This week's challenge was all about paper - warranties, manuals, pay stubs, bills/statements/notices, insurance documents, birth/marriage/baptism certificates, court paperwork, and taxes (yuck!).
Paper will never inspire joy, no matter how carefully you keep it. - Marie Kondo
*TRUTH STATEMENT - We have WAY too much stuff. We know this and have known this but working through this method has exposed this on a grand scale. I don't share this with you to show how much we have but merely to show you how much stuff accumulates if you don't deal with it. I'm sharing in hopes that someone will be encouraged and begin taking back their life from their stuff. We all deserve to be surrounded by only things that we love and bring us joy!
Here are a few before/after pics of some areas that I tackled this past week!
Let's see...this closet houses (from top to bottom) face painting supplies, colored hair spray, batteries, light bulbs, medicines, and kids craft supplies. Somewhere Marie Kondo is crying! #hehe
I used Marie's method and pulled every item out of this closet. While the before picture is a bit cluttered, in all honesty, it doesn't look {that} bad. Would you believe that I loaded up and threw away two large trash bags of stuff?! I also gathered a gallon sized ziploc full of colored pens and gave to one of Holden's teachers (I asked her if she wanted them before I unloaded them on her!).
Look at the transformation!
I think I hear angels singing! :)
Here are a few little ways that I corralled the clutter in this closet:
I don't think any of the lights in our house use the same light bulb! These bulbs had been laying on a shelf and I was constantly worried that one would roll off and break. I had this basket laying around and they all fit in there perfectly! Not to mention that it freed up lots of space on that shelf!If you don't have a battery organizer, I highly recommend one! We've had this one for years but I have never regretted purchasing it. I couldn't find this exact one, but a similar set up can be found here.
I've had this medicine box since Colby was born! It's the perfect case to carry the kids' meds when we travel and then store away when we are home. You'll see I have flashes of organizing greatness - I cleaned out this medicine cabinet a while back and printed a label with the date that it was last cleaned out...except that was in January of 2014! Oops! Happy to report that I have cleaned it out again and updated the label!
I have a basket for misc. art supplies and, well, you can tell that was a big mess! Just took a few minutes of cleaning out to make a big difference!
I also did the same thing for these drawers. And, let's not talk about how bad we need to repaint. Those changes will come after the challenge is complete! ;)
I was on a roll after finishing this closet so I decided to tackle an eye sore in our kitchen table area. Even though we converted our dining room to a kid's living room, it only has one desk so I still have a kiddo that sits at our table to do homework. #ugh This just happens to be where Holden does her homework and her artistic ways seem to spill over into all areas of this room. If there is a flat surface, she's going to put something on it. #Ihavenoideawhereshelearnedthatfrom! I had been dreading this area for months. It was time to roll up my sleeves and get.it.done!
Here's what I was working with:
UGH! This just makes my skin crawl! And, I take full credit for the stack on the right hand side - the rest? All Holden! ;)
Marie mentions in her book many, many times that you should store similar items in the same place or in close proximity. I was keeping extra craft supplies in this cabinet. I pulled everything out and got rid of most of it. The items that I did keep will now be stored in the miscellaneous closet.
And now for the finished product!
I can't begin to tell you how much better I feel about this area!
And now I think I'm ready to get rid of this piece of furniture! :) But, till then it will hold Hope's placemats and my thumbtacks for the bulletin board above it!
Feeling accomplished, I then decided to tackle the cabinets under the sinks in our master bathroom. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!
Since our pantry was extremely low on food and we desperately needed to go to the grocery store, I decided now was the perfect time to de-clutter this space too! One large bag of trash and a bag to take to the food bank, and I'm loving the result!
One of the reasons I loved this house prior to us moving in was that the builder used every little bit of space available for storage. Thankfully we have lots of closets but sadly that only means more places to put stuff that we truly don't need! I decided to wrap up my week by cleaning out the two upstairs hallways closets. Here's their befores and afters:
The before wasn't bad but there were so many things in this closet that we didn't need. I was just holding on to them "just in case." Not anymore!
This is the closet where Colby stores his extra-circular activity supplies - scouting and Wrangler items. I also found a couple of random toys in there that I moved to the playroom (the items in the bottom need to be moved to the attic). After pulling everything out and grouping like items together, I was able to restock it where it's much more functional and items can be found quickly! Not to mention I won't dread opening this closet from now on!
