This month we have begun to hit high gear preparing Amelia for her freshman year at RIT.  With that comes the realization that in about 35 days, she will begin her life and I will begin to look at an empty room, yes, a somewhat messy and cluttered empty room.

Question to other college parents:  Did you clean up after he/she left or did you leave it?  My vote is to simplify and that is the goal and resolution for the month of July.

Before I expand, let’s review life as we have known it these first 6 months of 2015:

January was the push-up challenge- I can actually do 20 (girl) pushups on the floor.  ON-THE-FLOOR!

February was take it slow month- This one is not working out at all. I decided after Googling my foot pain that I really did not need the boot as it was slowing me down. Let’s see what the doc says tomorrow morning.

March was the time to just breathe- This is getting better.  It takes practice for sure and taking that breath has allowed me to avoid jail time for injuring slow drivers, people who can’t push a cart at the supermarket and fellow coffee drinkers how think staring at the board in Starbucks will somehow provide divine intervention for their morning coffee selection.

April was the time to sit up straight. I am trying, especially when I drive.  UGH.

May was intended to help me refrain from commenting on my husband’s terrible driving. This is SOOOOO not happening, sorry Chip.  25 years of terror in the front seat cannot be erased in 6 months!

June. I need to get fresh. This has been going really great and I apologize for not posting more recipes.  I will add that to this resolution going forward.

So now July:  simplify.

Walking around my house this weekend, I was overwhelmed with the amount of crapola that exists here and the amount of redundancy present in all aspects and in every room.  For example,

• How many wooden spoons do I need to have handy in the kitchen? 1? 3? 7?  Perhaps not the dozen I have just in case some rouge Italian mother needs one for disciplinarian purposes.
• That in turn begs the question, how many types and boxes of pasta do I need?  Please don’t make me get rid of the bucatini!
• Flip flops: I have two feet yet a basket full of flip flops, some from the turn of the century.  Really?  those are going.
• Tupperware and plastic containers:  I have enough to package up lasagna and meatballs for the entire county.
• Ladies, you will smile when you see this one.  Underwear:  why do we keep so many stretched out, elastic gone, lace torn bloomies.  I think we all know that certain times lend to those not so special bloomies.
• Drawers full of old pencils, pens, broken paper clips and loose change. Gotta go.
• I will clean out old emails that are years old; old receipts in my wallet and bring the last 10 years of tax receipts and returns to the shredding center.
• Even Izzy doesn’t escape the scrutiny.  There are remnants of stuffed rabbits, ducks and other assorted doggie toys; half eaten pigs ears and some oddly unidentifiable items.  Sorry Izzy, it’s time to simplify.
• Food?  Multiple cereal boxes, various types of bread and my beloved cheese?  You don’t want to know!
• Simplify my mind.  Stop cluttering it with thoughts of what I did wrong or could have done better.  Get rid of negativity and negative people that slow life down.  No one has time for that.

It’s ok, I can simplify, just not certain if I can simplify things like chocolate, work out shirts or books on my Kindle.  I will not simplify old photo albums, the kids Kindergarten Halloween costumes or the numerous clay and other assorted crafts I have collected over the years. I do need those. I have to have those.  I love those.

Let’s see how long this lasts. In terms of Amelia’s mess, I think going in there and seeing it when she’s gone will bring a  smile through the tears.  Either that or she is in for a big surprise.