2016 Check-In...

Wow!  Where has this year gone already?!  I can't believe it's already early June!  I was flipping through my photos on my phone to remind myself of what's happened so far this year.  Here's a brief run-down:

January went smoothly enough.  I was able to spend quite a bit of time with my baby nephew and my family.  I was on a roll with my capsule wardrobe and with purging.  (The capsule wardrobe has now become a way of life, though I no longer count my number of items as diligently).  

February and March were very challenging!  We had a pipe burst and ended up having to move into a hotel for nearly three weeks while we dealt with our insurance, plumbers, etc.  That was by far one of the worst experiences I've ever encountered owning a home!  There's not much you can do without running water!  (I did learn how to make a toilet flush by pouring gallons of water down it that I lugged back from the hotel though.  Gravity is a beautiful thing sometimes).  It truly tested my patience and made me thankful for the simple things in life!  It also made me realize I could live in a 4 room home and be completely fine.  (If only the pets could've come with us).  Thus, three weeks of living between the hotel and our house with no water began.  (Driving around with dirty dishes from home in your car so you can wash them at the hotel anyone)??

Towards the end of March, I saved enough $ up for a down payment on a pretty little convertible.  I had been driving my Honda Civic for 11 years and had been contemplating doing so when the pipe burst.  Fortunately, I found a great deal on a used car with very low miles.  Her name is Peyton (after 2016 Super Bowl Champ Peyton Manning) and she's so fun!

At the beginning of April, I stumbled across this post on Facebook and it really hit home with me.  The photo on the left shows a 250 lb woman and the photo on the right shows a 120 lb woman.  Being able to see weight gain internally was really scary, especially seeing the fat around her heart and brain.  So did the compressed knee joints!

I began thinking about eating cleaner and trying to lose weight again.  Towards the end of April, I had a work meeting with someone who sells Arbonne and we happened to talk about how good her skin looked/discussing the program.  On April 3, 2016, I began their 30-Day Detox Challenge.  I didn't follow it perfectly, but I would say I ate clean/did the protein shakes about 80% of the time.  As of today, I've lost 10 lbs and really have changed my lifestyle.  I now crave slightly frozen mixed berries rather than chocolate bars and drink about 60 ounces of water at minimum a day.  I make my two protein shakes the night before work usually, which gives me an easy, healthy breakfast and lunch for the next day.  (Previously I would get so busy with work that I'd go through the McDonald's drive thru for breakfast and usually skip lunch or order something full of carbs that delivered for lunch).  I feel better and I'm dropping lbs!

At the end of April, my best friend gave birth to her first child, which also inspired me to continue trying to get healthy.  (Perhaps one day hubs and I will be blessed with a baby of our own).

May was really hectic at work, so when my scheduled PTO rolled around, my mom and I decided to take Peyton on a road trip (literally booked less than 36 hours before we left) to North Carolina and Myrtle Beach.

We did fun things like take a helicopter ride (which neither one of us had done before.

We saw a show (Pirates Voyage) and went to the Ripley's Aquarium.  (Both of which were a lot of fun)!

The main thing was we got to spend time together and RELAX, which was something we both really needed!

I came home and planted my "garden" for this year.  OK, so it's a hanging pot (minus the hanging part), but the flowers are pretty and it makes the deck more enjoyable.  I've decided gardening just isn't for me after all.

For those of you who followed my blog last year and my process of becoming more minimalist, I've purged around 35.5% of all my belongings.  I seem to be hanging around that percentage.  I just started week 47 of the process.  My goal was to get to 50%, but I'm quite a ways from that unfortunately.  If I really put my mind to it, I might get to around 38% to 40%, but we'll see.  I've been working really hard (at work), so my focus right now is to enjoy my life and my friends and family.

Hope everyone is having a blessed 2016 so far!

XOXO,
Stephanie

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Welcome 2016!!

2015 turned out to be quite the year!  I changed jobs (twice - more on that in a minute), my nephew was born, and I discovered the idea of minimalism and eliminated over 34% of my belongings since July 19.  I could never have predicted the path the good Lord took me on, but I am certainly grateful!  

When I last blogged in November, I was about to embark on a pretty major change - going back to my old company I was at for 9 1/2 years.  Less than a month after my old boss said he needed to cut my pay significantly for budgetary reasons (which he later recanted after re-running the numbers), the job I'd always wanted came open at my old company and I was approached about taking the position.  Although I loved my co-workers (and my boss too), I decided the chance for stability and to go back "home" was something I couldn't pass up.  I've been back there for about 5 weeks now and I love it!

Admittedly, I went off the rails a bit with ordering Lia Sophia jewelry from their clearance website and buying clothes for my new position (which requires dress pants more often than not).  However, by year's end, I still managed to purge over 5400 items (over 34% of my belongings).  I bought the "Mindful Budgeting 2016 Planner" from a blogger named Cait Flanders to track all my purchases/expenses during 2016.  I've got the starting numbers filled in and I am SO excited to use it!  You can click here to buy one for yourself!

So, with the first day of the new year nearly in the books, I wish you all a happy, healthy 2016!  I'm excited to see what 2016 holds!

XOXO,
Stephanie

BECOMING MINIMALIST - Passing the 100 Day Mark!

