Day 23 of Decluttering Challenge

Walked after work with my accountability partner then went to the movies.  When I got home, I went through the cabinet under the sink in the bathroom.  I pretty much got rid of all the make-up I had been holding on to since all I ever wear is lipstick/lipgloss.  I also got rid of all the old product and stuff that's been hanging out forever.  Discovered I have enough cotton balls for life, considering how little I use them.  Need to come up with an art project or donate the unopened bags!!!

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	5	510
TRASHED:	60	260
TOTAL:	65	770

Day 22 of Decluttering Challenge

Pajama day!!!  Decided to be kind to myself today and not sweat what I did or did not get accomplished.  It's been a rough few weeks and I feel like any forward movement is enough.  So, I did a lot more reading today than cleaning or decluttering.  That said, I got another area of the living room done!!!!  Pretty much all that's left in there is the coffee table but it's a bit surrounded by the donation boxes and empty storage containers.  It's pretty much the best staging area in the place so it might be the last frontier.

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	25	505
TRASHED:	85	200
TOTAL:	110	705

Day 21 of Decluttering Challenge

Spent a leisurely morning in bed reading.  Braved the snow storm to volunteer at NCYC.  So thankful that I knew the two people running our booth well and they gave me a lot of little breaks.  Sensory and people overload for sure!!!  Was so physically and mentally exhausted that I went back to bed when I got home.  Yes, I was in bed before 7pm on a Saturday.

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	0	480
TRASHED:	0	115
TOTAL:	0	595

Day 20 of Decluttering Challenge

It's been a very long, very rough week.  I got lucky in that a volunteering gig was cut short tonight.  THANK GOD!  I was in the foulest mood.  I came home vegged out.  I read my book and caught up on TV.  I spent time dreaming online and stayed away from the soul-suck.  Hopefully, I will wake up feeling recharged tomorrow as I committed to volunteering for 6 hours.  The convention center is huge and parking is far away.  There will be tons of people and I'll be on my feet most of the time.  It's going to be a challenge for certain!!!

I also didn't climb many flights of stairs yesterday so I need to get 13 flights in Saturday and Sunday in order to reach my challenge goal.  If I don't do it, it will be fine.  I've already climbed more stairs than I originally thought I would during the whole challenge.  It's also way more than the total number of stairs I've climbed in the last ten years so no matter what I will be proud.  Still, I'd really like to meet my revised goal.

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	0	480
TRASHED:	0	115
TOTAL:	0	595

Day 19 of Decluttering Challenge

Hung out with work colleagues today at our monthly mixer for the LGBT Faculty-Staff Council (FSC).  Then went to a fundraiser for the local Pride Band.  It was fun but another late night.  Also another night where I spent too much time on social media.  There is a direct correlation to how drained and angry I feel after and the amount of soul sucking time spent on social media, especially right now.

Straightened up a bit and made some plans but did not get any major done.

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	0	480
TRASHED:	0	115
TOTAL:	0	595

Day 18 of Decluttering Challenge

Barely made it through the day today.  I was up most of the night with severe stomach pain.  Worst flair up of my lactose intolerance in years, if not decades.  Barely made it into work and then I left early because today was the Hunger Games double-feature and we'd had our tickets forever.

Thought I was going to die during the first movie because the pain and nausea came back.  Still, I was able to climb stairs in between movies so I can maybe reach my goal for the stair climbing challenge at work.

I took the night off from the decluttering challenge.

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	0	480
TRASHED:	0	115
TOTAL:	0	595

Day 17 of Decluttering Challenge

Dropped off 3 boxes and 2 bags full of donations on my way home from work tonight. Pretty much ready to fill the car again!!!

Did another pass through the clothes hanging in the closet the other day. Tonight I bagged them all up and put the hangers away. 

Went through the last two boxes that have been stacked at the end of the futon since I brought them back from California during my cross-country drive. Kept most of the contents since they were all ceramics my mom made for me. Definitely incentive to get some display space cleared.

In trying to focus on the positive, here's a list of chores I've been keeping up with:

• All clean clothes are folded in the armoire or hanging in the closet.
• All dirty clothes are in the hamper and not in a pile on the floor.
• All trash and recycling are in the proper containers ready to be taken out when full.
• All dirty dishes are in the kitchen.
• All jewelry is in proper containers not left all over the place.
• All clean zones (except kitchen counters but including stove) have remained clean and clutter free.

