January 20

Yes, I admit I slacked off already for a bit.  But in my defense we were pretty busy and then we had the stomach virus come through here.

This past week I have been working on cleaning out all of the old paperwork and files and drawers and such.  Since I am now a permanent employee I am getting rid of all of the stuff that the last couple temps and last permanent employee (who retired) left behind.  I am also organizing it the way I want it set up.  I really didn't want to go through the effort of tossing and organizing and then not having a job in the end.  And also for the first few months I was there I wasn't sure what I would need and what I wouldn't.  It feels good opening drawers and things are all neat and tidy.

I am off on Fridays so today instead of doing one shelf in a cupboard, I cleaned out the whole food/medicine cupboard in the kitchen.

Here are the before pics:

The above picture is the right side 2 bottom shelves.  The bottom shelf is a various mess of different tea's and stuff.  The second shelf is all of our basic family medicines and such.  As I was going through everything I was also throwing out expired stuff.

This is the left side of the cupboard and it is all food items shoved in and in no particular order. Fruits, soups, veggies, condiments all mixed together.

This is my cupboard after:

The left bottom shelf contains tuna, veggies and a few other odd items.  The next shelf up is all soups and at the top is all pasta, rice and dressing.

For the right bottom shelf I took a page out of Shannon's book (or blog) and bought a small bin which now contains all of our medicines.  The two containers to the left of it contain all of the different teas and sweeteners.  Above that is fruit, pb & jelly and a few decorative jars I wasn't sure what to do with.  At the top is boxed sides, desserts and dips.

I kind of felt like Julia Roberts in Sleeping with the Enemy as I was putting everything away.  I made them all face front and be pretty even. I am pretty sure when I get back from the next grocery trip the cans will not be all nice and front and center.

-Stacy

January 10

First I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my hubby!  

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a few, let's say, issues. If you know anything about me or have been reading here for a while you know I have bathroom issues (as in I do not use public restrooms).

I also have hand-washing issues.  It is nothing for me to ask someone if they washed their hands after they have come out of the restroom or before they prepare food.

I must also tell my kids things are yucky or dirty and need thrown out.  I guess I didn't realize I was doing this until Little S was helping me clean out my end table drawer the other day.

There was a bunch of papers and stuff in there that needed thrown out or put in the proper place.  As we got to the bottom of the drawer he noticed some coins scattered around and asked if he could have them.  I looked and it was mostly pennies and nickles and a few dimes and quarters.  It probably only amounted to less that $2.00 so I told him he could have it.

As he is digging through he found a penny that was dirty and well worn and he said to me that we should probably throw it away since it is so yucky.

My poor kids, I have ruined them.  How sad is it that he would rather throw dirty money away than keep it?  Granted it was only a penny but still.

Have you ruined any of your kids? If so, how?

-Stacy

January 9

In my post yesterday I talked about the mug rug that was on my night stand. My Mum let me know that she actually has tons of these hexagon's as well as the loom and a square loom.  The problem is that she does not have the instructions on how to put them together to make a blanket.

So here is where you all come in. I know many of you are crafty people as well as knitters, crocheters and sewers.  Do any of you have a website that gives instructions on this type of crafting?  I have looked all over and cannot find anything.  It is called a hexagon lap loom.  My great grandma had made other blankets with them so we know that they were made for this.  And my Mum knows how to make more if needed so she just needs to know how to connect them.

Also after reading the many comments yesterday about my empty night stand I took a few suggestions and put a nice picture in a frame on the other side.  Now it looks complete and not empty.  Thanks to those that suggested it!

Stacy

January 8

I opened my email this afternoon and my Mum had asked my why I stopped updating my blog.  I think she is just anxious to see my mess...lol  Actually Thursday I was super busy and Friday I wasn't feeling well so I did 2 area's yesterday.

First was the top drawer of my nightstand.  I have a habit of stuffing stuff in the top drawer until later.  It was so stuffed that I was unable to close the drawer the whole way anymore :(    So here is the before: 

Not sure if you can see it or not but behind the drawer was some additional stuff that had fallen behind and under the drawer actually preventing it from closing.  I threw a ton of stuff out and here is the after picture:

I think I have way too many highlighters.  My asked for and got some for Christmas for school, I should have just cleaned my drawer sooner and given him some.

After the drawer I tackled the top of the stand. I clean the top off every couple months because I often stack and avoid.  I set things there to deal with later and often the time passes before I deal with whatever it is. Mostly it is kids book order forms and catalogs from different in home parties.  By the time I look through them again it is too late to order books or the party has closed.  

I honestly think I do it cause I don't have the money at the time to order and I think if I set it there some how the money will magically appear before the deadline.  Guess that is one way to save money I don't have :)

Anyhow here is the before:

Notice the school papers almost on top and I guess it is kind of a catch all for everything else I use at night. Lotions, room spray, vicks, Motrin, hand sanitizer, and I ALWAYS have a drink with me at night.

So after adding to the first bag of garbage and putting things where they really belong this is the after:

Lots of room now.  And my kindle can set there without fear of it falling.  See that mug rug on the right?  My great grandma made that a long time ago.  After she passed we were going through some of her craft stuff and there were a few of these in there.  There weren't enough to put a blanket together but I took a few and use them for coasters. 

