I’ve already told you how I was in a funk on Saturday.
A what-is-the-POINT kind of funk.
Unfortunately, I know just how to cure those kinds of funks.
Declutter.
So I did. I decided I was FINALLY going to FINISH the HUGE project in my gameroom.
The one I’d been pretending wasn’t noticable because of the screen in front of it.
I . . . am a master of delusions.
When I looked behind the (rather whompey-jawed) screen, I saw that “before” scene above.
So I started with what was easy. I put the over-flowing donatable Donate Box in the bigger box I’d designated for this project. Then, just like last time, I started going through the clutter item by item.
It’s true I had big plans to FINISH this project that day. But . . . I still stuck with my methods that keep me from making a bigger mess than I had when I started. My big plans don’t always work out the way I plan.
I found quite a few things that had a “where would I look for it first” place to go. So I took them there. 
Photos go in the photo cabinet, and office supplies go in the newly designated office supply drawer.
Oh, the temptation to put those photos in albums . . .
But that wasn’t my project for the day. And now, once I get into the mood to organize pictures, I’ll know right where these are!
And then there were the angsty items. The things that were in that corner because I wanted to keep them. See, that corner is very near the ONLY storage cabinet in my entire house.
Blech.
So I opened up that cabinet just to see if anything in there was easy. Y’know, so I could make room for these not-easy things.
I decided these frames I got at a garage sale (at least four years ago) but that I’d never painted or used could go. They were easy.
(Not easy the first three times I kept them during other decluttering projects, but easy now. And that’s okay.)
And then there were just a few things left:
Upon closer inspection, they even turned out to be easy!
Pre-school learning stuff (that my kids have outgrown) and my postal scale (from my eBay days).
I was sad, but I put the ENTIRE box of learning stuff into the Donate Box. Plastic tub and all. I smiled, thinking of a young mama being so excited to find ALL of it together in a thrift store, in its very own box! (Not that the thrift store people will keep it together, but I can daydream it however I want!)
And the postal scale had a “place where I’d look for it first” right on top of the bookshelf nearby.
Here’s the after picture:
Except it’s not a “done” picture.
Because up on that cabinet to the left? This:
Blergh.
Item by item, I donated, tossed and relocated everything on there.
Ahhhhh, much better:
From the original angle:
And I’m . . . a Happy Declutterer!
What have you decluttered lately?
Fantastic job of getting that space decluttered!! Yes, someone will be thrilled to find all those preschool learning activities IN THE BOX. I don’t know that I could have dontated the bin since I love my bins!
Nice!
I love how you keep it real.
Looks great! Now I think you can even get rid of that screen since you have nothing to hide back there anymore 😉
Nice job finishing that space! I am working on de-cluttering my “office”. It’s not even functionable as an office right now, it more like a storage space. I’d like to get it cleaned up enough to function as an office and I’m getting closer all the time.
Good for you for not giving in and giving up! I did some decluttering recently and something worked for me that made the decisions easier this time. We have a local pregnancy crisis center and I happen to know women who volunteer there. They hold a yearly garage sale that helps fund their costs for the building, utilities, and things like pregnancy tests. Some of those items I previously just couldn’t let go of (they were pretty/nifty, I had some money invested in them and felt I should sell them to get my money back and things like that). But knowing that several of the items would bring in quite a few dollars to benefit this worthwhile cause made me able to let go the items I couldn’t previously. It was such a relief. I was even able to get rid of expensive gifts that I just didn’t use and were stored. And best of all I was able to donate a cross-stitch picture that was extremely special but just sat in storage. My mother in law was the head of our hospital’s OB ward and I had made this really nice picture about babies that was hung in the hospital. When my mother in law retired, she loved the picture so much that she brought it home. After she passed, I got it back, but I was not going to display it in my home. My husband was VERY sentimental over it. Well, with his reluctant permission, I donated it to the crisis center. It is placed in the room where the moms view a film that shows the development of babies in the womb and also where she gets the news resulting from her pregnancy test. My mother in law was a huge supporter of this center, and I can think of no better way to honor her memory than that. Even my husband said that it was great how things turned out. So, I have a new way of thinking of ridding myself of expensive/special clutter that sure does the world a lot more good than sitting in my house unused.
I LOVE this story!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
You are so welcome, Dana! I have learned SO much from your blog and I feel we have a kindred spirit. Thanks to you I am motivated to get moving and do those mundane daily things that I just didn’t see were the heart of housekeeping. Getting a few things done faithfully every day has been the key. Now I have time, inspiration, and it fuels my energy to take on projects that just overwhelmed previously. Who knew it could be SO simple. 🙂
Not at the picture taking stage yet….. but you have given me HOPE that I can make headway! I started with a box at work by my desk…..shredded and recycling…. little bit by little bit 🙂
Little bit by little bit is the best way!!
My favorite thing about you Noni (other than your great sense of humor) is that your “after” pictures look like a REAL house that REAL people actually LIVE in, not some ridiculously perfect Home Beautiful Magazine picture that is simply unattainable. Thank you for that!
This is so inspiring! I think I’ll tackle my craft corner when I get home tonight!
I can almost see the top of my dresser again! Can’t see the bed again, but…. 3 Big garbage bags of clothes to donate. 1 bag that were just crap and I couldn’t figure out why I was still hanging on to the threadbare, see-thru College Freshman Initiation t-shirt I got 21 years ago – like I would ever fit in it again! I can’t even tell that I got rid of 4 huge garbage bags of stuff. Now, I have to go back through the piles on my bed and actually put them away IN the dresser. This whole idea of not living from the mounded piles ON the dresser or from the clean clothes basket is pretty revolutionary to me. I’ll see if I can survive the shock. I will share this funny image, however. I sorted all the clothes in my room (ok, sweater shelf, on the dresser, and in the dresser – scared of the closet) in my bra and undies, because I had to try everything on to see if it fit. If it didn’t, it was gone. No more of the “I’ll wear it when I fit in it!” Nope. When I fit back in it, I’m buying new stuff and getting rid of the too big stuff!
Thanks so much for keeping it real!
I’ve been slowly decluttering along with keeping up with a few other things. What difference it has made.
I’ve decluttered my closet and was able to donate clothes that are too big and purses that are my obsession to the battered women’s shelter.
I also did a kitchen cupboard with cookbooks, cups and sports bottles. I was able to donate those there as well.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Still decluttering a little here, a little there. I’m still doing the easy stuff and moving to the next spot when I get stuck. Instead of making the big mess and making myself crazy. It is working! 😀 house is so much better. And I totally agree the next time I come back to the same spot as the month before I realize I don’t need that “—-” like I thought I did. <3
Continuing the pre-move purge, I went thru all the closets w/my clothes and tried on every item (except the ones I decided to donate before even trying on) and at the end of several weeks and 10+charity collections, let go of many sweaters (moving to a warmer climate), jeans, skirts, and all other categories, some items so old, they had my name tags from college sewed in, and all but a few very sentimental went into the boxes. Both kids visited for a couple of weekends and we went thru the boxes in the garage & attic too, some that had gone into non-temporary storage in 2000, so 14 years makes a big difference. I also contacted Homeschool associations and gave 33 boxes of kid and homeschooling books and school supplies.. Felt much better than just putting the boxes in with the general Salvation Army/Am Vets/ Vietnam Vets/Lupus/Purple Heart/Goodwill clothes/toys/books/etc collections. Also listed w/ FreeCycle & some bigger items with CraigsList. Anyway, at the time of our second mover estimator, he lowered our weight by 4000 pounds YAY!!
We are now all boxed up and living in a house with walls of boxes, the truck comes tomorrow, wish us luck!