From my 40 Bags in 40 days inspiration....

Just to be honest....I found this online and wanted to be able to see it...over and over again.  I printed it out too!  I'm working on getting 40 bags of stuff that I have allowed to clutter my life OUT!  Stuff seems to accumulate to fill space available and I need to get back to basics.

Take time to deliberate; 

but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in."

Napoleon Bonaparte

Some tips for de-cluttering decisions:

Is it really that hard of a decision?  If I am pondering over keeping that kitchen tool that I don't really need or want, what is the WORST thing that can happen if I get rid of it?  I might have to buy a new one down the road after I find that I miss it terribly?  It might cost me $3.99!  If I am thinking of getting rid of something that costs $1,700 of course I will put some thought into it.  But most of the clutter is the little stuff that slowly ads up.  Fear of letting go of little things is silly, I have found.

I was going to post some practical professional questions I found on the internet to ask ourselves while de-cluttering, but it was just all so stupidly generic and magaziney-ish I thought "OH how dumb".

I'm a mom just like you, so here are my unprofessional  REAL-LIFE thoughts when I am making decisions to rid my house of something: 

• Do I want this in my house anymore? 
• Where the heck did this come from and why is it in my house?
• Do I love this toy for my children?  (Was it just a gift that I would never have bought, or did I make a mistake thinking it would be hit and it's plain old dumb.)
• Do they play with it often?  
• Do I look good in this shirt or do I never wear it because my bra straps always show and bug me or the sleeves are too short, or some other annoying thing?
• Do these pants make my butt look big?  Or do they make my butt look bigger than it already is?
• Will my child look like a rag-a-muffin wearing this?
• Will he/she EVER wear this in spite of my attempts to force them into it?  
• Does it have stains?
• Do I want to dust this for the rest of my life?
• Do I want to look at this for the rest of my life?
• Is this really me or do I feel I need to keep it out of obligation?
• Do I use this daily, weekly, or monthly? 
• How long will it be before anyone even notices it is gone?
• Will I be able to sleep at night if I get rid of this, or will I be racked with guilt?
• Do I really need more than one of these?
• Do I swear at this thing a lot?  (Like a small lamp that was in my kitchen once that shocked me all the time.  Or that battery toy that never shuts off and drones on and on and on?  So long, sucker.) 

Or more eloquently put, I always keep this quote in mind:

Have nothing is your house that you do not know to be useful,

 or believe to be beautiful.
william morris

Will you join me in my quest for not just simplicity, but in a life that is more focused on the things that REALLY matter?