Clutter-Busting Challenge: Days 13-20

I'm still working on this challenge (my mud-room proves it right now) but I just haven't kept up with posting as much as I would have liked. So today I thought I would post on days 13-20... that's 8 days, which should have equaled 56 items.  I happen to have totaled 127!

I posted yesterday about where I might want to take this blog and I'm still thinking on that. In addition to my three children this week I also have my two nieces and one nephew... I'll probably be cleaning after bedtime this week.  So there has been a couple bumps in the road for sure but that's ok as long as you pick yourself back up and keep going.

I concentrated on the upstairs of our house during this challenge.  Although I still haven't touched my closet or the side-attic which are two that desperately need attention. Our community yard sale is only 2 weeks away and I still want to go through the rest of my stuff.

Here's a small list of the items from last week:

34 items of garbage - expired medicines, empty or almost empty hair stylers, broken ponytail holders
3 pairs of shoes
1 beautiful ball of pink yarn that I had high hopes for (sometimes you just have to pass on projects)
1 full box of  embroidery thread
1 embroidery frame
6 packages that each had 6 pieces of partially completed squares for a quilt (that I may have started ahem 10 years ago before I got married)
2 completed pillowcases to match the quilt
and the rest was just weeded out junk, miscellaneous items

Total tally of items: 413

Clutter-Busting Challenge by Money Saving Mom

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From this point forward

I had my essential oils class this past weekend and even though it was low attended it was a great time.  Plus the extra time I've had with the speaker in my house has been amazing!!!! 

And I realized how passionate she is about these oils and healthy living....

and I realized how little focus and direction I have with this blog... I tend to try and do everything.

I realized I don't want to do that anymore. I want to focus.

And I want to focus on what I am passionate about.

honoring God

sharing the Gospel

babies

breastfeeding

pregnancy

family

raising children

homeschooling

essential oils

healthy living

simple living

starting to see a trend here.... I do... so that's what I'm going to do from now on. I'm going to focus on those above things for the most part.....I'm excited.

So hopefully you'll join me 'Along The Way' to becoming a blessed mother who wants to help others, take care of her family, and honor God.

Been Thinking on Some Things

I've been quiet here this week. Life is busy again (or does it really ever stop?).  I'm still cleaning and cluster-busting just haven't had a chance to blog about it.  Haven't run any of the couch 2 5k in awhile.... ever since I stopped my bc awhile back my monthly visitor has been taking a toll on me.  My hormones are a mess! I'm suffering from insane hot flashes, not sleeping, migraines, crazy cramps, and mood swings that are so extreme I'm worried for my husband (just kidding).

Then there's my essential oil class I'm  having on Saturday at my church.  whew.... why do I do this to myself - oh that's right because I want to help others. So much prep work but in the end it will be fun I'm sure.

I'm not a traveler - I don't travel well and I don't enjoy it.... but yet I signed up to go on a bus trip with my mom and grandma to see Noah at Sights & Sounds in Lancaster, PA. What was I thinking???? :)  If you think of it say a prayer for my husband tomorrow - he will be at home with our three little ones (5, 3, 1) and our three nieces and nephew (10, 9, 2)..... 2 cyber schooled, and 1 homeschooled..... he's going to have a fun day too! :)

Last week I broke a tooth off, in 32 years I've never broken a tooth... but... to add to it it was one of my last two baby teeth.  (I have no adult teeth above them).  So now I have a surprise dentist appointment today to talk about a tooth implant.... this was not in our budget. But God being wonderful and all it happened in a month with three pays - which we only budget with two so the money is already there and available to use to pay cash for my tooth.  God is good!!!  Our budget is tight - and with food costs rising and electric costs rising it continues to be tight.... so if you see my promoting Jessica's Amazon Page and Mountain Rose Herbs you know why! Just trying to pocket a little extra for those rainy days.

So I've been thinking on a lot of different things over the past week.  I wish I had more time, I know I need to be a better manager of my time and I'm working on that.  I've also started a new school system.  So far it seems to be working a bit better for my kids.  We're completing school in 20 minutes increments, with 10 minutes of free time in between.  They are more focused and I am too - knowing in 10 minutes we can both do what we need or want to get done.  It's those small jobs that seemed to have been stressing me out - laundry, cleaning, straightening up,  just misc small jobs that took time and got me distracted but now that I know I have 10 minutes coming and only 10 minutes it's helping me stay on track and the kids are sitting still better and paying attention because they also know they have 10 minutes coming up to run around.  So far so good - we'll see if it continues!  But two days in a row we've completed all of Lydia's extra exercises and school work.  The next thing to add to the day is to work on her reading and phonics.... we both struggle with that for some reason.

What has been on your mind lately?

Clutting-Busting Challenge: Days 6-12

When I started this week I thought I would try and finish 7 days at once... boy was I surprised how far it actually went.