As you reduce your belongings through the process of tidying, you will come to a point where you suddenly know how much is just right for you. - Marie Kondo
Even though I didn't tackle paper like the challenge indicated, I was feeling good about the areas that I had completed. But, to top off my week, Mike surprised me with a little KMing of his own! Check out his dresser drawers!!!
I'll continue the challenge with another chance at paper next week. Check back to see if I was able to tackle the piles! And, in case you've missed any of my journey, you can find the previous weeks' links here:
Gig 'em and God bless!
Be still my heart! This was better than any Valentine's gift! It meant so much that he was willing to take into consideration what was important to me and incorporate it into his life. And, he didn't stop with his dresser! He also cleaned out his closet too! I love this man!!!
I'll continue the challenge with another chance at paper next week. Check back to see if I was able to tackle the piles! And, in case you've missed any of my journey, you can find the previous weeks' links here:
week 2 - clothes
week 3 - clothes, cond't
week 4 - children's clothes
week 5 - books
week 3 - clothes, cond't
week 4 - children's clothes
week 5 - books
If you are still wondering if The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing book is right for you, I urge you to at least read it and give it a try. I was at the point where I knew my current method wasn't working and thought I might as well give it a try. So far I'm loving it! Still a long way to go but SO worth it! Join the journey with me!
Holly
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Waiting on...Wednesday link-up - a place where you can link up what you are waiting on, going through, making, anything - as long as it's family-friendly! :)
check out my FAVORITE link-ups page to see where else I'm linking up today!
These are amazing transformations! I especially like how you organized the light bulbs and batteries. Misc items are probably what I struggle with the most and end up throwing them in a drawer on on a shelf!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary! I've found if I can start small and see progress that it's just the motivation I need to keep going - and tackle the big stuff! I agree that misc. items are the hardest to wrangle - probably because they don't all come in at one time and over time accumulate without us realizing. I was super happy with the light bulb storage. It's the little things that make me happy! :) Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you have a blessed day!
DeleteI love organization and cleanliness. It makes me feel so much better when things have clean lines and are organized. Miss Cocoa is all about making messes though so I have to keep at it!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE organization and cleanliness too - my kids? Not so much! :) I have real OCD so it can get overwhelming. Sad part is, my defense mechanism is avoidance so it just adds to the problem. But, I'm slowly but surely taking control again! One day at a time, right? Thanks so much for following my journey! Tell Miss Cocoa to clean up her toys! ;)
DeleteWoohoo! Way to go!!!! Not only is it so freeing to declutter the pantry, but it's really helpful to keep the bugs away :) Last year, we had a problem with pantry bugs, so I did a major clean and declutter and have tried to routinely do that since then. It's a great way to also see what supplies I have that I didn't realize I owned :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, AnneMarie! YES!!! Cleaning out the pantry {should} be something that's on my radar more often! Before we painted it last year, I got uber grossed out when I realized we had those tiny little pantry bugs too! I had no idea!!! Hoping to stay on top of things better from now on! Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you are having a great week!
DeleteWow! You go girl!
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to clean out the clutter too. I didn't know there was a special "name" and plan for it. I just started decluttering, giving stuff away, and cleaning out the mess!
Love all that you have done!
It feels good, doesn't it!
Thanks for hosting the link up. I don't make it every week, but I try to stop by as often as I can!
Appreciate you~
Melanie
Thanks so much, Melanie! Her book isn't rocket science, it just breaks it down in a way that I haven't tried - till now! I'm loving it! Just wish it didn't take so long!
DeleteHope you are having a great day! Thanks so much for linking up when you can! Happy to have you!
Ahhh, I wish I had closets! We have two bedrooms, with one tiny closet in each, half a hall closet (I say half because it's large enough to hold the water heater, a fish tank, and our carpet cleaner) and a shelf in the bathroom...and that's it.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy, though, as you've said, to just put things in closets and close the door. And it really is - you don't have to see it, and even if you moan and groan about it's space when you get into it, it's easy to just grab what you need, shut the door, and continue about your day like normal. Then again, I'm really good about looking at my desk, moaning and groaning about how messy it is, and then blocking it out and going on like normal xD
I know EXACTLY what you mean about messy desks! Some people are "out of sight, out of mind." I'm more of the "out in the open, drive you crazy" type of clutter person. But, I'm working on it! It's just so easy to get overwhelmed and give up. The good thing about this method is that I'm seeing progress and that makes me want to continue! Thanks so much for following my journey!
