Fifty two February 15, 2007

So far today I’ve put FIFTY TWO items in a box (well several boxes) to go to good will. And, I’m just gonna drop it off on my way out to my errands this afternoon. Buh bye.

Seriously, how may mugs does one family need? (mom, don’t answer that) We have a full set of fiesta ware (10 colors/sets) plus a million other mugs. I didn’t put them all in the box. I figured I’d let Ryan decide if he REALLY wants a mug from each company he’s worked for. I think the memory is so much better, than another mug that just collects dust, eh? I found two holiday mugs that I love, the artwork on them… but I don’t think they got used once last christmas. I couldn’t part with them. I think I’ll revisit them next de-cluttering time. I’m being pretty liberal tho… Bundt pan GONE! (in 10 years of marriage – have NEVER made a bundt cake. EVER)I had 5 pie tins, 2 glass pie plates and 2 ceramic pie plates. YOWZA! I kept the glass and ceramic because they are very different sizes and are used for different things.

De-cluttering is very cleansing. I’m finding things in the kitchen that have NEVER been used. EVER. Buh-bye. I don’t think I’m going to USE that fancy glass cake pan, that I got 10 years ago… if I haven’t used it yet, right? Well, who knows about that one. I may acutally make my kid a cute cake someday… Ok I’ll keep that one, maybe.

It’s slow going… February 15, 2007

but it’s going. I shifted a few things around in the kitchen today in the one hour I had before work… and put 5 old cookbooks in the pile to be donated. I have a headache… so that’s all you get today.

Decluttering… begun! February 14, 2007

Today I finished the last of the kitchen food related cupboards. Sigh. What a difference it makes. Everything just FEELS cleaner. If I were counting food related items in the declutter list, we’d be near a hundred I’m sure. I ended up with an entire EMPTY cupboard. Above the stove is EMPTY. Wow… Things may actually end up being accessible around here!
So… decluttering began today, albeit slowly. I did manage put two items in the “see ya later” pile.
Whew. I’m hoping tomorrow morning after breakfast and before morning nap, I can get through one cabinet. Then it’s a long work day for me!

Still not decluttering… February 12, 2007

I have to admit, it seems like we’re getting a pretty weak start here. Unfortunately, we’ve had a rough month so far. Teeth came, and brought cold. Cold stuck around and left us with cough. On top of that, sleep took off and is finally rejoining the family. So… no decluttering, heck, our house was barely clean until today.
However, I have had time to do some stuff and set some other goals around decluttering…
I have spent any free time I had this week inventorying and sorting through the kitchen cupboards/freezer. I tossed a ton of stuff that was god only knows how old, and found that we have a lot more space than I’d previously thought. What a treat! Space before decluttering!
While inventorying the kitchen, i noticed several appliances that have hardly been used ( like a bread maker that was a wedding gift 10 years ago, and has been used as many times ). It’s hard for me to part with such things – not because they were gifts, but because “what if I need it someday” or “what if I want to start making bread”. So I’ve set some goals around these things. Any item (like the bread maker) that I *think* I want to keep, gets a 6 month (or less) life span. If it isn’t in full rotation and a useful item in the household by that time, it gets ditched.

So guess who made bread in her bread maker today?

I also had a great thrift store score the other day. I was looking for pants as my baby is making me thinner than want to be (so now I’m also baking super high fat deliciousness) and I found a pastry mixer, that I’d been hoping to come across (cause I’ve been a baking fiend lately!). I also found a brand new wooden stacker for a friend who was looking for wooden toys for her son. Woo hoo!

Tomorrow, I hope to finish inventorying the kitchen/organizing food shelves (just have spices left) and then start organizing/decluttering the other parts of the kitchen. I promise (HA!) to have a decluttering update later this week!

Not decluttering today February 5, 2007

So after my post last night I was all jazzed to get up, vacuum and then declutter a drawer or two, maybe the closet. Nope. not gonna happen. Both Ruby and I are sick sick sick. Had a bad cough all night and now have trouble breathing. Not fun around here. SO we’re spending the day in bed. Playing, crawling, coughing, snuggling.

I wouldn’t say I’m enjoying life, but at least I have my sweet Ru!

The Pledge February 5, 2007

We’re Compacting in 2007! What does this mean? We pledge to curb our purchases, cease frivolous buying, and choose to simplify our lives.

Our pledge:
To be mindful consumers. To avoid purchasing new items as much as possible (see exceptions below). When an item is needed, we’ll search high and low to find it gently used or make it ourselves before resorting to buying new. When we do choose to purchase a new item, we will buy high quality, and free trade, fair wages instead of purchasing the cheapest thing we can find.
We hope to decrease our footprint on the planet and instill in Ruby the value of humanity and the earth, not just the almighty dollar.
We hope to change our own thoughts around what is a NEED and what is a WANT, and to simplify our lives. By clearing the clutter in our homes and minds, we can be more open to experiencing life around us.
To funnel all savings into a fund to put towards the future AND to live for today in the true sense of the words, to truly ENJOY and respect the world around us. ( some people in the compact quit eating out and traveling. These are important times for our family to spend together, we chose to eat out at a locally owned restaurant once or twice a month and it doesn’t negatively impact our finances. Travel, well heck, thats just part of enjoying life, isn’t it?)

