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Lent and work

Monday, February 27, 2012
A few people asked me to update about my Lenten stuff which surprised me cause I thought this was kind of boring....

As I was reading a few blogs about Lent, I got concerned that people are under the assumption that we give things up or do things to "get into heaven."  That is not really true.  Rather we are trying to appreciate how Jesus fasted and prayed in the desert for 40 days and how he suffered on the cross for us to be saved.  It really is about understanding Jesus more and drawing closer to Him.  So, doing things that make us lean on Christ or bring us closer to Him are all appropriate.  And giving something up is not a requirement to get into heaven.

So, back to my 40 bags in 40 days.  You might wonder how this brings me closer to Jesus.  Well, let me tell you it has not been fun. While I love the end result, I am not enjoying the process.  There are much more fun things I'd rather do. Things have gotten so disorganized in our home that working on one area a day is very time consuming.  It is keeping me off the computer and off the phone (which is probably good).  It is keeping me out of stores (which is very good). I pray for my friends and family while I organize. And I listen to music. I have also realized (especially when I did Kate's closet) how much material excess we have.  That girl does not need one single stitch of clothing for at least 6 months.  It made me realize how much time I have spent shopping on the internet or in person and how I could use that time more productively. 

So this week's schedule:

Monday and Tuesday : Computer Nook. We have this built in desk/computer room at the top of the stairs.  This is where the boys computer is.  It is also full of drawers and cabinets that are stuffed with photos, photo albums, office supplies and loads of paper.  I DREAD cleaning it out.  It will surely take me 2 days to go through all of that paper.  It is a disaster area.

Wednesday and Thursday: Playroom/Media Room.  I must be trying to torture myself because this is another HUGE job.   There is a wall full of built ins and two large closets full of toys not to mention the cabinets full of video games and movies.  Luckily, I did parts of this room not too long ago so it might not be that bad.

Friday: Another Upstairs Hall Closet  This should not be too tough as I did it not too long ago too and this storage closet does not get much use.

For some reason, I did not assign myself another area for Saturday. Maybe I was being realistic and knew those two big areas would kick my butt this week. I am still a few drawers behind in Kate's bathroom so maybe I will finish that up on Saturday.  Also, it will be a small miracle if I get these areas completed. So, I will use Saturday as a catch up day if needed.


A few people asked for photos and I will try to take them as I work. It is a little hard for me to share how messy some parts of our house have gotten but I want to be honest and vulnerable and true so I will show y'all.  I did take some of Kate's closet before and after but honestly her closet was not too awful.  You should see my bedside table.  THAT photo is BAD but I have not cleaned it yet so I only have the before;)  

Okay, here are the before photos of Kate's closet....

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And here are the after shots....

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I have it organized (on the bottom rack which are the clothes she wears) by color left to right, light to dark.  First (to the left) are all her everyday dresses and then all her uniform clothes (on the right side).  This makes things much easier in the mornings.  I always have our closets organized by type of clothes and color. The top rack are things she has outgrown but we are keeping or things that she only wears occasionally or costumes etc...  That bar is more organized by size and wear.

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I ended up giving all of this below (and more) away to a special friend who lives here.

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But I have a few things to sell as well.  I will try to list those this week if anyone in interested.
  It is mostly Matilda Jane ruffle pants I think.  Also, if anyone know a little person with the name Kate or the monogram kSe, let me know.  I have some things I could send. They are probably sized 3 or 4 T.


And finally, a few of you said you would like to do the 40 bags project but you work full time.  I totally agree, I could not do this if I worked full time on this scale.  I am kind of pretending (in my own head) that we are putting our house on the market and each spot has to be completely and totally organized as if we were showing our house to buyers.  If I were working full time though, I might take a small easy area each day and try to fill a small bag.  This project is doable on various scales.

And speaking of work, I am working more.  For those of you new to 3 peanuts, I have a Ph.D. and do Marriage and Parenting Coaching.  Last week, I gave two presentations. One was at a preschool and it was on both parenting and marriage. The other one was to a group of married couples at our church  and the topic was day to day maintenance of marriage.  I also have begun seeing more clients and I just LOVE it.   I am thinking about offering one hour parenting/marriage/life coaching sessions by Skype for long distance clients.  What do you think?  I have seen others do it.

