We cleared out a pick-up load of items for dump, donation and selling:
Totes full of books no longer needed or read... off to the book seller.
There were numerous totes filled will holiday decorations that were also donated. I did go through each tote and salvaged a few "vintage" items I'd collected over the years. They are small and can fit into what I am keeping. I hadn't opened these in two years so I knew there were very few items I wanted to keep.
I LOVE fall decorations and haven't yet parted with my "sugar pumpkins. I have a collection of giant pinecones and antlers that serve as my seasonal decor. These don't take up much space and could easily be gifted, sold or recycled. I also have Christmas tote. I've pared down greatly here so only my tinsel trees, special ornaments, ribbons and vintage toys are left. Gone are the Christmas towels, placemats, dishes, figurines, candles, tins, socks, and four other totes of things I no longer want to house. The goal was to get down to two totes. Whatever didn't fit in the totes went out. Boom! This fall after I decorate for fall, I'll downsize even further. When I move, I want to have exactly one tote of decorations. That's what I'm giving myself, which is monumental in light of previously having an entire store room filled with totes.
The kayaks went down the road to Omaha, where Leah, her family and friends can enjoy them. They were too heavy for me to hoist on the Subaru and since I'm gone a lot, I knew I wouldn't be using them. The electric bike is on it's way to a new owner. I did keep the other bikes because the kids and their friends ride them.
We sometimes don't consider the significance of a garage, in terms of Feng Shui, but we should. Garages hold items that are necessary and useful. The idea is to keep any space that we are caretakers of in good working order. It's easier to find necessary tools and relates to the running and productivity of our lives. Additionally, it just FEELS GOOD to walk into a clean, clear space. I have shelves that need to be re-organized but I'm going to give my sinuses a break. I ended up having a major allergy attack that turned into a nasty sinus infection. I will be investing in a mask.
In addition to reclaiming the garage, I also wanted spruce up the outside and yard. Leah beautified the weed bed by the house. We procured dark mulch and Hostas. It was quite the transformation!
Half and half....
After mulch + Hostas
All done! Grow Hostas, grow!
My favorite transformation of the weekend is the front of the house! I have long had the idea of bright red flowers in the front of the house but had never gotten around to getting any plants there. We picked up geraniums, which are among my favorite (I adore their scent).
Leah added the mulch and a few extra day lilies. We left the iris plants. The mulch is in a wave shape and dark in color, which supports the water location of Feng Shui. The red "fire" energies add a perfect touch of the opposing element to balance the effects. All elements are represented here: Earth (yellow color) Wood (house materials, plants) Water (dark shutters and dark mulch) Fire (red blooms) Metal (hanging sculpture).
I love this look so much, it makes me happy walking up to the front door!
We celebrated our efforts with a campfire and an early birthday party for Pryce!
Complete with a DQ ice cream cake...... as is tradition!