As I look at this picture now I see that I still have stuff on that table.  For some reason I think I have a fear of it being empty.  There is actually no need for the nail polish to set there or the other 3 bottles.  Wonder why I have a need to have stuff around.  To me this is a clean table but I am sure to many of you it is still cluttered.  I really think it would bother me if it were completely empty.  

I could easily put my Kindle in my drawer and the nail polish in the cupboard on my headboard.  In fact I am going to do that right now and take a new pic of it completely clean.  

For some reason it bothers me that it is so empty :(    

What about you? What is on your nightstand?  Is it empty or are there certain things that you have to have on it?

Stacy

January 4

Wednesday's are always busy days here. We recently got a new Children's Ministry Director husband and wife team and they are doing wonderful things with our kids.

Our mid-week children's program starts at 5pm with Bible Quizzing, then at 6pm we have dinner, 6:30pm is Worship songs and a puppet show, from 7pm-8pm is class time with a rotating 20 min recreation time.  It is a lot of fun and believe it or not it goes by very fast.

We used to have just our 7-8pm class time.  When they presented us with the new schedule and I saw how long it was I thought it would drag on and that no one would show up for the whole time....i know, Ms. Negative Nelly here :(

But I am glad to say that we have had over half of the kids show up for the Bible Quizzing and then the rest of the kids plus many new faces have started to filter in between 6pm and 7pm.  It was also made very clear at the beginning that no one is required to come all 3 hours.  You are free to just do the Bible Quizzing or just the class time or anything in between.

We recently received a schedule of all of the events for the rest of the year and every month is at least one activity in addition to the Wednesday night program.  I am so excited to be part of a growing and loving church.  

Now on to today's assignment: Declutter the top shelf of one of your cabinets.

Being that this is a busy day for us, I decided to declutter the headboard of my bed.  I took a before picture but some how I took it without the SD card in the camera and I can't figure out how to retrieve it.  And Teen isn't home to help.

All I can say is that it was full of books and papers and lots of dust.  I sure wish I had a before picture to share, but here is the after:

I even cleaned out the cupboards and they are now both empty as well.  I think this is probably the first time it has been this empty since we moved in here.  The only thing on the shelf behind the pillows is a tissue box, the two tv remotes and Little S's bedtime devotions book.

-Stacy

January 3

Today's assignment is to clean off the top of a cabinet.  I actually do not have any cabinet tops that are accessible.  Our kitchen cabinets are built in so that is one thing that I can not clutter ;)

Today was the first day back to school for the kids and my first day back at work but now as an official "PSU" employee.  The kids didn't give me trouble at all this morning but it is only 6:30 and the little one is already crabby.  I imagine he will be in bed early and will be a bear to get up tomorrow.

So since I don't have an assignment to do today, I thought I would ask a question instead.

If you could pick your own name or change it now, what would your new name be and why?

I used to think that I would change my name, but I am pretty attached to it now and I wouldn't change it.

-Stacy

January 2

We were lazy all morning and didn't get moving until after 11 this morning.  But once we got moving we got a lot accomplished.

The boyz finished straightening their room and I got the kitchen straightened up.

Then we were off to the bargain theater ($3 per show and includes a popcorn) to see Arthur Christmas. It was a really cute movie.

When we got home I looked on my clutter calendar and it says that I was to set up a "Donation Station". Well, I didn't actually get that set up. 

However, I did get Little S's new desk all organized and ready for when he starts back to school.  He got a new light for the desk and tons of supplies for Christmas.  Pencils, paper, crayons, colored pencils, stapler, glue sticks and anything else he will need.  Along with a few art supplies and Crayola stations.

Then I went to the closet and pulled out the sweeper and saw this mess: 

And this was after I pulled the Dyson, the cat carrier and a few other things out.  The shelf on the right was stacked with things also.  I decided to take before and after pictures after I had started to unload everything.

After I pulled everything out, we ate dinner and played a game of Headbands.  It was a little hard at first but we got the hang of it. And it was fun playing a game while we ate.  We may have to do it again in the future.

Then I got back to the closet.  I filled a garbage bag full of stuff and then put numerous things in their rightful place and this is what it looks like now:

Much much better.  Everything is in it's place and there is room leftover for the roaster pan on the shelf to the right.

It's nice to think that I can open the door and nothing is going to fall out at me and I don't have to shove everything to get the door to close again.

So even though I didn't get today's assignment done, I did take a step towards organizing and de-cluttering. 

The worst part about organizing a closet or drawer is that no one really sees the effort you have made (unless you take pics).

Stacy

Updated 8:30pm - Tree and all decorations are now down as well.

January 1

I gave up making Resolutions years ago.  No use in setting myself up to fail every year.

I recently came across this website calendar while playing around on pinterest: Declutter Calendar 2012

My first 'assignment' is "Think about who you want to be this year"

This year I really want to try to get more organized at home and let go of a lot of STUFF that I have just sitting around or stuffed in drawers.

I am one of those people that get emotionally attached to 'things'.  Not to the point that I keep empty tissue boxes cause someone gave it to me but I definitely keep other stuff that I do not use.

We had a 'white elephant' gift exchange the other day. I liked being able to get stuff out that I was not using or hadn't used and pass it on to someone.  I am sure some of it will end up being re-gifted again but at least it is out of my house.  And I don't feel bad about it :)

I am going to try to sell things and pass things on as much as I can.  I long for a simple empty house without a bunch of stuff, just the things we need.

Do you have a goal this year? Did you make any resolutions?

Stacy