De-cluttering with pics

[WhereIsMyMojoGone]

Hi everyone. I have name changed as I have shared photos with family and friends and I don't want them knowing my usual name.

I have been stuck at home with lousy weather and self- isolation due to colleague getting COVID. I have depression so it's not been the best time tbh. I do have restless energy and can't settle on things so it's taken me absolutely ages to get things done but I have done some decluttering.

I am a teacher and I had loads of paperwork at home. In the end, I got rid of 9 cm height of paper for recycling plus a smaller pile for shredding, lots of envelopes and plastic wallets which I will take back to school. It took me all day and the next to sort this lot out.

I watched the Home Edit recently so I put my cookbooks in a rainbow.

I do have a confession to make - the rest of my house is a mess but I wanted to share my small successes. I will add more photos as I go on.

More before and after shots of another kitchen cupboard I tidied today. I added more washi tape to the front edge of the shelves as it was so ugly with the chipboard.

One more of the cupboard

I love this. I have been doing parts of my house through lockdown. Loved watching The Home Edit, which even inspired DD to sort her bedroom, which not looks great.

I found that watching them put items in tubs in cupboards made a huge difference. It's funny how you live with a messy shelf for years then suddenly realise there's a better way. My bathroom cupboard is a great example. Lots of tiny bottles of things like eye drops etc. that were just sitting on the shelf. A couple of little tubs from Home Bargains later and my cupboard looks great. And you can pick the tub out and easily get to what you want.

That’s brilliant OP. I especially love the cookbooks.
I am also a teacher and self isolating due to a child having it.
Our house is terribly cluttered, but unfortunately it’s mostly DH’s stuff. That makes it tricky, but I plan to do similar on my days off over the next couple of weeks (only work part time).
Would you mind if I posted some pics on your thread?

Thank you LemonBreeland I love the Home Edit too. It inspired me the way Marie Kondo did 4 years ago, although I've obviously let things go in some areas since. I already have little containers for most things but they are all different (bit like how my folders were) so look a bit messy, and I've even made a few of my own with empty cereal boxes and pretty wrapping paper. Now I am in the mood for clear acrylic containers. Lets just say I am able to afford them now.

My own takeaway from the Home Edit was the rainbow organisation of stuff and having an overstock bin/cupboard for the extra food we buy when things are on offer.

@Nuffaluff I would love for you to join me. You and everyone else are welcome to share your and their successes and achievements. Pics are positively encouraged.

So these are 2 drawers in the kitchen that have looked like this since I konmaried my stuff. It's all the classic advice eg rolling clothes or tea towels in this case, separate and storing items by type or catagory: cutters in one container, salad/pudding (not sure which) forks in another, dangerous tools in another (corkscrew, meat thermometer and can opener) in one and measuring spoons in another. Plus all the food storage bags etc.

The containers are just simple plastic strawberry punnets you get in the shops. They've lasted really well.

@WhereIsMyMojoGone loving these pics! Nothing like a beautiful before and after shot.

The rainbow books is a great idea - I'm in the middle of moving home and will have lots of organising to do once I'm in so this is on the list.

What's The Home Edit?

And I love the washi tape idea - looks really good.

I think putting things into baskets is such a small thing that makes a massive difference - been doing this for a few years now. Just need matching baskets! Like the idea of reusing strawberry punnets too.

Well done all round op 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I’m going to do a before and after on my awful IKEA food storage table thing later today.
Actually I’m quite excited 😆

@WhereIsMyMojoGone
That linen drawer is a thing of beauty.

@Nuffaluff Glad you liked the tea towel drawer 😊. I'm excited on your behalf and very much looking forward to the pics.

@chimichangaz Thank you so much the applause, it is very appreciated. Home Edit is a show on Netflix about a female led company which goes into homes of celebs and ordinary people to organise their space usually pantries, closets, family rooms etc. The two main women are super obsessed and there is much angst over the minor details. It's VERY American and, if you can get past that and the fact that the home owners have so much stuff, it's a fun show. I quite like their American-ness.

I need to apologise for my atrocious grammar and spelling on this thread. There's something about typing on my phone that makes it very hard to see the errors. Sorry.

So I decided that I needed to change my overstock area because it was in a L-shaped cupboard and I couldn't see round the corner to see what we already had. Not practical at all.

I've moved my junk drawer stuff out and made it into an overstock drawer.

The junk drawer was not in too bad a shape. It had party stuff, gift bags, lunch box, batteries and lightbulbs which I had put in paper party bags 4 years ago. Plus a plastic container with tape on it. I'll put all this somewhere else.

@LemonBreeland

I love this. I have been doing parts of my house through lockdown. Loved watching The Home Edit, which even inspired DD to sort her bedroom, which not looks great.

