Archive for July, 2009

Get Rid of It Project #18

OK – it is a 21 item project today. You can do it!

I want you to go through your house and get rid of 21 things that you no longer love.

I was looking at my red hutch (which looks so cool in my golden yellow kitchen,) and realized that it has become a junk collection site.

There are some things on it I love. My mom’s old coffee grinder (that my brother and I decided to grind dog food in – and my mom promptly retired from the coffee grinding business,) the three fat chickens Roger and I bought on a B&B tour of Northern California, and some very cute Disney Coffee Canisters (yes, we are Disney freaks.) I love all of those things but totally forgot that they were there, because there was so much other stuff to contend with – little trinkets that had accumulated and I didn’t deal with, didn’t love, but didn’t do a darn thing about.

So today (or I should say Saturday, when I get back from Nashville,) I will go through my house with a box and get rid of 21 things that I no longer love.

Will you be my inspiration? The Wind Beneath My Wings? Tell me some of the stuff that you are getting rid of so that I will be reminded – and inspirited – to get rid of my stuff.

Get Rid of It Project #17 or Trusting God and the Case of the Mysterious Boomerang Basket-And a Great Giveaway

Today’s Get Rid of It Project: Get rid of something you could possibly one day use, or has some value, but you know would bless someone else.

Several years ago, as my first husband and I were cleaning out the house we were going to have to put up for sale, we were both in positions where we had to get rid of a lot of stuff.

He was going one way, and my kids and I were going to go live with my parents in Sacramento, two hours away from where we had been living in San Jose, CA.

While my parents house was big, we were going to be doubling the population of the residence. I needed to drastically par down.

The problem was that so much of the stuff that I had could be useful again. Someday.

There were books that I loved, dishes that I could use when I had a house of my own, linens and wedding gifts and fondue pots and so much stuff. And it broke my heart to give it all away. It felt like an admission that I had failed at not only marriage, but at grown up life.

So I did something different than a garage sale or just taking it all to Goodwill. I had what I called on the invitation a Buddy Blessing.

I invited all my best girlfriends over and had them clean house. I put every book, candle, knick-knack, cup and table cloth in my living room and told my friends to go shopping. I probably gave away hundreds of things.

Was it hard to see some stuff go – absolutely. There were a lot of memories tied to some of those items.

But here is the cool thing. When I would go to visit friends, I would see the book I gave them on their coffee table, or see the tea cup that used to be in my picture window being used as a tiny vase in their breakfast nook. It sure was a lot better than paying storage on things I wouldn’t see month after month.

And then, a few years later when it was time to set up house with Roger, I unpacked the boxes that I had kept, and tried to remember what all I had given away and what I needed to replace. And what did I come up with? One thing.

The only thing I missed out of all the things I had given away was this cute little basket that had four slots in it – one for knives, one for forks, one for spoons, one for napkins. That was it.

Now the funny thing about that little basket was this. I couldn’t remember who I gave it to – it didn’t matter, I wasn’t going to ask for it back. It wasn’t that I regretted giving it away, it was just that it was the only thing I missed.

A week after Roger and I got married, my friends Chris and Vikki were packing up their house to move to Arkansas. As we were painting and cleaning and sorting to get them ready to move, I saw the magic basket. Vikki saw it at the same time I did and asked “Do you want that back? We aren’t going to be able to take it with us.”

It was like God arranged free storage of our basket for a couple of years.

That was a very long story to say this: I don’t know how much God cares about a silverware basket, but I do know that the stuff I hang onto out of the fear that I will need it “someday” is much better off in someone else’s hands than mine.

And here is where I can help you pass on something to someone you love. In the next week (that is, by next Friday,) if you post a comment here telling me about something that you passed on to a friend that you knew they could use, I will put you in a drawing for a copy of The Husband Project to be sent to the friend of your choice – on me from you.

Clothes – again.

Time to go through your closets, drawers, scary laundry area and get rid of 21 of those thing that you just don’t wear anymore.

