New Year, New Challenge

If 2017 taught me anything it is to embrace my past so that I can properly move forward. One thing I have to embrace is that I have a clutter problem, and that's ok. At the beginning of 2017, I found a Home Organization Challenge, printed it out, but didn't do ANYTHING with it. Ooops.

I've also started reading the book 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' by Marie Kondo. I went through clothes, and maybe another area or two but also didn't finish. I do, however, follow Marie's suggested way of folding and storing clothes. So, I've made some progress.

A few days ago, I took the kids into their bathroom and told them to clean it up. But instead of just putting away toothbrushes and hair elastics, I decided that we were going to CLEAN IT OUT! I grabbed a garbage bags and threw out old toothpaste and brushes, and MORE, yes, believe it or not. Old soaps, and cleaners. It felt AWESOME!

So I decided to join the 2018 Home Organization Challenge by fellow blogger, A Bowl Full Of Lemons. I downloaded the guide, printed it out and told the family. They were not excited. But, after the holidays, we needed to go shopping. And in an effort to save money, I thought we should do some meal planning. So I went through the upstairs freezer, and CLEANED IT OUT! Another garbage bag filled. And while I was at it, I might as well do the downstairs deep freezer. ANOTHER garbage bag filled. Phewf, that felt good. And when we got home, I did part of the pantry. Checked expiry dates, tossed food, and organized.

The official schedule for the challenge is to start the week of January 6, but I'm starting now, mostly to keep my momentum going, and to get ahead because of some upcoming trips we have this year. Please join the challenge, and the Facebook group. Let's do this together! I might even post some pictures! We start with the kitchen. Here we go!!