My Simplifying Home 8 Week Journey: Week 5, Day 7

"After" organizing: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

This week did not go according to plan. But God is good! And He saw me through a trying week. Instead of going by my prioritized list, I had to take care of some health challenges and a cat challenge. Or should I say... a cat accident. Moose the cat knocked down an air purifying Chinese evergreen houseplant and a pile of pillows off of the taller dresser. Why did she think she'd fit up there with the plant and all those pillows? Only Moose knows.

"Before" organizing: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

On the day Moose knocked the plant and other stuff down I was able to scoop some of the dirt up and stick the plant back in the pot (it had fallen completely out) but (because of health challenges) it was another two days before I was able to deal with the area. I hate to let dirt settle but sometimes there's no choice.

Normally, I choose a smaller, more manageable area for these posts but dirt from the houseplant fell far and wide so it ended up really being multiple projects:

• Clean/organize/clutter clearing of tallest dresser
• Clean/organize/clutter clearing of medium dresser
• Clean/organize/clutter clearing of hubby's nightstand
• Clean/organize/clutter clearing of chair's side table
• Clean/organize/clutter clearing of floor 
• Clean/organize/clutter clearing between dressers
• Clean/organize/clutter clearing between nightstand and dresser
• Clean, move and vacuum under chair
• Repot houseplant

Because of the bits of houseplant dirt scattered all over the place, I tackled the first eight projects listed above as if they were one. I cleared the whole area then cleaned the dirty non furniture stuff. I cleaned the various pieces of furniture. I used a dustpan and brush to get up as much of the loose dirt as possible and then vacuumed thoroughly. Before I put anything back I determined whether we really love, need or use it so the result is a much nicer, clutter-free area. Even if it wasn't originally on my list of things to do this week.

"After" organizing 2: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

Above is another "after" photo of the newly organized corner of our bedroom from another angle. I should probably move those dahlias (in the little clear glass jar) before Moose has another accident.

Just in case you're wondering... in the first two photos you can see the edge of my chair. It's positioned so I can watch the hummingbirds at their favorite feeder. Also, to me, the lion and the lamb are symbolic of heaven, peace and God's love so I like to have them kind of hugging each other.

Thank you for joining me and thank you to Trina of Beginner Beans for making her Simplifying Home challenge a free resource. May God bless you and Trina too!

How do you deal with spills and accidents? Do you have a great clutter clearing story or organizing tip to share? I'd love to hear it!

Related posts:
Week 1, day 1: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week.html
Week 2, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_14.html
Week 3, day 3: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_17.html
Week 3, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_21.html   
Week 4, day 3: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_24.html  
Week 4, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_28.html

Clearing Cabinet Clutter & Clutter Curbing Cat

While I love the energy and immediate results of a quick clutter clearing session, sometimes health, energy or time only allow for short little bits of clutter busting. Based on the photo dates, this cabinet took me at least from January 12 to 24 to clear of clutter.

The "before" photo is on the left and the "after" photo is on the right. I believe, based on the thick sweaters to the left and black socks scattered here and there in the "before" photo, that I started before January 12 because when I started on this cabinet it was crammed full and there was no room for even the socks.

I decided to put the socks in there to make them easier to reach once a little space was cleared. In the "after" photo you can see that all the socks now fit on one shelf. I've since moved my white and fleece socks to the shelf below and now all of the socks I regularly wear are easy to reach. In addition, the cabinet now holds my warmest winter sweaters, alternate winter bedding, extra pillows, a treasured afghan made by a precious friend and travel supplies.

If you've been following my blog you know organizing is a love of mine and clutter clearing an ongoing goal. My health has not been great lately but I still aim to clear a little clutter every day, even if it's just one item. Knowing that I haven't missed a day in over a year makes me want to keep the streak going. Sometimes it's random items and sometimes it'll be focused on one area (like the cabinet above). I currently have four of these cabinets in our master bedroom and I'd like to eliminate them and eventually consolidate things into our existing closets and other more attractive furniture. The other three cabinets have clothing. One is already clutter busted, so keep an eye out for the next clutter busted cabinet post soon.

