Decluttering

I don't know if it's my age. Or maybe the circumstances of my life right now. Or maybe it's just an urge to do Fall cleaning. Whatever it is, I am on a tear to declutter my life.

I'm extremely organized and I declutter my house on a very regular basis. But right now I feel as if the walls are closing in on me and every inch of my home is occupied by something. It is driving me nuts.

So, I decided to declutter. I started with cookbooks. I have a cookbook collection that I love, but I rarely try new recipes from any of the books. The biggest culprit is the Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks. The bright colors, drawings of comfort foods, and fun titles draw me in and I have purchased waaaay too many of them over the years. I'm working my way through each book, pulling out the recipes I think I want to try and putting the rest of the book in the Goodwill box.

I also have cookbooks from Costco and Sam's Club that I have never used. They are next on my list.

At the same time I'm tackling my Christmas books. I have a very large collection of Christmas books and buy more each year. I have a few favorite authors, and I'm definitely keeping those. But I also have some that I only read once and never picked up again. I'm reading them now and if they're not exactly my style, or don't hold my interest, I'm putting them into the Goodwill box.

(oh my gosh, how funny! as I wrote this last sentence an email popped up telling me of a Goodwill grand opening near me!)

I know these are small steps, but I'm hoping that I feel so great after this that I tackle my craft items.

Stay tuned...

Verse for Today: Luke 1:46-47

I just needed some extra inspiration this day...

Verse for the Week: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

just singin' and dancin' in the rain

It rained on Sunday.

Real rain.

For thirty minutes or more.

The Monsoon "officially" ended on September 30th and this rain was somewhat unexpected. It was wonderful!

You may remember that I gave the kids umbrellas as their Easter baskets this year. They rarely get the opportunity to use them.

As soon as we realized this rain was going to last for awhile, Skye got her umbrella and opened it up. She ran up and down the street in the water running down the gutters. By the end of the shower, she was soaked, but had a blast!

Please excuse the blurriness - I blame it on the rain!

Verse For the Week: Matthew 11:28

Official Seven Month Photo!

Now that she's seven months old she has teeth (as you can see), she sits, and she's trying her best to crawl! She still has a very cheerful disposition and is always smiling. I love you, Snow!

Verse For the Week: 2 Corinthians 4:18