37 comments:

  1. Your pictures, before and after, are very motivating for me. Sometimes, i just need a small glimpse of how nice the area will look once I organize. Also, I am able to see how much you purged, and that helps me as well. Thank you!

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  2. Great job on the cleanup of the closet! You've inspired me to do the same.

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  3. I would LOVE to do one with you! We are nt married (yet) but I know how important it is to start your relationship off on the right foot.

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  4. Kate's closet looks awesome!! I started this project as well. I'm almost excited at how organized it is looking already!! I'm interested in the MJ pants. I might can pair them w/some tops I have already. can't wait to see what you have!

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  5. you are so right, we live in such excess it's hard to imagine! molly has so many clothes and i just keep buying. it's a major temptation of mine! i think offering counseling sessions via skype is a great idea. you could possibly make up a website and offer your 1 hour sessions for a fee just as so many people offer photogrpahy classes online (among other things). make it simple so people can just "order a session" pay online, and then schedule a time to skype. good idea!

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  6. I forgot to tell you I am doing the 40 bag challenge with you. My husband said I could do all forty days bagging up the garage. I reminded him this was my Lenten project not his , geesh! Today was the pantry. Ugh... Do we need 5 boxes of honey nut Cheerios opened all at once ? I think not. Thank you for keeping me on my toes:)))

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    1. So glad you are joining in Lizzie. I have a ton to get rid of but even if people just lighten their load a little I think it brings us closer to what is important in life. And yes, you are so right (and funny) Kate has a TON of bows and headbands. We are very lucky in that many of them have been passed down to her or given as gifts. She wears a bow or headband still every single day. Love that girl!

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  7. PS Kate should have a sign on her closet ... BOWS R US , lol!

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  8. you go kim!!! I think skype is an awesome idea!!! you are so encouraging and inspiring! love ya SAL

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    1. Thank you for the encouragement dear friend. You know I need it;) You are awesome. The real life clients are pouring in (2 new ones this morning) but I am going to try to figure out a way to "see" skype clients as well.

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  9. Love your schedule and photos -- i need to do that. I tend to work on my bags on the weekends since I work all day. Even hubby went thru one closet and got rid of a bag of shoes! So much more to do! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  10. Well done you!!! I say "go for it" with your work..........You will be fab. D

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  11. What an excellent idea!! Well done you!
    Love Jules
    xxx

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  12. You don't know me, but I have visited your blog for years- as we were waiting on our daughter to arrive home from China. She has been home for 2 years now, but I love your blog so I continue to check up on y'all from time to time. My daughter is Kate as well (kSl- so almost same). She wears a 3t or 4t so I would be interested in seeing your "Kate" clothes. I am a friend of Paige Knudsen (of Simple Thoughts)- I taught her daughter Madison when she was in kindergarten- I think y'all are "blog friends". (Just wanted you to know I am not some crazy person "stalking" your blog. :)
    Thanks- and thank you for your wonderful posts!
    Amybeth

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  13. Hi Kim, I am a regular reader, but not poster of your blog. I really enjoy reading and don' miss a day even when traveling. (Thank God for the smart phones) I too have "3 peanuts"9,6,4. I am so happy you posted the before/after photos. I am now motivated to begin the project in my home. I am ashamed to let anyone in my basement. (I have aprox. 10 large black bags of clothes and shoes that my family has outgrown, need a little mending or we just no longer need) I was going to sell them in a consignment sale, but who has time for that? Anyway, please let me know when you are going to do the skype parenting session. My 9 year old son seems to have hit some type of wall at school and his grades are slipping. My hubby and I have tried everything under the sun and can't figure it out. We think it is burnout.(his school is very rigorous). Any suggestions? Thanks. Blessings,
    Dana

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  14. Have a friend with a size 3 Kate...would love whatever you have!

