30 Bags in 30 Days

In the beginning of the month, I announced my intention to get rid of 30 bags in 30 days.

While I have no problem getting rid of things, I am typically the get in the purging mood and get it done all in one day or an intense few hours or not at all type of purger. This is how it went attempting to do it daily:

Day 1 (Monday, January 2) - Large box of cardboard recycles
Day 2 (Tuesday, January 3) - Small Target bag of bathroom trash
Day 3 (Wednesday, January 4) - Basket of dog stuff the lived at the front door forever - most of it was crap aside from the poop bags and leashes, so I got rid of it because it's a place for people to crap up. I ordered a wall hook from Amazon instead.
Day 4 (Thursday, January 5) - One large box of wine glasses for donation.
Day 5 (Friday, January 6) - I set aside two pair of shoes when putting away a newer pair of shoes from Christmas that had not gotten a home yet.
Day 6 (Saturday, January 7) - I do something I never do, which is to cherry pick shit to get rid of. While putting away laundry, I pluck two sweatshirts I rarely wear and drop them on the shoes from last night. While doing a pass through the spare room I grab two fancy hats that haven't been touched in years and add them to the pile. That'll do for a medium sized paper shopping bag.
Day 7 (Sunday, January 8) - Kitchen towels sorted and set aside for donation, as well as two chalkboards hanging on the side of the china cabinet.
Day 8 (Monday, January 9) - It was negative eleventy degrees, I had hives, and I came home and took benadryl and went the fuck to sleep.
Day 9 (Tuesday, January 10) - Sorted old baseball hats for donation.
Day 10 ( Wednesday, January 11) - More hives. More benadryl. More early sleep.
Day 11 (Thursday, January 12) - Shitcanned a bin of cleaning products in the coat closet, where it has lived for years but never truly belonged, and put the still usable stuff down in the basement with the rest of the cleaning stuff.
Day 12 (Friday, January 13) - I went through the dog meds bin and got rid of a bunch of old dog meds.
Day 13 (Saturday, January 14) - I added some old candle holders to my donation box.
Day 14 (Sunday, January 15) - Upstairs freezer purged and reorganized, got rid of a small bag of food that was beyond its expiration date.
Day 16 (Tuesday, January 17) - One small plastic grocery bag of miscellaneous wrapping crap for trash

At about day 18, I was resentful of the daily task. It's not sustainable for me because the urge to purge does not strike every day. I also don't think in numbers when it comes to how many boxes or bags I want to get rid of - I want to get rid of stuff that doesn't get used, isn't loved, or is not beautiful in my space. I don't want to get rid of things just to say I did. Through the remainder of the month, I packed old dog costumes for donation, purged my nail polish, and set old towels aside to be donated to the animal shelter.

What type of purger are you? Small and measured or when the mood strikes?

No shirt, no shoes, no more shit

Since late fall of 2015, I've been at the shore as much as possible. I put a lot of work in down there, then spent a lot of time enjoying it. It has taken me a full year to find my groove in managing two houses. I think I've got it, so now I need to get things under control at home.  My eyes have not been on our house in Philadelphia and it shows.

I started an everything must go campaign two weeks ago and it's been awesome. I am a person who feels weighed down by stuff so it has lightened my load a lot. More work to do here though, so I am going to join Steph for 30 bags in 30 days, getting rid of a bag of something every day in January. It won't be a kitchen trash bag of shit every day, some days it'll be a small shopping bag, but every day, a bag must go: trash, recycle, or donation. My grandmom taught me the one in one out rule, but until I really get everything under control I don't want to be distracted from my goal by bringing new stuff in. So I'm not buying unnecessary shit in January or February. This is not a spending freeze. Some exceptions I'd make:

-Black boots: if I find ones I love, I'm buying them.
-Something LulaRoe if Amanda hosts a party

I have been through pieces of my wardrobe, but haven't been through the entire thing in a while. My friend Lauren reminded me of the turn the hanger trick, where all the hangers face one way and once something is worn you turn it the other way, so this week I'll turn the hangers in both closets I use for clothes to see what I actually wear and what I don't. I'd like to get MFD to do his as well. I am waiting on a few tops from ModCloth and pants from Old Navy to replace some work stuff I had to get rid of, so when they arrive, it's on.

I'll check back with you on the last day in January as to how I did with 30 bags in 30 days as well as the no shopping thing. I'll check back in on that at the end of February as well. Do you have any plans to not spend or purge your home to kick the new year off?

Happy birthday to my aunt Sue today!