Day 72: My library card, my old one that is

My keychain library card was so old. It came apart into 3 pieces, all still attached to my keychain. The library said I needed a new account because they could not issue me a new keychain card and keep it associated with my account. So I got a new one....2 years ago. Man I have issues. Goodbye one thing at a time.

6.21.11

Day 71: my Giant keychain card

So you know the cards that the stores give you on keychains? I am tossing my Giant one today. I took it off my keychain a while ago, probably when we moved to this house. We do not shop there and I have no need for it.

6.20.11

Day 70: 4 itty bitty small containers

My mom sent me 4 containers. She got them at the dollar spot at some drug store. They are large enough to maybe hold a pack of fruit snacks opened and removed from their package. They are perfect for the diaper bag, however, they do not seal and I do not want cheerios crushed at the bottom of my diaper bag, there is enough stuff there already.

6.19.11

Day 69: a diaper bag

This diaper bag is one we got from the hospital. It was the free Similac one. They tried some new design with just one shoulder strap. It always falls off. I used it once or twice. Its an odd shape and not helpful for our needs. Goodbye extra bag we do not need or use.

6.18.11

Day 68: a purse/brief case/diaper bag

It was an all in one kinda thing. My mom got it for me. We actually each got one exactly the same. It was the perfect size to put a file folder in and take it back and forth to work. I had great intentions of turning it into a diaper bag and so on, but the cheap fake leather peeled off the handle leaving the insides all exposed and not cool. I put it in a drawer for almost 2 years now. I do not think I will ever use it again.

6.17.11

Day 67: 2 mugs

So 11 months ago, (when Lydia was born) I received 2 floral arrangements in these smiley face mugs. Actually, I think those were for AB. Anyways, I have photos of them and they are cute. I thought that I could use them for soup or something so I put them in a cabinet, that cabinet got loaded to a box, that box got loaded to a drawer and today they are leaving. They are bulky and the handle sticks out far. We never used them for soup. We actually never used them at all.

6.16.11

Day 66: a birthday invitation

I took a picture of the details with my phone and threw the invitation away. One less thing in my junk drawer.

DONATE: 12 books

I know it is supposed to be 1 thing a day, not 12 but I was preparing my annual yard sale list for the summer and going through AB's books to see which ones we needed still. I am collecting all of the Beverly Clearly books, Nancy Drew, Little Critter and Berenstain Bear books for her (and some others) but anyways, we came across some duplicates or some that we do not need. I will donate them to an amazing place. It is called the Playseum. http://www.playseum.com/

Day 65: A broken puzzle

One of the LMNOP kids broke one of AB's puzzle pieces. this was a special piece that her Memaw bought her and it has her name on it. Oh well. Chalk it up as the cost of a home daycare and a gentle reminder to keep our special toys in our room and not with all the others.

6.14.11

GIVE AWAY: a baby book

Its not a baby book, it is a book about babies. I have a friend who is having a baby and asked to borrow it. She can keep it. It is a very controversial book but it worked for our family. It teaches you how to train your child to sleep through the night. AB and Lydia both did really well with the method. It either is for your family or isn't... don't judge me!

Enjoy it Joanie!

6.13.11

Day 64: a sales ad

We get a free paper every week. Actually 2 every week. We do not want them. We have asked them not to deliver them. I think it is easier for the delivery person to continue to deliver them to everyone instead of trying to remember which house doesn't want them. Any ways, I opened the paper and snagged the coupon supplement but got persuaded into snagging a sales ad for Michaels. It had a 50% off coupon. Lets get real, I am not dragging my kiddos to Michaels when I get off work. And the coupon will expire and I will have the paper still around my house. I should have not even brought it in. Straight to the recycling bin Lori, you know the drill!!!

6.13.11

Day 63: a recipe

A recipe that I had scribbled in a notebook that I recently took out of the notebook and it now has free reign to get lost in my house. I can google the recipe much easier than I can find the piece of paper.

Speaking of the recipe, you should try it. It is a great one to make in advance. It is called dinner in a bag. So what you do is take a bag and put in all the dry ingredients, pre-measured as well as a can of tomatoes and pre-measured pasta. Separately you brown your ground beef or turkey. I do 5 recipes worth at a time. Then when it is time for dinner, you pull it all out and dump it in the skillet. It is a fancy hamburger helper. I think it has great flavor. It is probably more of a winter meal.

Here are the major components (this is just from my memory) the recipe might prove my memory to to not be so good.

A ziplock bag of spices and seasonings

a can of diced tomatoes

a ziplock bag of pasta

a frozen ziplock bag of ground beef. (we use turkey and I cook it in advance)

Here is the recipe:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Dinner-in-a-Bag

6.12.11

RETURNED: pyrex casserole dish

I finally returned a casserole dish that has been taking up space in my house. Being a pastor's wife, and coupled with the fact that we do not have a church building, anything that is leftover at church ends up being at my house. Please do not hear this as a complaint...I am very happy with my life and even ending up with these misc items. I just need to do better at returning them more quickly. This was from our casserole cook-off in April. All I have to say is Su makes a killer tamale pie! Man it was good!

