Streamline in 09'

I have had a distinct tug at my heart for a while now, a sort of dissatisfaction with life in general. Don't get me wrong. This is not a poor DW post...far from it! God has poured out his blessings on us. I mean, we live in a ginormous house, have the blessings of a ginormous family and have comparatively ginormous blessings materialistically. "So what's the problem?" I've been asking myself. Doc and I are getting along better than we ever have. There is no dissatisfaction in that department. So what is going on?

I talked to Doc recently and he expressed the same feeling. Like there is something more...or more specifically, something less....less stuff, less busyness, less clutter. More quality time as a family, more games, more giggles, more prayers...MORE TIME.

I think that part of it began with the acquisition of Four Sisters Farm. Sometimes when you take a break from life and enjoy the simple things in life, it makes you yearn for that more often. Another part of it is just the day to day living we do. All the laundry...too many clothes put into the dirty clothes that have been wadded up but never worn. All the picking up toys...too many toys that the kids are distracted by but never sit down and focus on. All the wasteful tossing of food that goes bad in the fridge because of poor meal planning. The cluttered cabinets that overflow with hair product I don't use, Tupperware with no matching lids and clothes that spill out of drawers because they've been thrown aside in search of the 3 pairs of favorite socks I own. The list goes on and on. It sickens me and it is stealing joy from our family.

So this year, it our distinct goal to get rid of superfluous stuff and activities and to focus on the things that are joyful and productive. In other words, we are going to Streamline our life...SIMPLIFY.

I began this morning. I took a shower and as I got ready, I decided to get a trash bag and pitch everything that I didn't use. I used the make up that I routinely use and put that in a little organizer then went through the rest of my makeup and saved only the makeup that I would use on a special occasion. I threw away the rest.

Then I did my hair. I kept only the hair products that work on my hair and that I use consistently. I threw away hairspray that doesn't hold and anything else of the sort.

Then I went through my jewelry. I'm not really a bobbles type of gal. I have worn the same diamond earrings since my wedding night. Besides those, I wear my wedding ring and a Timex watch that is far more utilitarian than stylish. I don't need much, yet, here was an entire drawer full of jewelry. I grabbed a Ziploc bag and put the stuff I never wear or had no sentimental value to me in there to donate.

I know that it is just a start but it made me feel calmer and much less crazy to see the results. If I can do a bit everyday, it will eventually all get done. We're on the road to a simpler life!