Everyone seems to have added “reduce/purge clutter” to their new years resolutions.

I didn’t.

But after reading just one post on it (thanks, Steph!), I decided it was time to do some purging of my own. Josey had mentioned a “30 bags in 30 days” challenge that she took part in one year, and I figured that was a good goal. I had no idea what all could be put out to pasture in our house, but I knew we had a lot.

I upped the bag count goal to 31 bags since January has 31 days. I’m not taking part in other purge challenges because, well, I was already on quite the roll before the challenges started and there are no before pictures of what we’ve already done. AND – that’s just too much pressure for me.

So far, I have taken 7 full garbage bags of clothes to the Goo.dwi.ll, tossed out 7 bags of garbage (our trash bin has never been so full), given away 2 garbage bags full of clothes, and loaded up another 2 bags of clothes to take to Goo.dwi.ll later this week or next week (when I have even more to take!). The itemized list of donated clothing is ridiculous and a little embarrassing, as is the LOAD of fitness clothes I’m sending to my sister and also donating in the next round of donations. I hope to never fill closets again like I did a few years ago.

B hasn’t even TOUCHED his tubs of clothes and I suspect we’ll have around 4 bags of clothes to donate once he’s done.

So far, we have purged and completely organized the following spaces:

• Linen closet
• Matthew’s closet
• Food pantry
• Deep freezer
• Regular freezer
• Craft cupboards (2 of them)
• Bryson’s dresser
• Rearranged the living room, opening it up a ton!
• Moved Matthew’s toys into his room (from the living room)

The following spaces are half-done:

• My side of the closet
• Bryson’s closet
• Store room full of tubs, and tubs, and tubs, and tubs, and…
• Mud room

Here is what remains:

• The remaining side of my closet (drawers… ugh!)
• B’s side of the closet (his job)
• B’s tubs of clothes in the store room (his job)
• Our walk-in pantry (OMG that is going to be a chore for us both)
• The spare room in our basement that stores baby crap
• The filing cabinet
• The craft closet (sigh)
• The cabinet in Bryson’s dresser (double sigh)
• The garage (his job)
• Finish mud room organizing

So a lot has gotten done, but holy hell, a lot remains to be done.  One day at a time… one day at a time.  I already feel so much better about the state of the boys’ closets in particular.  It is amazing how freeing it is to finally tackle something that’s been hanging over your head.

Now, I must go rescue my baby who is crying for some reason… he hasn’t woken up this early in weeks.  Damn!