Project Simplify: Week 3...day 1

This week's project wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but considering it's going to take me a few days to do it, it's still pretty substantial.

Summer/Bigger sized clothing

I usually sort the kids clothes twice a year, though it's usually later than this- closer to warm weather, instead of the cold we're still in.  I've got two (or more) boxes in the basement full of clothes that were handed down to me that the kids don't fit yet, or they aren't weather appropriate.  The first step I'll did was to go through those and see which I should bring up.  Originally, I was just going to grab the summer stuff in the appropriate size, and then put them in each child's closet, but I ended up pulling so much from Lilia's drawers that it all fit easily.  I brought up everything that was size 4T, leaving behind anything bigger.

Only the big clothes remain!

After that, I brought the basement clothes to my bedroom, then went to Lilia's room.  I emptied each drawer, looked at the size, and basically anything 3T and smaller was placed in the donation pile.  I kept a few things that I knew she liked to wear, trying them on her (when she got home from school) just to be sure it wasn't too small.  Most of the basement clothes were short sleeves, so I kept a few of her bigger 3T long sleeve stuff, but I did find a few sweaters.

Wow, all the clothes Lilia can now fit...

I then proceeded to clean Lilia's room.  The child has already informed me she likes her room to be messy.  For the most part, I don't mind.  It's more when she doesn't take care of her possessions that I get angry.  In this case, her favorite puzzle, the 5 little monkey's jumping on the bed puzzle, was scattered and ripped, so I threw it out.  I removed a bunch of toys from her room, including all the wooden puzzles she has, put ALL her books back in her shelves and put the rest of her toys away.  She wasn't happy with me, telling me she wanted the puzzles back.  I also removed the kitchen set from her room, but I think I'll put that back.

Lilia's very messy room

So I ended up with a large pile of toys that we'll either donate, use for toy rotation, or place in the "summer toy rooms" (aka, the basement and the front porch.)  I'm not even done though, since I only got to Lilia's room.  Liam's room needs a lot of work, and he has less room in his drawers and wardrobe.  While I was cleaning, I put some clothes in his wardrobe, and he found his huge puppy tent.  So it looks like I'll have to make some room for that for awhile.  He LOVES it, singing "Tent Tent Tent" all morning.  And when Lilia saw it, for some reason she grabbed a drum and wanted to drum in the tent...

The pile saying Good Bye

So now I get to say, stay tuned for part 2!

Project Simplify: Week 2

Paper clutter is evil, and my house has a bad habit of breeding it.  Oddly enough, it doesn't look bad this week, only because I moved the "newest" box of paper down to the basement a few weeks ago.  Sadly, I'm not touching it this week.  I'll do that when I get to the basement.  I'm pretty sure the basement will be our major cleaning project of the summer.  So, while it was a bit of a *facepalm* "oh crap" after seeing where this week's project was, I was actually glad, and faced it happily.

So this is where the bulk of my paper clutter begins.  It's a shelving unit that we keep relatively bare since the kids still like to get into things on shelves.  But as you see, it also seems to be the junk mail pile.

 The very top is bad too- Lilia's art projects from school get a place of "honor" up here.  I also have the top of my drawers in the bedroom, but I oddly didn't take a picture.  I thought I did.

I didn't really do much.  My biggest problem is I never want to throw anything away, as I get this "What if that was important?" thought in my head.  Even when I know it's not.  So what always happens is I keep it...sometimes for years, and then throw it out in one big clean.  Which is sort of what I did today.  I say sort of, because I did try to organize, and make it easier for me to keep it clean.  If anything I just need to remember to throw stuff away right away...

 The first thing was to clean this all out.  I sorted everything- recycles, John, junk and keep.  I'd say 85% was junk, or something to be recycled.  We don't have a bin- Herkimer doesn't have bins, which I have to say is really lame.  They take recyclables...in plastic bags.  I mean, what the hell!  Isn't the biggest waste of plastic bags you've ever seen?

So after that, I sorted the keeps into this little filing box.  I used to do this ages ago, and stopped.  It's been sitting around, keeping the stuff from 2006 - 2008 organized.  So I ended up throwing out most of that, and reorganizing the stuff in it for this year.  It didn't take too long, and hopefully...I didn't throw out anything we needed.  I gave John his pile, which he nicely went through for me.  I put a small box out for the "need to take care of" stuff, though at some point, I want to order something like this.  And I'm putting Lilia's art downstairs, and at some point, when it has a "playroom" area, I will hang it up.  Not all of it, but a few bits that I really like.

I think I will stop at Lowe's this weekend, and grab one of the generic recycling bins.  I don't know if Herkimer will take these, but it would be good to place one right there next to my mail slot.  Junk goes in, easy peasy!  I didn't throw away any of the piles of newspapers I have, but that's because those are going to be used in my garden this year.  Which I hope to work on soon.  A good chunk of the snow in my back yard has melted, though not all of it.  Soon!

