Giving Up On The Bags

November 29, 2012

 

 

     I'm a quitter.  No more bags.  No more challenge.  Taking this challenge completely made me forget what this blog is about:  finding things that could hold my interest for more than an hour whan I finally retire.

 

     So, rather than punish myself with work I don't want to do anyway, I'm back to researching retirement activities I might actually enjoy.

 

     For today, I'm adding Number 11 to my list:  going to an early breakfast with my son and having a good laugh.  It starts my day in a positive mood, and I don't end up in an old lady crochety state of mind.

 

     Today we went to TooJays, about a mile from home, had a nice healthy meal, laughed a lot, and went our separate ways.  Perfect beginning to a day full of promise.

 

www.toojays.com

 

     In addition, I'm meeting a former co-worker for an early evening dinner Friday.  More laughter and positive energy to anticipate.

 

     My advice to myself:  leave the bags and concentrate on what's really important right now and in the future:  laughter with family and friends.

 

www.pinterest.com/mimihylton

 

 



Thirty-seven Bags To Fill--Harder Than It Sounds

November 28, 2012

 

     The first three days of filling a bag a day with clutter, giveaways, and junk seemed painless.  But wait, there's more.

 

      This morning I thought about that fourth bag and it just didn't call to me.  So instead, I scraped all of the papers, receipts, gift cards, and other unmentionable stuff off the kitchen counter and into a bag.  That doesn't mean I want to throw or give the contents away.  That means I will have to sit down tonight and go through each and every piece in that bag and sort, sort, sort. 

 

     I see my future now in retirement:  I will be a bag lady, just sorting, sitting, and sorting.  Possibly I will have hired Merry Maids by that time, so I can be out bike riding instead. 

 

     Great idea:  "Forty Bags in Forty Days," but I think I'm going to need company to keep me motivated.  If you are trying this challenge, invite a friend over for coffee, then get the friend to cheer you on to yet another bag. 

 

     Feng Shui practitioners and other organizers recommend going quickly from room to room, choosing 27 items to get rid of.  Quick!  Don't think about it.  How did they choose the number 27?

I may do it that way tonight. 

 

     It's off to work I go, where I know my classroom doesn't need for me to fill a bag there today.    Have you started filling your fourth bag yet? 

 

www.pinterest.com/mimihylton

 

      

     

Forty Bags in Forty Days Challenge

November 25, 2012

 

     I didn't come up with this idea; of course I stumbled upon it on pinterest.com.  I'm posting the link here so it will make sense to everyone.  It's a fabulous way to declutter your nest, feed your trash can, and donate to those who can resell it, like Goodwill or ReStore or the Salvation Army.  Here's the link to the blogger:

 

 

http://www.littlelucylu.com/2011/03/40-bags-in-40-days-challenge.html

 

      I'm adding this to my retirement activities list as one item:  Number 10, but it will involve 40 actual days of action. 

 

     If you want to join the challenge (it's a self-challenge, not a competition), leave a comment and report on your progress.

 

     Writing this blog causes me to feel younger by the day.  Tomorrow, back to reality and my real job, but I have certainly appreciated my 9 days of Thanksgiving vacation.

 

     So let's get going:  go buy a big old box of trash bags and make a list of 40 places in your home that you could clear out, day by day.   I know that checking off each item on the list will be satisfying to all of us each day.  And I still haven't gone bowling.

 

www.pinterest.com/mimihylton