Day 5 - Years of History

I'm almost finished with "the stack" - the one on my make-up table.  Remember....

Last in the stack but certainly not least, the big pink box, there on the bottom of the pile. 

Here's a better view.

A very interesting top

Full of stuff

I wish I had an exciting story about this box.  Goodness knows it's been through enough with me - but sadly I don't. 

I don't exactly remember when I came to own this box.  I suspect it was sometime during my late middle school or early high school years because upon further inspection I can date a number of the pieces it holds.  For instance, there's some strange 80's style jewelry that I vividly remember receiving as a gift when I was a freshman in high school.  When I opened the box holding these pieces I vividly remember thinking "Yuck! Who actually thinks this is something a 14 year old girl would wear."  I kept them this long because my mother guilted me into appreciating them, but I honestly have not E.V.E.R. picked them up or worn them.  These pieces are going to be promptly added to Ebay and hopefully someone out there will appreciate them for what they are. 

There's also pretty charm that I brought back from my first trip to Mexico during high school, the earrings I wore to my first formal in college, and the "fake" wedding rings I bought prior to going on my honeymoon so that I didn't have to wear my real stuff.  This box has seen me through the rough years of high school, the crazy years of college, and the defining years as a young professional.  It's content telling the story of those years.

But two years ago I received a proper {read: REAL} jewelry box.  The kind adults keep their real jewelry in.  It's time to accept that I'm not a teenager anymore, and it's time to accept that my teenage jewelry box has to go.  So with that, the pink box must go.  I hope whoever gets it enjoys it as much as I did.

As for the contents - I'm still trying to sort it all out. 

Sell	Donate	Trash
2	3	10

Until Tomorrow,
Jen



Day 4

I'm behind.  This isn't starting out well, I know.  I didn't anticipate how busy my weekends get and how tired I get from it all.

So today I'm going to cheat a little.  Not in the sense that I'm not getting rid of anything, just in the sense that I'm lazy and not feeling all that creative today.  So to start, check out this video - it's from FRIENDS (only like the greatest show ever).  Around the 1:10 mark is the most important piece. (and sorry it's not embedded - pesky youtube) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on2_ooaUc4Q

So what did we learn class?  That when a hotel rips you off, you make up for it in soaps. 

Now with all seriousness though, I am that traveler who snags the soaps and shampoos from hotels, especially when it's a nice hotel and there's really good stuff.  And usually I'll use them at some point.  The problem is that darn word some.  Because it might be within the next week or it could be a year from now.

And usually it's the later of those above time frames so I find those cute little bottles in random places, like by my sink.  So today, these cute little bottles are going to a place where someone can actually use them.  These will be donated to the women's shelter in my town - a place that is always needing these type of items.  So away they go!

Sell	Donate	Trash
1	2	10

Until Tomorrow,
Jen



Day 3 - Just Slightly Delayed

Getting into a routine is a little challenging when life is already cram pack with stuff.  Yesterday, when this should have posted I was visiting with my in-laws, but true to my mission, I have gotten rid of stuff.  Sticking with my dressing table, I turned my attention to the brown tray that has become a collect all for random junk. 

Digging into the tray a little more produced the following collection of random junk.

1. Green leather pouch matching a purse
2. "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks
3. Sunglasses holder for sunglasses that are long gone.
4. Random recipe card for something I would never make
5. Cheap bangles
6. Purse strap
7. Brown leather tray
8. Dog collar
9. Plastic jewelry display bags

So a little more than 1 item.  Several items actually belonged somewhere besides sitting the tray.  So with that the green pouch joined the purse it belongs with as did the strap.  If I'm totally honest, I could have just as easily gotten rid of both items, but because they are part of purses, I decided to keep them around.  We'll see if they last the year though. ;-)

Also included in the "wrong place" group is the book and dog collar.  So away to the bookcase the book went.  The dog collar actually belongs to my mother, and how it came to be in my possession is actually a mystery to me - so it's now waiting by the door for when I see her next.

Items 3 and 4 are a prime example of the behaviors I always do but want to change.  The sunglasses that came with the holder have long disappeared, but I've managed to convince myself that I should hang onto the cases because "I'll use it later".  And even thought twice about my decision, but in reality, I haven't used it by it now, so I'm really not going to, despite best intentions.  Honestly, how many of you have said the same thing, but never do?  I'd guess quite a few. To the garbage it goes! 

Along with the case, so goes the recipe card.  Looking at it now I'm not even sure why I picked it up, except that it's very much like me to do so.  I've always had a hard time saying no, especially when something is free. That card was probably at some kitchen ware store and I grabbed it, thinking I'd modify the recipe to exclude the ingredients I didn't like.  But I never did, and likely never will. 

Items 5 & 9 are the last in the box.  Number 5 - cheap bangles.  This was an easy decision, they were cheap and ugly, items that I would not ever pick up again, so to the trash they go.  Finally item 9, plastic retail jewelry display bags - items I have used many items before when I was traveling frequently.  They provided a great way to transport my chunky necklaces, but I don't travel nearly as often, and have since collected mesh bags to serve the same purpose and therefore are no longer needed.

Last but not least is the tray.  Originally I had planned to pitch the tray as well. But my husband quickly snatched it up.  It belonged to a set that my husband had bought years ago. I'm not exactly sure what his plan is for the tray, but at least for the time being, it's got a second chance.

