Decluttering

I've had the big D word on my mind lately. The important one- decluttering.  It started to simmer and brew when I had my jaw surgery and spent 2 1/2 weeks at my parent's house. It was so clean and peaceful there. Then I came home.

Assault on the senses! Woa! There was stuff everywhere!
And my husband took advantage of my incapacitated state to rearrange the family room. Sorry to my dear sweet eternal companion, but I HATE it when he does that.  And I couldn't undo it.   Just when I was feeling good enough, I had a second surgery.  And that one took me out for the count.  I had no choice but to sit around and let entropy take over, perhaps even at a slightly faster pace than nature intended.

What a mess!

So, I've been allowed to really clean, do laundry, and vacuum for a few weeks now and I have kept myself busy.  But, as I clean one thing, I notice another, and another,and another. . . woa Nelly! Slow down.  How did I let things get so out of hand?

The truth is that I am a natural slob.  Being neat and tidy does not happen for me unless I force myself.  Cleaning and organizing is generally NOT the reason I rise out of bed each morning. Yet, a near 3 month break from most cleaning has really given me the itch.  Then my husband got into his head that we need to adopt another child. I'm not exactly on board with this idea, but I have agreed to take the foster care classes, which might lead to a home study, which might kill me.  Do you know that you have to keep your medicines and cleaners locked up to pass a home study?  Okay, maybe you guys already do this, but I have a linen/medicine/cleaner closet. I have another cabinet with cleaners. They do not lock.   I keep extra cleaning supplies on a high shelf in the basement.  I'm a Mormon. We buy in bulk. We believe in having a one year supply. I'm really behind if you look at it that way.  It's only one shelf of extras.  So, how the heck am I supposed to lock all of these things up?  I don't have any locking cabinets. Anywhere.  In. My. House.  How about all the toxic items in my garage?  Paint.  Fertilizer. Weed killer.

Um, can I put them in the nonworking station wagon stored in my garage and lock that?

Why not?

So, I'm de-cluttering.

It started with the china cabinet. Who knew there was actually a picture on the wall above that?  Oh, and that's where I put the bird seed and pinecones.  And the desk calendar from 2007.

Then my bedroom.  Does anyone need 18 gallons of candy?  Hey- remember- a year supply. I do have 6 children.

Next I attacked the closet in the spare bedroom/computer room/sewing room/storage room. The one that might not be a "spare" bedroom anymore if my husband gets his wish.  I unearthed my missing puppets, 6 ponytails destined for Locks of Love, and the plastic gems I had wanted to glue on the prince  crown my mom and I made Judd for Halloween. Dang! 3 months too late.

My kids had a day off of school so we addressed the mess called the coat closet.  I had this strange desire to be able to close it, just so we could open the front door.  Everything was evicted! Then each child was allowed to put back one coat and one backpack, one pair of boots, and their scarves and mittens. Everytime I open that closet and I can actually see what is in there, I want to cry happy little tears! It's so beautiful!

The linen/medicine closet was next on my hit list. I promise, nothing was more than 7 years expired and I only had 42 pillowcases in there. My children tell me this is okay because 42 is the answer to everything.

I spent two hours cleaning out a "junk" drawer in my piano dresser.  It's really a lingerie dresser, I suppose, but who needs that much lingerie? It's just right to hold my music.

This made me feel brave, so I tackled the craft closet in the basement.  I might actually be able to use some of the sequins and beads that I bought in grab bags at Michael's about 11 years ago- now that I know where they are in my house. I doubt that I will ever want to use the Snuggie that I had hidden in there, but I am giving it another chance. We'll see. They should have called it Shocky.

Yesterday, feeling quite bold after all of my recent de-cluttering success, I entered the pit, I mean the basement, specifically the unfinished portion where we store things.  This was fairly scary because I could barely even gain entrance due to all the stuff I had shoved in there after decluttering the upstairs. But, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I filled up both big recycle cans outside of my house.  I found out that I have a 2 year supply of wetwipes, and a 3 year supply of chocolate milk powder.  I also have 8 Halloween tubs and 7 Christmas tubs.  Don't judge me. Judge my husband. He is the one who keeps buying more decorations.  But, at least they all fit in there now that I no longer have to hold onto clothing for every age and both genders.  We are down to only 7 rubbermaid totes of girl clothes being saved for Emmeline, Audrey, and Clara to grow.  Dang, this is making me tired just reading it.

De-cluttering is exhausting!  And I'm not finished.  I'm still determined to convince my blessed spouse that we do not need a year's supply of stuffed animals. There are 3 totes full of them in storage.  Please, somebody come and rob us and just take those. PLEASE!  And maybe, there is no point in keeping 300 cassette tapes from the 1980's. Wouldn't it feel good to just let go?  Don't even get me started on any of the other stuff that belongs to someone that is not named Becky.

But, the sad moral of the story is that I still do not have anywhere to lock up my cleaners, unless DCFS would consider the station wagon.  Maybe?  I have no more space.  I have nowhere to even put a locking cabinet.  NOWHERE!  Not yet, anyway. . . watch out clutter.  I'm coming for you! Mu ha ha ha.