My cute little cat, Baby, loves to watch me clear clutter. And when I find an item she might enjoy playing with we take a little break and have fun. She absolutely loved this gold tassel and when she flipped it over her head and it landed on her ear I couldn't resist taking her photo. She's the best clutter clearing helper. When I'm not sure whether to keep something I let her smell it and usually while she's investigating I have my answer. She gets rewarded with petting and everyone's happy.

Do you have any clutter busting tips? I'd love to hear them! May God bless you and yours!

Related posts:
Quick desk clutter clearing: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/16-minute-desk-decluttering-project.html
Fast microwave area clearing: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/8-minute-microwave-and-cut-flower.html
14 minute kitchen clutter bust: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/14-minute-kitchen-counter-clutter.html
3 shelves organized in 9 minutes: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-i-decluttered-3-shelves-in-9.html

From Disaster to Delight: An Organized Linen / Cosmetics / Toiletries / Storage Closet

My big organizing achievement for July was my linen closet, which also serves as a cosmetics/toiletries and general storage closet. The "before" clutter clearing & organizing photo is on the left and the "after" is on the right. Big difference!

Someone asked for details on this clutter busting project so here they are. The basic "how to" was the same as most of my organizing and clutter busting projects:

1. Remove everything, 
2. Clean the empty space, 
3. Get rid of everything I don't need/use/love, 
4. Organize what's left. 

For the purging I donate everything useable (either to charity or friends), recycle everything left that can be recycled and trash the rest (very little has to be trashed, thankfully).

• Extra toilet paper is stored in the small handled basket on the top shelf.
• Hair accessories are in the pink photo storage box on the top shelf (the box below it is empty for now but it will probably gain items from under the sink vanity once I get to that).
• The baskets hold one type of linen or cosmetics/toiletry each. There's a basket for pillow cases, hand towels, face cloths, hair products, face products, body products, etc. Blankets are stored in an extra drawer in the bedroom but since there's space on the top shelf I might eventually move them there. 
• Within the linen storage baskets things are folded uninformly by what makes sense for the amount of that item that we have and the depth/width of the basket, mostly with rounded edges facing upward and the neatest part facing forward.
• Towels and the extra bath mat are folded so the rounded edges face outward.
• They don't show in the photo but we store our space heaters and some cleaning projects on the bottom shelf.

Last year I bought baskets and kind of organized things but I didn't purge enough to make it truly organized. It's hard to tell from the photos but there's a big space above the door jam and there's a bar to hang clothing up by the ceiling. I left the two cedar hangers on the bar and you can see the very ends of them in the "before" photo (above) but the rest of that space is empty right now (though eventually I might hang extra table cloths from the bar as our clothing is too long for the space).

Clutter clearing was definitely beneficial here as retrieving things is easier and I don't have to worry about things falling on my head when I grab something from the top shelf anymore (a definite bonus). I think the biggest difference from the first go at organizing this closet and this time was having read Marie Kondo's The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I haven't implemented her process yet but it made it a lot easier to release the things that don't "spark joy."

I love to organize but have a host of health challenges and little energy lately so this project took me from July 6 to July 27, even with my kind husband's help. The key was to do a small, managable section at a time (like one basket). 

Thank you for visiting! May God bless you!

Do you have any storage organizing tips? I'd love to hear them! 

Related posts:
Storage cabinet clutter clearing: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2015/02/clearing-cabinet-clutter-clutter.html
8 minute microwave area organizing: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/8-minute-microwave-and-cut-flower.html
14 minute kitchen counter clearing: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/14-minute-kitchen-counter-clutter.html

Clutter Clean in 2016! First Project: Top of Long Dresser

"After" dresser top corner: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2016

Happiest New Year wishes to you! May God bless you and all you set your mind, heart and hands to do this year!

