Ranchwife de-cluttering...

Start with a tractor.

There's a lot of talk out there about de-cluttering, simplifying, and letting go of excess things in your life.  Blogs, books, and Pinterest boards all have great ideas, but for me, I've got to get in the right mood and then watch out!  The heaving of bags and boxes and bedding begins.  I don't have a fancy method or 10 steps.  I keep it simple -- just do it!  Today it all started when I decided to do some housekeeping.  I dusted.  Then I vacuumed.  As I did just these two things, I noticed the piles of magazines, the closet shelves bulging with old blankets and pillows and oversized clothing.  I've certainly noticed these things before, but today was different.  My mood was of the get-rid-of-it variety, and I always give in to that feeling because it comes so rarely.

 

I thought I might sort through things a little, but honestly, I didn't feel much like that.  I just wanted the stuff outta here!  So without thinking about anything too much or looking at things too long, I began to carry stuff out to the tractor.  Once in the bucket, there was no turning back.  I did spend some time pulling Hubby's oversized clothes off the hangers and placed them into a couple bags for thrifting, but those were the only things I sorted.  The rest just flew from my hands and into the tractor.  

I hauled off two loads to the dump.  Yup, we have our own dump.  It's a luxury.  Man, does it feel good to have at least some of my excess stuff gone!  I'm far from done with this project -- the crawl space still beckons -- but even if I quit today, I feel like I accomplished a lot.

Now I think I'll go outside, read a book, and enjoy my summer porch flower.  I call it my Baby Begonia because she'll require a tiny bit of extra TLC.  She was a $15 steal at the local Shopko and will be worth every dime for the summertime satisfaction she will bring me.  Isn't she lovely?  For all her beauty, I didn't give her a fancy vessel to live in, but I like the look all the same.