Thought #3: Stuff is just stuff

3 January, 2013 by 2 Comments

This lesson has been a hard lesson for me to learn. We moved into a new house in April of 2007. A big, clean, empty house. Our forever house. To fill with children and grandchildren…and of course the Vaughan Zoo.

So how is it that a mere five years later you’d think we’d lived in this house through at least three generations? But the closets and drawers are full, and my hubby’s business is storage warehouses, so naturally we have plenty of extra storage space for all of our necessities!

As we grow in age and experiences, both joyful and sorrowful, we gain wisdom as to what is important and what is not. For the first 40 years of my life I’ve spent accumulating those “treasures” that fill my closets, rooms, and warehouses. I’m certain I may be spending my last 40 years to getting rid of the “stuff” and laying up some treasures in Heaven instead. Only I really don’t want it to take 40 years. The word “simplify” has become a very important word in my life. If you click on that link you will see a prior blog post including some photos of a messy house that needs much purging. It’s not a quick job but it’s getting there. The biggest challenge to simplifying your home is simplifying your mind. {Care to tweet that?}

I was all about the Southern Living Magazine and Parade of Homes when I begin building my “life.” I wanted the American Dream. But the American Dream if full of empty promises. Just look at our government! (Okay, I won’t get started there). But you get my point. In 2007, I moved into my dream house, but it was the most miserable time in my life. The “stuff” solved nothing.

Now, the “stuff” just takes away my time and energy that I should be spending with my husband, my children, and my God. Not necessarily in that order. The “stuff” brings frustration. It’s constantly about making room for the new stuff. And what if something tragic happened? Like the horrendous event in Connecticut? None of the “stuff” would matter. A photograph, a toy, a few special memories to cherish…but that’s it.

Stuff is just that…stuff. It means nothing. After all, you can’t take it with you. 

Finding time to clean out is not easy. But once you start, it’s amazing how much thought you put into future purchases. T.J. Maxx used to be a dream store for me. ALL OF THAT GREAT STUFF AT DISCOUNTED PRICES! Now? I can honestly go in and get only what I’m looking for, because I know it will just be cluttering my mind and I’ll be trying to figure out what to do with it in a year.

Now remember, when I introduced you to my Ten Thoughts, I told you I wish I could write them on the back of my eyelids so every time I blink I’d get that subliminal message. That hasn’t changed. I must remind myself of these thoughts every day. But each day, they get a little easier.

Don’t let the “stuff” in your life get in the way of what’s important. There are many books and blogs out there about how to simplify your life…just google it. I have.  They are all a little different, and you can find one that’s right for you. But believe me, when you get in the mindset that stuff is just stuff, you can see the blessings in your life so much easier!

http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/nesting/54-easy-ways-declutter-and-organize-your-home.html

Organized-Simplicity-small

 This Organized Simplicity is a great book that I’ve used, and if you jump on over to Tsh’s site at www.simplemom.net, you’ll fine many more resources.

 

Another great blog post I found was at TLC Parentables: 54 Ways to Declutter and Organize Your Home. Lots of great information and advice there.

Good luck! And know that we’re in it together. Please share any resources that you happen to love!

  Thanks Bunches  Smile

Filed Under: Making Changes, Simplify Your Life, Ten Thoughts for a Happy, God-centered Life Tagged With: , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Simplify

16 July, 2012 by 4 Comments
I’m a “want-it-right-now” kinda girl. Patience is not one of my virtues. Obviously over the seven years I was sick, God was well aware of my lack of patience and was trying to teach me a thing or two.  And I’ve learned my lesson. The hard way.

Making changes that produce great results don’t come easy.
  • No matter how many times I throw away all the junk in my pantry promising myself that I will feed me and my family only healthy food. The Fudge Rounds and Lucky Charms always creep their way back in. 
  • Every time I get all of the clutter cleaned up, I swear I will not let it pile up like that again. Let the following picture tell you how that has turned out. I just took these on Instagram (6:52 pm Sunday evening)
If you read Saturday’s post: I’ve been kidnapped, you’ll 
understand why I have an air mattress in my living room…
I promise this will look like a completely different house tomorrow, but I can’t seem to keep it that way. It’s a simple concept I attempt (though obviously fail) to teach my kids… “when you get something out, put it away.” So simple, right? 

You would think.

Living with pack rats (the other four members of my family) plus three dogs and two cats…it’s a full zoo. Here’s just a small representation 😉


I wouldn’t trade my crazy zoo for anything. They all bless me. But things around here must get under control!  

I know the answer; I just don’t like what it takes to get there. I’ve had the “sign”—literally—for years:

 

I’ve followed a blog for a while called “Simple Mom” that’s all about simplifying your life. I think mine needs an overhaul. 


