Tag Archives: Simple Living in 2014

Simple Living in 2014: Dresser

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Hello Friends,

How are you doing with your goals for 2014??  I am still plugging away on my January goal of Spring cleaning our bedroom.   As the weeks go by I find myself wanting to spend more time in my bedroom.   It is nearly done and brings me much joy!

Believe it or not, we are still battling the illness that started on Christmas for hubby and I.  Through it all I continue to do a little de-cluttering as my energy level permits.  Today, I take my last dose of prednisone, so I anticipate  a decrease in my productivity.   I am moving pretty slowly due to strained muscles in my ribs due to excess coughing.  But I have been able to keep up with my goals by doing a little bit at a time, slow and steady wins the race.

DRESSER:  Another area that tends to get out of hand quickly, my dresser.  While I love baskets to contain items, they tend to become a dumping ground for me.   I rather throw something in the basket instead of putting it away where it belongs.

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AFTER:  This really was an exercise in putting things away where they belong.  Most items in the basket didn’t belong there, I simply neglected to put them away.  

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DECLUTTERING WITH YOUR SPOUSE:

My hubby is a very wonderful and supportive man, but getting rid of things is not easy for him.   I have learned that while I like simple, clean spaces, he likes to keep things that he might need.   It is a careful dance we do, but I never get rid of anything of his without his permission.   This weekend he did help me with the bedroom a bit.   He went through his dresser and closet and decluttered his clothes!   He did a great job and has a lot of space in his dresser now!

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Hubby’s donate pile!

Other Tasks crossed off the “to do list” this week:  Scrubbed the walls and floor, washed the curtains and cleaned out the headboard.

As you can see we are nearly done with our bedroom.  We only have the bookcase left to de-clutter and then we are moving on to the Living Room for February!   Looking forward to a good Spring Cleaning of the living room before our our new furniture is delivered.

Hope you are finding ways to Simplify Life in 2014!!  

Blessings,

jen

Simple Living in 2014: Our Bedroom – Corner

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Hello Friends,

Illness still plagues our home, but I try to work a little bit here and there on the great bedroom purge.  I want to stay on track with my goal to complete this room by the end of January.   One thing that works well for me is to watch a favorite TV show while  purging our bedroom.   I got quite a bit cleaned up during the first show of the new season of Downton Abbey!

The great bedroom purge continues.   We have this corner between our dressers which quite simply is a dumping ground.  This before picture isn’t as drastic as it was before Christmas.   Imagine this area piled high with boxes and bags of gifts for 11 people.   What a mess!!!

corner before

To get started I removed everything from the corner and sorted it.  I sort into categories of keep, toss, donate and find home.    In cleaning I finding two main reasons for my clutter:

1.  Delayed Decisions –  I might want to keep this item, but I am not sure so I will just hang on to it.  But in the meantime I really don’t have a specific home for it as I might not keep it.   Make the decision on each item and move on!

2.  Didn’t Replace Where Belongs –  I try to keep like things together, but sometime I am just lazy!  I know fireworks go in the basement in the storage area, but I found some in this corner, because I didn’t take the time to put things away.  I am working hard to make the effort to put things where they belong, even if that means going to the basement when I don’t feel like it.

corner after

Finished Corner – still a few things on the white shelf that I am debating their true home.  But it is a good start!

 

 

corner findsCleaning Saves you money:   So in cleaning out the corner I found a few things that were helpful.  About a year ago, I lost my extra set of keys for my van.   I had to purchase a new set for about $50.00.  While cleaning out the corner, I found a purse I wasn’t using and the missing keys were in it!   Being disorganized costs me money!!

Also found – two free passes to the movie theater!  So cleaning my corner out netting me about $65.00.   It pays to get organized!!  I think a date to the movies is in order soon.

corner donationAnother Donation Pile finds it’s way to Good Will to bless someone else.

Don’t worry, I am not going to post every area of my house as I declutter it.   I will post a weekly update of my accomplishments.  I will be crossing items off my list as I complete them!   I hope you will join me in simplifying your life in 2014!

 

Wishing you a wonderful start to 2014 and freedom from clutter!

