I’m doing ok on my plan to throw out 5 things a day.  I admit to having missed two days last week, but I think I made up for that by having someone come in to haul out a huge pile of junk from the backyard.

I’m all for making things easier.  So, while it would be nice if baking supplies (baking powder, baking soda, corn starch, etc.) came with a level included I make my own.  Rather than peeling off the entire circle, I cut a very straight line about 1/3 of the way across so I can fit my biggest measuring spoons and level them easily.

This week I resumed my goal of throwing out 5 things / day.  Note, these are things that have been around for a while, not junk mail, leftover food, or other high turnover items.  I also sometimes substitute “putting away” for “throwing away” if its something that should be kept but won’t be used again for a long time, ie garden hose in the fall, hand-me down clothing/sports equipment, important paper that needs filing, etc.

Two days in and I’ve succeeded so far.  Admittedly most items have been small papers.  But, the key for me is consistency not volume.  And, I did get the box from our new printer gone.  It’s been sitting for a few weeks now while I made sure all the functionality worked.

I started with this idea two years back to declutter.  But, I succeed in waves.  And, I admittedly don’t even try over the summer.  Then I’m focusing on the kids and fun stuff.  Sorting, organizing, and discarding waits until school starts in the fall.  Maybe by more publicly stating my intent I’ll stick to it better.