declutter my life

There’s only a few left. One today had surprisingly little in it. Mainly, some letters and photos.

I know that I will need to go through my letters again soon to clear them out. I’m also trying to decide how to store them. I currently have them in a few nice boxes, but I have an antique suitcase from a friend. I’m completely unwilling to get rid of it, but I don’t have anything in it. Should I maybe store the letters in there so justify its existance? It’s this kind of thing I’m never quite sure about.

Where have you been all my life?

I got inspired watching a youtube video about organizing your closet. Then I went to the container store, which was great. I got some stuff (not too much) that solved some really weird org. problems, and I’m happy with the $150 I spent.

We got new carpet, and that required us moving everything out of the house, basically. The new carpet is beautiful, and it’s new inspiration to keep the house orderly. The old carpet was so so cheap and old that no matter how much you cleaned, it still looked rather, eh. Now, you actually CAN make the house look nice…

So today I was putting most of the stuff back. I was working to make sure I had a place for things, and then I was diligent about putting it in its place. No more shoeboxes of random stuff. For real. I’m done with those.

We went through things we had too many of (towels!), which opened up more space to easily store our laundry detergent (instead of just shoving it in there). Purged a few more books, clothes, etc. Am bringing stuff in a little at a time so that I can really work on putting stuff back correctly. Two large boxes for goodwill, too.

Am starting to notice some things that are actually helping. I love my iPhone, especially a list app that I bought for $1. I can make separate lists for grocery store, target, bring to work, etc. It’s not even a fancy grocery app, just a simple list one. When I’m in the kitchen and I see we’re out of something, I tap it into my iPhone. At the grocery store the next day, my list is automaticallyw ith me, and whatever I don’t get remains on my list. This has helped me a lot. I’m also becoming more cognizant of what I have coming up and what I can do to make that easier for myself.

Part of what I realized today about getting this stuff is just doing hte things I mean to do. I realized I had never washed my afghans, and so today I finally put the last two in the washer. I wasn’t doing any other laundry, but it took me 10 minutes to go start them, and now they are done and smell wonderful. It’s just doing it! I’m opening my eyes and saying “what is out of place? where should it go?” It almost never bothers me individually, but collectively the things out of place really bother me. It’s so lame, but there really needs to be a place for everything, and then it’s easy to put things away. It’s only when there isn’t a place for something that cleaning up is a drag.

I’m hoping the new carpet is the final push I need to get me over this hump and make me actually organized. The thing is, I AM organized. At work, with my duties and calendar, I am. It’s only with my STUFF that I am not. So I know I can be organized, it’s just getting to the right place so it’s possible. And I’ve never felt this close before.

:)

Moving my desk today, helped me and my husband go through some papers and other things.

I have two vacuums. It’s kind of dumb, but we have these carpeted stairs and an upright is just a bear to clean them. I got fed up and got a canister vacuum that I love for the stairs. I thought it wouldn’t be powerful enough for the rest of the house, but I think if I keep the filter clean and vacuum twice a week, I can downgrade to just one.

GOODBYE GIANT VACUUM!

Somehow getting rid of big clutter is a huge deal. It’s like getting rid of four boxes of junk all at once. My friend is having a garage sale next weekend and I’m happy to give it to her.

I also realized that some storage is not bad. I used to have all my old school binders on the shelf above my desk. They’ve already been gone through…it’s journal articles and things that I want to keep because it can save me digging out articles as I continue to go to school. But do I really need them taking up my limited shelf space above my desk? Probably not. So I’m going to go get a plastic filer just for those binders and stick it in my closet. the rule is that I can only keep as much will fit in there, which is generally how I deal with storage. So Now the shelf I have is actually USABLE because I don’t have 8 inches of old paperwork up there.

I’m feeling a little better about things. I was crying the other day about it, so this is a good step.

same person I helped move last year which sort of got me reinspired to do this…

Hopefully the experience works its magic again. I have loads to do this weekend but maybe I can focus on something….

I think I was before this website, too, but this has made me that much more so. For whatever reason, though, I can’t seem to wrap my life around this concept. It’s the one singular area I continually struggle with, making my home as I want it to be…

I wish I could figure out why this is such a struggle for me.

A good discussion with our small group about simplicity…I still have a ways to go. Opened my eyes to some new things. Working on it, always working on it.

It also made me think some about not just “clutter” but simplicity. I’ve been thinking about an ipod touch recently, just for the ability it has to hold my address book and calendar. I currently have a $1 calendar (checkbook size) from target in my bag that works fine…but I think it would be so cool! Cool enough to replace the $1 alternative I have right now that works fine? I think smart purchases are fine (I love my ipod shuffle for the gym)...just want to make sure I think things all the through. A road bike is also something I’m considering, new running shoes, etc.

Saw some good friends this weekend, some similarly-minded simple living friends. they are inspirational.

I’m getting frustrated. This place is just so small. 640 sq feet, two people, two cats, a home office… I’ve purged what I can but there comes a point where it’s just a place that is too small for two people, two cats, and a home office. But it’s where we are and where we are stuck for a bit because of the market, etc. I don’t know if I need to get over my frustration or try to channel my frustration into further action. I’m stuck as to what action to pursue next…

Do bottle breeds? Good grief, I don’t even consider myself that girly and somehow I just have more bottles of goop and gel and whatever.

I resorted my medicine cabinet…tossed some stuff and transferred some stuff upstairs to my “extras” box (where we store extra stuff so we don’t have to run to the store every other day)

Which has cleared out my inbox and generally made keeping up easier.

I also found an easy online to do list that is saving me from little scraps of paper in my back pocket…

I had issues focusing today. So I started cleaning up my desk…it’s hard to have a grownup desk when you’re surrounded by walls made out of bulletin board material (a cubicle…yes…I have a cubicle). But I made an effort today to control the junior high-ish stuff in one area (like the random buttons and photos and fortune cookies fortunes, etc.) I got rid of tons of stuff…old resources I don’t need…combined a few shelves of things, etc.

Then I still couldn’t focus, so I worked on my drawers. Yikes, they were scary.

Hopefully it gives me some incentive to actually WORK tomorrow. Felt nice, though…I was even motivated when I got home (at first)