6.12.11

Day 62: A wooden tray

So my MIL gave me a tray many many years ago. It has a stand that you can set it on. When we moved to our new house, the stand broke. The tray is pretty bulky and it wont fit under a cabinet or anything. I set it on top of my fridge. I thought that I could grab it easily when needed. Well I also have a cd player in my kitchen. we have worship music on 24/7 in our house. A small way we can honor God and fill our hearts with truths and scripture. Anyways, the only logical place to put the 3 piece cd player was on top of the fridge as well. I needed the counter space. The tray held the cd player perfectly but it was in the way when the cabinet was opened so there are a million knocks in the wood. Also, because it has a 2 or 3 inch lip around it, I used it to hold misc things...broken toys, crayons quickly get placed there out of the baby's reach, takeout menus...you get the point. No need to hold on to something that is going to constantly hinder me with my goal....goodbye big bulky tray that should have gone when your stand broke.

Day 61: Blank paper

Who am I kidding? I threw away the blank paper from the previous 2 posts. Start fresh. Move on. Living lighter one thing at a time.

6.10.11

Day 60: Another old notebook from work

I thumbed through another notebook from work. I seemed to be able to thumb through it quicker. Maybe I am "over it" whatever "it" is.

I tore out 4 personal pages and 1 recipe that I had written in there. I pulled out a few more sheets of blank paper and tossed the rest.

6.9.11

Day 59: An old notebook from work

So I have a few files and notebooks and such from my old job that I have just kept around. I am afraid to just throw it out because I am afraid that I will throw away something that I need, some personal notes or something. I guess I have been holding off because of the feelings that come with thinking about my old job. Success, failure, accomplishment, stress...an on and on.

Anyways, today I went through one of the notebooks. Of all the pages, I only found one page with personal notes. I tore it out and set it to the side. I also tore out some empty sheets that I can use as note paper. Good bye notebook and one thing closer to being completely done with my old job.

6.8.11

Day 58: razors

So because of my 2 small kiddos and LMNOP kiddos, for safety reasons I have to keep my razors high up on the ledge, not on the side of the tub. Well, once it is up there, I do not see it (when I am not showering) and I never think to throw them away. When you get out of the shower, your thought is not, hmmm, I should declutter in here. Your thought is hmmm, I should hurry up and get my clothes on before the 3 yr old walks in or the baby needs something.

Yesterday was the pumice, today is the razors. One thing at a time, right.

6.7.11

Day 56: Foot Pumice

Somewhere, years ago (i'm pretty sure it was years) someone (I think it was Dustin) gave me a foot pumice. I never used it. I am afraid if I use it it will get wet and then it will breed germs. I also do not know the proper way to use it. I also do not want to clean the tub afterwards. It just has shifted from the linen closet to the bathroom drawers to the linen closet but as of today...it made it to the trash can. :)

6.6.11

Day 56: an empty sheet of stickers

Along the same lines of the ziplock bag box, I found an empty sheet of stickers in AB's sticker box. I can't expect the 3 year old to throw it away, I guess its my job. I went through her stickers and threw away 3 empty sheets.

6.5.11

Day 55: a ziplock bag box

Who doesn't throw the ziplock bag box away when you take the last one?!?!?! Me. You should have seen that coming. My only possible explanation is that maybe my hands are full (thus the need for the bag in the first place) and my mind never comes back to the box, instead it is easier to shut the drawer with my hips and move on. Oh well, goodbye box. I have a feeling I might see you again, or at least your cousin.

6.4.11

Day 54: A chuckecheese sippy cup

AB got it for her birthday. it has a built in straw and a bobble head. I packed it away months ago in an effort to make space for bottles. I took the box out and looked through it. Found the cup and though, well, lets give it a whirl. I was gonna see if she wanted to drink out of it. When I opened it, the most foul smell filled my nostrils. I cannot imagine how many washes it would take to get it out, even though it looked clean. No thank you chuck e cheese. Good bye.

6.3.11

Day 53: a half filled workbook for preshcoolers

It was given to AB when Lydia was born but was handed to her as more of a coloring book than a teaching tool. When I see how some of it is used up but not correctly or others are empty but the stickers are missing, I feel sad because I am only reminded that I had to focus on the baby and not her. I do not keep things that make me sad. Goodbye half filled workbook that AB doesnt even realize she is missing.

6.2.11

Day 52: A kite

After a week of vacation, not spent at my house, it is time to get back to throwing one thing away a day. I didn't feel it was right to throw my mom's stuff away, although I was tempted. Do you know she had 4 phone books? Who still uses those things?

So since we were away from our garden for a week, we were shocked to see its growth one of the tomato plants needed to be staked. I couldn't find any string. I quickly remembered a kite left over from a 2 pack. We used one but the second one was at the bottom of my shoe closet getting stuck in the sliding door every time it was opened. What did I do? I threw away the second kite but kept the string. Now our tomato plant is standing tall and my closet opens without the misplaced kite in the way.

6.1.11