This spot has been bugging me, big time, for several months. Looking at the picture, I’m sure you have no idea why.
But even though it irritated me, I didn’t do anything about it . . . other than to tell myself how I really needed to do something about it.
Hmmmph.
So, when I checked A Bowl Full of Lemons’ organizing challenge for the day, EVEN THOUGH it’s technically a holiday and holidays are one of my very best excuses to avoid cleaning . . . I knew that I should do it. (It’s so irritating when you’ve been waiting for a reason . . . and then the reason actually shows up.)
Her challenge today is to organize under the bathroom sink. This is technically not directly under the sink. It’s the area where, if I lived in a fairy tale, I would have a chair and sit down to do my make-up every morning.
I don’t live in a fairy tale, and face-painting is not a leisurely task around here.
So, in an effort to find more storage in my bathroom, I put in these handy-dandy shelves and started shoving things down there.
And boy, when it comes to shoving stuff in a designated area, I’m good.
There were several reminders of my grab-anything-I-can-get-for-free couponing days. Not that I’m against free, or that I won’t go back to getting freebies when my schedule changes again, but having stepped away from it for a while, I can see very clearly that I never really needed anti-itch-scalp-wipes.
I decided to donate the things that I “bought” over a year ago and still have never used. I threw away things that couldn’t be donated, like the unopened sample bottle of excedrin, which expired last year and whose packaging had been used as a lip blotter.
Yes, I have issues.
I then followed my own decluttering questions and took things to their proper homes. The guitar strap went to the . . . guitar. (Don’t worry. I’m confused too.) And the dustbuster charging station went to the dustbuster.
The dustbuster which hasn’t been used in a very long time, perhaps several years, because I didn’t know where the charger was. Now, if there is a challenge to go back and see if your dustbuster really does work once it’s charged, maybe I’ll remember to check on that.
Otherwise . . .
And here is the after picture:
Far from an organizer’s dream, but I’m pleased because I purged all of the unnecessary stuff that I’d been holding onto for years.
I thought about calling it quits after that success, but since I could reach my actual under-the-sink cabinet without getting up, I decided to give it a straightening as well.
I purged several lotions which smell good, but I’m always too afraid to use for fear that they’ll get my allergies going. I put my bubble bath by . . . . the bathtub.
Novel idea.
Maybe that way I’ll remember I have it.
So excited to find a big bottle of conditioner that I didn’t know I had!
I also found something that I had to pull out completely before I realized what it was. It looked totally unfamiliar to me.
It’s a handy-dandy L.L. Bean travel case, with all the doo-dads-and-pockets-and-such that an organized person (like my mother) could dream of.
Too bad you also have to be organized enough to store it somewhere where you’ll remember you have it.
All in all, I mostly purged and straightened, and didn’t do any container-izing or labeling.
I’m good with that.
Go check out more Under the Bathroom Sink Projects at A Bowl Full of Lemons.
Great job!
My husband and I both have LLBean travel cases like that and love them – you'll be so happy you found it on your next vacation!
You did terrific!!
As always, your cleaning adventures always remind me of my own. I have tackled many of the challenges. I blame it on not having a blog… Nothing for me to link up and such (yup, I use almost anything as an excuse)… Plus I'm always looking at what everyone else did. I am making an attempt at organizing – I actually bought some containers to put in drawers. They made it in from the car (huge success), now we will see if they make it out of the bag…this year… I always enjoy your posts!
The travel case goes in your suitcase. It took me years to figure this out….
Great job! The weirdest crap gets thrown under bathroom sinks. So glad I found your blog, going to follow now 🙂 Love finding people who make me feel like I'm not the only one. If that makes sense.
Good job in conquering that. But you know what? You can consense it even more!
With some clear $1 store shoe boxes (on the left of the wire shelf) you can put the smaller items. Label the outside with masking tape and a marker, washi tape for more fun prints or if you have one, a label machine (get your kiddos involved).Stack the boxes to the top if necessary. This allows the rack side for more storage. Horizontal items, if need be. And if there is enough space, pull the rack forward and store the pad bags behind it. Stacked, of course. Everything you need is all in one place. “Like” items are stored together and it gives you more room in the other(now empty) space. Yay!
The travel kit should either be put directly into luggage – like another reader stated. Or you can get Command hooks (they are removable)and hang it on the cabinet door inside. Fill the travel kit with travel sized items you store/need for a trip. Not only does it gives the small items “a place” but when travelling, all you need to do is grab it and go because it is already set up!
I think the best tip for organized travel is to take that great LL BEAN bag and fill it with all the toiletries you would need for a trip with little notice-like I had to do a few weeks ago. It was great to be able to just grab and go! Travel size shower supplies, toothbrush, paste, deodorant, etcetera. And I keep more stuff than might be needed-ie the sunscreen was not needed for this last trip, but it’s far easier to pull something out than to rember to add it in 🙂
Great job Nony..looks awesome…so clean…and a bonus finding things you didn’t know you had…????????
Jill, it took me 6 years to get here, but yes, I agree with trying to keep the cool travel thingy ready to go.
In my big guest room closet declutter combined with bathroom cupboard declutter (just…. because), I was able to donate and toss so many travel things that might have been useful in case I am ever able to travel again. Someday. 🙂
I now have one small-ish container that has to hold ALL of my travel stuff, neck pillow, European plug-in chargers and converters, sample sizes and you get the idea.
Dana’s “container concept” saved my sanity AGAIN! And my closet and bathroom feel so much more peaceful!
I really did laugh out loud when I saw the lipstick on the excedrin package. I’m so glad I’m reading your blog. You make me laugh, make me feel normal & give me so much hope (while laughing).