Did she or didn’t she …

I know that’s what you’ve all been asking yourselves. Did she or didn’t she rid her home of 2,010 items in 2010?

Well the answer to the question everyone is dying to know is ….

YES!!!!!

Not only did I meet my goal of getting two thousand and ten unwanted things out of my house, but I surpassed the goal and came in with a grand total of 2,184 less things in my home.

{Cheers} {Applause}

Yes, I can almost hear you now.

But wait, there’s more.

I’m just not finished yet.

My house is so close to being a home I can almost feel it and there’s no way I’m stopping now. This year I’m tackling this project one more time. I’ll rid my home + garage (didn’t count the garage in my numbers last year) of 2,011 more items and finally feel that inner peace I’ve been needing when I spend time in my home.

Want to know the best part?

Alright, I’ll tell you! (You don’t have to twist this girl’s arm) The best part is this time around I’m not a newbie. I have skills and talent and expertise like none other. Alright, maybe I’m embellishing a tad, but I am seeing surfaces of my home I haven’t seen since we moved in and as long as I’m riding on this organizational high I may as well bring you with me right?

That’s why this year I’m asking you to join me. All you have to do is make an effort to get rid of things in your house (regular trash, junk mail, etc not included) and keep a mental note or better yet, a written record as you go.

We’ll all post updates along the way, although they are not required. And more importantly, give each other motivation along the way.

I’ll also share some of the tricks I’ve learned about seperating with your stuff and making your space work for you. Hmm, this go round you might even get to see pictures. Yes people, my home is almost camera ready (this is the part where if you were here, you would hear ME cheering). It’s funny how the less cluttered your home gets, the less cluttered your mind gets too. I so want to share that feeling with you!

A comfortable house is a great

source of happiness. It ranks

immediately after health and

a good conscience.”

-Sydney Smith

Here’s hoping by the time we’re through we all have comfortable houses, great health and a good conscience.

Wondering what happened to those 1,000 items I disposed of since my last post? Well, I know I talked about having a garage sale and boy, was it going to be huge. (Not all 1,000 items but a huge portion of them) Unfortunately, a virus hit my entire family with a vengeance and well, it just had to be put off. I chose to donate all of those items to Arms of Hope. Sure, we could have earned a few hundred bucks right before Christmas, but we donated somewhere that places our belongings with families who really needed them. It just felt right. Besides, I would have gladly paid someone that much to come and make my house feel this much lighter, so in every possible way, it was soooooo worth it.

I’ve already made a huge dent this year and can’t wait to tell you all about it. I’ll try and keep you guys informed more regularly and keep you included on house projects along the way. Stay tuned for a little more background on how we got this way in the first place and why I’m positive we’ll never get back there.

I just can’t wait to get organized and decluttered once and for all! Who’s doing this with me? Take the week to think about it and next week I’ll post an official Operation Minimize Link up post for those of you ready to take on the challenge!

And the final talley for those of you who are wondering:

1,245 Items donated to charity (Wow, that’s 57%!!)

483 Items Recycled (the Earth breathes a sigh of relief)

24 Items Sold

432 In the trash

___________________

2,184 Total Items Gone/ $72 Earned

And to think I only started this challenge in August … what a difference a whole year will make!

Tagged as: decluttering, getting rid of clutter, how to be more organized