Finding Me

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.) ...