Fresh

With the new year here I've been looking at our home and thinking of ways that we can simplify our life and home. I try to go room by room thinking of things I can purge from our life(clothes we aren't in love with, vases I'm no longer fond of, sheet sets that make me sweat). I don't know why doing this at the beginning of the year works, but there's something about not being worried about throwing stuff out come January 1.
I have a ton of stuff to sell or get rid of. When I'm working in a room I usually make 4 stacks:sell, give away, and throw away, then I have a stack that either needs a new home or is misplaced and needs to be moved to another room. Once I'm done with a room I take my stacks and put them away before starting on another room. This keeps things organized and easy to stop and pick back up later if needed(which happens a lot if you're working while the kids are awake.
Speaking of kids, get them in on the action! Tell them to ask themselves 1. Do I LOVE this? 2.Would someone else be blessed by this more than I am? 3. Could I sell this old thing to get something that would work better for me? I know my kids are prone to have emotional attachments to things, so I have to be careful about what I say about their personal things. Giving them the responsibility to make choices seems to make it work better for all of us and they end up getting rid of more than I would have in the first place.
I'll also be taking a look at my spending and try to think if there are ways to get rid of any unnecessary spending(other than my one guilty pleasure-Netflix). It's really good to think through your daily schedule and try to also purge any activities that aren't BEST for your family. There are a lot of GOOD things you can be part of, but shedding a few from your list might be a good thing as you face the new year. Is there something extra that you do that really drains the life out of you and isn't BEST for your whole family? Think through your roles and see if there is anything you might need to put aside for now and maybe pick back up later.
Manly and I really like to take a moment and try to plan out our year as far as big purchases, family vacations, and home improvements that need to be done. Once we have our list we are able to set financial goals for saving money. It's sort of like a layaway plan. We "make payments" to each area until we are ready to pay. Since we don't do credit cards we pay cash for everything. The payment system lets us do that easily(well, at least easier.).
Anyway, all of that to say the new year is a great time to start fresh! Take the challenge to freshen up your life.