Comments on: 365+ Days of Give-Aways http://www.susanvogt.net/blog Susan Vogt on living more simply but abundantly Tue, 09 Apr 2013 04:22:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Kim http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-19337 Kim Sat, 22 Dec 2012 22:21:30 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-19337 Your comment from above totally rings true to me:

“I am embarrassed to think that I even had 1,200 things that I barely miss – and humbled to realize that there is still plenty to give away.”

We’re a few months into our downsizing from a 2-bedroom house into whatever will fit in our station wagon. We’ve given away a ridiculous amount. Every weekend we take bags and bags of items to donate and yet we still have a house full of stuff. What did we donate? Why does it feel like we aren’t missing a thing? It’s crazy to me to think about just how much we had and never used. I’m so happy to paring everything down to the true essentials.
Kim

]]> By: Susan Vogt http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-17735 Susan Vogt Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:33:15 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-17735 Connie O. sent the following comment: When Jess and Kendel came home with our first grandchild, Aria, in April I was so excited to get out some of the baby clothes (30+ years old) sure that they would be as excited about them as I was. Jess didn’t give a rip and Kendel looked at me like I had 3 heads to think her baby would wear something 35 years old!

On giving away heirlooms – A friend’s mother died in January and being an only child she inherited all of her mother’s family’s stuff. Gorgeous china, silver, and crystal plus things from around the world. My friend lives in a rustic house on the Shenandoah River-china and silver don’t quite fit her lifestyle. She and her husband have worked all over the world and have bunches of stuff themselves. So this fall she hired the son of one of our church friends to help her sort, sell, and give much away. She said it has been the most freeing for her. Sure, if she took the time to work Ebay she could get more for the things, but the spirit has taken her on a much more spiritual path these days, and if she has extra time that is where she wants to spend it. It took a little while to calm the voice in her head that said, “you should get more money for that or maybe you’ll use it sometime.” But when she got the couch out of her house that her Dad had proposed to her mother on (They had been divorced and both remarried, so why did she have to keep a couch she didn’t like!?) she felt lifted up herself. Ironically, when she was waffling on whether to hire this fellow and his company, one of her china cabinets just collapsed that had a lot of the crystal in it. A dust pan and vacuum made a lot of the decisions there!

My biggest stumbling block still is paper. I just keep too much and don’t organize it that well. This winter’s project I tell myself. Of course that is what I said when I “retired” six years ago.

]]> By: Susan Vogt http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-17434 Susan Vogt Tue, 27 Nov 2012 03:59:54 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-17434 Dear Linda, Thanks for the affirmation. I’m glad you find it useful. Susan

]]> By: Linda Palmer http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-17430 Linda Palmer Tue, 27 Nov 2012 03:34:00 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-17430 Susan, I have only had a chance to read a little of your blog, but I love it! I’m a professional organizer, and your posts address so many of the challenges people face as they are simplifying their lives. Giving away one thing a day for 365 days is a great idea. I’m definitely going to recommend your blog to my clients.

]]> By: mary w. http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-14276 mary w. Sun, 02 Sep 2012 00:01:39 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-14276 I found your web site after you shared on another site. I have been practicing voluntary
simplicity all my life. I find your writing inspiring and ask myself some of the same questions
which you ponder. I intent to read all of you back posts and check your blog often. Mindfulness is important. You offer it in your writing style. Thanks for sharing.~Mary

]]> By: Susan Vogt http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-8356 Susan Vogt Wed, 18 Apr 2012 02:46:22 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-8356 Marguerite Chandler sent the following comment by email: “Having just spent months clearing out our garage so my husband could park his Mini-Cooper in it, I was keenly aware of how much STUFF we have that we don’t need. Before Christmas I cleaned out our closets… The really hard part was giving away books. I disposed of around 15 moving boxes full of books…The real learning for me was when we spent 6 weeks living in our Class C motorhome in Key West. Our older son lives there, so it was an opportunity to be near him–and to spend uninterrupted time writing…It was instructive to see what we REALLY needed to live in about 350 sq. ft. of space with one tiny closet, one shelf, and one small drawer. And we were quite content. So I came home with new eyes–and a new consciousness.”

]]> By: Diane http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-5338 Diane Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:29:31 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-5338 I really enjoyed your article on “Lent-Have You Given Up on Giving Up?”. It was inspiring and thought-provoking. What an interesting thing to do for lent! It was not only different but also challenging making you think about “letting go” for a number of good reasons. It helped you get even closer to God. Thank you sincerely for sharing your story…Every Catholic who reads it, I’m sure, will question themselves whether he/she could do the same in their life during Lent.

]]> By: joe schmitt http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-2462 joe schmitt Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:10:18 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-2462 Susan much the same point Jesus tried to make to his disciples when he fed the 5000 with just their 2 fish and 5 loaves — and they each picked up a doggie bag after it was over and everyone had had enough. We are all more than enough.

