All Things Alicia

What If I Got Rid of 100 Things Every Month?

Last October I had this idea.  Things were starting to come in for the holidays, I knew we were going to be adding presents (3 birthdays and Christmas were coming up), my dad was bringing me stuff of my mom's every time he came to visit, etc...  Thing were piling up and I found myself thinking, I just need to get rid of stuff!  I knew I didn't have much time to devote to cleaning out rooms since the holidays were approaching.  So I thought, "What if I just tried to get rid of any 100 items before the end of the year?". 

And the goal was set.  I didn't worry about cleaning out a particular space, or particular items, etc... just tried to get rid of 100 things.  Any 100 things.  I didn't set aside 1 time to do it all, I just got rid of stuff as I saw it, or had 2 minutes to look around, and so on.

I thought it would be hard.  It wasn't.  I kept  a list on my phone because I knew I wouldn't be able to keep track of the current number in my head.  I had 100 things out the door well before December 31.  I allowed myself the freedom to count stuff I threw away (other than regular trash), gave away, or sold.  I listed stamp sets on Etsy, but only counted what actually sold and left the house before the date. 

So here's what I got rid of:

9 catalogs I decided I wasn't going to order from after all

4 towel sets (8 towels)

3 partial sheet sets (15 pieces)

6 jars of condiments from the fridge - stuff I bought for 1 new recipe but never used again

1 container of creamer I had been hanging onto but knew I didn't want to use

1 bag of ink cartridges (returned to Staples for store credit- I forgot to count how many were in there but it was a quart sized zipper bag)

6 stamp sets

2 bags of girls clothes (consignment sale)

random bits from a hall closet (21 booklets, office supplies, notes I decided I didn't need to keep anymore, etc...)

3 decorative pumpkins

2 decorative hay bales (put into garden for mulch)

and 5 toys I found on the floor after kids 'cleaned up' before bed time

 

That was 103+ items that were easier to get rid of than I thought.

 

So when January rolled around, I still had plenty to get rid of and was still in the habit of looking for things here and here to purge.  I found myself wondering if I could do it again.  I thought I'd likely be able to, even though the time frame was shorter.  I really do feel like it's blessing my house to streamline things and purge the excess that gets in the way, creates clutter (visual or mental), etc... and it felt like streamlining that way would really fit into my word this year, thrive.  So I decided to try.

I'm over half way there for January but I only have a couple of days.  Here's what I've gotten rid of so far:

1 stamp set sold on Etsy

15 articles of kids clothing given to a friend

2 empty bubble containers taking up room in the kids closet (why do they do that?!)

2 paper tubes I was keeping for whatever fun kid thing - I decided they were easy to replace for free if I needed them down the road

2 number puzzles my kids grew out of (sold consignment sale)

5 pantry items I bought for recipes and never used up

8 spice bottles (combine duplicates, threw away, etc..)

10 pieces of fabric from my craft room (more on that in a different post)

4 pairs of slipper socks

1 scarf

 

In the midst of this month, I realized that when I get rid of 100 items in January, I could easily do it again.  100 items made an impact, but not as big as I thought it would.  So again, my mind got working and I wondered if I could get rid of 100 things every month for the whole year.  That would be 1,20o items in 2015!

And that's where I stand right now.  I'm going to go for it.  I can thrive by getting rid of stuff, but I will also thrive by not obsessing, or beating myself up if I don't make it, or feeling guilty if I just don't get to it.  Anything I get rid of helps me thrive, even if it's not 1,200 items. 

The thought has also occurred to me that I might not have that many things to get rid of.  Guess what?  Then I'll stop! And be extremely happy that I got rid of all the physical things that are debris in my life!

So I'll be back with a complete 100 items in January list soon, and hopefully each month with 100 more items.

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These two weeks cover right after Thanksgiving to mid December.  I went mostly with neutral Christmas patterns to fit all the daily life and Christmas color stuff in but also pay homage to the season.  I get a little more Christmas festive in my December Daily album.  Here's I try to include the main seasonal events but also document the non seasonal everyday life.

