My experiment with 7...

Several of my friends here in Indy have been telling me about the book titled 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, where a girl (Jen) tackles seven different areas of excess for a month each and writes about it. She covers the categories of clothes, shopping, waste, food, possessions, media, and stress. I was intrigued the minute I heard about it and went online to request a copy from the library. The simplified life sounds so appealing to me amidst the craziness of the American pace, but I do love my iPhone, nail polish, and the accomplished feeling of a busy day like anyone else. I have never really been challenged in this area of my life, so I am so curious to see how I react and how God moves. It seems like I have been having conversations about simplifying with everyone I talk to lately- neighbors, the hubs, my hairdresser. I think we all long for it a little bit, and I decided I finally need to do something about it. Here's an excerpt from the book...

"Seven months, seven areas, reduced to seven simple choices. I'm embarking on a journey of less. It's time to purge the junk and pare down to what is necessary, what is noble. 7 will be an exercise in simplicity with one goal: to create space for God's kingdom to break through. I approach this project in the spirit of a fast: an intentional reduction, a deliberate abstinence to summon God's movement in my life. A fast creates margin for God to move." - Jen Hatmaker

I'm excited about this experiment now, but I know by the end of it,
I could feel like Graham does when he cut 4 teeth in 8 days.
Painful! Ha.

So here we go. I'm skipping the first chapter about food, so I can catch up to where my friends are- clothes. I want to do this with them, and I even talked my hubby into doing it too! Jen's whole experiment was 7 months; mine will be 7 weeks. (She chose 7 articles of clothes to wear for an entire MONTH!) My friends and I are picking 7 items of clothes to wear for a week. (And no, underwear doesn't count!)

My choices are pictured above. Don't hate if you see me this week in the same outfit 3 times. It will happen. Also, Andrew is in; should G baby be? After remembering that he goes through about 7 outfits a day due to pee, spitup, etc, I'm thinking no. :) Anyway, my list..

1. Brown jacket

2. Mustard striped short sleeved shirt

3. Brown polka dot short sleeved shirt

4. Black striped 3/4 sleeved shirt

5. Gray and red baseball T

6. Jeans

7. Flip flops

Is washing allowed??!!! (Gulp.) I start tomorrow!!... I might be crazy. :/