• Home
  • Get Started!
  • About
  • Blog
    • Cleaning
    • decluttering
    • organization
    • All posts
  • Podcast
  • Books
    • Organizing for the Rest of Us
      • Claim Your Preorder Bonus
    • Decluttering at the Speed of Life
    • How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind
  • Video
  • Shortcut Solutions
    • Take Your House Back
    • 14 Days to Opening Your Front Door to Guests e-book
    • Make Dinner Happen
    • The 5 Day Clutter Shakedown Video Course
    • Printable Checklists E-Book from A Slob Comes Clean
    • Teaching Kids to Clean e-book
    • Giving God the Worst of Me - free e-book
    • My Book Publishing Journey
  • Decluttering Coaches

Dana K. White

A SLOB COMES CLEAN

Reality-Based Cleaning, Decluttering, & Organizing

 

  • Contact
  • TV & Media
  • Speaking

  • Home
  • Get Started!
  • About
  • Blog
    • Cleaning
    • decluttering
    • organization
    • All posts
  • Podcast
  • Books
    • Organizing for the Rest of Us
      • Claim Your Preorder Bonus
    • Decluttering at the Speed of Life
    • How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind
  • Video
  • Shortcut Solutions
    • Take Your House Back
    • 14 Days to Opening Your Front Door to Guests e-book
    • Make Dinner Happen
    • The 5 Day Clutter Shakedown Video Course
    • Printable Checklists E-Book from A Slob Comes Clean
    • Teaching Kids to Clean e-book
    • Giving God the Worst of Me - free e-book
    • My Book Publishing Journey
  • Decluttering Coaches
Videos
Blog
Podcast
Products & Courses
Books
About
Decluttering Certification

Bringing Beauty Out of Hiding

January 14, 2010 By Dana White | 27 Comments

  • 1.1Kshares
  • 898
  • 1
  • 247

Bringing Beauty Out of Hiding at ASlobComesClean.com title
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.

 

I pulled EVERYTHING out and made enough piles to fill up the entire kitchen floor.

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 my foot.

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.”

And here are the after pictures:

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 wishingI had a tea kettle . . . .

This project did take several hours, but I’m so excited about the big results.
It reminded me that I have plenty of space, just way too much in it.
_________________________________
Check out my Decluttering page to see more of my decluttering projects and read what I’ve learned (from way too much experience) about how to declutter.

Save

Related Posts:

Read Newer Post Daily Checklist – Kids are home
Read Older Post Daily Checklist

Filed Under: a place for everything, decluttering, duh, progress | 27 Comments

Comments

  1. Diane says

    January 14, 2010 at 9:47 pm

    Looks awesome way to go !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  2. Buttercup says

    January 15, 2010 at 1:30 am

    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!

    Reply
  3. Nony says

    January 15, 2010 at 1:38 am

    Actually, it's Shakespeare. More my style!

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    January 15, 2010 at 2:05 pm

    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

    Reply
  5. Dusa says

    January 15, 2010 at 2:55 pm

    Woot! Looks great and I'm so glad you felt energized to do it! Way to go!!!

    Reply
  6. Julia Writer says

    January 15, 2010 at 5:38 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Natasha Celebrin says

      January 15, 2015 at 12:29 am

      Me too, and I despair when ever I have to find the little lid for the second biggest pot that is always at the back and everything bangs and crashes to the floor …. It’s loud and messy and makes me want to eat take out food. Every night.

      Reply
  7. Lenetta @ Nettacow says

    January 15, 2010 at 7:22 pm

    Awesome job!

    Reply
  8. houstonmom.wordpress.com says

    January 17, 2010 at 3:17 pm

    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.

    Reply
  9. Young Wife says

    February 2, 2010 at 1:56 am

    Way to go! I like the way you've decorated.

    Reply
  10. Christie says

    March 6, 2012 at 8:54 pm

    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!

    Reply
  11. Kristy K. James says

    November 17, 2013 at 4:35 am

    I definitely need to tackle ALL of my cupboards. I have stuff in the small cupboards above the stove/microwave and fridge that I haven’t seen in almost six years. Totally not looking forward to doing that…but I am looking forward to seeing how much space I can free up because your cupboards look so much neater than mine. 🙂

    Reply
  12. Kelekona says

    December 5, 2013 at 6:50 am

    Not having boxed dishes, empty storage boxes for displayed dishes, or even nice dishes not for everyday use in the kitchen is something I learned before moving out of my parents’ house. For some people, keeping the cookbooks someplace other than the kitchen is something that never occurred to them.

    My kitchen still isn’t great. I need to get the storage room to the point of being able to keep the “extra” pots accessible and neat… for that monthly occurrence when I really do want all four saucepans or three of the spaghetti pots going.

    Reply
  13. Leila says

    March 16, 2014 at 3:27 pm

    I love watching organizing shows. One thing I heard on one years go that stuck with me – “You are good enough for your good dishes.”