I've decided to make this the year of clearing the clutter for good. Not just clutter busting the excess in our home but actually changing acquisition habits so that I only bring in things that we need or love. Because of ongoing health challenges, the physical removal of clutter may be slow going but as long as I'm making regular progress, I'll count it a success.

My super kind hearted Facebook friends suggested that I journal this process and share tips and this article is in their honor. Thank you for your support, encouragement and prayers!

"Before" long dresser top: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2016

I started on this dresser yesterday but didn't take a photo until today. It looks cluttered in the "before" photo above but yesterday it was even worse. Yesterday I just took things that belonged elsewhere and put them where they belonged. Today I cleared everything off the top of the dresser (using long shallow plastic baskets I have on hand) and moved them to the living room for sorting. I determined to only keep that which I need or love so a lot went into charity bags.

Baby cat explores cleared dresser: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2016

My little cat, Baby, immediately jumped on the newly cleared space. She loves to explore and I love her. I will likely do a backdated post, but, sadly, Moose the cat passed away after Christmas. Moose was about 20 years old and was greatly loved. Now Baby is our sole feline companion. God willing, Baby will be 16 this spring. But back to the clutter busting.

"After" dresser top: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2016

Here's the "after" photo. I like it so much better than the before. While there's still plenty of clutter in the room, the whole place feels lighter and nicer. I will probably reconfigure the top in the future but for now it's my "Clutter Clean in 2016" inspiration point. My goal for this week is to keep it clear and take time to enjoy the newly organized space.

If you have a completed clutter clearing or organizing project with before and after photos and want to be considered as a feature for my "Clutter Clean in 2016" series, please let me know! There are so many of us looking to simplify, streamline and create space for what truly matters. You'll be an inspiration. You can leave a comment below or email me at lovejoypeas@gmail.com. If there's a lot of interest I'll look into creating a Flickr pool for the photos.

Thank you for visiting! May God bless you!

Related posts:
Quick desk clearing: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/16-minute-desk-decluttering-project.html
Disaster to delight: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2015/07/from-disaster-to-delight-organized.html
8 minute clutter bust: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/8-minute-microwave-and-cut-flower.html
3 shelves in 9 minutes: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-i-decluttered-3-shelves-in-9.html
My simplifying home journey: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/08/my-simplifying-home-journey-week-8-day.html

My Simplifying Home 8 Week Journey: Week 4, Day 7

Once again, I didn't come close to getting everything on this week's checklist finished but I did tackle some serious clutter and I feel great about that.  Earlier in the week I organized my vanity/sink area but since then I've been working on my cosmetics/toiletry cabinet.

Above is my "after" photo for my skin care shelf. It looked as bad as the "before" picture of my body care/overflow shelf (below) before I organized it. Although one thing that didn't change is my most frequently used items are at the front of the shelf, mostly in order of frequency of use (I keep the eye makeup remover on the far left even though I don't wear makeup every day). Also, opened products are in the pink basket and backups are in the blue bin behind the pink bin.

Here's the "before" photo of my body care/overflow shelf. All of the areas in today's post were at least this bad (the color cosmetics was much worse) before organizing and clutter clearing.

I try to keep posts to five photos or less so this one has one "before" and four "afters." It's nice that I have four freshly organized areas to share with you but I'm sorry I couldn't fit in all the "before" photos.

Here's that same shelf, after purging the clutter and organizing the keepers. The blue bag on the right is my "travel" bag. It has a little stand up mirror, a full face makeup palette, mini makeup brush set and tissues so if I need to put makeup on anywhere besides my bathroom all I have to do is add my current mascara and I'm good to go. The blue bag was behind the pink bottle in the "before" photo but there was so much clutter it was almost impossible to see (and I had to pull out two things to access it whereas now I can just reach in and grab it - much nicer).

