Cleaning Out

I spent today going through baby clothes.  Making two piles, one to sell at the local consignment sale and one to give to my sister who is due any day now (if she wants them...).  It's interesting, I have put this off for a while now, waiting to see if we would need them.  But I think the Lord has something else in mind for the clothing and for us!  Not quite sure what it is for us but it is time to get rid of this stuff.  Someone else can use them.

It is a lot of work, checking for spots, ironing, pricing, sorting, and washing.   Then there is the fun part, showing Riley the tiny little shoes he wore or the tiny socks.   The cute little outfits that were worn to church or out and about.    I remember taking pictures of him in the cute little outfits just so I could remember what he looked like.  Although, thankfully there are times I don't need the pictures to remember!

I could just give everything away...that certainly would be easier.  However, I think this is a good way to bring in a little bit of income.  When I've contributed to this sale in the past I've not made a lot of money but enough to make it worth the effort put into getting the clothes ready.

I have actually been cleaning a lot out lately with the goal of having a garage sale when the weather warms up a little.  In fact when cleaning out from under Riley's bed, I crawled under there the other night to find I had company.  Our 5 1/2 month old puppy, Lady crawled under with me thinking it was a game and covered my face with kisses!  I couldn't get out fast enough!

Cleaning out is a good way to start the new year.  It is refreshing, it helps renew your home, your heart and your mind.  Riley just had a birthday which of course means that new items or toys have entered his room.  This first thing I did was talk to him about what items he could get rid of.  Thankfully he was willing and able to come up with several items that could be sold in the garage sale or the consignment sale.

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has a very informative E-Book called Molly's Money-Saving Digest:  MollyGets Organized All in One Place.   They have taken all the organization articles from 2009 and compiled them in one digest!  There are articles on a household inventory binder, emergency  preparedness, couponing, menu planning, gift planning, and much more.  Check it out, you may find something to help you out with your efforts to clean out or purge.

What do you do to purge or clean out?  How often do you attempt this task?  How does it usually work for you?  I wish you the best if you are attempting to purge or clean out.  As Molly Green says, "Evaluate. Prioritize. Organize."