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  15. Have a friend with a size 3/4 Kate...would love some hand me downs!

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  16. I have just attended a two day workshop on ACT that was presented by Russ Harris. He has written a book called ACT with Love which I would highly recommend you read on couples and relationships. His website is actmindfully .com.au

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  17. What a wonderful idea for Lent. I too have been trying to organize and scale back, just a little at a time. When I buy new clothes, I try to make time to donate to keep the closets from becoming crazy.
    I've bought some of Kate's clothes before, and would be interested again if you have any size 4 or 5.

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  18. I work 45-50 hours a week... and I'm doing "fill up the trash can to the brim and recycle and give away as much as I can" every week. I can't do it every day, but over a week I'll be able to fill up the whole trash can during Lent.

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  19. LOVE the Skype idea - I had thought about asking you to do this, but was afraid to ask. :-) If you do it, sign us up!

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  20. LOVE the Skype idea - I had thought about asking you to do that, but was afraid to. If you decide to do it, sign us up!!! :)

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  21. My daughter, Kate is turning 3 in March. I would be interested in some of the monogram clothes that say Kate. She always looks dressed perfectly! Such a cute girl!

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  22. Beautiful job in Kate's room! This year I gave up chocolate again, but I am also restricting my daily calorie count! Every time I have the urge to grab a piece of chocolate (which has been frequent since we hosted a party with chocolates at our house this weekend), I think of the Lord and sacrifice. It truly is a daily reminder for me.

    Good luck with your advancing career again. I think it is wonderful!

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  23. Kate's closet looks beautiful! Good job!!! You've inspired me to do 40 bags in 40 days and I've done 8 bags so far and feel like I've hardly made a dent. I thought it was hard until we spent this weekend doing financial planning and budgeting; now I can't wait to go back to cleaning closets ;^)

    Would love to hear more about your presentations and coaching work! It sounds great and I bet you are great at it, too. Must be exciting to be getting back into your profession a bit. The skype idea sounds great!

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  24. i've read and enjoyed your blog for some time now, though i'm not sure i've done a proper introduction. i'm lindsey, in CA, with 3 girls (7yrs-bio, 5.5 yrs-adopted from kazakhstan, and 3 yrs-adopted from china).

    good for you! i so need to do a major overhaul like that in my home. we did a mini-one over the weekend and donated of 4 bags of stuffed animals...and those were just the ones my girls didn't want anymore! embarrassing!

    i'd be interested in your MJ pants or other odds and ends from kate's wardrobe that you are re-homing. i have 3 girls. the 3rd is now 3, and her hand me downs are looking a little shabby. third time is not a charm for them. ;)

    if you prefer to email me pics and prices, my email is lin_z20000@yahoo.com

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  25. "That girl does not need one single stitch of clothing for at least 6 months."

    I think you meant two years.

    Love,
    Mr Peanut

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    1. Well, "crusher" sometimes children grow and then they need new clothes:)
      Love,
      Mrs. Peanut

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  26. That was really cute closet! Love the piles of colorful dress, wow. The cabinet looks fab specially that adorable umbrella.
    buy aion account

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  27. Mr. and Mrs. Peanut, you are too cute!!! : )

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  28. I think the Skype idea is wonderful. What a great opportunity with the help of technology. I immediately thought I'd love my MOPS group to Skype with you!

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  29. I have a friend here who is a parenting coach. All of her clients are via phone. If you ever want to talk to her, let me know.

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  30. Very inspiring :) Speaking of Matilda Jane - where do you find that line? My peanut just turned 4 and I would like to have her picture taken in a MJ outfit. Any suggestions? Thanks!

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  31. You are such an inspiring person, Kim! Whenever I read your blog, I end up thinking, "Oh, I should really try doing something like that, too!" :)

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  32. Love it! Yes, if you don't mind, would love to see all your before and afters - love getting ideas and seeing that yes it can be done! By the way, any suggestions on how to separate clothes that were gently worn and don't need cleaning yet and the ones that are clean? Many times the girls wear layers or change frequently so some items could be worn another time before washing. Thanks for inspiring us all!

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