Finding Me

"A place for everything, everything in its place." - Benjamin Franklin After the tidying, decluttering, minimizing, or whatever you choose to call it has been done, it is time to find a specific spot for every item. This may sound overwhelming at first ("I have to figure out the exact right location to store everything I own? "), but is a key part of the process. Taking the time to do this gives the following benefits: It's another chance to determine if something adds value to your life. If you feel like you can't be bothered to take this step, well, how important can X item be to you? By having a set place for everything, you will be less tempted to just toss things on the floor, on the kitchen counter, etc. because you won't have to think about where an item goes.  For the same reason, this makes tidying up when things get out of control (after all, this is real life) a lot easier as well. This can be especially helpful when teaching children...

I've been trying to minimize my wardrobe for the past two years, and while I definitely have made huge progress, I've also kept a bunch of "Maybe" clothes in a separate closet for a while. Well, yesterday I was inspired to go through them once and for all and behold, got rid of another two bags of clothes. Considering how much I've already downsized my wardrobe, this is a big deal. Two bags and a little extra! I was left with a closet of things I truly love to wear and I, well, love it. I won't lie, there's a couple items sitting down in those entryway bags that I'm tempted to unearth and put back in my closet, but it's more of a "I might want to wear this" rather than a "I love that item." Definitely need to get them out of the house as soon as possible before I change my mind. It's worth it though to open my closet and see this: I just need to find a better way to store the "summer only" it...

I may have been quiet on here for the past week or so, but I've been busy decluttering. I've gone right back into another round of The Minimalism Game after doing my first ever complete run-through last month. I'm hoping to continue doing the Game until we pack and move. I can see how some people would prefer to just organically remove items as they come across them, but having a hard number target helps me and pushes me to really reconsider what I "need" or even truly want in my life. I've also been doing Joshua Becker's decluttered course, which is pretty great too. He goes room by room every week.  So far it's been car, living room, dining room, and master bedroom, all "easy" areas for me and I honestly haven't removed much so far.  (My pain points are definitely clothes and my home office. They're both much  better than they were but definitely not where I want to be yet. Lessons Learned from Week Two: Nothing except t...

Although I've been fighting off a stomach bug (with varying degrees of success) since Saturday, I did manage to declutter my makeup collection, which was (and probably still is) ridiculously vast considering I wear makeup about once a month (#TelecommuterLife). When I piled it all up in one place a la KonMari I was pretty astounded. Nine eyeshadow palettes. Once again, I wear makeup maybe once a month . Witness: It actually doesn't look like much in this picture, but trust me - the herd needed to be thinned. So I went through, and got it down quite a bit: Left is discard, right is keep. A lot of the left is boxes, but there was plenty of actual makeup too, including four palettes, so I'm pretty happy with the result. One of those times where I can feel that I haven't hit the "click point" yet though. I'll definitely need to go through again but for now, mission accomplished!

Well, this week was just crazy at work, so didn't get as hardcore as I hoped, however I really decluttered the linen closet (we had WAAAAAAY too many sheets and towels for two people!) and started going through memorabilia.  The linen closet looks a lot better but otherwise it's hard to see a difference despite everything I decluttered. I can't wait until Spring when I can put out the large items I want to give away for free! (I'm just going to put them in the yard, they should get scooped up quickly.) (And yes, although linens don't count towards the Two Bags project, it was some of the last of the easy, low-hanging fruit. I've been minimizing for about two years now so it gets tougher and tougher.) Insights this week: I'm still afraid to tackle makeup or clothes despite the fact that I wear makeup maybe once a month and the same 20 or so items of clothing over and over. Notebooks are also a problem.  Memorabilia is easier to declutter than I thou...

Hey there! I'm Veronica! I currently live in New York and am preparing to move to Colorado at the end of the year. Instead of just throwing everything into boxes without thinking, I'm going to take the next ten months to do some extreme decluttering until I can fit all of my possessions into my carry-on and backpack, hence one girl two suitcases (with a nod to the infamous namesake). Some rules: I will also have a laptop case for my two (personal and work) laptops to fit into together and a purse. These will not count towards the two bags. I will not be counting shared household items such as linens, dishes and other kitchenware, holiday decorations, etc. These categories will still be minimized and decluttered as part of the process. My bike and related accessories (helmet, shoes, trainer/turbo, etc.) also will not be included (but once again, minimized.) Bike clothes WILL be included. My two heirloom items - my great-grandmother's rocking chair and my grandfath...

