Cleaning Up and Clearing Out

The aftermath of Christmas begins to bother me earlier each year. It used to be that I would have my tree up by Thanksgiving and down after New Years, but no more. The paper and boxes that wouldn't fit in the can would sit in the corner until the next week patiently waiting their turn out side, but no more. I used to listen to Christmas music until Chinese New Year, but no more. This year was a record. Everything is up four days after Christmas. Does that make me look like a bit of a Scrooge? I hope not. Christmas this year just exhausted me. Between multiple illnesses and travel, I was wiped out before it even began! That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. Who could be out of the holiday spirit with all this going on?

No, my weekend was lovely, delightful, blessed in so many ways, but it was tiring.

The last few days all I could think was, how soon can I clear my house and, by proxy, my head. Not soon enough. The boys didn't mind when the tree came down even though there are still gifts for family and friends we didn't see due to illness or timing. The clearing out of the mess seems be as reassuring to them as to me. Life continues - on with the show!

This show is returning to its regularly scheduled house sale plan. Three months in the process we have received all positive feed back. The four people who looked love the house, but who would want to buy at full price what they can get for half price in repo? I was deeply discouraged last week (my plan was to spend Christmas at our new house and buy the boys new furniture for their rooms and a play house) when Griffin, 6, hugged me and said what I had said to him so many times; "God has a plan!" Oh, the faith of a child! So I bucked up and resumed carrying on:

What I needed was a distraction.

#1. Clear out Christmas clutter decorations. 

           I can't seem to think clearly in a messy house anymore. Blame it on age or finally growing up, but it drives me nuts. Putting up the decorations bring me almost as much joy as taking them down again.

#2. Clear out toy boxes.

          The boys got toys for Christmas. Because, you know, they don't already have eight boxes of toys in storage while we move. It's fine though. Most of those are probably ruined by now thanks to melting/freezing batteries. Sigh. There is a major clearing out of the (toy) storage unit planned for February.

#3. Clear out the closets.

            We have way too many clothes. Many of which we never wear. You have have heard the old study that people wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time? I believe it! I think part of the problem in my closet is that I have two wardrobes; a home one and a work one. Why do I need a work wardrobe? As a stay at home, homeschooling Mom with no need for an extensive fancy wardrobe in the need future, it's time to pare down.

#4. Donate everything. 

          I have done all these steps before and ended up no where because the stuff was "saved" for yard sales or friends or freecyle. No more. All donations are put in the trunk and delivered ASAP to the local thrift stores. Karma has to kick in at some point right? What you give out to the world will surely come back in some form. Maybe even a house offer.

#5. Take the month of January off.

Not from work or school or chores, but from running around and making myself needlessly busy. We have been sick SO much in the past two months you would think we would be sick of home, but if I'm not ever here, I can't get stuff done and when I have a moment here I am working. There is never any time to play or read or dream if your days are filled with appointments. I plan on doing something fun for Chinese New Year on February 3rd as a coming back out party. 

I'm wanting to sit down and work on the budget for time and money for the year some time this weekend. There are so many things I want to do and seemingly neither the time or money to do them. It's time to clean up and clear out our home, our finances and our schedules!