Aug 15, 2008

DeClutter Challenge Update

It's Friday (yay!) and time to report in on this week's declutter challenge. Days 9 and 10 (Saturday and Sunday): You can view photos here (posted before I knew the "rules" say you need to post all photos in one post on Friday). I decluttered my spice cabinet and the top of my bookcase in my office. Day 11 (Monday): - VHS movies we've watched as much as we're going to watch -- off to Goodwill. Day 12 (Tuesday): - Obvious garbage and broken things out of the kitchen junk drawer. Day 13 (Wednesday): - Reference books I no longer use - My daughter took them for her work. Day 14 - Thursday: - From my hutch - Paper cups, plates and napkins leftover from my daughter's baby shower 2+ years ago. Off to Goodwill. Day 15 - Friday: I have a 3-drawer organizer on my desk that I use to hold mailing labels, scratch pads and misc. small office supplies. I cleaned out what I didn't need or like, or what was trash. What I'm learning: I still insist I'm an organized person (stomping feet!).. lol As I decluttered, I was proud of the fact that all my spices were in the spice cabinet, all my VHS tapes were together in a drawer in the family room, all my scratch pads are in the stationary organizer, etc. But I've also learned that I do have a tendency to 1) let things into my home that I actually don't care for all that much (free mailing labels are a good example!) and 2) have a tendency to let little pieces of paper trash build up in drawers! I also have a tendency to "stash" things I think might be useful in the future (the baby shower cups and plates), but that actually just take up space until I get around to throwing them away. Lessons learned!

6 comments:

Janet in Toronto said...

Good observations about your tendencies! I've gotta think about what mine are and start nipping them in the bud!

Janet

HDMac said...

Feel lighter already!!! Nice job! :) And seeing what others are doing gives me more ideas!!!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on a succesful week.

I really like that you took the time and thought to write down your "lessons learned" from this decluttering challenge. I'm going to do that too.

Thanks for the example and idea.

Unknown said...

I haven't really been keeping on this daily, though I did recently take on decluttering the kitchen cabinets. I, too, starting thinking about where my clutter comes from. Like you, I let paper build up. Things hang around for awhile in case I want to read it/look at it, and then seem to be in my junk drawer months later (and I never looked at it). Also, one other thing I do is buy something both pretty and useful (pretty paper or stationery are big ones for me) and then don't use them because I want to "save" them for certain things! And then months later they are untouched! So, that is a habit I need to break.

Marcia Francois said...

I'm so proud of you for finding STUFF to declutter.

I also like your lessons learnt. Must say, I tend towards keeping things too that I know I'll use in future and have to consciously decide to let go of them!

Marcia from Organising Queen

Diane said...

I have that tendency too to think I will need it sometime but as you pointed out the time never comes.
Great job!