Wow... I am so sorry that I have seen MIA to all of you! I am working full time now and am trying to find a way for life and blogging to co-exist. But I promise... I am still here! I am working on a few guest posts this month and the details on the next giveaway!
What I'd love to do is post a list of my PIP areas... which is Purge in Process... but if you have a more cleaver name... I am open ears! Also... let us know what areas you are working on... and let's put little stars by the ones that must be done by Sept 30th, 2010! Only 4 months until our final goal of December 31, 2010! :gasp:
OK... my PIPs!
-Pantry. I am a coupon-er... so this area is a little bit crazy.***
-Pure Romance stuff... yeah... I do those parties and my inventory is in boxes at my once clean desk... :o( ***
-Master bathroom. Halfway done... ***
-Master bedroom. I have a funny feeling that this room is my nemesis... my arch rival. If it ever gets done, I'll probably just consider my challenge finished. ;o)
-Linen Closet***
-Garage
Also, let me know about some of your problem areas! I'll see what I can do to help you out!!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
I know... I promised a winner 2 days ago. But blogger was having issues, so I couldn't post. I did, however, use Random.org for this weeks winner!!
Soooo... if this is you:
Soooo... if this is you:
Then you have until Wednesday the 25th to contact me with your mailing info! :o)
**********************
In other news... I have been super busy, but I am still working hard towards my goals. We do have a few guest posters lined up for September... and I would love to hear from you if this challenge has been going great for you! Maybe you've finally conquered an unsurmountable project... finally got the last item out of your home from a bad relationship... or maybe can just see the floor in your kids room for the first time in forever! Let's hear about it!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Shoes!
Earlier when I talked about entry ways... there was a comment from you asking about shoes! I know I know... you take them off when you get home... piling them in the corner of your entry. Or maybe you have a bin or a basket. Or maybe you line them up beautifully under a bench.
But for most of us... it's usually a bit overwhelming, no?
My family has the basket. It's not by the front door... but in the living room. We have a built in entertainment center, and I bought some baskets (that I should have thought about more) that we put under the TV. Then we had kids. And those baskets got moved to the side of the built in (in another cubby) to make way for toys...
It works for us... especially with 2 small ones always looking for their shoes. And it makes for a quick tidy.
But it's not at all what I want. I hope to one day during this challenge conquer my family's shoe issues...
Here are a few tips for keeping your shoe clutter contained!
1. Do a weekly sort through. Put away all the shoes that are at your families drop off site. This way, the shoes that got dropped off at the front door 3 seasons ago get put away and don't hang out forever looking clumsy and misplaced. Don't worry about them so much during the week. :o)
2. Weed through your existing shoes. Remember that part of the YAWYK challenge is to live with the best you have! Are there shoes piled up that need to be replaced? What about the kids outgrown pairs? And do you really need 3 pairs of black flip flops??
3. Make a decision as to how many pairs can be at the front door/mud room/etc. If you say it can only be 2 baskets worth, then don't let any more pairs sit on the side of the bins! If you say 1 pair per family member, hold to your rules!
4. Remember, any storage you use in plain site needs to be functional and "on purpose"! I always think it's better to have things in a container that has a purpose rather than just schlepped in a pile. So, pass on the "along-the-wall-in-a-line" approach if you are able to use cute totes or a shoe shelf!
Here are some ideas I have come across that I love! I hope that you can find something that works for your family to keep things corralled!
Photos were from Ikea, ApartmentTherapy, Brookstone and Home Decorators!
I seriously love how the Apartment Therapy one (shelves in the hallway) appear to be magazine shelves not unlike these... made into a shoe rack! What a great way to be resourceful!
Do you have any great ideas for shoes in the entry?
But for most of us... it's usually a bit overwhelming, no?
My family has the basket. It's not by the front door... but in the living room. We have a built in entertainment center, and I bought some baskets (that I should have thought about more) that we put under the TV. Then we had kids. And those baskets got moved to the side of the built in (in another cubby) to make way for toys...
But it's not at all what I want. I hope to one day during this challenge conquer my family's shoe issues...
Here are a few tips for keeping your shoe clutter contained!
