Under the Skin

I have something frightening to tell you all.  We are three months into the New Year. That meas that it's time to recommit to those New Year's Resolutions.  For those who are not familiar with me, I evaluate myself on my New Year's Resolutions every three months, because the most common reason for me not meeting my New Year's Resolutions is that I forget what they were. So....let's see how I am doing. Health Goals Eat at least one meal every day: Ugh...I'm not doing super well on this one. Carry around a water bottle: I have moments.  I've been doing terribly this week, as I left my water bottle at my Irish dance studio...the week that we have no class (due to last week's terror) Remain at a weight that I am happy with:  I have actually lost weight.  But I have no feelings about that really.  It just happened because I have been dancing a lot more...and maybe because I don't eat food.  I have to be healthy, and I'm happy with that...

The good news:  I know what to do with that day that I was afraid I wouldn't know what to do with.  The bad news:  It's because my Document clean out was so intense that I didn't get it all done.  I did make it so that everything is in folders--but probably need some foldering within the folders, and I deleted probably 0.5 GB of duplicate or unneeded data. I also found a recording of an interview with  my grandma that my sister made, that I don't know how it got on my computer.  But I will now transcribe it. I need more time to go through this all.  But I made good progress.

I know that I said that today I would be cleaning out my food storage containers.  But you know how sometimes you write a note to yourself or put something on your to-do list and then realize that you have no idea what you were talking about? (At least I hope I'm not the only one that does that).  Well, today I realized that I was in that boat.  I had no idea what I was going on about.  So, instead, I cleaned out my pantry.  And the day that I was supposed to clean out my pantry...well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.  It turns out that it is a very bad idea to clean out your tall, deep pantry, however, when you are 5'1'' and did 6 Irish dance shows yesterday because you have to climb up and down the chair you're standing on.  I already woke up walking like an old person (and somehow need to not be walking like an old person by 7pm tonight when we have another show).  However, here's before and after: Before: After:  ...

I have been neglecting my Decluttering Duties.  But maybe I should explain it this way:  I have just had one of the WORST weeks on imaginable.   Combine that with the fact that I'm an Irish dancer, and this week is St. Patrick's Day.   I won't go into details, but between my daytime nap yesterday and my night sleep last night, I slept for nineteen hours!  Tomorrow will be similarly neglected because of St. Patrick's Day...I will be gone all day....but today, I did do something.  I cleaned out the drawers under my bed. I have a captain's style bed.  We talked about how I like the look of tidy, utilized space.  So, the idea of basically sleeping on top of your dresser is very appealing to me.  Before: After: Yes, I only ditched a few un-used shirts, but I also got rid of those two tops.  Yes, THOSE two.  You all knew this, I'm sure, but I'm Mormon.  When Mormons reach a certain age, they go through the temple ("receivi...

So today was very small.  I decluttered my computer desktop which also includes my recycle bin.  It looks clean!  YAY! Join me on Monday when I clean out the drawers for my clothes under my bed.

Sorry that I missed a few days.  But I am trying to remember to not feel guilty about that.  That was one of the stipulations of 40 Bags in 40 Days.  You don't feel guilty about missing days.  Anyhow, I've been either busy or drop-dead tired.  If those are excuses.  Also, I've been dreading this clean up.  The right-hand shelf of my desk.  Part of it was because I have been doing so well at getting rid of things I don't need, that looking at a place where it looked so cluttered, but I couldn't really see anything that I didn't want/need, was a bit discouraging. Then I had to reframe.  Because I have gotten rid of a lot of stuff that I don't want or need, and I don't regret any of it--I LOVE the feeling.  But, on the other hand, my apartment is not bursting at the seams.  No one is about to call Hoarders on me.  And there is nothing wrong with having an emotional attachment to objects--it's all about balance.  So, if I wa...

Today was another virtual day.  I cleaned out my programs on my computer.  You know how you have programs that come with your computer that just sit there.  Well, I got rid of them.  I didn't want them there.  So they are gone. Join me tomorrow as I clean the right-hand side of my shelf.

Today, I gave myself a quick one, thinking that I wouldn't really have much time.  Well, it turns out that due to the very noisy children upstairs, I actually had mountains of time as I didn't sleep.  But I stuck with the schedule.  So, today, I cleaned out under the kitchen sink.  Mostly, the only clutter that lives under the kitchen sink is grocery bags.  I use them like trash bags, but apparently I don't generate enough trash.  So, they just accumulate under there. So, I got rid of half of them or so.  Maybe more, maybe less.  Other than that, all I did was clean up some gunk and take out the trash.  But, though grocery bags have been one of those things that needles me every time I open the doors under the sink, so I say we have achieved something. Before: After: Join me tomorrow when I get rid of unused programs on my computer. That will be a short one, I think.

We are halfway there.  Today, I cleaned out old computer files of pictures.  Tons of stuff just laying around.  I don't have much to say about that, but it was probably a gig of junk deleted from my computer files.

For all of those who are wishing that I would just get back to blog business as usual, too bad.  This is my accountability.  I am only sticking with it because I know that you would all know that I'm a quitter.  So, we only have 21 more days.  We're almost halfway there, but I would encourage anyone and everyone to start their own 40 days.  I am starting to swear by this thing.  So many things that I never thought I would be able to let go of I have let go of with out looking back.  I haven't regretted anything yet. Today, I cleaned out  my laundry closet. The major thing cluttering up my laundry closet was all of my painting supplies.  Sigh.  I don't need those things--they served their purpose.  But I don't know that a DI is the best place for those either.  So, in keeping with my theme of think of someone who can legitimately use it, I emailed the theatre teacher at Olympus High School to ask if they could use any of it....

Wow!  Today was quite the day of decluttering.  A lot went in the recycle bin, a fair bit went in the DI, and a huge stack went to another place, which I will talk about below. I decluttered my desk.  I'm sure we all know what desks can get like.  Well, mine is like that.  Before: After: And this is the pile that I am doing something special with.  I am not crafty.  As in, not at all crafty.  I'm not being modest or something like that.  But sometimes I have to buy a craft item for something I need for primary or my camp or such.  One SPECIFIC craft item for one SPECIFIC craft project.  I keep it all, thinking that I could use it again.  I don't ever use it again.  But, though I have no problem donating things to thrift stores, if there is a specific place that could use it, I like to do that instead.  Plus I don't know that craft items are best served being donated to a thrift store.  So, instea...

As well as decluttering my coat closet today, I was cleaning my apartment.  I found myself doing some very strong "decluttering" as just part of my daily tasks.  I think this is a good sign for the future. The biggest thing I had to declutter about my coat closet though was actually taking my DI donations that I have accumulated during the first 16 days of 40 Bags to the DI.  One small moving box and one large garbage bag were taken to the DI!  Also, I still have a bottle of lighter fluid free to a good home. Before: After: Tomorrow, we will be cleaning out my desk.  Sigh.  That will be crazy.

Today's decluttering mostly consisted of putting things back where they belong, but it still counts. I chose to declutter the headboard of my bed. But, it was the first day of my seven off (aka my five off...we're short-staffed).  The objective of first day off is to switch your sleep schedule, so usually you just do things that serve the purpose of keeping you awake.  And sometimes (a lot of times), this means that you don't really do productive things, because you can't let yourself get sleepy.  And after seven on (or ten on as it is today), you feel like you're entitled to just do nothing for a day (though I did fold my laundry, volunteer in a sixth grade classroom and I did do my Irish dance practice).  So, you know it is a first day off when one of the major objectives of the day is to make cupcakes for no reason, and the biggest decision you face is whether to fold the laundry before or after your three hour nap (I allow myself a nap unless I have company to k...