Under the Skin

I can't even tell you how much I recommend this 40 Bags in 40 Days thing.  I have felt so much catharsis as I clear out places of my apartment that I didn't even realize were cluttered. I have gotten rid of a lot of stuff that I didn't even realize wasn't really contributing to my life.  I'm not one of those people who finds value in living out of a suitcase, nor am I really a hoarder, but I once heard it described as if the object doesn't give you joy, it's detracting from your joy.  So, I have been really trying to use that.  I am trying not to look at "could I someday find a use for this," but can I see a use for in the very soon future, or is it just taking up space? I cleaned out my couch shelves today.  As I told you on Saturday, you will be jealous that I have couch shelves, and you will want them too.  My sister built this for me, but I think furniture companies need to catch on, because this is one of my favorite things in my apartment.  C...

I know.  I missed a day.  But part of the rules of 40 Bags in 40 Days says that there is to be absolutely NO guilt for "missing days."  You just pick it up where you left off the next day.  So, that's what I'm doing.  Continuing with my left-hand book shelf. My sister, Beth, and I built my desk.  Or rather, Beth built my desk and I assisted, because she builds things from plans she made up, and I am spatially defunct in the brain.  But because of that, I have a massive desk-shelf monstrosity which I love.  But, that's what I mean by left book shelf.  I love the thing. I was actually surprised at how much stuff from the bookshelf I let go.  I thought I would fiercely hold on to all of it, but I actually achieved quite a good declutter. True, most of it was Sunday School manuals from years past, me reasoning that those will easily be available on line whenever I want them, and I could get a new one for next year if I don't  have a...

The linen closet.  The bane of everyone's existence.  This is probably, hands down, the most cluttered place in my home, and everyone else's.  So cluttered, that I'm doing it in shifts.  Today was the top two shelves. Before:  After: I know what you're going to say. "Hannah, it looks exactly the SAME!"  Yes, it does.  But here's what I decluttered: 1) Expired medications, contacts and empty packages.  Please note:  expired OTC medications are usually not dangerous.  They just significantly decrease in effectiveness.  So, I trashed them (appropriately) 2) Four (yes, count them, four) sticks of cherry chapstick.  I hate cherry chapstick.  I really do.  I think it is pretty much the epitome of nasty.  Unfortunately, cherry chapstick comes in the chapstick three pack that also includes spearmint (my third favorite), and strawberry (my second favorite).  And there is no other...

No pictures today, as we have a virtual one. The downloads folder.  That's that folder on your computer that you NEVER empty out.  Seriously, I had things in there from September.  And that's when I changed my computer operating system.  Most of the things here have permanent homes, but are still sitting in this holding ground, cluttering up your computer, taking up space, and basically making a black mark on your organization. So, I did that.  I also found one thing that I needed that I hadn't saved (a certificate for a webinar that I sat through and really want credits for towards my recertification as a medical lab scientist come 2017), and a couple of programs that I hadn't put back since my computer died in the Windows 10 update that I should have there. I call it a success. Join me tomorrow as I clean out something very cluttery. The top two shelves of my linen closet.

A couple of words today as I cleaned out my bedroom closet.  First, since starting my 40 Bags in 40 Days quest, I have run into a very wonderful problem.  My coat closet it overflowing with my thrift store box!  I have nowhere left to put clutter leaving my apartment.  Today, the things that I decluttered got stuffed into the box haphazardly.  Second, part of this was not as productive as it could have been, because I only got rid of the clothes that I hands down do not like.  Because I was already doing a clothing declutter program in which you turn all of your hangers backwards at the beginning of the year, and then turn them forwards when you wear it.  Anything not facing forwards in June, you obviously don't wear (because you have hit all the major weathers by that point), and can be thrown away.  Of course, evening gowns, temple dresses (even though I have been keeping up with wearing that regularly per one of my goals) and seasonal things (l...

Today the biggest part was cleaning out the candy stash.  I just amassed candy from Halloween, activities with kids, and more. But, a lot of it isn't candy I love, and it just sits there.  So, I only kept the candy that would actually give me legitimate joy to eat, and the rest I took to work. Yes, I did. Before:   After:    (NOTE:  I have more pans.  They are just not clean right now) So, there you have it.  Join us tomorrow when I clean out my closet!

I can't even believe all of the trash that I have managed to remove from my apartment in the past just-over-a-week.  And it's even crazier to think about all the stuff that I have yet to remove from my apartment.  Because really, it doesn't look all that different!  Part of that may be that I was planning on really cleaning it up while I was off.  But I have spent most of my four-days off (yeah, I know), being sick, or just recovering from my nine-on-one-off-three-on-nine-off.  We had four off so that I can go into my ten on tonight.  Ugh. But, today, I cleaned out my file box.  I'm sure everyone has one of these.  This is the place where you store all your financial records, titles, licenses, certifications, that sort of stuff.  Well, I cleaned it.  Now, there's some level of just inherent clutter in this, as you should save financial records for a hoarder-amount of time.  But, I did get a lot of stuff out of this box that I just...