Becoming Minimalist Week #9 & Project 333 Capsule Wardrobe Update

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.

Saturday - Day #57

My best friend and her husband came up last night and are here until tomorrow morning.  We went and got manis and pedis in the morning and then watched college football and relaxed in the afternoon.  Went to a Japanese Steakhouse for dinner.  Yum!  It was so great to spend time with our friends!  

Sunday - Day #58

I mentioned last week I was nervous about meeting this week's purge goal since we had plans all weekend (and the weekend is when I'm usually really able to focus on purging).  However, this morning, I went thru the table where I had all the items stored that I was going to put on eBay and decided to see what my best friend wanted/could use.  Nearly 60 items went home with her!  Who-hoo!!  I'm glad too because I know she'll use them/appreciate them!  As of right now, I've purged 78 items for the week so far and have already met my goal for the week.  Now I just have to go through that basket of items that was on the list too.  

On a more personal note, today was also my nephew's dedication at church and baby shower/family get together.  There were 60+ people at my sister's house and we were able to spend time with relatives we haven't seen in years.  It was so nice and everyone seemed to have a great time!  Tomorrow it's back to work.

Monday - Day #59

In an unexpected turn of events, my husband and I ended up separating our closets today.  It all started with a simple request on my behalf that he not put clothes he'd worn back in the closet because what he put back in there yesterday smelled heavily of smoke.  (He's a smoker and I'm not).  The ensuing conversation lead to this idea.  I'm not sure why we didn't think of this sooner honestly.  I am so anal with my closet organization.  All the hangers have to match and my clothes are all hung according to color and sleeve length, etc.  Now he can use wire hangers (yuck) and throw things on the bottom of the closet floor in the guest bedroom closet and I don't have to look at it and get irritated and pick up after him.  He's got his man closet and I have my girlie closet.  All is well!  

(Left:  His clothes before.  Right series:  All the clothes I have to fit into the space where his clothes were)

Well, not quite.  Doing this meant combining an entire closet's worth of clothes into half the space.        

Tuesday - Day #60

Finished the closet transition after work today.  I kept shuffling things around because my closet still doesn't quite look how I want it to.  (There's a crate of clothes that's a size smaller than what I am now that I'm trying to figure out where to put).  

(Clothes on the left are my Fall/Current Options;  Clothes on right side are what's in Project 333)

Wednesday - Day #61

Work was stressful today, so the husband and I went and got a massage after work.  My order from The Limited arrived, but it was 86 degrees outside today, so I was in no mood to try on jeans and sweaters.  Maybe I'll try things on this weekend when it's supposed to be cooler.  Twilight Zone moment - since when am I not excited for new clothes to arrive?!  Normally I dive right in and twirl around in things.  Maybe I really am getting the hang of this downsizing thing!

Thursday - Day #62

I read this blog post last week and it made me feel better about trying to do Project 333.  It basically said that 33 items is NOT a magic number and the number of items you have needs to fit your body and lifestyle.  Ironically though, even though I basically have permission to add more items to my wardrobe I'm wearing now, the only thing I've added since last week was this rose gold colored necklace set (#31) I wore today.  (I love rose gold, ivory, and grey together)!  Other than that, so far, I'm OK with what I've been wearing.  It also said the new wardrobe capsule should start at the beginning of October.  This is perfect since the seasons are changing here in the Midwest and it's about time to break out the sweaters!

My husband is out of town for business tonight, so I came home from work, took a shower, and blogged/caught up on reading some blogs.  As of 8pm, the TV and/or lights have not been on and I LOVE IT!!  Sometimes peace and quiet is the most beautiful of sounds!  It's just me, my pets, and some candle light.  A crescent moon is shining through the living room window from above.  Breathe out!.....  

Friday - Day #63

My Fabletics order from last week arrived yesterday.  Today I wore the black cardigan (#32) to work as part of casual Friday.  I had no professional meetings scheduled, so college team attire it is!  (The OSU shirt is #33).  Who-hoo!!

Here's a look at this week's outfits:

(Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday)

Apparently it was "wear dark clothes" week at my house.  Next week I'll have to break some color out!  Putting all these photos side by side makes me realize I apparently have a style too - scoop neck tops with cardigans over them and comfy flat shoes.  I also have one pose I know too apparently!  :)

Totals for this Week:

Current Inventory - 10,465

Items Purged - 2909
Items Donated - 1237
Items Used - 498
Items Sold/Returned - 78 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 4722

(4722/15187) = 31.09% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   I'm going to stick to my tried and true method from the past few weeks and make my goal the minimum number needed to make my annual goal (69 items).  It ended up working out really well this past week and I purged 191 items total.  I didn't go thru that basket I mentioned, so I definitely want to get thru it this weekend!

