A new year

I have not blogged since right before Thanksgiving. The holidays came and things got so busy. If you're like me, it's nice to be settled back into a routine. I also feel that January is sort of a time to "spring clean"--even though we're a few months out on that season. Bringing home all of the Christmas loot was a bit overwhelming for me. We spent Christmas at my in-laws' and thus had to cart all of the gifts back. Luckily we have a minivan--I was embarrassed by how much seemed to be in the back of that thing. I had done a purge before the holidays, but upon bringing all of the stuff home, I found that another purge was necessary.

Reading a post on a blog site that I love (unclutterer.com) inspired me to go hard core. Some things I had questioned whether or not to get rid of, I threw in bags with no thought. I mean, really, how many toys does a kid need? I am pretty happy with the results of my purging and also think my kids can now concentrate on playing with the new toys that they really like. They got a few pirate ships and accessories from Playmobil and Imaginext (great toys by the way). A good rule of thumb is "out with the old, in with the new." I've worked with people in my organizing business who want to keep all the old toys and books as hand-me-downs for younger siblings or to give to someone who might need it. The truth is the younger siblings will receive plenty of toys as gifts when it is their time to do so. Maybe keep one or two favorite things, but don't hoard. You will be overwhelmed in the end.

This year strive to have only things in your home that you LOVE--this means your closet, your cabinets, your toy boxes, your attic, etc. Free yourself from clutter--it's a constant battle but gives you such a great feeling when you can do it.