Laundry room reveal! Lose the laundry room clutter part 2.

Well here it is the long awaited laundry room reveal!  

I didn't get all my projects done but I didn't want to wait to write this post!  The laundry room is soooo much better.  I actually "want" to wash some clothes.  I have noted a couple things as I am going through this decluttering process.  Don't let perfectionism get in your way!  It's better to do something than to do nothing because it can't be perfect!

Mary describes this perfectly in her recent blog post.  You can read it here: http://blog.maryorganizes.com/?s=perfectionism

Now to the good stuff!  Here are the before pictures.  I didn't want to post them but as a friend of mine said that's what people want to see.  The ugly truth!  The before pictures :) Basically a storage room.  And a bad one at that!  Things thrown in here haphazardly.  You can't even see my decorations!  Clean clothes unfolded and piled up.  Some of the messes are even from my kitchen reorganizing efforts.  Extra stuff was placed in here.  WELL....no more!

Afters!

My counter top is cleaned off and ready for me to fold clothes on.

I removed all the extra dog leashes.  Now there is only one.

A little motivational sign for my daughter!

A little clock I painted a  few years ago.  I couldn't bear to part with it
the cat in the picture is  Bonnie, she's crossed the rainbow bridge :(

I added a shelf above the dryer.  The box holds my dryer sheets make
one for yourself with these directions!
Dryer sheet box

I put the clothes rack here to hold hangers.  I hope to change this
someday soon.

A mural I painted.  My daughter added the little bird, bee and flowers.
I love it so much I couldn't paint over it!  The little pink dress
was one both my daughters wore as were the little pants.

A reminder on your way out the door :)

I cleaned out and reorganized the cabinets too.

I got rid of extra flashlights.  I  condensed and threw out pet supplies.  The
containers are from dollar tree.  I got rid of several glass containers and
vases.  I put all the light bulbs and bug sprays together.

Condensed and organized!

I hope this has inspired you to get your laundry room in tip top shape!  

Let me know in the comments!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!

๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Lose the Laundry room Clutter! Part 1

This week I am going to focus on the Laundry room.  It is so much easier to wash and dry clothes when you don't have to shift around clutter to manuever yourself around the room.  My laundry room is in the passthrough to the garage.  I have tried to decorate it to make it more pleasing.  However, it seems to be a good place to collect things I don't need.  I find that I throw a lot of things in here that I don't have a place for.  In fact it is more of a storage room than a laundry room.  Once something finds its way in here it never leaves!



The problems:

1. I keep the door closed so I really don't look in the room very much, so I don't "see" the mess unless I go in there!
2. The counter is covered with stuff so it is basically unusable. 
3. There is no where to hang clothes.  I have hooks on the doors and they are always full of clothes.
4. It's a small space.
5. I have some storage containers that are not working for their purpose.  I have tried to have a mail center there with no success.  I will have to decide if I want to move it or repurpose the storage containers.  
6. I empty my pockets prior to washing clothes and I have no place for the contents.
7. I store tools and painting supplies in here and I don't always put them away properly.
8. There is no place to fold clothes.

The good news:

1. I can close the door when I wash clothes so I don't hear the washer.
2. There is a counter in the room.
3. The room is already decorated.
4. There are a lot of cabinets.

Ideas:

1. Install a hanging clothes rack or pull out drying line.
2. Install some under cabinet lighting to brighten the space.
3. Repurpose the storage containers.
4. Possibly, install a folding table ( or maybe use the counter top)
5. De-clutter the cabinets and counter top.
6. Install shelving over my dryer for storage.

I am going to tackle this space and you are welcome to follow the journey.  I am going to begin with the cabinets.  Then the counter and finally the floor.  I am considering repainting it, but truthfully I still like the way it is decorated!  I just can't see it anymore because of all the junk and clutter!  After I  clear the space  I will decide if it needs to be redecorated.  Maybe I can just find a way to refresh it!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

It's not just me!

Yesterday I worked. I keep my work area clean and tidy.  Always.  But at home I just feel tired.  I feel like it doesn't matter.   When I get home from work at 8:00 PM I want to be finished. I want to rest. Last night when I got home from work I noticed some things.  The tables I worked at clearing off have collected a few misplaced items.  A small stack of mail has taken over a corner of my counter.  So I did something different.  I took the time to clear the mail pile.  Look at it, Shred it, Trash it....deal with it.  I cleared off the tables.  Am I tired?  Yes!  But now I can feel better about my space.