I found that watching them put items in tubs in cupboards made a huge difference. It's funny how you live with a messy shelf for years then suddenly realise there's a better way. My bathroom cupboard is a great example. Lots of tiny bottles of things like eye drops etc. that were just sitting on the shelf. A couple of little tubs from Home Bargains later and my cupboard looks great. And you can pick the tub out and easily get to what you want.

I bought some Wham boxes for organising both our kitchen and bathroom cupboards and it's made a massive difference.

@WhereIsMyMojoGone where did you buy your folders/binders from please? You're doing an amazing job and have kick started my organising mojo again.

Just a thought...I.met a group of 4 others on MN and we now have a very supportive decluttering WhatsApp group. We are coming up to our one year anniversary

@2020nymph Thank you and it's great that I have kickstarted you're organising mojo. Let me know how you get on. Wham boxes are good but, unfortunately, they remind me of work as we have all different kinds at school! The files and box were from the Paperchase shop at Amazon.

@Heartofstrings how wonderful you belong to a group thee as that met up on mumsnet. Happy Anniversary.

I'd love to join a group like that but not yet. My mental health is not as robust as I'd like and I am avoiding social contact unless it's on my terms. I went to Morrisons today. I had a mini anxiety attack at the checkout. Not fun.

Anyway, I need to have lunch. Must look after myself. But I have a pic to share after - so EXCITED!

I'm so pleased with this cupboard. It's situated above the oven and with an up and over cupboard door. I used gift bags to put categories of stuff together eg batteries and labelled the bags with stuck on washi tape. It was going to be temporary measure but I think I'll keep it as I like the look of it. Why have I not used gift bags to store things before? Anyway, luckily for me, the bags were of similar colours. Pure accident.

The bigger bags are laid flat. Ideally they would be stacked next to each other but the cupboard is not tall enough. Still, It looks good.

Pic would help!

Great job on making a start. As a part time teacher and professional organiser I can relate! I too was a real paper resources hoarder then when we returned to school with covid hygiene rules I had to be very ruthless and get rid of a lot! Have you got electronic copies of things too? Is it the worry that you’ll need things again one day?

I don't mind American homes at all - infact I'm slightly obsessed with YouTube decluttering and cleaning videos.....

This is great. I love this thread. Thanks @WhereIsMyMojoGone. Your pics are very pretty.
Your overstock drawer is exactly what I’d like - well any part of my house - to look like!
I took some before photos, but didn’t get past doing that today! I’ve been in a real slump. The thought of staying indoors for two weeks has made me lethargic. Also dreading working from home. Didn’t enjoy that at all last time.
But tomorrow! I’m determined. I’m going to have a timetable and everything. Meanwhile I’ll post the before pics so you can see just how bad things are.

Argh.

Omg

Send help

@WhereIsMyMojoGone

So these are 2 drawers in the kitchen that have looked like this since I konmaried my stuff. It's all the classic advice eg rolling clothes or tea towels in this case, separate and storing items by type or catagory: cutters in one container, salad/pudding (not sure which) forks in another, dangerous tools in another (corkscrew, meat thermometer and can opener) in one and measuring spoons in another. Plus all the food storage bags etc.

The containers are just simple plastic strawberry punnets you get in the shops. They've lasted really well.

How're your tea towels SO immaculate. Mine are stained rags after their first round in the kitchen

@Needleinahaystackpro Thank you for the encouragement. I don't worry about getting rid of any papers. I didn't make any digital copies of the paperwork/resources etc because someone in school is bound to have hard copies or it will be online! At home, I kept CPD stuff that I thought was useful and observation feedback which are always positive plus a couple of thank you cards that were meaningful. I firmly believe in Marie Kondo's view of keeping things for now and not for the future "just in case". I only ever regretted letting go of one thing for a while but now I can't even remember what that thing was.

@Nuffaluff Oh lovely before pics, you're going to be so proud of yourself when you compare them to the after pics. So funny that you are doing a timetable - only a teacher, eh? Seriously though, take your time, relax and enjoy the process. It took me days to do some spaces. Even a little bit is a good start. Eating an elephant and all that. Hopefully, tomorrow is a sunny day and you'll feel more energised. Working from home in self-isolation is the pits.

Honestly, if it wasn't lockdown I would drive over and do the de-cluttering with you for petrol money and food.

@floofycroissant mmm...the white tea towels look very bright don't they? I think the pic might be over exposed as that's not what they look like in real life. However, they are soaked in napisan and washed on a separate wash at 60 degrees with bio powder.

@Heartofstrings Sounds wonderful! If you ever consider expanding the group, think of me 😉