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XOXO,
Stephanie

PRODUCT JUNKIE TO BECOMING MINIMALIST - 2 MONTHS IN/PROJECT 333 UPDATE!

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!

Saturday - Day #50

College football is back and I am a happy, happy camper!  Even though my team doesn't play until Monday night, the sound of the Game Day theme song was like a Christmas Carol to my ears!

While I was watching Game Day, I began tackling the items I mentioned in the kitchen (the box actually had a bag sitting on top of it as well that I had forgot about).  The bag is from the garage and was full of photos, office supplies, and random items from vacation back in 2010.  The box itself was full of random items I wasn't sure what to do with when I was doing my original inventory.  Most of the items ended up in the trash or being recycled.  By the end of the day, I had surpassed my goal of eliminating 69 items for the week.  Who-hoo!!

I did end up purchasing some tops from Fabletics (the Kate Hudson athletic wear brand).  

The downside to subscribing to a brand/subscription where you either have to choose to make a purchase or hit "skip a month" is that when you log on, you see their products and it's tempting to buy something.  This shirt is really cute though and it's something I'll wear at home/around the house a lot.  At $29.95, it's reasonably priced too.

They also had this top in a new purple color ($19.95).  I already own it in navy and black and LOVE it!!

The grey version was back in stock too, so I ordered it as well.  (I wish they had it in red too)!  They're so great because they're flattering and comfortable on.  They can be dressed up with black pants and a statement necklace or worn casually around the house too.  I tend to wear them on days where I feel bloated or just want to feel relaxed.

Since I spent over $49.95, I got this shrug for $10.49.  I have this shrug in cobalt blue and wear it all the time!  I've been wanting the black version so I don't have to wear a similar, dressier work one when I'm home as well.  The dressier one (that's one of my 33 items) is starting to wear out because I wear it so much (usually 3-4 times/week).  

All in all, I spent $80.34 on 4 tops that I'll wear for years to come, so that was worth it.

Sunday - Day #51

Last week, I came across this blog and discovered the idea of going thru every possession you own, holding it in your hand, and only keeping it if evokes a sense of joy when holding it in your hands.  I tried to do that last week, but by the time I got home from work on Tuesday and Friday, I was stressed and tired and didn't feel like I could really "tune in" to my feelings.  I like the concept overall though.  If it makes you happy - keep it.  If not, get rid of it.  Simple enough, right?!

So, I spent the day watching US Open Tennis, doing laundry, and purging items.  So far, I'm up to 136 items eliminated for the week, and it's only two days in.  Who-hoo!!  I'm trying to motivate myself to put things on eBay but so far, only one item has made it on there.  

I will say that as I went through my necklaces this morning, I missed being able to wear them (due to Project 333).  I've always said to my friends/family that you don't need to buy new clothes all the time because pairing a different necklace/earrings/bracelet with it can give your existing items a completely new feel.  I LOVE a good statement necklace!  However, with Project 333, I only included two necklaces in addition to the one my husband got me for our wedding and two pairs of earrings to wear.  I think I'm going to have to make the matching earrings/necklace (and ring/bracelet if there is one) into a set and count them as one.  Otherwise, I may not make it 3 months with these same items.  I used to sell Lia Sophia for crying out loud!  I need my jewelry!  #firstworldproblems  

So, now my Project 333 list looks like this:

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

Tops:

7. White 3/4 sleeve top
8.  White & navy "rope design" 3/4 length sleeve shirt
9.  Fuschia pink short sleeve top
10.  Burnt orange sleeveless top
11.  Goldenrod yellow top
12.  Solid grey GAP long-sleeve top
13.  Navy/blue sleeveless top
14.  Navy solid 3/4 sleeve top
15.  Black short sleeve top

Cardigans:
16.  Navy cardigan
17.  Black/white striped cardigan
18.  Black stretchy dressy cardigan
19.  Burnt orange cardigan

Shoes:
20.  Black wedges
21.  Brown boots
22.  Platinum Sperry's
23.  Blush flats
24.  Grey TOMS
25.  Black flats

Accessories:
26.  Black/silver infinity scarf
27.  Lia Sophia Savannah necklace, Acorn earrings & Spiceberry ring set
28.  Silver watch
29.  Black/white/silver long necklace & Silver/clear crystal dangle earrings
30.  Lia Sophia Masquerade necklace, Coy earrings, & Jenny ring

So far, the only things I haven't worn are the navy 3/4 length sleeve top, burnt orange top and cardigan sweater.  Now that I added the #30 jewelry set to the mix, I'm excited to wear the navy top next week with my white capri pants!  I'll probably start wearing the orange pieces in late September just due to the color.  Since the top has gold shimmery detailing on it, I'll add the #31 jewelry set when I'm ready to wear it.


