Purging, donating, and giving away!!

In addition to the 350 pounds we took to the dump earlier this month, we have also disposed of:

• A box full of alcohol and wine, including a fancy bottle that someone gave to us and Mike was hoping to save for the day he got published...turned to vinegar!
• More kids' books--posted to paperbackswap.com, taken to the consignment store, donated to friends with a 1-year-old, and donated to the school rummage sale
• Two strollers, a high chair, a play yard, and a crib (given to a friend)
• Old dresser and wardrobe (that once held my own baby clothes!), given to the same friend when she saw them in our garage and asked us what we were going to do with them
• A bike trailer...which we bought at a neighbor's yard sale YEARS ago and never used...our neighborhood has so many darn hills that it's hard to imagine being able to huff and puff up one of those hills hauling a bike trailer behind us...plus, Nick would rather ride his own bike now (given to the same friends with the 1-year-old, who live in a flatter, more bike-friendly neighborhood!)

We need to find a place to dispose of a pair of cross-country skis, which Mike acquired at a church rummage sale and has never used. They will probably be going to Goodwill.

Our garage is looking AWESOME. It's not completely photo ready yet...but soon I will post before and after photos.

350 pounds to the dump today!

Today Mike spent plowing through all the junk we had accumulated in the garage, and I spent the whole day on the kitchen.

My great resolution to keep the kitchen counters clean has fallen to ruin.

The dishes had stacked up all over the counter, and it needed some serious, down-and-dirty TLC. I am happy to say that it's clean now...although every time I clean the kitchen I want to redo it. We've been living with the same linoleum, paint, etc., for 11 years now, and it's definitely looking worse for wear. The countertops are still in good shape, fortunately.

Photos tomorrow!