 Here's the two page spread:

On the left:

-title card

-family picture from our photo shoot - we won free photos!

-My youngest thinks it's fun to copy Leviticus right out of the Bible into her notebook.

- A couple of pretty spaces.  The wood tree is from Recollections, the red snowflake as well.  The snow globe was from a cut apart sheet.  It MIGHT have been the Webster's Pages ones.

- The weeks in review

- Notes my husband put in the kids lunch boxes while I was gone at the National Science Teacher's Association conference in Long Beach for a few days in December

- and lastly a picture of the view out the conference center window

 

On the right we have:

-A pic from a local church's Christmas Encounter we go to every year...I never tire of the scene with the angels singing and the sheep hanging out grazing.

-shopping for a Christmas tree - I journaled right onto the picture with a white Signo gel pen

- a couple more items from the Christmas encounter

- a pretty space with paper and more glittered snowflakes from Recollections

-the middle kid getting Student of the Month ;)

- my youngest using a Wendy's toy to 'crack a code' - she was enamored with the coded message thing

-another shot of the student of the month group

I'm putting final touches on the last of the pages of 2014 (hopefully tomorrow) and getting started on 2015.

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This Crazy Mess

So this past year, my craft room became a crazy mess.  I had projects to finish, and my mom died.  My dad gave me all her crafting stuff and I just didn't want to go through it yet and sort it out, purge, etc...and I allowed myself the grace to let her stuff sit there for a few months until I was ready to address it. 

As a result, I now have this crazy mess in my craft room:

I won't even show you the Expedit or closet. ;)

I'm just throwing this out there, publicly, in a blog post, so I'll be more motivated to sort it out.  I'm ready to address my mom's stuff (it might have to be broken up into separate encounters to make it through everything-emotionally), and I'm ready to have my creative space back.  I really can't think in this crazy mess.

I plan on starting either next week or the week after, and finishing the reorganizing by the middle of February at the latest. 

I'll be back then with an update, possible a video tour.  I might occassionaly post a few pics in between now and then of specific areas that are done.  Just to feel some successes along the way. ;)

 

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Garlic Butter Mushrooms

I was playing around with mushrooms for my cookbook.  A saute in garlic and butter sounded good at the moment.  I ended up eating the whole batch for lunch.  I couldn't stop myself. 

This was one of those recipes where the more I ate, the more things I could think of to do with them.  I made them thinking side dish, but I can totally see these over steak, on a pizza, or in a grilled cheese. 

The mushrooms have almost a lemony flavor, even though there's no lemon in them.  Parsley added at the end gives the rich, buttery flavor a fresh, crisp finish.

 

Here's how you make 'em:

Start with 2 tablespoons of butter (the real stuff) in a saute pan (use one that has a lid).

After the butter is melted add in a tablespoon of garlic (I used chopped from the jar but you can finely chop fresh stuff as well).  I know, it sounds like a lot of garlic, but it's actually not at all overpowering.

Along with the garlic add a couple of pinches of salt and a dash of pepper.

Once it's all smelling good, toss one of those containers (they're like 8 or 10 ounces) of cleaned mushrooms chopped in half (or slice thin for a grilled cheese).  Toss them in the butter mixture til everything is nicely coated.

Put a lid on the pan and turn the heat down to low for about 10 minutes.

Chop about a tablespoon and a half to 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley and toss in after removing it from heat.

Serve.  Enjoy.

Seriously.  Good eats. 

 

I'm going to be trying this again with a non-lidded saute method.  I'll let you know how it goes.  As is though, the recipe leaves the mushrooms with the perfect texture, soft but not mushy. 

This makes 1 full meal or 2-3 side dish servings.

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This was the week of Thanksgiving and my middle kid's birthday (on Thanksgiving).  I actually forgot to take pics during the meal, of the meal spread out, guests, etc... And I know somewhere I have pictures of taking my daughter to the art museum, but I can't find them. That's unusual for me.

