Today is Ash Wednesday. Every year I give up Diet Coke. But this year I gave that up for good, so I had to do some more soul searching for what my Lenten Resolution would be. I like to give something up that I love a lot so that I have to think about why I’m abstaining multiple times a day. This year, my give-up is Chocolate. I also like to take something up, and in thinking about my life right now and after talking with a friend, I’m going to wake up before the kids Monday – Friday to reflect on Lent (and workout) before my day of being a mom begins.
But I needed to do more. Here’s a short back story. In December, B and I were driving around looking at Christmas lights with the kids and found a house that was for sale by owner with a charming exterior. A quick Google search yielded pictures of the interior from when it had previously been on the market, and it needed work, but the kind of work I like to do. In a series of small world events, we knew someone who knew the owners, saw the house, and made an offer. It was rejected – but the circumstances of the rejection made it incredibly easy to walk away. Then the seller came back to us, but after our experience in December we weren’t willing to work with them without representation looking out for our interests, and the sellers were adamantly against that. Anyway, long story short: That door is officially closed – for the last two months I’d been thinking it might happen, and as of this week, B and I have decided that God has been trying to tell us in many ways that that particular house is not the house our family is meant to live in. And we’re listening.
All of that is to say, in December when I thought that we were going to be trying to sell our house quickly, I developed quite the laundry list of things that needed to be immediately handled before listing our home. And when the offer was rejected, I dropped the urgency and didn’t do them. We love our house, but we’ve been overwhelmed by feeling like we don’t have enough space. Which is silly because families of 10 have been raised in houses smaller than ours happily. We don’t know what the future holds for us and our home – we’re in a great situation where we can afford a little more space, but love our house and neighborhood and don’t have to move. If the right house comes along, we’ll probably move within the next year or two, but in the meantime, we need to love our house and make it perfect for us – not for a potential listing down the road. And we need to live well with less, and appreciate what we have – a house over our heads, heat, running water, and more love than we could ever have dreamed of in our sweet little family.
Inspired by Sarah at Clover Lane’s 40 bags in 40 days of the past few years, I started thinking about how de-cluttering might bring me closer to God. It’s something I love – getting rid of stuff – so how is it a sacrifice? But I’ve become obsessed with the question of when and where we will move to a point where it’s preventing me from loving where I am right now, and that’s not okay with me. Because I DO love this house, this neighborhood, and the family we’ve become here. So getting rid of unnecessary things and bringing order to the house will, I think me appreciate all of the gifts in my life and focus more on the here and now. So, this Lent, I’m tackling one room (or area) of the house a week that needs attention and deep cleaning, purging, touching up, and finishing unfinished projects in them. Our main floor’s in pretty good shape, so the last week I’m devoting to just getting a few things finished in each of the rooms on the first floor of our house.
Week 1: Thomas’s Room
Week 2: Nell’s Room
Week 3: Backyard
Week 4: Garage
Week 5: Basement
Week 6: Master Bedroom
Week 7: Main Floor
So that’s my plan for Lent. I’ll post progress on each area each week. Anyone else taking up a Lenten Resolution? Or anyone, Lent or not, want to join me on a 7 week love your house and live with less cleaning and purging challenge?
What perfect timing! I’ve been wanting to do this SO MUCH, but so far I’ve just made a mess of my master closet and not gotten to the step of sorting and bagging. I’ll absolutely join you in this. Thanks!
I love this idea!! Your house will be completely tidy before spring cleaning too. I may loosely follow along! For lent I’m kicking the Diet Coke habit. It’s going to be a VERY hard one for me. Mine needs to be for good as well. Any pointers?
i definitely understand the house feelings. glad you guys are wise and are listening to the closed doors for now – i’m sure something better is right around the corner. for what it’s worth, i always see your posts/IG pictures of your house and tales of your amazing neighbors and wish that’s what we had. grass is always greener, right? not saying that to make you feel bad, of course! and i’m sure that as you clean out and fix up you will fall in love again with your home, even as you look to the future.
and good luck with the chocolate
i LOVE the idea of this challenge and it’s just what i need right now!! i’m off to add this to my Lent post!
I always used to give up soda, but now I hardly drink it anymore, so it’s not much of a sacrifice. I have been telling myself that our house needs to be de-cluttered and closets and cabinets purged, so I am totally into this. What a great idea to do it for Lent! I’m excited to hear your progress and it will keep me in gear to do it as well.
Lent creeped up on me this year, and I just don’t have anything that feels meaningful to give up. I would like to tackle the 40 bags in 40 days thing. Our house is overwhelming me big time, and I think that would help big time!
I just bought a case of diet coke and its not nearly as good as I remember it being. I love the decluttering goal. That’s a New Years resolution for me, although I haven’t done much. It’s funny how when you think you might be moving you go into hyper ‘make this place awesome’ mode. Sorry the house thing fell through but for what it’s worth I love your house!
Your words are EXACTLY what I needed today. I have been feeling so down about living in our apartment, and wanting a house as I feel that the walls are closing in on us with all of our stuff (Bay Area prices are beyond ridiculous though for this midwestern girl’s idea of what a home should cost). I am not one to have knick knacks lying around, and we have filled each and every storage spot within the apt to the gills, but that doesn’t mean that we need it all. You’ve coupled a daunting task of clearing out with such a perfect time of the year as Lent. Thank you, I am totally following your lead and decluttering this year, in mind, body and crap in the apartment.
Good luck with the purge! Sounds like a great plan!
The chocolate… whew. I did that last year while pregnant (what was I thinking??) and it was the hardest lent EVER. This year it’s soda (which is not actually that hard, but is rather inconvienent, as I realy enjoy my caffinated lunch pick-me-up) and reading Bible stories to K every night before bed. I’ll avoid desserts most of the time, but I’m not making any hard and fast rules on that one.
Also, I’m sad for you that you might be one day leaving your neighborhood. Your relationships with your neighbors is so rare. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that the perfect larger house magically appears in your neighborhood.
love love love this! and i’m so jumping on your seven week bandwagon because I have GOT to declutter. I feel the same way. We got new neighbors downstairs and they were surprised we were in a three bedroom with only two children. huh??? they obviously have less stuff and few hobbies than we do!
love the home you’re in which means i need to join your crusade!
Great lenten resolution! I realized that we were also living with SO.much.stuff! When we moved from Iowa to California we purged a ton of things (so we could fit into a 2 bedroom apt) but still had a storage unit. It was ridiculous since it was just my husband and me. I got a little more ruthless and got rid of everything we hadn’t used in a year or were saving for “someday”. It feels good! I’ll admit, since having our baby the stuff has started to pile up again. Why is it so hard to get rid of thing people give you?
Love it – being present and grateful every day for what we have! Its so funny – we were in a similar situation, but sort of reversed. We’ve thought about selling our house and being able to pocket a very large chunk of change (after only being here 3 years), but I love our home and our neighborhood more than the idea of the financial security that the money would bring. And I love the idea of starting your day with reflection before you turn into “mommy” for the day!
I think I am going to join you in your seven weeks! I need to declutter, too, and I always think about living more with less. Our society is so caught up in the bigger is better and more, more, more that I lose focus of what really matters sometimes.
I am just now seeing this, but it made me laugh because I am doing the exact same thing for Lent. Everyday, I pick one area (a kitchen drawer, a bookshelf, etc) and spend half an hour on decluttering it. I have a whole list. So, I think I’ll join you
. Thomas’ closet is looking good!