Why simplify??

The time has come to face a somewhat daunting, overwhelming task .... simplification.  I feel like it's been a long time coming and I've been trying to avoid the inevitable!  It's amazing how much STUFF you can have in your house after 12 years of marriage and 3 kids (esp. 3 girls!!!).  So I have decided that this is the year I clear our my house.  

I have been really convicted lately with the amount of STUFF we have and especially just how much our girls have.  Just because we have the space for it all - do we really NEED it?  Do the girls really need 15 babydolls???  Do I need 30 mugs?  Really?  So after doing some research, I have decided to start this project.  Here is my plan:

1.  Choose a different room/theme each month:  September (Kitchen), October (kids/baby toys supplies), November (linen/towels), December (Kids Clothing/Winter jackets), January (books/DVDs/Magazines), February (Garage), March (Paperwork/Filing/Kids artwork), April (Storage Room), May (Gregg and my clothing), June (Pictures/frames/photos), July (Shoes - Kids and ours), August (Last misc)

2.  Have "give away" "throw away" and "sell" containers in the dining room - so regardless if I have 20 minutes or 2 hours - I can always chip away a bit on the project.  

3.  Involve the family.  Have the kids help me sort though their things and go along to donate what we don't need.

4.  Have the motto "If I don't LOVE it ... and therefore won't use it ..... get rid of it".  I remember seeing an interview with Jamie Lee Curtis who said that she had decided to so this same thing years ago - and made the decision to only keep stuff (whether clothing or other things) that she totally loved.  It was amazing how much stuff she got rid of and how much easier her life is now.  

5.  Have FUN.  I really do enjoy organization stuff and so I'm quite excited to get to next summer and have a transformed home.  Maybe to most people it would look almost the same, but I will know that my closets aren't fully packed and that the kids understand a little more about what is excessive! :)

So - here goes ..... I will blog monthly about what I thought about that specific project - what was challenging and what was fun.  If you find yourself in a similar situation - and are ready to clear out unnecessary stuff - jump on board and join me in this year's challenge!!!

Let the fun begin