This is my primer, foundation,powder, bronzer and blush shelf, organized in that order. Like the skin care shelf, open items are in the front bins and backups are in the back bin. I use the little bamboo bin for the primers and tinted moisturizer (which I suppose could go in skin care but I think of it as makeup so keep it here). The maroon box bottom is salvaged because I liked the color and it fits my most often used items while still letting them be easy to reach. It holds foundation, powder, blush and bronzer. Someday I'll replace the blue bins with pink, red or bamboo ones but they fit perfectly and this cabinet is usually shut so I'm in no hurry.

I think of this as my color cosmetics shelf but it's primarily eye and lip products. Before my organizing and clutter clearing, the shelf was precariously piled all the way to the top with a wide assortment of products and there wasn't an inch of free space behind the bamboo sorter (which was all the way to the front edge of the shelf. So even though it might not look like much to you, it was a huge relief to me. I didn't realize how much the pile bugged me until it was cleaned up.

I have my eye products to the left and my lip products to the right with the most often used items in the easiest to reach spots. I keep a little pair of scissors in there too to make opening up new products easier.

Behind the bamboo sorter there are four little clear plastic tubs. One each for mascara, eye liner, eye shadow and lip product backups. No, I don't need so many backups but the ones I kept are all products I either like or want to try.

Tomorrow we start week 5: bedrooms and closets. I don't really feel like I'm done in the bathroom yet (there are two more shelves in my cosmetics/toiletries cabinet plus the whole the linen closet) but I can always come back to it once this challenge is over and I did conquer the areas that I use the most often. I'm enjoying my newly organized spaces.

Thank you for joining me and thank you to Trina of Beginner Beans for making her Simplifying Home challenge a free resource. May God bless you and Trina too!

How do you organize your toiletries and/or cosmetics? Do you have a great clutter clearing story or organizing tip to share? I'd love to hear it!

Related posts:
Week 1, day 1: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week.html
Week 2, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_14.html
Week 3, day 3: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_17.html
Week 3, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_21.html   
Week 4, day 3: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_24.html

My Simplifying Home 8 Week Journey: Week 4, Day 3

Above is the "after" picture of my sink/vanity area. The "before" (below) wasn't so bad but I wanted to tidy it up. I tend to leave new purchases and samples out until I try them at least once but it makes for a cluttered counter.

Like usual when clutter clearing, I removed everything from the area, cleaned everything (except the makeup brushes - that's a separate project), purged the clutter, put things that belong elsewhere away and put back just what I need, use and/or love. In addition, I made a little "beautiful" sign for the bottom drawer of my cotton/q-tip container (near the top right of the photo) and a "clean" sign for my soap dispenser. I had a matching pretty marble dispenser but it didn't work well.  This plastic dispenser works well but was kind of ugly and I think the "clean" sign makes it much nicer.

This didn't take very long so I decided to do my tissue/hairbrush shelf too.

But before I get to that Baby cat wanted to make an appearance (I know I'm biased but I think she's adorable). From this angle you can see that I just attached the "clean" sign with two rubber bands. Because it's just untreated paper I wanted it to be easy to replace.

Here's the "before" of my hairbrush/tissue shelf. All the clutter made it hard to reach the tissues. Like with my vanity, I tend to leave things out until I use them. However, that weird looking pink detangler brush didn't work on my hair. I use it on my cat though (and she loves it). So I put that with the cat brushes and the rest of the project followed the same clutter clearing/organizing steps as my vanity/sink area (described above). The only difference is that I didn't make any signs and I did add a towel underneath the keepers to hide the plastic and make it easier to clean.

Here's the "after" of my hairbrush/tissue shelf. Nothing exceptional but a lot cleaner looking and it's easier to get to the things I use every day. In case you're wondering, instead of putting the hair styling kit away I put it under the tissue box to raise it up and make it easier to reach.

Both parts of this project took about 20 minutes altogether and I think it was time well spent, especially since they were my first two MITs (most important tasks) for this week's Simplifying Home Challenge. It will probably take me at least that long to clean my makeup brushes but that's my third MIT for the week (any further progress is a bonus).