So my {make-a-change} this Monday was buying the following book. I’ve been trying for years to simplify…it’s obvious I need some help! The title caught my attention. One Bite at a Time sounds like it’s all about small changes. Right up my alley. 

It’s a $5.00 e-book and hopefully well worth the money. I’ll let you know how it goes in upcoming posts. Maybe I’ll share some of my changes and some pics with you on upcoming {make-a-change} Mondays and you can join along with me. Although, hopefully, you are not all as hopeless…

From my heart,
Celeste
Filed Under: Family Focused, Making Changes, Simplify Your Life Tagged With: , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Love One Another

27 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Since we made the change last week to start cleaning out the stuff we used to consider to be treasures, we will have time to lay up our treasures in Heaven. 

All my life I’ve been taught that earthly treasures mean nothing. “You can’t take it with you,” they said. 

It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle 
than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. 
(Mark 10:25 ESV)

I get it. “Stuff” means nothing. Worrying about our stuff keeps us from spending time on what’s truly important.

But what are our treasures in Heaven and how can we begin to put them in place?

Souls. Souls are our treasures.

God commands us to love one another, just as He has loved us. Love one another. 

That’s how we lay up our treasures in Heaven. Love. Share the love of Christ and make it so enchanting no one can resist. 


For every fifteen minutes you spend cleaning clutter, spend another fifteen sharing what Christ has done for you. 



From my heart,

Celeste
Filed Under: Living with Purpose, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Simplify Your Life, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~The Fifteen-Minute Clutter Cleanup

20 February, 2012 by Leave a Comment


Are you a pack rat? 
I am desperately trying to simplify my life. Learning NOT to be a pack rat is one major change I’m making, and it is not easy. 
For years I’ve read books on decorating, organizing, saving, displaying, etc. and there have been times I’ve spent more effort on moving around the “stuff” in my life than probably anything else. It’s ridiculous. It’s STUFF! 
So today’s “make a change” is short and sweet, and I’m working hard on this one myself. 
Choose one small space and spend 15 minutes cleaning out the clutter. You might choose one of these:

•   Your toothbrush drawer
•   The hot spot in the kitchen where everyone dumps things as they walk in the house
•   Your underwear drawer
•   A child’s toy box
•   Your nightstand
Now, as you go through items and deliberate what to do with them, ask yourself these questions:

•   Has it been a year since you last used/wore it?
•   Is it too big or small, or out of date? (Think of clothes and techy gadgets here)
•   Could it be easily replaced?
•   Do you spend more time moving it out of the way to get to something else than you do actually using it?
•   Do you have something similar that serves the same purpose? 

If you answered “yes” to those questions, let it go. 
Now if you’re like me, you’ll feel guilty about throwing these treasures away, so you end up spending even more time figuring out what to do with them. I’ve come up with a fairly easy solution that is working well for me. 
I went to TJ Maxx and bought some of their large, reusable shopping bags (only 99 cents and really cute) and I put two of them in each of the kid’s closets, my closet, and the laundry room. For each set of bags, one is for Good Will and the other is for consignment. 
Each time I do my fifteen-minute clutter cleanup, I have bags ready to deposit the items. When a bag is full, I take it to its destination, and then put my empty bag back in its place to fill again. 
•   No huge mess to “clean up” once I’ve “cleaned out” because I never do anything that takes more than 15 minutes. 
•   No truck full of stuff to ask my hubby to get rid of when he comes home from work. 
•   No procrastinating or dread of the huge clean out project looming over my head.
Just 15 minutes. Once a day, twice a week, whatever you can do. You won’t miss that small chunk of time, and a year from now, you’ll have lots of clean spots in our houses! 
The really cool thing is, once we can spend less time on this earthly “stuff” we accumulate so easily, we can spend more time on laying up our treasures in Heaven! (If you’re not sure exactly what those are, stay tuned. I’ll have a post on that one next Monday.)
Go do your 15-minute clutter cleanup now! 
From my heart, 
Celeste
P.S. Once you start this process, you will automatically think before you buy more “stuff.” Once you get the space clean, you won’t want to clutter it up again. 
P.P.S. For those of us who are really hardheaded, those hot spots may have to be cleaned up more than once.
P.P.P.S. A prayer over a husband and children may also be required if they are the clutter bugs! 

If you want lots of cleaning and organizing tips that make life easy, check out The FlyLady. I found her several years ago after reading her book, Sink Reflections, which is full of great tips to help you make those changes that stick!

If you want someone to walk you through a few weeks, my friend Tsh over at Simple Mom is doing Project Simplify for Spring. She has an easy plan she’ll walk you through!

Filed Under: Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes, Simplify Your Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,