Decluttering Essentials

I moved to a new house recently and I wasn't even around for the move. I know, cue the interesting story. I was out of the country on a mission trip and visiting family. My family decided to move without waiting for e to return. What a great move. The corona virus epidemic was in full swing when I landed back in American soil.

I arrived at a great home. My husband made sure the kids were settled and the kitchen was unpacked. He also made sure I could find my running essentials. Oh, another essential that I quickly found: my coffee pot. Life was good. Except that I was back at work full-time and the kids were out of school.

What to do? Get angry and break the stuff that did not break during the move? Heavens no. I decided instead to grab my decluttering essentials. These five tools have helped me get organized over and over again. I'm sure you want to know what they are. 

Music or Podcast • I always declutter better when I am listening to good music or an interesting podcast. I believe these audio cues help me think less about the mess around me and focus on something else. I also believe that if I save a certain podcast only for decluttering times, I get back to that project over and over again - until I'm finished that is.

Cleaning Supplies • I often need some type of cleaning supply when I'm decluttering. I gather whatever I think I will need ahead of time. Having all the supplies next to me cuts down on distraction. Because I don't have to walk back and forth to get the supplies I can actually spend all my designated time decluttering.

Trash bags • It is inevitable that I fill have to throw things away when I am decluttering. I decided to have a few trash bags at hand just in case. Some bags double as recycling bags. The goal is not to keep all of the reasons why my space is disorganized. I created the habit of immediately going to the trash can outside of the house and getting rid of what I don't need.

Donation box • I developed the habit of having a donation box in the same space I am decluttering. I try not to think deeply about what needs to be donated. I haven't repented yet of making a donation. If it's still good enough to be reused and if it can be a blessing to someone else, I let it be. The only time donating hurts is when the item was not used properly. I have a few things that should have stayed in the store. Personally, this type of pain of regret is the only one I feel when separating things for donation. Much like the trash, the donation box goes immediately to the back of my car. My car goes quickly to the donation spot as soon as I can.

Timer • I start my decluttering process by setting my countdown timer for 45 minutes. I have learned over the year that 45 is a great number for me. It is not too little or too much. I can get a respectable amount of work done in 45 minutes. The 15 remaining minutes are all mine. I can use them however I want. I can browse my favorite social network. I can have a cup of tea. I can write a quick blog post. Those minutes are a reward for the focused work I did. Setting a timer also gives me the mental encouragement that there is an end time to that hard work. I even use it with the kids and they enjoy it.

I still have a lot of work to do in our newly moved home. Things slowly get in place as I use these five essential decluttering tools to keep my home organized.

P.S.: I recomend my own Podcast if you want to listen to something while you are cleaning. 

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How to have a Clutter-free Holiday Season in 45 minutes

The holidays are upon us and the goal is not to be surprised by something we experience each and every year. I have found that during the holidays, we have the tendency to gather more things and when you add to the clutter you already have, you get a new year filled with clutter. This year we are going to be smart and we are going to get rid of our clutter before more of it arrives. Here's how my 45-minute solution will help:

• Schedule time - you have to dedicate time to declutter. I find that 45 minutes is a great chunk of time to get any job done. If the job is overwhelming, I just work at it for 45 minutes, then I go back to it some other time. What I do is, I set my cell phone's alarm clock to countdown for 45 minutes and I start to work. I recently organized my closet that way. There were a few bags of trash, the donation bags went straight to my car and the storage bags went to the correct place too. When those 45 minutes were over, I still had 15 minutes to do whatever I wanted to do. During that time I can snack if I'm hungry, look at social media or simply rest. 

• Work faithfully - it's important to stay focused on the task during those 45-minutes. I say that because on my way to my 45-minute job I can find a million other things to do. Being faithful to that one big project is the key to getting rid of clutter for good. My one big project was my closet. You could not walk in the place at all (and yes, some of my friends saw it too). On my way there I had to talk myself out of finding other projects such as going to the store and buying more organization supplies, making sure I clean other rooms... you get the point. Be clear with your goal and work at it faithfully for 45 minutes. 

• Repeat - What? Is this not a magic solution? And the answer is no. Simply because your family lives in your home. That room you proudly cleaned will get messy again but hopefully not to the same degree. It is important to put this 45-minute practice on repeat so that things stay organized. I might not have a big closet mess to dive into, but I have other small cluttered spaces that could use the same 45-minute decluttering strategy. I also did not finish my laundry yesterday, so believe me, I'm setting my clock for 45-minutes today and I am putting clothes away only to repeat this process next laundry day. The key is to find a strategy that works for you and repeat it when needed. 