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	36	480
TRASHED:	0	115
TOTAL:	36	595

Day 16 of Decluttering Challenge

Woke up with a headache.  Took meds, called in sick and went back to bed. Woke up again with the headache gone but replaced with GI and bowel issues. More meds and sleep. Got up, put recycling in car and went to grief counseling. Cried a lot. Reassured that I am doing well given everything I am going through/dealing with. Need to be gentler with myself and continue making progress where I can, when I can.

Dropped off 2 containers of recycling. Quick trip to store. Put the latest round of donations in my car. Continued working my way through the boxes I brought home from California after my cross-country trip. A lot of awesome stuff I hadn't seen in years. Kept all the ceramics for now. It's all either stuff my mom made or that I made. Definitely some pieces that I will photograph and release to others at some point.

Scanned all the books from yesterday that I set aside to donate into Goodreads. Separated out the theater books so I can donate them to the U of Indy Theatre Department. The day definitely ended better than it began.

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	42	444
TRASHED:	0	115
TOTAL:	42	559

Day 15 of Decluttering Challenge

I decided today that mindfulness has its place and right now its place is not with me. You see, I just need to get something done. It doesn’t have to be right or perfect. It doesn't matter if I have to do it all again next month or the next because I didn't get rid of enough on the first pass. The only thing that matters right now is that progress is made. What matters is that the piles of crap everywhere continue to diminish. What matters is that the clutter and collective noise around me decreases so that life and my emotions feel manageable again.

If the only way to accomplish that is by turning on some loud, fun music then so be it. Of course, I would prefer to sort out my emotions and thoughts while doing it so I can figure out what kind of life I want to create. But right now that's too much so I will take it anyway I can get it. I'll tackle the thinking and processing some other day when I can handle it. For now I will dance and sing my blues away as I give useless junk the heave ho.

All the boxes on one side of the futon have been gone through. Put a lot of books in the release pile.

After church, went to a friend's house. Got two loads of laundry done while we played three games of Scrabble (I won two games!).

Not as productive as last weekend and I still have not tackled the two icky jobs I have been putting off. However, progress was made and I am moving forward again. Definitely good!

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	55	402
TRASHED:	7	115
TOTAL:	62	517

Day 14 of Decluttering Challenge

I fell in to the mindless void again today. I am overwhelmed by the horrible atrocities being done all over the world. It's too much so I checked out again, retreated into my happy place because I can't really handle anything else at the moment.

Later, because Saturdays are really long, I decided I could go through the box sitting next to my chair. That led to going through three more boxes.

One box was jammed full so I didn't count every single thing. I counted it as 50 items (40 donated ; 10 trashed), which is low-balling it, and moved on.

Another box contained smaller boxes inside of it. After going through several, I opened another to find more containers inside it. I  literally said out loud, "What fresh hell is this?" and closed it back it back up.

After a couple of deep breaths and encouraging thoughts, I opened it back up and dug in. I picked up a coin pursue and dumped out its contents. Out spills just about every I have ever owned in my life and a few other things. In my defense, I have been collecting them to use in an art piece. I have to learn how to use a soldering iron before I can make it though. Anyway, I have this fireproof box that I brought back from California last summer but had no clue where the keys are to it. As I moved it aside yesterday to access the box I was working on, I wondered how to break into it. Once I saw the keys I thought, "What are the chances the key to opening it is in this pile?" Given my luck, I figured I would try every key and still be screwed. Boy was I wrong!!! First damn key I tried opened that sucker right up!!!

I didn't know what I would find inside. Turns out there were pictures. Lots and lots of them. I think they are all back up copies but I am not sure. Will stick them in a photo box to deal with later. Good work!

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	65	347
TRASHED:	15	108
TOTAL:	80	455

Day 13 of Decluttering Challenge

I would like to tell you I accomplished something tonight but I didn't. I did read a bunch of articles about the power of positive thinking and simplifying life in between wasting time playing on the computer.

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	0	268
TRASHED:	0	93
TOTAL:	0	375

Day 12 of Decluttering Challenge

I went out tonight and didn't get home until very late so no progress was made.  I really needed this night of movies and no cares so it's okay.  I had a rough day emotionally.  I was missing my mom so bad I cried off and on all day.  I realized she's the one I wanted to talk to after the break in and she's the only one I can't talk to.  That started me thinking about the holidays and wishing I'd realized that the last time I celebrated with her would be the last.  I always said goodbye as if it would be the last time yet always thinking there would be more.

