Day 11: Master Closet, Finale

In yesterday's post, I told you I'd be turning my hangars.  I've done this several times in the past, as it works quite well.  The idea is actually quite basic.  Once you've done a preliminary purge, go through the entire closet, and turn all the hangers backward (i.e., hook them over the rod from back to front instead of from front to back).  As you wear things and return them to the closet (after washing, of course), hang them with the hangers facing normally.  After a set period of time, you'll be able to see without question what you actually wear and what you don't.  Pretty cool, huh? (=

Day 10: Master Bedroom Closet, Reprised

Phase 1 of the Master Bedroom Closet Cleanout has been completed.

I have everything organized by color, starting with ROY-G-BIV, then pink, white, off-white/brown, black, and gray.  Within each color grouping, the shirts are organized by sleeve length.

I used to have them all by sleeve length separately.  So there were long-sleeved shirts all sorted by color and then short-sleeved shirts all sorted by color and then sleeveless shirts and tanks all sorted by color.  I found that it was taking me a really long time to pick out something to wear when I was going from, say, long-sleeved red shirts to short-sleeved red shirts to sleeveless red shirts.  Now, all the red shirts are in one spot.  It's only been a couple days, but it seems to be working better.

Next, I'll be turning all the hangers backward.  (Hint: That's tomorrow's post.)

Day 6: Master Bedroom Closet

I started cleaning out my closet today, but I struggled with the idea of actually getting rid of things.  The “what ifs” reared their ugly heads, and so everything got piled instead of being purged. But I'm happy to say that I pushed past it.  I ended up bagging up lots of stuff to give away.  The job's not done yet, but I got a good start on it.  I really wanted to get it done today, but I'm so tired!  Have I mentioned that I won't have a day off until the 19th because of all the overtime I'm doing?

I'm going to bed!

Day 5: Master Bathroom Linen Closet, Part 2

Welcome back!

Today I put everything away.  When I say everything, I mean everything that's actually going back in the closet.  I did some more sorting and wiped stuff down.  {It's crazy how dusty stuff gets in a closet!)

So yesterday we got the shelves all cleaned off.  Today, we have this:

What do you think?

Day 4: Master Bathroom Linen Closet, Part 1

As cluttered as my under-the-sink cabinets appeared, they were really just disorganized.  My linen closet is a combo deal.

Initially, I was sharing this closet, but now that I'm the only one using it, it really shouldn't have as much Stuff in it as it does.  I don't use half of it on anything close to a regular basis.  So, it's time to purge.  First step?  Start with a clean slate.  That's right … time to pull everything off the shelves.

Again, I've sorted like items together to get a feel for how much I have in each category.  I also tossed some of it and set some aside to donate.

I was shocked at how long it took just to get everything out of the closet!  I thought I would get the whole closet redone in a single session, but as it turns out, this is a two-day project.  Come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion! (;

Day 2: The Master Bathroom

My house did not get where it is today due solely to my issues.  I live with others after all.  But it would be wholly unfair of me to point fingers and start assessing blame ... I live here, too, right?  So, my first day of cleaning and organizing is about me.  Only right to pull the plank from my own eye before I start picking at the splinter in someone else's.

Today I'm starting with my master bathroom (in case you didn't read the post title).  I'm planning for this to take 2-3 days, not because it's an especially large room (it's not) but because (A) I'm going to be doing the work after returning home from an 8-hour shift (plus overtime) at the job that's paying my bills, and (B) the last time I cleaned my bathroom, I never laid a finger on what's lurking in the under-the-sink cabinets or the linen closet.  So, today's post will be "part one."

Having mentioned the portions of the room that have been previously ignored, I may have given the impression that I might start there this time around. If that is the case, I apologize. I find it easier to spend extended periods of time in a room only if there is already some semblance of order. With that in mind, today I focused on what can be seen: cleaning the counter, sink, shower, toilet, mirror, and floor. Other than the floor, the sink is always my last item, because it gives me access to clean water for use in cleaning the rest of the room. I always feel like cleaning the sink earlier in my list would make more work for me, because I'd just end up messing it up while working on the rest.  For that same reason, I clean the mirror before I clean the counter ... Otherwise I would have to clean window cleaner off the already-cleaned counter.

So, not a giant leap forward, but the clutter is cleaned up, and everything has been scrubbed and wiped down. Tomorrow, I'll tackle the under-the-sink cabinets. If that goes quickly, I'll get a jump on the linen closet ... Until then, why not choose a small project of your own to complete?  Feel free to share your accomplishments in the comments. (=

Day 1: Why?

