Feelings Fitness: "De-junk" January

The holiday season is so wild and crazy which lends itself to a lot of new junk entering the house, especially with kids in the picture.  For this reason, I choose to “de-junk” in January.  I’d love to start the new year fresh, with all of this stuff already out the door or organized properly, but it just isn’t realistic. So, I embrace “de-junk” January & start a bit more fresh in February. 

The cabinets, closets, drawers and any other spot that is a breeding ground for junk has now been addressed. My de-junk January task is not yet complete and has spilled over into February, but it is well on its way to completion and I feel good about that.

My busy yoga training schedule has not allowed me to keep up with all of the little toys the kids have accumulated lately, so I just got a few big plastic bins & piled it all in.  I haven’t been questioned about any missing prized possessions, so until that happens, the bins will remain out of sight, and out of mind. 

Although, it may seem somewhat wasteful, I like to start the year out with fresh ingredients in my kitchen. I do my best, as each year ends, to use up whatever I have stocked in my pantry, baking cabinet, and refrigerator. I do some extra baking and whip up some new meal combinations to make use of the items on hand. Then I toss the remaining stuff and replace it with fresh ingredients. I am a bit of a stickler for code dates, even though I know often times it’s just a ploy to get you to buy new stuff…but, then again, maybe it’s not… It just feels good to start the year fresh!

Donations and recycling is always a part of my de-junking system. I currently have a box of electrical cords that I have no idea what they go to anymore and simply need to be recycled. I also have a pile of electronics that need to find their way to either a proper donation site or a proper recycling sight. With young kids in the house, we go through lots of batteries, so I have a box of used batteries that needs to work its way out the door to a recycling center as well! Some brands, such as Kiehls, offer recycling programs for their products. I use Kiehls skin care products and collect the bottles to be returned to the store in exchange for free products. It’s a win-win program! These are just a few examples of the donation/recycling that I do during my de-junk January routine!

I feel confident that I can wrap up my January project and still go ahead and start my February project.  What is my February project? Finances, fun!