my less list : no 21

I am back this weekend, feeling quite refreshed after a 24 hour digital sabbatical that was suggested by Courtney from Be More with Less on Twitter last Friday. No phone and no computer from 4pm Saturday until 4pm today, and I handled it surprisingly well. I may write a blog post later this week about my 'day off' since I was keeping a little journal of how I was doing / feeling during the break. Until then, here are my five things this week :

1. Find a natural / homemade solution for cleaning wood floors. I searched online for a while with no avail. Seems there is a popular solution that includes vinegar but I've heard issues with it stripping the finish on wood floors. That said, I'm not brave enough to put vinegar, even a very diluted version, on our bamboo floors. Gonna stick with store-bought for now.
2. Put some of the scrapbooking supplies that didn't sell at the garage sale a few weeks ago on eBay - mostly stamp sets + tools. I didn't get to this one. Partly because I'm finding odds and ends to add to the pile. And I'm procrastinating because it seems like such a big task. Sigh.
3. Replace my horribly over-used, prone to break sweeper / mop and cutting board with newer models. I have put this off for soooooo long. Done and I love them both.
   
4. Do another mini toy purge. This time, the stuffed animals, dolls / babies and dress-up accessories are the focus. You know, the stuff that Morgan goes on and on about not wanting to clean up, every single day. Got this done too. I didn't remove much but now her baskets and drawers aren't overflowing. Good deal.
5. Fall is approaching and the kids are ready with new cooler weather wardrobes. I think it's time I evaluate my own clothing and make a list of what I need (socks + jeans!) and want (cozy sweaters). With that will be another mini closet purge of the clothes I didn't even wear this summer. I can say with confidence if I haven't worn it the past three months, I probably won't wear it a year from now either. Geez, what did I do this week? Another fail here. Hope to tackle it this week.

On the spending front, I feel I've done really well. I stepped foot in Target for the first time all month just this weekend (woah, right?) and bought right from my list, nothing frivolous. I bought one scrappy item with some my dessert contest winnings and used a gift card on a Frappuccino over the weekend (which was sadly disappointing). Five days left and I love how this little challenge has made me more aware of what I have and what I think I want or need.

Each week I write a short list, no more than 5 items long, of simple tasks that I want to complete during that week. Small things, not huge projects, that I can easily do in the span of 7 days. Things that will keep me focused + help me keep my eyes open to the big picture. You can read more about my One Little Word, less, why I chose it + how I'm documenting it in 2012 here. You can read all of my (now updated) less lists here.