a closet full of foolish purchases....letting go and scaling down!

I cleaned out an entire closet today! I was dreading it but finally got it done.

3 boxes for donation
1 BIG trashbag of crap.

I couldn't believe some of the stuff I found. All the trash, a lot of papers from when DH was in college (2 years ago!) and from when I was in college (4 years ago!) and just junk in general. Even a broom handle...no broom, just the handle! Why on earth would we keep something like that?
It was embarassing and even depressing to find all these things that I have accumulated. So much wasted money, wasted resources on foolish purchaes, things I never used or only used once. It was nice to let those things to so I can start fresh and be more mindful of my spending and what I truly need. The added benefit is that it will help me pursue an ecologically sustainable, greener lifestyle as I will be consuming WAY less, and simplifying. Being more organized keeps me from buying more things as I know exactly what I have and what I need. My goal for this year is to buy ONLY what is really necessary (and no, that new yoga mat is NOT, I already have one!) and/or adds beauty and substance to my life (such as a really good book). This decluttering project, which is far from over, has really given me perspective on what I really use and need and how nice it is to be organized and neat! My house is so much more peaceful and serene since it is neat and very simple. I can breathe!

In addition to drastically reducing my consumption, some other green goals are keeping the heat low, keeping only the lights on that I am using (switching to compact fluorescents too), and reusing everything I can until it totally wears out. Now if I can only convince my family that my little baby girl really does NOT need 5000 cute pink onsies......