I'm surprised that only a few days in I'm already starting to feel different about stuff.  I'm constantly scanning rooms and seeing all the stuff that can just go.  We'll see if the feeling continues, but I really hope it does, because it's a refreshing change!

And for today's tally....

Sell	Donate	Trash
1	0	10

Until Tomorrow,

Jen

Day 2

So yesterday I showed you what my crazy make-up table looked like. Need a reminder....

Yeah it's U.G.L.Y. and as ashamed as I am to admit it, but with the desire for full disclosure, it's been like this for a long time.  Another disclosure, I'm generally not a "neat & tidy" type of person, so it's not too surprising time has passed and the table has ended up looking like this. 

For today though, I'm going to focus on those pretty blue boxes.  These boxes which you might overlook...

Those blue boxes contained at one point beautiful gifts from the one and only Tiffany and Co.  Said gifts have since made their way (cute little blue suede bags and all) to my jewelry box and for the last couple of years, these boxes have made their way around the house to various locations until they landed on my table and have sat ever since.

So today that all changes.  I know a lot of women have this debate...to keep the box or not.  I've had this debate for years with myself.  In fact, even as a I started writing this very post I wasn't sure if I could actually go through with tossing these boxes, and even asked my husband what he thought.

In my semi-hoarder, twisted mind, I was thinking "I can't actually throw away a Tiffany's box" - yeah, really trying to convince myself I couldn't part with them.   

But then the more I thought about I had to really ask, why?  Why does it matter? The jewelry isn't any less valuable to me without the box.  I have absolutely NO intention of selling the pieces, so the boxes don't really matter.  I ultimately have decided I was keeping them as "proof" that I had the real stuff, but again had to ask myself "why does it matter".  And ultimately, it doesn't! 

So with that, they are gone.  Good bye blue boxes!

Sell	Donate	Trash
1	0	2

It's getting better! ;-)

Jen

Day 1 - An Unexpected Change

Originally I had planned to attack this.....

...the mess better known as my make up table. Don't worry, we'll get back to this though.

So why the dramatic change?  2 hours into my day today I realized I couldn't avoid it any longer.  These.....

...have been a pain in my back, legs, and feet since, well, since I bought them.  They've been sitting in my closet for well over 6 years. 

I bought these during my "I love crazy pattern shoes" stage, and they were majorly on sale.  In theory they are perfect shoes - good neutral color, fun pattern, nice wedge heel, Naturalize brand (which are usually like house shoes).  I had really high hopes for these.  

The first wearing I thought was a fluke.  Surely these shoes couldn't be causing my feet to hurt.  A few more wears and I was convinced they were not good, but I held onto them.  Over the 6 years I've owned them, I can easily count the number of times I've worn them on 2 hands.  So this morning I absent-mindedly grabbed them, thinking they would add some pop to my otherwise boring outfit. 2 hours later, I knew it was D-day for these shoes.  They still hurt.  They aren't for me. And it's time they quit taking up space in my closet.

So with that, my first SELL item goes (or at least is on it's way). In most cases I plan to use EBAY to sell stuff, but for items like this, I'm still trying to figure out a good local consignment store to sell them at. 

The tally is a little sad, but it's going to get better, 1 item at a time.

Sell	Donate	Trash
1	-	-

Day 1 = Success.  

Jen   

In the beginning.....

There once was a house full of stuff collected from years of over buying and not purging.

Welcome to the One Item A Day project - my attempt to de-clutter my house - and thereby my life - one item at a time.  Tomorrow, September 1st, officially starts this project and each day I'll post what the item of the day is and how it's going to be disposed of.

This insane idea first came about last year after reading about more and more people living a simplier lifestyle.  There are those who have choosen to only wear 1 dress for an entire year, or a family elimating all pre-packages materials from their home, but I knew that in reality that would never be me and with the addition of a new infant in the house, my idea to start somewhere was frankly dead in the water, favoring sleep and sanity.  But life has settled down and the realization that our stuff is taking our house can't be further ignored.  So here I begin, a journey to eliminate that stuff.  

But first a few things you should know about me:

• I am a PACK RAT!  As in when I watch Hoarders, I hear some of the same excuses I use.  "It'll be useful when...." or "But I got this ..... and it reminds of that event/trip/etc" or how about "But it was a GREAT deal!"  Yeah I've used them all.
• I love to shop! It used to be a past time.  In college, it was a Friday afternoon ritual.  I've cut a lot of my unnecessary shopping, but still love a good deal and have a hard time turning away from a sale.
• I really like multiples.  As a kid (well who am I kidding, even now) walking into neatly organized stores with mulitples of everything makes my heart skip a beat.
• I'm horrible at grammer and spelling - more of any FYI for you readers who will undoubtly find some errors from time to time in every post.  

So why am I doing this?  Well I could lie and say it's all in the name of being green or to raise awareness of excessive consumerism, but really, I just want a clean house in which I can find what I need, when I need it.  And because trying to part with a lot of things at one time is well....a disaster for me.  Seriously, ask the husband. 

Something else to know about me, I like rules.  Nice, orderly, and in the box.  So to keep this project in line, I've set some rules.

1. A minimum of 1 item per day must be removed (or arrangements made to remove it) each day.  
2. Each item must either be: thrown out, sold, or donated.
3. Trash does not count.

 I hope you enjoy this journey I'm on - it's going to be interesting and enlightening!

Jen