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Snow, hail, sun yesterday in Seattle - all in one day. Today? Just rain. Over this Seattle weather! I made a decision yesterday that I need to plan some time in the sun during winter from now on. I love Seattle! Wouldn't want to live anywhere else but I need heat and sun! Cold kills me!!!!

That is my rant. On to my living simply. haha..After posting the questions yesterday about what I am willing to give up etc. I have come a little closer to a decision. Of course, the whole point of this is that it is a process and is forever in a a state of flux.  I have decided that experiences are worth my money. They can range from new things to try, such as kayaking that I have always wanted to do to taking all of the kids to opening night of a movie that we all want to see.  What I am going to reduce my spending on are new things. Things that I buy just because they are too cute to pass up. Things that are not a necessity.

For instance - I organized my "junk" drawer. Do you know how many notepads, pens and post-its I have? Did I mention that I have a fetish with office supplies? I have enough to last me for at least 3 years. So then I was faced with do I donate some to reduce my stash? Or do I hold on to them because it the remembrance of the sheer amount will keep me from purchasing more. I have 5 jars of pens. I have so many pens that I am able to separate them into categories: 1 jar for pencils 1 jar for ink pens 1 jar for highlighters 1 jar for colored pens 1 jar for sharpies only and some of these were so overflowing that I did give pens, sharpies, etc away. 

In the end I decided to keep them. They don't go bad. I will use them. I will be reminded that I really and truly don't need another no matter how adorable it is.  This is the point of this exercise for me. I want to become more organized, de-cluttered, surrounded by only useful things and things of beauty. 

I read that Portland does a "Free Store" once a month. I love this idea. I have too many other things going on right now to take on another new project but it is in my mind and I will probably get it started sometime over the next year.  I think that anything that brings community together and reduces our need for cash is a really great thing and the way we will end up going at some point in the future whether it is out of sheer necessity or by choice.

Enjoy your day today and look around....what is your one purchasing weakness? I would be interested in hearing about it!