1. Do a weekly sort through. Put away all the shoes that are at your families drop off site. This way, the shoes that got dropped off at the front door 3 seasons ago get put away and don't hang out forever looking clumsy and misplaced. Don't worry about them so much during the week. :o)
2. Weed through your existing shoes. Remember that part of the YAWYK challenge is to live with the best you have! Are there shoes piled up that need to be replaced? What about the kids outgrown pairs? And do you really need 3 pairs of black flip flops??
3. Make a decision as to how many pairs can be at the front door/mud room/etc. If you say it can only be 2 baskets worth, then don't let any more pairs sit on the side of the bins! If you say 1 pair per family member, hold to your rules!
4. Remember, any storage you use in plain site needs to be functional and "on purpose"! I always think it's better to have things in a container that has a purpose rather than just schlepped in a pile. So, pass on the "along-the-wall-in-a-line" approach if you are able to use cute totes or a shoe shelf!
Here are some ideas I have come across that I love! I hope that you can find something that works for your family to keep things corralled!
 |
Photos were from Ikea, ApartmentTherapy, Brookstone and Home Decorators!
I seriously love how the Apartment Therapy one (shelves in the hallway) appear to be magazine shelves not unlike these... made into a shoe rack! What a great way to be resourceful!
Do you have any great ideas for shoes in the entry?
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Laundry Day... and a cool tool!
My hubs and I decided to get crazy and tackle the entire house in 2 days. I will admit that there is only 1/2 the decluttering going on... but at least the house is looking much cleaner.
And I don't mind that one bit!
Part of that huge push to clean meant washing and drying and folding and putting away about a billion loads of laundry. Usually, that process falls apart after the first step... and clothes often develop a musty smell before I remember that I forgot about them in the first place... then a second wash (with a touch of vinegar to get rid of the odor) and then get to the dryer.
Where they sit. And we pull items out as we need them. Or turn it back on to "de-wrinkle".
What? You don't do that?? Liar.
Like I mentioned before, part of our problem with putting clothes away is that we just don't have anywhere to put them. Drawers being packed and all. And the boys' dresser is no exception to this. The boys share a dresser, with 4 drawers... but for some unknown reason I separated the drawers as follows: (1) Corbin's clothes, (2) Ryan's clothes, (3) Clothes that Ryan outgrew but Corbin's too small for, (4) Blankets.
Yeah... there is no room for my kids clothes in their dresser because I put linens there. Instead of in the linen closet. I am sure there is a good reason somewhere...
We got practical, weeded through those clothes. Hung up a TON of clothes... and got together our huge load for GoodWill. I think they are going to love us.
I did pull out about 12 items that I just can't part with just yet (special outfits and stuff) and put together a few boxes for ThredUp... but the rest is on it's way to GoodWill in an hour or so!
To a Better Place:
4-241. Infant/Toddler clothes! Items that were outgrown, faded, or otherwise not my "best", but still totally usable by the average consumer!
And I added to that another 27 items that were in my laundry...
To a Better Place:
242-268. Women's clothing... and a few men's items that my hubs tossed in.
This is the pile.. waiting to get loaded up to get out of here!
Now, here's the best part... those 5 bags represent about a $424 TAX SAVINGS on my 2010 tax bill!!! I used a program called ItsDeductible (available free!) to track my donation and it tells me what I can expect to be saving on my tax bill.
Who would have thought that decluttering your house leads to MORE MONEY in your Pocket!! Now, that's a benefit I can totally be on board with!
Go check it out... start logging your donations and see how much money you can find in your declutter!
OH! And don't forget to head over to the Giveaway this month! ;o)
And I don't mind that one bit!
Part of that huge push to clean meant washing and drying and folding and putting away about a billion loads of laundry. Usually, that process falls apart after the first step... and clothes often develop a musty smell before I remember that I forgot about them in the first place... then a second wash (with a touch of vinegar to get rid of the odor) and then get to the dryer.
Where they sit. And we pull items out as we need them. Or turn it back on to "de-wrinkle".
What? You don't do that?? Liar.
Like I mentioned before, part of our problem with putting clothes away is that we just don't have anywhere to put them. Drawers being packed and all. And the boys' dresser is no exception to this. The boys share a dresser, with 4 drawers... but for some unknown reason I separated the drawers as follows: (1) Corbin's clothes, (2) Ryan's clothes, (3) Clothes that Ryan outgrew but Corbin's too small for, (4) Blankets.