 

On the left:

-title card

-week in review

-deep frying turkey

-I wrote the menu and people on one card since I had no pics

-the gold leaves are from the place settings

-A pic of a place setting this year

 

On the right:

-the day after Thanksgiving we went to lighting of a local inn

-ants came in the mail for an ant farm a family friend gave us

-the hubby and I went to see the LA Galaxy in a playoff game against the Seattle Sounders

-My youngest is doing her own hair these days, odd style, but she likes it

-1 pic from Rae's birthday, we celebrated 1 day early so she wouldn't have to compete with Thanksgiving (and for my ow sanity)

-my son using birthday balloons as muscles.

More birthday pics and the missing museum pics will go on her birthday scrapbook page when I get around to that. Since I have Project Life I am not so worried about 'keeping up' with those pages.  I get them done when I feel like it and I am truly happy with that.  By the way, the art museum was her request.

Almost done with PL 2014.  It's amazing how I've learned over the past two years to really not feel behind, to enjoy the process, and to love scrapbooking. 

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Around Here - January 2015

What's going on right now?

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Ok - so I don't have all days planned.  That's because I actually plan and shop twice a week.  I plan on Sunday and Wednesday, and shop on Monday and Thursday.  That's mostly so I can plan the main part of the week, and then plan on using up stuff for the last part of the week. 

I usually do my main grocery shopping on Monday's at Trader Joes and get the local deals and whatever else I need on Thursday at the grocery store next to my kids' school.

For some reason I'm planned through Friday right now.  It's unusual, but the fridge is pretty bare. 

My planner stays on my computer and I alter the days, put major events I might need to plan around at the bottom, and include my grocery list. That way, when I'm in the grocery store, I can see why I wanted something, or how much I might need.  Does that make sense?  My list part is also divided into 4 columns according to basic areas in Trader Joes (because that's where my main shopping takes place).

Here's what it looks like:

You might notice I plan differently for myself than the kids.  That's partly because I haven't talked them into eating chili for breakfast yet.  ;) 

I let go of breakfast food for breakfast a long time ago. The carbs mess with my blood sugar and give me foggy brain, but other than eggs, carbs are pretty much the only breakfast option.  So I decided that breakfast food for breakfast was really just a cultural thing and not done for a really good reason.  Hence, I think of breakfast as the 1st meal of the day, rather than breakfast.  Letting go of expected breakfast foods has immensly helped in starting my day with the right nutrition.

So this week looks like:

Breakfast for kids:

banana bread

baked oatmeal

apple delight

cereal

yogurt

 

Breakfast for me:

chili on greens

baked oatmeal

apple delight

veggie omlette

leftovers from some dinner this week

 

lunches:

I pack leftovers and bento style boxes for my kids with what's on hand.  For myself I eat leftovers, or fruit and cheese, or some experimental item I'm trying to create for my cookbook. This week I have 3 ideas I'm fine tuning.

 

Dinners: (I normally don't have this many salads for side items)

crock pot lasagne with salad

I'll be trying out Pioneer Woman's Marlborogh Man sammy with fruit salad and a green smoothie.

breakfast for dinner (daughter's request) - waffles, eggs, fruit, bacon (I'll have everything but the waffles)

home made pizza and salad - I'll make mine with a cauliflower crust

spaghetti and salad - I'll eat it, even though it's pasta.  I'm not totally carb free.

On Saturday I'll probably make cherry muffins for breakfast and have myself something else.  Then we'll eat out after church (we go to a family fun Saturday night service that our church puts on while we build a larger sanctuary for all our peeps)

On Sunday I try to rest, so we we'll have Trader Joes cereal bars for breakfast (I'll have something leftover), leftovers for lunch, and I make appetizers for dinner to go with a football game.  Haven't planned those out yet.

That's a peek into how we eat.  I will eventually get my whole family onto the "first meal" frame of mind. :)  It's my diabolical plan.

