Project Simplify - Week 5 Results

This week marks the end of Simple Mom's Project Simplify, though not the end of clearing clutter out of my life...both literally and figuratively.  In the coming weeks - and likely months - I will be featuring my own personal hot spots around my home as I tackle them.  But of course, being on a mission to live my life intentionally goes much deeper than having an organized and clean home.  It is a logical place to start, though, so without further ado here is this week's hot spot...my linen and master bath closets.

Before pictures:

Wow...this is actually my hallway linen closet.  As you might be able to guess, this was so full that I would literally shove things wherever I saw a space and hope that the door would shut.  Admittedly not the best organizational plan.

The closet in our master bathroom - it could also be known as the place that towels go to die, apparently.

During pictures:

I don't know what Miss Intrepid enjoyed most about this clean up - playing with the games that we took down from the closet or helping with the label maker.

I thrifted this vintage Memory game from the late 1960s in an op shop while living for a short time in Wales.    The pictures on the cards are just beautiful!

After pictures:

This is what is heading out of my house...woo hoo!  Those are a lot of games.  And a lot of sheets.  And towels.  I realize that most of the towels have been cut out of this photo, but take my word on this one.

I now know that games fall under the category of aspirational clutter for me.  I enjoy playing games as a family and - as is clear from this pile (which doesn't even include what we've kept) - I have good intentions for us to play them often.  I don't know that we've held a family game night more than once or twice since 2011 dawned.  We had more games lurking in our closet than we will ever play and, truthfully, many of these games we've never played.  Some we received as gifts, some belonged to Running Man or I when we were children, and many were thrifted.  For example, I bought the Chinese game of Go at a yard sale nearly a decade ago thinking that Running Man and I could learn to play it together.  True, we've been known to play cards when we're out to dinner (yeah, we're cool like that), but the two of us don't otherwise spend quality time playing board games.  In fact, this is one of those games that we've never played.  So why do we still have it?  Reminiscent of my guitar, I have been holding onto this idea of me/us that doesn't actually match reality...a reality that I'm happy with.

This is the hallway linen closet now.  I got rid of things that I didn't know I had and things I certainly didn't need.  Now I not only have much less stuff to contend with, but I can see it all and it is easily accessible.  Check out all of that empty shelf space!

And speaking of empty shelf space, I now have an abundance of it in the bathroom closet as well.

Another good, satisfying step in decluttering.  There is still a long road ahead and I look forward to sharing the journey.  I'm linking up to Simple Mom's results post and am heading over there now to check out the hot spots that others chose and the progress that they've made for inspiration.  Happy Friday, friends!


"I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home...I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby."  ~Nancie J. Carmody