I haven’t celebrated Christmas with my mom in a number of years.  I kept thinking I would get out there again for Christmas and then it just didn’t happen.  I always thought there would be another one and now there never will be.  I can’t remember the last gift she gave me.  I’ll never wake up on Christmas morning again to have her yummy scones.  She’ll never make tamales or enchiladas again.  I won’t get to hear her tell the stories about my dad again and I never recorded them.  There won't be a phone call on my birthday.  I’ll never get to hug her again or hear her say I love you.

I know there are people in this world that love and care about me but I still feel completely alone.  That's not quite accurate.  I feel more like a boat with no anchor adrift on the ocean.  It's not a feeling I've ever had before and I don't know what to do with it.  I'm in an awkward spiral that I know I need to stop before it gets out of control but I also feel justified in feeling out of control right now.

I am going to do my darnedest to get back on track tomorrow, even if it is just the minimums.  The focus, even when I stumble across something that triggers memories, is good and helps keep the emotions manageable.  So here's to being fully back on track tomorrow!

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	0	282
TRASHED:	0	93
TOTAL:	0	375

Day 11 of Decluttering Challenge

Doing a bit better today emotionally.  I didn't get any cleaning done but I did continue working through the large box of jewelry.  The bulk of it is done though I still have to go through all my holiday jewelry and another box of regular jewelry.  Wish I could say I recycled or donated more than I kept but I'd be lying.  I keep reminding myself that this was just the initial triage and that I will make more cuts later so that I don't get down on myself for not being more ruthless.  Also, I dropped off donation box of books and cds to the library.

I completely dropped off doing the affirmations so I need to get back on that because I do think that the things you tell yourself and what you believe are very important.  Not to mention I just want to get back to feeling empowered and not like a sad-sack victim.  The message of how luck I am struck home while catching just a bit of the news tonight.  There were two different break-ins reported on: one happened while they were all sleeping and they took way more stuff and the other resulted in loss of life.  While what happened to me was also not good and in the context of where I already was emotionally was more than I can handle, in the grand scheme of things I am very fortunate.  So I am dusting myself off and slowly getting back on the horse.

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	20	282
TRASHED:	20	93
TOTAL:	40	375

Day 10 of Decluttering Challenge

Today was rough.  The emotional turmoil of yesterday caught up with me.  The numbness melted and I was left in a puddle of emotion.  From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows...okay, maybe not the lowest but certainly down near the bottom.  I am trying not to let the break in break me but it's hard.  I'm emotionally fragile at the best of times right now and having your personal space violated is clearly not the best of times.

I take the fact that I got out of bed, made it to work and accomplished a few things as a win.  I did not walk with my accountability partner because all I could do was cry.  We did have a nice talk over the phone, which helped a bit.  I spoke to one of my Girl Scout colleagues because I was in no shape to attend a meeting tonight and she was very kind and supportive too as are my friends and family on FB.  I truly appreciate it all.  I'm still a crying mess.

I'm angry.  I'm mad.  I'm sad.  I'm disheartened.  And, once again, I'm afraid.  Instead of being afraid of what's inside of me, now I'm afraid of the outside world.  I'm afraid of it happening again, only this time losing more than some quarters for laundry.  I'm afraid of not bouncing back and letting some punk take even more from me.  I'm afraid of being back in the emotional whirlpool and drowning in it.  I'm afraid of climbing out only to be pushed back in.

So now questions that I had settled are now back to being unsettled.  The focus and determination I had are broken.  I'm left looking around and, instead of finding the strength to do something, can only climb under the covers and lick my wounds.

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	0	262
TRASHED:	0	73
TOTAL:	0	335

Day 9 of Decluttering Challenge

After a great evening out, I returned home ready to put in my minimum time.  Unfortunately, when I walked up to my door I saw that there was a drill hole above the deadbolt.  I pushed on the door and, sure enough, it opened without a key.  Someone broke into my apartment.  I'd been gone for over 12 hours so there is no way to tell exactly what time it happened and it doesn't really matter.  What matters is that they were gone, I'm okay and they didn't take much.