• Have a list of pre-holiday projects - What are the areas in your life that need attention before the holidays? Is it your Christmas decor spot? Is it kids' toys? Make a list of pre-holiday projects so that your life will be easier when it's time to be officially merry and bright. My closet was the big monster project but kids' toys is next on the list. We don't have an overwhelming amount of things (I've been donating things throughout the year) but the toys can use some organization. I also plan on looking intently in my kitchen to be sure we don't buy things we already have for our holiday dinners. We can all have a list of pre-holiday projects. Being organized will save us time and it will make us more efficient as we move towards the most wonderful time of the year. 

How do you see yourself the day after a big holiday such as Christmas? I see myself as a peaceful wife and mother who will not dread the holidays but will actually enjoy it with my family. Being organized ahead of time will help me accomplish that goal. I challenge you to schedule time to declutter and focus on getting organized (not overwhelmed) as we approach this holiday season. Have a productive day my friends! 

More on the subject:
• My 45-minute solution for Organizing 

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What Packing?

This is what my dinning room looks like as I type. We are getting ready to move and we are in the "no turning back" stage. Here's how we are preparing: 

Pre-pare • In the beginning of the summer I got rid of a lot of baby items we were no longer using. I held the most unsuccessful yard sale ever, no items were sold. I swallowed my frustration and packed everything in my van and donated the items to a local charity.

My Dear Stuff • The hardest things to let go of were mine, so I asked Zeke to help me go through the things in our room. Sure, I didn't need that t-shirt I haven't wore since 1996 and my shoes need a big improvement. We quickly organized what we wanted to donate and what no one needed to see again in two different piles so everything that's left is really going to be used.

Furniture Free • I have been praying for new pieces of furniture for a while and I know God will answer my prayers. We decided to donate and sell everything but our bed. I joined a local online yard sale group and was able to sell a few items there. I believe we passed the 'I'm not attached to my stuff' test. Yesterday my neighbor came to get the pieces we were donated and it actually felt good to know someone in need will be blessed.

The good news is that the moving company will do the packing for us, all I need to do today is to pack for the trip. God is faithful and as I share on my eBook, He really guides mothers with young so gently.
My journey has been one of faith. God has been faithful and I am learning what's really important. My family is my priority and with God as our guide, He leads us besides still waters and refreshes our souls.

Here's what's happening next week on the Blog:
Monday • Successfully Managing Stress (Video)
Tuesday • A Parent's Guide to Haywood County, NC
Wednesday • Memória (Português)

Thursday • The 1-2-3 Guide to Hiring Moving Companies

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Gravida de verdade, bla, bla, bla.

Parabens e Deus abencoe a linda familia Obama!! As cerimonias ontem foram lindas. Nos nao temos tv a cabo (historia para outro dia), mas gracas a Deus da pra vc assistir quase tudo na internet. Estamos orando pelo presidente Obama!

Gente, estou com quase 25 semanas de gestacao. Estou gravida de verdade (rs). Ha um tempo atras, antes de eu perder peso, eu fui na igreja do meu marido depois de ter mudado de estados e etc, e o pastor disse na frente da congregacao toda: ‘o Zeke e uma pessoa muito boa, ele me liga sempre, mas ele nao me disse que ia ser papai, paranbens!’ O Zeke estava pasmo qdo o pastor apertou a mao dele e todo mundo estava aplaudindo. Dai ele me chamou pra subir no pulpito e saudar a congregacao. Claro que nao tivemos a coragem de corrigir o homem na frente de todo mundo. Depois do culto alguns amigos estavam perguntando qdo o nenem ia nascer (rs). Bem, agora estou gravida de verdade, entao o Zeke ligou pra todo mundo pra dizer que da proxima vez a gente volta com uma crianca (rs).