Oh, and here is a great tip from my friend (and the kind fashion consultant if you have heard my Macy’s story at a speaking engagement) Jill Swanson. She says that the best way to tell how long it has been since you have worn a piece of clothing is to turn all of your hangers backwards, but when you wear something, was it, and hang it up again, put the hanger in the regular way. That way, after a year (or however long you have decided) if the hanger is still hanging backwards, you haven’t worn that piece of clothing, (and it no longer deserves room in your closet.)

Jill is a fashion savant.

If you are fashion challenged like me, be sure to check out Jill’s book Simply Beautiful. I love her advice and simple way to manage your wardrobe.

Brag here if you got rid of 21 pieces today (or hung your hangers backwards!)

I don’t know about your silverware drawer, but that is the place in my house where take out soy sauce packets go to die.

On Monday, I will be spending just five minutes cleaning out the stupid stuff in this drawer (and wiping down the silverware tray.)

Quick project, quick post.

When you clean out the drawer give yourself a webby checkmark by posting it in the comments!

Puppies on Parade –

This is Luna. George and Kristine’s top pooch. LOVE THAT FACE. I am sure Luna deserves a treat. Just for having THAT FACE.

Get Rid of it Project #14 – Your Not to Do List

Would you consider a step toward Sabbath this Sunday and take something off your To Do List today and spend that time relaxing?

If you mop your floor everyday, first you are a psycho. (Just FYI) But it will be just as easy to clean on Monday.

All I am saying is the best thing you can do on a Sunday, is to not do on a Sunday.

Instead of wiping down the fridge (which, BTW desperately needs it,) I will be taking the puppy to the dog park.

Leave a comment below about what you blew off today.

We have a winner.

OK the sad news is I don’t know his/her name, but I do know that this beauty belongs to Kathy Cully.

Kathy, I will let Erin over at Puppy Love By Erin know that you are the big winner.

For all of the rest of you, keep checking in because I will be featuring your pooches in an upcoming post, and we will have another give away sponsored by Erin and my cat Zorro in the next month.

And some other Winners:

The winner of Generation Next Marriage is Jessica!

And the winner of Julie and Julia is Stephanie

Send me an e-mail at blog@kathilipp.com with your address and we will get these in the mail!

One of the not-so-secret stashes I have my not-intended collection of mugs.

As a speaker, I often get questionnaires before I come to speak that ask all sorts of personal questions such as:

• What is your favorite candy (sugar free chocolate covered coconut)
• What is your favorite magazine that you don’t subscribe to (InStyle)
• What are your favorite colors (brown, teal, coral and green.)
• What is your favorite drink(tie: Diet Coke, Coffee or Passion Tea – hot or cold)

It’s not that these women are going into stalker mode. When I get such a detailed questionnaire, it usually means that there is a beautiful and thoughtful gift basket waiting for me when I arrive at the hotel/retreat center.

(Here is an example of some sweet swag that the cool chicks from Hillside Church of San Jose gave me when I got to Mt Hermon’s Retreat Center to do their Annual Women’s Retreat.)

The thing is, almost every time I get one of those way cool baskets, I also get a way cool mug. And it usually is in my colors, and I usually love it.

So going through my mug collection is hard. I don’t have cute matching mugs to serve guests – I have onsies of everything.

So it is time to make some cuts in my drinking collection.

I am going to get rid of any promo mugs, any sort of freebie water bottle, and cup that advertises an eating establishment. If it doesn’t bring a smile to my face – out it goes!

I am trying to cut down on the number of bottles of water I go through and remember that the water they put in those bottles is EXACTLY THE SAME and the stuff that goes through my Britta Filter – only about 800x the cost.

Let me know what you chuck so I can cheer you on!

I stand here, cyber-naked, baring it all. I share here my most recent obsessions, hoping, nay praying, that you share some of them as well and I won’t feel quite so alone (and crazy) in these things that have overtaken my life. (But I can stop anytime I want to. Really.)

Please let me know what your current obsession is in the comment section below. I may need a new one by next week.

