I am excited to introduce you to our Featured Blogger: Bec who blogs over at Little Lucy Lu. She is sharing with us a fabulous challenge on Living Simply for 2012 with the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge. Don’t worry you dont’ have to do it in 40 consecutive days, read on and get the details.
Happy New Year, everyone!
I’m Bec … the mommy manning the keyboard over at Little Lucy Lu.
I’m a kindergarten teacher by day …. and a blogger by — well, probably just in my dreams, really.
But my blog is certainly something I ENJOY!
And BEST of all, I am a wife to Scott and a mommy to my little girl, Lucy.
I’m thrilled to be here today to tell you about my goal for 2012.
Are you a resolution maker?
I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m the resolution-type … but I am a goal-setter, and I do have a strong desire to LIVE SIMPLY in 2012. –Or at least, to live MORE simply!
I desire to want less. To be content with less. To even, be happy with less.
Less stress. Less busy. Less obligation. Less STUFF.
(Doesn’t that sound good…?)
Oh, how I would love to have a NEW house again.
Why? …. One of the reason is because my brand-spankin’-new house had nothing in it!
Okay … maybe it had a few things in it, but compared to the amount of STUFF it has acquired throughout the past eight years, it felt like nothing!
Where to begin my search for simplicity?
Last Spring, I discovered this fabulous idea, traveling through the blogosphere — the “40 Bags in 40 Days” challenge!
The general idea behind this challenge:
- Is to purge your house of forty bags of STUFF.
- One bag each day, for forty days.
I know, I know. FORTY!? As in 40 bags!?
Yes.
You read that right.
And I’m here to tell you, it is not as hard as you may think!
There are more places, spaces, drawers, shelves, nooks, crannies, and closets in (and around) your house than you realize, I bet!
Here’s a little peek at MY list from last year:
As you can see, some of my spaces are pretty typical clutter-collectors — I mean, HELLO….? Who doesn’t have a junk drawer somewhere in their house!?
But how about your makeup bag? Or the bath toys? Or your cookbooks? (You could probably live with ten instead of twenty, right?)
Try to get creative and think outside the box when making your list! What part of your house are you going to hit first?
These are the words I kept repeating as I sorted through my closets, drawers, and cabinets.
Is it REALLY useful? Is it REALLY beautiful?
*Both of these questions, I might add, are subject to opposition from the ol’ husband if you’re {ahem} – nice enough to ask him. Might I suggest that you don’t ask his opinion (just this once!) …. and that you use black (non-see-through!) garbage bags when attacking this challenge!
…..Unless you would like 3/4 of your purged items to end up back in your house somewhere!?
You’re just going to have to trust me on this one.
Lucy thanks for introducing me to this challenge. I started on Sunday with my kitchen and my awesome husband helped me for 3.5hrs straight. Slowly but surely we are moving into other areas of my house.
Omg! Love this idea! I bet I can do 40 bags easy…lol! I have a lot of junk drawers, and closets. Thanks for linking up at my linky party!
Yes, I am with you!
I’m starting in my craft room – who knows, maybe 40 bags in there alone?!
Ann,
LOL, you go girl! Have fun simplifying and organizing!
This is a great challenge. I strive for simplicity and less stress daily.
Alison,
Such a great way to live!
OH you said what I have been thinking all day! I look around this house and just want to bag up the clutter and get rid of it! Start the program Saturday- someone needs to watch the kids! Thanks for the push to get started!
Kate,
LOL, I know about the kids. It is so much easier to declutter when they are not around. Usually my boys will start playing with the things I am tossing and then they get upset b/c I am putting it away.
This is perfect. I think I could fill 40 bags without even making a list! I’m such a pack-rat.
Narda,
Enjoy decluttering and going against your pack-rat habit!
Love it!! Thanks so much for linking up! Just a reminder also to register for my $50 Stencil Giveaway!
XO, Aimee
I love the idea!
This is such a great idea! Thanks so much for the challenge! My husband is going to love this as we were just talking about going through the house and decluttering yesterday!:) Yay!!
Love this idea! Hope I am not too late to join in. I am going to pin this and hope it inspires others too. I am a new Twitter follower visiting from Gingerbread blog. Vicky from Mess For Less
Congratulations this was the top viewed link this past week at So Very Creative,
http://soverycreative.blogspot.com/2012/01/so-very-creative-party-time-20.html
Heather, Awesome!
This is so helpful!! Thanks for linking up at {Junk in their Trunk}…this is being featured today as one of our top links!
Heidi,
Thanks for the Feature Love!
Just wanted to be sure you knew you were featured last week, yay!
http://www.makinglemonadeblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/refresh-your-nest-friday-17.html
Well, Diane I may not want to jump out of airplanes in my last trimester or the first or second trimester if the truth be known but the 40/40 idea is something I am ready to jump on board. Alan and I have started decluttering out house in Fresno and it feels great. I am all for having less things to dust and clean. Simplicity is perfect!