It's been a while since I posted an update.  There are some changes going on that I'll fill you in on in a few short weeks.  (Nothing bad I promise).  So, this time it's a 3-week update.  

The goal I set for each week was simple:  Purge 69 items 

Week #14:
Saturday - Day #92

My parents came down today and we spent the day fixing things around the house.  My dad builds houses for a living and I could wander around Lowe's all day long, so I was excited to follow my dad around learning how to fix things.  He fixed the garbage disposal (which officially blew up a few weeks back), replaced the water filter that cracked/sprayed water all over the basement a few weeks ago, showed me how to pull down the vent in the bathroom so I could clean it, and together, we replaced 9 rotten deck boards.  The deck project was hard work, but it was nice to spend time with my dad and feel like I was able to help him.  

My parents also brought my childhood dresser down for my husband and I to use.  We haven't had a dresser since we moved into our house.  In fact, a TV/stand used to sit where the dresser is now.  The TV is one of those old, huge ones with the big back on it that we rarely watched.   So, it was out with the TV and in with the dresser.  Since our closets aren't huge, it's great to have a bit more space to put our clothes in.  The dresser makes the room feel more like a bedroom too.  My dad spray painted it white and changed out the knobs.  Now it's perfect for what we need!  

This Week:

This week was a strange week!  The weather was all over the place (low 60's on Monday and high 70's by Friday).  Work was bananas!  I was so sore from helping lug boards up onto the deck on Saturday that from Sunday through Tuesday, I could barely walk because my muscles were so tight.  Plus, I was just in a funky mood all week.  By the time I sat down and inputted my purging into my tracking Friday morning, I had only purged 13 items.  Eeek!

Here's a glimpse of some of this week's outfits.  The grey sweater I had planned on returning ended up staying because it matched my Monday funky mood perfectly.  I added my Origami Owl locket that had charms for all the important people in my life/folks I'm thankful for to remind me how blessed I truly am.  Wednesday my co-worker and I walked around various towns passing out flyers to recruit staff, so they grey/off-white striped top was the perfect comfy attire.  "Casual Friday" brought out my comfortable deep red top that is basically my adult "woobie" (aka - that piece of soft clothing that makes you feel better when you wear it and is an old, faithful piece).  As you can see, my Toms were the rock star this week.  I wore them 4/5 days.  

Totals for this Week:  This week was a tougher one for me purging-wise for two reasons:  1.  I worked about 50 hours and 2. I was in a funk all week and by the time I got home, I was really tired and just wanted to rest.  Since I didn't meet my purging goal for this week (I only purged 23 items), I decided to combine weeks #14 and #15.  Instead of purging 69 items total, the goal for the two week period has become 138.

Week #15:

I was determined to break out of this funk!  I figured the best way to do it was to push myself to be active rather than just lay on the couch.  Eventually, something will happen to brighten my attitude.  To kick start things, I decided to make some "mini goals" for the day.  I do this at work all the time and write down a list of 5 things I want to accomplish for the day.  I don't leave work until all of those things are done.  

Here's a sample of Saturday's "Top 5":

1.  Change the kitty litter - COMPLETED
2.  Unload/load the dishwasher - COMPLETED - this lead to me doing a deep bleach cleaning, followed by a white vinegar & baking soda cleaning on the dishwasher and taking the filter/washer blade apart/cleaning it.  Gross!
3.  Clean off the table beside the couch - COMPLETED
4.  Laundry - at least 3 loads - COMPLETED
5.  Find my receipt from the Limited so I can return the clothes I'm not keeping - COMPLETED

On Saturday, my husband and I also decided to go to Costco.  We've only been there twice since we got our membership and decided it was time to use it.  Costco is a nightmare for my inventory numbers (hello 36-roll pack of toilet paper), but a blessing budget-wise!  Our plan is to take the food we bought to work for lunch and to eat at home rather than eating out every day.  It should save us a lot of $.  Last week I spent approx. $102.32 on lunch/ordering pizza for dinner.  We spent $16.47 on this freshly made pot pie that's the size of an oven pizza and will get at least 6-8 servings out of it.  Yes, that means we're going to each eat 3-4 meals of pot pie over the next few days, but it tastes yummy, so we'll be OK.  

Sunday - Day #100

I can't believe I've been on this downsizing mission for 100 days!  It seems like I've been doing it forever and it's only been a little over 3 months.  In the past 100 days, I have purged over 5000 items from our home.  Who-hoo!

This week I returned the clothes to The Limited that I ordered and either didn't like or changed my mind on.  I absolutely hate going to the mall, so this is one I've been putting off for weeks.  However, it saved me $268.38.  After going to the mall (which I was dreading), I decided to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure.  I hadn't had one in weeks and my fingers and toes were just gross!

Oh ya, and the dishwasher I tore apart to deep clean during Week #14 - we can't get it back together.  Nothing like hand washing dishes to make you want to get rid of every dish/pan you own and buy paper products.  

Here's a look at this week's outfits.  The weather turned colder (in the 50's), so it was time to break out the sweaters and boots.

Week #16:  Days #106-113

A major, major blessing and answer to prayer was received this week!  I'll be able to share in a few weeks, but it's safe to say, my funk has been lifted!  