Monday - Day #52

Today is a work holiday (thank you Lord)!  I spent the day purging more items, which was great!  I went through that box that was in the kitchen, so that goal is met for the week!

Tuesday - Day #53

My boss and I had a presentation today at a local County Board, so dress clothes were in order for work.  Here's what I wore:

Item #32 entered the wardrobe.  I LOVE this top from The Limited!  It's marled black and white and the back actually is split with the ivory fabric flowing loosely.  It is so comfortable and flattering!  I debated on adding this piece since I started Project 333 and finally did it.  

Came home and stress shopped online.  I bought 4 tops and 2 pairs of pants for Fall.  For the past two months, I've been purging when I'm stressed versus buying anything.  Today I snapped though.  I've gone thru my Fall/Winter clothes numerous times over the past eight weeks and know what I have.  There's two sweaters I know I'll wear that I love, but other than that, nothing really excited me.  The magenta top is the same style as the black/white top I added today, so as long as the fabric isn't too sheer, it will become a Fall wardrobe staple.  I love the goldenrod color too of the second top I bought and it will be great for layering, so I can't wait to wear it either!  I did need a pair of new black jeans, so buying those was a no-brainer.  I also like to wear colorful items, so the teal jeans will be fun for Fall too!  The total for these six items was $214.88, which I think is reasonable considering it included two new pairs of jeans.

Wednesday - Day #54

Another meeting at a different County board today and I wore the golden rod yellow top with the black pants from yesterday and my black wedges.  Forgot to take the picture though.

Came home and the water filter contraption in the basement had cracked and was spraying water all over the basement wall/floor.  Thankfully the damage was minimal, but now we're going to have to replace it.  No automatic ice cubes or water from the refrigerator for a while until we do.  The joys of home ownership!  

Thursday - Day #55

Office day today at work.  Decided it was time to wear that navy shirt I hadn't worn yet.

The necklace and earrings I added to my 33 items list on Sunday was a good call!  It looked really cute with this outfit!   

Friday - Day #56

I had another meeting this morning that I had to be dressed up for.  This was a good "Casual Friday" outfit that was comfortable, yet professional.  My best friend and her husband came up from out of town after work to stay with us for the weekend.  This outfit also turned into my going out for dinner outfit too.  

I'm so glad I focused on purging over the weekend and on Monday because the rest of the week was mainly work, work, work.  After eight weeks, I've officially purged 30% of my belongings.  It's crazy to think of where I started (trying to count everything and feeling so overwhelmed by the prospect of this project) versus where I am now.  I'm not perfect by any means (as evidenced by the Fabletics and Limited purchases this week), but overall, I've stuck to my plan of downsizing really well!  

My advice to anyone who is thinking of beginning this process is to JUST START and chip away at your inventory and then chip away at purging.  Make some mini, attainable goals and do everything in your power to meet them each week.  Some people downsize more quickly and some people (like me) like to spread the process out a bit more and do it gradually.  There's no right way.  You'll never finish though if you don't at least start!  YOU CAN DO THIS!! 

Totals for this Week:

Current Inventory - 10,484

Items Purged - 2902
Items Donated - 1104
Items Used - 448
Items Sold/Returned - 77 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 4531 (229 eliminated this week)

(4531/15015) = 30.1% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   Eliminate another 69 items again.  It's going to be a bit more challenging this next week since we have plans all weekend and I'm not going to be able to focus on purging.  I'll make it happen though.  I'd also like to get through a clothes basket of items that has already been inventoried that's sitting in my spare bedroom and either put away or purge the items in it.

Want to follow along on this journey with me?  Subscribe to this blog and don't miss a post!  (I usually post 1-2 times weekly at the most).  

XOXO,
Stephanie

PROJECT JUNKIE TO BECOMING MINIMALIST - 7 Weeks In/Project 333 Update

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!

For those of you who missed last week's blog, let me recap:

I was searching the internet for more minimalist blogs and stumbled across something called Project 333.  It's basically where you choose 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes and wear only those 33 items for 3 months at a time.  I watched this YouTube video of the Dutch woman in the blue dress at the bottom and it just resonated with me (much like when I found my first minimalism blog).  

What's NOT included in the 33 - Wedding rings or other sentimental jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleep wear, in-home lounge wear, and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)

I went straight to my bedroom and made my list of 33 items (which ended up getting tweaked a little).  Of the items that made the cut, I turned those hangers around backwards so I can see what (if anything) I didn't wear at the end of those 33 days.

