Decluttering Challenge: 40 bags in 40 Days

Have you heard about the 40 Bags in 40 Days decluttering challenge? I wanted to do something different for this Lenten season and found Ann Marie Heasley’s #40bagsin40days challenge. I thought this was a perfect challenge for my family to tackle together.

Shoe Drama

One of the first things I wanted to focus on was my closet. Yes…you heard it right, my closet. I usually clean the kids’ rooms constantly but my closet is the black hole I don’t like to touch and to be honest I don’t want to deal with it. The first section I started with was my shoes and I have A LOT of shoes. Recently, I discovered that of all things my feet have grown from 7.5/8 to 8.5/9. Did you know that your feet can continue to grow as an adult? I didn’t and that made going through my amazing shoe collection hard. I donated 90% of my shoes to charity and my oldest daughter, Raquel.

It was really hard to part with those shoes since I hold so many memories in them. My killer heals that helped me land my job, the leather boots that made me feel I can handle anything and the tennis shoes that I started my health journey with. I didn’t realize how many memories my shoes held for me. Four bags later, I was quite depressed. I don’t consider myself a materialistic person but letting go of my shoes was a humbling experience. My husband gave me a big hug and I realized that I needed to acknowledge my feelings and move forward.

The Endless Closet Shelf

Then, I started on my closet shelf with workout clothes and nightgowns. This shelf was a mess and I didn’t realize I had a 25 yr. old sorority jersey in that pile of clothes. Yes, you heard right a 25-year-old shirt that I did not purge. To clean this section of the closet, it took me a little longer than my shoes. I started with five piles: T-shirts, workout pants, nightgowns, the trash pile, and donation bag. Four more bags were donated or thrown away. As you can see, I was able to organize this part of my closet with cubes for my clothes and my shoes on the racks. It’s a lot cleaner and more streamlined for me to grab what I need.

I still have more of my closet and the rest of the house to do but I was able to declutter my closet significantly for the 40 bags in 40 days challenge. In one weekend, I was able to fill 8 bags out of my 40 bags challenge. This accomplishment was a step in the right direction and I can’t wait to continue on this decluttering challenge in the next several weeks.

What I learned doing this #40bagsin40days challenge:

• We have a lot of stuff
• It’s easier to organize the items you have left
• Learning to let go isn’t easy
• It’s a humbling experience

If you are interested in learning more about the #40bagsin40days challenge visit Ann Marie’s website or follow her Instagram at @Whitehouseblackshutters. You can also follow my decluttering journey on my Instagram channel.