A Series about Stuff: Recap

Although I do have more to say, I want to wrap up my series about stuff in a neat little package. I really enjoyed writing down my thoughts about my stuff and hope that you enjoyed reading about it. If you are new around here, feel free to check it out. It was challenging for me to put these thoughts "to computer screen," but I'm so thankful I did. I think that it helped me stay accountable to the things I was learning :)

If you don't want to plow through the full version, here's the abridged:

1. The Introduction: This post was all about why I was starting the series and why it was important for me to do so.
Key quote:
"Lately, I've had the need not only to purge more of what I have, but also choose to stop buying/getting more stuff that I don't use or like. I'm learning to be more intentional with my money. And I'm learning to let go of things that I hold on to for no reason. I'm trusting God to be my source of contentment instead of my stuff. I'm choosing to believe in how I am identified by Christ instead of letting my stuff identify me."

2. Satisfaction: This post was all about my heart issue with stuff. Why do I why want it? Do we need it? Are we satisfied by what we have? I had a little heart-to-heart with you in this post and chatted with you about finding contentment in a consumer-driven culture. I also chatted about fighting the "if, then" mentality!
Key quote:

"I think that before I can move on into the practical, I have to deal with the issue of why I have so much stuff and why I tend to want so much of it. If I want to simplify my life and be more generous and intentional, I have to be willing to let some of it go. In order to avoid the cycle of collecting, purging, regretting, etc, I need to deal with the core. The real issue.

You see, even though I am surrounded by all this stuff, life is not about this stuff. It’s about Him. Until that is stained upon my heart, I will always be anxious to run towards stuff, to never believe I have enough, to put my hope in what I have, and to continuously feel stabbed with envy and discontentment."

3. Jiggly-Jiggly: This post was all about the excess that we have in home. I chatted about learning to identify all the extra stuff we have around and deal with it. I wrote about how important it is to see those places that we collect the jiggly-jiggly in our home so we can prevent it.
Key quote:
"I'll leave you with my favorite analogy for excess. I like to think of it as the jiggly-jiggly of my home. It's the extra twenty pounds it gained after Christmas sales and Target's clearance rack. Poor house--it has a horrible metabolism! Without proper diet and exercise, our homes will become chubby, uncomfortable, and sluggish."

4. The Beautiful and Useful: This post was all about figuring out what to keep/buy. What do you use? Do you see beauty? For me, learning to buy/keep items that I actually use or truly love help prevent me from grabbing up random stuff that is a "good deal" or I "kinda" like and then having it end up in the thrift store pile.
Key quote:
"Learning to live simply and intentionally not only helps me avoid clutter, but it also helps me spend my money wisely have more room to also live generously."

5. The Sentimental: This short and sweet post was about the stuff that has a history in our hearts. I also talked about using the sentimental items in our homes.
Key quote:
"My hope is that in my home the sentimental stuff that I hold to is not stuffed in boxes, but used or displayed in the everyday."

6. The Bathroom Purge: This post was about the first room I tackled--the bathroom! I even included a free download to help organize the process--mostly because I get side-tracked way too easily!
Key quote:
"Before beginning, I created a pre-purge, during purge, and after purge list. I felt this really helped me focus on realistic needs and then think more creatively about what to do with what I didn't use or need."

7. I'm an Unfashionista: This post was all about how I'm not a fashion pro and how I wanted to think about buying clothes intentionally and create a capsule wardrobe. I had way too many clothes that I rarely wore or didn't like. 
Key quote:
"I want to buy nice items that I enjoy, feel comfortable wearing, and add confidence. I want to be intentional about what I buy and avoid collecting clothes just because they are on sale. In other words, I'd rather buy 15 items of clothes I love than 30 items I endure."

8. The After: This post was the result of my closet cleanse and how refreshing it was to really go through all my clothes!
Key quote:
"Although it felt refreshing to see my closet less chaotic and clear of unused items, it also was a wake-up call to be a more intentional shopper."

9. Closet Generosity: This post was all about what to do with all your excess closet stuff beyond bringing it to the thrift store. I proposed that we can use it to build community and meet needs. I also chatted about places to buy with purpose--using the money we have to purchase items that provide for others :)
Key quote:
"It may be a bit more money to purchase a necklace from a company that buys jewelry from women creating a sustainable income in Africa, but I also think that it's worth supporting these companies. I want to practice purchasing with purpose where I can."

10. The Kitchen Cleanse: This post was all about conquering the kitchen! I wrote out some questions I asked myself while going through all my kitchen stuff--these helped me figure out what I actually used in the kitchen and how to keep it simple!
Key quote:
"Evaluating what you have compared to what you actually use is a practice that helps develop smart buying habits!"

11. 5 Tips for Keeping it Simple in the Kitchen: This post was all about ways to keeping it minimal in the kitchen.
Key quote:
"After you spend time cleaning out your kitchen, it seems to draw stuff back in within minutes. It's like a giant magnet for jiggly, jiggly."

12. Kitchen Generosity: This was the final post in the series, and it wrapped up a few of the key ideas of the series--by using the kitchen as an example!
Key quote:
"I love having a simplified closet, a slim kitchen, and an organized bathroom, but my heart is that this stuff (even though it is fleeting) is a resource and serves a purpose. I want to use my stuff with a gracious heart--a heart that is thankful for all that I have and desires to give to things beyond myself."

Uffda. That was a bit of long and wordy post! But, I just wanted to put it all in one place. This series really helped me stay accountable to really peeling away all my stuff and learning to live more simply and intentionally! I'm still definitely a work in process, but it was so helpful for me to write out what was flying around in my head :)

Happy Wednesday!