31 Days {Day 24} A Cluttered Closet

*This is my 201st Post Ever!  Yay!

Today I decided to clean out our laundry room closet.  Cleaning out miscellaneous closets are infinitely more annoying because it's as if none of the stuff really belongs there.  It was full of my party supplies, papers, wedding china, stuff to donate and recycling.  The coats live there too but I left them alone since it is called a coat closet.

Main Objective:  Make Room for Bike in Closet

The reason I needed to clean this closet is because I actually need the space in there to make room  for G's road bike, which has taken up residence in our entryway since June.  Since it was so expensive, he didn't want to put it in the garage, AKA the place where our expensive trimmer got stolen.  The closet was full and what I didn't want to do was redistribute this crap to other parts of the house.  This is not a before picture, more like a middle picture.

The two Ikea tables stacked on top of each other is my makeshift shelving system.  They used to be our nightstands so I repurposed them here.  The top shelf holds our party supplies, the middle shelf drinks for parties, and the floor holds paper towels, bleach and vinegar.  Without further ado, this was how it went down today.

1. I went through all the files and weeded out appliance manuals that I really don't need.  I can google almost anything that I have to find.  Some of those things are taking up a lot of space, like a recipe book that came with the Kitchen-Aid mixer that I will never use, among other instruction manuals.

2.  I had a box of china from our wedding that I don't usually need since we don't usually serve more than 6 people. I decided to wash it all and find a place in the cabinets for it.  That led to another little project which involved rearranging the cabinets better so all the dishes fit.

3.  Decide what to do with the other files that I have to keep.  This led me to our bedroom file box to clean out the files there, which was quite the chore.  I reorganized all the files and relabeled them.  I sorted the papers into recycling and shredding.  My shredder conks out quickly so I have to stop often and wait for it to recover.  If I took a picture you would see a big pile of papers.

A side note:  I recently canceled a disability policy I had since I was working as a mortgage broker.  When I stopped working a few years ago I asked them if it would still pay with me being unemployed and they told me yes, so I kept it.  Fast forward 4 years later and $65 a month, I called them again to check.  This time they actually checked and verified that if there is no income to replace, then there would be no payment.  Don't make a costly mistake like me.  Revisit all your financial decisions periodically.  Shredding all those policies made me cringe but also happy that I finally wised up and canceled them.

4.  I put the glass recycling in the car so I can take it next time I go that way.  Our recycling doesn't do glass and I can't throw them away.

5.  The bag of things that we are going to donate have some value which is why I've held off for so long.  I didn't know what to do with them.  I'm going to run everything I cleaned out today by a bunch of girls coming over tomorrow.  After that, I have to get them out of my house once and for all.  I need my closet back.

I don't have an after picture for you because I'm not totally done yet.  I'm still shredding papers as I type and there are still loads of things on our stairs.  Hopefully tomorrow this project will be complete.  The good news is that the bike is in the closet.

Mission Complete:  Road Bike has a Happy New Home

What big cleaning projects are you working on this month?  How often do you shred your files?  Have you made a costly mistake with insurance like I did?  Tell me how your month of October has been going.  Have you been inspired to clean out anything along the way?  

Clutter: A disorderly heap or assemblage

I'm at home cooking a pot of soup for dinner and feeling really overwhelmed. I recently hosted a cookie exchange in our home and had to make it presentable for a party and that is when I realized that I need to do some de-cluttering and reorganizing. It doesn't take long for things to start multiplying and getting out of control. Since my sweet Mother passed away, I integrated many of her things into our house which made less space for my stuff. Now that Christmas is coming, I already feel less able to breathe thinking about buying even more.

Magazines have been my nemesis and my delight for as long as I can remember. I used to love receiving a new magazine in the mail, not turning each fresh page until I had devoured every last word. I had stopped subscribing to anything except Domino (RIP Domino!) when along came a letter saying I would lose my skymiles unless I used them. With this threat in hand what could I do with all those miles except order about 7 new subscriptions.