IT IS DONE. Phew...that was so much hard work, especially since I had already decluttered SO MUCH before starting the challenge. As I was forced into harder and harder decisions, it really made me think about what I use and what is truly important. I'm nowhere near done - although my house is quite neat and tidy at this point, I still haven't reached that "click point" KonMari talks about and I know there's more I need to clear away. So first, the last 1000 Item Haul: Takeout Menu  - We have literally never ordered takeout from them and only ate there once years ago. Gas club card - never used Paper plate - Been out in the open in the basement for years - who'd want to eat off of THAT? Tank Top - Never fit right Fuel belt bottle - Sprung a leak yesterday 2 Barrettes - I'm not a barrette person Headband - Nor am I a headband person Photo Postcard Bike handlebar endcap Magazine article 5 MORE (yes more) Mardi Gras beads Hairbrush T-...

The clearout of large items continues - last night our neighbor snatched up the grill only half an hour after we put it outside. This morning I posted my old bike frame and boom - mailing it to a friend. The reaction as I give away these large items has been interesting - they're all going to good homes with people truly excited to own them (whereas they've been literally gathering dust and cobwebs here), yet everyone's like, "WHY AREN'T YOU TRYING TO SELL THEM?!?!" Seeing the happiness on people's faces is MORE than worth it, especially for items I haven't even been using. Anyway, here's the bike frame: And today's small-item haul: Bike kit (Counting this as two items - bibs and jersey) Stickers 3 MORE Mardi Gras beads Smoke alarm (been needing to fix the hallway one for years - wiring issue) Paper cups Tech running shirt Car sticker Ladder (not shown - I had THREE, which was ridiculous - a small step-ladder, a mid-...

A much smaller haul after yesterday's craziness of decluttering, but here we go.  Pretty tired today, so going to keep it short and simple. Card 3 MORE Mardi Gras beads Vacuum cleaner attachment Pen Pen Refills 4 Photos Thumbtack Decorative lantern Today's Total: 13 Items Overall Total: 968 Items. Should finally be able to wrap up this challenge this weekend. Yay!

Phew...getting so close! This has been a tough challenge and I admit that while I've enjoyed it, I'll also be happy to be done, LOL. The first half went really easily, especially considering how much I had already decluttered prior to starting it, but since hitting 500, boy the struggle is real! However, it's the last day of August and I pushed HARD HARD HARD. Found so many items, in fact, I had to break it into separate photos. On a positive follow-up, while I still have the little TV and the grill, the broken file cabinet has been broken into tiny pieces and put in the trash and a friend's son snatched up the sofa that very night! (This is especially exciting because I now have all kinds of room to expand the Pain Cave - just in time for indoor winter training!) Haul One: Hanger Paper Perfume Postcard 2 Pairs yoga pants Dress Shirt Sticker Pack of stickers Haul Two: ( Ignore the TV set from the other day - still need to dispose/donate it.) ...

I won't lie - that September 1st goal is looking less and less doable. However, got some BIG items today. They're not actually out of the house yet, but on the chopping block: Grill...I'm including the cover and the utensils it comes with in the count. Old sofa. TV/VCR Combo and remote Broken file cabinet from pre-paper decluttering days Vest T-shirt Plate (from old set - cracked in the microwave last night) Belt Hair elastic (SO MANY old stretched-out ones) Miscellaneous hardware Cat not included. Today's Total: 20 Items Overall Total: 897 Items

Had a lot of trouble finding unnecessary items this weekend. Admittedly a bit disappointed with this haul considering that I want to hit 1000 by the end of the month, but it's still more stuff out the door. T-shirt 2 Hairbands Ear plug.(Yes, one. God knows where the cats dug it out from.) Scarf 4 Photos Ironman flag (This one was a hard choice. STILL is killing me a little.) Slipcover for sofa (not shown) Today's Total: 11 Items Overall Total: 877 Items

Really cleared out some photos today. It's so funny - I have duplicates, ones that I can't even identify where they were taken, 12 photos of the same hour-long event, etc. (And no, I don't ever look at these.) I'll fully KonMari them in the future, but for now consolidating and thinning out the herd is really helping (and will make the Big Purge that much easier). 3 T-shirts (Yes, I am continuing to make the hard decisions in thinning out my wardrobe.) Clothes hanger (I don't even use pant hangers of this type anymore.) Folder ...And the big one - 9 photos. Today's Total: 14 items Overall Total: 866 items. Yikes - gonna have to hustle hard to find 134 more items in the next week to meet that September deadline!

