When clearing way in your home for breathing room, or twins on the way, purging stuff will have to happen. It is liberating to shed the waiting and neglected items lurking in the closets.

When is keeping our junk okay?

There such a thing as purge protection!

Consider your item:

You like it - PURGE – (donate it or sell it)

You think so-and-so will use it – PURGE – (or ask them to store it themselves)

You know you’ll want it someday -PURGE – (really? Did your future self tell you that?)

Your life will be enhanced and you may just keel over dead if you don’t have it? KEEP it! – (Use it right away or store it in your attic)

Here is an example of my current purge protected KEEP it item:

A blurry, dusty photo my rescued farm window. Now, you can see why it needed purge protetion. But, in my eyes, it’ll prevent me from keeling over dead.

Hope this easy list of how to cut clutter helps a ton! So, what are your KEEP its?

I have been sorting, tossing, labeling and basically trying to do a complete overhaul of my family’s belongings.

Today I started to tackle the kids’ toys, with the ever-helpful assistance from a friend with special home-making skills, of course. Yikes!

Yikes! That is the only word I can think of to express how I feel about the enormity of the task and the amount of possessions.

I am feeling the urge for the simple life…or at least the well labeled life! I feel peace coming soon…..

And to think, there was a time I verbally said, “I don’t think Ryan has enough toys!” – Okay so he was only 3 months old when I said that. Still, 4 1/2 years later….Yikes! (this photo only shows what had been in storage in the garage – I still have the room, closets and the playroom!)

Or maybe I am complex.

I can whittle away time, minutes which turn into years, dreaming of this and designing that.

Planing for a simple life takes energy, focus and endurance.

Some things I’ve done to get shifting from dreaming to doing:

• I bought a wall plaque that says LIVE SIMPLY for one dollar at a garage sale.
• I thinned out my list of blogs that I read. I unsubscribed to 3 blogs related to “Simple Living”. (ironic I know)
• I cleared off all the clutter on top of my refrigerator .
• I reached out and asked for help! Simple living doesn’t have to be done alone. (more to come on this topic)

So while I will never give up dreaming (my favorite hobby) I do intend to involve a lot more doing into my life!

PS

iPhone capture from Mother’s Day. Of course, Daddy is getting all the love!

Neat Pete has an app on his iPhone to take panoramic pics.

We rescued the living room after a long day of disaster. It felt very good.

Remember this?

I made some serious progress in my bedroom closet this past month. I feel like a big weight has been lifted off of me when I go into my new space.

But, of course, my to-do list for the closet is super long and remains with several check marks unchecked. Some such unchecked items: His and Her robe hooks, mirror hung on the wall, and computer printed but crafty-chic labels on the plastic drawer fronts.

I actually purchased items to complete my dream mini-redo. Items waiting in reserve: yards of diamond shaped, light green flowing fabric, bright white ceiling paint and a basic but NEW light fixture.

Then our news came…baby on the way…change of plans.

Neat Pete and I will most likely be doing a room switch with little ones. Three kids in one big room and us (with a King size bed) in the little room. Switching rooms means switching closets.

So, my ambition to paint the closet ceiling left as quickly as it came. New visions of shelving and extra hanger bars came in its place.

But for now, here are some photos of my closet progress.

Before and After Shots:

Operating with an organized closet has saved us so much time and energy! Thanks Masked Mommy, whoever you are, for the encouragement and opportunity to join in the De-clutter Movement.

Related Posts I’ve Written for Just A Blink:

My Earthquake :: A Poem

Closet 1: The Journey Begins

Grasping for Air…Closet Clutter

Laundry Room Redo (My First Masked Mommy Pow-Wow)

Okay, I re-eeally want to post my bedroom closet but she, yes she, (I decided my bedroom closet is female), is still being tackled. Tune back in for the before and afters of la closet de bedroom.

So on with the entryway…

Before Photos:

Slumpy coats, trashy stairs and oh my the shoes...

Really? Does a motorcycle helmet need to be at a fingertips reach all winter long...in Minnesota?