After dealing with the counter and table clutter, I finally sat down to look at the computer.  While perusing Face book  I came upon an ad for a 365 day space clearing plan.  Yes it's true, face book knows I am trying to de-clutter!  It has targeted me as a clutter bug!

Anyway, I click on the link and what do you know.  The lady with the 365 day plan has written a book.  Sounds good I think.  So I click on over to amazon, only to find out that the book is not in stock!  Well, this makes me feel awesome!  I am not alone in my clutter filled life.  Others are struggling with it too.  Probably a good thing this book is not available (more clutter!).
Some of us are living in the "land of excess",  paper plates that come in packs of 500 or 1000,  coupon clippers that have a stock-piles,  duplicates and disposables of all kinds.  Take bedsheets for example.  Back in the 1950-1960's  I would wager to say most people had one set per bed, maybe two.  Today there are summer sheets, flannel sheets, holiday sheets, colored sheets, whites sheets...well you get the idea.  All these things have to be stored somewhere.  And as we know your bed only needs one set of sheets...the ones you're sleeping on.  We will have to tackle that issue one day soon :)
This is just an example I know you could name many more.  I am declaring a war on all these extras in my home.  I am reclaiming my space and you should too!

I am following  a de-cluttering assignment plan I found online. One assignment is to get rid of extra kitchen utensils.  I took a look at my nifty rotating utensil holder and what do I see?  Spatulas!  Spatulas of all shapes and sizes, wooden, plastic and silicone.  Why?  Who could possibly need all these?  I made a bold (for me) move.  I removed a few.  I think I can live with that I thought.  I took out a few more. ( I got rid of 3 spatulas, a fork and a ladle.  Yes, definitely better to have less.  I put the extras in my give away box.  What do you think?

After

Before

In case you are interested in the book that I was referring to click here




Here is another one.  If you have read any good books on the subject please let me know!
Visit the Facebook group page or leave me a comment here.

We are not alone!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

Quick and easy refrigerator clean out.

I just wanted to share a quick post with you today about a great product I found at Costco.  It is set of 4 refrigerator organizers.  They are made of hard plastic and are easy to clean and slide out to access your  food items.   I love them.

Here is a good article about them. http://www.frugalhotspot.com/2016/01/interdesign-4-pc-storage-fridge-and-freezer-binz/

Here is what they look like in my fridge.

Here are the steps for your quick and easy refrigerator clean out.

1. Throw away any old food or leftovers that you will not eat.  Throw away any condiments that you haven't used in a couple of months.  If it's been longer and you want to keep it check the expiration date.  Throw away any expired foods.
2. Wipe down the doors and the seals of the fridge.  Wipe down the inside if there are any spills or messes.  You can use a disinfecting wipe or a sponge.  I used a washcloth.  This isn't a deep cleaning.  Just a quick wipe down and concentrate on problem areas!
3. My fridge has glass shelves.  Sometimes I cover them with plastic cling wrap.  This has worked well for me.
4. Organize the remaining foods.  The bins make it easy to store small items.

That's it.  Spend about 30 minutes on this task.

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!

๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

No Space or poor organization? Part 1

I have a problem in my kitchen.  I don't have a proper pantry.  I have a lot of cabinets, but they are deep and things get lost in them.  I seem to keep a lot of items on the counters for easy access.  I would like to stop this habit and clear the counter tops!  I also have cabinets in my laundry room, which is across a small hallway from my kitchen, that are hardly utilized.

So in answer to my own question I think my issue is poor organization.  Also, the spaces do not work for the types of items I need to store.  I have made multiple attempts to make these spaces work for me.

I think I have a solution.

Here are the before photos of the pantry cabinets in the kitchen.  (Don't judge!  I am trying to be honest here!)








Top Cabinet, I don't know it you can see but there are wire organizers in here. They just aren't working for the space.

As you can see there have been futile attempts at organization. Labeled canisters and all.  But on the other hand there are many things just thrown in here, when I have attempted to clear the counters.


Here a before picture of the cabinet in the laundry room.  Look at all the empty space!  I hardly ever open this cabinet. I should mention that I cannot reach the top shelf without a stool.  I even attempted to put a shelf in here that is also NOT working.

So here is my solution.  I think I will put Christmas items on the top shelf.  They are only used once a year and it is OK if they are hard to reach.  I will move the food items back to the kitchen for easier access.  I will take the patio lights out of here and relocate them to the garage.  Paper goods, and plastic utensils will be kept on the second shelf.  I think maybe small appliances will be stored on the bottom.  I have never tried this before so I am optimistic about it!  I will post part two later today.  Stay tuned :)

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

One Drawer at a time!