They were only looking for what they could put in their pockets.  They took the rolls of quarters I had sitting out, my laundry money for the month.  They went to my bedroom, dumped the contents all my previously organized and arranged jewelry boxes on to my bed, ransacked my armoire and closet.  They went into my messy craft room (they must have done it during the light of day or else I don't know how they navigated without injuring themselves!) and made it messier.  Thank God they didn't take any of the jewelry that used to belong to my Grandmother or Mother.  None of my jewelry is valuable outside of it's sentimental value to me.  They did not take my passport, birth certificate or SSN card.  They seem to have left my checks alone as well.

They did take the tiny bit of emotional stability I fought to earn this past week by focusing on cleaning and clearing what I could control in my life.  I can't control the emotions that well up and over take me, I can only feel them.  I can't control what others do or don't do but I can control my actions.  I was numb as I dealt with the process of figuring out what was and wasn't taken, giving a statement to the nice police officer and having emergency maintenance put in a new drill resistant lock.  The thaw will happen and the feelings will come, the emotional overwhelm will be back.

They took my sense of security and feeling safe in my own home. They took my peace of mind. I've been through this before so I know I'll get them all back in time. The thing is that I need them back NOW not later.  I was already hanging on by a thread, sometimes barely making it from one day to the next.  I didn't need this (no one does) and now I have to figure out how to not let this drag me back down.

They also took my perfect winning streak from me.  Bastards!

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	0	262
TRASHED:	0	73
TOTAL:	0	335

Day 8 of Decluttering Challenge

I kicked ass yesterday. Hell, I've kicked ass everyday since last Saturday. Today, not so much. Yes, everyone deserves a day off and I have been hitting it pretty hard. That said, I knew something else was going on. So I had to ask myself, "What's up? Why are you avoiding? Why are you feeling overwhelmed?"

There is a comfort in the chaos. I know how to deal with it. I don't know what to do with clean and neat. I don't know how to be or who that person is. I've never been her. It's scary. What will I do if I clean my life up and have nothing to beat myself up about? What does that much goodness and happiness look like? 

I am afraid of having the life I really want. I am afraid of having the healthy body I want; a body that can move well and do all the things I want it to do. I am afraid of having a clean and clutter free home. I am afraid of really throwing myself into my art. I am just plain afraid.

It sounds so stupid but these are my thoughts and fears. These are the things that keep me stuck and unhappy. These and many others are the things that weigh me down everyday. Some days it is worse than others. Yesterday, I was able to keep it all at bay and kick ass. Today, not so much. 

I took the morning/early morning off and lazed in bed. I didn't have a problem with that. I started planning to get up and get to work. You see, I knew I could get my bedroom finished today. That excitement got me up and moving. Then I remembered the bottom shelf of the bookcase in my bedroom. It's completely stuffed with containers of jewelry that are stuffed themselves. Still I kept moving. I cleaned the layers of dust off each one and put them all in a box that I carried out to the living room. My plan is to go through them while I watch my shows tonight and do laundry. Now I just need to tackle the crap on the right side of the bed. Sounds simple, right?

The problem is the dialogue, negativity and anxiety running through my head. It brought me to my knees. It found the most vulnerable moment and attacked. It's trying to keep me down and drown me in overwhelm. And like always, I let it take me down. 

There is a difference this time though. I let it take hold so I could figure out it's power over me. I asked all the questions,  started writing this post and let the answers flow. Now comes the hard part.  Do I have the strength to get back up and fight through it? Can I hold those fears, acknowledge them, and still work towards what scares me? Because I am afraid. Living a happy, full life is completely foreign and unknown to me. It's something I see other people have but it's not something I have ever known. Am I strong and determined enough to work on making it happen despite all the fear?

The answer is yes. It may not be the resounding and hearty yes I would like it to be but it is a yes nonetheless. I would like to tell you I finished the bedroom. The truth is it was too much. The layer of dust and grime that has collected on top of the clutter on the right side of my bed was too much for me to handle today. Instead of letting that stop me cold and preventing me from making any progress today I did something else. That in itself is a huge accomplishment for me. 

During our walk on Friday, I told my accountability partner that getting the trash and donations out of the house did not count towards my daily two 15 minute cleaning and decluttering goals. That it wasn't enough progress for me. Then today happens and I think that if I can get that much done today, I will take it as a win.

I got all the trash and recycling taken out.  The donations will be loaded in my car and dropped off some time this week.  I also did my weekly load of laundry (hung, folded and put away) and went through almost the entire box of jewelry.  Yay to continuing to move forward despite all the fears and anxiety!!!