Thank you for joining me and thank you to Trina of Beginner Beans for making her Simplifying Home challenge a free resource. May God bless you and Trina too!

What in your bathroom needs organizing the most? What was the most rewarding organizing or clutter clearing project you've ever done? 

Related posts:
Week 1, day 1: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week.html
Week 2, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_14.html
Week 3, day 3: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_17.html
Week 3, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_21.html 

Pam's Super Clean Cat Castle: House Crashing

My super-organized friend Pam was kind enough to give me a tour of her amazingly clean home today. I now think of her place as the "Cat Castle" because she has dedicated space to her cats in every room and has lots of cute cat decor. Can you see the cat stained glass on the window and floor mat in her super clean kitchen? Her two cats (pictured below) are abundantly loved and well cared for and clearly have run of the house yet the house smells fantastic and I didn't sneeze once (I usually sneeze at other pet lovers' homes, no matter how well they clean).

Here's Pat's guest, aka "Cat Room." I love the cat decor on the walls and stuffed big and small cat display on the bed.

 Here's Patches, Pam's beautiful calico cat.

Here's Pam's cat, Snicker's, who I fell in love with when she crawled on my lap and started purring within moments of our meeting.

This is Pam's cat friendly bedroom (there's even cat furniture in the corner, as there was in most of her rooms, including her office, living room and even in her sun room) with Snickers the cat enjoying the bed.

I loved Pam's light and airy bathroom. The natural view of the woods outside and plants around the giant bathtub made it feel like a spa retreat.

Hearty thanks to Pam for opening her home to me and my camera! Her home is an inspiration for me to continue my decluttering projects in my own home. If you have an organized home or room and want to share your inspiring place with the world, let me know and I might feature you in a future blog post. There's no pay but you might just help make the world a more pleasant place.

May God bless Pam and her family and may He bless you too!

Full links and related posts: 
14 minute kitchen counter clutter clearing project: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/14-minute-kitchen-counter-clutter.html
16 minute desk decluttering project: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/16-minute-desk-decluttering-project.html
My personal home vision post : http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-home-vision-new-series-on.html
8 minute microwave area clutter clearing project: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/8-minute-microwave-and-cut-flower.html
Clutter Clean in 2013 Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/ClutterCleanIn2013
My 2013 reading goals: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/01/ten-terrific-goal-boosting-books-for.html

Mystery Corner in Master Bedroom: Clutter Clean in 2016

Rearranged long dresser top: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2016

Today's main clutter busting project was the mystery corner (below) but I also took a few more items away and rearranged the dresser top featured in yesterday's post. I originally left the middle of the dresser open for folding laundry but decided that I'm fine with continuing to fold it on the bed. You can see the individual items more easily this way but the front 2/3 of the dresser is clear so it's still nice. I will probably continue rearranging until I think it's just right.

Mystery corner clutter: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2016

This mystery corner used to hold my hamper but I moved it closer to where I use it (you can see part of it in the next photo). This corner is a clutter magnet because there's no purpose to it at the moment, other than holding the floor lamp and a cat bed (the basket). We have no overhead lighting in the bedroom so the lamp is needed. 

Full view mystery corner "before": Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2016

Here's a better view of the area I worked on today. The pile of black clothes isn't clutter; it's just laundry. So the first thing I did was to put the load of black laundry in the washer. I had put the empty box out to see if Baby cat liked it more than her basket. She did not, so it's going to recycling.

Two of the containers were full of weird stuff (from old love notes to painting supplies to an organic buckwheat pillow). There was even a box full of notes from books I read long ago (the box fit inside another box - boxes within boxes!). So I put away the keepers that belonged elsewhere (none of it belonged in the corner) and added the rest to the recycling or donation bags (recycling is in the kitchen and donation is in the office).