So far, my Fall capsule wardrobe includes the following:

1.  White 3/4 sleeve top
2.  Goldenrod yellow short sleeve sweater
3.  Burnt orange sleeveless top 
4.  Burnt orange cardigan
5.  Magenta split-back long sleeve top
6.  Maroon/navy/white sleeveless print top
7.  Maroon short sleeve sweater top
8.  Maroon sweater with white bottom
9.  Mint/charcoal grey sweater
10.  Brown/charcoal grey sweater
11.  Grey/white split-back sweater
12.  Grey/off-white striped long sleeve shirt
13.  Grey short sleeve top
14.  Black/grey/toffee color blocked long sleeve top 
15.  Black long sleeve shirt
16.  Off-White skinny jeans
17.  Teal jeans
18.  Grey jeans
19.  Black dress pants
20.  Black skinny jeans
21.  Taupe flats
22.  Brown tall boots
23.  Grey Toms
24.  Black flats
25.  Black tall boots

The rest is all jewelry/accessories:
26.  Lia Sophia beveled paprika red necklace
27.  Lia Sophia grey/clear crystal Stanton earrings
28.  Lia Sophia beaded Savannah necklace
29.  Lia Sophia Acorn earrings
30.  Lia Sophia Christina's Joy necklace
31.  Lia Sophia Crystals and Cream necklace
32.  Lia Sophia Wisp necklace
33.  Lia Sophia Lush necklace
34.  Lia Sophia Lush earrings
35.  Lia Sophia Posey earrings 
36.  Rose gold colored watch
37.  Lia Sophia grey/crystal Astoria necklace
38.  Lia Sophia Flapper necklace
39.  Lia Sophia Coy earrings
40.  Origami Owl silver locket necklace
41.  Lia Sophia grey/orange/green Kauai necklace
42.  Blue Shattuckite Ring
43.  Rainbow Calsilica Earrings

As I mentioned previously, I'm week building it as I go, so I'll add to the list as I wear new pieces.  I'm also not limiting myself to just 33 pieces.  I am a jewelry lover, so for me, staying in the 45-50 piece range (jewelry included) is more feasible.  

Current Inventory - 10,408

Items Purged - 3014
Items Donated - 1341
Items Used - 803
Items Sold/Returned - 87 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 5245

(10408/15653) = 33.5% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   Eliminate another 69 items 

Want to receive automatic notifications of new blog posts?  Subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail address to the right.  It's that easy!  :)  Happy decluttering!

XOXO,
Stephanie

Becoming Minimalist - My End-Vision Isn't Happening Fast Enough!

The goal I set for this week was simple:  Purge 69 items and go thru my utensils drawer in my kitchen and see what I really use/can purge.

Saturday - Day #85

At my husband's urging, I finally caved and went to Urgent Care for this cold.  Despite my best efforts to use Rx I had in my cupboard and avoid going to the doctor (and paying the $55 co-pay), this thing just wasn't going away.  Turns out the root of it is allergies (ragweed specifically).  Oh the joys of living in the Midwest!  The doctor gave me an antibiotic and some allergy Rx to take and said I should feel better in a few days.  Note to self - next time - just spend the money and go the doctor and avoid two weeks of misery!

On the bright side - it was a full day of college football, followed by play-off baseball.  (My husband was born in St. Louis, so we're huge Cardinals fans).  Sadly, the Cards lost.

While watching football, I did begin my drawer project.  Here is the "before" of what it looked like.  As you can see, it's full of spatulas, whisks, measuring cups and spoons, etc.  Realistically, I think I use most of what's in here.  It's just such a cluttered mess though.  

I ended up taking everything utensil-wise out of the drawer and putting it into this box.  Over the course of the next month, I'll put items I actually use when I cook back into the drawer and then purge most of what's left.

Speaking of cooking, I forgot to pause my Hello Fresh shipment for the week, so ingredients for three recipes arrived at my doorstep last Wednesday.  One of the recipes was for Coriander & Cumin-Crusted Chicken with Israeli Couscous Salad, Roasted Zucchini, and Caramelized Lemon). Since I knew I wouldn't eat roasted zucchini by itself, I decided to make zucchini bread for the first time ever using a recipe I found on the Internet.

   
It turned out so delicious that my husband didn't believe me when I said I made it from scratch!  Now we have breakfast for the next week or so, which will save me from stopping at McDonald's on the way to work this week.  I'm going to use up some pumpkin spice coffee I have in the cupboard to go along with it too!

PURCHASE - I did end up buying two new bras today since my bra I'm wearing now is falling apart (literally) and I never replaced my black bra a few months ago when it fell apart.  Buying an ivory one to replace the ivory one that fell apart would've been more practical, but ivory and black are just so boring.  With winter and heavier fabrics on the horizon, I figured I can get away with a prettier, colorful bra for a while.  Total spent - $75.00.  

Sunday - Day #86

As I look around my house, I'm getting impatient.  I want there to be less of everything.  However, since I didn't want to just throw away things that can be used (ex - candles, packaging supplies to ship eBay items, shower gel, food, etc.), this process is taking time.  Even walking into my closet is irritating me.  I have items I love to wear that I want to wear out just so I can eliminate them.  How messed up is that!?!  Maybe I'm just in a funk because I haven't felt well or maybe I have just finally disconnected from my "stuff".  I'm not sure which.  What I am sure of is that over the past three months, my attitude/lifestyle has definitely changed.  Spending time with my friends and family and enjoying cool experiences (like the Colts game last week) are what makes me happy, not sitting in my house full of possessions and admiring what I've acquired.  It's taken 38 years, but I feel like I'm finally starting to live my life the right way and that feels GREAT!      

