Clearing Out & Letting Go

When the New Year begins, I get the urge to clean out. This urge usually happens about 3 to 4 times a year and when it comes you bet I am cleaning out whatever we don't use or need.  It usually begins with the kids toys and clothes. Next, my clothes and various items that I haven't used in a while. The Mr., he is great at cleaning out his side of the closet which leaves me lots of clothes to donate.

When all the cleaning out is complete there are multiple piles of stuff. This stuff is then put in boxes or bags to be donated or to a local consignment store.

A confession....the bags then sit...for a few days.....  And the rush of emotions come flooding in----
My thoughts go something like this:
"my babies are growing up so fast, I want to keep those cute little clothes"
"he really loved that toy a long time ago, I should keep it"
"the boys may still play with those toys again one day"
"that shirt/outfit was so cute, I should put it in a shadow box for safe keeping"
"what if those toys will be worth a lot of money one day"
"our grandchildren might like to play with those toys"

You get the idea... I could really go on and on but I won't.

Then after a few days, the bags of stuff sitting there gets to me and I have to take it away. I am a little obsessive you could say...things have a specific place and if anything is out of place it drives me crazy. So I guess once the stuff has been hiding in the bags/boxes the pile eventually gets to me and I get rid of it.

The hardest is taking the boys' items to the consignment store, I just walk in set the boxes/bags down and walk right out. I think if I stayed in there any longer I would just burst into tears.

Crazy how the mind works, isn't it?

Letting go is hard sometimes but in order for me to simplify and reduce the amount of "stuff" we have, a clean out is a must. I know that most people in general have more than they really need and the need to have more is becoming the norm, or at least it feels that way to me. I really get the urge to buy more than I really need at Target--love that store! I mean they have so many cute things! I try, I really do try and as you see from the photo above there are only a couple of bags in the front of the cart. So that my friends, was a quick and only a "needed items" shopping trip-coffee included!

I still have more cleaning out to do but I have to say, even though it was so hard to let go of all that stuff, it feels good now that it is gone.

That is the goal-to feel good,  to feel better-the clutter and extra stuff really does drag you down plus it's more to clean!

2015-Happy New Year & Welcome Back!

I'm sure you have heard this a million times already.......What happened to 2014? It went by so fast!

In 2014, I went from a Stay-at-Home Mom to a working Mom. Well, that actually happened in 2013 but my business really picked up in 2014 and therefore this blog got pushed to the side. I miss blogging so much which leads me to one of my goals of 2015: To get back to blogging!

I still have projects that I never shared, projects I still want to accomplish and share, layout more of a schedule to stay on task with the items that I want to pursue.

I am aware that will not be easy, I mean let me be honest! -A husband, a home, two boys, a dog, a cat, working with clients, after-school activities for the boys and  add in everyday life and to-dos' and I have a large demanding schedule, just like every other Mom on the planet. As I try to organize myself at the start of this new year, I hope that maybe I can find a good medium that works for me, one that is productive and successful.

This year I decided against resolutions and look more toward goals for 2015. Goals seem to stay in my head as compared to resolutions which I usually forget or dismiss by the end of January.

GOALS for 2015:

1) To be more Productive: This is across my entire life-be more productive at home, work, blogging, personally and professionally.

2) To Live in the Moment: This year I have realized that I can become so consumed with my clients that I just "go through the motions" when I am at home with my family. I need to try to separate work from home life and while I am at home-be at home in my mind also. Doing this has gotten me pulled over for speeding,  forgetting promises I have made to the boys, forgetting after school sports activities and lots of enjoyment with my family.

3) To Travel: Every year we say we are going to go somewhere far away---we never do. It always gets pushed to the side. Sure we make local trips, beach trips and mountain trips (which we love and look forward to very much) but I think we need to travel somewhere new, maybe even somewhere that requires a passport!. So if you have any great places that you went with your kids, please do share!

4) To be more Patient: This year I have become a little more patient, I think ;) Just because the business I am in requires lots of patience and I learned very quickly that nothing works out like you plan.  I am not patient at all, I want it done and done now and done right-but that every seldom happens. So I need to just go with the flow.

5) To have more Fun & be more Spontaneous: I am a planner, I like to plan, schedule and prepare. Which can take out a lot of spur of the moment fun. However, if you follow me on Instagram, you remember that I took at quick trip this summer with the Mr. to Ohio, saw Jerry Seinfeld (which was so awesome!), and we got a puppy. The puppy wasn't really spontaneous, I had been thinking about it and the boys had been asking for one for a long while-but the breed was spontaneous. I had my eye on a different breed.  I have to admit, if it was sponateous-it was more fun!

Good Luck in 2015! Lets do this!