Ok, so my apartment is (mostly) clean and tidy...

[Pumpkin_Pie]

Now what to tackle next??? My place is tidy enough that I feel comfortable with company coming over unexpectedly at this point (very rare for me ), and I want to keep it that way so my next step is to start purging. Here is my list

Coat closet: tons of never worn shoes/coats/winter gear/etc
Shelf above stove: Tons of open (read: half stale) snacks, dish towels, napkins, etc.
Kitchen cabinets: Mismatched containers/lids, mismatched and ill stacking dishes
Pantry cabinet: Canned goods that are literally YEARS old. I think they are still ok to eat, but I really don't want to.
DS's bookshelf: Books that he really has outgrown, but it is so hard to decide what to keep.
DS's Closet:Tons of blankets, bed sheets, and a bunch of clothing, both his and mine that are either never worn or do not fit.
DS's bookshelf in his room: Filled with old books of mine that I really need to purge. It also contains all of our photo albums, scrapbook albums, baby books, etc. Not kiddo stuff at all.
DS's dresser: Filled to the brim with clothing. Pretty sure all of it fits, it is just WAAAAAYYYY too much. I LIVE for thrift stores, so most of it only cost a quarter, but I have such a hard time saying no, even if I know he doesn't need it.
My closet:Again, filled with too much of my stuff, most of which doesn't fit. A ton is too small, but I am really trying so hard to lose weight, I hope it will fit eventually.
My dresser:Same as DS's. Most of it fits me at this point, but just too much...

So, almost all of it except for the shelf over the stove is out of sight to most people, but I would LOVE to start tackling this one project at a time to get it out of my life, while maintaining the cleanliness and order that I have so far.

Oh, and my basement is a disaster..... I figure I will tackle that after the living area is under control.

Any tips would be great, but mostly I am going to use this as an accountability thread for myself if noone minds. I will try to take pics tomorrow and then once things are completely tidy.

[sunshineafterrain]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin_Pie

Now what to tackle next??? My place is tidy enough that I feel comfortable with company coming over unexpectedly at this point (very rare for me ), and I want to keep it that way so my next step is to start purging. Here is my list

Coat closet: tons of never worn shoes/coats/winter gear/etc
Bag it up put it in the trunk of your car, drop it off asap
Shelf above stove: Tons of open (read: half stale) snacks, dish towels, napkins, etc. Start with this shelf, toss the food. Fold the napkins and towels nicely and stack or put in pretty basket, purge anything that does not fit or keep elsewhere
Kitchen cabinets: Mismatched containers/lids, mismatched and ill stacking dishes Match containers and lids, get rid of any that are left over, stack your dishes, get rid of any that don't fit
Pantry cabinet: Canned goods that are literally YEARS old. I think they are still ok to eat, but I really don't want to. TOSS!
DS's bookshelf: Books that he really has outgrown, but it is so hard to decide what to keep. Donate- don't forget the library is full of books that you can borrow should you miss one
DS's Closet:Tons of blankets, bed sheets, and a bunch of clothing, both his and mine that are either never worn or do not fit. Donate clothes and all but 2 of the extra linen (or what you can store comfortably)
DS's bookshelf in his room: Filled with old books of mine that I really need to purge. It also contains all of our photo albums, scrapbook albums, baby books, etc. Not kiddo stuff at all. Donate your books. Put the rest in baskets/boxes in your room to go through later
DS's dresser: Filled to the brim with clothing. Pretty sure all of it fits, it is just WAAAAAYYYY too much. I LIVE for thrift stores, so most of it only cost a quarter, but I have such a hard time saying no, even if I know he doesn't need it. I think of the thrift store as having a revolving door/or livrary- I get things, use them, then bring them back. Keep the best items that will fit in the drawers nicely and donate the rest
My closet:Again, filled with too much of my stuff, most of which doesn't fit. A ton is too small, but I am really trying so hard to lose weight, I hope it will fit eventually. Keep one or two of the best outfits- that looked great on you before- as an incentive, get rid of the rest and treat yourself to clothes when you lose the weight
My dresser:Same as DS's. Most of it fits me at this point, but just too much...Same as your sons

So, almost all of it except for the shelf over the stove is out of sight to most people, but I would LOVE to start tackling this one project at a time to get it out of my life, while maintaining the cleanliness and order that I have so far.
I would start with that kitchen shelf
Oh, and my basement is a disaster..... I figure I will tackle that after the living area is under control.

Any tips would be great, but mostly I am going to use this as an accountability thread for myself if noone minds. I will try to take pics tomorrow and then once things are completely tidy.

Here's a definition of clutter I like from The Healthy House Book:
Clutter is anything that makes you feel down. depressed, or sad when you look at it or think about it. It can be defined as anything that is:
* Not regularly used
* Not loved and cherished
* Stored or left in the wrong place
* Half-finished, such as knitting or craft projects
* Squeezed into too small a space
* Broken objects and appliances that cannot be used until they are fixed
* An unwanted gift

Also, Peter Walsh (It's All Too Much) talks about having a vision for your life, think about how you want your life to be- then translate that to your rooms.
What is your vision for the room? How do you want to use it? Then purge/remove anything that does not meet that vision. ie For your son's room, one of your visions might be that it is for his use and only his belongings that are loved and used can be in there.

You are off to a wonderful beginning!
For me the hardest thing is just *starting* a timer helps with that, set it for 15 minutes
Good luck!!

~now I need to go off and follow my own advice!

[sunshineafterrain]

I have to thank you!~
I cleaned out the pantry area of my kitchen this morning and did some rearranging

Thanks for the inspiration!

[Pumpkin_Pie]

I love the definition of clutter. It really fits about 75% of the belongings in my apartment. I haven't gotten to any of the problem areas this morning, but I did re-clean my bathroom, sweep the entire apartment, wash the dishes in the sink from yesterday, helped DS put all of his toys away, changed the sheets on my bed, and put a load of laundry in the washer. I am feeling so hugely accomplished this morning and it is only 9:40 in the morning! I think I am going to go play for the day and tackle one of the areas on my list tonight once it cools down a bit.