Monday thru Thursday - Days #87 - #90

It was also a week full of meetings for me at work.  It also got much colder this week (some days down in the 60's), so heavier clothes were in order.  You may notice the mint sweater I wore on Thursday.  It was one I was going to return to the Limited, but ended up wearing instead.    

Friday - Day #91

Casual Friday - I had a meeting at the office, but still wanted to show my team spirit, so this scarf was perfect.  

So far, my Fall capsule wardrobe includes the following:

1.  White 3/4 sleeve top
2.  Goldenrod yellow short sleeve sweater
3.  Burnt orange sleeveless top 
4.  Burnt orange cardigan
5.  Magenta split-back long sleeve top
6.  Maroon/navy/white sleeveless print top
7.  Maroon short sleeve sweater top
8.  Mint/charcoal grey sweater
9.  Black/grey/toffee long sleeve top 
10.  Off-White skinny jeans
11.  Teal jeans
12.  Grey jeans
13.  Black dress pants
14.  Black skinny jeans
15.  Taupe flats
16.  Brown tall boots
17.  Grey Toms
18.  Black flats
19.  Lia Sophia beveled paprika red necklace
20.  Lia Sophia grey/clear crystal Stanton earrings
21.  Lia Sophia beaded Savannah necklace
22.  Lia Sophia acorn earrings
23.  Lia Sophia Christina's Joy necklace
24.  Lia Sophia Crystals and Cream necklace
25.  Lia Sophia Wisp necklace
26.  Lia Sophia Posey earrings 
27.  Rose gold colored watch
28.  Lia Sophia grey/crystal Astoria necklace
29.  Lia Sophia Flapper necklace
30.  Lia Sophia Coy earrings

As I mentioned previously, I'm week building it as I go, so I'll add to the list as I wear new pieces.  I'm also not limiting myself to just 33 pieces.  I am a jewelry lover, so for me, staying in the 45-50 piece range (jewelry included) is more feasible.  

Totals for this Week:  This week was a tougher one for me purging-wise just because I worked about 50 hours.  By the time I got home, I was really tired and just wanted to rest.  I purged 70 items total, which once again, barely met my goal.

Current Inventory - 10,278

Items Purged - 2994
Items Donated - 1320
Items Used - 693
Items Sold/Returned - 87 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 5094

(10278/15372) = 33.13% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   Eliminate another 69 items 

Want to receive automatic notifications of new blog posts?  Subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail address to the right.  It's that easy!  :)  Happy decluttering!

XOXO,
Stephanie

Becoming Minimalist - 3 Months in and my First NFL Football Game!

The goal I set for this week was simple:  Purge 69 items (and kick my cold)!

So far, my Fall capsule wardrobe includes the following:

1.  White 3/4 sleeve top
2.  Magenta split-back long sleeve top (added Tuesday)
3.  Maroon/navy/white sleeveless print top
4.  Maroon short sleeve sweater top (added Monday)
5.  Black/grey/toffee long sleeve top (added Wednesday)
6.  Burnt orange sleeveless top (added Thursday)
7.  Burnt orange cardigan (added Thursday)
8.  Teal jeans
9.  Black dress pants (added Monday)
10.  Grey jeans (added Tuesday)
11.  Black skinny jeans (added Wednesday)
12.  Off-White skinny jeans (added Thursday)
13.  Black flats
14.  Grey Toms (shoes) (added Tuesday)
15.  Brown tall boots
16.  Taupe flats (added Thursday)
17.  Lia Sophia beveled paprika red necklace
18.  Lia Sophia grey/clear crystal Stanton earrings
19.  Lia Sophia beaded Savannah necklace
20.  Lia Sophia acorn earrings
21.  Lia Sophia Christina's Joy necklace (added Wednesday)
22.  Lia Sophia Crystals and Cream necklace (added Thursday)
23.  Lia Sophia Wisp necklace (added Thursday)
24.  Lia Sophia Posey earrings (added Thursday)
25.  Rose gold colored watch

As I mentioned previously, I'm week building it as I go, so I'll add to the list as I wear new pieces.  I'm also not limiting myself to just 33 pieces.  I am a jewelry lover, so for me, staying in the 45-50 piece range (jewelry included) is more feasible.  

Saturday - Day #78

Saturday was a day of rest.  We're talking nothing but watching college football under a blanket on the couch and taking cold Rx all day to try to kick this cold!  

Sunday - Day #79

Sunday was one of the cooler experiences I've ever had!  By now you know I love sports (especially football)!  I went to college in Indiana and became a huge Indianapolis Colts fan while I was there back when Peyton Manning first signed with the Colts and losing seasons were the norm.  

My husband was able to get us free tickets in a suite to watch the Colts play Jacksonville on Sunday and there was NO WAY I was going to miss this game, no matter how bad I felt!  It was actually my first regular season NFL game I'd ever been to and it was AMAZING!!  The pure size of the stadium blew my mind!  That coupled with the flowing banners hanging from the open roof, the lights, the smell of the food vendors, and the sound of the fans cheering as loud as they possibly can is something I'll never forget!

