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