Wisconsin Barns and Good Fences

 Barn, Leinenkugel Brewery,
Chippewa Falls, WI

Since this is leap year, which gave us an extra day, I decided to clean out closets and dresser drawers (some, anyway). I never think to take 'Before' photos, and was going to show you some 'After' photos, except for the following:

Our daughter-in-law stopped in and I was so proud of myself for having actually pitched a lot of stuff over the past few days, that I decided to take her on the exciting tour so she could see the efforts of my labors. (Isn't that pathetic!) The only problem is, when we were on the second closet, I started laughing because I realized that to her, it sure looked like a 'Before' closet. LOL  Oh well, we take these things step by step. I promise you, I did actually get rid of a lot of stuff, some of which will be burned, some of which will go to Goodwill. As I already told Sandra (MadSnapper), I even broke down and got rid of the zillion Amazon boxes the UPS man keeps bringing me. He needs to start stalking someone else.

 Fence, Irvine Park

Chippewa Falls, WI

One of our daughters is coming in June to spend a while with us, and she happens to have the middle name 'Spartan.' No kidding, she has NO extra stuff. She missed the hoarding keeping gene. I console myself with the fact that in the movie 'Shadowlands,' even C.S. Lewis (Anthony Hopkins) admits that he's not good at getting rid of stuff. C.S. Lewis and I relate on so many levels! ;-) Anyway, I'm in good company.  But I am trying to turn over a new leaf and get rid of a lot of the extra. We'll see if the new leaf thrives or shrivels and dies prematurely. Stay tuned...

 Fence at our son's house
Little dogs, now's your chance!
Confuse those big dogs.

What about you? Are you a keeper or a pitcher? Do you have a regular schedule of when to go through and get rid of stuff? Every weekend? Every month? Every spring? Every Leap Year?

Linked to Theresa's Good Fences

and Tom's Barn Collective

P.S. We're going to be gone Thursday through Saturday, so I will be putting both of my shops on hold while we're away. We'll return Saturday night and I hope to get caught up with y'all soon after that. Friday's post is scheduled to publish.

 We're off to visit these little ones!

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Eager to see those little Grands,

Downsizing

You may know that we're building an addition onto the house and my husband and I are moving into it. We will have considerably less space than we're accustomed to, although it is a very welcome change (and is still a lot of space!) At my ripe old age, I find myself less into the big house, lots of cleaning (occasionally) (seldom) thing any longer. I'm looking forward to adequate living space, not 4 extra bedrooms that always sit empty.

BUT, before we can move, we have to downsize. I'm thinking of waiting until the addition is finished and then taking what we want out of it and lighting a fire to the rest  taking the remaining stuff to Goodwill or another local thrift store.

Unfortunately, it's not just an accumulation of the 24 years we've lived here, but of the years before that too. Today I found a couple really helpful tips:

1. You can't organize clutter

2. Get a label maker

The Little Bobcat That Could

One day when a friend was here, I was trying to decide what to do with some empty Stax potato chip containers. (I know. I know.) My problem is that my parents lived during The Great Depression (and maybe that I've been a Vacation Bible School craft lady!) Anyway, some of that 'we may need it sometime' is in the genetic code (although it missed my mom and my sister, oddly enough). But both my husband and I seem to have the ability to look at an item and think, 'Hey, this could come in handy some day. It would make a great...' 

 Building a Temporary Ramp for the Cement Truck

I told my friend that I can't think of a category that the Stax potato chip container fits into, so I don't know where to put it. She said that my problem is that I immediately think in categories, rather than simply asking, 'Do I NEED THIS???'  Hmm. Never thought of that.

SO, I'm going to start downsizing.

Pray for me.

P.S. I threw away all the Stax potato chip containers and the Planters Lightly Salted, Dry Roasted Peanut jars. And I'm sure I'll need them next week. It always happens like that.

I'm off to clean out another closet. :-(

Got a helpful tip for me?

Like Moths to a Flame

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Natural, Handcrafted Vegan Soap

...and more! Check out all my handcrafted soaps at

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and at

Our ETSY Store

 

This post may be linked to one or more of the following: Mop it Up Monday  and Get in My Tummy and  Cure for the Common Monday and  Clever Chicks Blog Hop and  Barn Charm and  The Marketplace  and  Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and    Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous and Get Your Craft On and Efforts and Assets and   You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and Creative Showcase and Memories by the Mile and Crafty Texas Girls and  Tweak it Tuesday and  Coastal Charm Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday  and Love Bakes Good Cakes and Mom on TimeOut  and Adorned from Above and Wildcrafting Wednesday and   Cast Party Wednesday and  We Did it Wednesday  and All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Artsy Corner Thursday  and The Girl Creative, Thursday and  Creative Things Thursday and Be Inspired and Time Travel Thursday and Thrifty Things Friday  and  Friday Fences and  Thursday's Inspiration and  The Self-sufficient Home Acre and  I'm Lovin' it Thursday and Creative Things Thursday and   Mandatory Mooch   and Foodie Friends Friday and Freedom Fridays and From the Farm and   Anything Blue Friday and Junkin' Joe and  Serenity Saturday and Get Schooled Saturday  and Inspiration Friday(ThursNite) and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and Share Your Creativity and   A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and Sunlit Sunday and  Market Yourself Monday and  Saturday Nite Special