Exceptions:
- food, health & safety items, shoes and under wear. Food, health and safety, of course, but as we choose to purchase good quality shoes that last a long time, and only buy shoes once every year or so, shoes are an exception. Underwear – well, duh. Other items may end up being purchased new, but only after exhausting other options.
- home improvement. We may be refinishing the basement this year – and can obtain some items used, but for safety reasons, will buy new items for remodeling.
- crafts. I will try my hardest to knit up my entire stash of yarn (or give it away) and only purchase new yarn for a specific project. Same goes for fabric. :gulp:Of course I’ll look for these thing thrifted also!
- We aren’t limiting gifts to gently used/home made, but appreciate any efforts others go through to help decrease their own foot print on the earth. we are also lucky that many family members choose to buy simple gifts for Ruby and put the rest into a savings account. We’re lucky that way.
- When an item must be purchased we will try to shop locally, and at responsible businesses.

So. there it is. in black and white (or brown and green)… We’re gonna do our best, and hopefully learn something along the way.

Goals February 5, 2007

So, in keeping with my two inspirations for this blog change (Adina and Kara) I’m going to start by listing my goals for 2007. I’ll work on my official ‘pledge’ next but for today, some rough goals.
I’m not one for resolutions, they seem to never work out, but when I have clear simple goals, they can be attainable and satisfying. So with that in mind, here we go!

1. Clear the clutter I have overflowing closets and drawers, with clothes that don’t fit, clothes that I’ll never wear, and things I’m just too old for. I have a kitchen filled with items we’ll never use, and that end up falling on my head when I open a cupboard. I have a craft room filled with endless possibilities that I’ll never get to. I have a basement with a lot of junk in it. So….Out it goes! Goal #1 is to clear 500 items of clutter a month. (whew, that is scary to type, but if they can do it, so can I!) Things can be gifted, sold, donated or just plain trashed. Obviously not contributing to a landfill is my #1 goal, so trash will be the last option.

2.Save money Financially, we are doing alright. Saving money isn’t so that we can pay bills. Saving money is so that after the bills are paid, we have space to ENJOY life, and to plan for our child’s future. All of the tenets of the compact will lend to putting more money away, and less in the system.

3.Grow my own foodIn our first house we had a huge garden, and enjoyed fresh veggies all spring and summer. Once we moved three years ago, getting the yard managed was a huge task we just couldn’t seem to tackle. First it was a money issue, then the depression of infertility that seemed to keep us huddled indoors all summer. Finally, last year we invested in an amazing landscaper and had the yard mostly finished (mostly – except the veggie garden). So…Grow it! This will entail getting Ryan to build the beds and help clear the space for the berries/fruit… and then we get to growing. I’d like to think that by next fall I can learn a little about winter growing, and keep a cold box (or is it a hot box) with something in it, but I’m going to keep this goal reasonable and just use the long growing season of the PNW and grow as much as we can. I think we’ll join a CSA in the winter, depending on how our friends experience with it is. (and then maybe, if our garden is rocking, they can take the summer with CSA off next year, and share in our bounty!)

4.Keep a clean house(Adina, you have good goals, and I’m stealing them) I’ve (with the help of a great partner) been able to keep a tidy space, but with all the clutter, it feels like we are tidying all the time. People always say our house is always clean when they come over, but that’s because I just cleaned it before they showed up. I’d like to keep on a regular schedule of cleaning so that it doesn’t feel overwhelming, and that it becomes routine and easy. I bought a simple calendar that lists chores etc, and so far its helping… although SOMEONE I know has something brewing, and I’m going to be a test case.

5.Enjoy life What good is any of this if we don’t enjoy life? I need to take time to knit, craft, write and expand my brain. I need to get out and walk in the sun. I need to meditate and stretch. I need to socialize with other mamas. I need to see the world and play in all it’s wonders. This is a goal I try to achieve regularly anyway, but I like writing it. My goal around this is to do something AT LEAST ONCE A WEEKthat fills this need. I’m thinking I’ll change that to once a day in a couple of months, but like I said before, attainable goals make for a happier mama.

So there are my rough goals. I may flesh each of them out more specifically later. But for now, I’m going to go work on my pledge.

Well, here we are again. February 2, 2007

Or should I say…
And so we begin again. I’ve been thinking about starting anew in the blog world, and after a short discussion with a friend tonight I decided to skip the work I needed to do and create a new blog. New name, new format new host. So far, so good.
I’ll be taking down my knitting blog, and using this space as a catch all to document life as we’re living it these days.
First topics to be…
1. Compacting – I am just getting into this and pretty excited about it!
2. Parenting choices – we learn new stuff everyday!
3. Crafting! I will craft again, I will!!
4. Whatever else comes my way, so beware!
Sleep is taking over our house, so I’m going to head off for the night, and hope that we get a good night for a change.
I’m hoping to make this blog a way to not only dance around the zen in my life, but to dance with it, and share that with you.