DeleteWay to go Holly! You are nailing this. The closets, drawers, it all looks fantastic. This might be your next part-time job in helping others get rid of their stuff. Stuff just stresses me, so I pretty much have the bare essentials. I got a kick out of all your Bath & Body Works bottles - shop the sales??? Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle! Don't think this will become my job - I probably would get fired for throwing people's stuff away! And, oh yes! Love Bath & Body and I always stock up during their sales! Somehow I've ended up with lots of body wash and no lotion. Guess I'll need to fix that the next time they have a sale! Thanks so much for your sweet words! I appreciate them more than you know!
DeleteGirl that all looks AMAZING! and I am swooning over Mike's dresser. NO WAY with Tony. I have tried. He refuses to fold his t-shirts even though he has seen how awesome all of my stuff looks so I am giving up FOR NOW. LOL........I am just working on everything else. Baby steps.....right? LOL Have a wonderful day!
ReplyDeleteThanks, friend! I swooned over Mike's dresser too! Actually, I had to fight back tears! Isn't that silly?! One of Marie's quotes from the book says "to quietly work away at disposing of your own excess is actually the best way of dealing with a family those doesn't tidy." I definitely can't do it "quietly" but have been encouraged with my family's eagerness to help. I think they like what they see once I finish a section and want other areas to look like that. We'll see! Good luck with your baby steps! ;)
DeleteYou're doing beautifully. I enjoy these posts. I have plastic containers under my bathroom sink. Each one holds a certain type of item. The closet that holds my furnace has room for a set of tall shelves. I put baskets on the shelves. Batteries go in a basket. Light bulbs go in a basket. I like containers that don't hold a lot of items because if too many things are together they long to become clutter. The side of the shelves has hooks, where I hang dog leashes.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Thanks so much, Janie! I'm enjoying putting these posts together!
DeleteSmall containers are definitely what's working for me too! If it doesn't fit - it has to go! Thanks so much for following my journey! Come back next week to see if I can tackle these piles before they tackle me! :)
All your work looks like it is paying off. I do the same thing store things in more than one spot, I have also been working on a designated areas for certain things. Thanks for your post it gives me inspiration to also see a finished product. I'm visiting today from the #shinebloghop.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bonnie! I didn't realize how bad I was storing things in multiple places till I started going through everything. It makes so much sense to only have them in one place! I'm so glad you stopped by! I hope you'll come back and continue to follow the journey! 20 more weeks to go! ;)
DeleteOh wow, what amazing transformations! I just love all the before and after pictures.
ReplyDeleteVery well done and you're blessed that your guy got into it too.
Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Thanks, Jennifer! Sadly, I still have way too many before pictures that need transformations too! ;) Slow and steady, right?
DeleteI definitely agree with you that I'm blessed with a guy that wants to help. Just yesterday he took the couch all apart and washed the cushions, vacuumed it out, etc. He's definitely a keeper!
Thanks so much for stopping by and for hosting the link-up! I'll see you again this week!
Oh my goodness -- I have a lot of those "before" pictures at my house. You've done an amazing job so far! This is very motivational.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Penny! Sadly, I still have a long way to go with many more before pictures that need to be turned into afters! It's getting harder and harder to share (it's so embarrassing when clutter takes over!) but it's been so worth it so far! Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you have a great week!
DeleteLooks great, good work!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Moriah! It's definitely worth it!
DeleteMy way of decluttering is simple. Move. houses. or better : move countries! By default all the useless crap gets thrown or give away & we get to have a fresh start with very little stuff. We move every 2 years and so "Less is more " is ingrained in my buying pattern too! Every time I have to buy stuff I first make sure it'll be used, like a LOT and that it wont be a pain to get rid of!
ReplyDeleteTweeting & pinning to the Practical Mondays board
(ps: your before pictures look pretty tidy to me!)
(really!)
Haha! These just happen to be the same areas I tackle at the first of every year and then get burned out. My before/afters are about to get real! :)
DeleteI definitely think moving helps keep the clutter to a minimum. We moved to this house over 8 years ago and don't plan to move any time soon so I have to be aware of what I'm bringing in! Thanks so much for sharing! I appreciate it so much!
Have a fabulous week!
Your before pictures still look tidy, lol! This method definitely seems like a lot of work up front but with a big payoff. I don't know if I could do it. I'm one of those that thinks "what IF I need this later?!!)