Here's what made the cut:

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

Tops:

6. White 3/4 sleeve top
7.  White & navy "rope design" 3/4 length sleeve shirt
8.  Fuschia pink short sleeve top
9.  Burnt orange sleeveless top
10.  Goldenrod yellow top
11.  Solid grey GAP long-sleeve top
12.  Navy/blue sleeveless top
13.  Navy solid 3/4 sleeve top
14.  Black short sleeve top

Cardigans:
15.  Navy cardigan
16.  Black/white striped cardigan
17.  Black stretchy dressy cardigan
18.  Burnt orange cardigan

Shoes:
19.  Black wedges
20.  Brown boots
21.  Platinum Sperry's
22.  Blush flats
23.  Grey TOMS
24.  Black flats

Accessories:
25.  Black/silver infinity scarf
26.  Lia Sophia goldenrod/green/blue/silver long beaded necklace
27.  Lia Sophia acorn earrings
28.  Silver watch
29.  Black/white/silver long necklace
30.  Silver/clear crystal dangle earrings

I still have 3 items left to add over the next few months, which is nice.  When you're only working with a limited number of pieces, I'm sure one new item will be exciting!

Saturday - Day #43

Had an 8 am hair appointment this morning.  Developed a splitting headache during the appointment and ended up coming home and going back to bed until 2 pm.  That's definitely NOT how I envisioned spending my Saturday!  Woke up and did some laundry and purged some items from my bedroom that I had pulled from my closet last week during my clothing selection.  

Sunday - Day #44

I haven't mentioned eBay for a while.  The Lord has really blessed me on that sales front!  So far over the past 7 weeks, I've sold 71 items thru them and netted $547.97.  I'm not getting rich by any means, but it's nice to get rid of things AND recoup some of the money I had spent on these items for doing it!  

Monday - Day #45

By now you know that I like to wake up and purge things first thing.  Today was no different.  I grabbed some nail polish and an unopened face cleanser (travel size) and took them to work and gave them away.

This was my outfit for the day:

Today was in the 80's and really humid.  This outfit was perfect for that!  This top is sooo comfortable and stretchy and it's sleeveless, so the cardigan came off when I was outside.

Stopped and got a 75 minute massage on my way home from work.  Definitely brightened my Monday!  Had to stop and buy some packing tape for my eBay sales also.  That's the only expense I've had this week so far outside of food at lunch time and gas for my car.

Tuesday - Day #46

Another really hot, humid day, but it's freezing in the office.  So, this was what I wore:

I mentioned this last week, but I'm trying to wear that white, nautical shirt as many times as I can before the end of September to make it worth the clothing slot it's filling.  I changed up the pants and shoes I wore with it though this time.  I'm trying to see how long I can go without wearing the same outfit.

On my way in to work, I stopped off at Goodwill and donated another 63 items.  It made me so happy to drop those items off and get them out of my house!!

After work, I came home and did some more purging.  By the end of the day, the number of items purged for the week was 67 items, which almost met my goal. 

Wednesday - Day #47

Today started off wild!  I received a call shortly after I woke up from one of my staff and had to run out the door to deal with a work situation.  It was close to 90 degrees and VERY humid today, so item #31 entered my wardrobe - a pair of knee-length white shorts.  I paired it with my pink short sleeve cotton top and threw on my Sperry's and was off!  I was in such a hurry to leave I didn't get to take a photo.

After work, we went to my nephew's baseball game and then had dinner with my brother-in-law and in-laws.  It was really nice since we hadn't seen them for a while.  

Thursday - Day #48

I forgot to take a photo of today's outfit as well.  Sorry!  My owner and I had a presentation to do today though, so I paired the goldenrod yellow sweater with my grey dress pants and black dress shoes.  After work, I went to my parent's house and spent the evening visiting with them and my baby nephew.  Since I had met my goal for the week purge-wise this morning (just by using things), I didn't feel guilty and it was GREAT!!

Friday - Day #49

Here's today's "casual Friday" look:

Have I mentioned these grey jean/legging pants from Express feel like wearing pajama pants?!  Color-wise, I wish they were darker so they're more flattering on, but they're still versatile enough to be able to pair with almost every top I selected to be part of my 33 items.  

Came home, watched some US Open Tennis, and did some more purging.