Twitter

Let’s just be clear – I am not as obsessed as many of you are and I don’t care to know what Ashton Kutcher is having with Demi for breakfast. However, it has been FACINATING to see what some of my favorite authors are up to and a great way to stay in touch with people I care about. If you are on Twitter, I would love to follow you and have you follow me (as this is often great material for my books when I hear what you all are up to.) My twitter name is @kathilipp If you are not on twitter – just try it! It is not scary and is pretty fun.

If you are just getting started (or are not yet convinced) here are two great articles for you new twitterbugs.

12 Reasons to Start Twittering | Michael Hyatt

The Beginner’s Guide to Twitter | Michael Hyatt

Jag Jeans ‘Gabrielle’ Crop Cargo Pants

I had a birthday shopping trip and money to burn so I went to my local Nordstrom, (Nordy’s to those of us who like to pretend to have the money to shop there,) and spent a bit too much on these Gabrielle Crop Pants. Totally worth it. As soon as I take them off at night, I put them into the laundry so they are in my closet rotation ASAP.

But, (I tell myself, and Roger) it is OK to spend that much on a pair of pants if you wear them PRACTICALLY EVERY DAY.

I am totally convinced. Roger, maybe not so much.

Available at www.nordstrom.com

I want to welcome all the readers who are coming from:

BellaMella – a very cool blog by a very cool blogger/speaker Melanie. She is into family and food. I am hooked, of course.

Everything According To Erin – many of you already know my devotion to Erin as she is a very funny blogger and the designer behind my puppy’s very preppy collar.

Today’s Get Rid of It Project #11:

I want you to go through your recipes/cookbooks. Are there 21 cookbooks/pieces of paper with recipes, etc. you could get rid of?

It is so frustrating to try to find a recipe and have to go through hundreds of pieces paper, dozens of books, and bunches of computer files to get to the two dozen recipes that I actually use.

I still have a bunch of cookbooks (I enjoy looking through them to get ideas), but I have donated several to the local Goodwill. One thing that was very helpful was that I copied the recipes I actually use that were given to me by other people and put them all into one binder divided into different categories (chicken marinades, ground beef casseroles, etc.) I tell you, if the house was on fire, I would clear out the people and the pets, grab my hard drive, and then the Kathi Cookbook.

I am going to make a special offer for the next three days. If you are one of the first five people to get rid of 21 items from your recipe collection, I will send you my cookbook, The Frozen Gourmet. Let me know by this Sunday if you did it, and Kimber will put the books in the mail on Monday!

Well I did it.

I have had my wedding rings from my first marriage sitting in my underwear drawer for six years. I called these my “guilt gems” because every time I tried to figure out what to do with them, I felt guilty.

I didn’t want to “get rid of them”. They represented a relations that gave me two beautiful kids. So I needed a way to be respectful, but also not pass them on. There was no reason to.

So following Susy Flory’s lead (you can see that post here) I took my rings into a jeweler in Los Gatos named Glenn Lovelady, of Lovelady Diamond. His website:  http://www.gemgate.com/ (he also does things over the web.)

I didn’t get a lot for them (we were young and broke when we got them) but we got what I expected.

Now I am using that money to support something that I am growing more and more passionate about.

Kiva.com is an organization that does micro loans for mostly 3^rd world countries. Roger and I have been making some loans and it is so exciting to see how little money can make a huge difference in a family. Here are the loans that we made this week using the money from the rings:

Rodellia Diniay is producing and selling peanut butter (something I am VERY passionate about,) in the Philippines and Laura is selling agrifood products in Lebanon.

I feel the key to letting go of something that holds so much emotional/sentimental/monetary value was to decide in advance what it was going to be going to. My husband Roger put it best (if not a little weirdly…)

“It’s like Tarzan swinging through the jungle. He has to let go of one vine before he go forward and go to the next one.”

I feel great about the decision and feel it honors these pieces. I feel like I was able to give up something of value because I was going to be investing it in something even more valuable.

My question for you: Yesterday I asked what it was that you have of value that you no longer need: everything from wedding rings to scrapbooking supplies. Today, I want to ask, if you had somewhere for that money to go, where would it be? A child’s scholarship fund? A favorite charity? A family trip?

Where would you spend $100 if you had it?