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	40	262
TRASHED:	10	73
TOTAL:	41	335

Day 7 of Decluttering Challenge

Morning session:

My linen closet is completely cleaned up and decluttered. WOO HOO!!! There are still things in my piles of laundry that will need to be dealt with and that's okay. There is plenty of space available to store what needs to be kept. 

Found another nice surprise while going through one little tub of old linens. I had completely forgotten that my mom had made a set of curtains to go with my quilt. She didn't really know how much "plain" fabric she would need for various parts of it. Also, it was one of her first and she was still working on what would go well together. Anyway, there is this pale moiré print fabric that backs my quilt. She had TONS of it leftover. It got used for a number of things. Heck, I bet there is still some in her fabric tubs. ;-)

I didn't keep them. The color is damaged from the sunlight and I don't think that's something I can get corrected. I wasn’t thinking of using them as curtains but as material in the quilt I am going to make. I think thereis enough of that pattern in the original quilt mom made and in a few other items I have. So I lovingly put them in the recycling bin.

I rewarded myself with some reading time after the morning purge session. I've learned that I don't have to be all business. In fact, I can accomplish more if I take breaks and do things I love. I just have to find balance; it can't be all pleasure. So during the week there is no TV until after my 30 minutes are done. No feelings of guilt today while I enjoy my favorite past time because I already accomplished something. 

Another thing about rewards. I think it's important to celebrate a huge accomplishment. Finishing this challenge certainly falls in that category. As such, I have been thinking about buying all new bath towels when this is over. It might sound contrary to the task at hand; however, I do not own a full set of matching towels. I have one off pieces, all of which are old and some badly stained. I would get rid of those and only purchase what I actually need. Also, they have to be on sale at a good price because I want really nice ones. I'm thinking 3 or 4 bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths should be plenty. The question is whether I will get them in dark purple or plain white. Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!

Afternoon/evening session:

Finished the bedroom closet so the bedroom is almost done. Did a number of things in the living room so starting to make progress there. Got rid of a ton of expired medicine that's not even accounted for in the totals. Same goes with lotions and other toiletries that have been hanging on for far too long. 

I'll be taking another trip to Goodwill tomorrow. Two more bags and two more boxes.  I still think I have kept more than I should; however, I am okay with thinking of this as a first pass. I think once I have laid hands on everything and gotten all like objects together, I can make a more accurate assessment and determine limits.  There is still plenty more to do but I can see more floor, counter and shelf space than I have in a very long time. 

I am awed by how much I have gotten done in one week. Amazing!!!

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	50	222
TRASHED:	10	63
TOTAL:	60	285

Day 6 of Decluttering Challenge

My accountability partner asked why no music while I declutter. For me this journey is about mindfulness. I need to be aware of the thoughts and feelings I'm having. For me, background noise would drown them out.

Sometimes it is very clear when an item needs to go. Obviously things that are broken, stained, ripped, worn, etc. should go. I really shouldn't have used "obviously" because to an artist/crafter, ain't nothing obvious about it. "I can use this broken piece, this loan earring or the material on this shirt that is not stained in a project." GUILTY! I am trying to set strict rules, limits and guidelines in place for those thoughts so I am not overrun with boxes of crap. Being mindful helps with this because I clearly remember what I have already kept and I can hear the dialogue running in my head about the item.

For instance, the other day I learned a very important lesson I would have missed if I was grooving to music. I was doing a quick sort so I could fill one of the bags I was taking to Goodwill. I was going through a bon of clothes I hadn't looked at in four years. The clothes themselves haven't been worn for longer than that because of my weight gain. I picked one up and heard "I love this shirt!" I picked up another and heard "I loved this shirt." I assure you I would have missed that subtle difference had I been belting out the latest Taylor Swift song. (OMG! So far every song off her latest album is amazing!!! "Wildest Dreams" has definitely taken up permanent residence in my head.) 

So things I actively love stay, things I loved when I bought them get released. It's okay that your tastes change. It's okay to get rid of something you bought and never used. (Yes, I am thinking of you, Hershey's cookie press.) Instead of beating myself up, I am trying to focus on the positive and have gratitude for the lesson that cookie press is teaching me. 

1. Impulse buys are usually a bad idea.

2. Buying something because you like who you would be if you used it regularly isn't a good idea. (Read about future clutter here.)

