The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.353: What I Decluttered // February 2020

Month #5 for my 1,000 Item Declutter Challenge!  Here are the ground rules:

  1. Only spend 10 minutes at one time and only in one specific area.  
  2. Monday through Wednesday, seek out items that we no longer need and make a pile.  Then Thursday through Saturday, make a plan for how to deal with them.  (This worked so well and avoided that dreaded box of “what should I do with these?” items.)
  3. Possible places to find new homes for items: Ebay/Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, Trash Nothing website or the local Buy Nothing Facebook group and as a last resort, Goodwill

I feel a responsibility for the things I have and want to be intentional with how I dispose of them.  Questions I asked myself: If it’s here, what purpose does it serve?  Can I use it up?  Can I enjoy it vs. keeping it tucked away in drawers and boxes?  And if not, can I let it go to someone who may need it more?

A few decluttering highlights:
+ At the end of January, I participated in Sweet & Simple Home’s “One Box Challenge” (even though I didn’t make a video) to hopefully re-start my decluttering enthusiasm and it worked!
+ I was also feeling a little overwhelmed with my “waiting to sell” piles and weeded through those.  I’d prefer to sell/give them to people who need them, but I gave it my best shot.  Off to Goodwill they go.

WHAT I DECLUTTERED THIS MONTH

  • 18 books. I sold a set on ebay and the rest went to Goodwill.
  • One “Love Grows Best” sign from Big White Farmhouse.  After closing BWF in the fall of 2017, I still had a few remaining signs that never sold.  I have tried to sell them in different places with no luck…until now!  So happy to get a little space back in my closet!  
  • A bundle of vintage spools of thread.  Another set from the BWF days.  Finally sold on Poshmark!
  • 6 bottles of aftershave.  More product from the BWF days.  
  • One reusable water bottle.
  • 5 coffee mugs.  I mean…how many coffee mugs does one really need?  I kept our absolute favorites and enough extra mugs to host family/friends, but got rid of the rest.
  • 2 super hero capes. These never seem to be played with, so time to pass them on to another little guy.
  • One table tennis net.  Another item we never seem to use!
  • One pair of soccer cleats.  Sold on ebay.
  • One belt.
  • One Willow Tree figurine.  Sold on ebay.
  • Two bags of shredded paper.  Junk mail and other personal paperwork that needs to be shredded counts as clutter too!  I’m counting each full container (which is the equivalent of a plastic grocery store bag) as one item.  And bonus: I can use most of it in my compost pile.
  • One magazine and one used math workbook.  Into the recycling bin.
  • 3 baby girl headbands.  
  • 3 mini glass jars.
  • 3 pillowcases and two sheets.
  • One wireless camera remote.  I bought this last fall and didn’t realize that it wasn’t compatible with my digital camera.  It wasn’t worth paying the return shipping, so I held onto it in the hopes that I could sell it.  Finally sold on ebay!
  • 2 duffle bags.
  • One pair of slippers.
  • One holster.  Sold for Mark on ebay.
  • 3 cookbooks.  Last year, I started a cookery challenge only to realize that I really didn’t have that many cookbooks and the ones that I did have…I just didn’t really want to pick up again.  Finally letting some of them go.
  • 15 various pieces of clothing.  These were pieces that I’ve had on Poshmark/ebay for about six months and they haven’t sold.  Clearing out some room and sending them off to Goodwill.
  • 5 free skincare samples.  This is a bit of a stretch, but if the little samples just stay in the drawer, it’s still considered clutter, right?  Finally used these skincare samples up!

Items decluttered this month: 79
Money made this month: $72.57


Total items decluttered so far: 335
Total money made so far: $469.89


P.S. To “count,” the item had to physically leave my house.  So while I have listed a handful of things online, those aren’t counted until they have sold.

No.352: Intentions for the End of February

“Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we must bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education.”
― Charlotte Mason

INTENTIONS FOR THE END OF FEBRUARY

  • start planning our spring vegetable garden
  • work on the rainwater rock “path” in the front flower bed
  • read at least 20 pages of The Art of Learning Nature’s Signs
  • buy a new outdoor broom
  • slash prices on current Poshmark inventory
  • get photos printed for a special project
  • deal with Sophie’s duvet
  • spend 10+ minutes on Duolingo at least 4x/week
  • bake pretzel bread
  • deep clean the oven (100LT #4)
  • post at least three things on Trash Nothing
  • create a better hand-me-down clothing system
  • start researching deep freezers (100LT #41)
  • attend Ash Wednesday Mass
  • make a running list of meatless dinners