Project Simplify, week 1...DONE

Ok, so I totally failed to post yesterday.  I blame it on Lush and laundry.  We folded about 6 loads of laundry last night, and then since my Lush order arrived yesterday, I could not resist the urge to take a Phoenix bubble bath instead of posting.  Oh it was so nice though.  I've been out of Lush bath stuff since October!

So my post yesterday was supposed to be the confession that I failed to do my Project: Simplify Week 1 assignment properly.  Don't get me wrong, I did it, and I'm satisfied...but I didn't exactly follow the rules.

Before

I didn't throw much away.  I didn't give much away.  The biggest problem I have with my closet is that it's filled with clothes I want to wear but am not comfortable in yet.  And tossing them out was still not something I was ready to do, for two reasons.  The first reason is that it felt like a waste of money.  Clothes I have only worn once or twice for silly reasons...I didn't like the idea.  But the main reason, and perhaps a folly, is that many of those clothes are just things I'm one size too big to wear.  Throwing them out is like admitting defeat, like I'll never lose that one size.  I know I can do it, it's just been difficult right now.

Maybe that's what everyone says.  But I'm not some size 12 woman aiming to get back into my High School size 6.  I'm a size 20 trying to get into my 18's again.  Maybe that is just as foolish, and I'm deluding myself, but I'm just not ready to give.

So this was my plan.  I took out all the clothes I like, but couldn't wear.  (And maybe I should explain...all of these things FIT.  But not in the way I want them to fit.)  threw away a few things that were in terrible shape, or things I knew for sure I never wanted to wear.  But the rest, I took in the basement.  I will keep them down there for a year.  If, after a year, I do not fit them, I will concede, and give them away.  Not exactly what you are supposed to do, I know, but that's the solution I'm happy with.

After

For the rest of the closet, I stopped using as a junk pile and filing cabinet.  I went through the drawers (which are next to the closet, though you can't see it in the picture), throwing away stuff we didn't wear, torn socks and underwear.  I got rid of anything in excess, particularly John's 200 white undershirts that I don't think he wears.  I think I saved 10, though even that seemed like too many.  I got rid of a bunch of tank tops I wear under stuff, as well as a few pairs of PJ shirts that I never wear as well.

The bins are all divided, my underwear, my socks, my bras, and other unmentionables.  I cleared out all the stuff that was there just because it was a good storage area, and put up a bunch of books that we are currently using.  Also put the blankets in the basement.  Is it bad I'm hoping Basement isn't going to be on the list in the next few weeks?

I might move my knitting supplies to the closet- I have 4 canvas bins, a plastic drawer for my needles and a bag for the yarn and supplies I am using at the moment.  Actually, I wish I could move a desk into our room and organize that into a "work" space, although that's dangerous, being married to the unorganized professor.  I'd soon find the space brimming over with papers, and books, on top of all my crafty stuff.  So maybe not a good idea.

I think it looks pretty good- pretty simple.  I had removed the closet doors because I hate sliding doors.  I might consider putting a curtain up that matches my bedroom window curtains.  Or maybe I'll keep it as is, and enjoy the clean look it has.  Now if I could just finish the other side of the room (the side with my crafts and books!)

Project: Simplify: Week 1

I've been a little quiet lately.  Both kids had coughs, and I have had the joy of a TMJ flare up which has sent me to my knees in pain.  Not fun, let me tell you.  And to top off that, the germ machines made sure that I didn't walk out unscathed.  I'm now hacking a lung every two minutes.  But hey, super mom doesn't stop, so why should I?

So Simple Mom has issued the first challenge this week in her 5 week attempt to de-clutter and organize our homes.  It's actually a simple one, sort of.  The Closet/wardrobe.  This will be easy for me on one hand, since I just did a good chunk of it in the Fall.  It's will also be hard because I have a hard time letting go of a lot of clothes.  I have a good amount of "not quite a good fit stuff" that I want to keep but need to lose weight to get into.  Last year at this time, I would've had the confidence to say I'll get down to the right size, but this year has been hard, and I don't have that confidence.  I've been yelling at myself for 4 weeks now to start Phase 1 of South Beach.

There's also the problem of my "10 favorite items" being ratty, ripped, full of holes and well...better off in the trash.  But they are so comfortable!!  I really do need to invest in new clothes, but it's hard to give up those "favorites".  (And I think that's another problem, getting rid of stuff just to go out and buy more!)

But I will give it a try this week.  If anything, it'll get rid of a bunch of socks and underwear that have holes in them.  That's never a bad thing.  And besides, maybe now I can actually give you pictures of the work I did in the bedroom so long ago!