Well 7x7 does not equal 49 in this house! It equals 227.  I've already surpassed the total number for this challenge (217) and I can't wait to see what my final tally is! I focused solely on the kitchen area yesterday with the mindset to weed out as much stuff as possible!!!  It was a huge success, my goal was to see how happy I could make my husband - the larger the pile, the happier he would be.  I also took lots of pictures to share! :)

Here are the highlights:

7 soup bowls I've never used in 8 years of marriage
22 utensils/kitchen tools
14 misc cups/sippy cups
3 cutting boards
4 place mats (family outnumbers them)
15 pantry items that I haven't used or won't use
3 shot glasses - never used
29 silly bands - who invented those things???
6 knives
58 garbage items

Grand total though - 227!!!

Here are a before and after of my utensil drawers (see just a little bit of organization makes a huge difference!) And a picture of my cutie who was 'helping' me.

Here's my slightly full crock of wooden spoons, and spatulas... seriously who needs that many? And my utensil holder.

No she's not going out with the garbage but she was 'helping'

Oh the dreaded plastics cupboard.... this one is my worst at keeping up with... normally I just open the door - throw stuff in and hope it stays shut!

All 227 items that are either being sold (yard sale), given away, or thrown away! Whew... I can't wait to start upstairs now!

Total tally of items: 286

Clutter-Busting Challenge by Money Saving Mom

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My new favorite product

Now I'm not usually one for promoting products unless I've tried them and love them... I can honestly say I love this product!  I've had it sitting in my cabinet for awhile and finally decided to pull it down and give it a try - it says to use it twice daily until who knows when... I can't say I've been consistent as that but once I started noticing some improvement you can bet I'm getting better at remembering......

I've had three babies.... my last was 8lbs 10oz... she was a biggie.  My stomach, sides, and even ahem... my thighs show it.  I've got stretch marks and I will admit it.  Not like my friend who just had her first baby - I will be honest and say I coveted her big beautiful completely smooth belly she showed be just weeks before having her baby.  :)  I thought I was doomed forever... until I found Avon's SSS Perfecting Oil - EUREKA! This stuff is amazing... it hasn't completely made the marks disappear but it's smoothed them and lightened them enough that I've noticed a huge difference. It's not cheap but I don't think once I stop using it they will come back... so it's a worthwhile investment in my opinion. 

1. Go here to create an account and be registered as a customer under M. Donahoe
2. Sign up at Ebates  to registerer for 7% cash back - that's an awesome amount!
3. Then search for Avon
4. The program will take you back to Avon and your account should already be there and tied to M. Donahoe
5. Search for prefecting oil - $12.00 and add to your cart.
6. Browse the outlet section for some great deals!
7. Check out and wait for you order to arrive *Coupon code for FREE shipping with a $10 purchase--FIRSTREP10
8. Enjoy smooth skin, and earning cash back while you shopped at home in your PJ's... :)

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A wonderful surprise

yes I'm still clutter-busting, and yes I'm still exercising (although no running, but forking a load of chicken manure onto the garden is exercise enough right now!)

But right now I'm rejoicing and thanking God for the wonderful surprise visit I had last night and this morning.  Our former pastor and his wife left our church about 6 years ago - I remember after they left I found out I was pregnant with Lydia.  They left under good terms and to this day we still love and miss them - they were vital in the beginning stages of both Nathan and I's Christian walk.

The last time I saw them was the day after Naomi was born, they were coming into town for a visit, Pastor Steve was speaking at our church that Sunday and then we were all going out to eat for lunch - big catch-up.  Well Miss Naomi had different plans and made a sudden appearance that weekend.  But... there's no excuse like a new baby to be sure to visit so they made an extra trip out to our house and it was wonderful.

Then last night as I'm getting dinner ready and my kids are having that late afternoon melt-down I received a phone call. Sue was in the area and needed a place to bunk for the night.  you bet!!!  It has been wonderful and refreshing. She didn't say long today - she's on her way to visit some grandbabies and I can't say I blame her by any means... but the short time we've had was well worth it.

My house is a wreck, toys everywhere, not sure when the last time was I swept my kitchen floor, everything smells like chicken manure, it could have been so easy to say 'no' it's really not a good time, but you know what I would have missed out on such an amazing blessing.  Don't say no ladies - take advantage of being hospitable.... it's a lovely reward.  And who knows when I'll get to see her again.... I'll always have the time to sweep my floor later. :)

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Clutter-Busting: Day 3, 4, 5

Today was a good day, I'll only claim  21 items for now as we still have a large amount of toys to go through this weekend and I'm pretty sure I might be able to knock off the entire next week on Monday. :)

I don't post on Saturday and Sundays normally so I combined those days with today's post.

The toys I threw away were mostly broken ones - wands that were bent, a lonely dress-up shoe that was missing it's mate, numerous 'happy meal' toys that no one ever plays with, an educational toy that really was just in the way, some play money that we spent more time looking for then playing with, some leftover dominoes from the last cleaning party we had missed, some baby toys that none of my three kids ever played with so why was I keeping them, and so on and so on.

It felt great doing that and I'm sure when we go through the large box that has been sitting in the mudroom for awhile now the number will be much large on Monday. WOOT!

Loving this clutter busting challenge.  What have you gotten rid of? Are you keeping track?

Total tally of items: 59

Clutter-Busting Challenge by Money Saving Mom