PREVIOUS INTENTIONS

If you’re reading on your phone or in a reader, be sure to click over to see what I checked off the list!
    • do our taxes
    • machine wash the bed pillows (I did all of the master bedroom pillows – kids pillows are next!)
    • declutter and organize the laundry room
    • finally bring clothes to the dry cleaners (so happy this is finally off the list!  the bag’s been sitting around since December)
    • drop off boxes of donations
    • create a better hand-me-down clothing system
    • watch and practice two lessons in my self-defense course
    • restring my necklace
    • make homemade playdough (100LT #58) (I’m so glad that I took the time because the little kids were thrilled and played with it for a week straight, but I also remember now why I don’t often do this, ha!  Food coloring is not for the faint of heart…)
    • make homemade cocoa mix with J (SO easy and everyone says it’s delicious!)
    • buy a spice organizer (100LT #1)
    • celebrate “We survived our first year with a dog!” aka Lucy’s birthday by doing something fun (we celebrated with ice cream for us and plain Greek yogurt for Lucy)
    • post at least three things on Trash Nothing
    • register M for his BJJ competition
    • brainstorm plans for Lent 2020
    • pray a novena

    No.351: 2020 Gratitude // 07

    A new series for 2020!  If I record 20 things every week, I’ll have over 1,000 items by December 31.  
    That’s a lot to be grateful for.
    the crumb of a well-risen loaf of homemade bread
    when the sun comes out after days of cold rain
    a big chunk paid off of our car loan
    the ability to buy a new disposal when our old one completely died
    guitar music throughout the house
    one year with Lucy
    when P takes a much needed nap

    news of a brand new baby’s birth

    a few sales on Poshmark and ebay
    lemon lime sparkling water
    tiny reading victories for my dyslexic learner
    D’s interest in cooking (he made cornbread and macaroni & cheese this week)
    my aunt
    a new math book for a very excited 5-year-old
    the selfless way Mark helped me knock off a handful of items on my to-do list
    our safety when my GPS took us on unfamiliar back roads in the pitch black and pouring rain
    surprise packages in the mail (thanks, Mom!)
    hot showers
    the wonderful people who read my little blog

    Sophie’s excitement when she saw the denim jacket I found for her: “Oh, mama, I’m so excited!  I saw some girls at church with a jacket like this and I really wanted one.”

    No.350: A Love Letter to Lucy on her First Birthday

    Dear Lucy,

    Well, in all my years, I never pictured myself writing a love letter to a dog, but here we are.  Today you turn one.  A year ago today, we received the news that a litter of ten yellow-red Labradors were born and one of the three girls would be ours.  We were filled with excitement and a healthy amount of fear.  None of us had any experience with dogs – let alone puppies! – so we knew we were in for a wild ride.  Just seven short weeks later, you came to live with us forever and the adventure began.  You have taught our family countless lessons in your year with us, but there are three things I’m especially grateful for:

    YOU HELPED US GROW AS A TEAM.
    Everyone told us that a puppy was a lot of work…and they were completely right.  The potty breaks, the training, the exercising and the playing – SO.MUCH.WORK.  But now looking back, I can see how beneficial that experience was for our entire family.  We became a well-oiled machine, each with a part to play in raising you.  We passed along tips and helped each other out when things got exhausting.  The first words one of us says after taking you out to play is, “Guess what she did/found/got into?”  We swap stories, grinning and shaking our heads at your antics.  Those experiences have bonded our family in a new, stronger way and we have you to thank for that.

    YOU GOT US OUTSIDE.
    Partly because you were a puppy and partly because you are a Lab with endless energy, we found ourselves outside more than we ever have before.  I have taken you for hikes in the pouring rain because I couldn’t take your craziness in the house for one more minute.  You have played in the snow for hours, right alongside the kids.  We have shivered in the freezing cold and sweated in the blinding heat.  And for all of that, I am grateful.  Now my older boys, who don’t “play” like they used to, have a reason to be outdoors.  You get me out of the house, away from the never-ending to-do list.  We have discovered more of the secrets our property holds because of you: old trees with cool winding branches, a collection of rocks in all shapes and sizes, a hawk’s nest…the list goes on.  It’s totally possible that I would never have taken the time to find these without your insistence to get out in the fresh air.

    YOU INCREASED OUR CAPACITY TO LOVE.
    I didn’t grow up with pets, so when I would hear stories of the love between an animal and its owner, I would only understand on an intellectual level.  I would hear about people mourning the loss of their pet and would have zero idea what that meant.  It wasn’t that I was heartless, I just didn’t really get it.  Now I do.  I understand why people love their pets so dearly.  I can empathize with people who trust animals more than they do human beings, because dogs are so passionately devoted and loyal and people sometimes aren’t.  Because of you, I can love others in a better, more compassionate way.

    The last section in our puppy handbook said it best: “During this first year, she’s probably given you lots of laughs, made you want to tear out your hair, eaten your prize rosebush, and vomited at the foot of the bed.  She’s also probably snuggled with the kids and dried your tears with her big, sloppy tongue while knocking over your favorite lamp with her tail.  Maybe it’s her sense of humor that’s made you love her so much, but you can’t imagine life without her now, and why would you want to?”

    We love you, Lucy McGillicuddy, and can’t wait for many more memories to come.  Happy Birthday.
    XOXO

    Amazon Disclosure Policy

    The Big White Farmhouse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    Archives

    Copyright © 2025 The Big White Farmhouse · Theme by 17th Avenue