Fresh Starts

January is full of fresh starts. The Holidays have passed, the tree and decorations are all put away and I start to feel a little claustrophobic. Blankets and candles everywhere, I never (maybe once in my life) put away seasonal clothes consequently the closet is overflowing. Same with the cupboards, like everything is bursting at the seams... me included. Time to get back to basics. Returning to my healthy eating with more lean protein, fruits and veggies, adding a little more exercise and stream lining this operation. Which means shedding some accumulated stuff. 

For some reason I hang onto clothing items for WAY longer than I should. I have many justifications for this: it might come back in style, I might fit in it again, I might like the way it looks on me, what if I go somewhere someday that would be the perfect place to wear it... The easiest way for me to really get in there and get rid of things that are just taking up space is to know I have a person or place where they will go to good use. I have a few friends that like to take a look before sending the residual to their favorite charity. So fun to look through a girlfriends closet anyway! Then I take everything out of a section of closet and each item has to earn it's way back in. I must admit if I hang onto the bag for long I'll go back through and take stuff out, so out it goes asap!

To get a young Mom's perspective on this annual clean out I asked Cake Decorator Kailie, turns out she is waaaay more organized than me. Really no surprise there :) ~

Kailie~

"I’ve been lucky and have been given lots of hand me down clothes and toys for my kids, which has gotten me in the habit of going through stuff every couple months. Before rotating clothes we’ve been given into the kid's closet I’ll go through their current stuff and see what we can give to younger cousins and what we can donate to Lassen Family Services and same with toys. The kid stuff we have bought we try to sell or trade in at Once Upon a Child in Reno, I love that place! I usually pick one big project like this a month and just cycle through the house easily this way. One month do the kids room, next month do mine, next the laundry room. If you have been keeping something that you want to use or ‘should’ use but don’t, get rid of it! Best advise I’ve gotten. It clears space for new fresh energy/habits." 

This seems like a great resolution or at least goal for me to strive towards!

There are many local organizations that would love to receive nice usable clothing, toys and household items. Lassen Family Services and Lassen Humane Society are great resources!