Today I am going to de-clutter my kitchen junk drawer.  It is a place that at one time was organized, but over time became a tangled mess of miscellaneous items!  It is a monster that can, over time, take over your space!  I am wondering why I even have one?  Many of the items are useless.  I don't know what they are for, or where they go.  I don't ever use them.  They get tossed into the abyss and are never thought of again.  Here is a before picture of my junk drawer.




I guess you have noticed there are three pictures here!  Yes it's true, my junk drawer has flowed over to other spaces because it is full.  Let's examine some of the things found in here!

Old cell phones, old cameras, hair clips, hair bands, needles, screws, unknown items and coins.  Needles, pins , pens, teeth!, baby shoe tie keepers, old elementary school papers (my youngest is 15!!) , batteries, cell phone cases for old phones we no longer own! Well you get the idea.  Most of these things are ok if they are being utilized.  Not if they are buried in a drawer.

Here are the after Pictures.  I cut the plastic packaging that the batteries were in to make holders for them in the drawer.   I don't have small children in my home but if you do please lock up the batteries!  Especially the button batteries as they can be easily swallowed and can cause death.



I found the drawer organizer at goodwill for $1.00.    I already had the white organizer.  I think it came from Container store but that was years ago. Small boxes would also work.  Cut up small food boxs and tape them together to help you organize small items.  Or use ziplock baggies!  Go to dollar tree and buy these for $1.00.

 Don't use a lack of organization tools or money to keep you from being organized and neat.  When things have a place to "live" they become easier to deal with and put away.  So ban the junk drawers in your home...One drawer at a time.
All clean and organized! This project today took me 45 minutes start to finish!
The steps.

1. Empty the drawer on the counter or a table.
2. Take stock of the items.  Quickly throw out the obvious trash and items that you haven't needed in the last 6 months.
3. Sort like items
4. Take items to the rooms they belong in for example, hair ties in the girls bathroom, screws and tools in the tool box.
5. Clean the drawer.  Vacuum and wipe out.
6. Consider using a  drawer organizer, cutlery tray,small boxes, ice cube trays or ziplock bags to organize the remaining contents.
7. Neatly place items you will use back into the drawer.
8. Take a picture and post it to the Facebook page so we can all admire your work!  
9. Smile!!

 I am renaming the drawers, the battery drawer,  scent drawer and utility drawer!

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!
๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

DVD's are clutter too!?

Today I am going to get rid of excess DVD's and electronic clutter.  First you have to decide for yourself if these items are clutter or not.  With the abundance of services that offer movie rentals you should ask yourself why own them at all?  How often are you actually watching the movies?  If you are a movie buff you may watch them often, and that's great!  You will need to find a way to store them.

Here are a few ideas.  Get this box storage at Amazon

 

Or this one from Miles Kimball

Or maybe you could use a shoebox.  Organization does not have to cost a lot of money!  If you want to get rid of the plastic covers but still protect the dvds you could use sleeves like these from super media 

I already own a storage case.  It looks like a large binder and it has DVD sleeves.  I am currently storing movies in it.  Also, I have a smaller one that holds wii games.  I have opted to throw out the hard cases.  This may not be an option for everyone but for my family it works!  I find that the discs take up less space without the cases.

Steps to clear the clutter.

1.  Collect all the DVD/VHS tapes/ gaming system games etc in one place.

2.  Decide which ones you will keep.

     a.  Ask yourself Have I used it in the last year?  If you answer Yes you may want to keep it, place it in the keep pile. If the answer is No.  Put it in the giveaway box.  If you are unsure set it aside for now.

     b.  If you are emotionally attached to it ask yourself if you are really ever going to use it again.  Is it worth it for you to store it?  Probably not.  This is difficult!  I have a hard time getting rid of old            

Disney movies because they remind me of my children.  I like to think I will play them for my grandkids someday.  But this is unrealistic!  Children today are technologically advanced, they will not want to watch movies on an antiquated system.  I know this may not be a popular idea, but when you clear your clutter you will start to feel better.  Give them away!

3.  Find a spot near the device (DVD player, gaming box, etc) to store the discs.  Decide how you will store them.  Store them away neatly.  If you want you can further organize them.  I am not going to get into this as there are many great organization blogs!  For now I just want to concentrate on getting rid of things I don't use.

4.  Take the discs in the giveaway box and get rid of them!  Before you change your mind.  If you haven't used it in a year you don't need it!

5.  Get rid of old technology!  Unless you have the machine to play it and you use it regularly you don't need it!

6. Now that you have cleared out some of your DVDs or VHS tapes take a look at your Unsure pile.  Maybe now it will be easier to part with some of them.  Or you could put them in a box, write the date on it.  Then in 6 months if you haven't looked in the box toss it.  It seems harsh but you can do it.  You won't miss the items inside.

