Update on the clutter

I felt much better after writing that post the other day about the clutter in our house. Putting it out there kept it on the forefront of my mind (where it had already been for several days, but now I have a plan). Yesterday I woke up early to start decluttering and, again, became almost too overwhelmed to even start.

To get things I don't use very often out of the kitchen, I needed to make room in the laundry room closet to put them. That meant I needed to spend time in the laundry room first. I opened the closet and there was just so much STUFF. I can't even tell you half of what was in there.

Some of it was food that never fit in our kitchen pantry (how blessed are we that we have too much food to fit into a pantry?!) and had expired (see mom! it happens to me too :) ). I needed to throw it out, but our trash can in the garage was already overflowing with garbage.

I almost quit before I ever got started. I knew I was about to make at least 3-4 more bags of trash and knowing I couldn't put it in the trash can nearly prevented me from even trying.

I literally had to talk myself into JUST DOING IT. Just start. "Pick up something and go" is what I told myself.

And so I did.

I got the closet mostly organized. Although it wasn't a complete cleaning out (I didn't go through the box of scarves/gloves/winter accessories and I didn't move the boxes of unopened appliances that we received at our wedding and haven't yet used (the clothes iron, the waffle iron and the electric carving knife)), I rearranged things to make room for the incoming appliances from the kitchen.

I did get rid of some recipe books. I put them into a box that had been cluttering the laundry room floor for months (which contained books from upstairs, including more cookbooks, that I had set aside to donate to Goodwill).

That box is full and I WILL get rid of it TODAY!

I also cleaned off about 3/4 of the counter tops in the kitchen!! I moved appliances that only get used a few times into the cabinets underneath.

Now I have more counter space near the sink so more dirty dishes can pile up :)

Although I know I accomplished quite a bit, I don't feel like it SHOWS. It was one of those days where you work, work, work but you don't feel like you got much accomplished. I guess thats because I know I have much more ahead of me to do.

But, I AM getting there. I'm not usually a "slowly but surely" kinda gal, but I need to be when it comes to decluttering.

Side note: At one point I stopped to take pics for a before-and-after post, but then ditched that idea b/c I viewed it as yet another procrastination attempt!