The Colts won after kicking a winning field goal in overtime, which made the experience even better.  Who-hoo!!

Majorly cool event checked off my life's bucket list!

Monday - Day #80

Back to reality and back to work!  I had to go to a Provider Fair near Dayton, Ohio, so black pants were in order.  I paired it with this maroon sweater top I've had forever.  It's one of my "oldie-but-goodies" so to speak and I love it!  As I mentioned last week, this dark red color is a fall staple, so you'll see me wearing it a lot (along with the necklace I have on in the photo below).

Tuesday - Day #81

It ended up being 80 degrees outside today, which almost threw my capsule wardrobe all off!  I wore my white capri pants to the CoIts game yesterday, so they were in the laundry to be washed.  I started out with my white long dress shorts on, but then didn't want to have to add those to my item list because of one fluke warmer-than-usual day.  I ended up settling on my magenta long sleeve open back top, my grey comfy jeans (#makesacoldbetter), and my Tom's since I didn't have any meetings scheduled.  We had the air conditioning on in the office, so long sleeves ended up being fine.  Living in a climate where the seasons change and the weather can be unpredictable is definitely a challenge if you're trying to stick to a capsule wardrobe, but as you can see, it is doable.  You just have to be a little creative with your choices!  

Wednesday - Day #82

Another warmer day.  I ended up pulling out one of my lighter weight tops for Fall and pairing it with my black skinny jeans and flats.

I always pair my Lia Sophia "Christina's Joy" necklace with this top to give the outfit a bit of color.  The tan color blocking on the shoulder blade matches the neutral color of the necklace perfectly!

Thursday - Day #83

The weather was in the mid-70's today, so I was able to wear a bit heavier clothes.  I paired my sleeveless orange top with a matching lightweight cardigan and my off-white jeans.  I typically only wear this orange top/cardigan set in October and November of each year due to the colors, so you're going to see it a lot over the next two months.  The off-white jeans still gave it a lighter feel.

I had never worn this Lia Sophia "Crystals and Cream" necklace until today.  In fact, it was one I was planning on selling on eBay.  However, it pulled the gold accents in the top and the cream jeans together perfectly.  I paired it with my Lia Sophia "Posey" orange flower earrings and the shorter Lia Sophia "Wisp" necklace for a nice layered look.  These taupe flats from Victoria's Secret finished the look.

Friday - Day #84

By now you know I love casual Friday!  I didn't take a picture, but my look included a 3/4 sleeve OSU top, denim capris, and my grey Toms.  I was uber-comfy and loving it!

Totals for this Week:  This week was a tougher one for me purging-wise just because I was more focused on trying to rest/kick this cold than I was on eliminating items.  I purged 70 items total, which BARELY met my goal.  I did cross the 5,000 items eliminated mark though this week, which was cool!

Current Inventory - 10,301

Items Purged - 2987
Items Donated - 1313
Items Used - 637
Items Sold/Returned - 87 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 5024

(10301/15325) = 32.78% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   Eliminate another 69 items and go thru my drawer in the kitchen that holds all my measuring cups, spatulas, etc. and see what I really use/can eliminate.

Want to receive automatic notifications of new blog posts?  Subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail address to the right.  It's that easy!  :)  Happy decluttering!

XOXO,
Stephanie

BECOMING MINIMALIST - Week #11 & Project 333 Update

The goal I set for this week was simple:  Purge 69 items and update my resume

Saturday - Day #71

Some good news to report - the owner of the company I work at re-ran the numbers and wage cuts are NOT necessary.  Praise the Lord!  I literally had just finished updating my resume when I got the news.  I'm thankful and relieved, but being told my pay would drop by $10K definitely put me on high alert.  I think for the next few months instead of putting all my extra income towards my debt snowball I'm going to save it instead.  I'm on Step #2 (paying off all debt except the mortgage), but given the apparent instability of my job, I'm going to skip to Step #3 (saving 3-6 months worth of expenses).  Right now I only have one month's worth saved up which was a terrifying reality yesterday.  Depending on if I do 3 or 6 months, it will take me 2 1/2 to 5 months to reach that goal.  (Less time if I sell some items on eBay).     
It would figure that the day after my job scare, my order from The Limited would arrive that I placed last Saturday when they were having a 1/2 off sale.  Given what just happened though, I'm having a hard time keeping any of it.

These heather grey cropped lounge pants were the first thing I opened.  My thought process in ordering them is that they can replace my pair of navy Adidas capri pants in my casual wardrobe. (The Adidas pants aren't flattering on and make me feel chubby when I wear them).  They already have paint on them, so they can become my "painting pants" and my "painting shorts" can be thrown away.  At $29.97, I'm debating on keeping them, but I did throw my painting shorts away regardless.  UPDATE:  I tossed the Adidas pants too that made me feel chubby and decided to KEEP the new grey pants.