Whelp, it was the last day to get shit together for the shelter's yard sale, so one last go through. (Obviously not all of this stuff is yard sale.) Pillow - Didn't work for my neck pain - boo. Being dropped off at the shelter in hopes it can be used as a cat/small dog bed. Jacket - Taking to the sports consignment shop. (Yes, we have such a thing. Gotta love Lake Placid!) Yoga pants - Also going to consignment since they're Oiselle and barely worn. 2 Postcards - Trashed, of course Dress pants - Yard sale 4 Photos - Trash T-shirt - Yard sale Book (not shown) - Yard sale Today's Total: 12 items Overall Total: 852  items

Sorry for the hiatus - the week before I went on vacation was crazy busy, and then I well, went on vacation. After three days of catching back up on Real Life, I'm ready to get back into this. (Actually, I really needed to as it is my last chance to donate stuff to the animal shelter for their annual tag sale on Saturday.) Starting with 10 items today to get back on track, although I'd love to finally close out this challenge by the end of the month. Chest protector (Haven't used it since I took Tae Kwon Do 11 years ago.) Photo Desk clock 3 pairs shorts (gym, pajama, and denim) Yoga pants T-shirt Long-sleeved t-shirt Hair band Today's Total: 10 items Overall Total: 841 items

More stuff out the door! I actually did a big clear-out of my clothes today  but am only giving final decision to three pieces for now. I'll revisit the rest after my trip. Long-sleeved shirt - Love the color, but fits TERRIBLY Pajama shorts - Once again, love how they look, but they're TOO short-waisted and ride up the crotch when trying to sleep. NOT comfortable.  Long-sleeved t-shirt - Was for layering under t-shirts a la Sheldon in Big Bang Theory but I don't do that anymore. Screw Hair elastic Broken spray bottle (WHY did I still have this? Anyone? Bueller?  Lip gloss - I had held onto this ancient pot because I loved the scent - apple cider. Opened it today and it's so old it started separating. YUCK. Empty travel-sized shampoo bottle (JUST used it up) Photo Martial arts belt (Two black belts across four schools - I had a LOT of the lower-rank belts, LOL.) Today's Total: 10 Items Overall Total: 831 Items

Ugh, today was definitely a struggle with finding stuff I no longer need. Took a while, but finally got it done. When I get back from my trip I'm going to really work on building a cohesive smaller (I won't call it "capsule") wardrobe, which will help. I'm realizing I'm having a large block on decluttering clothes because I haven't sat down and thought about what kind of look and clothes I want to keep. 4 Phtos Cat toy the cats no longer play with (which is now being played with enthusiastically by the Panther, OF COURSE.) Hair elastic Bag of screws (STILL finding random hardware) Picture hook with no finishing nail Miracle Gro (Yeah, I barely keep up on the weeding.) Hand wraps for boxing. Today's Total: 10 Items Overall Total: 821 Items

About to head off for a little riding and running (had to wait for the cold rain pour to stop), but before I do, a quick little haul for today: Folder Clothespin Sheet from photo album 2 Newspapers 6 Photos Today's Total: 11 items Overall Total: 811 items

Holy crap! Almost there. Unbelievable! The craziest thing (as I keep saying) is that you STILL can't tell that I've been decluttering. Maybe if you look inside my closets, drawers, and cabinets, but not just to look around. It just continues to beg the question: if I can get rid of this much stuff without it being noticeable, how much freaking stuff do I HAVE? Anyway, here's today's nice-sized haul to get us to 800: 3 Manila folders Race bib (usually keep them but this one got gel all over it and is also from a very unremarkable race.) Childhood drawing (yes I found another one) Wind vest Brush and sponge holder Expired packet of Advil 2 Screws Dishwasher rinse aid (don't use the stuff) Corn cushion Pants Laptop case (hysterically from my COLLEGE laptop. I graduated nearly twenty years ago, so current laptops have way too big a screen to fit in it.) Martial arts belt Postcard thingie Sticker Paperwork Perfume (just used it up today) Towel ...

Hello hello hello! Been a little busy, but not too busy to find some more goodies to declutter. Didn't hit 800 items like I hoped, but still a pretty darn good haul if I do say so myself: T-shirt Plastic bag Pants Chapstick 4 Picture hooks 5 Photos Bag of random hardware Today's Total: 13 Items Overall Total: 380 Items - DEFINITELY hitting 800 tomorrow!