Minimize Monday - June 4th, 2012

It's Monday - and you know what that means. Yep, time to declutter.  I've taken to this idea since it's something I need to do all the time.  I tend to be a pack rat and this should help me to keep it in balance.   I went back into my office and started hunting.

First I took a big bin and tossed in all the loose stuff that I need to sort through, read or otherwise attend to.  It was spread all over.  As I was doing that, I put aside the things that caught my eye for leaving, as well as the stuff that belonged elsewhere.   I began to go through the hutch on my secretary desk so that I can eventually part with that piece of furniture.  I  even have a project for my night in a hotel on my work trip this week - I'll be sorting my clipping files and writing notes/notebooks so they are tidy and up to date and ready to go into a new box on my bookshelf.

And now for the minimizing - while putting stuff in the bin did visually reduce the clutter, some stuff actually did leave the house (or will in the morning)  I parted with a pair of boots (story to follow), an empty shoebox, 2 mats for picture framing, a cardboard paper towel tube, a magazine, 4 books, two seasons of Lost (the mystery is gone once you see the episodes and know the ending) and a few more papers not seen in the picture.  I'm happy with today's clean out - and the fact that I also parted with a whole Rubbermaid's worth of kid's clothes this weekend that I had listed on Craigslist. 

If I do this every week, I should be clutter free (well, for me) pretty quick!  I'm also reading like a fiend so I can let go of a bunch of books.  I've got about 40 in the 'to read' pile.

About those boots.   Today I put on my black boots, grabbed my coat and took my son to school.  Then I went to the local grocery and picked up a few things, then home.  I had my younger son take off his boots at the door, so I did the same.  Later, when I went to put my boots away I was horrified to see I'd been wearing two different boots -one shiny, one flat with totally different heels and different heights.  I sure must have been distracted not to notice I was lurching about!  Let's just say I was embarrassed and kind of glad I'd not noticed while at the store.  Since I rarely grab the older shiny ones, they got the short straw and are heading on out.