More Baby-step cleaning!

The baby step cleaning is continuing!! I did my "junk drawer" in my dresser. Found an expanding wood organizer at WalMart in the kitchen drawer storage area. It felt really good to get it cleaned out, trash thrown out, and stuff that I "inherited" that I never wear/use sent off to Goodwill. Then I sorted the rest and put them in the cubbies. I have been catching myself just opening the drawer to admire the organization!

I have now moved on to my bill/paper box. THIS IS A LARGE TASK!!! I had been pretty lazy all year (and last year too) and threw everything into a box to sort "someday". Well, it is tax season and I needed to find some receipts for my accountant guy. That meant that I needed to sort through the box of doom! I spread it out on the floor and made pile of the various catagories. Gathered up all the old credit card offers and checks from the credit card companies so I can shread those. Then I put the other piles in individual file folders and put them back in the box. I will need to go through those more thoroughly later but for now it is MUCH better! From this point forward I will have a CURRENT year file folder (one of those expanding ones with dividers). It will be on the table at bill paying time. I also have a 5X8 size 3-ring binder with pocket files for each month that I sort my bills into (done that for years and works very well for me). That binder also houses my labels, stamps and few envelopes. The idea is just to set both items out when I pay bills and just sort everything RIGHT AWAY!

Probably need to work on the kid's paper/keeper storage next. I have a crate FULL of stuff as well as some plastic drawer things and some shoe boxes for each of them!! Need to get everything into ONE storage container and then have a CURRENT year storage box. Someday they will enjoy looking back at those items. I know that I enjoyed the few items that mom stored for me! I certainly don't keep everything but I do keep a few of the interesting and unique items for each of them.

Baby-step Cleaning

Another goal that I have set for myself, in regards to the Bible Study, is to clear out the junk! After cleaning out the attic at the house where I grew up, I said that I wouldn't do that to my kids. I had forgotten about it until now. If something should happen to me I would want to leave things orderly. So I have started small and cleaned out a dresser drawer and added some nifty spring-loaded dividers (found them at Target) and then sorted the items. I have to say that I love not having to dig around through the drawer in the morning to find a clothing item!! When I emptied out the drawer I was shocked at some of the junk that was lurking in the back. So it now clean and sorted. Definitely baby-steps at this point but will continue on my journey!

New Bible Study

There have been several ideas converging on me at once. Let me explain. Our church is embarking on a "30 Days to Live" event. The idea is to think of what you are living now and how would you live differently if you only had 30 days to live. Then.....on a blog that I like to read they have a month long challenge to either get up extra early everyday to pray for your family OR to fast one meal a week to pray for family. THEN I started seeing references to binding scriptures to you to keep the LORD in the forefront.

This has really gotten me thinking about life. One of the first steps that I am taking is having a "mother's ring" made so that I have a visual reminder to pray for my kids! They NEED me to pray for them! I am hoping to add a fasting meal each week as well (shouldn't be too hard....I am definitely NOT starving!). The other thing that I/we want to do is take the family to the ocean! We love the ocean and husband & I have been wanting to take a trip out west again. The kids are old enough now to make that happen. So the planning has begun!!!

I am hoping that this month-long study will reveal other areas of life that need GOD's light to shine!