]]> By: Aaron Rose-Milavec http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-1896 Aaron Rose-Milavec Mon, 02 May 2011 13:40:11 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-1896 The story of Gladys (post #33) is heartwarming:
“I threw the signs down, then decided to put one in the front window. Next morning I’m up and trimming shrubs at 6AM in the front of the house. A jogger stops and asks, pointing to that small sign.”does that mean your house is for sale” I said yes and invited her in to see it. Would you believe she bought it.” Peace, Aaron

]]> By: Martha http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-1622 Martha Fri, 11 Mar 2011 05:08:47 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-1622 Hi Susan,
Last year, I decided “sometime” I would google how to declutter with God’s help! I never got around to it… I read your article in the Every Day Catholic for February and it was the message I was waiting to get from God. I’ve decided to discipline myself just as you did, to give my excess! I admire your hardwork and will hope to follow your steps and do as good of a job as you did. Feel free to visit my blog as well. http://40-day-garage-giveaway.blogspot.com/
Thank you for the inspiration!

]]> By: Mike Myers http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-1551 Mike Myers Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:00:59 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-1551 Wow! —365 days in a row of decluttering! That’s BIG!
Now that I think about it, I probably have 365 items I never use just in the kitchen “junk drawer.” —Seriously, though, we recently moved “home” to Cincinnati after 20 years 500 miles away in SC. Paying for a move, plus moving from a 3000 sq ft house into a 1600 sq ft apartment helped “push the purge.” We sold or gave away things in this move that formerly I never would have considered letting go of.
“And what were they?” you ask. …I can’t even tell you right off hand. I would have to really think on it. Bottom line is I don’t miss a thing. Give me the simple life!
Thank you for this forum, Susan.

]]> By: Mike Schulz http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-1453 Mike Schulz Fri, 28 Jan 2011 06:24:06 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-1453 I’m excited to read about your experience of decluttering more in depth. I recently went back to Chicago to visit family and during the visit I did some work for a family doctor. She needed stuff taken to salvation army. I thought to myself… well this should be easy I’ll bring the van and load up boxes of stuff she wants to donate and get rid of. I was right that things were in a bunch of large boxes, but she was not ready to let go of everything in those boxes. So what I really signed up for was being patient while she went through each box of clothing and selected what she was keeping and giving away. Some clothing still has brand new price tags and had never been worn. If a box had something besides clothing she was not ready to go through it so we put that aside. Her whole house including basement and first floor along with garage are packed with boxes full of stuff to the point where there is barely walking, living and relaxing space. It really made me sick thinking how that can happen to anyone who can’t let go of material things. Growing up my parents would say if you don’t put it back where it belongs it goes in the garbage and in general my dad threw away things of ours that he felt we did not need or use anymore. We would make a big fuss about it, but life would go on. I remember he threw away a manual lawnmower my grandpa gave me and I would sneak to the garbage can and hide it somewhere in the yard. I am on a mission to declutter our house here in Dayton with the mantra of live simply so that others may simply live going to sustain the effort and so far it has felt good for myself as well as other community members to let go of material things not being used or truly needed.

]]> By: Susan Vogt http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-1112 Susan Vogt Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:51:53 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-1112 You should know that the comment below was sent by my brother who enjoys teasing me. I guess some “family of origin stuff” never goes away.

]]> By: jim veihdeffer http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-783 jim veihdeffer Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:02:09 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-783 What a nice coincidence! I’m in the process of re-cluttering. I think this provides a nice balance and equilibrium to the universe, a way of re-aligning our chakras to be more in tune with the quantum level of existence. Currently I’m working on my third level of chakras which include the Deepak Chakra, Lowpak Chakra and Chakra Khan. Unfortunately I can’t do it without a nice 32-inch plasma TV so anyone who wants to save the world from molecular disaster and the Kardashians should seriously think about repurposing their TV to my coordinates.

]]> By: Elisabeth Martin http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-558 Elisabeth Martin Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:51:37 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-558 Dear Susan,
I too have raised 4 children and have travelled the world with them (due to my husband) being a pilot. You will not believe the amount of things (clutter now) that we accumulated in 25 years!
I have started getting rid of the things we absolutely will never use again and it feels great! Just the other day I made a deal with a recycling company and made a cool 150 bucks extra :) Thanks for keeping this article up! Elisabeth

]]> By: John Hemmer http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-429 John Hemmer Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:28:56 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-429 I’m decluttering, too! Thanks for the modeling!

]]> By: Val http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-347 Val Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:44:07 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-347 Sometimes..when you don’t let go of “stuff”….you do alot more harm to yourself than you think. Staying angry with someone for years and years, especially when you haven’t let the other person know what it is that you are angry about is only hurting you! THEY don’t even know what you are thinking about….and may not even know that they did something to annoy you.

]]> By: Peggy McGee Muster http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-332 Peggy McGee Muster Sat, 12 Jun 2010 23:04:58 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-332 You may have a book here. I’m thinking an Oprah type, best-seller book. The title: Giving: A Lenten Event Gone Viral. Not you style? Oh well. I greatly admire your long commitment to your faith.

]]> By: Susan Vogt http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-324 Susan Vogt Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:24:04 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-324 Peggy, Glad to have you with me.

]]> By: Peggy McGee Muster http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?cpage=1#comment-323 Peggy McGee Muster Thu, 10 Jun 2010 03:13:02 +0000 http://www.susanvogt.net/blog/?page_id=2#comment-323 I’ve been getting word of your efforts second hand. This is going to make for great reading. Thank you for sharing yourself. Acts of Sharing (Facebook) message of the day was what percentage of your material possessions did you use today, this week, the last year. That’s another motivator for me.

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