2018 Decluttering Challenge, Day 2: The Spare Bedroom
Inside: It’s the second day of our challenge, and I’m decluttering the spare bedroom –otherwise known as my free version of a storage unit. Though I really don’t think anyone from Storage Wars would want to bid on this one!
Decluttering the Spare Bedroom
The spare bedroom. You know the place. The catchall. The room that houses your adult children’s storage boxes for that someday when they promise to pick them up. When an item doesn’t have a permanent home, it’s often banished to “the spare bedroom.” And, really, is there even a bed in there? Yes, Virginia, there is, but it’s covered with so much stuff you can’t see it. Even Winston the cat has trouble finding a decent place to nap. (He thinks it’s his room.)
My assignment, should I choose to accept it, is to get rid of 50 items.
What types of throwaway items might you find lurking in the shadows of the spare bedroom?
- piles of old magazines
- stuff your adult children outgrew (tread carefully here)
- objects spilled over from main closets
- broken, unused, or outdated rejects from your entertainment center (VCRs, DVD players, gaming systems with old games)
- books
- boxes, wrapping paper, craft supplies
- miscellaneous (Ever notice how there is always plenty of miscellaneous?)
How Did I Do?
The going was tough at first, but after a while I got into it and turned my 50 items goal into a total of 71! What sorts of things ended up in my throwaway pile today? An old remote, cord to a previous computer, cracked plastic plate (from my brother and sister-in-law’s wedding), old paper filters, tea tin, cleaned out milk jug, 6 plastic whipped topping bowls with 9 accompanying lids, packing material, and 36 boxes of varying sizes. (What am I, FedEx Jr.?) I had accumulated quite a lot of boxes for using to wrap presents. (Note to self: Amazon boxes from this year’s gift buying season will do just fine, thank you very much!)
Truth be told, I barely made a dent in things. But that’s okay. I’ll get there, by golly. I’ll get there!
What’s up for tomorrow? Junk drawers. Tune in to see what I excavate!
What’s lurking in your spare bedroom? Confess in the comments.
Related posts:
Announcing Our 2018 Decluttering Challenge!
Reminder: Our 2018 Decluttering Challenge Starts Tomorrow!
2018 Decluttering Challenge, Day 1: The Kitchen
2018 Decluttering Challenge, Day 3: The Junk Drawer
5 Good Reasons to Declutter, Plus a Decluttering Challenge
2018 Decluttering Challenge, Day 1: The Kitchen
Inside: New strains of mold lurking in the refrigerator? Secrets hiding under the sink? And what’s the expiration date on that box of saltines in the cabinet? Step into the kitchen–if you dare!
Decluttering the Kitchen
Today is kitchen day–isn’t every day? But instead of cooking or eating or loading the dishwasher, I’m purging 25 things! What types of items can you get rid when decluttering the kitchen?
- Expired food from refrigerator or pantry. (Includes the scary-looking UFOs–unidentified food objects.)
- Old spices.
- Kitchen gadgets or appliances you don’t use.
- Mismatched plates, cups, and saucers. (Unless you get into that eclectic vibe.)
- Cookbooks you never crack open.
- Junk mail left on the counter. (That spills on to the kitchen table and promptly forms piles–or maybe that’s just my house.)
How Did I Do?
Today I surpassed my goal of 25 items for a total of 28! Some of the stuff I pitched from the fridge–old dressing (expired February), Sriracha and another hot sauce, pepper relish (several of these–thinking I probably don’t like pepper relish), sun-dried tomatoes (more like refrigerator dried), old olives, sauce packets, gherkins, canning lids and old contents of mason jars, and a lonely box of baking soda dated January 20, 2017.
I probably could have simply made my category the fridge, but I did find some things under the sink and in a few cabinets: used up container of natural non-toxic flea spray and an empty container of wipes, old homemade (failed) hand soap, wrappers, bean noodles (don’t ask), and a broken food scale.
Tomorrow–the spare bedroom and 50 items. (Yikes!)
Did you get rid of anything today? Tell us about it in the comments.
Related posts:
Announcing Our 2018 Decluttering Challenge!