3. If you can only use it for one specific task, do you really need it? 

4. How many times a week, month or year do you see yourself actually using the item? If the answer is once per year and it's not a holiday item, do you really need it? 

Of course I have kept some items that meet all of the criteria above. The cookie press screamed stupid at me every time I saw it. It needs to get the heck out of my life! I don't keep people around that do that, so I am not going to let a $20 item linger anymore either. My shaved ice machine that lovingly beckons to me is much harder to part with. It's been well loved and used throughout it's tenure here. It makes me think of summer and happiness or margaritas with friends whenever I see it. I think I want to release it because I think my Nutribullet stole its place in my life. Do I really need both? 

Again, these are all things I might miss if I was playing music or watching TV. Okay, the cookie press was really loud and the "someday" I bought it for hadn't materialized in the years since I got it, so that one I wouldn't have missed. But you get the idea. 

I was SUPER tired tonight. I really wanted to give myself the night off. I could have done it and not felt too bad since I have spent more than the required 15 minutes everyday. The problem is, with me, one night could very easily lead to an entire year off. (Hello, past 4 years.) In addition to mindfulness, I am trying to teach myself routine and discipline. And 30 minutes  (15 cleaning, 15 decluttering) is not that much time. So today I just did the minimum. I spent the entire time in the kitchen. I cleared several cabinets and shelves. I created space where I will be able to store some of my Girl Scout stuff out of sight. (Super excited about that!)

And the damn cookie press is in a box that will be given to Goodwill this weekend. 

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	14	172
TRASHED:	2	53
TOTAL:	16	225

Day 5 of Decluttering Challenge

Now that I’ve scaled my expectations of myself down, I’m feeling a little less overwhelmed.  It’s quite revealing how I said just 15 minutes each day was okay but I really didn’t believe it was enough.  Having unrealistic expectations of myself is a major theme in my life.  Definitely something that needs more work but we’ll save that for another day. 

Truth be told, I have still done more than 15 minutes these past few days; however, I don’t expect to do several hours or full evenings on weekdays.  It’s just unrealistic and adds to the panic.  This mess was not created overnight; it was at least 4 years in the making, if not longer, and is not going to be solved overnight either.  Hopefully, we have that issue settled so I can move onto other issues!

I got home rather late tonight so time was super short.  I spent 20 minutes cleaning in the kitchen.  I am so excited!!!  I’m still going to have to spend at least 2-3 more 15 minute sessions in there but then it is going to be clean!!!  A few things you need to know about me:

• I HATE to clean.  (I am highly suspicious of anyone who says they LIKE to clean because that is just completely unfathomable to me.)

• I am capable of ignoring dirt, mess and clutter to a very scary degree.  (Think pig pen from The Peanuts comics.)  That’s how things have gotten so bad.  It’s embarrassing and shameful.  It’s a truth I find so ugly that I can’t even bring myself to take pictures of the mess to share with you or just keep privately.  In the end it’s a good thing there won’t be pictorial evidence because I would use the pictures to punish myself daily after all the mess is clean.  Yep, that’s another very telling thing about me.

• I think it’s a waste of time to make the bed because you are just going to sleep in it again so what’s the point?  That philosophy extends to pans I use every day in the kitchen.  They live on top of the stove.

Given those three bullet points, you will join me in my excitement when I say that I put the cookie sheets away (after cleaning them, of course!).  At first, I didn’t even know what to do with them because they live on the stove but then I opened a cupboard and discovered that they lived in there with the muffin tins and such.  That meant that for the first time in YEARS (I am not kidding!) my stovetop was completely clutter free.  I cleaned that sucker and, while it still needs a bit more elbow grease and I need to deal with the disgusting burner pans, it looks awesome!!!  The counters are clear of items that do not belong and only contain what lives on them full time.  I still have some more dirty dishes to contend with but they are contained within the sink.  The floor is the thing I have been putting off the most.  The main area is fine but the perimeter is DISGUSTING.  I am swearing right now that it will be dealt with this weekend.  My other pledge is that I will keep the cleanliness up.  I will not let the kitchen get as bad as it was ever again.  Not only is it the right thing to do and I’ll be able to invite people over and not need a month’s advance notice but I think it will help me make healthy food choices.  Coming home to cook dinner won’t be such a chore if the dishes you need to use are already clean.  So yay to making myself clean for 15 minutes every day!  It will only have taken one full week to have gotten the kitchen completely under control.  I will still need to go through every cabinet, cupboard and drawer to decide what really needs to stay and what can be released but now that the mess is out of the way, I can actually do that.  YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I spent my decluttering time dealing with a box of jumbled up jewelry.  All the earrings are paired together.  The bracelets and necklaces are untangled and hanging up now.  My holiday accessories are back to being separate from my every day pieces.  I’ll be honest; I did not get rid of anything.  I know I have more jewelry than any one person should but I don’t care.  They are pieces of wearable art to me.  Yes, I kept pieces I know I will NEVER wear again.  I kept pieces I only wear once a year.  I kept pieces I don’t necessarily love but that someone I love gave or made for me and that makes the piece beautiful to me.  And the real kicker, I am not done with jewelry yet.  I have at least three more containers to go through, one of which I believe I will be able to release a lot from.  That’s not even bringing in all my jewelry making supplies.  Will I need to define some limits?  Yes.  Do I know what those are yet?  Clearly the answer is no.  I have complete confidence that the answer will come.  In the meantime, I do have a plan.