Totals for this Week:

Current Inventory - 10,590

Items Purged - 2788
Items Donated - 1014
Items Used - 424
Items Sold/Returned - 76 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 4302

(4302/14892) = 28.8% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:   Last week I decided I didn't want to stress about focusing on a number of items to purge for the week above the minimum number needed to make my annual goal (69 items) and then if I went over that, great!  It ended up working out really well and I purged 98 items total (and was able to enjoy time with my friends and family without feeling guilty).  I'm going to do the same for next week and make my goal 69 items again.  I'm also making it my goal to go thru this box of items that's been sitting on my kitchen chair for the past 2 weeks and decide what stays/goes.  Regardless, that box is going to be gone!

Hope you all had a nice week!  Any new discoveries that have resonated with you like becoming minimalist and Project 333 have with me?

XOXO,
Stephanie

PRODUCT JUNKIE TO MINIMALIST - Week #6 - Discovery of PROJECT 333

The goal I set for this week was simple:  Get the two crates of decorations in the hallway inventoried and eliminate another 177 items (to bring the total eliminated to 4200 even).

Saturday - Day #36

Went up and saw my nephew this morning for about 4 hours.  He's less than 2 weeks old, so obviously he just sleeps most of the time, but I did get to hold him and feed him (and even change his diaper).  Words cannot describe how much I love this little guy and what a blessing he is to our family.  I never really could see myself having children until he came into our lives and now....well....let's just say he's changed my perspective.  I just turned 38 last month, so if it's meant to be, it will have to happen soon.  That's another story though!....

We ran out of a few things this week, so I had to stop at the grocery store on my way home.  I debated on whether to even post this photo because I bought some really bad food.

All I can say is, "Guess what time of the month it is?!"  It's the time where I'm craving sugar AND salt and anyone who tries to stand in my way is likely to get kicked in the shins and/or the stink eye!  I really did need contact solution, deodorant, fruit, and shipping tape though.  The Starbucks jugs of coffee were on sale this week, so I'm hoping since I got two of them, that will get me thru the next two weeks of work and I won't have to grocery shop for another two weeks.  I'm going to read about Kylie Jenner's birthday now while I eat that piece of cake and remind myself that one day her metabolism will slow down and she'll have thighs too!  

By the end of the day, I had gone through the two crates of decorations, so that was crossed off the list!  Even did a load of laundry while I was at it since I was hanging out in my now-usable (AKA - cleaned out) finished basement.  

Sunday - Day #37

Woke up early enough today that it was still dark out and I was able to light my candles in my living room that I love.  What a great way to start the day!  I read a few magazines, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, and went thru a bag of bathroom items and a crate of items from the garage.  So far I've eliminated 56 items this week.  I looked at my long-term goals for the remainder of this year and determined I need to eliminate at least 66 items/week to reach my goal of eliminating at least 50% of my belongings by the 1-year mark of this project.  I broke it down even further to determine how many items in each category (food, kitchen, living room, bedrooms, office, bathroom, basement, laundry room, upstairs closet, downstairs storage, deck, and garage) I need to eliminate each week.  This will make it really easy when I wake up and want to purge things before work to know which room to focus on that morning.

GAME CHANGER - After my husband fell asleep watching baseball, I was searching the internet for more minimalist blogs and stumbled across something called Project 333.  It's basically where you choose 33 items including clothing, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes and wear only those 33 items for 3 months at a time.  I watched this YouTube video of the Dutch woman in the blue dress at the bottom and it just resonated with me (much like when I found my first minimalism blog).  

What's NOT included in the 33 - Wedding rings or other sentimental jewelry that you never take off, underwear, sleep wear, in-home lounge wear, and workout clothing (you can only wear your workout clothing to workout)

I went straight to my bedroom and made my list of items that I thought would be in my top 33 from memory.  Then, I went thru my closet quickly leaving only those pieces and a few more.  The rest went into another closet.  Of the items that made the cut, I turned those hangers around backwards so I can see what (if anything) I didn't wear at the end of those 33 days.

Here's what made the cut:

Bottoms:
1.  White denim Capri pants (my go-to pair of pants this summer)
2.  Regular (dark denim) jeans
3.  Grey stretchy jeans
4.  Black dress pants
5.  Black leggings Dark charcoal grey work pants (see "Wednesday")

Tops:

6. White 3/4 sleeve top
7.  White & navy "rope design" 3/4 length sleeve shirt
8.  Fuschia pink short sleeve top
9.  Burnt orange sleeveless top
10.  Goldenrod yellow top
11.  Mint green v-neck top (see "Thursday") - Solid grey GAP long-sleeve top
12.  Navy/blue sleeveless top
13.  Navy solid 3/4 sleeve top
14.  Black short sleeve top