The white basket is currently being used for new items that need to be washed before used. I like to save the environment and money by doing fuller loads of wash so I wait until I have enough of the new item(s)' color (new things often bleed when washed for the first time) to make it worthwhile. I relocated that basket to the other side of the hamper so it's not one of the first things you see when walking in the bedroom.

Full view mystery corner "after": Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2016

This is the finished view. Much neater and less cluttery. I'd like to make use of that corner but I'm not sure if I want a little reading nook or a makeup vanity so until I decide, it's fine as a cat bed/lamp spot. What would you do with this corner if it were your room?

Lessons learned/Tips:

• Shutting the lid on things makes them look neater (see the hamper open vs closed in above photos)
• Having the floor clear makes the whole area look better
• Less is more when it comes to the floor

Thank you for visiting! May God bless you and all you do!

Related posts:
Dresser clutter: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2016/01/clutter-clean-in-2016-first-project-top.html
Old hamper arrangement: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/08/my-simplifying-home-journey-week-7-day-7.html
Cabinet clutter: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2015/02/clearing-cabinet-clutter-clutter.html
Closet clutter: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2015/07/from-disaster-to-delight-organized.html

My Simplifying Home 8 Week Journey: Week 3, day 7

Above is the "after" photo of our silverware/gadget drawer and below is the "before." The after still needs a bit of work (I don't think we need three vegetable peelers or any plastic spoons) but I promised my husband that I wouldn't give anything away without his approval (he's our chef and the kitchen is his domain).

The old, ugly red square thing helps me open jars. I want to find a prettier one and find a better place for it. But overall, the 27 minutes spent on the drawer (including hand washing the bins/organizers, cleaning spills, clutter clearing, organizing and relocating items that belong elsewhere) were well worth it. This was the second of my MITs for the week; the first was the kitchen counter. The third was my "command center" drawer (formerly known as a junk drawer) and I'm thrilled to say that all three areas got tackled this week.

I can't believe week three of my Simplifying Home challenge is already coming to a close. Week four starts tomorrow for me and we move from the kitchen to the bathroom.

Considering that it's only been three weeks, I've had quite a few health setbacks and injuries and I have wondered if perhaps God was trying to tell me something. But I prayed on it and feel like I should just continue doing what I'm able to do and let go of the rest, at least for now. I might try the whole thing again, Beginner Beans style, in January or develop my own challenge.

Identifying my three most important tasks (MITs) for each week is very helpful. I feel like it's an accomplishment to just get those done and anything else is a bonus. It helps that I already have established some of the habits she's asking people to explore (for this week that would include buying fresh produce and filtering my water) as that cuts down on the length of the list of things to complete.

Thank you for joining me and thank you to Trina of Beginner Beans for making her Simplifying Home challenge a free resource. May God bless you and Trina too!

What in your kitchen needs organizing the most? How about your bathroom? What was the most rewarding organizing or clutter clearing project you've ever done?

Source:
www.beginnerbeans.com

Related posts:
Week 1, day 1: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week.html
Week 2, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_14.html
Week 3, day 3: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_17.html

My Simplifying Home 8 Week Journey: Week 1, Day 1

Ben's terrarium: Copyright © by Phyllis Wheeler, June 2014

Some precious friends are joining me in Beginner Beans' Simplifying Home 8 week journey and today's our day one. I thought I'd share here in case any of you also would like to join me or read about my experience with it. My main goals are clutter clearing and simplifying. 

For those who are joining: Welcome! I hope we each experience abundant joy, freedom and success in this! It is my prayer that we will end this 8 week journey feeling more organized, happier with our homes and content with our lives.

The first step was to read the checklist. I also printed it out. Not the greenest thing to do but I have yet to figure out how to check things off in a pdf and I thought it would be easier to see where I'm at if I could physically check things off on the list.

Thankfully, I already have some of the habits/environment situations set up for week 1. 