The next item I opened was this long sleeve tee.  I've raved about these tees before due to their comfort and softness.  It's one I can wear to work or wear casually with the grey capris (above) or jeans.  At $17.47, it's one I'll wear for years to come.  KEEP

This top was featured on a mailer I received and I instantly was drawn to the gorgeous red color.  I really debated on keeping it.  I finally tried it on Monday with a navy cardigan and even photographed it.  It looked cute on and I had a necklace that looked great with it, so it made the cut.  KEEP

This was the next sweater I had my eye on the last time as well.  It's really cute and has the tulip back, which I'm loving right now.  Not sure that I really need it though.  (Again, not a good day to even think about new clothes).  I debated for a few days on this top and in the end, it went in the KEEP pile.  If I put it with my red beveled necklace, it will make for a good dressier casual Friday outfit.

Everything else (including 2 tops, a pair of goldenrod yellow jeans (that were unfortunately low rise and I didn't realize it), the goldenrod top from the first order (which I didn't like the fit of), 3 sweaters (including the brown sweater from the last order), and a pair of dress pants went back.  RETURN

Sunday - Day #72

Still feeling anxious about my job situation.  This, combined with having cramps has left me feeling really bummed out.  My natural reaction when I'm bummed is to try to find an instant pick-me-up, which is normally when I'd do some online shopping.  (I'd love to buy a new pair of black Toms to wear for every day around the house).  Instead though, I pulled out a pair of my slippers with rubber bottoms and am wearing those and am focusing on purging some more today.  

On the bright side, today is my 7-year wedding anniversary.  We actually have plans to celebrate next weekend.  Who-hoo!

Monday - Day #73

There is a bad chest cold going around work and of course, I got it.  I didn't want to put clothes on today, let alone go to work.  I ended up trying on the maroon top on that arrived Saturday to see how it looked and the outfit evolved from there.  The necklace was what sold me on it.      

I worked on preparing my Fall capsule wardrobe yesterday and there's three maroon tops in it.  They're all differing degrees of heaviness and texture though.  I've got my options selected, but I think I'm going to formally build the capsule wardrobe as I go, versus make selections and then have to change them along the way.

Tuesday - Day #74 & Wednesday - Day #75

The chest cold officially got me.  Ended up with a fever and all kinds of nasty side effects from taking Prednisone.  If it gets this stuff out of my lungs though, it will be worth it.  Thank goodness I was still able to do some work from home!  Needless to say, there were no cute outfits though.  I finally put a sports bra on today (Thursday) and showered before 4pm, so that's progress.  :)

Thursday - Day #76

I basically decided I was going to work today, fever or not.  (Thankfully it broke).  The boss wasn't happy about it when he heard how I still sounded, but there was a ton of work waiting for me.

Today is the first day of my new Fall capsule wardrobe.  It was 64 degrees outside and I wanted to feel good in my clothes.  Since my goldenrod jeans turned out to be low rise jeans (major no-no with my belly), the teal jeans won out.  I paired them with my beaded Fall necklace, acorn earrings, and my boots that I love!  

Life happens - when I went to leave for work this morning, my battery was dead on my car.  I figured in my cold haze I had left my lights on when I came home from CVS yesterday so my husband came home and jumped my car.  However, I purposely left my lights off during my drive in to work and the battery was dead when I went to get something out of my trunk.  My co-worker ended up jumping my car at the office and I headed straight to Auto Zone (a car parts & accessories chain store).  Turns out my battery needed to be replaced.  $164.18 later, they replaced the battery for me (and disposed of my old one) and my car now runs fine.  Auto Zone also replaced my headlight Monday night after work that went out and fixed my trunk that randomly would pop open while I was driving down the interstate too.  Shout out to Auto Zone because I don't know how to fix anything on my car on my own!  :)

Friday - Day #77

Praise the Lord!  I survived this week!  As you can see, it's been a challenging one!  Unfortunately I went into work for about an hour in leggings in scrubby clothes (long enough to pick up & pay for one of our company vehicles that was getting repaired) and then came home because I still was feeling awful.  I wish I had more encouraging/enlightening things to share with you this week, but when you don't feel good, everything seems to be thrown out of whack!  

So far, my Fall capsule wardrobe includes the following:

1.  Maroon/navy/white sleeveless print top
2.  White 3/4 sleeve top
3.  Teal Jeans
4.  Black flats
5.  Brown tall boots
6.  Lia Sophia beveled paprika red necklace
7.  Lia Sophia grey/clear crystal Stanton earrings
8.  Lia Sophia beaded Savannah necklace
9. Lia Sophia acorn earrings
10.  Rose gold colored watch

As I mentioned Monday, I'm building it as I go, so I'll add to the list as I wear new pieces.  I'm also not limiting myself to just 33 pieces.  I am a jewelry lover, so for me, staying in the 45-50 piece range (jewelry included) is more feasible.  

Totals for this Week:

Current Inventory - 10,352

Items Purged - 2979
Items Donated - 1300
Items Used - 588
Items Sold/Returned - 87 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 4954

(4954/15306) = 32.36% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   Eliminate another 69 items (and kick this stupid cold)!

Want to receive automatic notifications of new blog posts?  Subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail address to the right.  It's that easy!  :)  Happy decluttering!

XOXO,
Stephanie

BECOMING MINIMALIST - Project 333 Update & Facing a $10K Pay Cut

The goal I set for this week was simple:  Purge 69 items (the minimum number needed for the week to meet my annual goal of eliminating 50% of my belongings) and if I go over that, great!  I also want to sort through a clothes basket of items that's already been inventoried and either put away or purge what's in the basket.

