Tackling a big one today...my master bedroom closet. It's a miss. It's so bad I don't even want to post a before picture. I don't know how it got to be so bad. . Ok, actually I do know. I also know I just can't live with it like that anymore. So, I'm rolling up my sleeves and digging in literally and figuratively. Wish me luck, if you don't hear from me for a day or two, send someone after me...I'm probably buried under a mound of shoes.
The big paper chase. Ugh...mail! Even though I do most of our bill paying and banking online we still have an insane amount of mail that comes in. I have to admit I'm very bad about just letting it pile up until it starts to bother me. Well, it's bothering me so I will be shredding it today. Fun times!
Hoarders, have you seen it? It's a new show on A & E. I had heard about the show. I didn't really plan to watch it since the few times I've seen stories about Hoarding on various talk shows I'm very disturbed by them. Anyway I was surfing the net and stumbled onto the A & E website and they had full episodes online so I thought I'd check it out. Oh holy Jesus! I realize that it's a mental illness and a compulsion, but I have to admit that I was so completely uncomfortable by the thought of living like that I couldn't stop talking about how awful it was. In fact I was so traumatized that I couldn't even watch the entire episode. I have a thing about chaos. It fills me with panic. Don't get me wrong, I love stuff. I love to thrift. But, this was something much, much more. In episode one there was a family with three kids and they were existing (not living) in absolute and utter squalor. I think it was the thought of the kids living like that really pushed my button. But, I have to admit that wasn't even the worst of it. One of the people was a food hoarder. Use your imagination and you can just imagine how awful it truly was. I commend A & E's effort in trying to bring this affliction to light. It's extremely sad. I had a Home Health patient once that I think was probably a hoarder and it was something to behold. I think his started with his decline in health and simple inability to care for himself. Seeing that show helped me understand him a bit better.
One positive that came from watching the show is that I'm even more motivated to continue to purge and organize. In recent weeks I've gotten rid of boxes of books, magazines and clothes. I'm proud of myself. The frugal part of me is often in direct opposition with the part of me that desires order in her life. One thing I've come to realize about organizing and purging is that it's an ongoing process. You have to always be doing it. But, the fun thing is if you get rid of some things that just gives you an excuse to go shopping!
Now that my bookshelves are looking spiffy, I think I should tackle my magazines. I tend not to get rid of them even when I know that I won't read them again. I need to though, especially since I recently started subscriptions to Real Simple, Southern Living and Family Circle. If I don't start purging some of these soon I will be overrun with magazines. I will either take them to the share box at the library or post them on Freecycle. First though, I need to go through them and see if I need any of the recipes or articles for inspirations. I really love the recipes in Southern Living, those people are my kind of cooks. No skimping on flavor or pretending the food is health food, lol. So, that's what I'll be doing today. Oh and I'm starting day one of my Couch to 5k running plan. That should count for work shouldn't it? I just downloaded the app for my iphone. It's super cool. You can run it over your itunes so you can use your own playlist and still hear the prompts that tell you when to walk or run. I hope it works, I'd really like to lose at least ten more pounds and I think the only way I can do it is to really change up my workout routine (notice how I didn't mention change what I eat). I've also started doing yoga to take the place of working out with weights (there's no kind of strength training like supporting your own body weight to kick your ass!). That should pretty much take up most of my day.
There's just a few days before my younger children head back to school. I have lots to do to get ready so that is what I'm working on. Making a last pass through the closets and dressers to see what needs to be purchased. Reviewing the school supply list and shopping for what's needed. Cutting hair and otherwise getting them spiffed up. I also want to update my home management binder and the file box I use to keep kids stuff (you know all those forms and papers that have to go back) organized. So, I'd say that should keep me busy enough for the next day or two.
Today I decided to do something that's not essential, but has been nagging me a bit. I organized my cook books.I have quite a few and they were a haphazard mess. I also have 2 recipe books that I've been putting together which contain recipes I've collected from newspapers and magazines for the last twenty plus years. I'm almost done putting them together, but I won't include them in today's effort, that's a task for another Wednesday.
I can usually find the recipe I need, but it often entails some digging so I wanted to get them straightened. Plus, visually it looks so much better when things are organized. With the exception of a couple of cookbooks that are too big for the shelves, they are pretty much confined to 2 shelves of a basic ikea unit in the kitchen. I'd love if they were tucked away in a beautiful built in a center island...but that doesn't exist in my house, so I'm working with what I have, lol.
Anyways, here is the before
And here is the after. Much better I think.
Next week, the plan is to paint the 1/2 bath. I picked up some sample chips today and I'll probably prime the walls sometimes this week since I'll be painting over a dark blue on the bottom half of the wall. While I have the primer out, I may prime the second piece of furniture I have to paint. Now that the first piece is completely dry (it looks awesome by the way, and that high spot seems to have disappeared) I will probably slap some poly on it in the next few weeks. If I had really thought about it, I could have used floor paint and saved the step of using poly...but oh well it's done now.
We interrupt this tackle it, to go lie down. I have a wicked headache today and I can't seem to get rid of it. I've puttered around a bit today, but in the end I realized I wasn't accomplishing very much. So ...I think I'll work on my spiffing up my overflow sewing stuff tomorrow assuming I feel better. So...stayed tuned for tomorrow new and improved space.
The hall closet aka...closet of death. Where do I begin? I guess I need to take everything out and get rid of the ten million coats and jackets in there. It's a moumental task...but it needs to be done.
Alrighty, here is the before 
And here is the after. What do you think? Better? 
Next week's tackle. The dining room. Specifically the overflow sewing stuff. It has to stay, but it needs to be less...well you know, all over the place.
Well...last weeks junk drawer cleanup was great. I'm so happy I did it. I do have 2 more drawers I'd like to go through, but all in all I was very pleased with my tackle. This week...the kitchen pantry. I need to rotate some dusty cans from the back and make my overstuffed pantry a bit more user friendly. I don't really have a system in place. But I'm going to get one. I may stop by Walmart or Dollartree and pick up a few baskets to help corral some more of the items. Maybe a couple of glass jars for sugar and rice, too. We shall see...anything is better than what was going on in there before, lol.
Here's the before
Here's the after
What do you think? I'd say it's much better. I moved all the canned goods to one shelf and put all the loose items in baskets. I used these little stackable plastic shelf thingies (technical term) to give me more shelf space on the bottom shelf since in my opinion the builder could have put one more shelf in that space since you end up with wasted space between the bottom two shelves. I couldn't believe how many canned goods I had because I couldn't visualize most of it. Now I can. Luckily I had done a major clean out about 8 month ago so there wasn't a ton to throw out. Anyway...loving the tackle. In fact, I'm now inspired to use this next month to cook from my pantry and freezer.
Next week's tackle? The dreaded hall closet of death, meaning an avalanche of coats could fall out and crush you to death.
I'm a busy girl...just like most of you, I'm sure. I have a mental list of a million things I need to accomplish and I'm easily distracted by shiny objects, lol. So, I thought I'd issue myself a weekly challenge to check some of those lingering projects off my to do list. I picked Tuesday because it's one of the few days of the week that I have a couple hours to myself and I liked the alliteration of "Tackle It Tuesday", lol. So, what to do first? Ah yes, the junk drawers...yep that's plural. I don't like visual clutter, yet I don't always take the time to find a place for things so you can see how that might have led to my current problem. So, that's what I will do first tackle those junk drawers.
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