• My "outbox" is my office floor. 
• My "entryway filter" is the kitchen counter for just catching my breath and the kitchen table if I need a longer break before tending to the incoming stuff. 
• I cancelled old/unused magazine subscriptions long ago. 
• Improving the entryway filter/landing strip: It would be nice to have a chair for removing shoes by the door and to have a place to hang wet coats/umbrellas/hats. However, space is an issue and I don't see where we could put either.
• I'm not going to "buy" fresh flowers when I can go out in my yard and cut them but cutting them will be a happy chore. I did that this weekend so I'll wait until they need replacing to cut more. I love my flower garden!
• I already use earth friendly cleaning products.
• I started a style tray when I first read about this project. You can see it here if you like: http://www.pinterest.com/joyfulphyllis/home-style-tray-idea-board/

So I still have the whole entryway cleaning/decluttering to do and, God and health permitting, I'm planning to do that on Wednesday and/or Thursday. I'm guessing the rest of what's left for me will take less than 8 hours and if I don't completely finish, that's ok too. There will be progress and I'm excited about that!.

Hearty thanks to Trina of Beginner Beans for making this free resource available and her beautiful heart for God. May God bless her and may He bless you too!

Source:

http://www.beginnerbeans.com/2014/03/simplifyinghome-settingup.html

Related posts:

My home vision: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-home-vision-new-series-on.html

10 minute office supply organizing: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/08/10-minute-office-supply-cube.html

16 minute desk clutter clearing: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/16-minute-desk-decluttering-project.html

Easy Closets: Affordable Storage review: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/09/easy-closets-affordable-storage.html

14 Minute Kitchen Counter Clutter Clearing Project

Before decluttering

As I mentioned in my desk clearing post, I love quick and easy decluttering and organizing projects that immediately make a difference. Above is a photo of my kitchen counter before I spent 13 minutes and 51 seconds (which I rounded up to 14 minutes for the title) decluttering, cleaning and organizing it.  That 14 minutes included removing everything but the blender, loading the dishwasher (I'd decided to do a timed project right after I emptied it and noticed how cluttered the counter was), placing a new roll of paper towels on the holder (not pictured), recycling the old paper towel tube, purging the clutter, categorizing what I decided would go back, dusting everything that needed it, and putting everything that really belongs somewhere else into a basket for distribution later.

Above is the "before" picture of my cluttered kitchen counter.  As you can see, it's kind of busy and there's too much stuff out which limits the work area for cooking.

After decluttering

The "after" picture is a breath of fresh air. I didn't fuss with my husband's sponges or "his side" of the counter (not pictured) but I think our shared side looks a whole lot better. While it does mean the kitchen is more his than mine, I'm truly blessed with a wonderful husband who cooks dinner every night so I definitely want to respect his space.

I relocated the phone to a little shelf that rests on the left side of the counters. I also keep bananas there but there's plenty of room for both. That was a well spent 14 minutes and these quick successes make it easier for me to stay motivated to plug away at my larger, long-term decluttering projects.

I hope this inspired you in some way! If so, I'd love to hear about it. You're also welcome to join my clutter busting Facebook community. Whatever your goals, may God bless you and keep you!
 
Full links and related posts: 
16 minute desk decluttering project: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/16-minute-desk-decluttering-project.html
My personal home vision post : http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-home-vision-new-series-on.html
Easy exercise motivation trick: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/02/easy-exercise-motivation-trick.html
Clutter Clean in 2013 Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/ClutterCleanIn2013
My 2013 reading goals: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/01/ten-terrific-goal-boosting-books-for.html 

8 Minute Microwave and Cut Flower Decluttering Project

This project took 7 minutes and 39 seconds. It included removing everything but the microwave, cutting boards (stored behind the microwave) and knife block; cleaning and dusting the area and contents; purging the clutter; categorizing the items being returned to the area (my sunflower trivets and my husband's magazines and what I presume is the last cookbook he used to make dinner last night); putting the things that belonged elsewhere away (if they belonged somewhere else in the kitchen) or in a basket for distribution later; culling the dead flowers from the arrangement; trimming the stems of the keepers; rinsing the old vase out and putting the remaining flowers in a new vase.

