40 bags in 40 days

We all have clutter in our homes, right?  With the work that I do I've been inside a lot of houses and not always after it's cleaned for a party or the cleaning person just left.  I show up in the middle of other peoples lives.  I love it.  I learn from it. 

One thing I've noticed is that everyone seems to have a bit of clutter, it's just how much of it one is comfortable living with.  For some it's right out there in the open.  A pile of books on a table, all of their bills/flyers/mail overflowing off the counter or dishes in the sink and on the counter after breakfast and lunch have been made.  

I'm not sure where I fit.  I love it when everything is in it's place.  When the kitchen table and the counters have nothing on them.  When the buffet in the dining room has nothing but fruit-bowl and some pictures in frames.  I cry tears of joy when the kids actually remember to put their boots on the boot rack and hang their coats instead of throwing them on the banister.  But despite how amazing I feel when everything is in it's place, it almost never is.  There is almost always clutter.

I'm currently in a war against clutter and the best way I can think to do that is to purge.  Clean it up and throw it out.  My thought process on this is the less we have in our house the easier this is going to be right?  So I'm starting one day at a time.  Well 40 days of one day at a time in total.  My friend Natalie at A Space For Calm shared a great article about purging #40 bags in 40 days and I was inspired.  Could this be it for me?  Well I can say that that after 5 days, maybe it is.   

The deal is that you basically have to get rid of 40 "bags" of stuff, one each day.  I'm using a method that a friend mentioned to me.  "When it comes to purging, look at everything in 10 minute blocks, it's less overwhelming."  So far I have given away; a desk and chair, two lunchboxes, some children's clothing, and some nursing clothing.  I have gone through and recycled papers from my night stand, cleaned out my purse, cleaned of my dinning table, the craft shelf and the garage.  I have cleaned and vacuumed our basement and bedroom.  These places feel calm and clean.  It's amazing and liberating.  

So do I think I can rid myself of "40 bags in 40 days"?  YES absolutely.  Do I think I and my family can maintain this new purged and tidied life - we'll have to see.