Here is my current Project 333 Inventory:

Bottoms:
1.  White denim Capri pants
2.  Regular (dark denim) jeans
3.  Grey stretchy jeans
4.  Black dress pants
5.  Dark charcoal grey dress pants
6.  White knee-length shorts (These are getting worn, so when the season changes these will be purged)
7.  Black jeans (see Saturday)
8.  Teal jeans (see Monday)

Tops:

9. White 3/4 sleeve top
10.  White & navy "rope design" 3/4 length sleeve shirt  (see "Wednesday" below) - replaced with Magenta open back long sleeve top
11.  Fuschia pink short sleeve top
12.  Burnt orange sleeveless top
13.  Goldenrod yellow top
14.  Solid grey GAP long-sleeve top
15.  Navy/blue sleeveless top
16.  Navy solid 3/4 sleeve top
17.  Black short sleeve top
18.  Black/White Marled open back long sleeve top
19.  Black OSU short sleeve shirt (for casual Fridays)

Cardigans:
20.  Navy cardigan 
       Black/white striped cardigan (got the boot - see "Monday" below)
21.  Black stretchy dressy cardigan
22.  Burnt orange cardigan
23.  Black stretchy casual cardigan

Shoes:
24.  Black wedges (The heel straps are stretched out and they're cracking on the front, so these will be purged as soon as it gets colder)
25.  Brown boots
26.  Platinum Sperry's
       Blush flats  (I haven't worn these in several weeks, so they got pulled out of the "33")
27.  Grey TOMS
28.  Black flats

Accessories:  (Since I'm not so focused on only having 33 items anymore, I separated the jewelry sets and eliminated pieces I haven't worn yet)
29.  Black/silver infinity scarf
30.  Lia Sophia silver w/golden/green/blue beads Savannah necklace
31.  Acorn earrings 
32.  Silver watch  Rose Gold watch  (The silver watch became too tarnished, so I threw it away and replaced it with the other watch I have)
33.  Black/white/silver long necklace
34.  Silver/clear crystal dangle earrings
35.  Lia Sophia Masquerade necklace
36.  Coy earrings
37.  XO Earring Set from the September 2015 PopSugar Must Have Box

Saturday - Day #64

I LOVE my quiet time on Saturday mornings before my husband wakes up and the TV gets turned on!  It gives me a chance to start my blog for the following week and read.  I get the pets fed (and normally head to the grocery before it gets busy).  I usually start purging too.  One of today's first items is going to be the Anderson University t-shirt I'm wearing right now that has 3 holes right in the screen printing on my chest.  I've had this shirt/been wearing it since 1999 or 2000 and I think it's finally time to let it go.  Sentimental pieces are the toughest to get rid of!  Letting go of this one feels like letting go of a connection to my youth.

My husband and I's college football teams played at different times, which means about 6 hours of football viewing today.  Since I can't sit still, I went through that clothes basket I've mentioned while his game was on.  I also tried on the clothes that arrived from The Limited last week.  

Out of the 6 pieces I had ordered, this was by far my favorite:

  
I LOVE these split back tops with the draped part in front!

I will definitely wear this top a lot!!  It replaced my nautical top in my capsule wardrobe on Wednesday since it's officially Fall now.

These jeans are my second favorite piece I ordered!  They're so soft and comfortable!  I will definitely wear these from now until next Spring.  (They became piece #38).  They're much better quality than the pair I wore last year that ended up fading badly!  Sometimes you do have to pay a bit more for items that will last/hold up after repeated washing.  The Limited always offers discounts though on their clothes, so I never pay more than $55 for a pair of pants/jeans through them.  (Note:  I am not affiliated with The Limited in ANY way.  I just really love their clothes and they fit me well)!

My next favorite piece was this sweater with the draped bottom.  This sweater has some weight/warmth to it, which is exactly what I was hoping for!  I love the color and as long as I don't get ink or spill something on the white part, will wear this sweater all Fall & Winter.

These jeans were next on my list of keepers!  They're a beautiful teal color and again, the fabric is very soft!  In retrospect, I probably didn't NEED these jeans and wouldn't say they're "essential", but they are fun and will give my fall wardrobe some color.  They're dressy enough I can wear them to work and they'll look great with my brown, tall boots.  The only tricky part is finding the perfect top to wear with them.

The next two items are pieces I'm debating on keeping:

I LOVE this goldenrod color!  This top was actually my favorite piece when I placed this order online.  However, in person, the fabric is really clingy and with my muffin top, it's not really flattering.  I put it back in the packaging and will try it on another day to see if I change my mind.

The last piece I ordered was this brown and grey sweater top.  The fabric is really nice and it's warm too!  The grey part actually has sort of a waffle texture, which is cool!  I'm just not sure that with my blonde hair and fair complexion this is the most flattering color on me.  It went back into the packaging too and will be tried on another day before I make my final decision on it.  

Sunday - Day #65

Today was cleaning day around my house.  Things didn't start off well.  While loading the dishwasher and washing dishes off, the garbage disposal blew up.  Then I tried to clean the rusty cast iron skillet in the sink and decided it was time to toss it instead.  And of course an argument ensued with my husband (which I knew was going to happen) because I threw the pan away.  In the end, he conceded it had gotten very rusty and wasn't supposed to soak.

