Once upon a time I wasn’t as busy as I’d like to be as a builder and home renovator. And with my marketing background I was looking for new and exciting ways to connect with clients. I signed up for several of those sites kind of like Angie’s List. I can’t remember what all they were but they are mostly gone now. I can say they didn’t last and I’m not surprised. As a contractor my experience was not at all supportive in fact with the amount of money I paid out to even be on the site I feel like I should have at least been took out for a meal.

But I digress, the one good thing to come out of it was my new clients. They were a couple that literally were my last referral I was entertaining doing any work for from the referral site. By this point I had already deactivated the account. They didn’t even know how close I was to canceling I’d been so jaded by this point. Luckily my gut said keep the appointment.

Lucky for us all.

We ended up doing a bathroom and kitchen renovation to prep their house for selling. Then we had the opportunity to build them a house in the country they moved to after a rather quick sale. The wife had an eye for anticipating what the buyers would want and had enough sense to design for them.

Here are some before and after photos of the kitchen and bath renovation.

If you are a type A personality or hyperfocus on something you are excited about then you will like what I’m about to tell you. Because I was educated in a school system to punch out worker bees but I’m really a queen Bee I tend to accommodate things to my own liking. Which is where I came up with the idea to do two challenges at once.

100 items in 100 hours

This is a challenge I created for myself but inspired by others like The Minimalists. Where I get rid of 100 items in 100 hours. You are moving 100 items out of your possession within 100 hours. You can sell them, donate them, regift them, recycle, or throw away. The point is to be 100 items lighter in 100 hours.

Project 333

“Project 333™ is the minimalist fashion challenge that invites you to dress with 33 items or less for 3 months.” This was a concept, challenge, and book written and developed by blogger Courtney Carver.

I read Project 333 on my way home from a camping trip with the hubs. I’d already started minimizing but found I’d held back and was running on the dopamine fumes and felt the old familiar impulse to purchase or redesign this or decorate that coming up. I had went 30 days not purchasing anything unless I could get it at the grocery store and I loved the experience. But that is not sustainable, what I found in the Project 333 fashion challenge was the opportunity to have rest stops for when I would buy something and that is like crack to me.

So here we are on

First Week of the Tandem Challenge

So far I got rid of 113 item in 20 minutes. I had an apothecary cabinet I had been meaning to downsize and this was the perfect opportunity. One time I got really excited about making my own essential oils combinations, lotions, and bath balms. It didn’t really go anywhere. But I have a good friend who has some inventive kids who love making perfumes and sugar scrubs. So they are about to have a hell of a good time with this stuff. I got permission from mom of course. Over the last 5 days I have sold, gifted, or donated over 200 items. In addition, I went through the clothing I had and applied all the rules set forth in the Project 333 challenge, except for one. I did not count the amount of stuff I would keep. I already have a very small amount and I was comfortable with that. However, I have enacted not buying anything for the house or my personal self that can’t be bought at a grocery store until October. That has been cool until it wasn’t. I had to go to court and didn’t feel I had anything appropriate.

Instead of going out and buying something I found something somewhat modest and respectful and wore it. My upbringing was that court is like church, modest and best dressed is the rules while attending.

On top of these two challenges I went through all my fall décor. I’m a southern woman who loves a seasonal aesthetic. However, with fewer and fewer people in my personal space and the children grown it has become more of a challenge than a joy. So, I went against the Instagram grain and minimized 9 totes of fall décor down to a wreath and a sign my sister in law made for me. That sign is actually useful in two seasons and I love it. And that’s the wonderful part of this whole thing. When I use something, see, or wear something it’s all things I absolutely adore. And that instantly elevates my energy and mood and makes me a better person to be around. Or at least that’s been my experience so far.