What is it about throwing out unread magazines that strikes me in the "don't waste" nerve? I must read them before giving them away. And then, what about throwing them away? Well, I feel that I am throwing away information that someone else can use. Another element is the magazines that I won't throw away because I use them for reference, like decorating magazines. Oh, and then I have the stack of pages that I have ripped out of magazines for inspiration. Sigh. I used to have them all organized in a binder but gave that binder away because my styles had changed. Something needs to be done about this. Obviously I have issues, no pun intended!

Here is my secret stash of magazine clutter

That's not all my magazines though! I have more in the closet upstairs that I decided a long time ago to keep. I will be going through those after this Mt. Everest is conquered.

It's not only magazines that are making me feel overwhelmed though. It's just things laying around that don't have a home. Because I made room for my Mom's things, I feel like I don't have enough open space for new things. I don't know what this means in feng shui, but I feel a little stifled. One of the main ways I manage to stay organized is having a place where everything "lives". This is where proper use of organizing materials comes in. It doesn't work to just take all the extra stuff and put it in a bin. There needs to be a purpose and a plan for the things you own. Besides that, those organizing things can also be a visual clutter.

Mail can be a definite clutter problem in many homes but I feel like I have that mostly in control. I do look through all the catalogs that come in the mail but don't have a problem throwing them in the recycling fairly quickly. After all, it's all online for me to see again if I have the need. I usually flip through things I want to read while watching TV because it doesn't take my full focus and attention. My mail gets opened, thrown away or paid immediately. I can't risk not paying a bill on time because it's in a stack of clutter somewhere. I pay online when possible so that I don't even get the bill. I file away the statement part of the bill with the check number and date that I paid it.

There are so many places for the excess to multiply quickly. The bathroom can get filled with old potion bottles that didn't work for you. I haven't bought any new shampoo, conditioner, face cleanser and many more things for over a year. I inherited all of my Mother's personal items and I'm enjoying using them but even before that I had a goal to use everything up. It's fun to get rid of those bottles, finally!

The kitchen can become packed and non-functional too when you have too many gadgets. I am so tempted by kitchen items but I analyze what I really need because I don't have a lot of storage space. I almost asked for a mini Cuisinart chopper for Christmas until I realized that my Braun multiquick attachment does the same thing. I admit I do have a lot of kitchen things already thanks to generous wedding gifts!

My first instinct today was to run to Ikea or The Container Store to buy something to make myself feel more organized. I managed to pull myself back and tell myself that I need to go through what I have before organizing clutter. Putting those magazines in a bin in the garage won't help the problem. I must go through them and let them go. I don't have any problem giving them away, it 's just doing it before I read them! My drawers are also getting full and it's not nice to keep shoving things in there. A little clutter problem that would be easy to solve is corralling all the remote controls. I hate seeing them on my tables!

Remote controls are NOT chic!

So what's in your to clean out and organize list? I'm going to start with the pile of magazines and resolve to not subscribe to any more. The truth is that I don't find them relevant to my life any more. There was a time when I pored over them thinking they offered me wisdom but now it's like reading the same thing over and over every month. I just think,"who cares about that?" I'm sure that I am not alone in that thought and that is why so many blog readers have replaced the reading audience of magazines.

I think it's a great time of year to clear out or organize what you have been putting off. We will be getting so many new things and it's time to part with the old, or bless someone else with your things. What's your clutter nemesis? Are you a magazine hoarder like me, or is it jewelry or lipstick? The confessional is open, let me hear about your secret stashes!

Starting Over

It has been so long since I have written and after the last post I'm sure you know why. Recovering from the miscarriage caused a lot of sadness but unexpected blessings too.  I felt very introspective about my relationships with God, my husband and my family.  The pain caused me to be more compassionate to others with broken hearts.  I leaned on others more than usual because I needed them.  Physically, my body took a long time to recover. I waited 10 weeks for my first cycle to return when the doctor said 4-6 weeks.  So here I am almost 3 months later and starting over again.  I'm actually amazed at the mind and the body's capacity to hope for the future and move on from painful things like this.  But here I am, changed forever because of it and better in a lot of ways too.  Thank you so much for all your lovely comments.  They really were balm to my soul in my time of grief.  The internet can be such a warm place for friendships and support and I'm grateful for that.  