Through cleaning and watching NFL football and DVR'd Real Housewives episodes, 113 items had been purged by the end of the day (total for the weekend) and my goals for the week were met.  Who-hoo!!

Monday - Day #66

Today I had the first "I have nothing to wear" day since doing Project 333.  Nothing in my "33" (OK, 36) excited me!  I even decided I hated the black/white striped cardigan as far as a work piece goes and pulled it out of my 33.  The high for the day was in the upper 70's.  However, the air conditioning vent at work pours straight into my office, so it's always freezing in there!  I wanted to wear something colorful, with comfortable pants and a cozy shirt too since I didn't have any professional meetings scheduled.  Normally, I would've thrown on my white capri pants, but they were still waiting to be washed.  None of the clothes on the left side of the closet appealed to me either.  

Enter #37 (actually it's listed as #8 above).  I decided the teal jeans would satisfy my desire to have a "pop of color" and to wear something comfortable.  The grey top and TOM's shoes would also satisfy the cozy top and comfortable requirements.  The Lia Sophia Queue necklace matched my jeans perfectly and pulled the entire outfit together/made it a bit dressier.  One of my co-workers even complimented my necklace and one of the individuals we serve noticed I was wearing a new pair of jeans.  I'm going to wait to see if the Queue necklace gets added into my capsule.  After all, the other 2 longer necklaces I have in there already would match my jeans.  Time will tell!    


Tuesday - Day #67 & Wednesday - Day #68

Tuesday I dropped some more items (189 to be exact) at Goodwill on my way to work.  I had a late meeting in another county and didn't get home until after 8pm.  Wednesday I went to see my nephew after work and didn't get home until late again.  So, there was no major new purging to be had these two days other than items that I used up during my normal daily routine (some allergy Rx, some magazines, tea light candles, etc).

These were my Tuesday (left side) and Wednesday (right side) outfits.  Ironically, on the first day of Fall, I wore my nautical top for the last time this season.    

Thursday - Day #69

No meetings today and I wanted to wear these teal jeans again before I washed them.  

I've heard people talk about only washing their jeans once per month or even once every six months.  My jeans seem to get too stretched out and misshapen though to do that.  Wearing them twice is about my max before I wash them.

My plan was to wear this shirt and these shoes one last time today and then purge them.  The shirt has several holes around the neckline and the heel strap of these shoes is stretched out and they're scuffed all over.  However, the more I think about it, the more I think I'll mend the black short sleeve top and wear it for every day/after work.  (I have another one of this same top that's never been worn, so I can replace the holy top in my capsule wardrobe if I want with the new one).  I tightened the straps on the shoes and now they fit better.  I could use a permanent black marker and fix the scuffs on the front of the shoes and wear them a few months longer.  They're the only wedges I've ever owned that I can wear repeatedly and they don't kill my lower back, so to me they're worth saving for a while longer.

I did end up ordering this ring today on Etsy.  I've had my eye on it for a while now and last night I saw it went on sale for 50% off.  I waited overnight and asked the seller if she could adjust the band size.  This morning I still felt like I wanted to buy it, so I did.  It's a handmade piece from a lady whom I've bought several pieces off of previously and loved.  I didn't "need" another ring since I currently have 55 others, but I LOVE the blue stone in this one and know I'll wear it for many years to come.  Definitely worth $63.95 to me!

I did sell two more items on eBay, bringing my total items sold in the past 10 weeks to 80 items and I've made back $592.29 (after all listing and selling fees were taken out) of what I spent on those items.  Again, not getting rich by any means, but it's nice to get some of that money back.  I need to put some more items on there, but kind of burned myself out on listing things by spending several days of doing nothing but that.  It's so much easier just to donate them.  At the same time I'm of the motto "every dollar counts", so it's worth doing in the long run.

Friday - Day #70

Today started off with me being anxious to receive my first review at my job.  I wore my magenta top and new black skinny jeans though and felt cute and open to hear any suggestions for improvement the owner may have for me.  The eval went fine, but then the owner dropped the bomb that the Company is losing money right now and he wanted to cut my pay by $10,000 effective a little over two weeks from now.  Um - excuse me?!!  It's not like I make a huge salary!

Long story short, I informed the owner I was not OK with taking a pay cut and would not stay at the company for anything less than what I'm making now.  I then excused myself from the table and left.  The biggest slap in the face about this is that when one of the Directors left, I took on her entire line of the business and didn't get a pay raise, nor did I ask for one.  I just did what had to be done to make the business successful and then this is how I'm repaid for my hard work and dedication?!  The owner said he definitely doesn't want me to leave and is going to try to re-work the numbers and see if there's any way to avoid the pay cut scenario.  We'll see what happens....  

This situation makes me so glad I've been working to pay off my debt and that I've been selling things on eBay and downsizing my lifestyle in general.  You just never know when things may change.    

Totals for this Week:

Current Inventory - 10,366

Items Purged - 2973
Items Donated - 1287
Items Used - 521
Items Sold/Returned - 84 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 4865

(4865/15231) = 31.94% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   Purge another 69 items and update my resume.

Want to receive automatic notifications of new blog posts?  Subscribe to my blog by entering your e-mail address to the right.  It's that easy!  :)  Happy decluttering!

XOXO,
Stephanie