Clutter Busting Challenge Day 11

Today I worked hard on cleaning up the basement which consists of the two oldest girls' room and the play room. They have all there toys stored under the stairs. They love it but I get a little frustrated because they like to just throw toys under there instead of putting them away.

Well after a few hours of cleaning and organizing, I had a few stuffed animals to give away and a large pile of things to throw away. 

Clutter Busting Challenge Day 8

 

Well today was spent going through the 3-6 months tub of clothes. I am so very proud of myself. I was able to go through to whole tub and sort my two piles. One to sell and the other for future nieces. It took two days to go through the 0-3 months. It is some how getting easier as I get rid of more baby things.

Save Pile

Sell Pile

I am very proud of myself since starting this challenge. I have been having a great attitude of wanting to get rid of stuff. It is just stuff after all. The less you have the less you have to take care of.

Clutter Busting Challenge Day 7

 

 Today I cleaned out two drawers in the bathroom while I was in there cleaning. They were a mess. In the process I had a nice pile of things to throw away including some very old glasses of mine, broken clips of the girls', old toothbrushes and a few other things. I also found two baby headbands that I put in my "save for future nieces" box. 

Clutter Busting Challenge Day 6

 

Today I found things as I was cleaning:

• A shirt that needs to be turned into a rag. 
• Another shirt to give away or sell. 
• A book the girls have ripped. 
• A flashlight that doesn't work.
• A book I am finished with that will be given to my sister.
• A towel that needs to be recycled to the rag box.
• A wooden spoon my girls broke.

Clutter Busting Challenge Day 5

 

Today I can finally put the winter stuff away, I hope. We had about 2 inches of snow last Thursday, 10 miles east of us had 6-8 inches, and 25 miles east had 18 inches. We so hope that was it until December.

 

I sorted through and hung up the winter jackets and snow pants that will still fit one of the younger girls. The ones the youngest has outgrown is hung up in my closet in a place designated to my future nieces. My girls are the first grand kids so I have the previlage of passing on the expensive items to family. Winter gear is one of those things. 

Total is one snowsuit, 5 jackets 12 and 18 months, and 3 pairs of snow pants.

The Heart of a Child

  "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Mark 10: 15

Until I became a mom I never really understood what Jesus was trying to tell his disciples when he told them they needed to be like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven. As an adult I think it's so hard to comprehend. We deal with so much in our lives every day. We know evil and we know good. We know longer possess this childlike innocence.

The other night I told my girls I had bought blueberries for them. All three were jumping up and down and cheering. When is the last time you've seen an adult react like that. It is after all just blueberries and they get them at least once a month.

I believe that is what Jesus was trying to teach us. A child's heart is so pure that they are excited about anything. They have such a joy and excitement for things that they do everyday. There is an amazing passion and desire our kids possess that we don't understand.

We need to approach spending time with Jesus in the same way. We should not just be excited, but ecstatic about spending time with him. We should be jumping up and down unable to control our excitement. There should be smiles and desire on our faces. Our hands should be trembling with excitement as we open the Word of God and as we pray.

When we react as my kids did to blueberries, it gives God a satisfaction like I received knowing that I made my kids happy. The feeling I got watching my kids jump up and down with excitement is something I can't even describe. As a parent you feel such raw emotions towards your kids because you give them that joy and excitement by just saying yes. How would our relationship be with God if we could get excited about blueberries? We are his children after all. He cares and loves us more perfectly then I could ever love my kids.

Clutter Busting Challenge Day 4

 

 Well today was the day to get my girls involved in clutter busting. They have so many toys and play with a few. The youngest doesn't really play with the age appropriate toys since her sisters usually play with Barbies, stuffed animals, plastic animals, dress up clothes, and the kitchen.

I have decided that they girls will get rid of their own toys rather than me getting rid of them. My 2 year gave me a broken Barbie to throw away. . I made my oldest pick out at least 6 stuffed animals to get rid of. In the end she was able to pick out 8 stuffed animals. They were small ones but that is a good first step.