A few years ago on Pinterest, I found some really cool jewelry displays using picture frames.  I already have one picture frame with plastic mesh that I use for earrings.  I made it about 10 years ago.  It works but the new ideas will work better, I even have all the supplies to make them, I just never did it.  Now that I have more energy, determination and an accountability plan, I will get the jewelry displays made.  One wall in my bedroom will be designated as a jewelry art wall.  Some will be functional, where you can actually take the jewelry on and off easily, and some will simply be art pieces.  For instance, I have a piece that I am going to call “lost” and it will just consist of earrings where I’ve lost the other one.  There is probably a tiny bit of self-punishment buried somewhere in this art piece but I am only keeping earrings I truly love so it really is more about not being able to part with things that still spark joy. 

I think I am going to have more trouble holding myself to a reasonable timeline for getting the displays and art pieces done.  They’ve been floating around in my head and all the stuff to make them taking space in my apartment for far too long.  I need to set a deadline and schedule time to sit down and make them.  While I want to say that these are things that need to be done before I move in August, I’m not sure that is a reasonable expectation given all the decluttering I need to do and other projects that really must be done before I move.  There are some things I simply refuse to move into my new place so there are other projects that have priority over my jewelry projects.  That said, I think it is completely reasonable to say that if I haven’t made the displays and art pieces within one year of moving (August 2017), they are never going to get made. 

Three last items before I stop rambling tonight:

• 4 of the donated items in today’s release numbers are never been used journals that were given new homes to some dear friends.  I have collected entirely too many over the years.  Some have been written in for a while then abandoned.  Instead of picking up where I left off, I just bought new ones.  I have now gone through them all twice and I am still having trouble parting with all of them.  Oy vey!

•  I only climbed 7.5 flights of stairs today.  My body is feeling the extra strain so I’m giving it a break.  I did do some walking.  I didn’t quite hit my 8,500 step goal but my FitBit tells me I walked a collective 3 miles.  Amazing how far I have come in the past year!!!

• Go see the movie SUFFRAGETTE.  This has absolutely nothing to do with decluttering, organizing or downsizing.  It is the reason I got home late tonight.  I am telling you, every women needs to see this movie.  It’s based on the true stories of how the British women fought to get the vote.  It’s important because it shows how far women have come in 100 years and makes you really think about just how much farther we need to go before we truly are equal.  It’s important because there are places in the world that still look just like England did in 1913.  Seriously!  Think about those countries where education for females is not a given.  There are still places in the world where women are still seen as property and they do not have the same rights over their lives as men.  Hell, here in the United States women do not have the same rights over their lives as men.  I don’t see the government passing laws about what contraceptive practices men can and can’t use.  I don’t see the government passing laws telling them they need to have invasive medical procedures before they can make a decision about their life.  I don’t give a rat’s ass that most of these laws involve pregnancy and men don’t get pregnant.  All the more reason MEN shouldn’t be allowed to pass and create laws that govern women’s bodies.  I’ll stop now because I could rant on this topic for HOURS and I need to get some sleep. My point is simply that every woman should see this movie and it should be shown in every classroom around the world.  I also highly recommend listening to this panel interview with the director, writer and twoactresses.  It’s informative, entertaining and sobering.  We’ve still got a lot of work to do, ladies and gentleman.

	TODAY	OVERALL
DONATED:	5	158
TRASHED:	0	51
TOTAL:	5	209