My First Day of the Spring Into Spring Challenge!

[Jan Ferrante]

Yesterday I did my first Spring Into Spring 20 minute session. The pictures above show a before and after shot of the boxes I used to declutter.

It flew by, and I was dropping things into the give away box left, right and center.

I also got a few sweaters out of my drawer that I won't be needing until next year and a bit of garbage out.

I was amazed at how much clutter I did get, I had been keeping up "I thought" but found that the time limit helped more than I ever thought that it would because I just didn't have the luxury of trying to decide and ultimately procrastinating by placing the item back where it was.

I was on a mission! I tossed it!

On the top of the box you will see a blue striped bathing suit. That was my maternity bathing suit that I have kept for over 17 years!

Part of the reason was sentimental, I wore it the day I went into labour with my son, part because it was the only bathing suit that I felt comfortable in for a long time. It was quite rugged and durable for swimming with little kiddies who like to pull straps etc, but those days are long gone. And so is the elastic in it. And now so is it.

The bag in the front is full of a rug braiding project that I was doing - since we moved into this house 10 years ago. Time to get real and clear a few square feet of closet space that bag has been taking all this time - I'm not going to complete the project, you think?

The books are books that I keep saving until I read them. I put them in the pile originally with the intention on reading them, then getting rid of them instead of placing them back in the drawer. But now that they are out and I want to keep it that way I am giving myself until the end of this week. What ever I don't read is going anyway.

All in all I cleared far more than I thought that I would.

One word of caution - if you have any piles of pictures or anything that may steal your interest - vow to leave them until you are finished. I found a few bags of pictures from when my kids were young so spent about an hour or so after sitting around during a thunderstorm looking at them.

Not a bad thing, actually it was a reward, but not something I would have wanted to spend my 20 minutes doing.

Let us know how your first day went!

[Jan Ferrante]

Thanks Lori! Your husband sounds like he's really on board! Funny, when I got started my husband started talking seriously about painting and things that needed to be done too (we still need to DO the painting, but it's a good start). I think that it really does help when we take the initiative to get a start on improving the space.

It sounds like you did VERY well in getting rid of clutter! It feels great, doesn't it?

I have far too many books too. Books and paper are what I am struggling the most with right now.

I have gotten rid of quite a few, have more to go and still will have a pile to read. I mostly buy non fiction so I can keep them and read them again, it is harder to get rid of those!

But I am in the same mind as you as far as the library goes and I have saved a lot of money and space by not buying books anymore - well hardly any :0) It has to be a really special book now if I buy it. Most times I don't even go in the book store anymore. At one time I saw it as my treat for myself and often walked out with 3 - 4 new books.

Something that is helping me to get rid of things that I would keep if I had room for them, like books, is to remember that there are lots of people who would love to read them so donating them to the library can be a much better place for them than sitting on my shelf. I can always take them out again too :0)

I'm glad to hear that you are doing so well. I really enjoy hearing about your progress and chatting with you too!

Keep up the great work. Every day it just gets better...

[Lori Chase]

I love your posts Jan. I have had another great day. Again, most of my Boost Circuit was completed even with the 4 hours I was out of the house volunteering. I came home and finished up two more slots and hubby suggested we go to Lowes and get the paint for the bedroom and some new bedding I had been talking about. I never pass up an offer like that. So off we went. I had planned on either doing the closet or the bookshelf, but that's ok. We had a good shopping session and now I am going to the bedroom while hubby is watching a news program I totally dislike. When the show is over I will have accomplished what I wanted with several bags to go to Salvation Army filled with old comforter, curtains, shoes and old books. The I will spend another hour with him before retiring. I recently cleaned out my dresser drawers so I don't have that to contend with but I do have way too many books. Many of them read and some I will never read. If I want I can check them out at the library.

Gee, that certainly was a run on of words. Once I got started I couldn't stop. LOL

It is fun chatting with you Jan. I feel like we are old friends.

Perhaps I will go take a picture of the book shelves and maybe the closet. Geez....it is a mess to behold. Then I will take a picture of them when they are finished. That is my plan. Let's see if I can accomplish it.