ReplyDeleteAna (@ANAWINSblog)
Haha, Ana! Some of them aren't so bad but these happen to be the same areas I do over and over - right before I get overwhelmed and give up! The embarrassing stuff is coming - I promise! It's definitely a lot of work but SO worth it!!! You can totally do it! Join me on this journey!!! And, IF you need it later - you can always buy it (which is what we do the majority of the time since we 1) don't remember we have it or 2) can't find it!). Thanks so much for stopping by and for following my journey! Hope you have a great day!
DeleteWow I think I need that battery organizer thingy! And I must say - your closets look WAY better than mine in the before pics! (EEK!) But you must feel so good about ridding your house of the clutter. I need to do this. I really do. Your after pics are amazing. Also, the husband's drawers? WOW. Good job, husband!
ReplyDeleteAwesome post - need the book.
Ruthie from http://www.rearreleaseregroup.com/
I love that battery organizer! It's truly the little things, right?!
DeleteMy closet was definitely NOT a source of joy. I walk in now and just take a deep breath and smile! All this de-cluttering is definitely worth it! Come join me on the journey! We can do this!
Pick up the book and just see what you think. I promise you'll like it! ;)
WOW, you sure were busy!! What a wonderful transformation, I LOVE it. I need to start going through and doing that around our house too, with 8 of us things become a mess so quickly. I hope you are able to keep it up. Thank you for linking up with Inspire Me Monday. Have a blessed week!!
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine if I added a few more to our mix! Learning the less is definitely more! Thank you so much for hosting and for stopping by! Have a blessed week!
DeleteLOVE the before and after pictures! Great post!
ReplyDeleteShoes to Shiraz
Thanks so much, Deena! Looking back it's fun to see how far the spaces have come! I appreciate you stopping by! Have a great rest of the week!
DeleteI went through and "KonMari-ized" my house last winter. I was absolutely shocked with the sheer amount of paper that I was holding on to. That is the biggest part of her method that has really stuck with me. I don't allow junk mail in the house, I don't hold on to old paper statements, nor do I hold on to every single greeting card I receive. Paper really is quite useless.
ReplyDeletePaper is absolutely useless! This is the one area I'm stuck on right now. I know I need to dive in but, wow, it can be overwhelming! Thanks so much for stopping by and giving me a little dose of encouragement!
DeleteYou have been getting so much organizing done I'm Jealous!! Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday!! Hope to see you again tomorrow! Pinned!
ReplyDeleteI've hit a wall...I have got to get back in to it! I'll be back next week to link up with you! I haven't written my post for this week yet... gotta get to that! :)
DeleteYou have done a great job.I think its something to aspire to but I think its trying to tackle one thing at at time. I am high school teacher and I seem to not know when its time to throw things away. I want to start to tackle things one project at a time. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely changing the way you think. Working on one category at a time has been really great and helps keep me focused. Thank you so much for stopping by and for following my journey! I hope you'll come back soon!
DeleteLooking amazing!!! I am still on the list for the actual book but have been trying to follow the whole pull everything out and organize tactic this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Betsy! I promise it will be worth the way!!! It's life changing - one little step at a time! Thanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteWhat a difference. I love it!! I am doing the KonMari Method as well here http://faithfilledparenting.com/category/organization-challenge/
ReplyDeleteThanks! I have been following your progress too! It's so fun to see what others are doing! Keep up the great work! Looking forward to joining you next month for the link-up!
DeleteLove your transformation! I've been on the journey to de-clutter for the past year and have made SEVERAL trips to Goodwill over the year. But, I just finished reading this book too and realized how much STUFF I was still hanging on to. I got through cleaning out all my clothes, now I'm on to books. As a homeschool mom and avid reader, this will be tough one for me. But it's so freeing!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! Many, many trips to donate stuff! And, then there's all the garbage that's just not good enough to donate. Why, oh why, am I holding on to all this stuff? It's not an easy process but I LOVE the areas that are completed! And, so far so good, they are staying cleaned out!!! Good luck with your journey! I appreciate you stopping by and hope to see you around again soon!
DeleteI'm speechless! Everything looks so great!
ReplyDeleteAnd- emptied an entire piece of furniture?? How wonderful is that??!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! And, yes - a completely emptied piece of furniture! Now I'm wondering, does this piece of furniture really bring me joy?! :)
Delete