The first two photos are the "before" images. I included both because in the first one it looks more cluttered but you can only see the whole area in the second one.

This last photo is the "after" picture. So much nicer! I'd have moved hubby's cookbook and magazines (he has a bookshelf for his cookbooks and a storage area for his magazines) but figured he had them in the kitchen for a reason so I'd let him deal with that when/if he wants to do so. I'm so thankful that he cooks I can certainly live with a bit of clutter in the kitchen.

I hope this inspired you in some way! If so, I'd love to hear about it. You're also welcome to join my clutter busting Facebook community. Whatever your goals, may God bless you and keep you!

Full links and related posts: 
14 minute kitchen counter clutter clearing project: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/14-minute-kitchen-counter-clutter.html
16 minute desk decluttering project: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/16-minute-desk-decluttering-project.html
My personal home vision post: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-home-vision-new-series-on.html
Easy exercise motivation trick: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/02/easy-exercise-motivation-trick.html
Clutter Clean in 2013 Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/ClutterCleanIn2013
My 2013 reading goals: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/01/ten-terrific-goal-boosting-books-for.html

My Simplifying Home Journey: Week 7, Day 7

Yellow zinnia about to open: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

Seven weeks seem to have flown by. This was my least productive week so far in the simplifying home challenge. I'm embarrassed to say, unless you count keeping the area from getting worse, I made no progress in the office/computer room, this week's designated area. Because I have nothing to show you in that area I'll share some before and after pictures from a different space that I didn't get to cover in last week's post (because I try to keep it to five photos or less per post so the posts load quickly for you).

Hamper nook "before": Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

This is what I think of as my hamper nook. In the "before" picture above, the hamper is the wicker thing on the left. Then, going clockwise, there's a pile of clutter, a tote filled with old clothes that I need to try on, a pretty box filled with accessories, and two baskets.

The tote has been there for quite a while. So long that I threw a pillow on top of it and turned it into a cat bed (they love it because they can see down the hallway into the kitchen from that spot). One basket is supposed to be for new clothes that need to be washed before I wear them (I'm allergic to a lot of chemicals) and the other for a beautiful afghan hand made for me by a dear friend (the cats had been happy pawing it to death so I am giving it a breather but still want it handy).  

Hamper nook "after": Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

The first step was moving everything out of the area. Next was clutter clearing. This included trying on all those clothes that were in the tote (most are going to charity) and moving the afghan closer to where I use it. It also involved getting rid of the empty shoe box and two loose boards that had been to the left of the tote. They'd been there for a long time too... so long I'd stopped noticing them.

After clearing the clutter and vacuuming I decided that I like having a cat bed under the window but don't like the plastic look of the tub. So I went to Goodwill, found a brown sheet, washed it and draped it over the tote. The tote now holds useful extra blankets and throw pillows.

When walking into the room and facing it straight on, the tote/cat bed looks decent; however, it doesn't look nice from the sides. Eventually I plan to sew a cover for the tote (or get a proper little storage bench) so the area looks better. This is the first thing I notice when walking into the master bedroom so I might sew a big red heart in the front center of the tote cover.

Baby cat ignoring the camera: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2014

I love my "Baby" cat. She's not much into being photographed but she brings me a lot of joy. She's feral born so tends to hide from anyone but me but she follows me around like a dog, greets me at the door and sleeps either on my lap or at my feet when I settle down to read for a while. She's definitely part of what makes our abode a home.

Thank you for joining me and thank you to Trina of Beginner Beans for making her Simplifying Home challenge a free resource. May God bless you and Trina too!

What makes your place feel like home? How do you organize your dirty laundry?

Related posts:
Week 1, day 1: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week.html
Week 2, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_14.html
Week 3, day 3: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_17.html
Week 3, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_21.html   
Week 4, day 3: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_24.html  
Week 4, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_28.html
Week 5, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/08/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week.html
Week 6, day 7: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/08/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_11.html