I have no idea when it was that I first began my torrid love affair with Stuff.  I honestly cannot recall.  All I know is that, whenever I have felt lonely or insignificant or even just a little bit sad, Stuff has been there to make me feel better.  Stuff's been there to help me celebrate the good times, too.  The problem with our relationship is that it's inherently unhealthy.  The whole time, it's just been an illusion.  Stuff doesn't love or need me in any way.  In fact, Stuff has actually been slowly suffocating me, turning the joy we once shared into sometimes overwhelming depression.  And the worse part about it is that Stuff doesn't even care.

I'm tired of feeling claustrophobic in my own home, and I'm tired of fearing the possibility of  unexpected visitors, because Stuff is always lazing about, flopping wherever might be most comfortable.  Stuff is the elephant in the room that I've avoided discussing for far too long.  So, I've decided it's time to end our relationship and kick Stuff to the curb.

In all seriousness, my OCD can sometimes be debilitating.  Instead of turning me into some super-powered, psycho clean freak, it overwhelms me with all the minute details involved in decluttering my home.  Rather than seeing a small task to be done, I see all the smaller tasks that are involved in that task ALL AT ONCE and how those tasks relate to ALL THE OTHER tasks that are as of yet unfinished in my home, until just considering starting something becomes all too bewildering.  Then I end up curled up with a book, or the TV, or the computer with my invisible blinders on trying to ignore all the chaos that pushed me to near-hyperventilation in the first place.

So, what's different this time?  In the past, I've always looked specifically at what needs to be done in my home and have always come up with a mile-long list that's more than I can bear.  Recently, however, I was surfing the web (possibly while avoiding housework), and I came across 31 days to an organized home, which led me to other sites with similar goals.  All of these sites had one thing in common, they'd broken down the elephant that was their major cleaning and organizing project into bite-sized tasks, something I had been unable to do myself.  So, I used their lists to get me started, to give me a recipe for my elephant, if you will.  Then I just tweaked the ingredients to suit my tastes.  When I'd finished tweaking, I had my very own recipe for elephant, unique to my needs.  Apparently, that small shift in perspective, taking someone else's bite-by-bite plan and working it to fit my task instead of trying to take my task and figure out how to make it bite-sized, was all I needed to put together a workable plan without needing to reach for a paper bag for breathing.  Who knew?

So, if you've had difficulty taking that first step, because you see a whole elephant when you should just be dealing with the toe, I hope this 31-day challenge can help you ... just as others' journeys have helped me.  Bon appetit!

 

<a href="http://chocolate-covered-kisses.blogspot.com/2012/12/day-1-why.html"target="”_blank”"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGQNKEbAKke1Mmvwy9N3hRqoecGr2cjP8e2Pji1VT3f6CDY-7YA6pmcfSRkFTlQUYMcw3yNdf-D-KwDG4wndNn6MeAtUuJq3kvhjM8aOGVegi0tgCLLQ6gvtBI1IAeMqsIX9sMXR25Sw/s1600/31-days-harmonious-home.jpg" /></a>

December's Challenge

While I think buying less is a great way to put the focus back on what the holidays are really about, I don't think it's enough.  So, I'll also be cutting back on the stuff we've already accumulated.  There really aren't enough hours in the day to do all the things I get an inkling to do, but over the years, I've still purchased supplies as if there were.  Now, I have tons of things that are taking up valuable real estate in my home, and do you know what?  They're not bringing me joy.  In fact, with so much stuff, it actually drags me down.

Visual clutter, even if it's well-ordered, bothers me.  It's somewhat debilitating.  I get overwhelmed just seeing it all, and my well-laid plans to do something about it falter, causing me to withdraw into a tiny bubble where I stare only at the pages of a book, a computer screen, or a television, effectively throwing on blinders to avoid that which plagues me.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm not living inside an episode of Hoarders or anything quite so astounding as that, but there's no way anyone would ever mistake me for a minimalist either.

I mentioned a while back that I have been reading "The Year of Less" and have even shared some of what I've done as a result (Sermon on the Mount Month, for one).  Sadly, she'll be ceasing production on that blog, but she'll still post updates on her other blog (her main one), "The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking."  And on that blog, back in October of last year, she did a 31-Day Challenge:



So, just a heads up ... Inspired by the posts from 2011, I will be embarking on my own organizational journey starting on the first of December.  In preparation, I think I'll take a few before photos and get them prepped for the web, so I'll only have the after shots to deal with when its time for posting.  Now, I'm not relishing the thought of sharing my before photos with you.  I don't even want people who love me to see some of this stuff.  But if my posts in December can help even one person to overcome the depression that comes from wanting to live better but feeling almost paralyzed when it comes to figuring out what to do about it, then it's worth it.  Because that's how I feel almost every day, and I don't want to feel that way anymore.  I also know from experience how freeing it feels to have even that first small space handled.

Before the new year begins ... I want a home I can feel happy to call mine.  I want to ring in 2013 with a new resolution, to maintain my home, not to clean it.  Who wants to join me as I begin my journey toward an organized home?