Cardigans:
15.  Navy cardigan
16.  Black/white striped cardigan
17.  Black stretchy dressy cardigan
18.  Burnt orange cardigan

Shoes:
19.  Black wedges
20.  Brown boots
21.  Platinum Sperry's
22.  Blush flats
23.  Grey TOMS
24.  Black flats

Accessories:
25.  Black/silver infinity scarf
26.  Lia Sophia goldenrod/green/blue/silver long beaded necklace
27.  Lia Sophia acorn earrings
28.  Silver watch
29.  Black/white/silver long necklace
30.  Silver/clear crystal dangle earrings

I still have three more items that I can add.  I'm going to wait and see what I come across that I need/want to wear over the course of the next three months and add the last three items in then.  Coats are supposed to be counted on this list, but realistically, I hate wearing a coat even when it's snowing outside, so we'll see if I feel the urge to wear one by the end of November.

Monday - Day #38

I woke up all excited to decide what of my 33 pieces I was going to wear today.  Something that made this "Project 333" project challenging is that I live in Ohio and the seasons are about to change from Summer to Fall.  Today in fact, it was below 80 degrees and I wore this to work:

Tuesday - Day #39

I cannot believe how happy it makes me to walk into a cleaner closet without all the clothes packed into it!  (This coming from the girl who used to choose apartments based on how big the walk-in closets were and would have the entire thing packed).  Having less options to choose from really does make getting dressed a lot faster!  Plus, I don't get irritated looking at clothes that don't fit or don't make me feel good.  Everything that's in there now are my favorite pieces!  Here's what I wore today:

I know the "no white after Labor Day" rule technically went away several years back, but I'm old enough to still have that as my mindset.  So, I'm going to wear my favorite white capris and nautical 3/4 sleeve top as many times as I can between now and mid-September.  I debated on whether to keep these two pieces on my "33 list" since I won't wear them for the whole three months and that's 2/33 slots they're filling, but they're both so comfortable and I feel good wearing them.  I paired them with my navy cardigan and boat shoes and had a nice "Tuesday with no meetings" work outfit.  Normally I wear a golden, nautical-themed long necklace with this outfit too, but it didn't make the cut for Fall pieces.  Instead, these are my jewelry options for the next three months.  (The small, diamond/pearl necklace was my gift from my husband for our wedding and is what I normally wear daily, so it didn't have to be counted).

Now I'm going to work on eliminating some more items.  I'm at 4118 now and I still have 82 more to go by the end of the day Friday.  I'm going to check out the pieces that didn't make the Project 333 cut and see what can go to eBay/out of my closet permanently.

Wednesday - Day #40

No meetings scheduled again at work today, so I wanted to wear comfy, soft clothing.  This outfit definitely fit that bill!

I REALLY debated on if it was appropriate for an Executive Director to ever wear leggings to work.  Even though the agency I work for is pretty small and the amount of people who would even see my outfit was less than 20, I still felt funny about it.  My husband said he thought my outfit looked cute, but the more I look at this photo, the more I think these leggings are getting pulled from my 33 items.  Instead, they're getting replaced with dark charcoal dress pants (which I ended up wearing on Thursday).

After work, I went and got a pedicure, which was so nice!  Purged 5 more items from my closets too!

Thursday - Day #41

Today I had a meeting with one of the families we serve and with someone from the local County Board, so I needed to dress up more.  This was today's outfit:

Did I mention this little project is tougher than it looks?  During any given week in the Spring and Fall, it is not uncommon for the temperature to fluctuate by 40 degrees.  You really have to think hard about the pieces you choose because you don't get a lot of options!  I thought I had my wardrobe all figured out Sunday night, but once again, after looking at this photo, I've decided this shirt is getting pulled too.  It doesn't look flattering right now and the necklace I normally wear with it (a short silver and green statement one) didn't make the Project 333 cut.  This black/silver necklace kept falling into the crack of my chest and REALLY made for an unflattering look.

Friday - Day #42

Here's today's "casual Friday" look:

This is a very comfy (although not so flattering around my waist) outfit!  I love the necklace too!  The colors are perfect for Fall!!

Came home and finished purging to make my goal for the week.  For some reason, this week was tougher than all the other weeks.  It's probably because I've been through everything at least once already.  I thought my clothes especially would be easier since I pulled most of them from my main closet, but what's left are pieces I really do like.  Clearly I still have some work to do on changing my mindset and letting go of things!

Totals for this Week:

Current Inventory - 10,645

Items Purged - 2762
Items Donated - 977
Items Used - 394
Items Sold/Returned - 71 
TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 4204

(4204/14849) = 28.3% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:  I don't want to stress about focusing on a number of items to purge this week!  I'm going to make my goal the minimum number needed to make my annual goal (69 items) and then if I go over that, great!

