Counting down the days of Lent via bags of things going out of the house has been an interesting experiment this year. I find myself eying everything now with the questions of, “Do I love it? Does it mean something? Do we use it? Do we need it?”
Bag #6: This is actually not a new bag, but a bag that’s been packed for awhile but not delivered. I delivered it, so I counted it!
Bag#7: Conquered the bathroom vanity while the boy took a bath. Expired ointment, dried out tubes, and old toothbrushes be gone!
I did finally start in on the closet of doom, the one under the stairs that is the catch-all for the entire first floor of our home. What happens is that we get tired of the clutter in the living room, so we stash it in the closet. Things tend to go in, but never come back out.
Bag #8: The first bag from the closet of doom was actually a box — a box of infant and toddler toys is ready for charity!
Bag #9: A bag of broken crayons, used coloring books, and dead markers vacated the closet of doom.
Bag #10: Sorted through of box of papers from the closet of doom, the recycling bin was filled to the brim this week!
Over the weekend, I took a break from the closet of doom and focused on the bedrooms.
Bag #11: Dead electronics mad there way to the electronic graveyard in the garage, soon to be delivered to the recycling center
Bag #12: In cleaning out the boy’s dresser and getting it ready for spring, I got a bag together to pass on and a bag for charity.
Bag #13: More toy cars and some more toddler toys went out the door.
I finally did get back to that closet. Instead of doing it on the sly, I started it today, while MaM is home with a cough and the Fox is here too. We basically emptied everything, and then started sorting. It was interesting in what caught their attention and what really didn’t. I was able to actually start a trash bag while they were within mere feet of it — something I didn’t think possible.
Bag #14: a bag of trash, broken pieces, toys that frustrated the heck out of at least one child, and books too well-loved to pass on. I also added to the bags in the garage that will be passed on to friends and charity.
Tomorrow is Day #15 — Lent is 1/3 of the way over, and I don’t think I’ll be running out of clutter anytime soon.
This is SUCH a good idea… even though we’re WELL into Lent…I may pick this one up and set my own schedule for it.
Tasks like this seem so much more manageable when done in baby steps.
Thanks! I’m glad you came to “visit” and this is one of those challenges where you can make up your own parameters and time frame for sure. I’m thinking I’d like to do it every 6months. Crazy, but true!