Simplifying

I’m realizing more and more each day that as a family… we have TOO much stuff!

We are in need of some serious re-organization and simplifying! All the closets/cupboards/drawers in our house are in need of an overhaul!

Our top cubby in our Hall closet is a source of tension for Jason and I. When I leave something out or he doesn’t know where to put something of mine or Keira’s he puts it in the hall closet…. And lately he’s been shoving it in there an hoping that the doors don’t pop open! I’ve been ignoring the problem, hoping that it’ll just go away on its own, but we all know that isn’t going to happen! This past week we made a deal… if I took care of the dreaded cubby in the hall closet, he would add another shelf in the kitchen cupboard for me. That was enough to get me motivated, since the kitchen has been driving me crazy since we moved in 6 years ago!

I took everything from the hall closet and threw it in a huge heaping pile in the living room. I brought in the recycle bin and a garbage can and set to work. I started with all of Keira’s coloring books, activity books, puzzle books and decided to dedicate an entire shelf to Keira. Now, her play-doh, paper dolls, coloring books/crayons etc are organized and in her reach. I made another shelf for my books…. Not parenting books (those are in the bottom cubby), binders, photo albums, and Keira’s “work in progress” Baby Book. The Third shelf is dedicated to my sewing kit, Kleenex and iPod accessories. When I got stumped on where to put something, I’d leave it and come back to it. If I couldn’t think of where to put it, or what purpose was served by having it… I tossed it. There were a few items which I agonized over whether or not to keep them…. And in the end, I tossed them. I filled the recycle bin and an entire garage bag and it felt good!

Once I finished, I decided it was time to move on to the main bath. I went through the medicine cabinet and tossed anything that hasn’t been used yet this year. Things I had been holding on to “because they were a gift” or “because they were expensive” that I haven’t been using because I don’t like they way they feel on my skin…. Garbage. All those hotel bottle lotions that I grab, because you can never have too much hand lotion, but I don’t use cause they stink or because they are too greasy… Garbage! Stretched out pony tail holders… hmmm don’t I have short hair?Garbage! I consolidated all the bottles/containers I could, threw away everything I could and gave my bathroom a very long overdue ceiling to floor scrubbing! I don’t think it’s been that clean in at least a year… maybe longer. YIKES!

I have a list I’m working on of areas in the house which need major love. I am hoping to check at least one area off the list each week! Here are some of the area’s which I’ll be hitting in the next few weeks:

• The kitchen pantry has gotten way out of control! Too many spices, cans, boxes of pasta for too small of a space.
• The entry way closet is packed full of jackets the never get worn.
• The Master Closet is filled with clothes/shoes that don’t fit, are no longer stylish or I just plain old don’t like/wear.
• My dresser has become somewhere I just throw things into the drawers when I don’t feel like hanging them up. I also am the owner of entirely TOO many pairs of pajama bottoms, many of which I never wear or don’t fit.
• The office. I don’t even know where to start, but a major overhaul needs to occur!

Here's a picture of my pantry. It’s frightening to admit how disorganized it is, but I have a plan! I’m hoping by this time next week to report that I can check it off my list!