Decluttering Update

I think we've done alright with decluttering in the last month.  Using this decluttering calendar, we've been doing a little declutter at a time.  I have to admit we've struggled with doing it every night - but I do think that we've stuck to the calendar steps anyway.  For almost every task on the calendar, I've found at least one thing to donate or throw away, which is really encouraging.  I kind of like the feeling of purging things. 

Sometimes instead of organizing on section of something three nights in a row, we've done it all at once - which leaves the other days empty.  Another week just had tasks that we didn't really need to complete, like decluttering candles (I've been using up old ones anyway), sort through pictures (oh wait, I kind of ignored that one, but I did organize some pics on my computer in the last week, so that's good enough for now), keep only your good sharp knives (I've already taken crappier knives into work), and go through your plastic bag/foil area (did this when organized kitchen drawer). 

Ones that I missed, but probably could have completed were to clean out one kitchen drawer and to empty fridge and clean it.  Maybe I'll try to get to those this week or over the weekend. 

This week consists of cleaning of the top of the dresser (3 separate days) and decluttering one bedroom shelf (3 days).  I did 2/3 of my dresser last night, because I knew I wouldn't have time tonight to do anything. 

Next week is mostly desk oriented stuff, which Lo already did, so we really should find another area to tackle. 

Are you trying to organize or declutter?  What have you found that works or doesn't work?

Decluttering Progress - Undie Time

The decluttering calendar that we've been using as a guide is a little bogus for us this week - not because it isn't good in general - it just doesn't fit us very well for this week.  Monday was clean out and organize your hair doo-dads.  I have some "doo-dads", but not that many, so I just cleaned out the drawer that most of those are stored in.  Tuesday's task was to clean out and discard expired face products - I don't have any of those and I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't do any other task either. 

Tonight's task was to clean out and throw away expired medication.  I already did that randomly last month, so I needed to find something else to do tonight.  When I got home from work, my order from Victoria's Secret had been delivered!  I'm hate paying full price, so I decided that every time they have the semi-annual sale, I'm going to buy at least one bra and some new undies - especially since the undies were $2.99 with a coupon code, plus free shipping, and 4% cashback through ShopAtHome.com (sign up for $5 credit).  I ordered some shirts and a pair of pants (for work) as well.  The pants were weirdly high waisted, even though they are the same style I've bought before, and I only liked 1/2 of the shirts, so some will be be going back.  I liked the bra, but it was really, really scratchy where it sits against my back under the clasp - it was the thread or something and there really isn't anything I can do about it, so I have to send that back too.  It wasn't a spectacular deal ($24.99), so I wasn't heartbroken (but now I don't have a new bra because I only ordered one).  I ended up with a few new shirts and 10 pair of undies.  I needed some long-sleeved layering shirts that I can wear under short sleeves in the winter - ones that weren't just plan cotton or material that would fade or fuzz.  I technically have a ton of underwear, but only wear about half of them, so I needed to sort out the ones that I don't like or don't wear for whatever reason.  I didn't do as well as I thought, because I only threw away 7 pair (I have thrown away a few other pairs over the last couple of weeks that i didn't like or had unraveling waistband).  But I did put 20 more pair in a bag in my closet that are "maybe's" that I wasn't ready to throw out yet.  Some of them are ones that I would wear to workout or play volleyball, so I want to make sure the new ones will work before I get rid of the old ones.  If I don't need to dig any of those out by the time we move this year - they're gone.  I didn't even get rid of a quarter of the ones I have, so clearly I'm still an underwear hoarder.  At least I only hoard my underwear - otherwise that would be very pervy. 

Fun burn-out layering tee - 

not a pic of me

Sorry you wasted your time reading this - the rest of the week is decluttering bathroom drawers and such, so at least I'll have some tasks to do (both drawers are clean now, so I'll take those days to clean out the cabinet under the sink. 

I’m a cheater



Balsamic Autumn Salad

I cheated with the re-org calendar last week.  I was supposed to clean out the freezer on Saturday, but didn’t.  The reason being is that I’m trying to use food from the freezer this month and need clean it out/defrost once the weather gets colder (so we can put coolers of frozen food on the patio while we defrost/clean.  It’s been a super-mild January (actually, winter, so far), so I know February is going to kick our ass and we’ll have plenty of freezing days (it has now since snowed).  Plus hopefully the freezer will be emptier then. 

Last Saturday was spent picking up birthday gifts for our friend, eating Jeni’s Ice Cream for lunch at the North Market, making Spicy Beef and Pinto Stew (to freeze uncooked), Cider Beef Stew (to eat this week) and Balsamic Autumn Salad, watching the OSU bball game (while I cooked), and then to celebrate our friend’s birthday at Tenuke!  The hibachi chef was going crazy with the sake – squirting it into our mouths with a squirt bottle until we were about to choke.  It was pretty hilarious. 

  

Sake Squirt!

