I started doing some random decluttering this morning, and ended up very happy with big results.
I began by moving some glass goblets that I had purchased at the Dollar Tree a while back because I “didn’t have any nice glasses to use with my formal china.” I learned this three Thanksgivings ago when we used our formal china for the first and only time in our 10 year marriage. I was planning to move the Dollar Tree glasses to the china cabinet (seen above) in the dining room.
I took them off of a shelf in the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher. Since this freed up that shelf, I looked in the cabinet below to see if there was something hiding in that mass of “stuff” that could be displayed in their place. I found . . . . crystal glasses that we received for our wedding. Beautiful, expensive and very sparkly. Just a teensy bit nicer than the ones from the Dollar Tree. And hidden in boxes for 10 years. So I decided to put THOSE in the china cabinet instead. I then found another box of them, as well as several EMPTY boxes. Grrr. The empty boxes were for crystal candlesticks, which I received TONS of at our wedding. But I’ve had the candlesticks out and displayed for several years now. As a group of varying sizes, I really like them.
So why exactly was I keeping/storing/ignoring those boxes?
Removing them left all of this space:
Ahhhh, space.
Well now I was motivated.
I’ve been meaning to/planning to purge the lower cabinets in the kitchen. Forget getting up early to start breakfast for the family if I plan to use ANY pots or pans. Nobody could sleep through the racket that it makes when I have to dig around and pull something out.
I knew that there were quite a few things in there that I needed to get rid of, but I really had no idea how much.
A garage sale pile
A trash pile, including coupons that expired in 2007, assembly instructions for a toy we sold in a garage sale in 2008, and a disposable pan that should have been “disposed” a long time ago.
And then this pile above. My favorite pile. I call it the “Why the blankety-blank do I even have this stuff?” pile. Don’t worry, the words in my mind were actually “blankety-blank.”
Yes, I did put the tea kettle and the duck-tray back. When I saw how much room I had, I decided to keep them. Just a few days ago I was wishing I had a tea kettle . . . .
Looks awesome way to go !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I sooo need to do this too! That looks great!
Is that Beethoven on your piano? My dad has the exact same bust on his piano! I totally forgot about it until I saw this picture!
Actually, it's Shakespeare. More my style!
can I have some of your energy. I sure need to do that at my house. I did really good on Tuesday and haven't touch anything else since. So today plan is rescue the house and start decluttering Kitchen, my room and living/dining room is on list today. Finish laundry
Woot! Looks great and I'm so glad you felt energized to do it! Way to go!!!
I have a pots and pans cupboard just like your before pic. It drives me crazy, I'm sure if I went through it, I would find a dozen things that I never use but just clutter it up.
Awesome job!
My pot/pan cabinet looks like your before shot. This week I'm going to tackle it. I clean it out about every 6 months, but this is one spot that just gets undone so easily.
I love your pics.
Way to go! I like the way you've decorated.
It makes me feel SO good to know that I’m not the only one who loses things for years, buys things I already have, and has empty boxes sitting around (or half full ones!) so long they’ve become family members. Your blog gives me such hope!