What do you guys think of Project 333?  Have any of you done it before?

XOXO,
Stephanie

PRODUCT JUNKIE to MINIMALIST - Week #5

The goal I set for this week was simple:  Hit the 4000 mark for items eliminated (either thru purging, donating, using, or selling).  

Saturday - Day #29

Started the morning off with a trip to the grocery store.  I had three things on my list (kitty litter, Draino, and razors), but then realized we were out of a few more things once I got there.

I hadn't grocery shopped for two weeks and this was all I/we really needed.  (The four jugs of kitty litter stayed downstairs since they weigh 20 lbs a piece and I didn't feel like lugging them up the stairs for the photo).  Buying the jug of coffee ended up being cheaper in the long run than stopping in the morning on my way to work to buy it since I always end up buying food too.   Now I can eat a banana instead or a bowl of cereal with my coffee at the house.  We were completely out of cheese and fruit, so those were fine to buy.  I'm going to try to wean myself off my US Weekly magazine addiction until I read all the magazines I currently have at least, but so far, that hasn't happened.  (Although since I'm only shopping bi-weekly now, I don't buy them every week anymore).  The total cost of these items was $74.97.  That's WAY below the old overage of $100-$115 per week that I used to spend.

Came home and photographed items to put on eBay since their free listing promo runs through tomorrow.  Put 11 more pieces on the site before the day was over and sold 2 shirts.  Yeah!!  

Sunday - Day #30

Woke up and photographed/put 21 more items on eBay.  Sold 4 items, so I packaged those out to ship out in the morning.  We had some company over, I did some laundry, and that pretty much consumed the day.  Tomorrow, it's back to work!  

Monday - Day #31

Back to work today!  Once I got thru my 181 e-mails and dealt with all the regular day-to-day goings on of a company that supports individuals with disabilities, it was time to go home and I was EXHAUSTED!!  I packaged up items that sold on eBay, watched a baseball game with my husband, and then zonked out for the night!

Tuesday - Day #32

Another busy, busy day at work.  Came home and packaged up an item that sold on eBay today while I was working, took a shower, and watched another baseball game on TV.  I know I should be listing more things on eBay, but I just don't have it in me.  Instead I logged what I used yesterday and today (including throwing a purse away that I had been carrying that was pretty beat up, and the daily things that get consumed like fruit I ate, contact solution I used up, packing tape I used up, etc.).  My goal was to hit 4000 items eliminated this week.  So far I'm at 3925.  Go me!  Only 75 more items to go before the end of the week.  Yeah!!  

I keep getting urges just to bundle up everything in front of me and donate it, which is a good sign.  My mind set truly has changed over the past 32 days.  I'm not even tempted to online shop anymore.  I logged on to the Limited website the other day to get a retail value for a shirt I bought and looked at their clothes and didn't have the urge to buy ANYTHING!  After all, I have all I need and more already!  I'm so grateful for this journey that began just over a month ago!!    

Wednesday - Day #33

I woke up this morning and set a simple goal - eliminate 5 items from my bedroom before getting ready for work.  It only took me about 10 minutes and I had found 15 items to get rid of.  2 decorations, a slip, a pair of heavy tights, a body slimmer, and a pair of shoe strings all went into the "Goodwill Donation" crate.  5 clothing items, a purse, and 2 decorations went into the "put on eBay" pile, and 1 decoration went straight into the trash.  Who-hoo!!

I sold a top while I was sleeping, so I wrapped it up and shipped it out this morning.  

On my way to work, I dropped off the overflowing crate of donations to Goodwill and it took less than 30 seconds.  Double who-hoo for the day!!

After work, I decided to go thru a 5-gallon crate of items left over from a garage sale last year to see what would go on eBay and what would be donated to Goodwill or go to the trash.  There were over 30 old Lia Sophia look books in there that went straight to the recycling and almost put me to my 4000 items purged goal.  I'm only 2 items away from hitting that mark and I'm so excited!  I will find additional items to get rid of and hit that number TONIGHT!  Yeah!  GOAL MET!!  (Did I mention setting attainable goals is a good way to keep yourself motivated)?    

Thursday - Day #34

This advertisement was in my e-mail inbox yesterday.  It's from Express and they're trying to convince me (and the rest of their subscribers) that we need to wear blankets as cover-ups this fall.  It's cute and all, but lucky for me, I have plenty of blankets I can bring from home if I get cold at work this Fall/Winter.  Ha!!  #thanksbutnothanks

On a more serious note, I woke up and purged another 21 items from my bedroom.  This time, I decided to go through my earrings and bracelets before getting ready for work.  Out of my earrings, 3 pairs went to the trash, 1 pair is going to my sister, 10 pairs are going onto eBay, and 1 pair was donated.  1 necklace and 5 bracelets are also headed to eBay (hopefully this weekend).  

