January Purge

If you came knocking at my door this week I would not invite you in. It's not because I don't love you. It's because I'm in the middle of my January Purge. And it is not pretty in here. It's down-right disgusting. 

 

You're probably wondering what IS the January Purge...and why am I doing it if it's so disgusting? Because my lovely, when it's all said and done it will be nice and pretty. And organized. Just the way I like it.

The January Purge started a few years back when Chaz was 2 and Channing had just turned 4. Our cozy house had been taken over by toys, toys, and more toys. And our children were at the age where they weren't really 'babies' anymore and yet we still had every toy they had ever received. Ever. Including all the baby toys. 

 

So it was out with the old and in with the new. And it was time to get organized! Now it has become a yearly tradition. 

 

When I first started the January Purge, my intention was solely to get the children's rooms/toys organized. But it felt so good when their rooms were finished that I just kept going. To every room in my house. Yep. Every room. I went through every drawer, cabinet, and closet. I moved the refrigerator and stove and cleaned behind them. I organized my pantry and the linen closet (which I reorganized to include space for the children's craft supplies). I also vacuumed the A/C vents and ceiling fans. And dusted on top of the four armoirs in our house. Yes, that's right...four armoires. Hi. I'm Michelle. And I'm addicted to armoires. 
 

I cleaned and organized every nook and cranny of our home. And it was awesome. 

 

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you already know that I'm crazy about organizing and such. So this probably doesn't surprise you. But yes, I know, this kinda takes it to a whole new level of crazy. But you wanna know something else? Each year I do this, it takes me less and less time. And then I'm not stressed about being over-taken by "stuff" throughout the remainder of the year...and my family can enjoy our home.

 

If you don't wanna go to that level of crazy organizing with me...it's ok. Start small. Go through your spices. Clean out your silverware drawer (you know you've got those little crumbs in there!). Clean out the cabinets under your bathroom sink. Spend a few minutes pulling out all the clothes in your closet that you haven't worn in over a year. Reorganize your pantry (Simple Mama tip here: do one shelf at a time instead of pulling everything out all at once). Take 10 minutes to go through something...anything. But be warned: it's addicting. Once you start, you may not want to stop! :)

 

One last side note: You're probably wondering what my children are doing while I'm in the midst of the January Purge. You may not believe me when I tell you this. But they don't mind it. They love having all the toys out. And I just let them keep everything out until I'm near the end of my organizing. Also, I think it is good for them to help go through things to donate...and it's good for them to see me purging and getting rid of things. We live in such a "stuff-centered" society where lots of importance is placed on all our 'stuff.' I want them to learn to be free of the consuming lie that our 'stuff' is what makes us. We can't take it with us, but we sure love to hoard it all up around us and shower it with love, don't we? Guilty as charged over here too. 

 

Now that the January Purge is complete, I'm going to go work on my New Year's resolution. If you need me, I'll be playing Legos with my little man. (And I'm so glad all those little pieces are neatly organized into tubs. We'll be able to build something super cool in no time!)