Nevou ontem tambem, mas hoje o sol esta brilhando, o que quer dizer que a neve evaporou e agora a gente pode dirigir pra tudo quanto e lado. E claro que continua frio. O bom desses dias de neve e que deu pra trabalhar de casa (gracas a Deus pela internet) e deu pra terminar de descansar tb. Os ultimos dois fds foram tao cansativos! E agora que estou ficando maior preciso de mais descanso pra aguentar a correria da semana. Outra coisa legal de ficar em casa foi que deu pra cozinhar um almoco legal pra gente hoje. Geralmente a gente cozinha pra janta, e geralmente umas coisas rapidas. Hoje tivemos frango ao queijo parmesao (vc assa o frango, tempera e poe parmesao no frango, fica gostosinho) e macarronada. As vezes fico cansada de comer fora. Aqui na cidade tem restaurantes legais mas nem tanto como em cidades maiores. Pra gente ter mais escolhas a gente tem que dirigir uns 30 minutos, e de vez em quando vale a pena.

As aulas pre-parto estao indo muito bem. Tem varios exercisios que vc tem que fazer. A professora vive me dizendo que ja que vou ter meu filho bem mais tarde que todo mundo eu tenho que continuar praticando pra nao esquecer. Ate hoje nao pratiquei muito mas vou colocar na minha lista. Uma dona me disse que ela e o marido brincaram tanto na aula pq eles iam tomar remedio pra nao sentir as dores do parto, e acabou que eles nao puderam tomar o tao remedio e ela teve que ter o filho sem ajuda nenhuma. Ele deu gracas a Deus que as enfermeiras a ajudaram. Cada um tem uma experiencia com essa aula, o importante pra mim e estar educada e saber o que fazer. Acho que essa semana a professora vai mostrar um filme do nascimento de um bebe, vamos ver.

Esse fds vamos comprar o berco. O berco e um presente dos meus pais, que bencao ne? O pessoal da igreja tem nos dado umas roupinhas de vez em quando, o que tem sido uma gracinha. Estou ficando animada pra decorar o quarto, ja que esta pronto – pronto pra mim quer dizer, carpete novo e o quarto esta todo pintado. Vou dar uma olhada nas decoracoes e ver o que ha de novo. Por enquanto nao estamos usando o nosso dinheiro pra comprar nada, estou esperando pra saber o que o povo vai nos dar, e dai a gente compra o que faltar. O objetivo e de pagar dividas pra qdo o bebe chegar a gente estar bem melhor financeiramente. Desde que a gente casou Deus tem nos abencoado pra pagar dividas (emprestimo pra faculdade, carro, cartao de credito, etc). Todo ano quando a gente olha pra tras a gent eve como Deus tem nos abencoado quando a gente insiste em sair de dividas, especialmente qdo vc nao pega mais dividas. Uma coisa que tem sido otima e que eu nao uso cartao de credito faz uns 2 anos. Comprar as coisas com dinheiro e bem mais barato no final das contas. Esse ano, uma das coisas que queremos e terminar de pagar nossas dividas. Pode demorar uns anos mas eu nao vou viver individada pra vida toda. Eu conheco varios casais la na igreja que nao tem divida nenhuma, um dos casais e da nossa idade. Eu admiro essas pessoas pela perseveranca e pela liberdade que eles tem pra viver uma vida abundade.

Bem, hoje eu falei de varias coisas (rs). Ate a proxima!!!

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Babies in Costume

Today is Halloween. I'm seeing some babies in costume which has been really cute. Apparently in my niece's daycare, some kids have been dressing up the whole month, lol! They have a party today, I gotta post the photos later. I think she was going to be a princess but they ended up choosing an angel costume, she looks really cute.

We've spent a lot of the week around my niece and nephew, that was a lot of fun. We live so far away that we do treasure the little time we spend with them, especially now while little babies.

Our time away has been great. To be honest, we've done so much I almost forgot I was pregnant. Being away from home is much different, there's no routine on the road, so we're doing the best we can.

My eating has been good. I haven't been overwhelmingly hungry but I still do eat often. I haven't really exercised this week although I wanted to do that. I'm getting as much rest as I can. Back to normal on Monday.

So, this is week 13, next week I will be officially out of the first trimester, can you believe it? This trimester is supposed to go by fast cause you find out you're pregnant by half of it :) Thank God I'm still feeling great. My goal is to keep exercising, keep lifting weights and eating the best I can. It's really funny that I haven't craved sweets (or anything else by this matter). I guess that was my personal stereotype on pregnancy. It's been a great time. I'm looking forward to having more peace and joy as the months go by. I'm also looking forward to painting the baby's room and making it nice and cozy way before the last trimester. By then I'll probably saying: come on baby!!!

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