Yeah... there is no room for my kids clothes in their dresser because I put linens there. Instead of in the linen closet. I am sure there is a good reason somewhere...
We got practical, weeded through those clothes. Hung up a TON of clothes... and got together our huge load for GoodWill. I think they are going to love us.
I did pull out about 12 items that I just can't part with just yet (special outfits and stuff) and put together a few boxes for ThredUp... but the rest is on it's way to GoodWill in an hour or so!
To a Better Place:
4-241. Infant/Toddler clothes! Items that were outgrown, faded, or otherwise not my "best", but still totally usable by the average consumer!
And I added to that another 27 items that were in my laundry...
To a Better Place:
242-268. Women's clothing... and a few men's items that my hubs tossed in.
This is the pile.. waiting to get loaded up to get out of here!
Now, here's the best part... those 5 bags represent about a $424 TAX SAVINGS on my 2010 tax bill!!! I used a program called ItsDeductible (available free!) to track my donation and it tells me what I can expect to be saving on my tax bill.
Who would have thought that decluttering your house leads to MORE MONEY in your Pocket!! Now, that's a benefit I can totally be on board with!
Go check it out... start logging your donations and see how much money you can find in your declutter!
OH! And don't forget to head over to the Giveaway this month! ;o)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Entry Way
When you first walk into my house.... there is a little box of a room. Well, maybe that's not the best descriptor... but it's a little room.... with just big entry ways into the hall and the main room. It's not really a room... but, well... you know!
This quasi room houses my curio cabinet (full of china and figurines... how domestic of me) and my piano.
And a mirror...
But yeah... even with nothing there... it's soooo cluttered.
I am really beginning to believe that all flat surfaces in my house are magnetic and collect items just for grins and giggles. Seriously. I mean... how else do I explain this...
I walk in the door... and drop everything on the piano. And I hate it.
Here are a few things I am doing to change this!
1) I installed hooks on the wall in our kitchen hallway. Technically this is very out of the way... but once we are parking in our garage, it'll be perfect! I hung some high and some low so that they boys can hang their backpacks eventually as well.
2) I take all the mail to the trashcan for sorting when I walk in the door. No more piles at the piano.
3) I clear away anything that does get put on the piano after I put my boys to bed. I walk right by it, so I make myself clean up then.
4) I charge myself $1 for every item that I leave there overnight. I know... honor system... but I am trying to be good and if I don't do it, nobody will!
5) OH! I also push in the piano bench. If I have to pull it out to put something on it, then I'll think twice! I also leave the keys exposed... not closed! One less surface to collect clutter!
Nothing for the trash or sell counts here... but I am getting clutter conquered by putting things away!!
What Entry Way hints do you have?
This quasi room houses my curio cabinet (full of china and figurines... how domestic of me) and my piano.
And a mirror...
But yeah... even with nothing there... it's soooo cluttered.
I am really beginning to believe that all flat surfaces in my house are magnetic and collect items just for grins and giggles. Seriously. I mean... how else do I explain this...
Here are a few things I am doing to change this!
1) I installed hooks on the wall in our kitchen hallway. Technically this is very out of the way... but once we are parking in our garage, it'll be perfect! I hung some high and some low so that they boys can hang their backpacks eventually as well.
2) I take all the mail to the trashcan for sorting when I walk in the door. No more piles at the piano.
3) I clear away anything that does get put on the piano after I put my boys to bed. I walk right by it, so I make myself clean up then.
4) I charge myself $1 for every item that I leave there overnight. I know... honor system... but I am trying to be good and if I don't do it, nobody will!
5) OH! I also push in the piano bench. If I have to pull it out to put something on it, then I'll think twice! I also leave the keys exposed... not closed! One less surface to collect clutter!
Nothing for the trash or sell counts here... but I am getting clutter conquered by putting things away!!
What Entry Way hints do you have?
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Giveaway: Organize Now!
Wow! We are now at 100 Followers! I am so excited about how many people are also making commitments to changing the way that they live, one item at a time!
This month's giveaway is a new personal favorite of mine... I found it kind of on accident... but my type A personality is loving the checklist approach of...
