OK, ground rules...
First of all get any holiday stuff put away, returned, taken down etc before you can begin challenge!! This is something you should do- does not count towards the challenge!!!
We have done these before its amazing what gets donated, put on ebay, the tp, thrown out whatever.
Remove 500 items from your home. The reason the number is sooo high is some of the new mamas posting in this section and their stuff they are talking about-yikes! You have until Jan 31st to get all items removed and then brag about your conquests! Be sure to check in and brag brag brag about what went out the door because it helps others decide to try it as well!
Things you can count in the 500 items (believe me it adds up quick!)
-your 1998 income tax return (counts as 1 item not every piece of paper) shredded. and any years before count as one item.
-last years calendars
-any old cables/cords from your pc, old cell phone etc count as one each
-any filled manilla folders in your file cabinet- toss the whole thing its one item!
-a box of bills in your attic is one item.
-expired anything in your fridge, pantry, freezer, cabinets that you throw out when going thru them. Like those old spices you used once 3 years ago you know!
-each container you find that has yuck on the sides counts as one
-cooking utensils and pots/pans w lid etc count as one item each
-linens count as one- so a set of 3 = 3 items
-old soaps, half used boxes of whatever, count as one each
-stacks of magazines- each one = one item
-happy meal toys, giveaways etc all count as one each
-each article of clothing counts as one item each.
-add anything else you can think of and share!!!
So this should get us started. Remember when looking at something and not sure- ask yourself "do I think this is useful and/or beautiful?" answer is no- get rid of it.
Remember some stuff is good that you do not need or have the space for it
so maybe look into ebay or our own tp here. Don't wait until Garage sale season to unload. If needed, call a charity right now to arrange a pickup next week and another at the end of the month to help you.
Are you in??
First of all get any holiday stuff put away, returned, taken down etc before you can begin challenge!! This is something you should do- does not count towards the challenge!!!
We have done these before its amazing what gets donated, put on ebay, the tp, thrown out whatever.
Remove 500 items from your home. The reason the number is sooo high is some of the new mamas posting in this section and their stuff they are talking about-yikes! You have until Jan 31st to get all items removed and then brag about your conquests! Be sure to check in and brag brag brag about what went out the door because it helps others decide to try it as well!
Things you can count in the 500 items (believe me it adds up quick!)
-your 1998 income tax return (counts as 1 item not every piece of paper) shredded. and any years before count as one item.
-last years calendars
-any old cables/cords from your pc, old cell phone etc count as one each
-any filled manilla folders in your file cabinet- toss the whole thing its one item!
-a box of bills in your attic is one item.
-expired anything in your fridge, pantry, freezer, cabinets that you throw out when going thru them. Like those old spices you used once 3 years ago you know!
-each container you find that has yuck on the sides counts as one
-cooking utensils and pots/pans w lid etc count as one item each
-linens count as one- so a set of 3 = 3 items
-old soaps, half used boxes of whatever, count as one each
-stacks of magazines- each one = one item
-happy meal toys, giveaways etc all count as one each
-each article of clothing counts as one item each.
-add anything else you can think of and share!!!
So this should get us started. Remember when looking at something and not sure- ask yourself "do I think this is useful and/or beautiful?" answer is no- get rid of it.
Remember some stuff is good that you do not need or have the space for it
so maybe look into ebay or our own tp here. Don't wait until Garage sale season to unload. If needed, call a charity right now to arrange a pickup next week and another at the end of the month to help you.
Are you in??
It's BAD! I'll just count this as 20 items, but we had insurance policies all from 2003 and since! It was an entire bag of paper items, but my file cabinets look so nice and organized! I added a few new hanging folders,and re-orgainzied a few things. I"ll aske DH about throwing out the old tax returns, we have since 1996 
I managed to get rid of 85 things so far. That was only tackling the dining room counter and closet. I don't think I'll have any trouble at all finding 500 things to get rid of.
I got that done, then i started in the kitchen while the girls were eating dinner. I went through my medicine cabnit in the kitchen and trashed about 5 bottles of old pills the dogs were on at one time or another, and about another 10 paper items out of there too, i can now fit all my meds/vitems that were on top of the microwave in the cabnit! YIPPY then i went through my bills and trashed all the old ones that i paid last month online (which is about 70% of my bills). so that was prolly about 10 paper items. so that's 25 items as of tonight...
). it was hard and gut wrenching, but i did it. 
in the end we only managed to declutter 1.5 rooms in our apartment, and then moved into our home.
).
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