Birthday Heads!






We all went back to their house for more drinks and shuffleboard/pool (the guys).  We hadn’t met their newest new-ish dog Nash and were excited to see him.  He’s so cute in a hyena-way!  He’s nervous around new people (he was a shelter dog), but once he got used to us (by the next day), he was SUCH a lap dog!  The other dog, Mason, knows how cute he is, so he doesn’t feel the need to seek affection from humans.  We stayed the night (as we often do when we are drinking because they live 30 minutes away and we have our own bedroom there).  After getting breakfast (at noon), getting some groceries for dinner and getting stuck in the grocery store line for about 25 minutes (don’t you people have anything better to do on a Sunday!), we finally settled in to watch the game.  We didn’t get home until 9 p.m. or so on Sunday after the Steelers lost to God Tebow the Broncos.  Kel and I are huge Steelers fans, so it was a disappointing end to the season for us.    



How we are uncluttering…

We’ve lived in the same apartment for almost 6 years (wow – I didn’t realize it has been that long!) and we want to move in the next year, so it is time to do some uncluttering.  While we don’t really set resolutions, I just happened upon this decluttering calendar and decided that it would be a good idea to try to follow along with it.  While we aren’t “dirty” people, we can be messy, so I figured it would be a good way to de-mess some of our stuff as well.  I wasn’t sure if Lo was going to be on board or not (he doesn’t like getting rid of things, though he isn’t a pack-rat), but I was determined to TRY to stay on top of the calendar’s tasks.  When I brought it up to him, he thought it was a good idea and that he was in (actually, I think he just didn’t say no).  We (or I) decided that we’d each do a different but similar task each night so we could get more done.  We have 2 bedrooms (we only sleep in one, but he keeps his clothes/closet in the other one so he can get ready in the morning before I get up) and two bathrooms (we don’t share bathrooms at all), and a fair amount of storage area, so I knew we’d be able to do our own tasks and cover more area without being in each other’s way.  Some of the tasks are pretty open-ended (clean off one shelf), so we would each just pick a different shelf to handle.  Most of the tasks are supposed to take only 15-30 minutes, I’d guess, but if it’s a particular problem area, it will take longer. 

If there isn’t a second area that the task applies to, he just picks a different area to sort/clean.  For example, one task was clean out your spices/throw away old ones.  We actually have 2 places that we keep spices (we use A LOT of different spices), but it only made sense for one of us to do it (me, since I do most of the cooking and know what the spices are used for).  So he chose to sort through old pants in his closet (he had A LOT!).  I think he even had a pair of jorts – so you know they were old! 

One of the first tasks assigned on the decluttering calendar was cleaning the top shelf of the pantry.  Uh…my pantry was such a mess that I had no choice to clean out the WHOLE thing or else I wouldn’t have anywhere to put the stuff on the top shelf.  The pantry is as tall as the room, fairly deep (though not walk-in) and filled to the brim.  I usually have to sort through it once or twice a year to get it reorganized.  I haven’t done it since I’ve been gluten-free, so I had some things I pulled out that we need to plan to make for Lo or make and give to people (beer bread mix, cake mix, biscuit mix, etc).  Luckily I didn’t have a lot to deal with since we never ate a highly processed diet anyway.  I pulled those things, plus a few things just past or near the expiration date (but are still fine) and let them on the counter so I won't forget to use them or do something with them. 

Since I was already cleaning out the whole pantry, Lo chose to clean out his “junk” drawer, which resides in the top drawer of one of his dressers.  I’ve only ever looked in there a few times when looking for something specific, but if I know him, it was probably mostly filled with computer parts and various electronics pieces.  He cleaned it ALL out and it no longer has anything in it (or at least that is what he told me…I didn’t look). 

Later on that week the task was to sort through your canned goods, but since I did that with the pantry organization, I sorted through the basket of old mail/coupons that were on our baker’s rack in our dining room (kind of our entryway landing strip).  I think he sorted his basket of gloves/hats on the rack and also put away some things from the rack that were his. 

A couple of days into the tasks, and we already have several bags of things to donate!

Kitchen Reset!

I’m trying not to grocery shop much in the month of January. I want to go through some of the stock of food that we already have in the pantry and the freezer.  We have plenty of frozen beef, chicken, pork, and a little seafood, frozen veggies, frozen and canned soups, canned and dry beans, tomatoes, lentils, quinoa, oats, rice pasta, gluten-free pizza crusts, and snacks.  I really shouldn’t need much more than produce (I’ve been ordering through Green B.E.A.N. Delivery, so I actually get organic produce delivered), eggs, and other perishables.  I’m going to try to plan our meals around what we already have, unless there is a spectacular deal on something that we regularly buy.  If I do go to the store, I’ll try REALLY hard to only get what I NEED – though that is so hard for me because I like to stock up on good deals/sales!  Maybe I’ll have to send him to the store instead….