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Shoes are sneaky. I counted mine yesterday thinking I had 12 pair. And that seems like a lot! But I knew that today's post would create an opportunity to downsize. Friends....I am doing this challenge with you! Today, I started counting and found MORE, a total of 18 pairs in fact. I forgot my golf shoes, snow boots, hiking boots and a few others that were hidden in the garage.  So, 18 pairs of shoes is DEFINITELY too many. Looking through the boxes, there were 3 pair intended for warm weather. But I had not worn them in over a year. High quality and barely worn, but clearly not meant to go with my wardrobe. I've looked at these very boxes for several years...stowed nicely on the top shelf of the closet. My closet is not stuffed. There's plenty of room, but I'm still passing them on. Why? Because when we hold onto things that we are not using, we prevent them from going to someone who can use them. Perhaps even someone who really needs them. Downsizing isn't just …

[Read more...] about Decluttering Challenge – Day 19 – Shoes

Yes, I’m still talking about your clothing closet. This space can be a big project when trying to get organized. So far, we’ve discussed accessories, laundry, hangers and now colors. To that end, you should be picking up on the fact that my system for downsizing involves streamlining color choices. Have you ever purchased a comfortable shirt in your favorite color? And then bought another one in a different color because they were on sale? Only to see the second one hang in your closet unworn? But it was so comfortable in the store! And it was a great deal, right?! Worry not, you are not alone. I did this more times than I can count, thinking I would wear both colors equally. I did not. What I’ve also learned about color choices is that I know myself. I know what I like and what I don’t. Owning two high quality black t-shirts, two gray sweaters and three dresses in gray-black tones are wise investments. I wear these all the time. Before you start start pointing out that black and …

[Read more...] about Decluttering Challenge – Day 18 – Colors

You have enough hangers. I promise. But they are big, small, wood, plastic, metal and all different colors. This alone is making your closet look messier than it really is. By now you know that I am not an organizer who encourages you to buy stuff.  I will always suggest you reuse, repurpose or borrow first.  However, when it’s time to replace broken hangers or improve the quality, I can get on board with disciplined and thoughtful purchases.  First, we have to figure out how many hangers you really need. Because it is less than you think. I decided to get a baseline by counting mine.  I have 73. For a tour of my closet, click HERE. I filmed this about a year ago and the only difference to today is that I removed even more items.  When I buy shoes, it is to replace a worn out pair. Like accessories, I consider the colors in my wardrobe and purchase shoes that will coordinate. Decluttering Challenge Day 17 Donate Clothing – In honor of …

[Read more...] about Decluttering Challenge – Day 17 – Hangers

I started my day with the usual morning routine.  Devotional, Water, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee and then brain dumped my to-do list and notes. Today is also laundry day. After a fun weekend skiing with my best guy, we are all back to work and school.  To start the week off right, we reset the house yesterday afternoon. Everyone pitched in to do dishes, sort laundry, take out the trash, vacuum and prep dinner while I finished un-decorating Christmas. We actually left the house a bit of a disaster on Friday with small piles of decorations everywhere. I took advantage of the warm weather and pulled down our outside lights but didn’t have time for repacking.  Going away for the weekend to visit family and ski with my son was far more important. Moreover, I knew we could handle a few chores Monday afternoon without much hassle. But life wasn’t always this way. Christmas decorations used to be a several day affair. House cleaning was outsourced. Laundry piles were …

[Read more...] about Decluttering Challenge – Day 16 – Laundry

It's Day 15 and I wanted to check in with all of you! I issued some difficult decluttering challenges the first two weeks of January. Keep going! You are doing great! So far, you tackled the kitchen, home office, kid's artwork, games and more. You are embracing new habits, setting up simple filing systems and even getting out the door a little faster in the morning. Still with me!? Remember, Simply Enough's goal is to challenge you to live differently. I hope in the first two weeks you learned that downsizing is always better than organizing. Perhaps you spent today catching up on some challenges. Congrats! Don't forget to keep an ongoing donation box on every level of the house. They collect items ready to leave your house. At the end of each week, load the boxes in the car and drive to your nearest donation center or schedule a donation pick up. Today, I decluttered: 1 box of electronics 2 bags of Christmas decorations (posted to my local Buy Nothing Group.) …

[Read more...] about Decluttering Challenge – Day 15 – Check In

I think accessories are a good place to start as we move into clothing challenges. When I look at accessories, I group them by color. My wardrobe consists of a lot of neutrals (black, gray and navy) with just my favorite accent colors (eggplant, blue, purple and red). I still own some brown, tan and other colors. But over time I migrated away from colors that I do not love or represent single items in my wardrobe. Which brings me to accessories and today's challenge. I have approximately 14 pairs of socks. 6 athletic style and 8 in neutral colors, mostly black and gray. 1 pair navy and 2 pair of brown. Minimizing accessories and socks by color helped me to easily downsize my wardrobe. It curbs impulse buys and results in more thoughtful purchases. If you eliminate a color from your wardrobe, you can also remove the coordinating purse, socks, belts, scarves and jewelry. Decluttering Challenge Day 14 Take an inventory of your accessories. Note colors you like and dislike. …

[Read more...] about Decluttering Challenge – Accessories