A few weeks ago (umm.. make that six?) I set out to “De-Clutter” five area of my home.  It was a challenge, actually, posed by one of my most favorite bloggers, Sarah from A Beach Cottage.

I accepted the “de-clutter” challenge and long story short, I feel short of my goal.  I got like 3-ish of the five areas completed.

Well, this is me hopping right back into the challenge and seeing things through to completion.

Are ya with me?

Mr. Gibbs and my bedroom was on the list, let’s start there, shall we?

First up, my dresser.  She’s a big one, that one, isn’t she?  Yep, but I don’t have much of a closet, so the majority of my clothing must fit in here.

I am not sure what overcame me with the quatrefoil mirror.  I suppose staring at Kate’s over at Centsational Girl every week didn’t influence my decision in purchasing it.

I decided to start this project because I was faced with this.  A laundry basket FULL? OVERFLOWING?  with clothes needing a home.

But ya see they will not all fit in there.  And that is why I need to purge.  That and the fact that I have quite a few clothes that are not flattering.  And when I wear them I feel uncomfortable.  Yeah, I am done with unflattering, uncomfortable clothes.

Alright, let’s start tearing apart those drawers, shall we?

See you later bras that don’t fit and socks that quit!

 And those bathing suits?  Seriously, polka dots on my large rear.. no.  What was I thinking?  I am quite sure I wore this once.  Why was I holding onto this?

And so the story continued.  For the better part of an hour I sorted and purged and asked myself hard questions.  Like:

Why am I holding onto this? 

I think I found the answer from one of my favorite author/bloggers Gretchen Rubin.  Gretchen is the author of the book, “The Happiness Project” and the blog by the same name.  I actually read her book first, and now enjoy regular nuggets of wisdom from her blog.  Seriously, if you don’t know Gretchen, hop on over and get to know her.

One of the subjects that she tackles in the book and regularly on the blog is clutter and the impact it has on our feeling of well-being or happiness.

She recently posted a lovely video on this very subject: “I Can’t Get Rid of My Stuff”. Watch it.  If you are visiting Wilbur Road today because you too are in the process of cleaning up your home, making it more organized or de-cluttering I guarantee you will enjoy Gretchen’s post.

One of the gems in this post is the idea that we hold onto possessions because of the false sense of value we place on things.  Especially once they become ours.  This skirt was a perfect example.  Isn’t it cute?  It was not, however, flattering.  But I held onto it and wore it.  Armed with my newly found self-awareness, I tossed her right into the Goodwill box.

And several other items followed.  Like about a third of my wardrobe.

What did I learn from this exercise?

• If I didn’t wear it, like ever, I tossed it.  No brainer.
• If it doesn’t fit, I tossed it.  I probably looked like an idiot in it.
• One does not need 8 pairs of running shorts.  Especially if you run sporadically.
• My wardrobe should consist of clothes that make me feel good and look good.   If your feet are bare and you find yourself in downward facing dog, that is the only appropriate time to wear yoga pants in public.
• Closing my dresser drawers is much easier when they are not crammed full.

Now I do not dread laundry day.   OK, not as much.  Because I actually have a place for all of my clothing now.  I know, brilliant.

This feeling is contagious.  Where to next?  The kitchen perhaps?

Thanks so much for hanging out with me ladies!

XO, Jay

Sharing this, and a few other bright ideas with these fine folks.

Today feels good.

I feel like I gained a new room in my house.  I am actually blogging from there right now.

Let me show you.

I am sitting right under my froggy right now.  That piece was carved by Master Carver Kevin Paul of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.  It was a gift from my partner-in-crime for my birthday a few years ago.

Today was tidy, tidy, tidy… purge, purge, purge, purge.  I had to do something while the Beignet dough was rising.

Um, so, I really like books.  It is a problem.  The books you see scattered here?  They are but a fraction.  I am getting better.   I recently came to the realization that I will not be able to eat these books upon my retirement, so I have honestly aggressively cut back on the purchasing of books.

Parting with books has also been hard for me.  But I am improving in this area as well.  Like many things, I am beginning to view my possessions as parts of my legacy.

I look at a book and ask myself, “Is this a book you would like to read to  your grandchild?”  or “Is this a book you would like Buddy or Lizzy to read when they are older?”.  If the answer is no, I donate it.  If the answer is yes, then I keep it.

“The Secret Garden” stayed.  “Captain Underpants” went adios.

Many of the “keeper” children’s picture books went into long term storage.  If they will not be read in the next 5+ years, there is no use in them occupying prime real estate on a book shelf.

I even made a small pile for ebay.  I am hoping to get a little something for some of those $175 textbooks.

This is the view from where a I am sitting right now.  The space feels 10 times larger.

That is also the view of my next “declutter” area.    While I have gotten rid of much of the junk, I still want to create a nice area for sewing.  I want to be able to keep the machine set up all the time. 

And I want to do it using items that we already have. 

I will be spending some time out in the garage to see what kind of treasures I can come up with.  Wish me luck!

How about you, are you decluttering?

linking up at:

tidy mom

organizing junkie

a bowl full of lemons