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Week 46 was the week before Thanksgiving and the holiday season busy-ness was in full swing.  There was a lot going on at the kids school in addition to my son's soccer playoffs.

I scrapped this one from my stash.

On the left:

-title card

-an ultrasound order for my knee to show I went and got one (didn't take a pic)

-a jag-a-thon at school- I included all the kids lapsheets even though I only had pics of one of my kids

-Thanksgiving outfit on my youngest in kinder

-a pic of my daughter's kinder teacher- I went in my normal work day at school and found a pilgrim teaching. :)  I'll be putting this one in the kid's school yearbook

-week in review

On the right:

-pics of my kids "camping" on the trampoline in their sleeping bags

-my son's end of season soccer party at the bowling alley

-youngest daughter snuggling under my coat during a cold playoff game

- pics from the soccer playoff final game, including kicks to end the tie

- an egg experiment my kids wanted to do using salt water and fresh water - thanks Bill Nye app

I did most of my journaling this week straight onto the photos with either a sigma white gel pen or a black very fine point Sharpie.  

 

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The Inspiration for This Year's One Little Word

My word this year was inspired by a song.  It moved me when it first came out, and still moves me today.  It really describes how I want my year to go.  If you've read my latest post on TheElementaryProfessor.blogspot.com you know I sabotage my own success.  I have some issues to deal with this year. 

My heart burns every time I hear the lines in the chorus of this song:

WE KNOW WE WERE MADE FOR SO MUCH MORE THAN ORDINARY LIVES
IT’S TIME FOR US TO MORE THAN JUST SURVIVE
WE WERE MADE TO THRIVE

 

Here's a link to a video of the song:

 

Sadly, I kept pushing this word out of my mind.  Why?  Because it was Ali's word last year.  I know that's a dumb reason, but I've always had original words that were not inspired by reading someone else's.  That's also the case here, but I was afraid of people thinking I was copying her word.  Even though it was totally inspired in a different way and I didn't connect with it until about August of last year.  My dear friend Heather helped me get over myself for this one.  I know Ali would want that too.  ;)  And it really goes back to me sabotaging my own success.  Trying to not do that this year.  Trying to allow myself to

 

Thanks again to my great friend Heather for making me a bunch of Thrive inspiration notes. 

I share that story with you because part of thriving, for me, is letting go of how others think of me.  Everytime I think I'm so over that, that it's so junior high, God shows me another way that I let that type of immaturity rule my life.  It's embarassing.  So I'm sharing it here. ;)

Here's to a year of thriving.  Thriving through letting go, clearing out, enjoying, creating success, and an atmosphere of health in all areas. 

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I combined two fall weeks in this spread.

The title card has thickers with a wood grain.  Love me some wood grain.  ;)

Left side:

- I have a selfie from my birthday and a journal card about changes over the past few years. 

-my kids at Aunt JoAnn and Uncle DeWayne's 50th anniversary party

-A screen shot of a text conversation with my son.  He's started texting me with dad's phone on their way home from soccer practice.  I just wanted to capture the beginning of his texting life and excitement.  Especially since he doesn't have anything to text about so he just tells me how awesome I am. ;)

-A text I woke up to from my husbad

-my daughter practicing french braids on my hair

-My middle kid eating lunch with a monkey on her back

Here's a closer up of the birthday journaling:

On the right side:

- Weeks in review

-my hubby let my daughter paint his toes

-an eye injury during soccer practice - black eye for hubby

-a lunch date with the husband after a doctor's appointment for my bum knee

-my youngest daughter wore unmatching shoes to the soccer game, on purpose

-the oldest orders (and loves) oolong chilean sea bass at my birthday dinner out at PF Changs

-middle kid soccer party

-birthday flowers

Almost done with the year.  During this, my second year of doing Project Life, I've really learned to let go of staying on time, capture the memories, and enjoy the process in a more relaxed manner.  I don't get stressed about getting behind, because I know my notes are adequate.  I also have been able to keep things in 1 album again because I combine some weeks where I wrote less notes.  And I'm ok with that.

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