Week #3 Wrap up of 40 in 40

Here we are at the end of week #3 in my yearly Lenten project with Ann Marie over at White House Black Shutters . During this week, in our support group (YES! We have a FB support group. It's amazing and very needed) we took a lot of time discussing WHY we save clutter and how to work through the emotional ties that bind us to "stuff". It is my hope that once I complete this project and my basement is livable again that I will never go back to my hoarding ways. Something that has helped me is to imagine the basement as part of my house and not a black hole to throw stuff. If it's not acceptable to "live" with the stuff, it's not acceptable to throw it in the basement for later. I am also trying to have only what I love, keep only what I actually use (not what I "might" use in 2034) and to give myself limits on what I can keep. For example: I can keep the amount of clothing that fits into my drawers. Otherwise I need to make choices and pare down until it DOES fit into the drawers. Same goes with every space in the house and basement.  It was enlightening and helpful. I'm officially half way through the basement cluster and my "living" part of the house is about 80% finished! I also got a very special reward this week (You will see at the end). 

So....Basement progress. Again, not a lot of pretty pictures of fancy things, but here is the before and after. Note I did put away the holiday decorations from both Halloween and Christmas. :) 

Before:

After:

From the Laundry area view:

That pile resting in that corner is my next week's project. Hopefully this entire half of the basement will be completed by next week. I made a trip to Thrift King this week and a TON more trash to the curb. I also cleaned out my car to prepare for our weekend getaway which surprisingly only yielded a half a bag! (Don't worry I filled it up inside the house!)

My reward for completing so much.....An amazing new bed set and matching 1600 thread count Egyptian Cotton Sheets. I also purchased a memory foam mattress topper. It is AMAZING! Completely transformed my ancient mattress into a nice and comfortable bed for sleeping. 

I cleared out 11 bags/boxes to the trash and took 6 bags/boxes to Thrift King. Taking my Total for the Challenge to:

24 Bags of Trash

35 Bags Donated

That's 59 Total Bags for the Challenge so far. I'm pretty impressed with the amount of clutter gone. *Note the Bags are either Garbage Bags or Boxes of items for donation. 

To all my decluttering friends out there: Keep up the good work!!

Out, Out, and Away

Well my friends, Here is my weekly check in with my 40 bags in 40 days project that I'm doing with my amazing blogger friend Ann Marie over at www.whitehouseblackshutters.com (Yes I know...I'm marching to the beat of my own drum, it's not Friday yet.) I've been chugging along on my 40 in 40 project and honestly....I'm feeling AWESOME! Seriously, the weight is being lifted and my mind is getting clearer with each and every bag I rid.

Now, of course we already decided I was sadly advanced in the department of "clutter". I seem to have an extra ordinary amount of stuff. And so my massive purge isn't a typical purge within the 40 in 40 project. BUT...for me, it's really just the beginning. I keep looking at others pictures and thinking to myself....I am SO FAR from being that clearfree of clutter. I have such a long way to go to be able to have a space that is free of clutter. Even if it's a small space.

But...I'm a work in progess. :) And happily I'm getting there. One box at a time. I try not to look at everyone elses spaces and concentrate on mine. LOL

Here is my awesome completion for the week.

Before:

and after:

YAY!!!! Another portion of my basement is cleared!!! I'm so excited. It's so refreshing to walk down into the basement and not immediately see JUNK.

And since my laundry room was last weeks big project....

I now have HALF of a basement that I can feel good about. I have also added some more shelves and storage solutions in my laundry area:

And I love using my folding table for my laundry.

Along with THAT project, I also cleared out another bag of trash and another box of donations from my kitchen. On Sunday I delivered ANOTHER 10 bags/boxes to Thrift King:

Plus I have another pile started for this Sunday's delivery! (And I'm pretty sure the garbage men are going to hate me soon. LOL)

SO...Total Project is looking like this:

22 bags donated

3 bags sold

6 bags of trash

Totaling 31 bags so far!!

I gotta say. The selling part....I give up. I have realized I just can't keep the stuff around and hold onto it waiting for it to sell. only to make a small dollar on it anyways. So...that part of my plan has been stratched. And I'm all about ridding out....getting it gone....ASAP.

So...That's what is happening here! 31 bags down...and lord know how many more to go. LOL (Certainly more then 9. That I know for sure!)