This book is great because it breaks out your entire life into manageable pieces for you to conquer individually. It has great tips for you to make your own... and I am LOVING the notes spot for each zone... it lets me write myself notes about things I want to do in that area... but I don't have to do right away. This keeps my ADD in check. ;o)
Anyway... I am loving this book... and I'd love to share it with you... Here is our easy peasy give away.
To enter, post a comment telling me why you'd love this book. Winner will be chose at Random on August 19th!
That's it!
But I'd still love for you to tell your friends... Sharing is caring people!
This month's giveaway is a new personal favorite of mine... I found it kind of on accident... but my type A personality is loving the checklist approach of...
This book is great because it breaks out your entire life into manageable pieces for you to conquer individually. It has great tips for you to make your own... and I am LOVING the notes spot for each zone... it lets me write myself notes about things I want to do in that area... but I don't have to do right away. This keeps my ADD in check. ;o)
Anyway... I am loving this book... and I'd love to share it with you... Here is our easy peasy give away.
To enter, post a comment telling me why you'd love this book. Winner will be chose at Random on August 19th!
That's it!
But I'd still love for you to tell your friends... Sharing is caring people!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Cars
I got a message on Facebook wondering about cars... how to keep them organized, beautiful and clutter-free. I loved the thought.... and I figured our cars can be an extension of our homes for how long we are actually in them.
Maybe your car looks a little like mine... and if it doesn't, lie... it makes me feel better.
Yeah... I can't see the floor... anywhere...
But I used this as an excuse to get in there, contribute to the 2010 in 2010 and also figure out a few solutions that will hopefully help keep the clutter at bay... and hopefully it will help you too!!
When I cleaned out my car I used a trashbag (for trash) and a reusable tote (for anything that needs to go back into the house). I didn't have a "sale" pile here since most everything we use in the car is either currently needed or trash worthy.... not much middle ground.
I ended up with a full bag of trash, including scraping out candle wax from 2 birthday candles that melted in my cupholder... the birthday boy yelled "I gotta potty" on arrival... so they got left in the car and forgotten in the Arizona heat. Ugh... that was a mess... but it felt good to get it cleaned out.
To Trash:
199-208. One full bag.
Now... here are some ideas for keeping things tidy in the car!
I use little bins like this right in between the boys carseats. I drop all their cars/toys/sunglasses in there so they can easily reach them! Available at Target for $6.
I also am thinking I should use a similar one in the front seat that can be collapsed when not in use (and put in that little space between the seat and the console) and then pulled back out to put the mail in or other papers instead of just piled on my seats.
Because if you drive like I do, you will hit your brakes eventually... causing all those papers to end up on the bottomless pit of a floorboard.
You did see the before pics, right??
Also, always try to take everything out of your car each day. I learned the hard way that even items without lots of value can look real enticing through a car window and windows can be shattered to get them. If my car had been clean and empty... probably wouldn't have happened!
So, the afters!!
I know that Justin Klosky has some great ideas on his site for car care... and I'd love to hear yours! What works for you??
Maybe your car looks a little like mine... and if it doesn't, lie... it makes me feel better.
But I used this as an excuse to get in there, contribute to the 2010 in 2010 and also figure out a few solutions that will hopefully help keep the clutter at bay... and hopefully it will help you too!!
When I cleaned out my car I used a trashbag (for trash) and a reusable tote (for anything that needs to go back into the house). I didn't have a "sale" pile here since most everything we use in the car is either currently needed or trash worthy.... not much middle ground.
I ended up with a full bag of trash, including scraping out candle wax from 2 birthday candles that melted in my cupholder... the birthday boy yelled "I gotta potty" on arrival... so they got left in the car and forgotten in the Arizona heat. Ugh... that was a mess... but it felt good to get it cleaned out.
To Trash:
199-208. One full bag.
Now... here are some ideas for keeping things tidy in the car!
I use little bins like this right in between the boys carseats. I drop all their cars/toys/sunglasses in there so they can easily reach them! Available at Target for $6.
Because if you drive like I do, you will hit your brakes eventually... causing all those papers to end up on the bottomless pit of a floorboard.
You did see the before pics, right??
Also, always try to take everything out of your car each day. I learned the hard way that even items without lots of value can look real enticing through a car window and windows can be shattered to get them. If my car had been clean and empty... probably wouldn't have happened!
So, the afters!!
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