About the Assignment:

Most mornings, I light a candle as I make my coffee and set the intentions for my day. Maybe it’s the Aries in me, but seeing a flame fills me with peace. It’s almost like another spirit is there in the room—a spirit that reminds me that my own fire isn’t too intense or bold (as I sometimes fear), but a bright light to share. Because of the physical affirmation they bring me, I buy candles often. When I go into a cute boutique, my hands are drawn to candles like a magnet. I’ve spent more hours than I’d like to admit smelling each and every one in the shop near my house, examining their labels and pretty containers and dreaming of my best life. As I looked around my house this winter week, I realized it’s time to declutter some of them. If only so that my favorites can really sparkle. This week, join me and declutter your candles!

Why it’s empowering: It will bring you back to intention and ritual! 

Sometimes when we have too much of a good thing it gets wasted. Have you ever felt that? I often collect so many candles that I forget which ones I love and which ones didn’t really work for me. They can get lost in the shuffle and I end up A) not burning any at all, or B) burning the same one day after day and getting bored. Worst of all, the rituals they are connected to: cleaning, writing, meditating can start to fade too.  Since candles connect to my energy, decluttering them is like a boost to my inner fire. It brings me back to the light and to rituals that make me feel motivated and grounded.

Sign me up for the challenge:

Find out more about the Declutter to Empower Challenge here

And, now for the third assignment. Let’s go!

Gather Your Candles:

Gather the candles from all over your house. The ones with dust on their wax, the ones you’re about to burn right down to the quick, the tapers you only pull out for Thanksgiving, and the one someone gave you that makes your nose crinkle. Get ‘em all out! Put them all on your table and get a sense of what’s there.

Sort Like with Like:

Group them into categories of like with like. This is so eye opening! When I did this, I realized that although I was recently tempted to buy a Mrs. Meyers Peppermint scented candle because it was on sale, and it’s a limited edition, I’m glad I declined. Sorting showed me that I already have four. Oops! Sorting also makes us see our abundant supplies, which helps when it comes time to let things go.

Eliminate 3 types:  

Picture yourself in the store smelling and examining the candles you’ve sorted. As you go through them, take out the following types:

1. Obvious: Dented tapers, cracked votives, candles burned down to their quick (have you ever saved one of these just because you have a hard time letting go of the scent? I have!). Why keep these when you have others that are in great shape?
2. Gifts: Those stinky candles that make us question how well someone knows us, but we feel we must keep for when our friend comes over. Who knows? I’ve probably also purchased candles for friends that they think stink. If you’re reading this, I give you permission to let them go! You love your friend, and your friend is not this candle.
3. Misfires: (Pun intended!) Candles we bought after smelling too many and we’d gone nose-blind. It’s kind of like wine tasting in that way. Yes, they seemed like a good idea, yes they were expensive, but keeping them just makes us feel bad. Out they go!

Give abundantly:

Thrift stores love getting candles! There’s a line of women out there just waiting to turn them into a Pinterest craft. No, I don’t recommend that woman be you! I bet a women’s shelter would also love them, or maybe even a friend—just let your friend smell it first!

Ignite!

Take time to think of where you’d like to keep your candles and in which rooms. Decluttering is a nice way of resetting your intentions, and changing things up! If you like to burn them when you have coffee in the morning, put them on a shelf above your coffee maker. It’s also nice to think of a way of incorporating them into a ritual. Maybe you’ll burn one when you meditate? Or while you write in your journal? Maybe you’ll light your tapers each night at dinner to make your regular meal feel more special? Whatever you do, I hope this declutter will rekindle something for you!

Post a comment and tell us your favorite candle. Tag me on Instagram or Facebook @organizedbyheart and show me your declutter in progress! Thank you for sharing this challenge with friends! We’ve got quite a group going! I’d love to hear how your progress is going. Reach out at laurenfinkshea@gmail.com.

Burn brightly,

Lauren

P.S. This is my new favorite candle:  Swedish Dream Sea Salt