1,001 Challenge: Day 3 – 448

Not familiar with the challenge?

Here’s the final item list:

• 2 books
• 1 broken racquetball racquet
• 3 more glue sticks
• 4 stupid crap items
• 5 toys
• 22 boxes
• 3 chargers
• 20 nuts and bolts
• 2 lanyards
• 2 kitchen items
• 33 empty paint bottles
• 6 Christmas ornaments
• 1 plastic storage tub
• 1 reusable bag
• 10 plug outlets
• 1 card
• 7 dead AA batteries
• 6 expired food items
• 3 nasty socks
• 1 lego piece
• 13 school supplies
• 1 curtain
• 5 bed sheets
• 68 pieces of clothing
• 1 trampoline spring cover
• 19 toiletries
• 1 empty Crest citrus splash toothpaste tube
• 2 speakers (not mine)
• 1 iPod (not mine)
• 1 collector coin (not mine)
• 3 pairs of shoes
• 2 towels
• 84 obsolete software CDs
• 1 CD case
• 12 craft items
• 1 camera bag
• 1 camera lens
• 39 plastic crap items
• 3 recipe boxes
• 10 Xbox games
• 1 broken mini tripod
• 1 office supplies
• 1 CD cassette adapter
• 13 Christmas cards
• 8 papers
• 2 empty DVD cases
• 7 hair clips
• 2 light wands
• 1 book light
• 10 receipts
• 1 handful of Boxtops

Interesting item facts

• I kept the broken racquet to do an artistic photo shoot of it.  #seriously?  (one more photo below)  It was also part of the random Wissing Christmas tree.
• More glue sticks…
• I apparently like to keep boxes and packaging.  #ijustdontknowwhy
• When has anyone ever matched up a random charger to an actual item?  Why don’t power supplies EVER have the name or brand of the item it supports?
• There’s never a shortage of expired foods in my house.  Cooking is not my thing.
• The 3 nasty socks were found in the side pocket of my kids’ suitcase.  I forgot to put on my hazmat suit before opening it.
• Dear Crest, I may have been the only person that bought your citrus splash toothpaste, but you could have sent me some before discontinuing it.
• The software amounts to thousands of dollars over the years.  All for PC’s and all obsolete.

What I learned from this challenge

It’s much easier to keep my house picked up.  I had my kids participate in this challenge.  They willingly got rid of a lot of stuff.  Less stuff = less mess.  Life is way too short to be picking up crap I don’t even need.

Get rid of your items immediately.  If you don’t, the stuff will creep back in.  Take it to a thrift store.  Right now.  Go!

This should be an ongoing practice.  Maybe not this many items, but a 25 item purge once a month?  Yes, that would be really good.  And easy.  I guess I found my next challenge.