Simply,
jen

Simple Living in 2014: Our Bedroom

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We live in an older home, built in 1960.  Therefore the rooms and closets are smaller.  Which doesn’t bother me as I really don’t think we need so much stuff.   So this project should assist us to fit comfortably into our home once again.

closet before

Closet Before:   Hubby and I share a very small closet.  Due to the size of the closet, I have to keep my off season clothes in bins in the garage.  I don’t see that changing even with this project.  As you might be able to guess it is not very easy to find matching shoes I want to wear each day.  It is a bit of a dig!

I completed the closet de-clutter in three separate mini tasks.   The shoes were all removed and only the ones I truly needed and love remained.   No more keeping shoes that are not comfortable or hurt my feet.  While it might not sound significant but I reduced my shoes from 26 pairs to 16.

Secondly, clothes – since I had recently switched my clothes around for a new season, I only have a couple of things to donate.   I donated an entire garbage bag of clothes when switching clothes around this fall.

Lastly, closet shelves – reorganized and found permanent home for items.  It is so much easier to maintain a de-cluttered area if you have a specific home for items.

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Closet After:   Do you see that empty space on the shelves???  Empty space is good!!  Only shoes I love and that feel good to wear!!!

Donation Pile:   These items have already found their way to Goodwill by the time I am typing this.   I hope to make a bi-weekly trip to Goodwill to bless others with my excess.

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Wishing you a wonderful week and much success with your goals for 2014!!

Baby Steps…..

jen

Simple Living in 2014: Where to Start??

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Qoute 1While I stand by my idea of simplifying our lives in 2014, I am trying to figure out where to start??  We have a lot of possessions and if I want to hold and evaluate each one it is going to take forever and it is simply overwhelming.

So I decided that I will dedicate 10 months to the process.  I listed each room of our home and the order in which I want to address them.  I did skip the rooms that are inhabited by my father-in-law, brother-in-law and our niece.  We decided to simplify, they didn’t.   Having all the other areas of the house addressed will make a big difference.

I decided to start with our bedroom as I want our bedroom to be my oasis.  A place where I can go to rejuvenate (take nap, read) and feel the benefits of simple living.

Simplify in 2014 – Game Plan

January –   Our Bedroom
February – Living Room
March –  Our Son’s Bedroom
April –   Dining Room
May –  Kitchen
June –  Bathroom
July –  Garage
August –  Garage
September – Storage Under Steps/Storage Area
October –  Laundry Room
11 & 12 – Enjoy the holiday season!!!

To avoid overwhelm, I need to list things out and see on paper that my idea is doable.  So looking at these 10 months, I feel like this year, I can accomplish this!  I will simplify and de-clutter our home and lives!

In January, I will be working on our bedroom.   So next I focus on that room and decided on paper how I can make this seem manageable.   My goal is to clean/de clutter one area a day in our room.   I made a list breaking down our bedroom into simply daily tasks that would take about 15 to 30 minutes.   Looking at it on paper makes it feel possible, just the motivation I need.

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I broke down de-cluttering the bedroom into 21 tasks: – 31 days in January, so I feel confident that I can complete the bedroom in the allotted time.

 

1.  Closet – shoes
2.  Closet – clothes
3.  Closet – Shelves  (I allowed myself 3 days to complete our very small closet – very manageable)
4.  Paul’s Dresser
5.  Corner
6.  Dresser – Top
7.  Dresser drawers
8.  Wash Curtains
9.  NIght Stand
10.  Sheets Drawer
11.  Pants – Drawer
12.  Head Board
13.  Bookcase – Shelf #1 and Top
14.  Bookcase – Shelf #2
15.  Bookcase -Shelf -#3
16.  Bookcase – Shelf #4
17.  Bookcase – Shelf #5
18.  Bed Drawer 1 – Paul’s
19.  Bed Drawer 2 – Paul’s
20.  Scrub Floor
21.  Wash Walls

KeyThe key to success is to break things down into manageable tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed.  That feeling of overwhelm will shut down your efforts very quickly if you let it get the best of you.   You can do this!!!!  15 minutes a day = EASY!!

I encourage you to sit down and come up with a realistic plan of what and how you will accomplish your goals in 2014!!  Completing small manageable steps will build your confidence and keep you motivated.

Let’s achieve those goals in 2014!!

Blessings,

jen