Project Simplify - Closet reorganization

One of the blogs I find myself frequenting often these days is simplemom.net. Last week she started project simplify which is a challenge to simplify our lives and homes by setting out weekly organizing challenges.

I am not currently an organized person. I'd like to say that in my pre-married life I was, but in reality, I have always been a pack rat. I love my things, especially my books and paper and it is a struggle to throw stuff away or give it away. I keep all my gifts and usually remember who gave me what. So when I read about this challenge, I thought, this is not for me. I don't have time. I barely get the dishes done, the girls rarely nap at the same time. How on earth would I tackle huge organizing projects?

Then on Friday, I started browsing through the posts of women who accomplished this . I saw closets totally cleaned out and even small spaces cleared with only a few clothes piled on shelves or hanging on hangers. Both the girls were sleeping. And I thought "why not"?

Before:

I use the only teeny tiny closet that is in our bedroom. It is pretty embarrassing to post these photos! But I think Tsh was right in stating that we tend to take care of ourselves last. Really, I have put myself of the very bottom of the "people to take care of" chain and this project was perfect timing for me.

I gathered some boxes (one for donation and one for garbage) and then completely emptied my closet. There was A LOT of stuff jammed in there! I found that the diaper boxes I grabbed soon became useless as my piles grew. And so, I went for blue bags for donation and black bags for garbage. I was pretty ruthless. I had many dress pants from teaching and clothes that were missing buttons, some with holes in them and some with dust on them!

There was a small white bookcase doubling as a clothes shelf in the closet and I emptied and removed that shelf as well.

I had a small pile that I was not sure about and saved those to try on and sort at the end. (I love the idea of turning the hangers backwards to know when you actually wear something and if you haven't worn it... toss it or give it away.)

After:

The results astonished me. My floor was clear - I scrubbed it with vinegar spray and a rag. I had two huge blue bags full of giveaway clothes and a small garbage bag with, well, garbage. My closet looks empty. But I have plans!

Future:

Tim has offered to paint my closet white as it is really dark in there (no light fixture) and a fresh coat of paint would do wonders for brightening the closet.

I plan to also empty and organize my dresser (a child's dresser I have had since I was a child....) and hang my shirts that are stored in there. I have organized two drawers out of four so far. My "work-out" clothes... well the few that I save will go in a basket on one of the closet shelves. My drawer for undies will hopefully be combined with Charlotte's dresser (which is in our bedroom due to lack of space in the girls' room). I hope to use one drawer out of her dresser and completely eliminate my dresser from the bedroom! Hurray, more space!

I am not finished, but I am so thrilled with what I have done so far. It is amazing what some decluttering will do to one's spirit. Especially when it is just for me. I really enjoyed this project and look forward to the next! (And the dishes... well, they will have to wait.)

Housecleaning with a baby

I came across this great site today on tips for housecleaning with a baby. I feel like our house is a mess most of the time, as we are tripping over our belongings in our tiny space and only a few things have a home... cleaning happens sporadically, here and there. The daily necessities get done (most/some days!) and I try not to stress about it.

These are the ideas on the site....
I have a great sling for wearing Charlotte, but I don't wear her at home very much. I should try it again when she is fussy and crying at my feet! Freezer meals are tricky with our tiny apartment sized fridge with a tiny apartment sized freezer in the top. I can't freeze big batches of things easily, but keep it full all of the time. Lower your standards... well that's not really a problem for me! The problem is when company is coming and I get crazy about having things clean and ready. I totally stress about this and go into perfectionism mode to the detriment of my family! I am starting to use natural cleaners more often and I like using them as opposed to store bought. Accept help...... ah, this is difficult for me. I accepted help when Charlotte was a newborn but I feel like I should have it together by now. Right?

My dream is to have an ORGANIZED house. A house where everything has a home. Where we can pare down our belongings to live in 670 square feet comfortably. I don't want to be so attached to my "stuff". It's not the stuff that matters in the end. My sister is inspiring me as she sold/gave away most of her belongings and her and her husband packed their car with everything they own (except a couple of boxes in storage) and are moving to South Korea. How difficult, and freeing that would be.

I think that organization would lead to easier cleaning and less frustration. Ah, but when do I do this? How do I start? Maybe with one drawer. I think I could handle one drawer..........

I laughed out loud reading this quote on a friend's facebook:

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing. - Phyllis Diller

Besides, I think reading books and playing peek-a-boo were more important than vacuuming and baking today!!

the spice drawer

One of my organizing goals for the summer was the SPICE DRAWER. It was a disaster. Before, I didn't cook very much, and therefore, did not open the spice drawer very much. And with much neglect, it ended up looking like this:very scary. I know. The organizing process was quite simple, really. I emptied everything out on the kitchen table. I scrubbed the drawer clean. I stocked up on spice bottles at Bulk Barn and cleaned those, and all of my old ones. I also gathered some jam jars to store nuts and some other things.
Then I organized and labeled and ta-da!

I can find what I'm looking for now without yelling and throwing spice bags across the room! The glad container at the back houses refills for the jars. Hurray for organized spices! Now onto the REST of the house................