A week's worth of simplifying

I am a firm believer in the idea that your external environment has a direct relationship on your internal frame of mind. Since I have been feeling so out of control, overwhelmed, and overextended lately, I took a look around the Garaje Mahal and decided that it was time for some purging.

It's funny: I actively try to downsize and purge on a regular basis, as well as limiting the amount of new stuff that I bring into the house. Yet I still somehow end up drowning in stuff. What's up with that?

So this week, I went through the kitchen and found
1) a mini blender that I had gotten as a secret Santa gift from work. It's nice for making smoothies and protein shakes, but really? I have a full size blender and a shaker cup that I use more often. Into the bag for the second hand store.

2) Four plastic tumblers that came as part of a set for freezer containers. The containers I use for all the crock pot soups I've been making. The cups? Not so much.

3) A glass goblet I'm ashamed to admit that I swiped from a restaurant. It's been sitting on my counter filled with potpourri. That went into the second hand bag, as well.

4) While paying bills, I noticed I had two calculators. Plus, calculator functions on my computer and my phone. (Plus, the ability to do basic math skills in my head or with a pen and paper. That's a skill I really should use more often lest I lose it completely) So one of the calculators went.

5) Went through the bookshelf and pulled down two books. Another of my goals this year has been to systematically READ all the books on the bookshelf. But let's face it. Some books were just a bad decision and I'll never read them. So I'll pass those along at the second hand store, too)

6) I have a music CD that somebody gave me for meditation or yoga or tai chi or whatever. I've never listened to it. So into the bag that goes.

7) While changing the summer clothes for the winter clothes, I managed to pull out two bags of clothes that I don't need anymore.

I feel lighter and less burdened already. (And after the purging of the As We Change catalog, I found that I am apparently quite fetching to guys 10 or so years younger than me while at the bar seeing my friend's band. Or maybe that was the beer. I'm going with me.)

Today I am grateful for:

1) an extra hour of sleep
2) Advil
3) movies that you watch over and over
4) environmentally friendly cleaners that smell good
5) seeing friends find their passion