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Post pics of your clean, clear space - Page 9

post #161 of 1147
1/13/08 at 10:47pm
Thankyou for sharing! What a beautiful home! I especially like the office are and the entry way.
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post #162 of 1147
1/13/08 at 11:15pm
Beautiful! I love all your built-in storage!

I had to giggle at the pic of your "formal" living room with your DP chilling out with the baby.
post #163 of 1147
1/13/08 at 11:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aguazul View Post
Beautiful!!!

So, how did you do it? I mean, did you get ruthless about getting rid of things? Did you become super-organized? How did you begin?
The bolded portion above describes my apartment right now. I am so inspired by you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KathleenRay View Post
I'm curious too!
okay, so I've been thinking about how to respond to these posts all day. and i think first it's important to mention two things, 1st for me it didn't happen overnight, I really got serious about not living in a mess any longer 1 year ago. and 2nd, i'm very fortunate that my DH was completely on board with all my efforts to achieve this goal.

One of the most important things that I realized was that I had to get a lot of the crap out of the house before I was going to be able to start organizing and getting a cleaning routine going. I had a couple of garage sales and then tried and failed a couple of times at organizing the rest.
I hadn't gotten rid of enough stuff, I just had too much to manage. Then I found this forum and started taking one box at a time to the thrift store, and this made a big improvement in our home, but it still wasn't organized or clean.

That's when I discovered Simple Living. As an environmentalist and just as a person who wanted to spend more time doing the things I love, and less time dealing with "stuff", simple living really appealed to me. I read Clutter's Last Stand and after realizing how much having all this stuff really cost me and my family I got angry, and then I got to work. I looked at each item in my house that wasn't contributing to the acheivement of my goals as something that was holding me back from my happiness. Draining time and energy that I wanted to have for my son, my husband, my dogs, and everything else that mattered more than these beautiful, perfectly good pieces of clutter. I didn't bother trying to sell anything, I decided my time was worth more to me than this junk. I peeled back layer after layer of this crap until there was enough for me to manage and organize without killing myself to do it, and then I got rid of more.

After getting the clutter out, I had to learn how to organize. I read House Works which helped me learn a lot of the things I never had any idea about. I am definitely not an innately organized person. I figured out some storage solutions and I found a place for everything and I keep everything in it's place(an old blade but it still cuts).

Now I'm still struggling with keeping a chore and cleaning routine, but it's a lot easier to work on now that I can find everything in my home and I'm not overwhelmed just by the thought of getting started on a task.

So I know simple living isn't the path for everyone and plenty of people can keep their homes clean and organized without following this path. But I think this is the only way for me. Since I've started this journey my life just keeps getting better. I'd highly recommend it. Good luck to you aguazul!



Here are some links that have helped me:

https://www.newdream.org/index.php

http://www.simpleliving.net/main/

http://zenhabits.net/tags/simplicity/

http://www.amazon.com/Houseworks-Clu...0277572&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Clutters-Last-.../dp/0898791375

http://www.walkslowlylivewildly.com/

http://livelightlytour.com/

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/home.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Its-All-Too-Mu.../dp/0743292642
post #164 of 1147
1/13/08 at 11:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaLibertad View Post
laketahoemama

Where did you get the counter/drawers that are in your kitchen between the stove and the fridge? I like the looks of it!

I : Ikea

We had a mouse problem and we remodeled the kitchen with freestanding units from Ikea, we love them!
post #165 of 1147
1/14/08 at 12:53am
Well, I'm not done yet but I do have some 'in progress" photos up.

Here's the living room with the kids in it.

Here's the side with all their Very Large Toys. (Argh!)

Here's where the kids sleep.

Here's our room, which now has photos on that blank wall. I know it doesn't look great but it also used to be COMPLETELY full of crap-- wall to wall, no space to walk so this is a really big change.
post #166 of 1147
1/14/08 at 1:46am
This is such an interesting forum to read. Thank you for everyone posting about their success stories. I've been inspired.
post #167 of 1147
1/14/08 at 1:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by granolapunk View Post
here's mine

we are 5 in a 900sf apartment. we use what is supposed to be the master bedroom as a playroom, and we have a family bedroom instead. The shelf in the livingroom photo is coming down and being replaced by a picture of some sort.
I really like your hangers in your closet. And also I admire you for having a manageable wardrobe...great job! I'm paring down my wardrobe as well and also doing the no-spend/compact for at the very least clothing this year, and hopefully other stuff, too.
post #168 of 1147
1/14/08 at 3:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Savoir Faire View Post
Well, I'm not done yet but I do have some 'in progress" photos up.

