40 bags in 40 days decluttering challenge

photokitty · February 2015

Is anyone doing this? I'm super intrigued. I know I should do it and I hope to be successful, but I was thinking I could use some knotty moral support.

It's a "forty day period in the spring (coinciding with the 40 days of Lent) where you focus on cleaning one area per day. In this one area you challenge yourself to declutter, simplify, decrapify, and get rid of things you don’t need."

The goal is one bag a day but you can have more or less. Or to organzine/ clean/ declutter one space per day. It could be a room, a table, a cabinet or your inbox - there aren't any rules.

http://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/40-bags-in-40-days-2015/

I joined the Facebook group and am ready to leave it after 8 hours bc its clogging up my feed. Wondering if others are interested in doing this, perhaps would could have a check in thread where we offer suggestions and support.

I've already eaten chocolate today. I can't give up social media bc it's my job. And I feel like doing something for Lent is better than giving something up. Anyone want to join me?

lyndausvi · February 2015

I haven't heard of that before. I purge twice a year already. No way I could purge everyday.

My no longer-practicing- Catholic ass gives up chocolate milk (hot chocolate and chocolate milkshakes) every year. This year is no different. I've been doing it for so long now it's just a habit. (I drink chocolate milk for breakfast EVER SINGLE DAY for the rest of the year. No coffee for this girl.

I've thought about giving up alcohol. That is always short lived when I remember St Patrick's day is always during lent. No way this Irish girl is not going to drink beer on St Patrick's day.

luckya23 · February 2015

I tried this last year! I didn't go all the way through, though.

Have you heard about Marie Kondo? I'm reading her book now, and I think Peter Walsh's new book came out this week too.

I'm following a few different groups on Facebook now, and yes they have taken over my feed too!! A Bowl Full of Lemons is the craziest one.

For one of them in January we went through and got rid of the same number of items per day as the date - so 12 items on 1/12, 21 on 1/21, and so on. I got rid of over 1000 items for January! We have February off for that group, though, and start again 3/1.

I can try the bags with you, though! You can do all 40 in a day if you want, though, right?

JennyColada · February 2015

I don't even think that I own 40 bags of stuff...

And I'm Jewish, so no lent. Just guilt.

photokitty · February 2015

luckya23 said:

I tried this last year! I didn't go all the way through, though.
Have you heard about Marie Kondo? I'm reading her book now, and I think Peter Walsh's new book came out this week too.
I'm following a few different groups on Facebook now, and yes they have taken over my feed too!! A Bowl Full of Lemons is the craziest one.
For one of them in January we went through and got rid of the same number of items per day as the date - so 12 items on 1/12, 21 on 1/21, and so on. I got rid of over 1000 items for January! We have February off for that group, though, and start again 3/1.
I can try the bags with you, though! You can do all 40 in a day if you want, though, right?

You can do what works for you. I'm a bit of a hoarder, so if I tried to do it in one bag they would have to be sandwich baggies. I NEED all this crap I never use. I still have NIB wedding gifts from my first marriage...totally had to have that salad shooter and electric skillet.

I like the one item a day gig. I'd have to save the kitchen table for day 31 and do my shoe closet during the first 3 days of the month

JennyColada said:

I don't even think that I own 40 bags of stuff...

And I'm Jewish, so no lent. Just guilt.

I wish I could say I don't own 40 bags of stuff - but the reality is 10 years in a 3 bedroom house, full basement and 2 1/2 car garage I have at least 400 bags of stuff. And as much Catholic guilt to go along with it - extra for my non-practicing, in bad standing self

theartistformerlyknownas · February 2015

Yeah I need to do this. I already got rid of two overflowing laundry baskets of clothes in January but need to keep going. Count me in.

luckya23 · February 2015

You guys should definitely look into KonMari!

http://www.luckyshops.com/article/konmari-method-closet-cleaning

I literally got rid of half my clothes in the last 2 months.

ETA: Half of my clothes that were in my living space. God help me when I tackle the storage in the attic!!

lc07 · February 2015

I don't do organized religion so don't really care about the lent part, but I love this idea! I've been thinking of doing something similar - setting a 15 minute timer every day and tackling something organization-wise during that time frame, like the junk drawer(s) in my kitchen, garage shelves, closets, etc.

I don't think I'd want to join the Facebook group either. I think the accountability thing would be helpful, though. (I'm going on a week vacation the first week in April, though!)