The many seasons of clutterama.

After Photos:

Keeping it real clause: the white bin was just moved up a few steps...without being sorted.

Handbag storage is my new Must-Have!

The leather "cube" stores snow pants and blankets and serves as a spot to sit down during shoe removal. (The curtains are still in test mode...not meant for show)

Wire basket for mail, bins for seasonal gear, shallow wicker basket for little shoes

I used black lower case letter stickers to label each bin. j, m, r and p, of course!

May joy and peace surround you, contentment latch your door...

So I did a bit more than just my closet. My entryway coat closet just needed some breathing room so it took over a slice of the living room.

I am so glad it did!

Okay, okay! I know…here is the side-by-side top-by-bottom…

Thanks to all of you that showed your support as I geared up for the pow-wow. I am still in the mode…now if only I had a bit more time and energy.

Such is life!

Love,

Jess

Careless

Leavings

Under

Tons of

“Tomorrows”

Ensuring

Regret

I hate clutter. Let me be clear. I have clutter. LOTS of clutter.

I am drawing a line in the sand. Oh, how a beach vacation sounds delightful right about now…cold feet…I digress.

You may remember I have been dreaming about closet cleaning. The Masked Mommy’s Closet PowWow is coming just in time for a pre-spring cleaning boost. Posts will be coming at the end of this week (possibly into the weekend) if all goes well.

Wish me luck or get down on your knees and pray…I’m gonna need it!

I am tackling my bedroom closet, listening to plumb, feeling very much apart of a serious earthquake of old pay stubs, backpacks and out of dates suits. I am spending the month of February getting my closets ramped up for The Masked Mommy’s Closet Pow-Wow, March 1st. {I told you I love a good blog-land party}

Here is a quick poem I drummed up in honor of my closet earthquake.

Earthquake

cry crackle crumble

buzz shift humble

strain brace fumble

shake love mumble

breath tell rumble

hold fall tumble

Maybe I could get federal emergency funding for a tufted dressing chair, 100 pack of wooden hangers and a professional massage (wait, how does a massage help my closet? I’d be rested and relaxed enough to actually put my clothes away at the end of a long tiresome day…yeah, that’s it!).

On second thought, I’ll use my, Dave Ramsey inspired, spending money envelope, no matter how small, to buy some bins, fabric and paint. I can’t wait!

But, what happens when home doesn’t feel warm? What if home feels like the fangs of  used books, junk piles and spoiled paint cans are ‘closing in’ for a bite?  Or what if it curiously smells like old coffee and sharpie marker ink in the laundry room, on a good day?

It can stay that way.

OR

I can do something.

What a unique place, our homes, where we can define, design, and dally in a space without reason or with a million reasons.  To me “doing something” simply means, taking a chance to make an impact while harnessing my behavior, teaching it to value what it is I am doing.

Here to Hoping…

Here is a photo taken in the middle of my “doing something” to the laundry room. I have been taking a chance, all day, amping up this room in time for The Masked Mommy’s first ever Laundry Room Pow-Wow that is on February 1st!

I am so excited to share at the Pow-Wow about my room, my hopes, and my first ever fabric mistreatments, with a bunch of other bloggers, that needed to “do something” with their own life direction (or maybe just a new decor ).

I know! I know! Enjoy them (my kids) while they are little! Well, I have had plenty of “enjoyment” with my two little cooped-up bundles of joy.

So, I want to share about something else I am enjoying around here. My new door…er, my old, new door or my new, old door. Oh whatever, here are the photos…cause that is what counts anyway, right?

Did we have an earthquake (in MN) while I was taking this photo? I am not sure what happened to my cupboard door, but in real life it did not have a freaky shift in space.

Keeping It Real Clause: That dry erase board totally fell off after the photo. I used *gasp* tape. Yea, that doesn't work.

Thanks fil Phil for your ingenuity! He conjured up the idea…and did it for us. Neat Pete installed the hardware. I, Messy Jessy, added the clutter, of course.

All in all, this corner of our kitchen is my fav, fav, favorite.