Friday - Day #35

My husband and I met his brother and his brother's wife out for a drink after work and then we came home and went to bed early.  Another week in the books!  Praise the Lord!!  

Totals for this Week:

Current Inventory - 10,628

Items Purged - 2714
Items Donated - 932
Items Used - 317
Items Sold/Returned - 60

TOTAL ITEMS ELIMINATED = 4023

(4023/14654) = 27.4% of items inventoried have been eliminated so far

Next week's goal:  Get the two crates of decorations in the hallway inventoried and eliminate another 177 items (to bring the total eliminated to 4200 even).

Have a blessed week everyone!

XOXO,
Stephanie

TARGET Beauty Box Review - August 2015

Some of you may be surprised to find a beauty box review on here since I'm working on becoming more minimalist.  This box had several items I was actually needing though, and buying it was cheaper than buying what I needed individually.  So, I went for it!

Cost:  $7.53 with tax

What's Inside:  6 beauty items from Target

Here's a list of the products:

1.  Clairol Hair Food Moisturizing Mask (Full Size) - RV $12
2.  Fekkai Pré-Soleil Hair Mist - RV $6.80
3.  Olay Active Botanicals Moisturizing Toner - RV $1.80
4.  Olay Active Botanicals Day Lotion - RV $3.60
5.  Crest 3D White Strips 1hr Express - 1 set - RV $11.25
6.  CoverGirl Super Sizer Mascara by Lash Blast (Full Size) - RV $6

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE:  $41.45

A closer look:

Clairol Hair Food Moisturizing Mask (Full Size) - RV $12

Conditioner is one of the items I was actually about to run out of and needed to buy.  This is advertised as a "mask", but I've been using it as a regular conditioner and just leaving it on a bit longer in the shower and it's worked great.  I LOVE the apricot smell too!  It's not something I will pay $12 for in the future, but I love that it came with this box and I needed it!

Fekkai Pré-Soleil Hair Mist - RV $6.80

I've never tried a product like this and it's not really something I need to use since I'm not out in the sun a lot.  I might use it if I go to a concert, hiking, or camping though.  It has sunflower seed oil in it, so I'll probably use it during the winter months when my hair gets really dry too.  

Olay Active Botanicals Moisturizing Toner - RV $1.80
Olay Active Botanicals Day Lotion - RV $3.60

This is another practical item in the box that lead me to buy it.  I wear Oil of Olay moisturizer DAILY and swear by it!  I've never tried their botanicals line, but after trying both, have become a fan!  I have sensitive skin, but both products moisturized my skin without causing any redness or reaction.  These are great travel sizes too, so I can throw them in a duffel bag and they won't take up a ton of room.  (Plus, I'll use them up pretty quickly and be able to remove them from my inventory soon too).

Crest 3D White Strips 1hr Express - 1 set - RV $11.25

I like Crest White Strips and have used them in the past.  Not sure why one set is so pricey though!  The ones I've used before have a minty flavor to them and these didn't for some reason.  They did seem to lighten my teeth a shade or two, but overall, I wasn't a fan of them.  They didn't sit right on my teeth and were just awkward to have in.  

Cover Girl Super Sizer Mascara by Lash Blast (Full Size) - RV $6

This mascara was the other reason I bought this box.  The one I was using needed to be replaced, so when I saw I could get this box for $7 and a tube of mascara alone would cost me $7 or $8, it was a no brainer!  The shade I received was called "Very Black", which is what I usually wear.  I'd never tried this particular kind of Cover Girl mascara before with this wand.  I usually go for the wands that have a bushier, curved brush so the mascara goes on smoothly and separates my lashes.  This is a plastic wand and the mascara goes on a bit heavier/goopier in some spots.  It's not something I'll buy again just b/c of the wand, but it will do the trick for the next three months until it's time to replace my mascara again.

FINAL VERDICT:  As I mentioned earlier, I purchased this box because I needed mascara and conditioner.  This box fulfilled both of those needs and I'll use everything else included as well.  I don't foresee myself needing $15 worth of beauty products in the next few weeks, so the coupon, although nice, will probably go unused.  All in all, I'm very happy with this box!  Target seems to offer the box for the price of one item in it, so the value is always well worth it!

What did you think of this Target beauty box?

XOXO,
Stephanie