So what's new?  I never thought I would say this but, we got cable!  Not paying to watch TV was something quirky about me and I somehow convinced G to stand for the same principle. In my defense, I still wouldn't have it if the television shows with the converter box weren't such poor quality. There are some conspiracy theories involving cable companies floating around in our home.  The errr errr errr at just the moment we wanted to know what was said was inciting a fury in us that couldn't be healthy.  So we finally had our appointment for installation and I'm already addicted.  

The most unexpected secret pleasure is watching Tori & Dean's reality show. Why do I love this show?  I didn't even like Donna in 90210 but I'm even thinking about reading her books now. Apparently I have been drinking the kool-aid and it's good!

Need I say that the What Not To Wear shows are stacked up in my recording box?  I've been eating up every minute of them, especially the part where they go through all their clothes.  I love the fights and excuses people make to defend their clothes. It's so amusing and pathetic what they want to hold on to yet I totally understand too.

I think that particular process is a lesson on starting over and how it can be stripping yet rehabilitating in anyone's life.  I think that the most essential part is the closet cleaning process in the What Not To Wear show.  During the process they argue and try to steal back their clothes because of the association the clothes have with their inner selves. The clothes are their identity because it comprises what they've done, choices they've made, relationships, sizes, etc. We lose all perspective for an item of clothing if it has sentimental value or financial value or even brand value.  My Mom won't let go of a Liz Claiborne dress from around 1989 because it was the first brand name dress she ever bought.  We all have them though!

When I graduated from college I had the most mismatched, inappropriate for my age (too old) frumpy wardrobe.  I went from wearing jeans and sweatshirts to shopping for suits and button down shirts.  I remember the day I had to cut off my hemp ankle bracelet to put on pantyhose for an interview!  Shopping was even harder because I didn't have a lot of money to spend.  All those items went straight on the credit card and a year or so later I was getting rid of many things before I had even paid them off.  I bought everything on sale which meant I didn't even get a basic "real" suit with matching pants and jacket.  I went to the professional stores like Casual Corner and Petite Sophisticate that had nice clothes but I didn't put them together well.  

I think many people develop their wardrobe from shopping here and there picking up bits and pieces that are on sale.  Buying a suit can be an investment and it's much more fun to get lots of things instead of two pieces.  I wish someone had told me back then that if you start well, then you can build on that.  I thought I had to just get a bunch of clothes and that would be fine.  So the end result in my closet and those I see on WNTW is the same, a bunch of clothes with no cohesiveness.  

A light really came on when I realized that starting over by letting go of the past can be the only way to get to the new you that you want to be.  A lot of the women claim in the beginning of the show that clothes don't matter and it's who you are on the inside.  After they let go, they see that the inside does change and probably their whole outlook on life too.  I see them value themselves more, grow up, and having more confidence.  

So how can we take advantage of the transformative effects of starting over?  It all starts with cleaning out the old to make room for the new.  Imagine Stacey and Clinton were coming to your house.  What would we see in your closet? Why not start over by starting now?  Clear the way for the new to come into your life by letting go of the old, the polyester and the unzippable. 

Quirky Girl Closet

Hello everyone!  I'm back from our trip to Puerto Rico and happy to be in a new year.  Puerto Rico was so wonderful and we had a great time with G's family.  As expected, we ate a lot of food every day and it was totally worth the diet I am on now.  Christmas was so much fun too.  I wasn't with my family, but they sent lots of presents and it was fun to open them with Gustavo. I have tons of old movies to watch when G goes to the field.  He no longer allows me to subject him to girly movies very often.  Anyway, before I start rambling because it's been so long I want to share a lovely blog post that inspires me and I know will inspire you to have closet organizing as one of your New Year's Resolutions!

I just found this site this morning called Making It Lovely.  If you click on the link it will take you directly to the closet post that will make you drool.  There are several reasons I adore this post.  The most obvious is that it is so organized with the uniform hangers and sections for each type of clothing, but what also inspires me is the personality of the pieces in the closet.  Her closet to me is the paragon of quirky-girl style.  She obviously knows what looks good on her and is focused on her personal style.  How many of us can say that with the trends coming and going with the wind?  When you know your own personal style, you can build a wardrobe over years and actually invest in pieces that will last.  

