Clutter beware

About every year or so I get the itch to declutter our house. It is amazing how much stuff a family of our size collects, and the same closets and drawers we decluttered mere months ago are quickly stuffed full again or are completely disorganized. Most of the year I can step over piles of stuff without even batting an eye, but when the decluttering bug hits, there is no holding me back.

I've been moving through the house methodically. There's something about the feeling of January, with the holidays behind us. It's often raining, so I might as well work inside. Oh, and Joseph loves to help me in my projects, so it's good for some mother/son bonding! I get such a high from cleaning out things we don't need anymore, giving them away (or selling them on craigslist!). We've been trying to organize things better so we can find and use what we need.

This time around, I have tackled some areas which have heretofore been untouched in this house. One prime example is Bailey's closet. How I wish that we had a "before" picture to go with the great "after" picture. The closet was overflowing and really unusable. It really isn't entirely her fault. Because we don't have basements here, everything must be stored in closets or the garage. So, her closet had some food storage, two big boxes of dress-ups, and a TV and DVD player that we forgot we owned. Oh, and lots more stuff, too. So, a few Saturdays ago we took everything out, ruthlessly sorted it, and then containerized what needed to be in the closet. The result a great new closet which she will love to keep organized (right, Bailey?)

We also have redone the bonus room, changing it from a toy room to more of an entertainment room. I bought some cool red couches for the room, and the toys are now ensconced in the bonus room closet and Joseph's room. Next up, the vast wasteland under each of the bathroom sinks. What exactly is in there, anyway??