I’m a big advocate of keeping life simple.

Easier to say than to do, I know! And what’s simple for me may not be the same thing as what’s simple for you. But one thing I really believe we all need to do, regardless of the size of your house or your bank account, is to live with less.

One of the reasons I not only “preach it but practice it” is because I grew up in a home that was really, really, REALLY messy. All of the time. My folks are dear, kind people, but they never took care of their stuff. Or their parents’ stuff. So when they moved out of their home into a retirement facility…guess who ended up having to take care of all of that stuff? Yup…me and my siblings.

It took us four months to clean out my parents’ house. It. Was. Awful.

There’s a verse in the Bible (Matthew 6:19-21) in which Jesus tells listeners not to lay up for themselves treasures on earth, where rust and moth can attack. As I was cleaning out my parents’ home…where so much rust and moth had attacked so much stuff…I realized that Jesus was spot-on! Rust and moth attack things that aren’t used. Things that are neglected. Forgotten. Devalued.

One of my life-simplification principles is that if something isn’t used, it’s given away.

Mondays, for March, will be devoted to the theme of Spring Cleaning. Aka: simplifying life. The goal is to bring more peace into our lives and create room for more important things–like people. Like time with God. If you have a good tip or a book that has helped, please let me know!

Today’s topic is de-cluttering–a darn good place to start.

Here are some tips from “O” magazine (March 2010) about how to help you make decisions about what to keep or what to toss:

Toss it if…
1) You have twice as many as you need.
2) It’s a gift you don’t love.
3) It’s not worth repairing.
4) Your gut says lose it.
5) You don’t know what it is.

Keep it if…
1) It’s sentimental gold.
2) It fits your life today.
3) You think it’s gorgeous (even if no one else does).
4) You’d buy it again.
5) You’ll find a place for it.