    Reply
  14. Linda W says

    January 13, 2015 at 10:33 am

    That was a great job that you did in your kitchen. It has inspired me to move some things around in mine. It is already looking nicer.

    Reply
  15. Karen says

    January 13, 2015 at 10:39 am

    Makes me glad I only have one cabinet that has a glass front, it is in the living area. Need to do the upper kitchen cabinets soon.

    Reply
  16. Nick says

    February 3, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    Thanks for the great tips! It seems like this all trickles down to clean everything in the kitchen. It declutters the counter because everything has a spot, and it optimizes doing dishes and unloading the dishwasher cause everything has a specific location! Thanks again!

    Reply
  17. Andrea says

    March 31, 2015 at 7:26 am

    Looks great!

    One suggestions; USE the China, USE the goblets! Once in ten years makes them mere decorations. Enjoy them! If something gets broken, so what, it’s been used and enjoyed!

    Reply
  18. gema says

    April 24, 2016 at 9:13 pm

    For me, the last step would be taking a picture and printing it. Tape it inside the door in hopes that other people might put things where they belong.

    Reply
  19. Gentle Joy Photography says

    July 13, 2017 at 9:40 am

    It is so nice to use things that have been stored… too many treasures can get hidden… and not be enjoyed. 🙂

    Reply
  20. Sarah says

    September 8, 2017 at 10:18 pm

    It’s so good to see I’m not the only one who is like this! You have no idea. Thank you

    Reply
  21. Fairfax Avenue says

    May 28, 2020 at 8:59 am

    “I have plenty of space, just way too much in it.” Thank you for this!

    Reply
  22. Murphy Rowan says

    May 28, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    Been stuck at home for California’s Shelter in Place since March 12th, I’ve making a pretty large collection of things to donate— 3 boxes and 2 Hefty bags so far! But there’s no donation “curbside pickup” at this time with the groups I was using before (Hope, Disabled Veyerans of America’s), and the places that accept drive-up donations have been closed for weeks. Any suggestions for groups that will still come get these things? I want it gone, that’s for sure!

    Reply
  23. Lora Leann says

    May 28, 2020 at 1:23 pm

    That’s a great idea! There might be hope for my family!

    Reply
  24. Jennifer Schrank says

    January 21, 2021 at 1:12 am

    Murphy Rowan
    Join your local buy nothing group on Facebook- most people do porch pickup. I have most often had local neighboring people pick up within a day. It’s been helping me to get rid of stuff! Some things have not been taken so I have taken them to a donation place now that they are open but knowing I am helping others take stuff I don’t need has been motivating for me in getting rid of a lot of stuff!

    Reply
  25. Arleen says

    October 28, 2021 at 5:40 pm

    How on earth can your kitchen cupboards look so much like mine? I haven’t cleaned mine out yet, but your photos are certainly a good incentive. Thanks.

    Reply
  26. Maesaysdoit says

    November 10, 2022 at 5:21 am

    Wowzah! Thanks for posting this. Just goes to show how decluttering doesn’t get old. Even though this is a post from a few years ago, it is still extremely relevant today.
    I’m getting on my kitchen cabinets this morning!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

A Slob Comes Clean is the completely honest (and never-ending) story of my deslobification process. As I find ways to keep my home under control, I share the truth about cleaning and organization methods that actually work for a real-life slob. And I'm funny.

About Dana Get Started

Solutions to Your Biggest Decluttering Problems:


The Container Concept Explained:

YouTube player

Dana's YouTube Channel

Popular Posts

Why-I-Have-To-Run-My-Dishwasher-Every-Single-Night-at-ASlobComesClean.com sidebar
Five Truths about a Clean Kitchen even without a dishwasher at ASlobComesClean.com sidebar
How to Clean a Messy House at ASlobComesClean.com sidebar

Topics:

blogcast Cleaning daily checklist decluttering failures figuring myself out kitchen laundry Menu Plan Monday organization parenting podcasts progress random stories reader stories recipes sponsored posts Uncategorized

Want solutions to your biggest decluttering problems?

Join the newsletter and I'll start by teaching you how to declutter without making a bigger mess.

  • Home
  • Get Started!
  • About
  • Blog
    • Cleaning
    • decluttering
    • organization
    • All posts
  • Podcast
  • Books
    • Organizing for the Rest of Us
      • Claim Your Preorder Bonus
    • Decluttering at the Speed of Life
    • How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind
  • Video
  • Shortcut Solutions
    • Take Your House Back
    • 14 Days to Opening Your Front Door to Guests e-book
    • Make Dinner Happen
    • The 5 Day Clutter Shakedown Video Course
    • Printable Checklists E-Book from A Slob Comes Clean
    • Teaching Kids to Clean e-book
    • Giving God the Worst of Me – free e-book
    • My Book Publishing Journey
  • Decluttering Coaches
Search

  • Contact
  • TV & Media
  • Speaking

© Dana K. White | Site by Little Leaf Design