5 Things Again - Day 3 and Day 4

Got a little behind...but will catch up...

Man...the last time we did this, we did a really good job!  Either that or I'm not in the purging spirit yet.

This soap dispenser is broken and has been hiding under a sink for a year or so...

5 Things Again - Day 2

Getting rid of just a few things a day is the best way to organize and minimize...it feels very manageable.  Continuing on, cleaned out under the bathroom sink (vacuumed and everything!):

5 Things Again - Day 1

I can't help it...when I feel a little stressed, it makes me feel better to get rid of stuff.  And I like to put it on here so I can go back and look at all the stuff and feel good all over again!  It makes me feel productive and less weighted down.

Organized a bathroom cabinet tonight:

Goal is to purge something every day until 4th of July...

5 Things Part 2 - The rest of it

Sold these on Craigslist last week...and there are 8 of each, which equals 24:

I feel lighter already!

My other goal for the month is to do a project each week for the last 2 weeks of the month...

5 Things Part 2 - Days 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10

Still a day behind, but making progress.  I love looking in a sock drawer and not seeing any stragglers!

• Day 6:  2 pairs of old underwear and 3 mismatching songs
• Day 7:  3 tupperware lids that no longer have matching bottoms, a belt thingy that I broke, and a wooden pallet that has been in our garage for a year that I gave away on Craigslist
• Day 8:  more pajama pants, a jacket from Jay, my 8-yr-old office plant that is sadly diseased, lotion that smells like baby wipes (I know that's only 4 but I feel like the DVDs make up for it)
• Day 9 and 10:  lots and lots of DVDs from Jay

Purging...Again

The plan was to get rid of 5 things a day again for the first 2 weeks in February, and then complete a project each week the last 2 weeks.  Given it's February 6, I have some catching up to do.

Day 1:  A jar of pasta (this pasta is at least 1.5 years old because Jay has been gluten free that long now) and does not fit anywhere except on top of our fridge (I need shorter containers); a plant that a coworker gave me that I apparently can't take care of (I'm giving it back to another coworker); a french press that we brought back from Italy almost 6 years ago and have never used; a thing that I don't know what it is; and a stir fry thingy we've never used.

Days 2, 3, and 4:  10 yr old printer via Craigslist; some of Jay's pajama pants (for a guy who just sleeps in his underwear, he has a ton of PJs); some other various clothing; some reusable bags.

Day 5:  Some cooking utensils, because how many spatulas does one person really need?

I'm still 1 day behind but that's ok.

After my month+ of purging in October and November, I kind of missed it.  It helped focus me on simplifying, keeping our house orderly (even the hidden parts), and not wanting to bring anything else in.  This time around, it took me awhile to get back into the swing of it - the first 5 items were hard.  How quickly I became attached to things again!

But honestly, I don't remember any of the items (200+) that we got rid of a few months ago, meaning I don't miss a single thing.  And I really appreciate that we can open drawers now without the drawer getting stuck on the contents because we have 2 of everything (can openers, peelers...).  So hopefully I'll find more breathing room in this 2 week mini purge.

I love...lamp

After more than a month of purging and minimizing the junk in our house, I'm motivated to organize and finish up some spaces in our house.  First up: the guest room.

Jay stole our old guest room lamps to put in the studio, so I've been hunting for their replacements.  Quality lamps are surprisingly lacking on Craigslist...but my persistance once again paid off!

I found these fun artichoke lamps weeks ago...$175 for the pair. Which is steep for Craigslist.  I figured I'd wait them out until they came under $100, which didn't take long...they obviously wanted to sell.  We got them for $75.

These suckers are large and made out of metal (ie heavy).  A close-up of the artichoke in full glory:

I mean really...how awesome is that!  And with a $15 shade from Marshall's:

I was thinking I was going to have to figure out how to fit this thing with a harp, but my brilliant mother suggested just setting the shade on top of the weird glass dome thingy.  Done.  I also thought I might paint them, but I kind of love the unexpected bright blue.

For about $105 all-in (which lamp shoppers know is a great price - 1 shade can cost more than that!), we have 2 really fun, really nice new lamps for our guest room!

So in addition to the marble Craigslist lamps, the 4 brass lamps I found at 2 garage sales while on a run, and free lamps from parents, I think we are officially lamped out in this house.