*Edited for clarity

luckya23 · February 2015

photokitty said:

luckya23 said:

I tried this last year! I didn't go all the way through, though.
Have you heard about Marie Kondo? I'm reading her book now, and I think Peter Walsh's new book came out this week too.
I'm following a few different groups on Facebook now, and yes they have taken over my feed too!! A Bowl Full of Lemons is the craziest one.
For one of them in January we went through and got rid of the same number of items per day as the date - so 12 items on 1/12, 21 on 1/21, and so on. I got rid of over 1000 items for January! We have February off for that group, though, and start again 3/1.
I can try the bags with you, though! You can do all 40 in a day if you want, though, right?

You can do what works for you. I'm a bit of a hoarder, so if I tried to do it in one bag they would have to be sandwich baggies. I NEED all this crap I never use. I still have NIB wedding gifts from my first marriage...totally had to have that salad shooter and electric skillet.

I like the one item a day gig. I'd have to save the kitchen table for day 31 and do my shoe closet during the first 3 days of the month

JennyColada said:

I don't even think that I own 40 bags of stuff...

And I'm Jewish, so no lent. Just guilt.

I wish I could say I don't own 40 bags of stuff - but the reality is 10 years in a 3 bedroom house, full basement and 2 1/2 car garage I have at least 400 bags of stuff. And as much Catholic guilt to go along with it - extra for my non-practicing, in bad standing self

I definitely need to tackle my attic and garage but it's just SO DAMN COLD!! They will have to wait, but I do need to make room for shower gifts too :-P

ashley8918 · February 2015

Ahem. I just donated TWENTY SEVEN garbage bags of clothes this weekend, and have since filled 4 more. Suffice it to say, I have a crap problem.

Count me in! When even is lent? Is it now?

photokitty · February 2015

ashley8918 said:

Ahem. I just donated TWENTY SEVEN garbage bags of clothes this weekend, and have since filled 4 more. Suffice it to say, I have a crap problem. Count me in! When even is lent? Is it now?

It starts today. You can tell bc people are walking around with dirt on their forehead (it's really ashes, but people used to tell me on the elevator every year that I had "some dirt on my forehead.")

So Feb 18 - April 4.

wandajune6 · February 2015

JennyColada said:

I don't even think that I own 40 bags of stuff...

And I'm Jewish, so no lent. Just guilt.

I was just thinking the same thing. I have more stuff though.

I'm game. We probably got rid of that much stuff as we moved in together and got wedding gifts. However, we have way more than we need. We probably don't have 40 bags to get rid of but I love the idea.

lc07 · February 2015

photokitty said:

ashley8918 said:

Ahem. I just donated TWENTY SEVEN garbage bags of clothes this weekend, and have since filled 4 more. Suffice it to say, I have a crap problem. Count me in! When even is lent? Is it now?

It starts today. You can tell bc people are walking around with dirt on their forehead (it's really ashes, but people used to tell me on the elevator every year that I had "some dirt on my forehead.")

So Feb 18 - April 4.

Alrighty, I'm doing that one drawer in my kitchen that has a bunch of shit that I don't use ever and several things I use all the time and can never get to shut or open without a struggle. WHY do I keep random shit in there?

luckya23 · February 2015

This was my 38-bag trip to Goodwill in January. Ridiculous!!!

amelisha · February 2015

I purge stuff at least twice a year, so we'd have nothing left if I did this. But it's a great idea in theory and I'll normally take any excuse to clean.

I'm beyond secular at this point in my life but I went to Catholic school growing up so the lingering desire to torture myself a bit during Lent remains, lol. Maybe I'll deep-clean something different every day to assuage my feelings and drive my actual Catholic acquaintances crazy.

lyndausvi · February 2015

It's funny how much Catholic guilt lasts.

Every Friday during Lent I seem to eat meat. Then I feel guilt when I realize it's Friday and I just ate meat. Crazy how those feelings are still around after all these years.

ashley8918 · February 2015

Alright, today shall be my closet. I'm too ashamed to show a before picture, but I'll definitely post an after shot

theartistformerlyknownas · February 2015

lyndausvi said:
It's funny how much Catholic guilt lasts.

Every Friday during Lent I seem to eat meat. Then I feel guilt when I realize it's Friday and I just ate meat. Crazy how those feelings are still around after all these years.

Same here!

levioosa · February 2015

I can't commit to 40 bags (I don't think I own that much stuff), but I definitely have some things to get rid of. About two years ago I went through a "THROW ALL OF THE THINGS AWAY" phase, so most of my stuff is already gone. But I do need to throw away those old text books and school notes from high school/early college. I just worked so hard on the notes that it pains me to get rid of them.

falsara · February 2015

I'm in. There a huge chuck of clothes that I know I need to get rid of. And I might be able to empty some of my paperbacks, because l know I accidentally bought them on Kindle too.

