Fresh start...

I really like the beginning of a new year. It's a clean start. I usually don't make up resolutions to lose weight or exercise more. Rather I create goals for myself. Like this year I am going to attempt to make Brioche at some point. (It's a semi-complicated breakfast bread that I hear is fabulous but it takes commitment to get it done right.) I also vowed to purge the house of excess. My dad likes to keep things, I like to throw them away...or give to Goodwill. I originally thought I'd start this over Lent but once I get an idea I usually have to jump on it. Perhaps I should make myself a goal of gaining patience? 

I've kind of dubbed this week as purge week. I began Sunday with the kitchen. I sorted through spices, wiped down the inside of drawers, went through my cupboard full of cleaning supplies and even cleared out the freezer. Sadly there is still more to do in the kitchen but I rid our house of two entire garbage bags full of unneeded stuff and it felt so very refreshing.

I've realized over the course of six short years of raising kids that the sorting, organizing and tossing never ends. It is a continual process kind of like weight loss. Once you lose the weight you have to come up with a plan for maintenance and maintaining order in the house is no different. 

I've also realized that in order to accomplish a huge task like purging a room of unnecessary items I  have to ignore the toys. Once a toy is put away, the girls will get out another. If I spend too much time worrying about putting away toys I will never, ever complete the goal of sorting through the other stuff. The floor will most likely be littered with toys this week but if I keep my eyes on the prize the cupboards and drawers will be better off.

A third thing I continually tell myself is to not think about how pretty the end result is. I need to instead think of how empty or clean the room looks. This keeps me from buying more unnecessary things. The goal is to keep what we need and toss what we don't. My goal cannot be to beautify everything otherwise I will never reach my resolution to purge the junk.

So let the work begin...or continue. I'm ready to take on the week!