The other part that isn't shown here is that she says she got rid of loads of things that weren't working for her.  She tossed shoes that hurt her feet, but I wish I could see a picture of all the items she let go.  This is the hardest part sometimes, but you have to do that to get to a personalized, workable closet space like this.  She also moved items to the closet like her perfume so they could be near her while she was getting ready.  Don't you love to see what other people use for perfume?  Maybe it's just me because I adore perfume so much.  That reminds me, I got a new one for Christmas by Bulgari.  It's called Rose Essentiale and it's just dreamy!

We are going out today to do lots of errands, still catching up for being away for two weeks. The pictures of this closet have affected me so much that I'm going to keep them in my mind's eye so that I can replicate it in my own style.  I do love quirky girl style and I know a good place to start for details like organizing jewelry that she has is Anthropologie, Ikea and Urban Outfitters.  My take away is:

1-Always first-purge what isn't working for you.

2-Focus on your personal style so you can build your wardrobe over time.

3-Use your space wisely by adding items to help organize.

4-Take a picture of your closet so I can see it!

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Back to Basics: Cleaning Out Closets

I haven't written in a long while about cleaning out closets and want to go back to some basics. Often I forget how it was in the beginning, when I first started to declutter my life.  It is a long and emotional process, but once you master each step you will find yourself wanting even more of a challenge. 

So what is the first step?  It can be one of two things and that depends on you.  One, is to stop accumulating, which is better known as SHOPPING. Yes, stop shopping.  Stop going to stores. Stop shopping online.  Stop impluse buying at the grocery store and drugstore.  Stop going to sales to get a good deal.  This step is very difficult for some people, I know, and you may have to do it in small steps.  One time I went to Target and strolled through the store filling up my cart with things I could have used, or were perhaps a good deal.  When I got to the front of the store, I decided to just leave it because I really couldn't afford to spend $50 on all those good deals. I didn't really need any of it right then.  (Yes, I did feel bad about not putting it back-Shame on me!)  If this is your first step, you know who you are.  Cleaning out your home isn't going to do any good if you keep filling it back up.

The other first step for you could be going directly to cleaning out.  I like to set a timer for 10 minutes and stay in one area.  During the 10 minutes I will focus only on a drawer or a closet and do what I can.  Since this process is emotionally draining, it's best to keep it in a small amount of time and a small amount of space.  The rule is that you have to leave the area cleaner than you found it.  Don't drag a bunch of stuff out, then when the bell rings, leave a mess.  You have to deal with what you have time to deal with.  Leave the rest for the next time.  I know some people get started and they can't stop.  That's great if it works for you, but if you find yourself overwhelmed with it, try starting small.

For me, being organized isn't about having all those little cute containers to put your stuff in, but about being able to find things when you need them.  How much time is wasted looking for things?  How much money is wasted buying things you already have but can't find?  Don't go out and buy storage bins as your attempt to get organized.  This won't help you if you don't clear out the clutter first.  As you are sorting through your things in your 10 minute increments, put them where intuitively you will look for them.  For example, all batteries in the same place, tools in a toolbox, dvds together, bills easily accessed and books where you can find them.  I call this each item "having a place to live".

While you are doing these first steps, notice what you are drawn to and ask yourself "Why?". Shopping for a fantasy life is quite common.  Maybe you used to go out dancing a lot and were always buying cute tops for it, but now you don't.  Not only do you not need to buy them anymore but maybe you don't need so many hanging in your closet.  I won't get into all the specific ways to decide whether to keep it or toss it.  I think this first step is enough to get anyone started, or even restarted.  I also have to do this from time to time.  Clutter just accumulates, that is it's nature!  We all have to battle it. 

Look back through the archives for lots of in depth tips for clearing clutter. Remember that song by En Vogue from the 90's-Free Your Mind?  That's what you will feel like singing after you've done it!  You won't want to bring anything mediocre into your home again.

Picture is from www.traditionalhome.com