Inkdancer · February 2015

I'm in. Even if it's a grocery bag a day, I need to declutter pretty seriously.

photokitty · February 2015

FWIW I'm not committing to 40 bags, but cleaning/organizing/declutter 40 areas of my house.

I made a list and organized it by room so I can fill in my chart. i.e. kitchen table, kitchen pantry, basement pantry, under the bathroom sink, shoes, bedroom closet, jewelry and top of dresser, hall closet, etc.

I know I won't come out with a bag on all the area and some I might come out with more, but I'm more concerned with getting the house in order and ridding out what I don't need at the same time.

I'm hoping to make some money selling the unwanted crap on my neighborhood FB "buy, sell, trade" page.

WinstonsGirl · February 2015

I gave up pop one year for lent, though I'm not Catholic, so I was jumping on the bandwagon. I didn't drink much for quite a while after that, but it's my vice again. Gotta have one thing I suppose.

We decluttered 2 houses before we moved into this one. We got rid of a lot of shit, some which really needed to get tossed, like DH's old fry pans with loose handles that he used to cook bacon. Those were a grease fire waiting to happen. We do the closets 1-2 times per year too

lc07 · February 2015

I think this might be pretty emotional for me. I've avoided this for the past 10 months. My ex-H left a lot of stuff here when he moved out. (He no longer lives in the country so I can't really ask him to come deal with what's left). I don't blame him for leaving stuff. He got rid of a lot of stuff. Some of what's left is truly his, some of it was ours mutually - all of it brings up feelings. But it needs to get dealt with. I can't live with his stuff around forever.

ashley8918 · February 2015

photokitty said:

FWIW I'm not committing to 40 bags, but cleaning/organizing/declutter 40 areas of my house.

I made a list and organized it by room so I can fill in my chart. i.e. kitchen table, kitchen pantry, basement pantry, under the bathroom sink, shoes, bedroom closet, jewelry and top of dresser, hall closet, etc.

I know I won't come out with a bag on all the area and some I might come out with more, but I'm more concerned with getting the house in order and ridding out what I don't need at the same time.

I'm hoping to make some money selling the unwanted crap on my neighborhood FB "buy, sell, trade" page.

Ooooh, good idea. Off to make a list.

lc07 · February 2015

ashley8918 said:

photokitty said:

FWIW I'm not committing to 40 bags, but cleaning/organizing/declutter 40 areas of my house.

I made a list and organized it by room so I can fill in my chart. i.e. kitchen table, kitchen pantry, basement pantry, under the bathroom sink, shoes, bedroom closet, jewelry and top of dresser, hall closet, etc.

I know I won't come out with a bag on all the area and some I might come out with more, but I'm more concerned with getting the house in order and ridding out what I don't need at the same time.

I'm hoping to make some money selling the unwanted crap on my neighborhood FB "buy, sell, trade" page.

Ooooh, good idea. Off to make a list.

There's a free printable form on the link PhotoKitty made in her OP where you can fill things in for each day.

ashley8918 · February 2015

Niiiiice!

holyguacamole79 · February 2015

I need to do this, but we are already working on it. Oops. I got a nice black dot on my forehead for Ash Wednesday. I work from home, so I had no coworkers to ask me what's on my forehead. But I went to a few places and nobody said anything. So either people all know it's Ash Wednesday or I look like this every day.

Fran1985 · February 2015

luckya23 said:

You guys should definitely look into KonMari!
http://www.luckyshops.com/article/konmari-method-closet-cleaning
I literally got rid of half my clothes in the last 2 months.
ETA: Half of my clothes that were in my living space. God help me when I tackle the storage in the attic!!

Yes! I loved her book- the life changing magic of tidying up. It really clicked for me, my husband and I are working on her method now. We only live in a one bedroom apartment, and we got rid of 17 bags of clothes so far. Her concept is that you should only have things in your house that bring you joy, and she really goes over our feelings about "stuff" and how it can suffocate us. Once you discard everything that doesn't bring you joy, you will never have to spend time tidying up again, because everything for the first time will truly have its own spot.

One of the biggest things I've learned is that even if it all fits on a shelf doesn't mean it should all be there- air flow is really important in your closet and your house for how it feels. Her book really, really resonated with me- I can't wait to get my house to that standard.

ashley8918 · February 2015

Success!

AddieCake · February 2015

I already did this when we made our move! I'm proud to be clutter free!

40 bags in 40 days decluttering challenge

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