needs. I started getting ruthless about de-cluttering. I started with tossing fifty items. That little start led me to challenge myself monthly with de-cluttering at least another fifty items. Most months I did even better than fifty.
I started off with the spaces that my mind couldn’t ignore. I started cleaning out the living-room toy bins, the boys room , and my desk. I would get out a contractor bag, set my timer, and get to it. When my time was up, I tracked my total items cleaned out, and then I took the bag right out for pick-up. Even if the bag wasn’t full, out it went. Once an item was tossed in a contractor bag, it wasn’t coming back in the house.
It wasn’t all that easy though. Oddly enough my trouble spaces were Agnes’ closet, the utility room, the foyer, and the kitchen. Agnes’ closet was filled top to bottom with outgrown clothes, blankets, and clothes to grow in to. It was an awful, unorganized mess. It was over-whelming to start the cleaning process, but starting it was all I needed to do. I sorted through box after box, tossed what truly needed tossed, separated what was to keep, and what was to sell/donate.
Around the same time that I was cleaning out the kids closets, I started noticing these bright yellow clothing & shoes donation stations all over town. Now I no longer had an excuse not to donate. I like these too, I can drop off a donation of a bag or two, day or night.
I’m in my final month of keeping track of my clutter-busting, and Christmas has set me back a bit. I’m going to try and get back on track though and continue with my goal of 2012 being the year of de-cluttering. I’ll be totaling up my numbers soon to see just how many items we cleaned out in twelve months.
We woke up Christmas eve, and thankfully we were done with the stomach flu.
We needed to run to the store and get all of the supplies for the big day.
I grabbed a cup of Green Tea for breakfast, and booted up my laptop for the kiddos.
The kids wanted to make sure that Santa wasn’t on his way to KS while we were at the store. I think they stayed on the NORAD tracks Santa site all day.
We got all of the groceries in and put away. After lunch we started making cookies for Santa. The kids decided on making no bake cookies, chocolate chip, and iced sugar cookies. We picked up some sprinkles at the store so we could make them cute.
The boys were really into decorating cookies.
Agnes was more into sprinkle eating than decorating.
The cookies were ready, and the kids wanted to check on Santa one more time.
Before we knew it, it was Christmas morning.
Thade was up at 3:30 a.m., luckily he decided to let us sleep in until 6:00 a.m.
Christmas morning was a blur or wrapping paper and kiddos running around the house.
I made some cinnamon rolls, and we had our little family Christmas.
Around lunchtime all of the family arrived, and it was time to celebrate.
The kids were a little excited.
Christmas was a lot of fun. It was so great getting to see all of our family too.
We spent the day together, and enjoyed a tasty dinner together too. The kids didn’t want anyone to go home though. They crashed out early from all of the Christmas fun.
I enjoyed some awesome fudge (from my mother in law) and watched the Christmas special of Doctor Who. It was such a fun Christmas this year.
I came down with a cold yesterday, and Miss Agnes woke up with it this morning. This has been one rough Christmas vacation.
I’m getting up though and getting to it. I slacked off all day yesterday, and the messy house made me miserable. Today I’m getting the dishes done, and the house a little cleaner. Hope you are having a nice week, and staying away from the sickies too.
Oh goodness, the last few days have been a bit rough… Thade was sick again, Agnes was too, and then the stomach flu found James and I.
Luckily we were all up and feeling better by Christmas eve. I took the kiddos to the store to restock the house, and get the supplies for Christmas dinner, but after that I was exhausted.
I’m still catching up around the house. I hope all of this sickness stays away for the rest of the Christmas vacation.