6.  Finally, before storing your keep pile, look at it one more time with a critical eye.  If you can get rid of a few more, do it!  Make sure you only keep what you can reasonably store in your space.  This is a key point. If you have a large home with lots of shelving and storage space you can keep more than someone that has a small apartment or living space.  But I would like to add that even if you can keep more, should you?  Only you can decide this for yourself!

Now let's get to work!  

Here are some before and after pictures of my media cabinet!

This was crazy!  I was even storing some VHS cases without any movies in them!  

 I put all the extra cords in a zip lock bag.  The wii remotes and games are in the black basket. It took approximately 2 hours to clear this clutter, dust the shelves and rearrange the contents.  I threw away one full trash bag of empty VHS and DVD cases.  I will try to sell some of the DVDS and VHS tapes that I am getting rid of.  If I don't sell them within two days I will donate them to charity.  I feel awesome looking at this now!  I might even take time to watch a movie :)

Tomorrow I am taking on the Kitchen Junk Drawer

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!

๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

The sock box.

Some of you may think this is ludicrous or funny but I have a sock box.  Well, I had a sock box.  For as long as I can remember I have been losing socks.  I don't know why or how.  I tried multiple methods of madness to keep them together.  Little clips, putting them in balls, washing them in laundry wash bags. All to no avail!  I've always kept them in a box, lonely and waiting for their sole mates!  I even had some toddler socks in there!  So today I took a bold step... I threw it out.  Socks and all.  Sorry socks, if you don't have a mate you can't stay here.

I have been saving these socks because I think I will find the match, or I think I will use the socks for some higher purpose, like cleaning silver (HA HA!) or wiping on stain.  Forget about it!  If I need some socks for something in the future I will go to the dollar store and buy a pair!



How funny, I just noticed that on the box it says "it's about time"!  Yes it is sock box, yes it is....

Farewell old friend.  If you have this problem, with mis-matched socks please offer solutions on the facebook page or in the comments!  I would appreciate it greatly!

Let's tame the Socks!

Do you have old socks hanging around the house that have lost their mates? Do this: Go through the house and pick up all the socks you can find. Match as many pairs as you can. Have your children help you, this is a good activity for them. They can even help you go on the sock hunt!
Throw away any socks that do not have a match. Wash all the socks that need washing. Put your socks together in pairs and store them in a drawer or box. While you are at it, decide if you can donate some of the socks to a homeless shelter or goodwill, etc. I am sure you have more pairs than you need. Happy Sock hunting!

Tomorrow's decluttering job will be to clean out the TV entertainment center, or DVD/VCR storage.  We are going to tame those electronics people!


Enjoy the journey and seize the day!

๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

A little effort.

Yesterday I put away all my Christmas Decorations.  It wasn't perfect.  I don't have a shelf in my garage or anything.  No matching storage containers.  But, It is all put away in a designated area in my garage.  I will not be looking at it all year.  I took down the outside Christmas lights too.  Did you know you could use a rake to take Christmas lights off the lower portions of the roof if you used gutter hooks?  That's what I did and I didn't even need a ladder to take down the lights!  Easy Breezy!  I just pushed the forked end of the rake up to the clip and pushed up while holding the other end of the lights taunt.   Yes I know it's sort of a lazy way to do it, but anytime I don't have to climb a ladder it's better for me!

Today will be an easy task.  Just pick one area that is covered with clutter and clear it off.  Maybe it's a desk top or table.  Or a small table by your front door.  You  know what I mean!  Every house has one. Some organizers call it a hotspot.  It is an area that just seems to collect things.  First remove all the trash,  take other items to the area where they belong and put them away.  If it's an item you haven't used in a while put it in your giveaway box, you don't need it anymore!  If your item doesn't have a proper place at least take it to the right room.

Also, if you are still working on taking Christmas down finish that task today.

I have chosen 2 areas to clear off today, the table next to my chair and my kitchen table.  Time it took me to do it: 23 minutes and 27 seconds. Yes I timed it!  It didn't take long at all!  A little effort is all it took.  I made sure to put everything in it's right place or the trash!  I wanted to make sure not to start another "hot spot" in another area.

I would love to see your progress!  You can join my Facebook group and post pictures for us to see.  Let's do this together this year :) Here is the link for the group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1216759261703648/

Enjoy the journey and seize the day!

๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ๑*¨*• Barbara •.¸¸..๑Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