Here's the living room with the kids in it.

Here's the side with all their Very Large Toys. (Argh!)

Here's where the kids sleep.

Here's our room, which now has photos on that blank wall. I know it doesn't look great but it also used to be COMPLETELY full of crap-- wall to wall, no space to walk so this is a really big change.
Love, love, love the colour on your living room walls!
post #169 of 1147
1/14/08 at 9:30am
Thanks for posting all your pics! It really is inspirational!

I am still working on the decluttering part. I think dh is FINALLY getting it and at least a little bit on board!

It is really, really nice to see everyone's lovely homes!

post #170 of 1147
1/14/08 at 7:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Savoir Faire View Post
Well, I'm not done yet but I do have some 'in progress" photos up.
On your blog you mention your dd no longer wants to sleep in her room -- my dd1 has decided she wants to sleep in dd2's room as well. So be it. So long as they sleep!

I love the color of your bedroom wall.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jennifercp8 View Post
Here was our house, right before we sold it
beautiful. While I oogle over small houses, my dh could use a shoe closet and I would die for a master bath.
post #171 of 1147
1/15/08 at 12:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kerc View Post
On your blog you mention your dd no longer wants to sleep in her room -- my dd1 has decided she wants to sleep in dd2's room as well. So be it. So long as they sleep!
It was kind of weird how it happened. I had secretly wanted them to share but figured no way. And then, she did it on her own.

Every night, she BEGS to sleep in there, though she doesn't seem to realize that it pretty much is her permanent place now

My kids, oddly enough, seem to be closer now that they've been sharing a room. Oh and thanks for the nice words on the green-- I can't say my extended family liked it when they saw it!

I heard "oh...it is....GREEN. You plan on doing some faux finish on it?"
post #172 of 1147
1/15/08 at 12:13pm
here is my blog to sell my home:

www.941bungalow.blogspot.com

Most days our house looks close to this...

post #173 of 1147
1/15/08 at 1:02pm
wow, that's an unbelievable price where i come from. why would you sell such a pretty house? what part of the world are you in?

nicely photographed. i think photographing for other purposes is VERY inspiring for getting a place decluttered.

*
post #174 of 1147
1/15/08 at 1:10pm
I agree - in my neck of the woods that would by a 400 sq ft condo! wow - I think I am moving ... LOL
post #175 of 1147
1/15/08 at 2:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by artparent View Post
wow, that's an unbelievable price where i come from. why would you sell such a pretty house? what part of the world are you in?
Gotta love the mid-west, y'all! If my house were on the coast, it would be a million dollar house, no sweat. We paid a whopping $166K for it four years ago and it's 4 beds/2.5 baths, family room, two car attached garage on a half-acre lot. (Way too much space for four people but I was in a very different place four years ago!)

That bungalow is adorable, BTW. I'd snatch it up if I were in Indy!
post #176 of 1147
1/15/08 at 2:30pm
It really is crazy how much prices vary from place to place. We paid $57,000 for our house 4+ years ago. It is a 4 bed 1 bath 1800 sq. feet house. Granted we have done a ton of work, but it would still only sell for $110,000 in our town.
post #177 of 1147
1/15/08 at 5:04pm
thanks for your nice comments. it hasn't sold and we had it up officially for 7 months. now we are considering putting it up again.

why are we moving? to downsize and because friends bought us a house right next door to them, across from other friends, and two doors down from other friends. we are trying to build our own little village neighborhood...

we will see if we sell. we are happy in this house, so i can't complain.

post #178 of 1147
1/15/08 at 7:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamabain View Post
thanks for your nice comments. it hasn't sold and we had it up officially for 7 months. now we are considering putting it up again.

why are we moving? to downsize and because friends bought us a house right next door to them, across from other friends, and two doors down from other friends. we are trying to build our own little village neighborhood...

we will see if we sell. we are happy in this house, so i can't complain.
holy moly, can i meet your friends?
post #179 of 1147
1/16/08 at 2:20am

Our Home :)

So here is our home!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22853541@N07/
post #180 of 1147
1/16/08 at 9:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crunchy Doula View Post
I love your leather couch! I'm covetous of your walk in closet. And your laundry room looks so squared away! I think I'll go work on mine ...