Getting rid of what weighs you down

Is anyone else excited that spring is just around the corner? We’ve almost made it through another long, cold Illinois winter, and I couldn’t be happier to welcome warmer weather and greenery after how gray and dull things have been lately.

It’s always so thrilling to see the first buds come on the tree, have that first 60-degree day of the season, and begin to think about all the projects you want to tackle now that the weather is finally cooperating. This spring, I’m going to take this whole spring cleaning thing seriously. My home was built in the 1970s, and it has never had enough clos- ets and storage space to suit me. I watch those home-buying shows and see people stroll into walk-in closets the size of my bedroom, and I have to admit, I get insanely envious of all that storage space.

Other than the lack of closets and storage, I love my cozy-feeling house, and I know that in a few short years, I’ll have extra space to work with as my kids grow up and move out. In the meantime, I need to put some effort into being better organized and purging what I don’t use.

It can seem overwhelming to purge items in a whole room in a day or even a week when you already have a busy schedule. So, I will break down my workload into smaller, manageable goals that I can do quickly. I will find ten things each day that I can throw out or donate to free up some extra space in my house. My goal is to do this for a month and then see how much of a difference I feel it’s made.

I’m not sure my husband and kids will love this new plan of mine, so I’ll start with my things and some of the paperwork and documents I’ve held onto way longer than necessary.

We all have things that weigh us down in life, creating more stress than they’re worth. For me, in my already packed house, it’s the little items I no longer use but feel the need to hold onto anyway. If you have something weighing you down in your life, think about how freeing it would be to kick it to the curb. It can be daunting, but you might feel better coming up with a workable plan to rid yourself of that burden.

Best wishes, Shannon Serpette Niche Editor

Illinois Valley Woman 426 Second Street La Salle, Illinois 61301 (815) 223-3200 (800) 892-6452 www.newstrib.com

Publisher

Dan Goetz

Niche Editor Shannon Serpette sserpette@shawmedia.com

Regional Advertising Director Jeanette Smith jmsmith@shawmedia.com

Writers

Brandon LaChance

Katlyn Sanden

Shannon Serpette

Photographers

Brandon LaChance

Katlyn Sanden

Shannon Serpette

Designer

Liz Klein

On the cover: Christy Donahue shows off an eye-catching citrine geode in her shop, The Rock and Soul, located at 229 S. Clark St., Utica. PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNON SERPETTE

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