Reminder: Our 2018 Decluttering Challenge Starts Tomorrow!
Inside: Put on your game face. Yell like a warrior going into battle. . . Eat lots of chocolate. For tomorrow we purge! Our 2018 Decluttering Challenge starts!
*This post contains affiliate links.
Calling All Declutterers!
Tomorrow we move out–or move to our designated area, that is! I’ll be starting in the kitchen and choosing a new location or category for each of the seven days. You can check in daily to see my progress.
Still on the fence? Need some motivation? I wrote a guest post for my good friend Margo Dill’s website Look to the Western Sky–cool name for an equally cool website! (I think Margo and I share a practical life gene.) Anyway, the post is called 5 Good Reasons to Declutter, Plus a Decluttering Challenge. And while you’re there, check out Margo’s Photo Caption Contest with prizes for the winning entry!
Rules for the Challenge
For a recap of rules for the challenge and to sign up to receive daily reminders during the challenge, check out this post. We try to make decluttering fun with a healthy dose of humor along the way. So even if you aren’t getting rid of stuff, tune in for a chuckle or two and see how the rest of us are doing.
May the force (to declutter) be with you!
Resources and related posts:
Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps to Simplify Your Space
Kathi Lipps Clutter Free Academy
Announcing Our 2018 Decluttering Challenge!
Inside: It’s that time of year again. Time to lessen the load, throw away things, conquer the clutter! Join us for our 2018 Decluttering Challenge–7 days, 250 items, and one determined woman hacking a path through the jungle that is our stuff with humor and good cheer. Machete not required.
*This post contains affiliate links.
To Declutter or Not to Declutter?
Before embarking on the journey, one might ask, Why should I do the 2018 Decluttering Challenge? I say, don’t underestimate the power of a good purge to lighten your load–both mentally and physically. I took a short decluttering class a couple of years ago, and what surprised me most was how much lighter I felt. Seriously. . . Cleaner rooms, yes. More space, you bet. But feeling less weighed down by life, less burdened when all I did was get rid of stuff? That was a shocking–and amazing–feeling! The decluttering process paid off in ways I hadn’t expected, and I actually look forward to decluttering every year now.
Think of it this way: It’s like your house on a diet.
3 Simple Rules
- Choose your number of items. How many total items will you get rid of? My first decluttering experience I did 500 items in 14 days, and, no, it wasn’t as hard as you might think. (No hoarding going on. Really.)
- Pick your locations or categories. Where do you want to focus your decluttering efforts? You can choose locations, such as the garage, or categories like clothes. Or you can mix and match. You can go with seven different locations or categories or devote all of your energy on one location, like the basement. You decide.
- Determine how many items per location or category. You might only have a few items in your bathroom, but the bedroom closet is a mess. Allocate more items to the closet, then. You might be wondering, So what if I go under or over the amount? If you don’t get enough things from one category, move the remainder to another category. If you go over? Yay! Pat yourself on the back. But don’t subtract item amounts from elsewhere. That’s defeating the purpose.
When?
We start on Monday, September 24 and the challenge runs through Sunday, September 30. You can sign up to receive a short daily reminder.
Accountability
Don’t underestimate the importance of telling someone to keep you accountable. So I’m telling you. Here is what I’m doing in 2018:
Total items:
250 items in 7 days
Location and areas – how many items:
kitchen – 25
spare bedroom – 50
junk drawers (yes, plural) – 25
paper – 75
closet – 25
living room – 25
clothes and shoes – 25
Okay, I’m getting my game face on. Ready to do battle with my stuff come Monday. Gathering my boxes and trash bags and heading into the kitchen. First stop the fridge, but not for food like last year. (Promise.) I’ll be looking for odd growing strains of mold and other unidentified objects.
Stop by Monday for Day 1 and see how I’m doing. I’ll be decluttering early in the day to leave you plenty of inspiration.
So are you in? Tell us about it in the comments. Remember, we’re all in this together!
Resources:
Overwhelmed: How to Quiet the Chaos and Restore Your Sanity by Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory
Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free Academy
